Disclaimer: No disclaimer today, boys and girls. It's kind of pointless, now that I think about it. Everyone knows I'm not George Lucas or an employee of BioWare. Just a simple 13-year-old kid who likes them both. So let's get on with it....
OLD RUINS
After they had landed, Bastila went up to the cockpit to speak with Carth. Jarek followed.
"The Jedi Council has requested an audience with us," she said. "It would be wise if you stayed behind, Carth."
"Why is Alora coming with you? What does she have to do with it?"
"I cannot tell you, Carth. All I can say is that this is a very serious matter and the Council wishes to speak with us."
"Good," said Jarek. "I think it's about time we speak with them."
"Indeed. Let's go, then." The Jedi took Alora out of the Ebon Hawk, through the yard, and into the enclave, where they met the four council members deep inside the training facility.
"Greetings," said a Twi'lek in blue robes. "I am Master Zhar. Here with me today are Master Vrook, Master Vandar, and, of course, the chronicler of our academy, Master Dorak." Vrook was an elderly man in red robes and a balding head. Jarek remembered him very well from his own Jedi training - though when he had done it, he was very young, and Vrook had much more hair. Vandar, on the other hand, was very short and had pointy ears. He had always been Jarek's favorite teacher before, as he was closest to Jarek's own size when he first trained.
Dorak was a tall man with dark skin and no more hair than Vrook had. He wore brown Jedi Master robes and was no doubt the friendliest of the four.
Alora greeted them all.
"Bastila has told us about what happened on Taris and how you rescued her --" Jarek could hear Bastila sigh audibly "-- from the swoop gangs. That was a very brave thing to do."
"Oh, er, thank you. Why exactly have you brought me here, Bastila?"
"We have been discussing your rather special case," Zhar continued, rather rudely in Alora's opinion. "Bastila thinks you are very strong in the Force, and now that you're here, I can feel it as well. We've been discussing the possibility of Jedi training for you."
"Jedi training?" Alora repeated tentatively.
"Maybe that is not wise," said Master Vrook. "Perhaps what happened on Taris was just simple luck."
"We both know there is no luck," said Vandar, "there is only the Force."
"Perhaps," said Vrook stubbornly. He was still the same old Master Vrook Jarek knew.
"We have discussed this matter into great detail," said Zhar, "and we have come to a decision. We think it would be best if you become a Jedi. That is, if you want to?"
"I ... I would love to learn the teachings of the Jedi, Master Zhar," said Alora, still somewhat hesitant, but excited nonetheless.
"Good. Now, if you'll please excuse us, we need to discuss a very serious matter that has stumbled upon us."
"Master Zhar, if we may have a quick word with you?" said Jarek.
"Of course."
"Could you excuse us, Alora?" he asked her.
"Sure," she said, and walked back out of the room. Once she was out of earshot, Jarek sat down and cleared his throat.
"Master Vandar, may I ask why you are doing this?"
"We have decided it would be best for Alora to learn the ways of the Jedi ... again," said Master Vandar.
"But, Master, surely you know the dangers in this? The same thing could happen as last time. Maybe even worse --"
"Silence, Padawan Jarek," said Vrook firmly. Jarek obeyed.
"Master," said Bastila, taking Jarek's place in the conversation. "Do you truly believe this is wise?"
"When you told us you would be coming, we discussed -- into great detail, I might add -- the seriousness of this issue. We need to find whatever it was Malak found after the war ended. I fear whatever it might be will cause great problems for everyone in the Order."
"What about the people in the Republic?" Jarek piped up.
"Yes, the Republic as well. Any enemies of the Sith."
"Master, is there no other way?" said Bastila.
"I'm afraid there is not."
"But, Master --"
"You two will return to the Ebon Hawk with your teammates while we deliberate," said Master Vandar resolutely.
Bastila bowed. "As you wish, Master." Jarek followed Bastila out of the enclave and back inside the Ebon Hawk.
Inside Alora was sitting at a table in the kitchen sipping something out of a mug, Mission was still locked up in the crew quarters, Canderous found a swoop bike and was tweaking it, and Carth stood nearby, leaning against a wall with his arms folded.
