Chapter Three.
In a low geosynchronous orbit around Alderaan, Dondinas's ship was cloaked in darkness. Once again all outside lights had been extinguished, anyone looking for them would easily find them, but no-one was looking for them. In the briefing room the entire crew was gathered. Even though there were enough chairs for everyone, only Dondinas sat.
"Talos, tell me what you know about the whereabouts of this jewel." Commanded Dondinas.
"Yes my Lord, at present we are positioned in orbit above an island approximately 7 miles long by 4 miles wide and is the eighth in a fairly long chain. The island was scanned quite recently by the Imperial Topographical Services Department of Imperial Intelligence. The scan would indicate that due to erosion from the surrounding seawater, there is no access to the island from the sea itself, high cliff faces form the entire circumference. It would be interesting to study the strata of that cliff face. It would give a fascinating glimpse into the global weather patterns, not to mention the fossil remains."
The rest of the crew began to look nervously from Talos to Dondinas and back again. The Archaeologist was well known to ramble when he was talking, often moving from subject to subject resulting to confusion to whom ever he was addressing. Dondinas, on the other hand was known to deliver a quick shock of lightning to whom ever tested his patience.
Talos was silenced when Andronikos gained his attention by clearing his throat and then slightly nodded his head in the direction of Dondinas, who was now slowly drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. Speaking through the hugely muscled body of Khem Val, the voice of Darth Zash sounded incredibly out of place.
"Oh do get back to the point you tedious little man !"
"What ? Oh yes, where was I, oh the island, yes, well, it is called Hilversum, it would appear to be uninhibited. Mainly covered in deciduous forest with one major land mark, a hill called "Poachers Hill". Atop that hill is the building I believe we are looking for."
"Any Imperial, Alderaanian or Republic forces in the area ?"
"None my Lord"
"Zash, do you know anything about this ?"
"Well I had heard the myth my Apprentice, but like everyone else, I thought it was just a story."
"I have told you before, I am no longer your Apprentice."
"Oh don't be so melodramatic. If this does indeed prove to be what that odious little man says it is, think of the power we would wield. First Darth Thanaton, then maybe the Dark Council, perhaps even the Emperor himself, just think of that, Emperor Dondinas. All the power we would ever want."
"We ? There is no we. Can you land the ship there Andronikos ?"
"Looking at the map, I'd have to say no. The area between the forest edge and the cliff edge looks large enough, but i wouldn't like to bet that it could take the weight of this ship. The Fury is quite heavy for her size, it's the cost of all the armour she has. I could blast a landing zone, be a bit noisy, but it would get the job done."
"No, we don't want to attract any attention."
Andronikos looked closely at the display screen on the wall, he tapped a small section of the map displayed on the screen.
"There, if we had no strong winds, I could hover the ship there, just a small jump from the landing ramp and your on land"
Ashara stepped forward.
"Do you wish me to accompany you my Lord ?"
"No my Apprentice, if it is only Jedi this jewel has an influence over, it would only be an added danger. No, since this is Talos's area of expertise, and his idea, he shall accompany me to the surface."
"But my Lord, I'm an Archaeologist, not a soldier !"
"Yes, that much is obvious, but it is your skills and knowledge in that field that I need, and are the only reasons you still live. Now go and gather what tools you may need. Andronikos, take the ship down to where you can place us on that wretched island, then depart back into orbit. I will contact you when we are ready to depart. The rest of you will monitor all communications for any indication that our presence has been detected. You are all dismissed."
They all hurried out of the briefing room to the tasks that they had been given. Dondinas looked at the map on the display screen. Could it be true ? He still had his doubts, but still, if it gave him an edge in his fight against Darth Thanaton it was worth investigating.
Dondinas's Fury class ship skimmed just above the surface of the ocean. Dondinas and Talos stood by the closed airlock. Using the comlink build into his grey helmet he said,
"How far now ?"
"We will be at the cliff edge in just over a minute my Lord."
A moment later they both heard the sound of the engines change as the ship began to slow. As the Fury approached the coastline she began to agin altitude, slowing to a hover just two feet above the ground once she had past the cliff edge. Spinning in place so the airlock door and access ramp faced the trees, she then came to a full stop. With the whine of hydraulic motors the landing ramp extended and with a pop of air the door leading into the ship opened.
Dondinas ran down the ramp and jumped the last few feet to land on the ground, he ignited the lightsaber held in his left hand and in his right was a ball of Force lightning, ready to be hurled at any opponent. Slowly edging down the ramp came Talos, when he got to the edge of the ramp he got onto his knees then sat and pushed his legs over the edge, his feet touched the ground. Then with an effort he pushed him self away from the ramp. He landed flat on his stomach, he touched to comlink in his left ear.
"We are clear of the ramp, you may depart the area."
"Roger that, leaving the area now."
Talos pretended not to hear the peals of laughter from the rest of the crew in the background, as he kept saying he was an Archaeologist, not a soldier. As the airlock door slid shut and the landing ramp retracted, the Fury shot forward and dropped like a stone to to once again skim the surface, once she was over the horizon she would arc upwards to resume her orbit waiting to be called back.
The sound of the lightsaber being turned off made Talos look up, standing looking down at him was his master, Dondinas.
"Are you sure you passed out from the Imperial Military Academy ?"
Getting back to his feet and brushing some dust and grass of his uniform he said,
"Oh yes my Lord. Although, that was my first combat deployment. All rather exciting."
Dondinas looked at the man for a moment longer.
"Conduct a scan of the area, then we shall proceed to the structure."
Out of the bag Talos had slung over his shoulder he took a large thick data pad, after a few seconds he said,
"My Lord, I can detect no electronic signatures in the area, however that does obviously preclude shielded devices."
"Obviously."
How ever this is rather unusual, it seems that the entire area in covered, no impregnated with a fine layer for a carbon based crystal, in a highly compacted form. I have never seen the like before."
"Highly compacted carbon based crystal, you mean diamond, the area in covered in diamond ?"
"Yes, I suppose it is diamond, but it would seem in an extremely fine layer, and it is on everything, the trees, grass rocks, even the soil."
Reaching down he plucked a blade of grass bent it and then snapped it in half.
"Hmm, it would seem that lather than the crystal forming a layer and thus making this blade brittle, it seems to be infused into the outer layer, I don't understand why though, it offers no strength or protection.
"Is it a danger to us ?"
"No my Lord, completely harmless, none of the crystal particles are in the air, just on solid matter."
"Then we proceed."
Keeping his lightsaber in his left hand they started to walk towards the tree line. After only a dozen steps Dondinas stopped. Something was there, he reached out with the Force but felt nothing, it was in his mind, a slight almost feather like tickle, as soon as he concentrated on it it was gone.
"Is everything alright my Lord ?"
"I feel something, but it evades me. Are you sure you can detect nothing else ?"
"Nothing my Lord, slightly elevated background resonance, but apart from the crystal, nothing."
"Resonance ?"
"Yes my Lord, the movement of the oceans, the wind, the molten core all cause vibration, this vibration is so low it is all but ignored, an increase in the resonance in certain areas can indicate an earthquake or volcanic eruption. The island chain we are on is part of the top edge of a continental plate, and quite stable, there is no volcanic activity in the area."
"Then why is it higher here then."
"I really don't know my Lord, I am an Archaeologist, not a Geologist."
"Monitor the levels. Inform me of any possible danger it could cause."
"Yes, of course my Lord"
They then entered the forest.