Swan Song Part 1

Johann stumbled as he reached the main square of the capital city. He wanted to believe that he had reached the right place, but he really had no clue. Where does one even find a Jedi? Everyone had heard that a Jedi was now residing in their system. Although the capital seemed to be his base of operations, he was known to move around quite a bit. Johann had no idea if this rumored Jedi was even on the planet at the moment. But it seemed that the Creator had guided his journey here. No one trusted the local authorities, but if anyone knew how to contact a Jedi, surely, they would be the ones.

Johann barely made it up the steps to the station without collapsing. When he reached the main desk, his words could barely be heard beneath his panting. "I need to reach the Jedi."

Before the desk sergeant could respond, Johann collapsed into a lump in the middle of the station.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Finly's shuttle touched down and he descended the ramp. He had not learned to call his new flat home, but it felt more comfortable than being constantly on the move. Surprisingly, he did not want a shower. After the thermal baths of Pleasure Moon, he felt as though he wanted to roll around in the dirt for a while, but decided that might appear beneath the dignity of a Jedi.

"Master Jedi!" a voice called as he reached the platform.

"Yes?" Finly asked wearily.

A young officer from the local police approached him. "Good evening, I'm Rolyn of the Planetary Authority Enforcement. I know you have just returned from a long trip, but we have encountered something rather unusual and were hoping you could look into it for us."

Finly sighed. He really did not mind lending a hand, but was very tired. Plus, Planetary Authority Enforcement, meant very little on this world….except maybe that someone needed a bribe. "Of course. How can I help?"

XXXXXXXXXXX

The hospital room was surprisingly empty except for a few machines and the odd-looking creature that occupied the bed. The officer escorted Finly to the bedside. "He has been in and out since we brought him here. Mostly dehydrated, it seems. I think his name is Johann."

"Johann," Finly whispered and waved a hand over him, "are you with us?"

Johann stirred in pain, but managed to open his eyes. "Jedi," he breathed more than said. "Kora….. you must….." Johann was asleep again just as quickly as he was awake.

"Kora?" Finly glanced at the officer.

"The far moon is Kora…." A flash seemed to hit the officer. "There's this cult of religious nuts that live there. I knew I recognized his outfit from somewhere."

"Anything else there?"

"Not much. Some mining operations. Most everything is underground. The atmosphere is terrible. Breathable, but everyone who I know that has been there gets sick if they stay above ground too long. Is that where we start?" the officer asked.

"We?" Finly clarified.

The officer tilted his head. "I know he came looking for you, but he was assigned to me. Until we figure this out or I'm reassigned, he's my responsibility."

Finly grinned. "I feel you. We'll give him a couple of days to recover. We don't even know what we're dealing with yet. Let's have an idea of what we are doing before we go rushing off anywhere."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So other than basic patrols nothing to report," Finly summed up for Iesha.

"Well," Iesha sighed, "let me know if there is…."

"Oh well, there is this one thing, probably nothing," Finly added. "Some guy from one of the outer moons collapsed in the local police station looking for me a few nights ago. I went with an officer to visit him, but will wait until he has recovered a little more."

"What did he want?" Iesha inquired.

"Not a clue. Like I said, probably nothing."

"Well," Iesha sighed again, "like I said, let me know."

"Sure thing," Finly smiled. "Finly out."

The Sullustan Jedi stretched his back. It was still pretty early. He had already been on patrol so he figured the best thing for a Jedi to do was to meditate. He sat on the floor with his legs crossed, closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Beneath his eyelids, Finly thought he saw a spot of light in the far distance. The light grew, or got closer. Finly was not sure which. Soon it surrounded him. It encompassed him. It penetrated him. Finly knew this was the Force and his heart filled with joy. He had never felt it this intently before. It was as if this moment was what all his training had been about and he wanted to stay there, in the light, but a soft voice whispered from the light. The voice seemed to be coming from all around and from within him, all at once, yet it was barely a whisper. Soon Finly, but not yet. Then, just as quickly as it swallowed him, the light began to fade, or pull back. Finly was not sure which. The light left him in a gray haze. Finly sensed something lurking in the haze, an ominous presence that seemed to be watching him. He reached for his lightsaber, but it was not there. Then he remembered that it was across the room on his table and he was seated on a rug on the floor. Then he heard a noise, it was distant, but familiar. His doorbell?

Finly's eyes popped open. He immediately stuck out his hand and called his lightsaber to him as he sprang to his feet. His lightsaber ignited in his hand, bathing the now dark room in green light. He spun frantically searching for any sign of danger. The sun had set. It did not seem like he had been at it that long. He realized that he was nearly panicked. He closed his eyes again and took a couple of deep breaths. His eyes shot open when he heard the doorbell again. He shut down the lightsaber before opening the door. For some reason, he was not surprised to find Officer Rolyn on the other side.

"Master Jedi," the officer seemed shaken. "I have some bad news…there was an explosion…."

"Where?" Finly asked astonishedly, although somehow, he already knew the answer.

