Chapter 2:
The next day, training sabers clashed together, with a slender, furry Selonian Jedi Master overseeing the duel. Bindo was in a duel with Xyna, and true to her nature, she proved to be an extremely wily opponent. Bindo noticed, however, that Xyna was often too aggressive a fighter for her own good, which was something he could take advantage of.
Xyna lunged forward, aiming to land a decisive strike. Bindo blocked the blow, but Xyna barely seemed to notice. She kept striking at different angles with her training saber, Bindo blocking each time. Finally, Bindo made a forward stab that nearly touched Xyna's stomach. The red Twi'lek looked down for a moment, then sighed.
"All right, I concede," Xyna groaned.
"Don't be discouraged, Xyna," Bindo said. "You're one of the toughest opponents I've faced."
"Indeed," said the Selonian Jedi Master in a scratchy, high-pitched language. "You are certainly skilled, apprentice Xyna, but you must temper your aggression. Remember…there is no emotion, there is peace."
"Yes, Master Si'ter," Xyna said, though Bindo could notice by her tone that she did not entirely believe his words.
"Apprentice Telonus, your skill in combat is among the finest I have seen," said Mato Si'ter, "and I foresee that you will become a great Jedi Knight. But do not let your thoughts be of fame and glory, for they will lead you to the Dark Side."
"With all due respect, Master," Bindo said, "you know my beliefs."
"I do," the Selonian nodded. "And you know of how my own people place great emphasis on our families, knowing that so few of us are fertile. Still, as Jedi, we must act with honor, and place our personal desires second. Remember this, Telonus, and your path will become clear."
"Of course, Master," Bindo said, though in truth he believed that his path was already clear.
"That will be enough sparring for today," Si'ter said. "May the Force be with you both."
"And you as well, Master Si'ter," Bindo bowed.
"What he said," Xyna added, also bowing (albeit not as much).
Master Si'ter chuckled and left, leaving Xyna and Bindo alone. Shalanna came in soon after, but within seconds Bindo could tell that something was wrong. Her face displayed worry and distress, which was alarming from someone who normally showed as little emotion as possible.
"Shalanna, what's wrong?" Bindo asked.
"Bindo, Xyna…I, I believe we have a problem," Shalanna said.
"Well, tell us what it is," Xyna said bluntly. "Maybe we can help with it?"
"I doubt there is much you could do, but I will speak of this problem," Shalanna said, and with a nervous gulp, she continued. "Settlers spotted Master Zeeloss."
Any activity in the room stopped dead. Xyna growled slightly, remembering how Zeeloss had tried to kill her simply because of who she was. Bindo became concerned, placing a hand to his chin.
"When was this?" he asked.
"Less than thirty minutes ago," Shalanna answered. "The Force was certainly with us when the other Masters warned the settlers of Master Zeeloss' fall to the Dark Side."
"Will you stop calling him 'Master'?" Xyna asked. "He doesn't deserve that title."
"She's right," Bindo nodded. "But on to more important things. Where did the settlers find him?"
"Outside the enclave," Shalanna said. "He was heading for an ancient temple a short distance from the academy."
"An ancient temple?" Bindo repeated. "We might need to speak to Garmon Aurim in the archives. He'll know what that temple is for certain."
"An ancient temple just outside the enclave?" the Zabrak gasped, indeed knowing the temple's purpose. "That's not good news in the least."
"Why?" Xyna asked. "What's so special about this temple?"
"That temple was built almost twenty thousand years ago by an ancient species called the Rakata," Garmon explained. "They did it to house a device called a Star Map."
"What is a Star Map?" Shalanna asked, but this time Bindo answered.
"It is an ancient hologram containing a specific set of coordinates," he said. "Revan was searching for these Star Maps, which brought him to planets like Kashyyyk and…what were the others?"
"There were four other planets, besides Kashyyyk, that had Star Maps" Garmon said. "They were Tatooine, Manaan, Korriban, and Dantooine."
"So, what does Zeeloss want with the Dantooine Star Map?" Xyna asked.
"I don't know," Garmon said. "All I know is that, if he is hunting the Star Maps, then things are going to turn very bad."
"Then we need to stop Master Zeeloss," Bindo said.
"Sounds good to me," Xyna smiled.
"But, Bindo!" Shalanna cried. "Master Zeeloss is a Jedi Master!"
"We defeated him before, right?" Xyna shrugged.
"Only because he left before either side could finish the fight," Shalanna countered.
"I'll talk to Master Si'ter," Garmon said. "In the meantime, you three should go and confront him, stall for time."
"That sounds reasonable," Bindo said. "What do you think, Shalanna?"
"Well…if we are only stalling for time until Master Si'ter arrives," she began, "then I suppose we can succeed. But we will need to keep Master Zeeloss distracted."
"That shouldn't be too hard," Xyna snorted. "Zeeloss is absolutely in love with the sound of his own voice. Let's just keep him talking."
"Talking is something we should no longer be doing," Bindo said. "Let's go, we need to stop Master Zeeloss before he can access the Star Map."
