Chapter Text
1791 Post Tionese Secession (3772 BBY)
RVC Kath Hound Class Light Corvette
A Female Trandoshan, was looking at a small holo-recording of a Hutt in robes. She was wearing robes of Jedi, but past the sleeves where the robes ended was an insulated suit and specially modified gloves that accommodated her claws.
Qaphess the Trandoshan." A smile graced the Hutt's features, and Qaphess smiled right back. "I hope you're doing well. If you're receiving this transmission then you've been tasked with a most peculiar mission."
The Jedi's face became serious. "The Outer Rim has suffered from its fair share of chaos. The Akaan Be Haran, the Derriphakut-Nwulanjat, The Tion Cluster Wars, even the Serreno Count's War, the scars of these wars even just a few years after they ended are still immense. One of the Jedi Peacekeepers, Ladra Mul is asking for assistance from us and the other Jedi sects to help organize a multinational reconstruction effort, so the Council has sent you to assist them at the Vijun Visionaries summit, believing your mechanical skills to be of a great value." [1]
A rasping sigh escaped the Jedi's mouth, and her shoulders sunk.
'Really me of all people. I wonder if Master Kanjurda hates me? I'm not much of a diplomat or a people person.' Qaphess set the holocom down on a small table 'Worst of all I have to interact with Jedi from other sects all because they decided to split off from the order little over a millennia ago. What if they think of me as some hidebound traditionalist well scalebound I guess in my case.
The Trandoshan paused.
'Why are a lot of expressions so mammal centric? I almost wish I wasn't in the mainstream that I order, I could be a Jedi Paladin out saving princes, or a Peacekeeper out on the frontiers of space protecting others and settling disputes.' [2]
Qaphess moved towards the cockpit of her starship and began to put in the coordinates to Vijun. 'How can Master Kanjurda think I can do this? I was gruff and mouthy on that mission to Nemoidia, I got into a fight with that old man on Corellia, and I was almost a glorified spawnsitter for those kids on that diplomatic mission to the Sith Enclave on Arkania that became something else entirely?' The dour Jedi got up from her seat and turned around and she saw them. It was an a preserved branch, A coin, two holo-letters. They were a bunch of reminders from several from her time as a Jedi, she tried not to stop and cry right on the spot. [3]
They could be called trophies as some people could call them, they weren't much, but they could also be seen as tokens or reminders. She was once hesitant about her culture, even if the Order did encourage her to learn about her people.
Qaphess couldn't help but remember that talk with Master Kanjurda back when she was young.
Coruscant 1780 PTS (3783 BBY)
It had only been half a year since Qaphess had completed her Jedi trials and became a Padawan, and was assigned to Jedi Master Kanjurda. Master Kanjurda was a Hutt, which was rare.
"Master Kanjurda, why do you think I should learn more about Trandosha, don't the holo's teach enough?"
"Holos only do so much to teach us, young Padawan, I always believe you can learn more."
But I'm a Trandoshan. How is the Scorekeeper or anything from my homeworld and its people even relatable to the Jedi?"
Qaphess noticed that the Hutt gave a weary sigh and seemed almost disappointed. She hoped she didn't do anything wrong.
I'm sorry Master." Master Kanjurda held up his hands, with a reassuring smile on his face.
"It is okay, Qaphess. I was like that too when I was well, not exactly a young Padawan. I was something of a special case."
"You were a Padawan? That must have been so long ago."
A familiar joyful laugh came from the Hutt Jedi Master
"It wasn't that long ago but I was a Padawan to Jedi Master Buurenar Or'da." [4]
Kephess knew of Master Buurenar, he was a famed Taung two or so centuries who had become a Jedi Master. Even if Taung were largely known as liking to fight, he preferred diplomacy. [5]
"Isn't Master Varad related to him?"
"Distantly but it does not matter." I questioned my master what is the point of learning anymore about Hutt culture especially when it seems that the Galaxy at large seems to view us as crime lords and many even my own family seem all too willing to uphold that image."
"What did your Master say?"
"That perhaps I should look again, and that he too was in that same position as you and I once. Yes he was a Taung and a Jedi, but he chose to interpret the teachings of the Kad'Harangir and the temptations of Arasuum differently, even if it meant being considered dar'manda or soulless. Master Or'da instead chose to confront darkness wherever he could." [6]
As for me, I took the motto of Kajidic, "Somebody has to have it, why not us." Into something else. 'It' is not something that no child, Jedi or not or even adults should have to know or experience. It is the hopes and trust of others, the ability to help others, and burdens of living long." [7]
"But if you live long, can't you do a lot of stuff?"
"Yes, but living long is a burden at times." The Padawan felt a quiet sadness radiate from her Master, even if his expression did not change. "You have to see many things, conflict, cruelty, the passing of others who mean much to you, friends, family, students. But do you know what is the worst of all young Padawan?"
