Mission to Dalna

The **Mission to Dalna** was a task undertaken by Jedi Master Zallah Macri and her Padawan Kevmo Zink as they were sent to Dalna to investigate the theft of the Rod of Seasons. They spent time investigating the Path of the Open Hand that operated on the planet, a group dedicated to freeing the Force from those they deemed as abusers of the Force, such as the Jedi. They believed that no one should use the Force. During the investigation, Kevmo grew attached to a member of the Path known as Marda Ro. "The Mother", leader of the Path, discovered the Jedi as they found and attempted to recapture the Rod of Seasons from the cult. She unleashed upon the Jedi the Great Leveler, a creature she planned to use to cull Force users and free the Force. Kevmo and Zallah were killed and the Path of the Open Hand fled Dalna, entering the stars aboard the *Gaze Electric.* Marda's cousin, Yana, became Champion of the Leveler, taking command of the Rod of Seasons.

## Prelude

##### Previous: Theft of the Rod of Seasons

Wanting to liberate the Force from control by groups such as the Jedi, The Path of the Open Hand began seeking out Force artifacts and liberating them, taking them to Dalna where they couldn't be "weaponized". Children of the Open Hand set out to Hynestia to steal the Rod of Seasons, breaking into the Hynestian Royal Treasury and liberating the rod. he Hynestian Royal family quickly were alerted to the theft and called out for aid from the Jedi to help locate the stolen artifact and return it. The Jedi assigned the investigation to Kevmo Zink and his master Zallah Macri, who had been working throughout the Outer Rim. They were on Tiikae with Azlin Rell when they were told about their assignment.

Together the Jedi went to Hynestia where they spent time looking for leads, with no obvious evidence left by the thieves. Eventually the Jedi were able to send their investigation to Dalna, having deduced that a ship from the planet had been docked on Hynestia for 2 days, and an interested buyer in Force artifacts had been rumored to be located on Dalna.

## Recount

##### Jedi Arrival

Zallah and Kevmo landed on the outskirts port of Ferdan, the town of Dalna. At first they walked slowly through the streets until they found a tavern that provided rooms for rent. While Zallah went to secure rooms, Kevmo was sent out into the town to socialize and make a network of gossip that could aid their investigation. Kevmo very quickly found Marda Ro, a member of the Path of the Open Hand. They immediately both felt a romantic tension between them. Kevmo however startled and angered Marda after revealing that he was a Jedi. Marda quickly left the Jedi, feeling that he abused the Force. Marda however could not stop herself from thinking about Kevmo and wanted to see him again, charmed by him during their brief interaction. She thought about the repercussions if she was able to bring a Jedi into the Path of the Open Hand. She made the decision to invite the Jedi to the compound of the Path of the Open Hand, an invite the Jedi accepted.

##### Investigation

The next day the Jedi set out to the Path of the Open Hand compound, given a tour by Marda Ro, who gave the pair a basic introduction to the group and their beliefs. Master Zallah asked to speak with "The Mother" but was denied the opportunity, instead going to speak with The Herald. Kevmo remained with Marda as they strolled to a riverside, debating their views on the Force and how it should be used. Through their argument they came to confess to one another their attraction to each other. Kevmo had asked Marda about their investigation into stolen artifacts, something that she strongly denied. The Jedi left the compound and thanked Marda and the Elders for speaking with them.

After their initial visit to the compound, the investigation came to a temporary halt. Dalna had a phenomenon in which there would be torrential downpour of rain for 3 days straight and then end. The rain caused all operations in town to cease. The rain got so intense that it threatened to flood the town of Ferdan. Zallah staying in the town and helped the authorities to create flooding safety measures while Kevmo went with Marda to the Path compound to help an evacuation from the flooding tunnels. Kevmo and Marda were able to rescue some newborn children from the flooding caves but to do so, Kevmo needed to call on his connection to the Force, using it to shift fallen rocks and stall rushing water. While in the tunnels, Kevmo also sensed a dark side power within somewhere in the cave system, becoming sure that the Path was holding Force artifacts. They all escaped the tunnels alive, lives having been saved by the Jedi and Marda. Once they had returned to the barn in which the Path had collected themselves into to await the end of the storm, Kevmo apologized to Marda for using the Force. For the first time, Marda came to accept Kevmo's use of the Force as part of the will of the Force, knowing that without his help lives would have been lost. In the aftermath,v Kevmo spoke with Marda telling her stories about his time at the Jedi Temple, and about the Convocation on Jedha. Marda felt that the Path of the Open Hand should have representation in the Convocation.