"A Jedi?" he said in disbelief. "Alora's going to be a Jedi? What's next? Zaalbar and Mission get married?"
Jarek laughed, but Bastila didn't seem to have a sense of humor. She left to the cockpit. "They say it'll be best for her," said Jarek. "They're 'deliberating' at the moment, whatever that means."
"You should not be telling Carth these things," Bastila said. "They do not concern him." Carth rolled his eyes silently and turned back to Jarek.
"She's right, you know. You don't act much like a Jedi. Or, at least, the kind of Jedi I've seen."
"I'm not like that. They're a bit more ... uptight than I am." Carth laughed quietly as Jarek looked in the direction of the cockpit.
"What's that you're drinking?" said Jarek to Alora, though not trying to change the subject.
"Oh. It's ... Tarisian ale," she replied, her smile fading. "Davik kept a huge supply of it. You want some?"
"Sure."
"In the kitchen." Jarek did not go to the kitchen to get the drink. Instead, he extended his arm and closed his eyes, and a goblet full of bubbling blue liquid soared through the air and into his hand. He took a sip.
"Whoa," he said, blinking. "That's some strong ale." He examined the drink inside the goblet. "It'll be dangerous to drink anything more than a cup." His eyes moved to Carth, who was staring out of the window, frowning. "You know, you never finished telling me about Saul." At these words, Alora hastily packed up her mug and headed out of sight.
"Oh. I really don't think I should -"
"Well, I do. I don't know anything about you, Carth. I'm accustomed to having a good relationship with my crew on previous journeys."
"Yeah, well, this isn't your crew," Carth muttered bitterly. Jarek frowned.
"I don't know anything about you. And I don't want it to stay that way any longer."
"I ... I ... I told you, I just don't talk about it very much."
"But you told Alora, right?"
"Yeah, but...."
"But it would be harder for you to say it again, right?" Jarek understood. Explaining his past to others was hard to relive. That didn't change the fact that he still wanted to know.
"Right," he sighed. "Why don't you just go ask Alora?"
"You're stalling." Carth didn't answer. "Why can't you just answer a few questions?"
"It's not that easy. I just ... it's not something I really want to talk about at the moment, okay? Later."
"Okay, then. I'll be holding you to your word."
"Fine, fine. Just not now." Jarek nodded and went to the swoop hangar to see the bike Davik left behind. When he came in, he found Canderous lying underneath the swoop bike wearing gloves.
Jarek cleared his throat to announce his presence. Canderous emerged from under the bike and sat up.
"So," he said. "See this little baby my dear old boss lent us?"
"Yeah. Nice, that one is."
"Mm-hm," said Canderous promptly. "I'm guessing it's already fit for racing. Davik kept her in good shape. What do you need?"
"Oh.... Nothing, really. Just taking a look around."
"This ship's pretty roomy, huh?"
"Yeah."
"I bet that ship Onasi mentioned has a lot of space too, eh?"
"The Leviathan?"
"That's the one. Wouldn't mind taking her for a cruise."
"Mm," said Jarek absent-mindedly. He returned to the cockpit and waited there until they were summoned back by the Council. When they returned, Zhar and the others were waiting in the same positions as before.
"We have decided," Zhar said to Alora, "that you will begin your training immediately. You understand, of course, that becoming a Jedi is not an everyday privilege. When you accept a position in the Jedi Order, you are indeed receiving a blessing. But we have enemies, and the Sith can use your desires and your own allies against you in attempts to get you to change sides. Do you understand?" Alora nodded. "Excellent. Now, if you'll follow me, we can begin."
Over the next few weeks, Zhar taught Alora in the ways of the Jedi and to hone her Force powers. During that time, Jarek remained a safe distance away so she wouldn't accidentally Force Push him into the wall again. He watched as she practiced swordfighting with Bastila, learned to levitate books and chairs across the room, and on the last day, Zhar approached her in the courtyard.
"I am extremely honored to announce that you have become a full member of the Jedi Order. You have done in weeks what most of my students cannot do in years. Congratulations." Zhar and Alora shook hands, and then reentered the enclave. Jarek stood waiting just outside the training room, listening to Zhar teaching Alora the Jedi Code. But his mind soon drifted to something else.
