FOOLPROOF
The city-planet of Coruscant turned on its poles just like any other day. The sun, Coruscant Prime, blazed on in the center of the system, providing heat, light and radiation to the surrounding planets. The morning light permeated the hazy atmosphere to shine on the Jedi Temple. As the sunlight reached the dormitories under the Reassignment Council Tower, if a holocam had been pointing to the interior of room 1154-B, it would have found Jedi Padawan pacing his room nervously. The normally stoic pupil kept moving his head side-to-side to eliminate the tense muscles in his neck. The exterior of the Jedi Temple faced the southern sky, so he had more light than many of the other Padawans in the Temple. The stories of how a recently promoted Jedi Knight named Obi-Wan Kenobi defeating a possible Sith still circulated, even though eighteen months had passed since the Battle of Naboo. Though more recent events kept popping to the forefront of his memories, the padawan kept going through different calming techniques to release the strain on his aching muscles.
The young man, nearing his thirtieth Standard year, removed his eye patch / cap combination to reveal that he was not a human as he first appeared. His was a Miraluka, a species that through evolution did not use their eyes to see. Instead, a Miraluka used the Force to sense where things were. A few Miraluka had become Jedi or Sith throughout the history of the Galactic Republic, but as an orphan, Trevor Gul'dan did not have this kind of knowledge. Instead, he had spent his youth trying to adapt his vision to what he needed. With his clan mates, he spent countless hours trying to interpret colors using his 'vision' as a 'normal' human. Trevor was picked on by older orphans during his formative years by those who were bigger and felt that this 'blind kid' should not be outdoing anyone not of human birth. All of the harassment stopped the day that the Jedi Master arrived at the doorway to the room. The figure had been imposing, even more so to someone barely half a meter tall. But it was the gentle eyes that provided the most straightforward communication. Eventually, this Jedi became Trevor's teacher, guardian, and role model. Shudo Laan's Anx heritage had made the pair nearly inseparable. Shudo's grasp of anatomy and the racial abilities of the Miraluka made this pair very unique.
Trevor continued to pace his room. The dormitory rooms that Shudo and his padawans had been provided for the last thirty years were not unique, as large / small pairing had occurred throughout the Order's history. This particular room faced the sun during the morning hours, which Trevor appreciated, especially today. It usually made him feel warm and comfortable, and feeling in across his face made his attempt at relaxation a bit easier. The Miraluka stood in the light, letting the heat warm him. Upon removing his eye patch, the bald head started to bead with sweat, not unlike during saber-drills with Master Mace Windu for hours on end. The tension eased off his solid muscular build. His most recent physical, in fact just yesterday, showed that he weight nearly 95 kilograms and in excellent physical condition. Trevor could easily be mistaken for a comic-hero from the magazines some of the orphans were reading these days. It wasn't rare for Miraluka to become Jedi—there were several Miraluka Jedi operating out of the Temple in these troubled times. However, there was more who served in non-Jedi positions, lacking either the determination or the opportunity to complete their training. Despite their numbers among the Jedi, most species often mistook Miraluka for blind humans. While this was a great deception ploy, it was not without its downfalls. Two months ago, on his last mission to capture a recent escapee from a Judicial holding cell, he had found himself stranded on Myrkr surrounded by ysalamiri, creatures that created voids in the Force, while avoiding vornskyrs. It was the most troubling time in his life, attributed to the lack of sight for the first time. He now knew what it was like to be without sight, and it bothered him. Shudo had let Trevor recover at his own pace, and had recently made a comment that it was almost time to get back on the bantha. He unconsciously shivered, as he remembered the sound of howling vornskrs hunting him when he did finally get his 'sight' back.
