The Star Map
"This place feels like a tomb," Carth's voice echoed off of the cold stone walls.
"Yeah, it gives me the creeps," Mission replied as she pulled her blaster out of the holster on her hip.
"There is no emotion, only peace. Focus on letting go of your fear. Do not hold it close to you, instead acknowledge it and release it." Ash stated as she paused before the set of interior doors. She pulled her lightsaber from her belt and activated it. The blue plasma blade flared to life with a snap-hiss.
Bastila gave Ash an odd look. 'Was that something else that just came to her or did one of the Jedi Masters teach that to her?' Bastila thought as she activated her double bladed lightsaber. The vibrating hum from the sabers filled the room.
Together, Ash and Bastila opened the next door to reveal a square room with an ancient droid hovering in the middle of the room. Ash noticed a doorway on each wall of the square room. She entered the room cautiously, with her blade trailing behind her illuminating the floor with its blue light. She motioned to Carth and Mission to lower their weapons as well.
The droid began speaking to them in an unintelligible language.
Ash looked at them in confusion.
"Droid, we cannot understand you," she informed the droid.
The droid spoke again, this time in a different dialect.
Bastila said, "I believe the droid is cycling through languages in its database in an attempt to find one that we can understand."
Ash nodded in agreement. The droid spoke again. However, this time she thought she understood part of what the droid was saying. The droid sounded like it was speaking an archaic version of Selkath, the language that was spoken on Manaan.
"Why would a droid on Dantooine understand and be able to speak an archaic language spoken on Manaan?" Ash asked as she examined the droid.
"Communication was key to ensure that the slaves built the temple according to the designs set by the Builders. Yet, you are not of the slave species, and you are not Builders. You are like the one who came before." The droid intoned.
Bastila's eyes widened. "The droid must be referring to Revan. The Dark Lord and Malak must have encountered this droid when they came here last."
Ash cautiously approached the droid. "Are you the guardian of this temple?"
The droid rotated around to face her. "I am the Overseer. The Builders constructed me to maintain discipline among the slaves while this temple was being built to honor the might of the Star Forge. I was reprogrammed to serve should a Builder return in search of knowledge regarding the Star Forge."
The Star Forge?
"Overseer, what is the Star Forge?" Ash asked.
"The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders. It is a machine of infinite might. A tool of unstoppable conquest." The Overseer intoned.
"How long have you been here?" Bastila asked as she examined the droid.
"My chronological circuits have marked ten full revolutions of this system's outermost planet around the sun since the builders left."
"Ten full rotations?" Ash gasped.
Bastila looked at her in confusion. "That can't be right. Why that would have to be well before the beginning of the Republic itself! Surely the droid is mistaken!"
Ash moved closer to inspect the droid. It certainly didn't look like any droid she was familiar with. She noted several places where the droid was covered in corrosion. "This droid is definitely older than any other droid I have encountered. I've never seen anything like it. Overseer, who are the Builders?"
"The Builders are the rulers of the Infinite Empire, conqueror of worlds and creators of the Star Forge."
"Were the Builders the Selkath?" Ash wondered that if the Builders were Selkath that would explain why the droid knew that language.
"No. The Selkath were but slaves to the true Masters. They crumbled under the might of the Infinite Empire."
"Have the Builders ever returned?" Ash asked.
"Since the completion of this temple, no Builder has returned to seek knowledge regarding the Star Forge." The Overseer stated as it hovered before them.
Bastila moved to stand next to her. "This Star Forge sounds like a weapon of some sorts, though I suppose it could be anything."
"It could be a factory or a weapons plant," Ash suggested.
"Yes, that's true. Perhaps that is how Revan and Malak were able to amass such a large fleet so quickly." Bastila frowned. "The droid seems to respond well to you. Perhaps it will tell you more."
"Overseer, what can you tell us about the ones who came before, the ones who were like us?" Ash asked.
"The ones who came before, they sought knowledge on the Star Forge and its origins. They proved themselves worthy, and were allowed to enter the inner sanctum behind me. Recently, another came seeking knowledge, but he did not prove himself worthy."
That must be the Jedi Knight the Council sent after we arrived, Ash thought. "Did you kill the Jedi?"