What they were doing was too risky. Sure, they needed her to find what Revan and Malak found after the Mandalorian Wars, but they didn't seem to have a plan for what would happen if she ever found out the truth. The Council knew her secret. They knew perfectly well that she could find out the very thing they tried so hard to keep under wraps. And they knew that if she did, there was no telling what would happen. The Jedi were the only ones there who knew about this. Not the crew of the Ebon Hawk, the Sith, or even Alora herself. Telling anyone - especially her - would endanger the mission and most likely their lives. It was a secret they had all sworn to keep silent.
Before Jarek could dwell on that thought any longer, Alora emerged from the training room and spoke to Master Dorak. She would be choosing her Jedi class now, Jarek thought. He knew because this was what he had done years ago as well. Every Jedi went through this process. There were three different colors and paths that distinguished the different Jedi classes. The Jedi Guardian, a fighter skilled with his or her lightsaber and focusing mainly on combat, placed a blue crystal in their lightsaber. The Jedi Sentinel, a Jedi who relied mostly on their own skills and talents, but balanced between combat and Force powers as well, had a yellow crystal in their lightsaber hilt. The Jedi Consular, a Jedi seeking to bring balance to the universe, and focusing mainly on their Force powers to keep danger away, had a green crystal for their lightsaber.
Jarek was a Jedi Guardian. His lightsaber was his most used possession, and he only used the Force when he absolutely needed it. He never changed the color of his lightsaber, however, to let his enemies know that he was an elite fighter.
Bastila was a Jedi Sentinel. She, as most Sentinels did, balanced between her weapon and her powers, and used them both to her advantage. After the incident on Darth Revan's flagship, when his apprentice, Malak, betrayed him and tried to kill him, the Jedi gave Bastila a special reward for her services. She was awarded with a rare lightsaber that was only given to unique Jedi - a double-ended one. Jarek felt that this added to her already overlarge head, making her even more arrogant than she was before, which, was apparently possible by now.
Galnar, Jarek's friend for so many years, had been a Jedi Consular. He rarely used his lightsaber and mostly relied on his Force powers to keep him alive. Jarek was never as skilled as he had been with the Force, as Galnar could simply throw his hand in the air and knock back a dozen enemies near him. He could even send tree branches the size of those on Kashyyyk falling down and landing on the opposition. But now that he had passed away -- Jarek didn't want to think about it.
Alora passed by Jarek on her way back to Zhar. She held a yellow crystal up to him without stopping. He smiled.
Bastila and Vandar were having a hushed conversation over in the corner, their lips hardly moving. Jarek didn't need to hear them to know what they were talking about.
After nearly a half hour of waiting, Jarek went inside the training room to see what was taking so long. Alora was at a workbench near the door, and upon a closer inspection, he saw that she was constructing her lightsaber. She had already put the crystal inside and closed it up, and now she was making a few touch-ups. After she was done, she picked up her newly created lightsaber and drew it. The yellow blade glowed a noble gold and illuminated the dark corner by the workbench.
"Very good!" cried Zhar, beaming. "Well done. Not many of our students can construct a lightsaber on their first try."
"I sure didn't," said Jarek.
"Now, Alora, it is time for one last task before you can become a Padawan, the first rank for a member of the Jedi Order."
"What must I do, Master Zhar?" said Alora.
"As a Jedi, you will always feel the presence of the dark side, and it is your job to extinguish it.
"As you may know, kath hounds inhabit most of Dantooine. They have always been peaceful creatures; never harming humans. But the kath hounds have become more vicious as of late. We've received a number of reports of farmers being injured or killed by kath hounds, but do not know what is causing their recent ferociousness.
"This 'infection' has never spread past the hills surrounding this area, and we can feel a taint in the grove south of the enclave. We want you to investigate this disturbance and extinguish the taint in the grove once and for all. But you would do well to remember, no one is without hope of redemption." Alora nodded. "Now, Alora, Padawan Jarek and Padawan Bastila must remain here until you return successful. You may take your other companions, though it would be best if they stayed onboard the ship."
"I understand, Master Zhar."