Qaphess worried she had something terrible.
"What is that, Master Kanjurda?"
"When the little Padawans I take on, ask me questions."
But wasn't she a Padawan?
"Hey!" Even if Jedi weren't supposed to get angry, the recent Padawan couldn't help herself.
"I'm sorry young one, but that never gets old."
A thought crossed the Padawan's mind
"Master, why do other people call Hutts their name, and say 'the Hutt' after that. It seems strange, what if I were to call myself Qaphess the Trandoshan?"
A storm of bright emotions erupted along with her Master's laughter.
"Well Qaphess the Trandoshan, my people tend to be secretive about their names. My name is Kanjurda Besadii Graporro."
"That sounds much better than Kanjurda the Hutt." The Jedi master smiled. "But what does it mean? My name is Qaphess Do'Tasskla, my family came from Tasskla. [8]
Kanjurda is what you could call a first name or a personal name, Besadii is my Kajidic, or what you could consider an extended family group." Master Kanjurda seemed somewhat sad to say that. "Graporro is my specific clan name." [9]
"Maybe I should return to Trandosha." Qaphess felt but what if I do not find anything?"
"What if you do? What if you find something in a place you least expect it? Maybe you won't find anything or not get the answers you seek, you will never know if you do not attempt to look."
"But, Master Kanjurda, don't the Jedi look down on attachments? Isn't going back to Trandosha, an attachment?"
"We cannot be rid of attachments, we can only manage our relationship with them. I sympathize at times with how Paladin Alde sees things."
"But doesn't she think The Jedi Order are hypocrates? The Padawan uttered the last word with some uncertainty.
"More like hypocrites, but yes. Paladin Alde thinks that bonds between friends can be just as strong as bonds of love and that it makes no sense to make that distinction with attachments. Bonds are strange things, they can be short, easily broken, or strong that they can transcend generations. The Force is like a great source of water, vast and we are but the many drops, separate yet all united in the force."
"If the force is like water, then what are swamp bubbles supposed to be, or what about when some people pass gas in the water?"
The Hutt gave a small chuckle before stopping, to the confusion of the Trandoshan.
"Maybe you have a point. Many things can boil to the surface. Envy, fear, hatred, apathy, despair, greed. All of these can or do disrupt every from the ties between two people, to the very galaxy at large.''
"But what if I don't fit in? What if I'm more of a Jedi than a Trandoshan in their eyes?"
A giant hand softly touched the trandoshan's shoulder.
"No one has traveled a path that was not traveled by someone else before them, I went down that same path that you might go down, even if I don't have the benefit of feet."
"What was it like?"
"It was difficult in many ways. Reconnecting with my people was quite difficult, we Huts are quite clannish. Even talking to the Priests of Varl would mean parts of my Kadijic and eventually my clan would find out about what I was up to." [10]
"But how old were you? it's not like they could punish you right, if you're grown up?"
"Hah, no they could not, but it made interacting with them difficult. My parents regretted giving me to the Jedi, but my pouchmate was glad to see me again. Although I, in my relative youth of ninety-five, said some things that I in hindsight deeply regret and do not wish to share."
"But why did you say it?"
"Even if I was a Jedi, I was young and angry." A look of disappointment and perhaps sadness came across the Hutt's features that Qaphess did not ever remember seeing.
"Some individuals are burdened by others' preconceived notions of their species. I was angry at the fearful and strange looks people gave me, Or when I was revealed to be a Jedi and assisted people with no bargains or did things myself, that I was called one of the 'good' ones and people were surprised I was a Jedi."
Qaphess felt a slight chill at the word 'good' and her master seemed to notice this.
"I am sorry Qaphess, I did not mean to let even that small outburst affect you. I am a Jedi Master and I should be more composed."
"Does this mean the path I could travel is the same as your own Master Kanjurda?"
"No Padawan, we've grown up in different environments and I wasn't sent to the Jedi until I was forty-five, which is still a child in my species life cycle. Our experiences with home might be different. But, no one should travel and experience life alone and I'm willing to travel parts of this path with you if you wish to go down it."
"I think it might be a good idea if you are there to guide me."
"If it is settled, we would have to see Grand Master Rukudi, but while I can guide you, I cannot make any choices for you, those are yours and yours alone."
Qaphess remembered seeing the Dug Grand Master from time to time, he would often lead the younglings in meditation and occasionally help train the Padawans. He always seemed to know so much, him and the rest of the Council.
Padawan and Master moved through the halls of the Jedi Temple, passing various Jedi along the way and sometimes rooms for meditation or Jedi training. Although the sounds of grunting could be heard, Qaphess hoped she did not have to learn Ruusaar soon, Master Varad was known for being very thorough in her training. [11]
It wasn't long before they reached the upper levels of the Jedi Temple where two voices could be heard.