"No, I am not programmed for combat. He did not survive the temple's safeguards and proved himself... unworthy."
"Overseer, how do I prove myself worthy?" Ash asked.
"Enter the proving grounds to the east and west. Within them those who understand the will of the Builders can unlock the secrets and prove themselves worthy. More than this, I am not programmed to say."
Carth crossed the room. "Uh, Ash, what's going on? What's this droid babbling about anyways?" He pointed to the droid with a frown.
Ash bit her bottom lip in indecision. She felt Carth had a right to know what they were doing here, since he was risking his life helping them. However, the council would not approve of her telling him about the exact nature of their mission. "It is telling us about the Builders and the Star Forge. Have you ever heard of such a civilization in your travels, Carth?" Ash asked. She caught Bastila's reproving look.
He ran his fingers through the stubble of his beard as he thought. "No, I can't say that I have. I've never even heard of a Star Forge. Any idea what it is?"
"We're not sure. We think it might be a weapon or a factory of some sorts." Ash said as she ignored the look of disapproval coming from Bastila.
"Ash, we have to find a way to unseal those doors and find out what Revan and Malak uncovered." Bastila interrupted, as she pointed toward the doors on either side of the ancient droid.
She nodded to Bastila as she moved closer to the eastern door. Using the Force, Ash opened the door. She held her hand up, motioning for them to wait. She sensed something coming closer… skittering in the darkness.
She pulled a grenade off of her belt and waited for whatever it was edging closer to them in the darkness to get closer. She saw a flash of silver as a shiny metallic leg skittered closer. It was an ancient looking combat droid, similar in design to the Overseer. Ash launched the grenade at the droid, then readed another. The droid was thrown back as the grenade went off. It paused as it unleashed a bolt of static electricity. Ash raised her lightsaber to block the incoming bolt of energy. She motioned for Carth and Mission to open fire upon the droid as it moved quickly across the stone floor. Once it was close enough, she tossed the other grenade at it. One of its legs was blown off this time, but it still drug itself forward. Out of grenades, Ash launched herself at the droid, leaping through the air slashing her lightsaber down as she landed. Bastila moved with her, their lightsabers whirled as they clashed against the ancient droid. With a metallic groan, the droid landed in a sparking heap.
Ash leaned down and inspected the remains of the droid. It was incredibly ancient. "I've never even seen circuitry like these before, Bastila. It is amazing that these droids are still operational. They must be well over twenty thousand years old!"
"Oh, I think we found your missing Jedi friend, Ash." Mission said as she spied the dead body of the Jedi Knight not far from the entrance of eastern door.
"Nemo." Bastila said. "Poor Nemo." Bastila knelt down next to the fallen Jedi Knight. She hung her head in sorrow.
"He lives on in the Force." Ash said as she touched Bastila on the shoulder. "We'll take his belongings back with us to the Council."
Carth nudged her gently on the shoulder and pointed out the ancient computer terminal at the back of the room.
"Be cautious. There might yet be another of these droids guarding the computer." Ash said, as she held her lightsaber out in front of her. Its blue glow illuminated the stone walled room.
As Ash approached the terminal, it began to hum and slowly flicker to life. The screen lit up and an array of foreign writing flickered across the screen.
"Computer." Ash spoke to the computer. "Hello, computer."
"What are you doing?" Bastila asked in confusion.
"Trying to access the computer." Ash said as she watched the screen flash and emit a series of tones and beeps. She heard her datapad echo one of the tones. A small receptacle opened on the front of the ancient computer. She reached back and unclipped her datapad from her belt. She inserted it into the terminal.
"The computer seems to be trying to interface with my datapad." Ash said as she watched the screen go blank, then light up to show familiar characters flash across the screen.
"Computer. Hello, computer. Access files on the Star Forge."
The ancient terminal went silent.
"What's happening?" Carth asked as he looked over Ash's shoulder.
"I believe the computer is learning our language. Or at least matching it to the closest known dialect it has in its system." Ash said as the computer began to hum and her datapad was released. Ash reached down and pulled out the datapad as the computer came to life.