"The hospital," Rolyn's face dropped even lower than it already was.

Finly took a deep breath. "OK, let's go check it out."

When the pair arrived at the hospital, the recovery crews had almost finished cleaning up the mess. "Gas leak," the supervisor informed them when they approached. "Froshin' tragic."

Finly recognized the damaged wing as the one that housed Johann, "Casualties?"

"The supervisor sighed. "Seventeen dead that we can figure so far, lots injured. A few staff and patients still missing."

Missing, made Finly hopeful. "Any word on the patient in 307?"

The supervisor scanned through his datapad, "Yeah, we found his body….. or parts of it at least."

Finly and Rolyn frowned. Rolyn spoke up, "Any idea where the blast came from?"

The supervisor eyed Rolyn carefully. "What do you mean, officer?" Finly could tell by the supervisor's tone that he either did not care for Rolyn or the question or maybe both.

"Like what room or area it originated in?"

"No," the supervisor stated coldly. "It will take a while for the lab to get those results…..if it can even be determined."

"The lab, right," Rolyn's frown seemed to frown.

The supervisor dismissed himself. Finly and Rolyn roamed the site for a bit, but there was nothing for them to do that would be helpful or any helpful information to be acquired. Finally, a fuming Rolyn mumbled. "Do you drink caf, Master Jedi?"

"Call me Finly," the Jedi answered, "and yeah, of course."

The café that Rolyn was prone to was not far from the hospital. He was two cups into his brooding silence when Finly finally decided to say something. "What do you make of all this?"

Rolyn's sigh was nearly a growl. "There won't be any lab report. Or it will be lost, or inconclusive."

"You don't trust your department, huh?" Finly raised an eyebrow."

"Of course not. Law enforcement is a joke throughout this system. I'm sure anyone who would bomb a hospital also has enough pull to hinder the investigation," Rolyn downed the rest of that cup of caf.

Although it seemed inappropriate, Finly could not help but laugh. "You know, until just now, I wasn't sure if I could trust you."

Rolyn stifled a chuckle. "Well I suppose I deserve that just because I work for the department.

"What makes you different?" Finly asked.

Rolyn seemed to go somewhere else for a moment. "My father was killed by some loan sharks when I was a kid. Although everyone knew who did it, no one was ever arrested. I swore I would be an officer and that I would never let anything like that happen under my watch. Aaaaaand I usually get stuck with the cases that are of little to no importance. When I am on to something significant, I'm reassigned or the lab loses the evidence or….."

"Whatever," Finly concluded. "Did you ever look into your father's case?"

"No need," the officer frowned afresh. "the guys who were responsible crossed the wrong people and were killed a few years later. Such is justice out here on the Edge." Rolyn blew the breath slowly between his lips. "So, when do you want to go to Kora?"

Finly pondered the question. "We still don't know what we're looking for or where to start. Sure, it's a small moon, but it's still a moon. I'll check out the hospital again tonight. You see if you can turn up anything. We'll meet tomorrow and see if we have any more to go on."

"Sounds like a plan," Rolyn conceded and ordered a fresh mug of caf.

It was the early hours of the morning when Finly returned to the hospital. All the authorities were gone, but the damaged wing was blocked off. Finly shut down some of the sensors to hide his movements. He made scans and took samples of the rubble.

He was nearly finished and standing in what used to be the doorway of Johann's room when the same ominous presence that he felt while he was meditating seemed to crawl right up his spine. Again, he spun on his heels and his lightsaber sprung to life. And again, the green glow revealed nothing. He glanced around him with his eyes. Then he shut them and reached out with the Force. There seemed to be nothing to be alarmed about. He closed his saber and returned to his flat.

At home, he started a pot of caf and ran his scans and samples through his equipment. What he had in his apartment was probably more sophisticated than the police lab, but Coruscant would be better still. So, he forwarded his info to Iesha so she could forward it to someone in the Temple, then laid down for a little rest.

When he awoke, he immediately checked his computer. He frowned as he finished the analysis. Gas leak, but it did emanate from an area near Johann's room. Finly moped into his kitchen, reheated the leftover caf and leaned against the counter as he pondered his next move. His thoughts were interrupted when his communication consul chimed.

Finly rushed back to the den. Iesha's blue image appeared as soon as he hit the button on the consul. "Gas leak," the padawan stated.

"Yeah, I got that," Finly tried not to sound unappreciative. "I'll let you know if I turn up anything else….."

"I turned up something else," Iesha interrupted.

"What?" Finly's head shot up from his mug.

"Well, I think it may be something," Iesha began. "Have you ever heard of a saboteur named Holden?"

Finly shook his head when the name did not ring any bells.

"So, this could be nothing, but facial recognition has him on the arrival docks of your planet a week ago. Nothing since then. There's nothing on him in Republic space, but he's wanted for questioning on half a dozen planets in throughout the Outer Rim….. and I mean…. the outer Outer Rim. He specializes in explosives and making his handiwork seem like an accident is his M/O." Iesha paused. "I know that's not much….."

