Authors note: Remember to leave reviews, everyone. Encouragement keeps the motivation flowing! Especially in these dark times.
Thank you for everyone who is reading this. I began this journey over an entire decade ago! Can you believe it? If you have been here since the beginning, thank you. And if you're new, welcome! I hope my story compels you to stay up until 3 AM reading, because those moments for me have been some of the best of my life.
As soon as we were stepped inside the stony doorway, a horrid cold crawled down my spine and into my toes, leaving my feet cold. I suddenly felt on edge and full of anxiety, like something was going to come out of the shadows and choke me at any time. I resisted the urge to walk closer to Revan for comfort and protection.
"Just stay close to me and try to step lightly. We don't know how much in here is trapped." Revan said, even though I knew the droids would likely start up as soon as we stepped on the bridge.
We all carefully began our trek towards the open hallway at the end of the cavern. The stone walkway to get across to the other side was narrow, and on each side was what looked like an eight foot deep pit lined back to back with stakes sharp enough to slice through someone instantly.
I gulped, trying to wet my suddenly dry throat. Absentmindedly, I thumbed the engraved ring on a rope around my neck that Revan had given me for my birthday, searching for comfort.
I pulled just slightly on Revan's sleeve. "Rev," I murmured, just the tiniest bit of panic in my voice. "I don't think we should try to cross this bridge without making sure the droids won't attack us first."
She glanced at me, then glanced at the droids. She raised her hands, took a deep breath, and on her exhale, she moved both her hands and pulled them to the left. Following her movements, the droids creaked and swayed. She grunted a little. "Stuck to the floor." She muttered. The new hum coming from the droids told us they were turning on from this disturbance.
With haste, Juhani joined her at her side and with their combined strength, the droids fell off the ledge and into the spiky abyss. The sparks coming off of them indicated they were totaled.
I felt shockingly better at this. Wedged in-between all three of my companions, I felt protected as we continued on.
In the middle of the bridge a huge pillar blocked the way. With both Jedi combined, they removed the huge rock (without explosives) and we continued on.
In the next room, we were stopped. It looked like a dead end.
"Here, move aside," I said, pushing past Revan, "Mission has been teaching me all her security secrets. Let me give this a go..."
I felt along the wall with the tips of my fingerprints. Mission had explained to me that older security doors used to hide their access panels. In early days of technology on any given budding planet, it was so people would think it was a wall instead of a door to keep unwanted visitors away. The same concept was still used galaxy-wide for doors that were private access or meant to be hidden.
Just the tiniest crack that felt too smooth indicated I had found it. I pressed on it slightly and a panel revealed itself.
Most hacking was purely math-based, but a tunneler could do most of the work for you. Mission had claimed that any security system was easy to hack and that you "Just had to feel it", but that sounded like pure gearhead nonsense.
I pulled a tunneler Mission had given me from out of my pack and attached it to the console. Weird symbols that even my strange Force-given ability to understand languages couldn't comprehend flashed across the small screen. Abruptly, the door slammed open.
I gestured to the door in a fashion that suggested I was a butler waving guests inside.
Revan raised an eyebrow. "Good job, kid. Maybe Mission should start teaching all of us that stuff."
As we continued inside, I tugged on the bottom of Revan's top to get her attention. She turned around. "Revan," It felt liberating to be able to use her full name, "I don't think this is the tomb with the crazy ex-teacher. I think..." I paused, glancing around the cave warily, as if just saying the name would invoke the spirit, "I think this is where the soul of Ajunta Pall still lives. We won't find any living people in here."
Carth let out a chuckle. I turned to look at him. When he saw I was serious he raised an eyebrow. "Uhh... Wait, are you trying to tell me there's some kind of... "Force ghost" in here?"
I shrugged half-heartedly. "More or less."
I saw flashes of different emotions play across Juhani's face as she considered this.
"That much raw power," She said, eyes distant, "The amount it would take to control a spectral form after death..." Juhani's eyes refocused on mine and then Revan's. "We should tread carefully."
Revan nodded solemnly. Carth still looked like he wasn't sure if he believed all this or not.
We continued on into the room with sarcophagus. With Juhani watching one end and Carth watching the other, I stood behind Revan as she picked up three swords from the sarcophagus.