The door announcer broke the silence of the morning relaxation, jolting Trevor out of his reverie. 'Odd,' thought Trevor. 'Who could that be?' He turned his Force-sight to the door, revealing the shape of Master Shudo standing directly outside. Trevor stood and walked towards the door, resisting the urge to use the Force to open a door inside the Temple. Shudo had made it a source of discussion a few times recently saying that it would show a lack of discipline. Master Shudo often reminded him not to use the Force for trivial tasks, or to accomplish things that could be achieved through more conventional means. Trevor replaced his eye patch, reached for the actuator and opened the door, stepping out before the door completed the open/close cycle.
"Good morning, Master Shudo," spoke Trevor, bowing in greeting and respect.
"Good morning, Trevor." whispered Laan, nodding in return. "Are you well this morning, my young Padawan? You look a bit pale." The bond between master and student amplified already inherent abilities.
"I'm fine, Master, I was just thinking about Myrkr again. It is taking longer to remove the fear that I felt on that mission."
Shudo nodded. "Fear itself isn't wrong, Trevor; it's natural. It is only wrong when you allow it control over you. Be mindful of your fear, without being fearful of it."
A smile slowly formed Trevor's lips. It sounded like a lecture of Master Yoda's teachings, and Trevor couldn't resist joking with his teacher just a little. "Been working on replacing Master Yoda's lecture series? You are starting to sound like him." His grin grew bigger, sensing that his health was not the reason for the visit.
The great Anx's crest coloring changed from a nervous reddish-orange to humorous yellow. "No, my young student; I am just trying to keep your spirits up."
"Thank you, Master. You have done a very good job of it. But I'm sure that cheering me up is not why you stopped by."
"No, as a matter of fact, it was not. I require you to prepare for a mission."
Trevor's eye-patch raised itself slightly. He had not been on a mission since Myrkr and he silently wondered if he was ready. "I need only a few moments, Master. Is there anything special I need to bring?"
"Nothing much, Padawan. We will not be leaving Coruscant." That was a switch. Trevor hadn't been on a local mission in years. He often got out of the Temple and traveled amongst the population, but rarely as a Jedi.
"Master, I only need a few things. I'll be back directly."
"No rush, Trevor. We don't need to leave for another hour. I will return in that time." Shudo bowed to his student and walked away. The elder Jedi wondered what it would take to get his student out of the downward spiral that his student's mind-set had been following, but knew that the Council requested his assistance on this particular matter. The mission itself was not strenuous, or at least it wasn't planned to be. But plans had ways of changing, especially when it involved many unknowns.
Trevor retreated into his room and catalogued what he would need. As the mission was local, he figured that he didn't need too much. His belongings were normally packed neatly in their places and retrieving what was needed was not difficult. He gathered from storage his utility belt, the lightsaber provided to him by Shudo shortly after his graduation from initiate to Padawan, and a few other odds and ends. He reviewed the inventory and decided to bring along a collapsible quarterstaff-sized walking stick that he had procured after he was "blinded" on Myrkr. It might be considered a crutch by some he knew, but it gave him some strength of will whenever he recalled the Dark Time, as he recently joked. He added some food pellets into his belt, and attached a grappling hook and liquid cable dispenser. One never knew what one needed, so better to be prepared. He fastened the rest of his gear on his belt, and then checked everything twice. When he was done, Trevor took the next forty-five minutes to meditate. It was the most refreshing meditation he had in a long time. 'I must be ready,' thought Trevor, adjusting his belt one last time and pressing the door mechanism for the second time that hour. He adjusted his vision to be near normal, allowing a slight Force presence to overlay what a human would see. This was Trevor's favorite mode, especially since walking through the Garden of a Thousand Fountains and seeing the vivid color of a rainbow when he was thirteen.
Trevor opened the door to his room just as Shudo was emerging from his own quarters. The towering Anx lumbered down the hall with the stately grace of a man in thought. His tall crested head nearly brushed the ceiling in several spots, but he knew the temple well—Trevor couldn't remember ever seeing him bump the crest inside the Temple. Shudo and Trevor walked down the hall towards the main turbolift of the tower. On the way, Shudo explained the mission. They were going to escort Oron Essada, a new senator from Umgul. Several traditionalist factions on Umgul were strongly opposed to the Senator's recent election, and he was concerned that there was might be an attack on his life. The arrangements were still being made for a permanent bodyguard, but until then the Jedi Council had agreed to a short-term protection detail.
