The Republic had entered an era of uncertainty.
The return of the Sith had shaken the Jedi Order to its very foundation. Though their enemy remained hidden within the shadows, the Council refused to remain idle. Across the Republic, Jedi were dispatched in pairs and small groups, their purpose no longer limited to resolving disputes between worlds, but to quietly search for any trace of the darkness that had begun to spread.
Among those entrusted with this responsibility were three of the Order's newest Jedi Knights.
Jedi Knight Khan Kage.
Jedi Knight Kit Fisto.
Jedi Knight Aayla Secura.
Having completed their Trials and earned the trust of the Jedi High Council, the three young Knights were assigned to travel together across the Republic. Officially, they would continue carrying out the duties expected of every Jedi—protecting the innocent, mediating conflicts, and preserving peace wherever it was threatened.
Yet beneath those duties lay another mission.
To search.
To observe.
To uncover even the smallest hint of the Sith's influence before it could spread unseen throughout the galaxy once again.
They were given no fixed destination beyond the next world that called for aid.
Wherever the Force guided them...
There they would go.
Their first destination...
The desert world of Tatooine.
Stars stretched into endless lines of blue as a Jedi T-6 shuttle raced through hyperspace.
Within the cockpit, the steady hum of the engines filled the otherwise peaceful silence.
Three Jedi Knights occupied the vessel.
For the first time...
None of them wore the braid of a Padawan.
Khan Kage sat at the controls, calmly guiding the shuttle toward its destination.
Behind him, Kit Fisto leaned back comfortably with one arm resting behind his head, watching the endless river of hyperspace through the cockpit canopy.
Across from him, Aayla Secura sat with a datapad resting across her lap, reading over the reports the Council had gathered regarding the Outer Rim.
The silence lasted several minutes.
Naturally...
Kit was the first to break it.
"So..."
He looked toward the cockpit.
"How many days do you think it'll take before something explodes?"
Aayla looked up from her datapad.
"We haven't even arrived yet."
"I'm just saying." Kit shrugged. "Whenever Khan goes somewhere, things tend to happen."
Aayla couldn't argue with that.
She lowered the datapad slightly.
"He isn't wrong."
Khan let out a quiet breath that almost resembled a laugh.
"I'll try not to disappoint."
Kit grinned.
"There he is."
"I was beginning to think becoming a Knight erased your sense of humor."
"It didn't."
"It just became more selective."
Kit chuckled.
"I'll take that."
The lighthearted mood settled over the cockpit for a moment before Aayla turned her attention back to the mission.
"I've been looking over the Council's reports."
"There isn't much."
"Just rumors."
She looked toward Khan.
"You really believe someone on Tatooine informed the Sith?"
Khan nodded.
"The Sith apprentice found us far too quickly."
"There was no reason for him to know where we were."
"Not unless someone told him."
Kit's easygoing expression became more thoughtful.
"So we're looking for an informant."
"Among other things."
Khan's eyes remained fixed ahead.
"I made someone a promise."
Neither Kit nor Aayla interrupted him.
After a moment, Aayla spoke.
"Anakin's mother."
"Yes."
"I told him I would return."
"I intend to keep that promise."
Kit folded his arms.
"And while we're there..."
"We'll finally see why the Republic has allowed the Hutts to rule half the Outer Rim without anyone stepping in."
Khan gave a small nod.
"I don't expect simple answers."
"But I want to understand."
"The Republic governs thousands of systems."
"Yet worlds like Tatooine remain untouched."
"There has to be a reason."
Aayla rested her chin against her hand.
"Or several."
"The Council never spoke much about Hutt Space during our training."
"They taught us where its borders were."
"Not why they remained that way."
Kit smiled.
"So..."
He looked between his friends.
"Our first assignment."
"Investigate a possible Sith informant."
"Learn more about Hutt Space."
"Free a slave."
He counted each objective on his fingers before looking toward Khan.