"Good luck." Alora turned and left the enclave, but instead of going toward the exit, she marched off in the direction of the Ebon Hawk. Jarek soon followed, and when he began to trudge up the loading ramp, Alora, Carth, and Canderous emerged from inside.
Jarek wished them all good luck and said farewell before sitting down at a nearby bench and summoning another cup of ale. He didn't get the Tarisian kind, though -- that was too strong, even for him.
As he sat sipping from the goblet, he realized that Mission was still nowhere to be found. He decided he would go to see if she was feeling any better.
When he got to the door, he found it unsurprisingly locked.
"Go away," came a voice from inside.
"It's okay, I just want to talk. Can I come in?"
"All right," was the muffled reply. "Just be quick."
With a wave of his hand, Jarek unlocked the door and entered. Mission was sitting on one of the beds, a pillow on her lap where she had no doubt been crying, and her face stained with tears.
"What's wrong?" Jarek asked softly, as if he had never heard her story.
"Taris," she replied sadly. "Taris was my home. I grew up there."
"You did? You were born on Taris?"
"Well, no, but I came there when I was really young. I don't remember much of what happened, but all I know was that my brother brought me there when I was little."
"Really?" said Jarek, trying to sound thoroughly interested.
"Yeah. We smuggled ourselves into a cargo plane and arrived there. I lived for a few years with him. We didn't have any money, so he taught me how to pick locks and disable security systems to get into food storage crates and stuff. After a while he started gambling ... and drinking. And now he's gone, thanks to that ... that ... intergalactic space ... skank!"
"Who?"
"Lena was her name. She seduced my brother and he fell absolutely head-tails over heels about her. She only wanted him for what money he had, though, I just know it."
"Who was she?"
"Some dancer at the cantina. She took him away and I've never seen him since!" Mission began sobbing into her pillow again.
"Did she, now?" Jarek said, rubbing his chin.
"She made him tell me some poodoo story about how they were going off to make money, and they couldn't afford an extra ticket for me. He said he'd come back for me when they made enough money to take me along and that we'd be richer beyond our wildest dreams when they did. And I haven't seen him since." She buried her face into her pillow and cried yet again, but Jarek put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"How'd a kid like you grow up on your own on a planet like Taris?" Jarek said, smiling. These words had the exact opposite effect than he had intended. She did stop crying, but when she looked up at him, she looked angry.
"What?! I ain't no kid! I'm fourteen! I took care of myself! Nobody helped me or -- or anything!"
"What about the Wookiee?"
"Zaalbar?" said Mission, suddenly distracted (Jarek sighed mentally). "I met Big Z a few years after that. He's my family now. I don't remember my parents, see? I was too young. I don't even know if they're alive anymore."
"So, then Zaalbar looked after you?" Jarek regretted saying this the moment it was out. He didn't mean any offense, but Mission seemed to think so.
"I managed it on my own for four years without anybody else helping me! In fact, I look out for Zaalbar more than he looks out for me! I can --"
"Okay, Mission, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."
"Oh. Well, Big Z and me have been best friends ever since we met, you know?"
"How did you meet?" he asked curiously.
"I was down in the Lower City once and got some trouble from the Vulkars. They were threatenin' me, but I was tough. I didn't run away. Big Z was in the area and didn't seem to like them picking on a kid, and he came over, roaring like an overgrown rakghoul! He picked up one of the Vulkars by the throat and held him in the air."
"Did he kill him?"
"What? No! He may not look it, but Zaalbar's a real softie inside. The Vulkar he was holding passed out, either from fear or Big Z's breath." Jarek saw Mission smile for the first time since he'd met her. "I always tell him to brush those choppers of his, but does he listen?"
"What about the other Vulkars?"
"The other two screamed like skinned rontos! They ran off and out of sight. And we've been best friends ever since."
"So, how did Zaalbar end up on Taris? From what I understand, aliens aren't very welcome on that planet." Jarek would have added, "Or weren't," but he told himself that reminding Mission that Taris was gone wouldn't be the best idea.
"He was fleeing some kind of trouble back on Kashyyyk. He doesn't like to talk about it very much, you know?"