DATA INTERPRETATION - COMPLETE
LANGUAGE ANALYSIS - COMPLETE
[CONTINUE]
Ash pressed the continue button and waited.
INTERROGATIVE: IDENTIFY THE THREE PRIMARY LIFE-GIVING SEED WORLD TYPES
Ash read the question aloud. "Life giving would be worlds that have oceans, trees, and plant life." She selected Oceanic, Arboreal, and Grassland from the list. After each selection, the computer noted, 'PLANETARY TYPE CONDUCIVE TO LIFE; BREAKING LIFE SEAL,' before going silent.
"That's all this computer terminal does. Let's go check the other room." Ash said as she clipped her datapad back onto her belt.
"Ash? How did you know to talk to the computer?" Carth asked as they walked out of the room.
"I don't know… I just… knew." She said as she pushed away an overwhelming sensation of deja vu.
They were met with the same type of combat droid in the western room. After defeating the droid, they saw an identical computer terminal as well. Ash spoke to the computer, and inserted her datapad, repeating the steps she took in the eastern room. Although this time, she selected planets that were not conducive to supporting life: desert, volcanic and barren. After each selection the computer noted that the death seal was broken.
"If my theory is correct, the death and life seals are the seals barring the entrance to the southern room behind the Overseer." Ash said as they exited the western room. "We should be able to access this room now."
"You have proven yourself worthy. The sealed door is open. If you wish to learn the secrets to the Star Forge, you must pass into the room beyond." The Overseer stated as they reentered the room.
Ash paused before the door, unsure if she wanted to open it. Once I open this door, there will be no going back. Just like Malak said in the vision. Did the knowledge inside cause them to fall to the darkside? Or had they already started down upon that dark path? Look at what this cost them... What will this knowledge cost me?
"Ash? Are you ready?" Bastila asked gently.
She pushed aside the uneasy feeling gnawing in the pit of her stomach as she nodded and opened the door.
The door revealed a long narrow stone lined room, similar in design as the other chambers. However, this chamber was longer and more narrow. Ash held her lightsaber high so that it's brilliant blue light lit up the dark chamber. She strode cautiously deeper inside the chamber, with Bastila, Carth and Mission following behind her. At the end of the chamber, a lone device sat in the room. As they neared it, the device began to open up slowly. Ash paused and moved her lightsaber into a ready position. Beside her, Bastila did as well.
A bright light shone as the device projected a map encircled within a globe. It appeared to be the galaxy in miniature.
"This... this must be what Revan and Malak found when they entered this room in our vision." Bastila said as she lowered her lightsaber and walked closer to it.
Ash peered at it curiously. "It appears to be a map of some sorts."
"It's a star map," Carth said as he lowered his blaster, coming to stand next to Ash.
Bastila nodded. "Yes, of course! It is a navigational star map! This must be what they used to lead them to the Star Forge!"
Ash walked around the star map, inspecting it. "Carth, doesn't it look incomplete to you? You have the most familiarity with navigational charts. What do you think?"
"Hmm…" Carth rubbed the stubble on his chin, deep in thought. "Yes, it is. This is but a partial map. You're missing huge sections of the hyperspace route, not to mention corrupted data. If we had the other coordinates we could fill it in and use it to travel to wherever it leads... to this Star Forge."
"We must report our findings back to the Council at once. We could use this as a starting point. This world here looks like Korriban, the Sith homeworld. I know Revan and Malak visited it at least once. And, this world here appears to be Tatooine..." Bastila said excitedly.
"We could visit some of these other worlds on the map and see if there are any clues to where Revan and Malak went or clues to other star maps like this one. Perhaps we could finish the map, and find the Star Forge." Ash said as she entered her datapad into the receptacle on the machine and downloaded the star map onto her device.
"Yes, and some way to destroy it." Bastila said, with an air of finality.
Carth shifted uneasily. "That sounds like a large supposition, Bastila. What if you're wrong?"
"What if I'm right? Finding the Star Forge could be the key to finding a way to defeating the Sith! This is too important to ignore. We must return right away to the Council." Bastila said as she hurried toward the exit.
