The Vulkars fell down to a lightsaber and blaster pistol. Her target, Bastila, was now free. Mission complete – for now.
Bastila turned off her lightsaber. “Well, maybe those bloody Vulkars will think twice next time before trying to keep a Jedi prisoner! And as for you, if you think you can collect me as a prize… Wait… I don't believe this! You're… you're one of the soldiers with the Republic fleet, aren't you? Yes, I'm sure of it. How did you end up racing for these swoop gangs?”
“My name's Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö. I'm here to save you.”
“Save me?” Bastila scoffed. “Is that what you were trying to accomplish-” She paused. “Wait. What was your name again?”
“Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö.”
Bastila stared at her for a long moment. “You're serious.”
“Yes.”
“I'm sorry.”
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö sighed. She didn't have any memories of people reacting like this on her homeworld, but ever after the Endar Spire had crashed, no-one had been able to pronounce her name. “Come. Carth Onasi is waiting for us. Let's get off this world.”
“Carth's alive? Finally some good news. Let's go.”
The Cathar padawan Juhani let out a pained noise. “I am pathetic. I sit here and think myself to be great by embracing the dark side, but I am nothing! There is no way I could be turned back! I always thought they held me back, were jealous of my power. But it is only because I was not good enough to meet their standards... I never have been.”
These were the Jedi trials. What would a Jedi say? “The first step on the path of true knowledge is knowing that you are ignorant,” she replied.
This led them on a longer conversation during which she managed to convince Juhani to show remorse and growth by letting go of her anger. It felt as if something clicked within. Perhaps this was what learning felt like.
“I will return to the Council, then. I shall submit myself to their judgement, and hope that they will forgive me. If only there was some way I could make this up to you...” Juhani turned to leave and paused. “I – may I ask your name? I don't think I know it and would like to stay appraised...”
“It's Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö.”
Juhani stared at her for a moment. “I don't think I can pronounce that,” she confessed.
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö considered the various butcherings the Council members had offered, then considered the fact literally no-one had been able to pronounce her name correctly. “Just call me Alt,” she offered.
Juhani smiled. “Thank you. I hope we see each other again soon, Alt.”
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö watched her go. She hoped Juhani would be accepted back in with perhaps more intensity than was warranted. Though Juhani learning to pronounce her name was perhaps too much to hope for.
“Well, welcome to my home, such as it is,” the old man of the Shadowlands – Jolee – said. “My days of glory are behind me, but... perhaps there is something I can do for you. You must have questions.”
“Have you any knowledge of Star Maps?”
“I knew that had to be why you were here,” Jolee said. “The problems of a few Wookiees don't amount to anything before the concerns of the Jedi. No, you are here for the map.” He shook his head and smiled. “Kashyyyk is an interesting place, more so than anyone suspects. If Czerka Corporation knew, heh, the planet would be a strip mine. The Wookiees have their legends that they were not always here, but it is more than that. The trees themselves are strangers.”
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö frowned. “I ... don't understand.”
“What I'm saying is that there are literally walls in your way, and you won't find what you need without my help… and my help has a price.”
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö sighed. Everyone seemed to want her to do something – fetch something from somewhere, kill something dangerous – before they'd even speak. “And what would that be?”
“You must do a task for me, and then allow me to join with you. I will then remove certain barriers in your path.”
“What do you want me to do?” she sighed.
“There is a group of Czerka poachers not far. They're butchering wildlife and threatening entire species. It's getting under my skin. The Wookiees could take care of themselves if they wished, but the animals are truly helpless victims.”
“Very well. I'll do it.”
“Good.”
She rose, making eye contact with Juhani. This old hermit was interesting; she wanted to compare notes.
“By the way, what is your name?” Jolee asked. “Wouldn't want to call you the wrong thing, now, would I?”
“Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö,” she replied.
“That ... certainly is unique and memorable,” he replied. “Even if it could also be more pronounceable.”
“It's also a very good password if you're looking for one,” she said. “I'll come back once I've dealt with the poachers.”
“You go do that,” Jolee sighed. She caught a glimpse of him burying his face in his hands as the door closed.
She shrugged. “I suppose we have poachers to dispatch.”
“Let's go,” Juhani replied. “The sooner we can cleanse this world of Czerka's influence, the better.”
Technically, as she already had the Star Map, getting banned forever from Manaan wouldn't be a problem, but they might lock her up, which would be rather bad for the whole stopping Malak mission and thus for the galaxy. Thus Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö faced down the Selkath Court with resignation.
“Honored Judges,” the Selkath officer began, “this human before you is... uh...”
“Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö.”
The Selkath were silent for a moment. “Is that a usual name for a human?” Judge Shelkar asked.
“Apparently not,” she sighed.
The Selkath looked at each other. “Well, human, whatever your name, you find yourself in a most difficult situation,” Judge Shelkar began, before outlining just how bad her situation was.
Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö kicked open the door to the Council Chambers on Coruscant. Norman Normand, Jedi Master, turned around from where he was explaining what the kriff the Dantooine Council had been thinking. “You!” she yelled.
“Hello, Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö,” he said with a smile. “Did Master Oteg send you?”
“Who the hell gave you permission to name a human being?!”
“Hello, Revan,” the Head of the Order said. Her name would come to Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö in a minute. “Welcome back to the fold.”
“Revan is dead,” Norman replied.
“What else are we supposed to call the young knight before us?”
“Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö,” Norman confidently said, despite the fact that he was perhaps the only sentient in existence who could pronounce the series of vowels, consonants, clicks, and indistinct phonation. The name's bearer had certainly never met anyone who had been even able to try.
“You can call me Alt,” Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö sighed.
She wasn't sure how true the whole “Revan is dead” thing was, but whoever Revan had been, Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö was not exactly the same person anymore. As Revan was technically a traitor and a war criminal, she'd decided it was best to go along with the story that she was Revan no more. If only to not get locked up for the rest of her natural life and then some.
“Very well then, Alt,” the Head of the Order – Master Bassaria, that was it – said. “And Master Normand, the Council would be interested in hearing the answer to her question.”
“Really?” In the face of unimpressed silence, Norman sighed. “I know this isn't very Jedi-like, but ... I'd always wanted to name a child. When you arrived, mind mangled but body well enough to host another, I volunteered to handle the identity documents.”
“And you chose a name literally no-one except you can pronounce.”
“I was told to get a name that doesn't sound like ‘Revan’ or any of Revan's aliases.”
Master Bassaria sighed. “Alt, have you come across anyone who could pronounce your name?”
“No.”
“Master Normand, why did you choose this name?”
“I thought it sounded nice,” he defensively said. “And she won't ever get mixed up with anyone else!”
“So in addition to the blatant ethical violation of the mind wipe, you also bestowed upon her an unpronounceable name with no consideration of her feelings,” one of the other Council members said.
“It's perfectly pronounceable!” Norman insisted.
The entire High Council stared at him in unimpressed disagreement. Ɨʒʒŋ89123'' Äłṭ Ǥř Øæ7 Ö enjoyed the way he quivered. She'd intended to just run in and shake him down, but if the High Council was doing the shaking down for her ... yes. This would do.
For a start.