A/N: I hope you've all had a great xmas and a happy new year, dear readers. Well I'm going to be putting up the last few chapters over the next couple of days. Tell you the truth this was only ever supposed to be a short story.
I must also warn youdear reader that this maybe where the story collapses, lol. I've tried to add a twist of mystery and personally I'm not so sure about it. So tell me what you think!
What if you had known you could use Battle Meditation, do you think Revan would have let you go with him?
I don't know, it'd be more likely than it is now
Are you sure? Perhaps he cared about you too much to let you go to War. War isn't pretty Bastila
How would you know, we've never been to War.
Perhaps Revan really doesn't love me...
"Oi Bastila, where here" said Hestra, poking Bastila in the arm
Bastila stirred from her daze and looked out the cockpit window. The dusty brown world of Kessel greeted her as she looked.
"I told you I could get us past those Black holes. Pretty soon Bastila you'll be completeing your first assignment by the High Council" said Hestra, with enthusiam in her voice, "Also the Mandalorians won't be visiting us here. Sure the spice is important, but nobodys crazy enough to fly through these Black Holes"
Bastila smiled weakly back. Her annoyance and anger with the High Council hadn't diminshed since they had left Coruscant.
The wind-swept plains of Kessel greeted the two Jedi as they made their way across the desert valley to the small mining town. As they walked through the streets, questioning eyes stared at them and Bastila had a faint relapse of her time on Dantooine. The Ambassdorial building was the largest and probably the cleanest building in the entire town. The artichetcure was like nothing Bastila had seen before, it gave the building a rather menacing look. Shuddering, she followed Hestra into the building. A rather pompous looking man knocked into Bastila and dropped his name-tag on the ground when he had been trying to put it in his pocket rather hurridly.
"I'm so sorry" said Bastila, and bent down to pick up the tag. She caught a glimpse of the name as the man snatched it back and hurried off. Simon Iscariot - CZ? Bastila thought, where have i heard that name before?
Bastila entered the building, realising Hestra had left and walked down the marble corridor, her shoes creating an ominous clunking sound as she did. Lost in her own thoughts, Bastila decided it would be best if she stayed where she was. The corridor was rather empty, with only the odd person walking past. Those that did walk by in pairs, she caught snippets of their conversation mostly boring and of little interest, 'The explosion that went off killed thousands of miners', 'The Clan leaders are importing Tarisian Ale, supposedly, and keeping it for themselves', 'Their actually scared the Mandalorians might pay this place a visit', 'Last I heard Di'tek was no lady, damn Twi'lek tried to gouge his eyes out'
Bastila leant against the corridor wall. She'd been here for half an hour, how big could this place possibly be?
"You know Bastila, it won't look good to the High Council if they learnt you got lost in a building" Hestra said, walking up behind her
Bastila turned round, "Sorry Master, I just bumped into someone and the next second you were gone. I've been here for half an hour"
Hestra laughed, "Well it is a bloody big building. I think I know where were supposed to be. Come on then Bastila"
Laughing Bastila made sure she stuck beside Hestra until they reached the designated chamber.
The chamber wasn't much different from the rest of the building, except with a bit more colour added to the brown walls. Cushions were placed on the benches and the odd chair. They must have blown the budget on those silk cushions Bastila thought to herself, chuckling. A man and a Rodian greeted them as Bastila and Hestra entered.
"We are glad to finally meet you" said the Rodian, "I am Succor, the Ambassador of Clan Solutus'di"
"You speak Galatic Basic?" asked Bastila
"When you're an ambassador you have to"
"And I am Rulok, Ambassador to Clan Kenbou. You know why you are here?"
Bastila looked towards Hestra.
"This is your assignment Bastila, not mine. I'm just here as advisor" said Hestra
Clearing her throat, Bastila turned to the ambassadors and said "Then yes, I know why I'm here. An explosion destroyed a large section of your mine. You'd like me to find out who and why"
"That's right. We have here a local information droid, if you need help" suggested Rulok
"Can I see the explosive used?" asked Bastila, "That's as good a place to start as any I guess"
Hestra nodded in approval.
"What remains of the explosive is right here" said Succor, indicating to the table.