The swords...! I thought. It's that sword trick. Good thing I wrote down a cheat sheet when I first got here. I'm pretty sure I remember the sword was fabled to be "black as night".
I took out my datapad and began looking for the answer as I examined each sword. As I did so, from the corner of my eye I saw a mist move from around me to behind me. I jumped and turned around fast before moving to stand behind Revan. Cowardly? No. Practical.
As I turned around I was met with an unfamiliar ethereal figure that looked like a mixture of Ewan McGregor and Matthew McConaughey.
He looked straight at Revan, but distantly, like maybe he was also looking straight through her. "Too long... Too long in the cold and the dark. Am I disturbed again? A human..."
Juhani seemed to be taken aback. "Great emotion lies within this spirit..."
Ajunta Pall stepped towards Revan, examining her with weary eyes. "A... Jedi? Here? Why have you come to this dark place, Jedi? Why... Disturb my sleepless rest?"
Revan, even though she had clearly believed me when I told her there would be a spectre, still seemed to be a bit shocked to actually be standing in front of him. "Disturb your rest? Are you some kind of... ghost?"
He seemed to taste the word "ghost" in his mind, wondering how it made him feel. "I... Had a name once." He seemed to think on this, searching his memory, "Ajunta Pall. Yes. That was my name. I was one of many. We were servants of the dark side... Sith Lords, we called ourselves. So proud." He shook his head sadly.
"In the end we were not so proud. We hid... his from those we had betrayed. We fell..." He grimaced. "And I knew it would be so..." He continued.
Revan shuffled the swords in her hands. "How did you fall? What happened?"
His dead eyes looked past her. "We... hid from the Jedi, but it was not they who destroyed us. Is it not..." He seemed to forget his thought for a moment. "Is it not obvious what we did?"
He turned away from us and took a step to the side. "We destroyed each other. We desired the secrets of each other, to increase our power... We battled until finally our fortress rained down on top of us."
That must be why this crypt is so stinking huge. I thought, recalling the entrance which, outside of the spikes, expanded farther than my eyes could see.
"I suppose that's the nature of the dark side. Power, but no longevity. Eventually it just consumes itself." Carth said.
My eyebrows raised. I was surprised to see so much wisdom come from him about the Force.
"And so here our old secret is buried and none of us hold it any more... Is that not right? Our power fled." He let out a mournful sigh, "Oh, what became of us? Do... Do the Sith still thrive? Did they ever return?" He asked Revan, hollow eyes shining with an ancient sorrow.
Revan bowed her head slightly to him, as if to acknowledge his grief. "The Sith fled, yes. And they returned."
He wilted under her words. "So much... So much time has passed. And yet we have learned nothing... nothing..."
Revan strengthened her stance. "Why do you remain here, spirit? What compels you to stay and suffer?"
He seemed saddened by her words. "Remain? Do I... remain? I... Have regretted for so long... All that I have done." He seemed to remember something important. "My sword. I filled it with my pride. And it is... buried with me, now. A corpse... as I am a corpse."
I cringed a little. It must be really weird to actually be able to see your ghostly remains. The body is dead, but the spirit remains trapped in the same spot. How many eons of torment had he suffered?
"I am dead, as my faith... is dead. And I shall remain here... Surrounded by blackness in death just as in life..."
I grimaced again at his words. "Is there anything we can do for you?" I asked.
He absent-mindedly nodded softly. "Most of my brethren would desire... Only to take what power I have left. Even if it would destroy them." He shook his head. "I wish my sword to be... taken away from here. I do not wish it to rot away as I have." He seemed to look up at Revan with whatever power he had left. I felt the room get colder. "I command this of you."
Revan was unphased. "What do you want me to do with it?"
He turned away. "If you are wise you will not keep it. In the end, it is what destroyed me..."
He gestured to a golden statue that was clearly in his image. "There are... Three blades in my sarcophagus. Only one is truly my sword, but it has been so long... I do not remember which. Find the sword that is mine and... place it on the statue. If it is truly mine, then it is yours."
Revan raised an eyebrow. "Annnd... if it isn't yours?"
He seemed apathetic about his next words, as if he were resigned to his fate. "Then you must die. This... Is how it must be."
Revan pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Okay... And how will I know which sword it is?"