"I also thought that it would be a good opportunity to help get your confidence back. I have noticed that you have been tentative recently in your studies and during training time. I normally have to slow you down," Master Shudo took the time to rib his student.
Trevor nodded, saying nothing while trying to keep his nerves in check. Repeating the Jedi Code to himself calmed him a little. The Jedi Code was so difficult to live up to, but Trevor knew that even without the code, his life would have been difficult. He reminded himself—as Master Shudo had taught him—that the code was more than a set of rules or restrictions. It was a guide in times of trouble, a foundation to stand on when things were uncertain; a mantra to drown out the howls of hungry vornskrs in his memory.
The rest of the journey to the landing platform was uneventful and quiet. Shudo and Trevor talked very little on the journey. Shudo started on the cultures of the Umgul society when they received word the Senator's shuttle was on its final approach. The bulky red-striped shuttle touched down a little hard, sending a shutter through the platform. As the dust cleared and the ramp extended out, Shudo walked forward towards the shuttle's docking door. Trevor walked behind Shudo, his walking staff extended. Trevor could see a slight tinge of humor on Shudo's crest, but only one who was extremely close to him would know how much concentration it took him to conceal his moods. Trevor turned his face towards the shuttle, and up, but concentrated on keeping his Force-sight on the loading ramp.
The timed clanking of metal on metal approaching met their ears, and Master Shudo's back straightened. Eight battle droids emblazoned with Umgulian delegation markings on the front marched down the exit ramp surrounded a rather confident-looking gentleman in his mid-forties. The group marched directly towards the Jedi. Once they were within five meters, they parted to form a circle, extending the perimeter out to approximately ten meters in diameter, allowing the senator to walk up to them.
"Good afternoon, Master Jedi," the senator said.
"Greetings, Senator Essada. I am Jedi Master Shudo Laan. The Jedi Council has appointed me to serve as your temporary guardian." Shudo extended a long hand toward Trevor. "This is my padawan learner, Trevor Gul'dan." The senator nodded politely toward Trevor, but couldn't quite hide a look of mild confusion as he glimpsed Trevor's blindfolded face. A simple idea popped into Trevor's young mind when Oron extended his hand. The younger Jedi purposefully moved his hand away from where the senator's hand was extended. Not much, just enough to portray that he didn't really know where the senator was. It worked perfectly; the senator shook his hand, and dismissed him with final bemused glance before his arm even returned to his side. The new
"I trust your trip went well?" Laan asked.
"An excellent journey, considering I've arrived in one piece," the senator guffawed.
Shudo nodded once, then paused to contemplate his next move. Trevor noticed that his master seemed to be a bit perplexed about the droids. Shudo did not make an issue, but Trevor noticed that his posture was a bit straighter. Trevor, using telepathy, asked Shudo, Trouble? Rather than responding through the Force, Shudo simply placed a reassuring hand on Trevor's shoulder, another of Master Shudo's subtle reminders that a Jedi need not rely on the Force alone when more conventional methods would suffice. Behind them, the senator was moving towards a trio of sky-cabs that were sitting nearby. Shudo had requested the Council to provide at least three sky-cabs to throw off any attempts on the Senator's life.
"Are we ready to go?" Essade asked his protection detail.
Shudo bowed towards the senator and—still grasping Trevor's shoulder—led his padawan toward the sky-cabs. The yellow tinge was back on Shudo's crest. Trevor knew he would get some ribbing and maybe a speaking-to from his Master for involving him in Trevor's charade, but humor was the closest emotion they could share at this point. Trevor and Essada, along with the droid-guards, moved towards the first, while Shudo got into the second. The remainder of the entourage moved towards the end. After a few minutes of getting settled, the sky-cabs took off, heading directly for the offices of the Galactic Senate, while droids loaded cargo skiffs with the Senator's belongings.
