The early days of Temple City were tumultuous times. We had done extensive planning and we knew that it would take a certain number of inhabitants to keep the town self-sufficient. If we didn't have a population that was big enough, it would fail. On the other hand, if it grew too quickly, it might exhaust itself and also fail.
Altor, Readro, Spiderwell, Spydey, Brannoncyll and I all spent a considerable amount of time recruiting people to join us. It was a lot to ask of people to move to a completely new town - indeed, in some cases, a whole new planet - but we were able to take advantage of many interplanetary forms of communication. We were able to locate many people of a like mind as ourselves, who were looking to escape the influence of the Empire - not necessarily to oppose it directly, but only to be able to exert their own independence.
That is not to say that we had no citizens loyal to the Empire. We found many who were committed to the Imperial principles and who were looking to reside on a planet that offered the kinds of opportunities that could be found on Dantooine.
We accepted nearly everyone who wished to join us, as long as they agreed to abide by our guidelines and to work with the rest of us for the mutual benefit of our city. Personal politics generally gave way to the betterment of the greater good.
For a while, I was not sure that we would make it. Our growth was slow to get started. Once it got some inertia, however, it took on a life of its own and could not be stopped. It was not long before we had progressed our little economic and political unit far enough that we could afford such improvements as our own shuttleport, parking garage, cloning facilities and a medical center, in addition to such luxuries as a large cantina, numerous gardens and employment terminals. All of this carried a momentum of its own, helping to draw merchants and entrepreneurs to town.
As promised, I held regular elections, but no one ever ran against me. I hoped this was because they were satisfied with the way things were going. I did my best to listen to people's wishes and to shape Temple City to everyone's satisfaction.
In the meantime, I had grown quite proficient at the art of Fencing, but had grown rather bored with the repetition involved in maintaining my skills. I found myself concentrating on other pursuits. I learned to play music, and spent a great deal of time in Coronet on Corellia, where there is a famous cantina, filled wall to wall with all kinds of entertainers. I spent many nights there, losing myself in the music and participating in all manners of performances.
Even that could not hold my interest for long, however. The one constant was my vehicle sales business. I had meanwhile expanded and now had shops on two planets - Tatooine and Dantooine, in Temple City. Business was booming, and I had trouble keeping my inventory stocked. Spiderwell was doing equally well, and contributed greatly to the financial stability of the city, becoming its best recruiter and its singlemost generous investor.
I had little left to learn about Fencing, or music for that matter, but I didn't feel any closer to understanding the mysterious messages I had received from the Holocrons. I had money and, as Mayor of Temple City, a fair amount of power, yet I felt empty inside, as if something was missing, some integral part of my identity that I could not locate.
Not knowing what else to do, one night I jumped on my swoop bike and drove up to the Jedi temple ruins to think. I found myself sitting on an ancient, fallen column and staring at the ground, thinking about nothing and everything at once.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. I hadn't heard anyone approach, but all of a sudden I was certain there was something there.
"Hello," I said, cautiously.
"Good evening," a voice replied. I recognized it immediately. It was the Remnant of Kun, who I had met while I was here with Gerrvin, so many months ago.
I turned to face him. His gaunt face stared back at me, his eyes dark.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I am here. What more would you know?"
He continued to stare at me. "Another scourge has appeared. Are you prepared to aid me again?"
I considered. He could only mean another being like the young Twi'lek Gerrvin, Spiderwell and I had encountered. I shuddered inside to think of what had been done to him. Yet here, perhaps, was a chance to redeem my actions. If there was another like that young one, perhaps he could tell me where they came from, who they were, what the strange, glowing swords that they weilded were called. And, most importantly, why the Remnant wanted them dead.
I nodded slowly. "I will help you."
"Yesss," the Remnant hissed, "You will."
He gave me instructions on how to find the "scourge," and sent me on my way, demanding that I return before morning.
It was not hard to find the man. He was next to a small campfire a few kilometers off, and made no efforts to conceal his existence. I drove my swoop quite close to his campsite before shutting it down and disembarking.
The man was already on his feet, his weapon at the ready but not yet ignited. I stopped and surveyed him. He was a Twi'lek, no older than the last I had met. His skin was tinted orange and his lekku were drawn back behind his head. He looked at me with dark, intelligent eyes, and waited.
I raised my hand slowly. "I just want to talk," I said.
"The Remnant sent you," he answered, without moving his weapon.
I nodded. "He told me where to find you. But I am not here to do his dirty work."
The Twi'lek seemed to consider, looking me over. Then, gradually, his weapon dropped to his side in his hand. He seemed to relax, and I followed suit.
He bade me come closer, and we sat down together near his campfire. "What is it that brought you here?" he asked me.
"My name is Maast Lofor. I have questions," I said, "many, many questions."