"You really don't know how to pick relaxing missions."
For the first time since leaving Coruscant...
A small smile appeared on Khan's face.
"No."
"I suppose I don't."
Kit noticed it immediately.
It wasn't the easy smile Khan once wore.
But it was there.
For now...
That was enough.
The shuttle continued through hyperspace.
Its destination remained the same.
_______________________________________________________
The Jedi T-6 shuttle descended through Tatooine's atmosphere.
Outside the cockpit, endless dunes stretched toward the horizon as the familiar desert world came into view. Beneath them, the bustling city of Mos Espa slowly grew larger until the shuttle gently settled onto one of the city's public landing platforms.
With a soft hiss, the boarding ramp lowered.
A wave of dry heat immediately washed over the interior of the shuttle.
The three Jedi stepped outside.
Each wore a light desert cloak with the hood pulled low over their heads, shielding themselves from the relentless twin suns. The robes also concealed the lightsabers hanging from their belts, allowing them to blend more naturally among the travelers and merchants of Mos Espa.
Kit took one step onto the sand before stopping.
"...I forgot how hot this place is."
He looked toward the blazing sky and groaned dramatically.
"How does anyone willingly live here?"
Aayla smiled beneath her hood.
"You've been outside for all of ten seconds."
"Ten very uncomfortable seconds."
Khan glanced back at his old friend, the corner of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.
"If the heat is too much for you..."
"You can always stay with the ship."
Kit looked at him as though he had just suggested something outrageous.
"And miss the chance of possible adventure?"
He shook his head.
"No thank you."
"I'll suffer with dignity."
Aayla laughed softly.
"I don't think complaining counts as suffering with dignity."
"It absolutely does."
The three continued into the crowded streets of Mos Espa.
Life carried on as it always had.
Merchants shouted across the marketplace.
Speeders drifted overhead.
Mechanics argued over broken engines.
Children darted through the crowds, weaving between travelers who had come from every corner of the Outer Rim.
To most people...
The Republic might as well have been another galaxy away.
Eventually...
They arrived outside a small, familiar home.
Khan stopped before the weathered doorway.
For just a moment, memories surfaced.
Anakin waving excitedly.
Shmi welcoming strangers into her home despite having so little herself.
He stepped forward and knocked.
...
Nothing.
He waited.
Still nothing.
A second knock.
Silence.
Khan frowned slightly.
"They should be here," he murmured.
Just then, the door of a nearby house opened.
An elderly woman stepped outside carrying a basket of laundry.
Khan approached politely.
"Excuse me."
The woman looked up.
"Yes?"
"I'm looking for the woman who lived here."
"Shmi Skywalker."
"Do you happen to know when she'll be back?"
Recognition crossed the woman's face.
"Oh..."
"She doesn't live there anymore."
Khan exchanged a brief glance with Aayla.
"She moved?"
The woman nodded.
"Some time ago."
"I'm afraid I don't know where."
"I just know she left."
Khan offered a respectful nod.
"Thank you."
The woman smiled kindly before returning to her work.
Kit folded his arms.
"Well..."
"That narrows it down."
Aayla looked toward Khan.
"Where to next?"
"There is one person who should know."
Khan turned back toward the marketplace.
"Watto."
Not long afterward...
The three Jedi entered Watto's junk shop.
The familiar smell of engine grease and old machinery filled the air.
Shelves overflowed with every imaginable mechanical component.
Repulsor coils.
Power converters.
Damaged droid parts.
Engines in various stages of repair.
Aayla slowly looked around the cluttered workshop.
"I don't think I've ever seen this many spare parts in one place."
Kit picked up a small rusted component from a nearby shelf.
"I'm not entirely convinced any of this belongs together."
Aayla gently lowered his hand.
"I don't think you should touch anything."
"Probably a wise suggestion."
Meanwhile...
Khan approached the counter.
Watto floated into view from the back of the shop.
"Welcome!"