#
Carth checked his blaster again. He was tired of waiting. They had returned to the enclave and no sooner than they got back, the Council whisked Ash and Bastila into the chamber and wouldn't allow him to follow. 'Aren't I a part of this mission, damn it? Why the hell do they insist on keeping so many blasted secrets around here?'
Mission shifted next to him, letting out a loud sigh. "Geez, Carth, how much longer are they going to be in there?"
"I don't know, Mission. You can head back to the ship if you want, and I'll wait to see if I can find anything out." Carth said as he put his blaster back in his holster.
"Naw, I'll wait a little longer. Just, wow, those Jedi are long winded!" Mission leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. "Man, I'm glad I'm not a Jedi and have to listen to boring old men all day! Geez."
'Teenagers,' Carth thought with a smirk. "Yea, well, I can't say I disagree with you on that."
The door opened slowly as Ash and Bastila walked out.
"How did it go? What did they say?" Carth asked.
Bastila looked sternly at him. "I'm sorry, Carth. We aren't allowed to discuss the mission with anyone not on the Jedi Council." She left the group behind as she walked toward the archive room.
Ash sighed deeply. "Carth... I..."
"Yeah, I get it. C'mon, Mission. Let's go." He said in annoyance as he pushed off of the wall and stalked off.
Mission looked from Carth and then back to Ash, unsure of what to do.
"Mission, it's okay. I have to go to the archives to help Bastila with research. You should probably go with him. They won't allow you in the archives room. I'll see you later tonight." Ash said with a weak smile. She patted the girl on the shoulder, then walked off after Bastila.
#
It was very late by the time Ash was getting back to the ship. She had left Bastila still pouring over ancient documents in the archives when she decided to call it a night. As she walked through the common room of the ship, heading for the refresher to shower and change, she saw Carth seated at the table. Ash was about to tell what they found in archives, or rather, what they didn't find, he got up and walked off without saying so much as a word to her.
A wave of disappointment washed over her. It lingered while she took a quick sonic shower. The galley was empty when she emerged from the refresher. Deciding she was too tired to bother eating, she headed for her bunk.
She dreamt.
It was raining.
It felt as if it had been raining for days upon end, when in truth it had only been a few hours. Her robes were soaked and clung to her. Her boots were covered in mud. Her teeth clattered from the cold, as she forced one foot in front of the other. She longed for the Captain to call for camp to be set up, so she could change into a fresh set of dry robes. She glanced around her at the other soldiers. Their gaunt faces pale and weary. Exhaustion was etched upon their features.
A tall Jedi Knight with dark black hair looked down at her. He spoke but she couldn't hear what he said over the driving rain. One of the soldiers slipped and fell in the mud beside her. She stopped and helped him up.
"We have to keep moving," she yelled to him over the rain.
The trooper shook his head. He looked like he couldn't take another step. The trooper clutched his side while gasping in pain.
"I'm not leaving you behind!" She slipped her arm around his waist and looped his arm over her shoulders.
"Alek! Help me!"
Ash woke with a start.
"Alek!" She yelled as she sat up straight in the bunk. Her heart beat a loud tattoo in her chest. Sweat drenched her thin undershirt, plastering it to her. The blankets were twisted around her legs. She pushed her damp hair away from her face.
"Ash?" Mission's voice was heavy with sleep. "Are you alright?"
She tried calming her breathing down by taking some deep inhales. "Yes, Mission. I'm sorry I woke you. It was... just a dream, go back to sleep."
She heard Mission settle back down in her bunk. She reached for her datapad to check the time. Zero three hundred. She laid back down against the pillow with a groan, and tried to go back to sleep.
Who is Alek?
He looked so familiar but she just couldn't place how she knew him. It was just a dream. Nothing more. She turned onto her side. 'I thought the ruins were just a dream too, and look... it was real. I was there today, roaming through the stone rooms. Is Alek real too?' She tossed and turned, as she rolled the question over in her mind.
Giving up on sleep, she rose quietly and got dressed in the dark room, not wanting to wake up Mission or Bastila. In the galley, she made a cup of caff and walked with it to the cockpit.
Teethree rolled up to meet her. He beeped quietly, "dooo woo?" T3 = Ash up early.