Ajunta Pall rubbed his chin in contemplation. "I do remember one thing of my sword... Listen to me carefully. "I am that which grips the heart in fright, hearkens night, and silences the light." It was... written of my sword long, long ago." He waved us off. "Go now. Find my sword and place it on the statue."
We all went towards the statue. Revan looked at me expectantly.
With my cheat sheet reviving my memory and verifying what I already knew, I pointed at the sword that looked like it had been dipped in pure night. "It's that one." I said frankly.
Carth gave me a strange look, "Wait a minute, how do you know that?"
Revan hushed him with a gesture. "Trust me, she probably knows."
I sat up proudly.
The sword fit in as if the statue were made for it.
Ajunta appeared next to Revan. "Yes... that is the one. That is the blade that destroyed me." He shook his head. "Take it. Take it and the other blades, even... Take them and go. My darkness awaits me."
Revan looked at him with compassion in his eyes. "There's no reason to remain here, is there? Why stay?"
He seemed confused by this. "No... Need? What choice have I?"
"You can return to the light side and end your torment. I've seen it. I've seen the redemption of Sith. It is possible."
Juhani stood up straighter. "The light side of the Force is always available to those who make the effort to redeem themselves."
"Return...? But... I betrayed my old masters. They would never let me return to the light side. It is too late... Too late..."
Revan stepped closer to him. "I don't believe the light side would turn you away. You have suffered long enough."
A heavy weight seemed to have been lifted off of him. Trapped by his own mind, and freed by an ex Sith Lord of the new era. "If... If I could return... Oh, my Master... It has been... So long... And I regret so much..."
It was at this time that a warm presence filled the room, chasing away the shadows and the eerie feelings in the crypt.
Ajunta Pall turned away from us, seeing something we could not. Tears fell from his eyes and the faint outline of someone's hand touched Ajunta's shoulder, as if leading him somewhere else.
"Master..." He whispered. His voice faded just as softly as his form did. As the light of his body left the room, so did the warm presence. Now we were in nothing but an empty crypt, and the horrible feeling of cold had left the ancient walls.
"Lets get out of here before anymore spooky Force-ghosts come around." I said, knowing full well there were no more ghosts.
Revan, who did not, in fact, know if there were more ghosts, but had come to trust my judgement, led the way.
That would have been the end of it, however, as we reached the door to leave, a familiar snarky face greeted us.
The horrible wannabe pimp shave on his face made his evil grin look more humorous than intimidating. "So the spineless worm actually made it through the tomb? I'm impressed."
Revan looked surprised to see him. "Shaardan? What do you want?"
He sneered at her. "Isn't it obvious? I've been hoping that someone would do the dirty work in retrieving the sword of Ajunta Pall for some time now. Its been quite a wait."
Carth scoffed at him. "You wouldn't have considered, oh, I don't know... Getting it yourself?"
Shaardan ignored Carth, as if he hadn't even spoken. "Now that you have it, I just thought I'd relieve you of it. It must be quite a burden, after all."
Revan rolled her eyes. "And if I don't?"
He reached for his lightsaber, scowling at her as if to challenge her. "Isn't it obvious? Then you die. Rule of the Sith: only the strong and cunning shall survive. You won't be missed, trust me... Now hand it over."
I covered my mouth in pretend horror to try and hide my chuckle. If only he knew.
Revan gave him a blank look as she reached in her pack for the swords. "Let me just get it out..."
He watched her like a hawk. "Fine. No tricks, though... I'm watching you."
She rolled her eyes again. Without further ado, she handed him the vibrosword that was definitely, in fact, not Ajunta Pall's sword.
He cackled cruelly. "Smart move. You're obviously more pathetic than I could have even imagined. Thanks for the sword... worm."
And with that, he jogged out of the crypt.
I turned in disbelief to my companions. "How and why does everyone have a death wish? I mean, I've seen Revan kill people in such unique and horrifying ways that I would never say half the shit these people say to us. How do they not realize who they're talking to?"
Carth grimaced. "Yeah, well, Alor-" He coughed to try and cover up his mistake, "Uh, Revan doesn't seem as intimidating on the outside as she really is."
She gave him a withering stare. He straightened up. "Uh, well, not all the time."
She smirked and with a shake of her head at him, led the way out.
When we arrived back at the academy, me and Juhani decided to opt out of talking to Uthar and go back to our shared room.
As soon as we arrived, I took a nap.