Arrival at the Galactic Senate building was something akin to controlled anarchy. Each Senator, as they were loosely called, had to exert some show of power over each other, as most politicians do. Delegates arriving and departing shook hands and made minor social promises that most would not keep. Most of the senators located at the landing platform ignored the newest delegate, but some recognized the new Senator from Umgul and proceeded to begin conversations with him. which suited Trevor just fine. It made things easier to pass from the landing area to the offices of the Umgul delegation. The cargo skiffs arrived a few tes poured from the shuttles as Trevor, Shudo and Senator Essada looked on. When most of the crates were loaded on small repulsor-pallets, the three of them turned towards the nearest turbolift. After entering the lift, they rose further and further up the building, and soon disembarked on a middle level floor. The Jedi exited the chamber first, and they noticed that the droid-guards were already ahead of them. The senator seemed to have a smug look on his face when he thought no one was looking.
The living quarters were efficiently located and the party entered, it was immediately evident that someone already had some pull within the political machine. The apartment was very lush and elegant, with room even for Master Shudo to move about freely. The Jedi reviewed the security system with the building guard, and after that, Shudo left to send a communication to the Council that Senator Essada had arrived safely. Trevor was left alone with Essada for a short time. Trevor continued the guise of a blind man, giving him the feeling that no one really cared what a blind man was doing in the middle of the hustle and bustle. The senator was busy with his people, moving crates in a more organized fashion. Trevor just happened to be out of the way the entire time. Shudo lumbered back in just as the last crates were settled. Shudo asked for some time alone with the senator, and he acquiesced.
Soon, the Jedi and the senator were seated around a small table in the anteroom to the senator's bedroom.
"Senator, there are a few things to discuss," began Shudo. "To begin, I shall let my Padawan speak."
Essada turned toward Trevor in expectation. Trevor wondered if maybe he was a bit smarter than he had given him credit for.
"To begin, Senator, I am not blind, as I may have lead to you to believe. I am a Miraluka, and I have no eyesight, as you would know it. I see through the Force, and just as well as you and Master Shudo do normally. I cover the top part of my face with this decorative headpiece." Trevor pulled back his hood, displaying a dark green and tan facemask where his eyes would be. A black cloth covered his head and both were securely fastened with an elaborate braiding behind his head. "I use this staff to portray a blind man to throw off potential enemies. I apologize for the deception and request that, when I have this staff in my hand, you treat me as if I were blind. Helps in my deception, sir."
"Apologize? Why? You did what you thought you must! An excellent ruse indeed!" the senator smiled. "This could give you quite an edge against your opponents. By all means, keep up appearances."
Shudo's yellow coloring returned once again, this time more pronounced, and directed the conversation back towards the task at hand. "Senator, what is your itinerary for the next few days?" His voice betrayed none of the emotion he displayed.
"I plan on being in my office bright and early in the morning, getting my affairs straightened out. I need to meet with the Malastare delegation, and there is a reception at the Umgul-Plobex corporate complex tomorrow evening."
"Who owns these droids?"
The senator laughed. "I do. I purchased them at an incredibly reasonable price from a salvage-dealer on Naboo after the Trade Federation debacle. They've been rigged to respond to a portable control computer, which I keep on my person at all times. Unlike the arrangement with the Trade Federation and their cumbersome droid-control ships, anyone who wishes to get to the control computer or me must get past my droids first. I've been assured that the control signal is completely un-sliceable."
"Indeed." Shudo mumbled, showing a skeptical mottling of pale blue and red speckles.
"Oh yes," Essada continued proudly. "It's completely foolproof."
"Very well, Senator. My Padawan and I will stand guard tonight. Please get some sleep. It seems that we will need it tomorrow."