Ash smiled at the little droid as she sat down in Carth's pilot seat. "Yes, I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you out of your charging cycle?"
"Doooooo, dooo woooo dwoo," Teethree beeped, making sure to keep his volume adjusted to low, so as to not wake the other crew members. T3 = finished charging / wants to stay with Ash.
"I couldn't ask for a better droid or friend, Teethree." Ash smiled. "Say, Teethree... would you like to go on a mission with me soon?"
Teethree rocked side to side in excitement. "Boop Beep!" T3 = yes / wants to be a Jedi.
Ash laughed. She took a sip of the caff. She still felt chilled from the odd dream. She thought of the mission as she looked out the viewport. Darkness covered the grasslands as the sun had yet to rise for the morning. She could see the stars still twinkling up in the black sky. "Teethree... Can you search the holonet for information?"
"Doo! Dooo wwoo?" Teethree beeped in affirmation. T3 = yes / what would you like me to search for?
Ash looked down the corridor. Everyone was still asleep or at least, not up roaming the ship. "Do a search for the Star Forge. See if you can find out any information regarding it and a civilization known as the Builders, also called the Infinite Empire. Also, see if you can find any information regarding a Jedi Knight named Alek. Report your findings only to me, no one else."
Teethree nodded his dome shaped head in affirmation before rolling off toward the communications room. Ash finished drinking her caff staring up at the stars, pondering who Alek was, and if he was even real.
#
After falling asleep in Carth's pilot seat, Ash woke as the sun was faintly pouring in the viewport windows. She stretched, noting the crick in her neck from sleeping with her head at an odd angle. Teethree sat by her side, watching over her while she had slept. She smiled fondly at the droid.
She hadn't meant to doze off, especially not here in the cockpit. If there was any area of the ship that 'screamed' Carth, it was here surrounded by navigational equipment and flight control panels. She frowned thinking of how he ignored her last night. She wondered if he was angry with her for not telling him about the council meetings. Probably, given his suspicious nature. He has good reason to be irritated. It's not right to keep information from them, especially if they are going to end up helping us. Carth will, she supposed, since Admiral Dodonna had already told him to help Bastila with her mission. Zaalbar and Mission would, if no other reason than because of Zaalbar's life debt to her. Canderous... he was an unknown factor, but she figured he would want to come along. Anything to find a good fight since he's been wanting to reclaim some of his lost honor. She thought of Teethree. The droid would come along, no questions asked.
She picked up her mug to return to the galley. After a quick trip to the refresher and a hasty breakfast, she headed out for the council meeting, with Teethree trailing behind her.
The council meeting had been short. Having nothing new to report, Master Vandar suggested until the Council knew more about the nature of the Star Forge, their decision regarding the mission would have to wait.
After the council meeting was over, she spent the rest of the day scouring ancient tomes in the archives. Teethree sat quietly beside her while she examined the manuscripts. She felt surrounded by books. Her eyes were dry and itchy. She fought the urge to rub her eyes or touch her face with her gloved hands in fear of the oils from her skin corroding the precious paper books before her. Master Dorak sat at the table with Ash and Bastila as they continued their search through countless ancient texts for anything regarding the Star Forge or the Builders. So far, their search had all been in vain. In the past two days of pouring through the archives, they had come up empty handed. Master Dorak sighed heavily as he flipped through another text.
"Again, nothing." Master Dorak said as he closed the tome and replaced it in the stack next to him.
"It's almost as if they didn't want anyone to discover their existence. It is like they have been wiped from history." Bastila said as she too closed the book in front of her.
Ash continued to flip through the pages in front of her. In truth, her mind had kept wondering back to the dream she had had last night. She tried to keep focused on the task at hand, but would find her drifting back to the dream. Alek. The dark haired Jedi Knight was a conundrum.
Master Dorak stretched and yawned. "I'm calling it a night. You two should do so as well. I'll see you both in the morning at the briefing."
Ash watched him walk out of the archives. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bastila was closing the book in front of her and rising from the table. "Are you heading back to the ship for the night, Bastila?"
Bastila yawned. "Yes, I think so. I was here quite late last night. Good night, Ash."