"Master Talsu, I want you to try and convince the Supreme Chancellor to push for negotiated settlements. I'm trying to coordinate efforts with other Jedi sects."
"What about the so-called Revanchist?" [12]
"We have lost all contact with her and her followers."
'What's so great about this Revan-chiss? I hope Kusama is okay out there. Why did she have to go to war?'
Jedi Knight Kusama. Qaphess thought the Thyrsian was almost like a clutchmate to her. She was kind and funny, and she even gave her a toy, the Trandoshan called Antha, Antha the Bantha. But things changed once a whole bunch of fights broke out in the outer rim. She doesn't know what's going on, but the Jedi that come back feel not in the way Qaphess remembers them, they feel cold, sad, and sometimes empty. [13]
Soon the two Jedi were face to face with a tall Human with graying hair and pale skin and a blue-skinned Dug
"I apologize Masters if we are intruding."
"No, Master Kanjurda please, and your Padawan Qaphess are free to come in."
"Grand Master if I may, I have those duties to attend to." Master Talsu bowed and left.
"Grand Master, my Padawan has expressed interest in wanting to take a Journey of Insight on her home planet."
"A Journey of Insight in these times?" The dug had put one of his libs on his face in thought.
Qaphess tried to calm her fears, but Grand Master Rukudi seemed to recognize this.
"Padawan I can sense your unease. I worry that travel might be difficult in these times, even if this is not to ignore there are other Jedi just like you outside of the temple."
Qaphess looked towards her master, he seemed to want to say something but he did not.
"I want to take the journey. I trust Master Kanjurda's wisdom."
"I do not know if I would call myself wise Young Padawan, But Grandmaster I will make sure that this journey of ours is well planned for."
"Master Kanjurda, You have great wisdom and you seem to have the trust of all of your students. I sometimes wonder why you are not Grandmaster in my place."
"I like being active and can think of no worst fate, especially when my brother would inevitably find out."
The Grand Master chuckled before becoming curious.
"Would he expect favors from the Jedi?"
"No, something much worse. Sibling gloating, and encouraging me to get a nice big chair." The Hutt Jedi Master side.
Qaphess found it odd that her Master's brother tried to keep in touch with him, although she did not know what he did and didn't want to judge.
"Thank you, Grand Master."
Qaphess' memory was gone and she found herself staring at a fossilized tree branch, from Trandosha.
[1] The Akaan Be Haran, and Derriphakut-Nwulanjat are the names of two conflicts. Literally, meaning the war of annihilation and the devouring of peace in Mando'a language of the Mandalorians and Ur-Kittat the language of the Sith respectively.
For the purpose of this fic the Mandalorians are still the Taung species of Legends and the Sith are still their own species from Legends as well and have no real grudge against Jedi, namely because they aren't inherently opposed to them.
Basically, the Republic really doesn't have much territory in the Outer Rim although this was out of secession of the Tion cluster then any kind of major war. Just because I kind of want to play with a different status quo.
[2] As a little bit of fun to have with this universe since it's technically an AU the Jedi have generally split into a series of sects. It's not necessarily anything on the scale of a schism but more Groups of Jedi having founded their own branches that are different from the Jedi based in Coruscant at least in how they operate, they all fundamentally follow the Jedi code even there a differences in organization.
[3] There was a Sith Enclave on Arkania in Legends that existed until the Great Hyperspace War.
[4] Taung Names tended to be named after desirable qualities. Buurenaar means storm. Yes, I'm using Taung Jedi, even if there was any record of them being force sensitive.
[5] The Taung in legends were the precursors of the Mandalorians and primarily comprised the Mandalorians until at least the Mandalorian Wars.
[6] Before the Taung became Mandalorians they may have worshiped at least anywhere from two to a general Pantheon of Gods. Kad'Harangir was the Mandalorian god of change and destruction and Arasuum a god of sloth and luxury.
[7] This is the translation of the term at least according to one comic from 1998, I kind of like all the meanings you can get out of this.
[8] This is an invention of mine, just because I think the only name structure we are given is Bossk'wassak'Cradosk which might mean Bossk, son of Cradosk.
[9] The idea of the last part of Hutt names being a family name is an assumed meaning.
[10] Varl, was the Hutt homeworld and a place seen as sacred among the Hutts.
[11] Ruusaar, or Foundation in Mando'a, is what I'm using as the name for Taung defensive oriented martial arts.
[12] The Revanchist was the identity the one who would become known as Revan undertook right when going off to the Mandalorian War, and well I do want to one day write a KOTOR like adventure.
[13] A Thrysian is a subspecies of the Echani, but instead of white skin and white hair, it's the opposite. For the simple fact we've never seen one, I'm going to use a mix of concepts done by r/ptsalad on reddit and Lex Syn on DeviantArt. So in this case Black hair, slightly ash colored skin and golden eyes.