The next day brought nothing but boredom. A politician's day was basically meeting after meeting after conference. There were at least fifteen different meetings that day, and most of them were impromptu affairs that lasted for more than a half-hour. Trevor thought to himself that it was a complete waste of time, but then remembered that politicians were part of the way of life that was Coruscant, and therefore, part of the balance in the Force. Essada moved around from early morning until retiring in the early afternoon to prepare for the evening festivities. During the downtime Shudo and Oron gave some lessons in political intrigue and identification. It actually became interesting after that point, because Trevor now understood both sides of the issues that Oron had presided over the entire day. After Trevor tidied his robes, the Jedi waited for the senator to finish his preparations. Once completed, the three entered a sky-shuttle to take them to the initial reception for the Umgul senator.
The approach to the reception was nerve-wracking, and Trevor twitched his head a bit. Shudo regarded him with an are-you-ready look. Trevor nodded once in reply. 'Well, it's time to put Myrkr behind me,' Trevor thought. Shudo and Trevor turned up their hoods to blend into the crowd better and the group disembarked.
They arrived at the reception hall following Senator Essada and a few of his staff. There were a great many stares as the Jedi entered, especially at Shudo. Neither Shudo nor Trevor moved. 'You would stare, too, if you were to find three-plus meters of brown cloth standing in a doorway' Trevor thought to himself. He nearly smiled, but after scanning the crowd, he did a quick Jedi concentration technique to remain focused on the task at hand. Such a great place to stealthily attack the senator,' Trevor mused. Soon the sight of the large brown cloak bored the crowd. He found that Shudo had moved off to the side of the room, as he fit in better there, away from the crowd. Trevor turned his vision towards Shudo, and noticed that Shudo nodded towards the senator. Trevor finally found his feet and walked calmly down the stairs towards the senator. Trevor stood with his back towards the senator, and began to mentally catalogue all the faces that he saw. Trevor had an advantage because any who looked at the young Jedi thought he was looking a different way, if they thought he could see at all. He made good use of this during the next three hours. Senator Essada had neatly gathered a small crowd around him, and they seemed to be having a grand old time. Trevor noticed that a couple of the guard-droids were patrolling nearby more often. He also saw the face of a twi'lek pass by with unusual frequency, almost always within earshot of the senator. Trevor worried about this and thought Shudo should know.
He turned his vision towards Master Shudo, his face also moving the same way. When Shudo turned his robe towards him, Trevor moved his head towards the twi'lek, pointing at a possible problem. Shudo and Trevor had worked enough together that they spoke more in motions that with any real words. Shudo nodded back and immediately began to glide slowly towards the side of the room with the twi'lek waiter.
Before realizing it, the Senator moved away from Trevor and headed towards a turbo lift. Trevor, afraid he was going to be left behind, walked purposefully towards the lift and was the last one to squeeze on board. There were five humanoids, not including himself, and two of the senator's battle droids. Trevor was introduced, and he nodded appropriately at the guests. One of the guests, a woman of middle years, looked Trevor up and down, thinking that he wasn't looking. Trevor half-smiled at the woman's attempt at subtlety. The lift entered one of the top floors and opened into a junction of hallways. Trevor walked out, and started investigating the floor. The rest of the group seemed to know where they were going, so Trevor followed along. The corridor opened up to a salon with a table large enough for seven. The droids marched up to either side. Trevor took in the sights and investigated the room for a little while. Food was already sitting there on table and the group proceeded to continue their discussions from downstairs.
Suddenly, his comlink squawked. Trevor felt his spine tingle in apprehension.
"Yes?"
"Trevor, where are you?" Master Shudo's voice wafted from the comlink.
"Master, I am on an upper floor with the senator. Is everything alright?"
"Stay with him, no matter what."
"Certainly, Master. Is something wrong?"
"No, I -- Hold on."
