Chapter 44
Ki-Adi-Mundi stood outside the destroyed palace that once belonged to Gardulla the Hutt and glared in silent anger.
He had been sent to Tatooine to try and peacefully resolve the conflict between the rival Hutt groups, the tusken raiders and the locals. But he had arrived too late, Gardulla the Hutt and her entire gang were dead, the tuskens had retreated deep into the Jundland wastes and Jabba the Hutt was taking control of the whole planet.
Mundi was furious, this was not how things were supposed to happen. All this bloodshed was not the jedi way. He had visited the Tuskens raiders as well and that had caused him even more annoyance.
The council had given him a second mission while he had been here, to persuade the rogue jedi Sharad Hett to return to the order. Hett had been living with the Tusken raiders and Mundi had assumed that after a simple conversation Hett would agree to return to the order, after all why would he choose to remain with those savages.
But Hett had refused to go with him. He had become the leader of a clan of tusken raiders and had just led them in an assault on Gardulla the Hutt's territory. Hett had ignored Mundi's advice and left with the other tusken raiders and headed back to disappear into the Tatooine desert.
He had killed people, Hett had killed people, Mundi was appalled by the senselessness of it. And now someone had massacred Gardulla and her gang as well. They might have been criminals, but this went against everything Mundi stood for he believed all life was sacred and so taking someone else's was extremely wrong.
There was no point in Mundi going to see Jabba. He had failed both his missions and so all he could do was return to coruscant to let the council know about the mess that Tatooine had become.
-
Jabba the Hutt sat on his throne and contemplated what to do next.
Gardulla's death was causing him to feel a bit ambivalent. One the one hand he now had uncontested control of Tatooine but one the other Gardulla's death and the destruction of her gang and territory had meant he had lost a lot of potential income.
His original plan had been forcing Gardulla to join him and assuming control over all her resources. He could then launch an attack on the local tusken raiders, ending them as a threat. He had been launching raids on the sand people to get them riled up and attack the local colonists so he could get them scared and buying weapons from him and was planning on using Gardulla's men to help him destroy the sand peoples forces when they got too powerful.
But he had lost that opportunity. Gardulla's men lay dead in the desert and the sand people had retreated into the Jundland wastes and were expecting an attack from him. He couldn't attack them without loosing a large amount of his own forces and he would need everyone he could while he secured his control of Tatooine.
Still though all in all things were working out quite well of him. He was going to take complete control of Tatooine. And although the Tusken raiders were still around they had gone back to cowering in the desert and so wouldn't be much of a problem. So he would leave them alone, for now.
-
Renn was currently sat with Alpha and several Warlords from the allied tusken raider tribes and watching the celebrations going on in a large Canyon in the Jundland wastes.
"You are a brave warrior young one." The warlord who spoke basic told Renn. "Not only did you kill a Hutt, but you also defeated a Krayt dragon, albeit with some help."
"Thanks. You and the other Sand people fought very well too" Renn said in complement to the tusken raiders, and the Warlords nodded happily at the praise.
They watched as the sand people celebrated in the canyon below them. Large fires had been lit all along the canyon and groups of sand people were gathered round them cheering in their unique braying language.
The six tusken raiders that had accompanied Renn to assault Gardulla's palace were at the largest fire in the centre of the canyon and were dancing around excitedly showing off some of the Krayt dragon claws they had taken from the beast's corpse while their fellow sand people listened to their story in amazement.
"You don't seem as happy as the others." Renn said to the ex-jedi tusken raider after noticing him being quieter than the other warlords.
"A jedi visited us after the battle" The warlord said after sighing. "He wanted me to return to the order, but I refused and he didn't take it that well."
"Oh. Seems like that's his problem not yours." Renn said.
"True, but it shows that the jedi council is getting worse. Turbulent times are approaching the galaxy and I need to make sure my tribe survives it." The ex-jedi now tusken warlord said while looking solemnly at the night sky.
Renn was silent as he thought about what the man said. Renn could tell the Warlord was a survivor, so he trusted his instincts. Maybe he should start preparing to help protect his own clan as well.
The party lasted all night and once it was over Renn and Alpha said their goodbyes before departing the planet. The sand people left the canyon as well and returned to their tribes, but the assembled warlords had formed a ruff alliance that over time would bind their tribes together so that they would face any threat together as one.
-
After leaving Tatooine Renn and the others set a course for Naboo. He still hadn't visited the land that he had received as payment for helping to liberate the planet and now seemed like the perfect time.
They also wanted to relax for a few days and Renn thought that resting while enjoying Naboo's beautiful scenery would do them all some good.
He also had some things to do on the planet, such as visiting Shmi Skywalker and making sure she was okay. He also wanted to use the land he had been given ownership of to build a house and figured he could start the arrangements on that while he was there.
Renn had his ships cargo hold filled with loot from Gardulla the Hutts palace and planned to go somewhere to trade it. Naboo probably wasn't the best place for that as the trade federations blockade and the ensuing battle had damaged the planets economy.
So Renn decided that after visiting Naboo they would journey to the nearby planet of Sullust as the planet was home to several trade guilds and so was probably the best, and closest, place he could go to sell the loot.
Sullust was also known for selling star ships and other technological parts that could be useful for upgrading the Lucrehulk that he had 'liberated' from the trade federation during the battle of Naboo.
The ship was currently hidden away in an uninhabited star system in wild space while the fragment of Sapphire that was piloting it made upgrades to its computer systems and updated its droids programming.
He would need to check on the ship before he committed himself to buying anything though so he just made a mental note to browse what was available on Sullust while he was there so that when he went back later, he would know exactly where to go.
With his plans made Renn went to spend his time in hyperspace training. The fighting he had done on Tatooine had just increased his desire to grow up and become a warrior, and his determination to improve himself was stronger than ever.