The remaing pieces of the explosive was dotted around on the table. There was a piece of adhesive tape, remaining pieces of a thermal detonator and a third unknown piece.
"That piece is what remains of a Proton Accelerator" anwsered the information droid, " The Adhesive tape is commonly found in this town. However the Thermal Detonator is a restricted weapon and illegal on this planet, due to its ability to cause a cave-in when used, how it got here is unknown"
"Right, lets start with the uhhh Proton Accelerator. I guess you'd usually find it in a starship, but if the miners are forbidden from leaving this planet, how could they possible get close to a starship?" deduced Bastila, taking a seat on the rather uncomfortable bench, "So that leaves us with two type of suspects. Someone from the outside or someone high up in either one of your clans"
"I very much doubt the latter Jedi, especially from my Clan. If you care to know, the fingerprints on the Adhesive tape belong to a member of Rulok's Clan" commented Succor
"Maybe. Let's deal with the Thermal Detonator. Information Droid can you give me a list of all ships that have docked here in the last several months?" asked Bastila
"Only three ships have entered this system in the last seven months. Two months ago was a ship from Taspir III, a scheduled trading ship, five months ago was a small ambassadorial ship from the Czerka Corporation and finally a small unclassified fighter plane stopping for refuelling" anwsered the droid again
"Czerka? What would Czerka want - " a light bulb went off in Bastila's head, "CZ, the man outside was from Czerka. Droid, do you know who Simon Iscariot is?"
"Simon Iscariot, is one of many ambassadors from the Czerka Corporation"
Bastila turned towards the two ambassadors, Succor and Rulok, "You two are high up in your Clans, what purpose did a Czerka representitive have here on Kessel?"
Succor and Rulok, glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders. The droid, however, stepped forward, "It is possible, the Thermal Detonator was presented to the culprits by Mr. Iscariot. The fingerprints do not match any we currently have on file"
"Thank you droid" replied Bastila.
She sat down, lost in her own thoughts. Adhesive tape is easily accesible, the Thermal Detonator came from Czerka, possibly, and the Proton Accelerator came from someone high-up that has access to a starship...what in the world am I missing? There must be something important, thought Bastila. The anwser was lurking in the back of her mind and it was beginning to irritate her, like an itch you can't scratch.
"So are the Mandalorians affecting the planets trade?" asked Hestra, trying to break the deep silence
"Not really" replied Rulok, "There is of course the constant worry we might be attacked"
"Why? Kessel is surrounded by Black Holes"
"Yeah but anyone worth his salt will know how to get around them. You did"
"There is of course the constant worry we might be attacked"; "...the Mandalorians won't be visiting us here. Sure the spice is important..."; "Actually scared the Mandalorians might pay this place a visit"
"That's it" cried Bastila, jumping up in astonishment, "The two Clans meant for this to happen, they planned it all, they planned it all out of fear"
"Pardon Bastila?" asked Hestra
"The entire time I've been here, I've heard the mention of Mandalorians so many times...its got this town in a state of fear. The Clans know if the Mandalorians invade, they will stand to lose trade. So they place a bomb, causing a Spice crisis in the vain hope that someone from the Republic would be sent to investigate"
"You're crazy! You call yourself a Jedi" said Rulok, not stepping towards Bastila, his eye on her lightsaber
"Czerka supplied the only thing you couldn't lay your hands on, why? No doubt, you probably made a deal with one of the largest Corporations in the galaxy to supply them with all the spice they wanted. In the Senate Building on Coruscant, the representitive there was worried about finanical loss. This would have cleared a good chunk of that. All so you had some protection when the Mandalorians invaded"
Hestra smiled her approval, and then turned steel faced towards the ambassadors, "This is true, isn't it?"
"Well..." stammered Succor
"Just a simple yes or no" continued Hestra
Succor and Rulok were now practically quaking in their boots, "...yes"
"The Mandalorians will never dare bring an armada near Kessel, its difficult piloting one ship past the black holes, its next to impossible to do it with a whole armada. How could you people be so blind? This place is safer than Coruscant" Hestra shaked her head, "Come on Bastila, we'll report this to the High Council and the Galatic Senate. They'll know what to do"