The sound of a lightsaber activating was the last thing Trevor heard, causing his skin to go cold. Trevor looked around the room again, fearing he'd missed something. Trying to remain calm, Trevor took off his cloak, palming his lightsaber for easy access. He didn't want to cause panic amongst the guests, but Shudo's instructions were clear; protect the senator. Essada looked over at the young Jedi, seeing the cloak off, his eyes widened a little. Trevor made a calming motion to Essada, and suddenly the senator's face was a mask of happiness and unconcern. Trevor walked over to Essada and spoke quietly.
"Master Shudo just contacted me. Something is wrong. Nothing to worry about yet, but let me find out more."
The senator placed his hand on Trevor's arm, feigning calm and confidence. "Do what you must, Master Jedi."
Trevor nodded and moved towards a computer console to see if it would give a security status within the building. At first the building's security system tried to refuse access, but then Trevor tried one of the codes he had seen Essada's aides use, and suddenly, a schematic of the floor appeared. He accounted for all six humans, and the two droids. What caught his attention, however, was the turbo lift. It was moving towards their floor. The console showed one, two, four, six shapes walking in formation down the corridor. Odd, thought Trevor.
He walked towards the open door. Essada and his group, for the first time that evening, noticed that Trevor's lightsaber was out, ready for action. He never noticed the two droids lifting their weapons. Standing in the doorway, a familiar marching sound reached his ears. He'd heard that sound just the other day: battle droids!
Activating his lightsaber, Trevor stood defensively in the middle of the doorway as the first droids walked around the corner. The front droids, seeing the Jedi in the doorway, turned to each other.
"Uh oh," the first commented.
"Stick to the new orders: kill the senator," the second reminded.
"I concur."
They immediately fired upon Trevor. He parried the bolts rather easily, and took a step back. One of the ricochets hit the top of the door, causing the emergency blast doors to clang shut automatically. He moved between the other two droids before noticing that they were not firing upon their comrades. Rather, they were aiming their weapons at the senator. Trevor turned, slicing at the nearest droid, and then used the Force to pull the blaster out of the second's hands. The blaster flew through the air and fired instantly when it reached Trevor's hand. The blaster shot hit true, and the droid was hammered directly in the chest. Trevor jumped at it, cutting it from shoulder to hip in one fluid motion with his lightsaber. He then turned to deal with the first; however, the Senator and the rest had jumped to the offensive. The droid managed to punch one of the other men in the face, causing blood to trickle down his cheek. However the combined might of the five humans easily augmented the droid's mechanical strength.
"Out of the way!" Trevor shouted waving his lightsaber above his head. The crowd suddenly dispersed, leaving the droid open for a Jedi attack. Trevor thrust his saber directly into the head of the droid, and it fell over immediately. Trevor sensed the tension of the group as they all turned to see the Jedi with the green lightsaber raised in the classic defensive posture. Trevor scanned the rest of the room. "They will get through that door fairly quick. Grab that blaster and let's get out of here, NOW!" The group ran to the opposite end of the room, where a door led out into another room and a small corridor. One of the women in the group led the way, with Trevor as rear guard. They exited the room, and poured out onto the main corridor. Trevor could immediately discern three options available: he could attempt escape to the turbolift, he could hole-up in the large dining room available, or he could take them out onto the landing platform / patio. It certainly made sense to try the turbolift, but Trevor immediately foresaw danger that way. The dining room represented a closed in area, so the platform won on principle.
"Out onto the platform, now!"
The group moved with alacrity. Trevor stood in the doorway, trying to catch his breath, and calming himself. The last words of Shudo Laan came to him, and he dialed an emergency code into his comlink.
"This is Jedi Padawan Trevor Gul'dan. I am in need immediate transport and support at the Senatorial Reception Center of the Umgul-Plobex Building, floor 394. Senator Essada is under attack. Code 99."