Jarek stood up and stretched his arms. "You want to go see him? He's been looking paranoid out there. He's been sitting in the same spot the whole time since you came in here." Mission laughed and stood up.
"Why not?" she said. "I guess I haven't checked this place out yet."
Jarek let Mission off alone and sat down just moments before Alora came back. The moment she did, though, she headed toward the enclave. Carth and Canderous, knowing not to get involved with Jedi business, boarded the Ebon Hawk. Jarek marched down the loading ramp and followed her.
When they reached the enclave, Bastila was waiting with arms behind her back and took Alora to the training room where Master Zhar congratulated her.
"You have done it," he said. "I can feel the taint gone, and that someone who had once fallen has now returned to the light."
"Yes, Master Zhar. Juhani was causing the kath hounds to attack. I convinced her to rethink her ways and she returned here."
"Yes, we were just recently discussing her case. Congratulations, apprentice. Or should I say congratulations, Padawan?You are now a full member of the Jedi Order."
Jarek and Bastila both applauded her for a job well done.
"Now, normally, we'd give you a sort of 'graduation ceremony,' but the Council needs to discuss a rather serious matter."
Jarek and Bastila opened their mouths to talk, but Zhar hushed them. "I'm sorry, but this is a matter that does not concern you." Zhar walked away to the other Council members and the three Padawans returned to the Ebon Hawk to rest.
"Ooh, I hope this bed is comfier than the last one," said Jarek, remembering the cot in the Vulkars' base on Taris. Alora and Bastila took a place in two of the north beds and Jarek slipped into his own bunk before drifting off to sleep.
Jarek awoke to find Bastila gone. She was not in the crew quarters, but Jarek sensed she was somewhere besides the Hawk. Alora was still sleeping, though. But as he inched closer he saw that she was tossing and turning in her sleep, rolling around and nearly falling off the bed. Jarek was about to do something about it when her eyes opened. She looked at Jarek as if he were a deranged Wookiee.
"What?" he said. Alora remained silent, however, then sat up. She rubbed her head and blinked a few times before speaking.
"I had a dream. Of Malak and Revan. They were looking for something ... but they found it. They said something about not being able to go back once they passed through the door...."
"Was that another vision, do you think?"
"Probably," she said.
"You should go see the Council about that."
"Yeah, I think I will, but first...." Alora stood up and grabbed a cup of Tarisian ale. One sip from the mug and she put it back. "That'll about do it. What are we waiting for?" She and Jarek walked alongside each other and disembarked from the ship, where Carth stopped them at the bottom of the loading ramp.
"What's going on this morning?" he said. "First Bastila wakes up, looking at me like she'd just seen a ghost, and now you -"
"I did," said Alora. "I saw Revan in my ... in my dream."
"Did you, now?" Carth ran a hand through his greasy hair. "Well, you better get right to the Council for that. They want to see you anyway."
Alora and Jarek took off again, leaving Carth behind.
When they arrived, the Jedi, as usual, were standing in the same spot in the same order, left to right.
"Don't they ever move or sit down?" Jarek whispered, and Alora stifled a laugh.
"Greetings, Padawan," said Vandar. "Bastila has told us of a most ... unusual development."
"She claims you and she have shared a vision of Revan and Malak searching some ruins," said Vrook.
"Yes, but -- how would she know we shared it?"
Vrook acted like he never heard her speak, and continued. "We believe we know these ruins."
"I have searched our massive archives in an attempt to find out about these ruins," said Master Dorak, "and have found that they are right here, on Dantooine. We've known about these ruins for ages, but have not been able to enter them. The door, it seems, will only open for someone else."
"That's why we want you to go investigate. Maybe you can get into the ruins and find out what Revan and Malak were looking for. Can you do that, Padawan?"
"I can, Master Vandar."
"That's what we like to hear," said Vrook.
"There is one more thing we need to add," croaked Vandar. "We sent a Jedi Knight into the ruins to investigate earlier, but he has not returned. We fear something may have happened to him."
"I'll look for him, Master Vandar."
