Chapter 4

Darsha's "classroom" was a space about the size of Arryn's quarters at the Jedi Temple. It was sparsely furnished. It contained a large table and several chairs of different designs.

Darsha sat in a chair at the end of the table. Arryn found a chair next to her and sat down. "I bet you are wondering what the datacard Master Yoda gave to us contains," Darsha said. Arryn nodded. "Well then, let's find out." Darsha put the card into the access slot at the end of the table. The time that it took for the card to load gave Arryn a chance to study Darsha Assant.

Darsha had been nearly murdered by the Sith Apprentice, Darth Maul, fifteen years ago. She had a long scar that ran from the middle of her thumb, up her wrist to her elbow as a reminder of the mercilessness of the Sith.

Everything about Darsha was simple and uncluttered. She was in her early thirties and wore the uniform Jedi tunic, pants, and cloak with accents of navy blue. She stood at about five foot three and was very slim. Her hair was dark brown and fell just below her shoulders. She wore it unadorned with ornaments. Darsha's eyes were a deep, rich brown that was warm and inviting. Arryn smiled. She had heard the infamous tales of Darsha legendary kindness. Arryn had to agree. Just by spending several minutes with her, she had decided that Darsha definitely had the appearance of one of the kindest people she had ever met.

The holoprojector in the middle of the table sprang to life and projected the image of the planet Bondori.

"Is this a geography lesson?" Arryn asked, trying to decide what to make of the image.

"Yes, it is. We will cover a little history and politics as well," Darsha said with a grin. Even though she found politics a bore, it was better than spending the time writing a research report on the planet.

"We will go further in depth than with what we talked about in the archives." Darsha paused, pulling her datapad out of its pouch. "So, where do you want to start?" Darsha asked.

"Geography, I think. It would be odd just walking on a strange planet, with no idea about the land."

Darsha laughed. "Right you are. Bondori is a planet that is similar to the infamous planet of Naboo. It has grassy plains, two major oceans, and many smaller lakes, rivers, and streams. There are a total of nine small continents, but this is where we will be going," she said, pointing to the largest continent on the holographic image of the planet.

"What covers the minority of the continent?"

"Small villages, fields, and a small forest of Kaha trees."

The lessons continued for another several hours. Arryn discovered all kinds of new and interesting information about the planet that they were going to visit. One thing still bothered her.

"Why would the Sith choose such a remote planet in the Outer Rim to resurface on?" She asked, her face showing confusion.

"That is an excellent question. What do you think?"

"I'm not sure- was it just a random choice?"

"Not quite, Arryn. You were right that Bondori is remote. Wouldn't you agree that it is a perfect place for the Sith to resurface if they want to cause mayhem without fully exposing themselves to the galaxy?"

Arryn nodded. "That makes sense."

Darsha looked at the chronometer on the table. "Time certainly does fly. How about we call it quits for the day? I bet Siri and Obi-Wan are finishing up now. We can have the evening meal and get to sleep early tonight. We will need as much strength as possible for this mission and having six overtired Jedi definitely would not help the situation." Darsha added, grinning as she put her datapad and datacards away.

Darsha and Arryn left the room and headed for the bridge. Obi-Wan and Elantra were already there. Elantra sat at the navigation console, and Obi-Wan stood behind him, giving directions.

"I think Elantra is getting a lesson in piloting." Darsha whispered to Arryn in amusement. Arryn giggled. Elantra turned to see Darsha and Arryn standing in the doorway.

"We were done early, so Master Obi-Wan volunteered to show me how the ship works. Stop staring, Arryn." Elantra said.

Arryn shook her head and muffled her laugh. "Sorry." She wandered over to watch.

"This is the connection port to the hyperdrive unit. If ever there were an emergency, you could use the connection to eject the unit." Obi-Wan explained to the Padawans. "This is how you check the internal combustion systems."

"Master, how do you know so much about mechanics?" Arryn asked, frowning.

Obi-Wan looked at his apprentice with a small grin on his face. "I learned the basics from various classes and from Qui-Gon, and believe it or not, the rest I picked up from being around Anakin." Obi-Wan smiled. "And don't ask where he learned it. I preferred to turn a blind eye."

The bridge door opened and Siri and Anaria walked in.

Anaria walked over to them and proclaimed energetically, "I have never worked so hard in my life! Arryn, you'll be in for a treat tomorrow."

Arryn smiled. "Good. I look forward to the challenge."