Trevor clicked off the comlink, and heard the marching of feet again. He took a deep breath, waiting for the end to come. 'I shall not let them take the senator while I have breath left,' thought Trevor. A woman gasped in horror as she saw Trevor take a step closer into the hallway. Just at that moment, a reply was heard on the comlink.
"Jedi Gul'dan, transport is thirty seconds away. Hold the fort."
The sudden closing of the doors surprised the droids.
"So, what are we supposed to do now?"
Droid BD7325 reviewed his mission parameter program. "Follow orders. Kill the senator."
"Roger, Commander."
The droids moved out and headed down a small corridor. Their limited intelligence told them that there were only two additional ways out, and the backup plan would work perfectly.
The droids rounded the corner to find themselves faced with a lone Jedi guarding a doorway three meters wide and five meters high. "Not again," one was heard to say.
"Fire!" ordered the commander.
Trevor immediately went into full defensive mode. It was truly the only way to ensure that he would be able to keep the droids at bay until reinforcements arrived.
The first rain of laser fire bounced off his blade, and Trevor's movements were a blur to the people watching him. Trevor used his vision to notice that an older man still had the blaster.
"Know how to use that thing?" Trevor asked calmly as he continued to defend the archway, redirecting fire back at the droids.
"I can try," he croaked out.
"Take your time. I've got them a little busy right now. Fire when you are ready."
The older man, though scared, nodded, and placed the blaster around the corner. He fired down the hallway. His first shot went wide, but the second shot was true. One of the droids went down in a heap, and Trevor knocked out a second shortly thereafter. The droids kept firing down the hall, but none could get through Trevor's whirling defense. Trevor's lightsaber training had dealt with defense foremost-- it was truly an amazing sight to see a Miraluken take on six battle-droids. The older man fired again, knocking down another. By this time, there were only three left, and Trevor advanced towards them.
The droids moved forward a meter or so, continuing to fire. Trevor returned their own fire back to them, knocking one off its feet. At that point, Trevor, sensing an advantage, jumped down the hall, proceeding to slash and parry them to pieces. The crackling of burnt metal and charred wall plaster assailed Trevor's senses. He disengaged his blade as the last droid was destroyed and walked down the corridor to find an open- cockpit shuttlecar already pulling up to the platform.
"Senator! Get everyone on board! Move!" Trevor shouted.
It did not take the group long to enter the shuttle. Trevor's comlink twittered again, and he immediately answered, "Master?"
"Trevor, are you alright?"
"Yes, Master. Fine."
"Did you happen to see six droids come your way?"
"Yes, as a matt--"
"Get out of there! You only have a few seconds!" The voice on the other end sounded frightened.
Trevor turned to the shuttle and shouted for them to get out. "TAKE OFF! MOVE!" The driver, upon hearing the shouts, gunned the engines right away. Trevor ran for the shuttle at the same time, and at the end of the platform, Force-pushed himself off the edge, towards the transport.
However, the exhaustion of battle caused him to lose concentration. Trevor realized almost immediately he was not going to make it using a Force-jump. Instead he reached back for his grappling launcher towards the shuttle. As Trevor was falling past the shuttle on towards the depths of Coruscant, the hook sunk directly into the right wing of the shuttle car. Trevor bounced upwards a bit as the line went taut, relatively safe on the end of the ascension cable. As Trevor adjusted his grip on the cable, he turned his vision towards the floor they just evacuated from. A series of explosions rippled through the floor, heat and smoke emanating from the transparisteel structure outwards. Trevor continued to concentrate on his grip as a wave of heat and concussion of the explosions met the shuttle-car and its precarious hanger-on.
Moments later, the shuttle car arrived at a secured landing platform, first dropping off Trevor, then moved off to unload its passengers. Trevor brushed the dust off his robes as the shuttle touched down. A ripple in the Force alerted Trevor to his Master's approach, but something was definitely different about it this time. He turned around to find Master Shudo Laan walking up, orange and red spots all up and down his tall face. Trevor had rarely seen Shudo look like this. The combination showed that Shudo was feeling a mix of excitement and fear. Master and student looked at one another, and bowed respectfully towards each other. Shudo's coloring changed slowly back to his normal coloring as he spoke.