"What can I get for—"
He stopped.
Khan lowered his hood.
Watto's cheerful smile immediately disappeared.
"...Oh."
"It's you."
"What do you want?"
"Here to rob me again?"
Kit's head immediately turned toward Khan.
"Khan?"
"You robbed someone?"
He placed a hand over his chest in mock disbelief.
"And here I thought you were a law-abiding citizen."
Khan sighed.
"You and I both know he lost a wager fair and square."
Watto crossed his arms.
"I still say you cheated."
"I simply accepted the terms you agreed to."
Watto grumbled something under his breath.
"So..."
"What do you want?"
Khan's expression became more serious.
"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker."
"I stopped by her home."
"I was told she no longer lives there."
"Do you know where she went?"
Watto shrugged.
"Some love-struck human paid for her freedom."
He said it as though it were nothing more than another business transaction.
Khan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So she was freed."
"Do you know where she lives now?"
"I got my money."
Watto waved a dismissive hand.
"What happened after that wasn't my concern."
Khan let out a quiet breath.
"I understand."
"Thank you for the information."
Watto pointed toward the door.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Now get out."
"If you aren't buying anything, you're just taking up space."
Kit gave Watto an exaggerated nod.
"Always a pleasure."
"It wasn't."
Watto muttered.
The three Jedi stepped back out into the bright streets of Mos Espa.
For a few moments, none of them spoke.
"So..." Kit finally broke the silence. "What now?"
Aayla adjusted the hood of her cloak as she looked out across the busy marketplace.
"We can only hope Anakin's mother was guided by the Force..."
"...and that she's alive and well."
Khan let out a quiet sigh.
Aayla was right.
For now, there was no sense dwelling on what they could not control.
"Then we focus on what we came here to do."
He looked toward the bustling streets.
"It's possible the Sith have influence on this planet."
"The apprentice found me far too quickly the last time I was here."
"And Tatooine has remained separated from the Republic for generations."
Kit nodded, his expression becoming more serious.
"You think someone here was feeding them information."
"I think it's a possibility."
Khan paused for a moment.
"And if the Sith truly are operating from the shadows..."
"They would seek places where the Republic has little authority."
Aayla folded her arms.
"Hutt Space certainly fits that description."
Neither she nor Khan said anything more.
None of them wanted to accuse the Hutts without evidence.
But the thought had crossed all of their minds.
Khan looked between his two friends.
"For now, let's split up."
"We'll gather as much information as we can."
"About Shmi."
"About the Hutts."
"And about any sign of unusual activity."
"We'll regroup back at the shuttle before sunset."
Both Jedi nodded.
Aayla reached beneath her cloak and held up her communicator.
"Keep your communicators close."
"If either of you finds something..."
"Call immediately."
Kit smiled, patting the communicator on his belt.
"Don't worry."
"If anything happens..."
"I'll be there to save the day."
Aayla simply looked at him.
"...Try not to create the emergency first."
Kit placed a hand over his chest in mock offense.
"You wound me."
"I am the very image of responsibility."
Khan couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle.
"I'll believe that when I see it."
Kit pointed at him with a grin.
"See?"
"The sense of humor's coming back."
Khan simply shook his head.
"Go."
The three Jedi exchanged one final nod before heading in separate directions, disappearing into the sea of merchants, travelers, and locals that filled the streets of Mos Espa.
__________________________________________________
The rest of the day passed quietly.
The three Jedi spread throughout Mos Espa, each following different leads, asking different questions.
Khan walked through the city's marketplace.
He stopped beside merchants, mechanics, and travelers alike, politely asking the same questions.
"Have you noticed anyone asking unusual questions about strangers?"
"Has anyone new arrived in recent months?"
"Has anyone been gathering information for outsiders?"
Every answer was the same.
Shrugs.
Confused looks.
Or simply...
"No."
One old mechanic scratched his beard.
"If you're looking for trouble..."