"I will be accompanying you on this mission, as will Padawan Jarek," said Bastila. Jarek opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head at him. He sighed and the three of them left the enclave through the north exit. Jarek remembered this area very well, though last time there were hardly any people outside. Now there were dozens of them, non-Jedi mostly, though Jarek did see a few half-concealed lightsabers.
"Most of them are farmers," Bastila explained. "Many a farm has been taken over by the kath hounds or the Mandalorians --"
"Mandalorians?" Jarek repeated. "There are Mandalorians on Dantooine?"
"Yes. Most of the Mandalorians that are left ravage the smaller towns or areas, no longer whole planets. They're ruthless killing brutes, as they always have been. They killed an old man in the hills because he wouldn't pay them."
"She's right," said Alora. "Someone saw them slaughter his daughter right in front of him and he begged us to kill them."
"Good," said Jarek. "It'll be much easier for the citizens of Dantooine to know the Mandalorian and kath hound threats have both been neutralized." By now Jarek realized they had been walking the whole time and looked behind him. The enclave was already a good distance away.
In front of him, Jarek saw a pack of kath hounds resting in the grass. When they saw the Jedi, however, they did not attack.
Not long after, the trio arrived at the old ruins the Masters spoke of. Jarek vaguely remembered this ruins when he was a boy. They didn't open for him either.
Alora turned and gave him a nervous glance before approaching the door. She raised a trembling hand and touched the door. It rumbled a bit and slid open. Jarek knew why.
Past the entrance chamber they found a droid. It sprang to life the moment they came close and began to honk and grunt at them.
"What are you saying?" said Alora, trying to interpret what language the droid was talking in.
It spoke again, though this time it spoke in a different language completely. "Bastila," said Alora inquisitively, "do you know what this droid is saying?"
"I think ... I think it's trying to communicate with us in a variety of alien languages. Each time it spoke, it used a completely different dialect."
The droid piped up again, but this time used a language the Jedi understood -- the language of the Selkath, inhabitants of the water world, Manaan.
"Greetings, sentient," it hissed. "What do you require?"
"Who are you?" Alora asked the droid.
"I am the Overseer. The Builders programmed me here, and here I remain should a Builder ever come seeking knowledge about the Star Forge."
"The Builders? Who are they?"
"Information corrupted," said the droid. The Jedi sighed.
"How long have you been here?" asked Jarek, arms folded.
"My chronological circuits have recorded ten full revolutions of time."
"That can't be right," Bastila objected. "Ten full revolutions would take more than twenty thousand years. If that's true, this droid is five thousand years older than the Republic itself!"
Alora opened her mouth to speak, but was distracted by a body in the corner. An old man in blue robes lie face-down in the dirt. She went over to him and checked his pulse, but it was no use.
"Did you kill that Jedi over there?" Bastila asked the droid.
"Negative. I am not programmed for combat. The sentient was weak and proven unworthy to cross into the chamber beyond."
Jarek looked up and saw a blue force field flash across the door behind the droid.
"How can we get back there?" Alora inquired.
"You must prove yourselves worthy. Past the doors on the sides, there are challenges you must face. A trial. If you can overcome those challenges, you may pass into the chamber beyond."
"What about the Star Forge you mentioned earlier? What is it?"
"The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest."
"But what does it do?"
"The ..." The droid struggled. "The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of --" Alora hushed the droid before it could finish.
"This droid is not programmed with the information we seek," said Bastila. "Maybe whatever's beyond this door is."
"Well, we have to prove ourselves worthy, right?" asked Alora.
"The droid did say that," Jarek replied. He grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and drew it, leading Alora and Bastila through the door to their right.
An eight-legged assault droid stood waiting inside. The moment they entered, it spun around and a red shield activated. The droid instantly fired upon the trio and Bastila and Alora both dove out of the way. Jarek did a backflip, pushed off from the wall above the door, and cut into the droid's shield, leaving it open for attack. Alora and Bastila were on top of it - they both ran at the droid, their lightsabers deflecting blaster bolts the whole way, and struck at the same time. The droid showed no signs of damage.
Alora took a vibroblade and speared the droid. Though not completely injured, the machine was clearly damaged, and it smacked Alora across the face with its blaster. She flew through the air and hit the stone floor unconscious.