"Had a busy day, my young Padawan?"
"A little, Master. Could have been worse, couldn't it?"
"True, very true, Trevor," as they both turned to watch Senator Essada and his party enter a diplomatic convoy. The older man that had assisted him walked over, and handed Trevor his Jedi robes.
"I thought you might be needing this, sir, so I grabbed it as we ran out."
Trevor bowed towards the man, "Thank you, sir. I am in your debt."
"No," the man said, "We are in yours," and with that walked towards the shuttle.
"You were able to defeat all the droids, Padawan?" Shudo Laan asked in a peculiar way.
"No, Master. I needed help from them. Something escaped my notice that should not have. This was a very valuable lesson, Master."
"It was not my intention to place you in danger, Trevor. But your experiences have shown you a reserve of confidence that you didn't know existed before, I think. Come, we have an appointment to keep."
"Master, how did someone slice into the droid-control signal?" Trevor asked. "Senator Essada said it was foolproof."
Shudo's face took on a yellow-striped pattern as he reached into his robes and withdrew a damaged custom-built signal-interrupter pack. It looked like it contained several black-market, military-grade components, and one end of it had been sliced off. "Remember Trevor, nothing is foolproof to a talented fool."
Trevor grinned and nodded. "And what about the senator?"
"Not to worry, his bodyguard contingent has just arrived. We have been relieved. Come, now, my young apprentice."
Early morning sunshine lit the Jedi Council chambers. Shudo Laan had been speaking for a few minutes to Masters Yoda, Plo Koon, Depa Bilaba, Adi Gallia, and Ki-Adi-Mundi. The chambers were very empty at this time, but Trevor always felt warmth in his heart in this room. So many memories to draw on, so many experiences yet to be had.
"It would seem that my young Padawan dispatched the eight droids on his own. I had some issues with the twi'lek controlling the droids, but Trevor was able to disable them while keeping the senator completely protected."
Master Yoda turned to Trevor, and spoke.
"Well you did, young padawan. Ready might you be for greater tests, yes? Keep an eye on you, we will. More work I see in the near future for you, Trevor Gul'dan. Be mindful of the lessons learned today. Helpful they may be, in the future."
Trevor rarely spoke to the Council these days. He'd had Master Yoda as a teacher years before Shuda Laan, and his respect for Yoda was immeasurable. Trevor could not help but smile at Yoda's approving gaze.
"Thank you, Master Yoda. It would seem that the knowledge passed from you to Master Shudo has finally found its way into my stubborn head." Trevor broke out in wide grin, and even Yoda couldn't help smiling a little at Trevor.
"Recovered from your fear, you have. Glad I am that you have come full circle," Yoda responded. Yoda got up from his chair and walked towards Trevor. Trevor immediately crouched on one knee to be face to face with the powerful Jedi.
"More tasks there will be, young Padawan. Remember the Code, serve you well, it will." Yoda patted Trevor's arm, causing glowing warmth to flow around Trevor. Trevor's arm trembled slightly with emotion, and Yoda immediately winked at the young Padawan. "More we will hear from this one, will we not, Master Shudo?"
"It is possible, Master, provided he can continue to keep his wits about him," responded the tall Jedi, turning various shades of yellow. Trevor and Shudo bowed deeply to Master Yoda and the Council. With that, Shudo Laan escorted Trevor out of the Chamber.
Back at his room, Trevor felt a slight flutter in the Force. He turned to his mentor and teacher, and noticed him staring at him. Orange streaks were all over his skin. Trevor blushed, and for the first time in nearly a month, felt ready to attempt a surprise for his master. 'I must start working on my own lightsaber as soon as I have some extra time,' he thought.