Ash closed the tome that was in front of her and replaced it in the stack. Looking around, she noticed she was alone in the archives for the first time all day. Her eyes lit on the computer terminal in the corner. Glancing back at the door, she pulled the gloves off her hands as she rose slowly. 'It's too bad that Mission isn't here to hack into this terminal for me,' she thought as she approached the computer, 'but Teethree is…'
Her hands hovered over the keyboard as she debated whether or not to continue. She opened the search function and typed in Revan's name. She bit her bottom lip while she waited. After a moment, a screen popped up noting that all the files relating to Revan were restricted access only.
Ash tried to search for files pertaining to Malak. Restricted access only.
Her fingers trembled as she entered the name Alek. Restricted access only.
She ran her hands through her hair as she expelled a shaky breath. 'Who are you, Alek? Am I sure I really want to know?'
#
"Hey, Mission, hand me that hydrospanner, will ya?" Canderous growled from under the swoop bike.
"I thought you had this fixed?" Mission said as she grabbed the hydrospanner and handed it to the Mandalorian.
"Yeah, well, that's what I thought too until I tried to test drive it yesterday." Canderous rolled out from under the swoop bike and took the hydrospanner from her hands before rolling back under the bike.
"So, you were in the Wars? Did you ever fight against Carth?" Mission asked as she sat on the workbench.
"Yeah, I was in the Wars. As for fighting against Carth. I don't know. He doesn't much like talking about it. But, we were probably in some of the same battles. Curious about some history, huh, kid?" Canderous grunted as he tightened a bolt.
"I ain't a kid, Canderous." Mission frowned. "But, yea. All this talk about Revan and Malak, I don't know much about it."
"We, Mandalorians, wanted a battle to remember throughout history. Revan gave us that. It was a costly one, but we don't begrudge her. None of us do. If Revan had been a Mandalorian, nothing would have been able to stop us." Canderous said as he rolled out from under the swoop bike.
"Her? Revan was a woman?" Mission said, in disbelief. "I thought Revan was a man. I mean, that's what I heard, anyway."
Carth interrupted as he entered the garage. "Lots of people thought Revan was a man. I heard from one Jedi during the Wars that Revan herself didn't care what people thought of her, if she was a man or a woman."
"Did you know Revan, Carth?" Mission asked.
"No, I never met her. I met Malak once before he fell to the dark side." Carth glanced down as he leaned against the wall. "But, I never got the chance to meet Revan. We always knew when she was on the battlefield though." Carth chuckled softly. "We could be losing our asses, then the tides would begin to turn. The soldiers were inspired by her. Sometimes, that's all it takes to win a battle."
"If she was such a great Jedi, then why did she fall to the darkside?" Mission asked quietly.
"No one knows, Mission. One day they were heroes, then they left us. Disappeared into Wild Space. When they returned, they were Sith Lords." Carth spoke quietly.
"What about the Mandalorians? What happened to them?" Mission asked. Carth was silent. She looked to Canderous, waiting for him to respond.
"After we lost the war, we lost everything. Our way of life was shattered. Our people were scattered across the galaxy, trying to find work where we could. Now, some are little more than bandits." Canderous said gruffly as he slid back under the swoop bike.
Carth walked stiffly back to the galley.
Mission slid off from the workbench and followed him.
"So, did you talk to Ash last night like you said would?" Mission asked.
"About what?" Carth sat down at the table with his mug of caff and datapad.
"You said you were going to apologize to her, duh. Did you forget?"
"Oh. No, not exactly. I haven't talked to her since yesterday after getting back from the ruins."
Mission frowned. "You should talk to her. You're like her best friend, Carth."
Carth glanced up. "Mission. She's a Jedi, they don't have friends."
"Yea? Well, even a Jedi needs a friend." Mission walked off in search of Zaalbar to see if he wanted to go to the cantina with her to play pazaak.
Carth tapped his fingers on the table. He had seen the flash of disappointment on Ash's face last night when she came in... 'when I ignored her. Damn. This whole frackin' business with the Jedi Council. Why do they insist on keeping everything secret? I hate not being informed of what's going on!'