/ / / / / /
When I awoke, Juhani was staring intently at the wall across from her. She looked intent, lost, but mostly, disturbed. Something was clearly wrong.
I went and sat next to her. "Is everything alright?"
She glanced at me before returning to her wall and sticking her thumb in her mouth to chew her nails.
"You shouldn't bite your nails. It's not good for them or your teeth." I said, simply from it being an old earthling habit, since it was something my mother always said.
She looked up at me from under long multicolored eyelashes. "I do not care. Let it be. It is the simplest way to cut them down, anyway."
I raised an eyebrow and brought my leg up to lean on. "Is that so? Because it looks less like a redneck way of trimming nails and more like you're nervously contemplating something right now."
She sighed and rose her hand to her forehead. "I am thinking of Dak."
I wracked my memory. "Uhh... Jerk archeologist from earlier?"
She leaned her head back on the ancient wall behind her and closed her eyes. "He was not always bad. He was sweet once, and kind."
I frowned. The wistfulness in her voice tugged at my heart. "What happened to him?"
She opened her eyes to look at me. "I did." She went back to staring at her wall. "We met while we were training at the academy. At first, everything was fine. He was dutiful, fun, and even a bit charming." Her voice lilted up at the last word, as if she were enjoying a secret memory behind the word.
Her eyes swarmed with outcast skies then, dimming her sun-filled honey eyes. "But the Jedi Code soon enough became nothing more than a suggestion to him. He began to rebel more and more from the Code. At first it was in small things, like putting personal needs before Jedi tasks we had been set upon. One time we were supposed to be on our way to meet a farmer a few miles out to help fix their water, but he said we had plenty of time to be there and we ended up riding this Thranta... It did not end well. He lost his lightsaber in the ravine and we spent two hours looking for it."
She looked at me and grimaced. "We got in a lot of trouble for that. Afterward, I refocused on my training." She looked away again. "But Dak... Dak chose a different path. I noticed he had been getting more and more anxious and more intimate with his approaches to me. I should have said something to him."
I leaned to the back of the frame, sitting next to her fully. "What do you mean?"
She sighed and stared at her hands in her lap. "The night before he left the Order, he told me he loved me. He asked me to come with him when he left, but I... I could not feel the same for him."
Her words sounded guilty, but the story seemed simple. Boy likes girl. Girl does not like boy. "So... He just, what, decided to be a woman-hater because you like girls instead of guys?"
She looked at me a little startled at first, like she had never openly admitted her attraction to women instead of men. When she saw that I was asking the question with no judgment but pure curiosity, she sighed and looked away again. "I do not know. He has changed. The Dak I knew was much different. He was funny, kind, and playful. Now he's... Well... You saw him."
I nodded sagely. "King asshole."
She snorted and facepalmed to try and hide her smile.
"Forget about him. I foresee him not meeting a good end anyway." I shrugged.
She looked at me with her bright eyes, a hint of amusement still in them. "While I do not wish ill will on him... Perhaps you are right. It is just sad to see a dear friend fall so far." She looked away again, worried. "I worry about myself falling again. The darkness curls and ebbs around us no matter where we go."
She looked up at me again with that startled expression, as if she just realized where she was and who she was talking to. "But I am sorry. I should not be bothering you with my worries."
I took her hand. "Juhani. I am your friend. I love listening to you. And as for you falling again... When the darkness comes remember the people who love and care about you. Love does not lead to the dark side. Anger, resentment, misunderstandings..." I instinctively touched my throat, where Revan had injured me in her dream-addled state. "Those lead to the dark side," I put emphasis on my next words, "If you let them. Love will always bring you back to the light. Let it."
She looked at me then. Her bright eyes opened up to mine in a look I had never seen on her face before. And then her expression shifted to the ground again. "A Jedi can never allow themselves to fall in love."
I let go of her and threw my hands up. "Nonsense! If anything, love is the closest anyone can get to being one with the Force. Love, being around people who make you happy, and experiencing fun things with the people who make life worth living. That's what the Force is all about. That's what life itself is all about. Not letting anger overtake the will to forgive. Not letting hatred outweigh your capacity for compassion. That's what being a true Jedi is about. Being love, true love, is the path of light."
Tears welled in her eyes. "I must think on this. I am sorry."
And with that, she left.