He pointed farther into the city.
"You're on Tatooine."
Khan could hardly argue with that.
Elsewhere...
Kit Fisto had somehow gathered a small crowd around himself.
"So let me get this straight."
He looked between three Jawas who all spoke over one another.
"You traded a broken vaporator..."
"...for half a droid..."
"...which you then traded for a bantha?"
The Jawas all nodded enthusiastically.
Kit blinked.
"...I have absolutely no idea what just happened."
The Jawas cheered anyway.
As Kit turned to leave...
A passing dewback stopped beside him.
The large reptilian creature looked him up and down.
Kit smiled politely.
"Hello there."
The dewback responded by spitting directly across the front of his robes.
...
Kit slowly looked down.
"...Well."
"I thought we were having a moment."
The nearby merchants burst into laughter.
Not too far away...
Aayla wandered through the city's market district.
Unlike Khan, she paid just as much attention to the people as she did their words.
Fear.
Excitement.
Suspicion.
Most conversations revolved around everyday life.
Food.
Credits.
Repairs.
Nothing suggested the presence of the Sith.
As she continued walking, a fruit vendor smiled.
"You look thirsty."
He tossed her a bright orange desert fruit.
Aayla caught it effortlessly.
"I didn't order anything."
"You looked like you needed it."
She hesitated before taking a bite.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...This is actually good."
The vendor laughed proudly.
"Best fruit in Mos Espa."
Aayla smiled.
"I'll take three."
A short while later...
Kit finally spotted Aayla speaking with one of the local merchants.
As he approached, Aayla turned to greet him.
"...Kit?"
She stopped.
Her eyes slowly drifted down to the large dried stain across the front of his robes.
For a long moment...
She simply stared.
Kit offered an awkward smile.
"...Before you ask."
"I'd rather not talk about it."
Aayla folded her arms.
"I wasn't going to ask."
"I've decided I'm happier not knowing."
Kit let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank you."
Aayla's eyes lingered on him for another moment before she reached into the small satchel hanging at her side.
"I did find something worthwhile, though."
She pulled out a bright orange desert fruit and tossed it to him.
"The vendor insisted they're the best fruit in Mos Espa."
Kit caught it with one hand.
"Now this..."
"...this is exactly what I needed."
Without hesitation, he took a large bite.
His expression froze.
Then immediately twisted.
"...Why is it spicy?"
Aayla blinked.
"It wasn't when I ate it."
"How?"
Kit stared at the fruit in disbelief.
"It's fruit!"
"Fruit isn't supposed to fight back!"
A nearby merchant overheard him and laughed.
"First time on Tatooine?"
Kit sighed dramatically.
"Everything on this planet is trying to harm me."
For the first time all afternoon...
Aayla laughed out loud.
As the twin suns slowly dipped below the horizon, the orange sky gave way to the cool colors of evening.
Lanterns flickered to life throughout Mos Espa.
Khan was already waiting beside the Jedi shuttle when the other two arrived together.
He looked up as they approached.
His eyes immediately settled on Kit's stained robes.
"...What happened to you?"
Kit rubbed the back of his head.
"Well..."
Before he could begin, Khan simply held up a hand.
"Never mind."
"I don't need to know."
Kit laughed.
"Probably for the best."
The three boarded the shuttle together.
Once inside, Khan looked between his two friends.
"Did either of you find anything?"
Aayla shook her head.
"Nothing concrete."
"I spoke with merchants, travelers, and a few locals."
"Most of what I heard were rumors."
"No mention of anyone suspicious."
Kit nodded.
"Same here."
"I learned plenty about Tatooine."
"Just nothing that helps us."
Khan folded his arms.
"So..."
"No sign of a Sith informant."
"No indication the Hutts are connected."
"And no trace of Shmi."
Both Jedi quietly nodded.
Silence settled over the shuttle.
An entire day of searching...
And they were no closer to the answers they had come looking for.