Bastila, taking advantage of the droid's distraction, whirled her lightsaber around and cut off one of the droid's many legs. It was still running.
Jarek charged from behind, getting in a few good hits, and Bastila stood from a distance using the Force repeatedly, stunning the droid and rendering it temporarily disabled so Jarek could attack.
It took almost a dozen swipes before Jarek delivered the fatal blow that destroyed the machine. After they were sure it was completely ruined, they rushed over to Alora to try and wake her.
"She'll be fine," said Bastila. "That droid did hit her pretty hard, though." After a dozen attempts, Alora came around and sat up, gasping for breath. "It's okay. The droid is gone." Alora tried to stand, though she was still a bit weak from the attack, and grasped Jarek's shoulder for support.
They walked her over to a terminal at the very end of the room.
"This is some kind of ancient language," she said, trying to read the writing. "I can't figure it out." Neither Jarek nor Bastila could decipher the symbols on the screen either.
"What about that?" said Jarek, pointing to a slot in the terminal. Alora seemed to read his mind. She took out her datapad and inserted it into the slot. At once, the terminal flickered to life, and images of peculiar-looking aliens appeared on the screen.
"Who are they?" said Bastila, but Jarek simply shrugged. Without warning, the terminal suddenly shut down, all the words that had appeared gone.
"Hey!" yelled Alora. She tried to pull her datapad out, but it wouldn't budge. "What? Come on! Let it out!" The terminal beeped to life again, and more of the strange aliens appeared on the screen. Mere seconds after that, they disappeared and writing appeared on the screen.
"Identify the three primary death-giving seed world types," Alora read aloud.
The words were hardly out of her mouth when the door opened and another eight-legged assault droid strode into the room, its legs clicking threateningly.
"We'll hold it off!" Jarek yelled. "Just disable it!"
Alora read the options aloud. "Oceanic, Grassland, Desert, Volcanic, Arboreal, and Barren."
"That's easy!" shouted Jarek, blocking blaster fire as he spoke.
Alora entered the answers: "Desert, Volcanic, and Barren." The words on the terminal were erased.
"Selections correct -- breaking death seal," she muttered to herself. The console shut down once more, spitting out her datapad and destroying the droid.
"Thanks," gasped Jarek. "Don't think I could have handled a second one of those things."
With Alora strong enough to walk on her own, the Jedi marched out of the chamber and were halted by the Overseer droid once again. "You have proven yourselves worthy," it said. "You may pass through the door." The minute the droid said this, the shield around the door behind it vanished. Alora cautiously approached and opened it, and they stepped inside.
In the room they discovered a large structure positioned in the very center. When they neared it, the device opened and a star chart materialized before their eyes. Bastila and Alora were eyeing it suspiciously, as if a kinrath queen might jump out of it at any moment.
"I don't understand," whispered Alora. "It this ... is this the Star Forge?"
"No," said Jarek. "This is some sort of map. It's incomplete, though. Revan and Malak must have used this to find the Star Forge, whatever it is."
"Look at this," said Bastila. "There are four planets highlighted here. This one must be Tatooine ... yes. And here's Manaan ... and Kashyyyk. And if that's Kashyyyk, then this must be ... Korriban."
"Revan and Malak visited Korriban at least once," said Jarek, "we know that. But what does this mean?"
"Maybe those planets have more clues to the location and purpose of the Star Forge," said Bastila.
"You're right," said Alora. "This map is incomplete. Maybe if we visit those planets we'll find out more."
"Now that we've got what we came for, we should leave. We need to tell the Council of what we have found." The trio left the chamber and headed back toward the entrance, but Alora paused at the fallen Jedi Knight.
She bent down and found a muddy pink lightsaber crystal inside his robes.
"That's no ordinary crystal," said Bastila, intrigued. "That's an upgrade. It gives lightsabers special properties."
"We could use that," said Jarek. "Come on, we need to tell the Council about that map."
Alora stuffed the crystal in her backpack and they left.
Sorry it took so long, we were trying to find a place to live. Unfortunately, there was no place so we moved into my grandparents' house. Not sure of their exact e-mail adress yet ... but, anyway, the next chapter will be up a lot sooner, promise. : )