The Balmorra Shipyards

Backstory of Sheeva Vutta,  Javiik Vutta’s Mother

Watch Video

Javiik ran across the dusty shipyard, weaving between the fuel lines and platforms that made up the industrial camp’s backbone. As he ran, the slaves of the encampment looked at him hesitantly, but never paused from their assigned tasks. There were no thoughts in Javiik’s mind as he ran to her – he didn’t stop once to think about how foolish he must look to the overseer watching the camp grounds, or about his pressing missions to disable the guidance systems. His mind was as blank as the look on his mother’s face that he could see even from so far away.

“HEY! SITH!”
The overseer had spotted him, but the overseer wasn’t a force user, and if Javik had learned anything during his time on balmorra it was that the wishes of a Sith were never to be questioned.

It’s her, it’s her!

By now a majority of the camp had seen him, a few brave slaves even breaking from their work on the supply lines to get a better look at the commotion.

And then he reached the platform she was working on, climbing easily up the corrugated steps. As he did so, she finally turned her attention from repairing the tethers to the large Sith barreling up the platform. Confusion and fear showed in her eyes, and Javiik knew in that very moment that even his own mother wouldn’t recognize him the way he was now. Orange eyes, a hooded face, and a beast staring down at the encounter from the hillside were not things that his mother had left him with on the fateful day on their freighter. He stopped, his boots pushing against the metal walkway’s railings, unsure what to do. But before he could make up his mind, recognition flooded into Sheeva Vutta’s face.

“My son,” she said softly, in surprise and joy, holding out her arms to him.

Javiik had no words. Of course she would recognize him. He was her son, and she was his mother. Nothing would change that, and he walked to her, the frantic need to reach her from his earlier run now fading away. He accepted, wrapping his arms around her and the two embraced tightly.

She’s so small, Javiik thought. I’ve grown a lot since I last saw her. Even Sheeva Vutta’s appearance had changed since they had been together – her once creamy colored fur had turned a dingy light brown from working on Balmorra, but otherwise she seemed unhurt. After a hug that felt like an eternity, Javiik’s mother let go first, but as she did her hands brushed across the lightsaber on his belt. Confused, her eyebrows narrowed and she backed away from him. Looking at him cautiously, Javiik could tell she was putting the weapon and his change of appearance together… and knew the exact moment that she realized he had become Sith.

“No!” She cried out, backing away from him, in anger and fear.

“Mother!” Javiik had so much to tell her. About his former master, and his new one. How he could help her get away with his new status. About his force powers coming to life in the study of Lord Shalin. About how they could leave together and go find his father on Dathomir together.

“After everything I’ve done! After everything I’ve given up!” Sheeva began to cry, her tears creating clean tracks on her dusty fur. “You become a Sith! I didn’t leave Alderaan for this! We left Alderaan to keep you safe!”

“Please!” Javiik pleaded, memories surfacing. His time as a slave on the shadow of the colossus. As he watched his fellow acolytes die in front of him. As he descended into the tomb of Marka Ragnos. There was so much to share… but all he could feel in his throat was raw emotion.

They waited there, a moment, the entire camp watching, but neither one caring. In the distance the overseer started to make his way down towards them.

Javiik finally found the will to speak. “Mother. I’ve come to free you. To take you home.”

She stood their, shaking her head, also overcome by emotion. “We have no home Javiik. Not anymore.”

“Please. Let’s just go. Before the overseer starts to make a fuss. I have a ship.”

The overseer was getting closer, and Javiik began to panic. This wasn’t how he’d imagined rescuing his mother, not even close.

“I can take you to Dromund Kaas. I can get you an apartment there. I have credits. I have-”

“Dromund Kaas!” Sheeva replied, aghast. “The capital of the Sith empire! I’d rather stay a slave than go there!”

He could hear her, but he couldn’t understand her words. Dromund Kass had not exactly been the picture of pleasant when he’d been there, but it would be no worse than throwing her into the cesspool of Nar Shaddaa. At least in Kaas City he had connections and favours owed. Javiik was not as good at putting two and two together as his mother. His patience broke, and he used the commanding tone of the Sith he’d heard so often in the last few months.

“We don’t have time for this. We need to go. Now.” He grabbed for her, intending to bring her off of Balmorra whether she wanted to go or not. He was stronger than her, and a good foot taller. They could talk on the ship. She’d be grateful then, and they could talk about everything that had happened once they were safe.

His plan was brought to an abrupt halt before he could even touch her. His hand was thrown aside by an invisible force. As he looked between his hand and his mother, confused, a thin purple aura began to grow around Sheeva, forming a protective barrier around her, her hands outstretched as if to hold it up. Her reaction was involuntary, and her expression changed from anger to fear. Her secret had been exposed, not only to Javiik but the entire work camp. He could see her eyes flickering between the faces staring at them. She’d given up so much to keep him safe… and now it was time to give up everything.

Lowering her hands, she tapped into the source of energy she’d kept hidden from her entire family for years. The blood of Lord Kallig flowed as strongly in her as it did in Javiik, but her connection to the Force was weaker than his. It will have to be enough, she thought to herself, I only need enough for one short moment. Curling her fingers and lashing out at him, she sent a jolt of Force Lightning at her son.

The purple energy crackled across his body and he shouted out in pain, not expecting an attack. Instinctively, he flung his hands out and reached for the Force, bringing a down a storm of lightning on her.

“No!” Javiik cried out, cutting himself off, but it was too late. Sheeva lay unmoving on the floor of the platform, the remnants of her Force Shield fading away. Before he could go to her, the overseer had climbed the stairs and was shouting commands. “Finish her Sith! Kill the impudent slave or I will!”

Anger and panic set in, and Javiik turned to the man, his eyes glowing a dark orange from under his hood. The Overseer stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide, and then slowly backed away, mumbling apologies with every step. Javiik stared him down until the man reached the bottom, and then ran away to the safety of the nearby bunker.

Javiik walked over to his mother and knelt down, his earlier bloodlust fading. “Mother?” He shook her, but she didn’t respond. He dug his hands into the fur of her neck, checking for a pulse… it was there, but it was weak. He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing, stood up, and walked back towards the hill where he had left Khem Val.

“You are Weak, little Sith.”

Javiik ignored Khem Val, and made his way along the terrain of Balmorra on his speeder. No one stopped him. As he reached the spaceport, his mother began to wake, and she spoke to him over his shoulder.

“You are Sith now, my son. You should have killed me there, it would have saved you heartache later.”

He ignored her words of wisdom, throwing her into the medbay and locking her in with 2V-R8. He still had business on Balmorra.

Weakly she banged on the door and pleaded with him. “The entire camp saw. The overseer saw. If you don’t deal with them quickly, they’ll spread the word of your weakness. They’re scared, it’s not too late.”

Javiik stopped, staring at the closed medbay door. He’d killed before. He’d even killed slaves before. She was right, it wasn’t too late… and it wouldn’t be any worse than the atrocities orchestrated by the Sith he’d seen on Korriban. He was Sith now, after all, and it would keep both her and him safe from the deadly word-of-mouth of the Empire.

Javiik returned to his speeder and sped across the plains of Balmorra. His mind was made up.

He would retrieve the artifact, and return it to Lord Zash… and deal with the consequences of his weakness as they came. He wasn’t a true sith… at least, not yet.