Kevmo reported to his master that he suspected the Path of the Open Hand must be the ones who had taken the Rod of Seasons and were holding it within their caves system. Kevmo and Zallah had been stranded on Dalna by the rain, flooding the spaceport and damaging their ship. During the process of repairs over several days, the Jedi were patient. They aided the rebuilding of damages throughout the town. On one day, Kevmo ran into Marda who told him that her cousin Yana planned to leave the Path of the Open Hand, a revelation that had thrown Marda into uncertain turmoil. After speaking with Kevmo, Marda become resolved that she and Yana could leave together with the Jedi as they left Dalna, taking the Evereni to Jedha where they could join the Convocation as representatives of the Path of the Open Hand. Certain that this was the path laid out by the will of the Force, Marda became excited and kissed Kevmo several times. Kevmo was spotted with Marda, a sighting that made itself known to Zallah who in turn had an uncomfortable conversation with Kevmo about attachments.

Marda went to "The Mother" to ask permission to go to Jedha with Yana but was firmly denied. Unknown to Marda, Yana and two other Children of the Path, Treze and Kor, had been sent to Thelj to liberate another Force artifact. In secret however, "The Mother" had sent the Children into an ambush, alerting the Graf Family that they were the target of a coming robbery. She had hoped that Yana would be killed and thus be unable to leave the Path and thus reveal their morally grey actions to the Jedi or other outsiders. Treze was killed in the ambush, as was Kor, the daughter of the Herald. Yana however had survived and escaped the planet, going back to Dalna with the intent of killing "The Mother" for setting up the ambush. The Jedi were aware thanks to Marda that a mission was occurring by the Path. They awaited in secret for the ship being used in the mission to return. As the ship did return, Kevmo spied both Yana storm off the ship and Sunshine Dobbs, a known wanted smuggler. With the Jedi confirming that the Path had been working with wanted individuals, Zallah told Kevmo that they were infiltrating the Path compound that night to finally find evidence of the robbery of the Rod of Seasons. Yana spoke with Marda briefly about their failed mission and her plan to kill "The Mother". Marda protested but agreed to leave to Yana after Yana had finished what she planned to do.

##### The Birth of the Great Leveler

That night, the Jedi infiltrated the Path of the Open Hand Compound, sneaking into the underground tunnels in an attempt to find the Rod of Seasons. They found it quickly. Once they had confirmed that the Path had stolen the artifact, they turned to find themselves spotted by Yana Ro, who had entered the tunnels intent on killing "The Mother". Not long after Yana had found the Jedi and thrown meager insult at them, "The Mother" arrived. With her she carried the Nameless Egg that had been delivered to her by Sunshine Dobbs. Sunshine followed "The Mother" into the room, alongside The Herald and a few more Elders. Seeing the Jedi as trespassers, the Elders and the Herald opened fire on the Jedi. The blaster-fire did not faze the Jedi at all, all shots deflected with ease. Zallah was able to disarm The Herald and the others. The fighting ended as the Nameless Egg began to hatch, causing "The Mother's" hands that held the egg to be affected by the Force eating affect of the creature within, spotting her hands with grey stone. In pain, "The Mother" dropped the egg, causing it to hatch and birthing a Nameless creature known as "The Great Leveler". "The Mother" was partially affected by the effects of the creature's powers to destroy Force users. Within moments of it's birth, Zallah Macri was killed, turned into petrified stone by the Leveler. Her death was painful and terrifying. Kevmo immediately began a retreat from the creature, trying to push back with the Force against the creature as it approached him, making grabs at his ankles with it's tentacles. The Leveler had already begun to grow in size.

Kevmo fled from the Leveler in fear. "The Mother" took the creature as if a pet while Yana took the Rod of Seasons. Before The Herald could leave following "The Mother", Yana revealed to him that Kor had been killed on Thelj. Marda had entered the tunnels to find Yana and leave the planet. While in the tunnel she came across Kevmo, who collapsed into her arms in pain and distress. Unable to help Kevmo, all she could do was watch as he too became petrified and turned to stone, much slower and more painfully. Before his death Kevmo was able to utter the word Mother, in an attempt to tell Marda that the Mother was responsible. Kevmo then died in Marda's arms. Marda took Kevmo's lightsaber and went deeper into the tunnels in the direction Kevmo had come from.