Welp. Time to go out adventuring, I guess.
With that, I was off.
I should go find Mission and see if she can help me stake out and get into Uthar's room. If we're ever going to help Dustil, it's the only way.
But I didn't find Mission at the Hawk. Instead, I found a partially-empty ship with one meditating Revan in the cargo. She looked troubled.
Of course, I walked right in. "Are you okay?" I asked.
Her scrunched up closed eyes opened to look up at me, a little bit startled. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to the fact I can't sense you."
I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
She shook her head. "It is no matter." She patted the area next to her. "Please. Come sit. I need to talk to you about something."
Nervousness crept up into my belly. "Uhh... Is this a good kind of something? Or a bad kind of something."
She seemed unphased. "That's all up to you."
I gulped, but did go sit down.
"We need to talk about my memory." She said.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but tried not to show it. "Okay. Tell me what's on your mind."
"It's like..." Revan's eyes trailed away past the wall, far off into a land I could not see. "It's like waking up with amnesia and not knowing anything. Until a few months before Taris, everything was a blur. I mean, I remember being stationed on the Endar Spire and being told I got hit in the head during training. It made sense some things wouldn't come back for a little while."
Revan held her head, as if trying to fight off a mental pain. "When they told me things about myself, like where I was from, or who my parents were, it made sense. Those things felt right. I couldn't remember elongated details, but I could remember the way my mother smelled, or the sound of my father's voice, or the sun on my back in the solar system I was raised in. Those things seemed to verify what the Republic told me."
She shook her head and stood up to begin pacing. "But that feeling over time... That feeling of those things being right, feeling right, and that feeling of being able to trust what they said... As more time went on, I began to remember things that made their story seem less credible. For example, in my file, it states I was born on Deralia. This is true, but I was only raised there until the Jedi hand-picked me and took me away at the age of 6. Everything past then didn't make sense to me. It felt wrong. Too many things were missing from their story."
She sighed and sat back down again. "The more I tried to remember..." She shook her head as if it pained her to talk about it, "The more I tried to remember, the worse my nightmares got. The worse they got, the more I remembered. Every nightmare that plagues me also brings me relief, because they are memories that are still there."
She put her face in her hands. "Most days I don't know if I want to remember everything. But then I remind myself not knowing isn't any easier... it's just being irresponsibly ignorant."
She looked up into my eyes. "I'm the only one who can stop Malak and save this galaxy. That may sound arrogant, but it's a truth I can feel inside myself. Whatever is out there, whatever awaits us... It's me in the end. It always was."
I took her hand and nodded solemnly to try and convey to her I understood. "I know." I furrowed my brow. "Just..." I stared into her eyes as if to make my words more important to her, "Just don't forget we are all here for you. Don't forget you have a home to come back to. Don't forget we all love you. We're your family."
Her mouth fell open in what looked like her holding back a sob. She seemed shocked at my words and looked like she needed to chew on them for awhile.
I leaned over and gave her a hug. To my surprise, she gave it back right away with no hesitation, as if she had needed a hug like a thirsty man needed a drink.
We just sat there for awhile. I rubbed her back and waited. This was a hug that was essential for her mental health, I could tell, and I would be there for as long as she needed me.
After awhile she let go and I tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Don't forget us when you fulfill your great destiny."
She gave me a light punch on the arm. "As if I could forget your annoying ass. Always predicting the future and being a pain." Her eyes turned serious and cloudy, then. "Thank you for becoming my best friend. We couldn't have gotten this far without you."
I shrugged it off. "Sure you could have. It just would have been a lot harder."
She chuckled at that and shook her head. "You could be right." She stood up. I followed suit. "Could you clear the Hawk for me? I need to have another heavy conversation now..." She looked down. "With Carth."
I squeezed her arm. "He loves you."
She nodded. "I know."
I gave her a questioning glance. "Don't you love him?"
Her eyes welled up with tears. "More than I can say. I just..." She wiped away at her eyes, taking a breath to steel herself. "I just hope he can love all of me. Good and bad. Dark and light."
I nodded and looked at her with clear certainty, trying to make her understand. "I know he will. There's no question. I promise you on my clairvoyant word."
She seemed to have extreme relief from me saying this. It seemed like half the weight on her chest was lifted with my words. With a little girlish smile she made her way towards the door. "Thank you."