He spent the rest of the day hanging around the garage with Canderous, helping the Mandalorian finish Ash's swoop bike. The work helped to give him something to think about, other than Saul, the Jedi Council and their secrets.
"Alright, Republic, let's see if she'll start up." Canderous said as he slid out from under the swoop bike.
Carth nodded. "Give her a go, Mando."
Canderous climbed into the driver's seat of the swoop bike and pressed the ignition switch. Carth stepped back a few paces and waited. The swoop bike flared to life. Canderous grinned.
"I'll take her out for a ride and see how she handles."
Carth watched from the exit ramp as Canderous slowly eased down the ramp and out of the docking bay.
The sun setting and dusk was falling. He saw Bastila walking up from the enclave. Nodding to Bastila as she walked up the ramp wearily, Carth looked to see if Ash was behind her.
"Where's Ash?" Carth asked.
"Still in the archives." Bastila replied as she pushed her hair off her forehead. Bastila glanced at him as she headed towards the common area.
"Bastila… wait up." Carth said.
Bastila turned around. "Yes? What do you need, Carth?"
"What was decided about that star map? You two were pulled in there, and I haven't heard a single word about what's going on." Carth grumbled.
"That's none of your concern. You would do well to leave the matter alone, Carth." Bastila said curtly as she walked away.
"Are they sending Ash to search for more of those star maps? Bastila?" Carth asked as he followed behind her.
"Carth, you are not privy to that information. Just leave it be." Bastila stopped in the corridor and whirled around to face him. "That is a matter for the Council alone."
"I'm not privy? What the hell, Bastila. I stuck my neck out there in those ruins just the same as you did!" Carth fumed. "You can't tell me that I'm not privy to information that I just risked my life to help get!"
"Yes, well, I just did. Good night, Carth." Bastila whirled around and left him standing in the corridor as she stomped off toward the starboard dormitory.
"Damn it!" Carth said as he hit the wall beside him with the side of his fist.
#
Ash stared at the blinking screen. Restricted access only. She had searched for Revanchists, only to come up with the same result.
"Teethree, can you access this terminal?" She asked quietly.
"Beep booop," Teethree beeped happily. T3 = yes, that is simple.
"Alright, plug in and see if you can bypass the passcode."
Clearly, the Jedi Council did not want just anyone viewing the information regarding Revan.
Teethree inserted his multi purpose tool arm into the socket on the terminal.
Ash waited as it rotated.
Teethree whistled sadly, "dooo…" T3 = access denied.
She thought about having Teethree slice into the terminal and try to hack his way around the passcode, but was afraid the little droid would get damaged in the process. Annoyed, she closed the window on the screen.
"That's alright, Teethree. It was worth a try." She patted him on his dome shaped head as she closed the terminal down.
As she walked back to the ship, she replayed the dream over in her mind, but could not glean any more information from it.
Was the Force trying to tell her something about Revan? It wasn't her memory. According to the doctors on Coruscant, she had lived on Deralia her whole life and ran a droid shop. She certainly had not been around any soldiers during the Wars.
She cursed that accident that left her in this condition. She hated not being able to remember anything. She sat down on one of the benches under the uneti tree in frustration. Her memory had not come back like the doctors had assured her it would.
'Now, I'm having visions about some Sith lord that I've only ever heard about in passing. To top it all off, they expect me to go out and find some ancient alien technology called a Star Forge and defeat Malak. How did they expect me to be able to do this?' She thought bitterly as she watched Teethree roll up beside her.
"Teethree, did you have a chance to search for what I asked you this morning?"
Teethree beeped happily. T3 = yes / Ash ready for results?
Looking around at the empty courtyard, she nodded. "Go ahead, Teethree."
Teethree gave a long series of beeps and whistles. T3 = zero search results found for The Builders / zero search results found for the Star Forge / over one thousand search results for Jedi Knight Alek / T3 needs additional information regarding Jedi Knight Alek to continue mission.
"Great work, my little friend. I don't have much to go on regarding Alek, other than he had black hair, and was possibly involved in the Mandalorian Wars."
Teethree beeped happily. T3 = can narrow search results / will continue mission when back on board the ship.