The Herald, rather than be grief stricken or enraged by the news of his daughter's death, instead was consumed by the opportunity presented by the Leveler. "The Mother" returned once more with the creature which had again grown in size already. She announced it's name as The Leveler, and that the Path would use the creature once it had matured to cleanse the galaxy of individuals who would use the Force and by their definition, "steal" from the Force. The Herald pushed this plan further by announcing that the Path should immediately abandon Dalna and board the *Gaze Electric*, that had been in construction above Dalna for years, allowing the Path to take to the stars and spread and grow throughout the galaxy. Unknown the the members of the Path, the Great Leveler was able to be controlled by the Rod of Seasons, which was being held by Yana. The creature made strode over to Yana, reaching out to the Rod. Horrified only for a moment that the creature had abandoned her for another, "The Mother" named Yana as the champion of the Leveler. Knowing that it was the Rod that attracted the creature, and knowing that she could use this advantage as an opportunity to one day kill "The Mother", Yana accepted the role of champion of the Great Leveler. Marda Ro found the group amassed in the tunnels, spying the deceased Zallah Macri, "The Mother", The Herald and Yana alongside the creature. In grief at the loss of Kevmo, she asked what had happened. "The Mother" told Marda that the creature had happened and restored the Force by removing those who would abuse it and use it. Marda came to blame the Jedi for the death of Kevmo, having turned him into a threat against the Force that was as a result turned to stone by a creature sent by the Force to restore the Force to peace. She learnt that Yana had accepted the role as champion of the Leveler and that the Path was to embark upon the *Gaze Electric.* Marda felt that the Path must present the creature to the Convocation on Jedha, and end the misuse the Force or face a similar fate as Zallah and Kevmo.

## Aftermath

##### Path to Jedha

Wanting to retake control of the Leveler from Yana, "The Mother" set her sights on another control rod known as the Rod of Daybreak, that was sealed into a vault on Jedha controlled by Jedi. She gave Sunshine Dobbs the order to go to Jedha and prepare the planet for the arrival of the Path of the Open Hand, where they would take the Rod of Daybreak and she could take control of the creature.

On the *Gaze Electric* the Path continued to operate as usual, albeit far more tense with the presence of The Leveler. Marda kept with her Kevmo's lightsaber at all times and altered her blue Path makeup. The Herald plotted with Yana to one day destroyed "The Mother" and allow Marda to take her place as "The Guide". They agreed to avenge Kor, but to bide their time with patience until a moment presented itself.

##### Discovery of the Jedi

Azlin Rell had been called to Dalna in response to the people of Ferdan calling an emergency beacon in regards to the Jedi shuttle that had been seemingly abandoned on the planet for several days with no sign of the Jedi. To search for the Jedi, Azlin went to the now abandoned Path compound, exploring the tunnels. While inside the tunnels Azlin discovered the stone remains of both Zallah and Kevmo. Azlin Rell returned to Coruscant and remained troubled about the deaths of Kevmo and Zallah. He explored the Jedi Archives for answers regarding their deaths, learning about the existence of the Echo Stone. He became sure that the Echo Stone was connected to the Rod of Seasons.

## Timeline of Event

* Zallah and Kevmo go to Dalna to investigate the stolen Rod of Seasons.
* After landing on the planet Kevmo meets Marda Ro, a member of the Path of the Open Hand. They bond immediately.
* The Jedi investigate the Path and grow confident that they had stolen the artifact from Hynestia.
* Yana Ro, a member of the Children of the Open Path is subjected to an ambush set up by "The Mother". She resolves herself to killing "The Mother".
* The Jedi are discovered recovering the Rod of Seasons by "The Mother".
* The Great Leveler is born.
* Zallah Macri is killed, petrified by the Great Leveler.
* Kevmo Zink is killed, petrified by the Great Leveler.
* Marda Ro takes Kevmo's lightsaber.
* Yana Ro becomes Champion of the Leveler, taking command of the Rod of Seasons.
* The Herald and Yana plot to kill "The Mother".
* The Path of the Open Hand abandon Dalna and take to the stars aboard the *Gaze Electric.*

## Appearances

1. Star Wars: The High Republic - Path of Deceit