Dead Soldiers (Part 1)

22BBY, September.

A Hunter Class Battlecruiser was traveling through space. Unlike the Hunter Class Battlecruisers seen elsewhere, however, this warship was practically falling apart.

Countless scars and even gaping holes across its hull bore witness to innumerable battles. After so many repairs, the Galactic Republic's distinctive red-and-white standard paint scheme had become faded and mottled. To avoid drawing attention, the Republic's gear-shaped emblem had also been erased.

On the warship's bridge, two Jedi Knights in coarse brown robes stood silently. However, if another Jedi had been present, they would have immediately noticed that both the middle-aged man and the young girl radiated the presence of the Dark Side Force.

A combat staff officer approached them. After snapping to attention and saluting, he said, "General Shen-Jon, we have arrived at Kessel. But... this planet is a prison planet, and it has been cut off from the Republic for several years. What are we doing here? There won't be any supplies we need here."

Shen-Jon raised his head slightly, revealing the weathered chin hidden beneath his hood. His uneven stubble was as wild as weeds, making him look particularly unkempt. He stared at the irregular planet projected on the holographic map, its greatest diameter approximately 7,900 kilometers, and his expression softened slightly.

He let out a foul breath and said slowly, "This prison planet is almost entirely unmanaged. All I can say is that the situation there is complicated. But I know someone named Kassar Forge. He is a teacher, and he should be able to help us obtain the supplies we need."

"A teacher? A prison? Supplies? I can't connect those three things, Master," the young Jedi apprentice beside him asked.

"That is only natural, Nat-Rys," Shen-Jon said. "Kessel had a riot three years ago. The prisoners killed nearly all the