I waved her off and shooed her out the door.
Before I left I grabbed T3 and got out of there. I wanted to grab Mission, too, but she was nowhere to be found on the ship. HK was out again, with Canderous this time. I shuddered to think of the shenanigans those two would get up to on their own.
I figured a few hours of shopping was enough, so when I was done, I sent T3 back to the ship.
It was night time when I returned to the academy. I had grabbed back the camera yesterday that I had placed to watch Lashowe when we had first got here, so I took off my boots and put on my stealth generator just like before and placed it somewhere concealed near Uthar's room. To truly prevent him from seeing the small device, I had to place it somewhere where half the camera was blocked out. An unflattering angle to be sure, but at least we could watch his door this way.
When he left, we would know, and then we would strike!
But for now, it was bedtime.
/ / / / / /
In the morning, Carth and Revan were already gone. I rubbed my eyes blearily and looked around. Juhani was asleep on the bench.
Looks like a Juhani day. I thought. I should do something nice for her. Too bad I don't know what she really likes. What does she even enjoy doing? I know she liked that new dress she got. Maybe she's into fashion but never got the chance to explore that?
I remembered that she liked those fish rolls I had brought back the other day, so I promptly went to the market to pick some up. When I came back she was still sleeping.
I placed the rolls near her head and waited. I wondered if she would wake up like those dogs who smell bacon when placed next to them. Was that racist? Hmm...
My stomach rumbled. Restaurant time.
I grabbed my things and was about to head out when I heard stirring behind me.
Juhani sat up from her place on the bench and looked up at me with groggy eyes. "Where are you going?" She asked softly.
"I was going to go get something to eat." I said.
Her eyes lit up. "Somewhere nice?"
I gave her a quizzical look. "Uhh... Yes...? Hopefully not somewhere too cheap, anyway."
She bounced up. "It is the perfect time to wear my new dress!"
I grinned, suddenly catching on. "You're right!"
With that, we both got dressed and borrowed Revan's XP-21 groomer set, which essentially was an automatic makeup applicator straight out of Fifth Element.
Now all dolled up, we headed out to Dreshdae. I had seen some restaurants in the shopping quarter and I was starving for something warm that I didn't have to cook in a synthesizer.
We had a selection of about 12 different places we could eat. One looked suspiciously like a Star Wars version of McDonald's. I would have to check it out later. Right now I wanted something actually good - like a treat for myself.
Hmm. A treat. Exactly. When was the last time I treated myself? Hmph! I thought.
I sent a ping to T3. Treating myself just wouldn't feel right without the tradition of my little buddy with me.
I waited for him to arrive while I looked at my selection. There were two that looked fancier than the rest, but I wasn't sure what they actually offered. Their exteriors offered no insight to the food they actually had. Juhani was willing to try whatever I wanted. It was the age old tale of, "I dunno. You pick."
T3 arrived shortly and I asked for his opinion. He picked the one with the blue sign, since the other was orange.
He really has a vendetta against that color.
We headed to the restaurant and I picked out something to eat.
"Will your... droid... be joining you today?" The waiter asked, clearly unhappy with the fact I had brought him in.
I looked from the menu to T3, confused at first. It suddenly clicked.
"Oh! Yes! Uh... This is my... emotional... support droid?"
The waiter raised his eyebrow.
"Oh, yes." Juhani chimed in. "She goes crazy if she does not have her droid with her."
I could have kissed her.
"Yes. Crazy. Ooga booga." I said.
I couldn't tell if the waiter was actually buying it or if he just didn't get paid enough to sit here and listen to us tell this tall tale. "Yes. Well. I'll be back with your beverages shortly. Try not to go "ooga booga" in the meantime." He said.
As soon as he was out of earshot me and Juhani burst into giggles.
"You think he bought it?" I asked.
"Well, he did not tell us to leave." She said.
We chuckled some more.
I ended up getting something that kind of looked like a lobster with mashed potatoes and biscuits, while Juhani got some kind of fish with vegetables.
"Just make sure it's not gizka." I muttered.
She shivered.
The waiter scurried away with our menus and we both drank our drinks in silence for awhile.
I was taking a sip of my drink when I looked up and saw the last thing I ever thought I would see.
I spurted my drink all over the table and a bit over Juhani.
"Mission?!"