Finly seemed to perk up, "That's a lot more than we've had to go on so far. This is the first hint that this isn't just some wild Bantha chase. Thanks Iesha."

"Anything for a fellow Corellian," Iesha grinned. "Glad I could help. Iesha out."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Finly met Rolyn at the same café that evening. The officer did not seem happy. "Good news?" Finly asked as he slid into the seat across the table.

"Gas leak originating from and unknown source," the young officer frowned. "Just as I suspected."

Finly grinned, "Well, the 'unknown source' is the line near Johann's room."

Rolyn seemed to perk up, but quickly resumed his scowl. "They will just say it's a coincidence."

Finly grinned again, "Ever hear of a saboteur named Holden?" Rolyn shook his head. "Well, he was on this planet a week ago. May still be here. He specializes in this type of thing. Now when I take an explosion in a hospital in the room of a guy who was looking for me, and a known saboteur on the prowl, I see that as a lead to follow….. a pretty weak lead, but a lead still. Care to join?"

"Of course," Rolyn agreed, but as I've said, the department is clearly covering something or for someone. No way they're letting me near this."

Finly slid a datapad across the table. "They won't turn down an official request from the Jedi Council. It's already been approved for you to assist me in…. an unspecified investigation."

Rolyn perked up, "They'll play the part, but they'll know what we're up to. And there's no way they approve me taking a shuttle out to Kora."

"I already charted us a flight."

Captain Sulli and her copilot, Malia were standing at the foot of the ramp when their passengers approached. "I never met a Jedi," Malia mumbled.

"I never met a Sullustan. Do they stink?" Sulli replied.

Malia shrugged, then her eyes fell on Rolyn, "He a Jedi too? He's cute."

"Nah," Sulli side-eyed the younger woman, "look at the uniform, he's PAE."

"Greetings," Finly nodded as they reached the ship. "I'm Jedi Finly and this is Officer Rolyn."

Sulli spit a wad of tobacco juice, "I'm….."

"Captain Sulli," Rolyn spoke up. "I've heard of you. I hear you're the best pilot in the Edge."

Sulli replied. "Second best. There's one's better. They call him the….." Malia nudged her captain trying to get her senior to just accept the compliment.

"Oh yeah," Rolyn raised his eyebrows in remembrance. "Heard of him too."

"Well," Sulli half requested, half demanded. "If you all will get on board, we'll be on our way."

It did not take long before the ship was approaching the moon of Kora. Finly and Rolyn joined the pilots in the cockpit when the ship dropped out of its quick hyperspace jump. "What's out here anyway?"

Finly and Rolyn exchanged a glance. "We're not sure."

"Nuthin' down here but mines and that cult," Sulli chimed in.

"Do you know anything about the cult?" Finly asked.

"Just a bunch of nuts is all I know. Think they spend too much time on the surface, breathin' the atmosphere if ya ask me. I hear they even go out into the Unknown and Wild Space, Buncha crazies," Sulli summed up her position.

"Interesting," Finly scratched his chin.

The ship rocked slightly as it approached the atmosphere. A few seconds passed and another bump seemed to come from the back of the ship. "Go check that out," Sulli whispered to Malia. When Malia was gone, she turned to the passengers. "You two better go to the lounge and strap in. The atmosphere's a little bumpier than I remember."

The two complied and made their way down the corridor towards the lounge. Finly's spine tingled with the same ominous feeling as before. Reflexively, he put his hand on his saber, but he knew it would do no good. He quickly slapped two buttons on the side wall. Two emergency seats unfolded. "We need to strap in, now!" Finly yelled at Rolyn.

The Jedi hurriedly sat and strapped himself in. Rolyn just stood and stammered. "Why?"

"Just do it!" Finly screamed a little too late. As Rolyn sat and began to fiddle with the straps, an explosion rocked the back of the ship. Rolyn flew from his seat, smashing his head into the ceiling. A wall of flame shot from the rear. Finly felt it sear the left side of his face before he was able to repel it through the Force.

Sulli's voice came over the intercom, "Malia! What's happening? Malia! We're going down hard!"

Finly fought through the pain on the side of his face and pulled Rolyn into his seat with the Force. He struggled to move the straps, but managed to get Rolyn's lap belt fastened. Through the flames at the back, he could see space turn into sky. They were in the atmosphere. The back of the ship and thereby the engines were gone so it seemed they would soon burn up. Finly closed his eyes and tried to calm himself with a deep breath. His eyes popped open and he looked out the back of the ship again. He saw what, at first, he thought was the sun, but as the sun began to expand, he realized that it was the same light he had seen before. The light of the Force. As the light began to take him in again, the pain of his face, his fear and concerns of his approaching death, all faded away. He breathed deeply, taking in the light itself. As light overtook him, the last thing Finly heard was Sulli's voice screaming from the intercom. It seemed far away, "Brace for impact!" Then Finly was left with nothing, but the light and peace of the Force.