The Twi'lek nodded. "My name is K'te. I will do my best to answer."
And thus began my first true lesson in the Force.
Altor, Readro, Spiderwell, Spydey, Brannoncyll and I all spent a considerable amount of time recruiting people to join us. It was a lot to ask of people to move to a completely new town - indeed, in some cases, a whole new planet - but we were able to take advantage of many interplanetary forms of communication. We were able to locate many people of a like mind as ourselves, who were looking to escape the influence of the Empire - not necessarily to oppose it directly, but only to be able to exert their own independence.
That is not to say that we had no citizens loyal to the Empire. We found many who were committed to the Imperial principles and who were looking to reside on a planet that offered the kinds of opportunities that could be found on Dantooine.
We accepted nearly everyone who wished to join us, as long as they agreed to abide by our guidelines and to work with the rest of us for the mutual benefit of our city. Personal politics generally gave way to the betterment of the greater good.
For a while, I was not sure that we would make it. Our growth was slow to get started. Once it got some inertia, however, it took on a life of its own and could not be stopped. It was not long before we had progressed our little economic and political unit far enough that we could afford such improvements as our own shuttleport, parking garage, cloning facilities and a medical center, in addition to such luxuries as a large cantina, numerous gardens and employment terminals. All of this carried a momentum of its own, helping to draw merchants and entrepreneurs to town.
As promised, I held regular elections, but no one ever ran against me. I hoped this was because they were satisfied with the way things were going. I did my best to listen to people's wishes and to shape Temple City to everyone's satisfaction.
In the meantime, I had grown quite proficient at the art of Fencing, but had grown rather bored with the repetition involved in maintaining my skills. I found myself concentrating on other pursuits. I learned to play music, and spent a great deal of time in Coronet on Corellia, where there is a famous cantina, filled wall to wall with all kinds of entertainers. I spent many nights there, losing myself in the music and participating in all manners of performances.
Even that could not hold my interest for long, however. The one constant was my vehicle sales business. I had meanwhile expanded and now had shops on two planets - Tatooine and Dantooine, in Temple City. Business was booming, and I had trouble keeping my inventory stocked. Spiderwell was doing equally well, and contributed greatly to the financial stability of the city, becoming its best recruiter and its singlemost generous investor.
I had little left to learn about Fencing, or music for that matter, but I didn't feel any closer to understanding the mysterious messages I had received from the Holocrons. I had money and, as Mayor of Temple City, a fair amount of power, yet I felt empty inside, as if something was missing, some integral part of my identity that I could not locate.
Not knowing what else to do, one night I jumped on my swoop bike and drove up to the Jedi temple ruins to think. I found myself sitting on an ancient, fallen column and staring at the ground, thinking about nothing and everything at once.
Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. I hadn't heard anyone approach, but all of a sudden I was certain there was something there.
"Hello," I said, cautiously.
"Good evening," a voice replied. I recognized it immediately. It was the Remnant of Kun, who I had met while I was here with Gerrvin, so many months ago.
I turned to face him. His gaunt face stared back at me, his eyes dark.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I am here. What more would you know?"
He continued to stare at me. "Another scourge has appeared. Are you prepared to aid me again?"
I considered. He could only mean another being like the young Twi'lek Gerrvin, Spiderwell and I had encountered. I shuddered inside to think of what had been done to him. Yet here, perhaps, was a chance to redeem my actions. If there was another like that young one, perhaps he could tell me where they came from, who they were, what the strange, glowing swords that they weilded were called. And, most importantly, why the Remnant wanted them dead.
I nodded slowly. "I will help you."
"Yesss," the Remnant hissed, "You will."
He gave me instructions on how to find the "scourge," and sent me on my way, demanding that I return before morning.
It was not hard to find the man. He was next to a small campfire a few kilometers off, and made no efforts to conceal his existence. I drove my swoop quite close to his campsite before shutting it down and disembarking.
The man was already on his feet, his weapon at the ready but not yet ignited. I stopped and surveyed him. He was a Twi'lek, no older than the last I had met. His skin was tinted orange and his lekku were drawn back behind his head. He looked at me with dark, intelligent eyes, and waited.
I raised my hand slowly. "I just want to talk," I said.
"The Remnant sent you," he answered, without moving his weapon.
I nodded. "He told me where to find you. But I am not here to do his dirty work."
The Twi'lek seemed to consider, looking me over. Then, gradually, his weapon dropped to his side in his hand. He seemed to relax, and I followed suit.
He bade me come closer, and we sat down together near his campfire. "What is it that brought you here?" he asked me.
"My name is Maast Lofor. I have questions," I said, "many, many questions."
The Twi'lek nodded. "My name is K'te. I will do my best to answer."
And thus began my first true lesson in the Force.
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