Rising, she headed back to the Ebon Hawk as Teethree rolled beside her. Once on board, she headed to galley, while Teethree rolled off towards the communications room. Her stomach growled noisily as she recalled she hadn't eaten since breakfast early this morning.
Carth sat silently at the small table in the common area as she passed through. His eyes made contact with hers. Ash looked away quickly as she entered the galley area. She busied herself by prepping the food synthesizer and making her selection. She brewed a cup of tea while she waited for the synthesizer to finish. When it finished, she grabbed the tray and turned towards the small table. She expected to be alone, but when she turned around, she saw that Carth still sat, waiting.
"Something on your mind, Carth?" She asked before she took a bite.
Carth shrugged.
'Alright,' she thought. "We haven't been able to uncover any information about the Star Forge or the Builders in the archives. I had Teethree do a search on the holonet as well, but that also didn't yield any results."
Carth nodded. "What did the Council say about what we found in the ruins?"
"Nothing has been decided yet, Carth." Ash took another bite, chewing slowly. While she ate, she noticed one of his hands was slightly bruised. "What happened?"
Carth sighed. "It's nothing. Night, Ash."
He rose and walked off leaving her to finish eating alone.
Ash lightly rubbed the scar on her forehead as she sighed forlornly.
#
Ash stood under the uneti tree the next morning in quiet reflection before entering the council chambers for the morning briefing. She had had the same dream again last night about Alek, and still could not unravel its meaning. Then, adding Carth's odd behavior on top of the weird dreams, she was left feeling overwhelmed and confused. Knowing that she couldn't put off the council meeting any longer, she left the sheltering limbs of the uneti tree behind as she headed to see what the Council had in store for her.
She arrived to see Bastila already down with the Jedi Masters, in a heated conversation. They ceased talking as she walked through the door. 'That's odd,' she thought.
Master Vandar bowed to her, "good morning, Padawan. You have done well in finding the star map hidden here on Dantooine. There is much more to do in the battle against Malak and the Sith. We have a mission for you."
"I have informed the council that our research for more information regarding the Star Forge has been in vain." Master Dorak added. "There was nothing at all in the archives regarding either the Star Forge or the Builders."
"Still, it is crucial that the Star Forge be found. We believe there are similar maps to be found on the planets Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan, and Korriban. You are to travel to these worlds in search of the missing star maps. Find the star maps, and we believe that they will lead you to the Star Forge." Master Vandar spoke earnestly.
"Of course, Master. I will leave at once." Ash bowed. "Am I to go alone, Master?" She acknowledged the small spike of fear before letting it go.
'There is no emotion, there is peace...'
"We cannot send any of the Jedi Masters with you, Padawan. To send a Master would surely alert Darth Malak to your mission. However, we will send Bastila to travel with you. The strength of your force bond will help guide you along your mission. In addition, Juhani has requested to travel with you. We have agreed to her request. We believe it will help remind you of how easy it is to fall to the dark side." Master Zhar added. He smiled kindly at her in reassurance.
"Thank you, Master Zhar. What of my companions who traveled with me from Taris. May I ask for their assistance as well?" Ash asked hopefully.
Master Vandar nodded, his large green ears twitching. "Yes, they possess skills that you might find useful during your quest. Remember secrecy and discretion are paramount to your success. The true nature of your mission must not reach Malak's attention. You are free to return here at any time you need, to either seek guidance or as a refuge."
Master Vrook gave her a long hard look. "Your command of the Force makes you a grave threat to Malak. You must take utmost care while on your mission. He will seek to eliminate you at any cost. The destruction of Taris serves as a prime example of how far he is willing to go to achieve his goals." He paused. "He will destroy you, unless you seek to destroy him first."
Ash nodded. "I understand."
'There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.'
Master Vrook crossed his arms over his chest as he gave her a distrustful look. "The lure of the dark side is difficult to resist. I fear this mission will lead you down an all too familiar path, Padawan."
Ash nodded.
'There is no passion, there is serenity.'
'There is no chaos, there is harmony.'
"The fate of the galaxy is in your hands, Padawan. May the Force be with you." Master Vandar bowed as he ended the council briefing. Ash bowed in return.
'There is no death, there is the Force.'