SHADOWS AND LIGHT
The evening shimmer of Coruscant's cityscape was reflected across the living quarters in the Jedi Temple. A faint blue tint could be seen across Trevor's face. The Miraluka slept very soundly for the first time since the return from Brentaal. The normal sight of perpendicular lines of vehicles was significantly lessened so early in the morning. Now, instead of fifty vehicles in a hundred meter segment, there were maybe ten to fifteen in the same section. Cleaning droids worked tirelessly on the outside of the Temple, washing windows and touching up paint where needed.
The com-station bleeped to live, loud enough to cause Trevor to stir. Trevor shakes the sleep from his limbs and clambers out of his bed. He turned towards the com-station, and a ripple in the Force, and the sounds of heavy footsteps notified Trevor that the same message disturbed Shudo. Trevor pressed a button on the com-station, and a message appeared:
MISSION PROFILE:
LOCATION:MORIBEDO DISTRICT/PLANET METALLOS/CORE WORLD REGION
Droid analysis of docking security cams has revealed the presence of numerous unidentified beings matching profile of subject 624/Aldara/G3. Beings do not register on port-security infrared-scans. Subjects are to be investigated with caution. Illegal operations by subjects will warrant immediate apprehension and/or use of lethal force. Secondary priorities involve location and recovery of stolen historical artifact.
Displayed under the message was a copy of the security-cam capture, both in normal light and infrared. Normal light showed Trevor a Deshade walking directly through a shuttle terminal. The infrared scan showed… nothing. No heat signatures whatsoever. As he heard his master emerging from his adjacent quarters, Trevor was suddenly very much awake. Having dealt with the Deshade very recently, Trevor knew that this could be a very big break in solving the mystery of the Aldaraan Museum thefts. Another image drew his attention. A conjectured image of the stolen historical artifact gave credence to Trevor's thought of solving this mystery.
Trevor was deep in thought when a sudden wave of agitation and foreboding hit him through the Force. Concerned, Trevor adjusted his sight and was greeted with Shudo's appearance walking slowly down the corridor. Shudo was staring at his datapad with a look of frustration, his skin a jumbled mix of orange, red and purple. Though Trevor did not mean to pry, the display on Shudo's datapad is clearly visible as Trevor's master approached.
DATAFILE:IRRYMAHD (ALIAS?)
SPECIES:UNKNOWN
HOMEWORLD:UNKNOWN
HEIGHT:2.25 M
WEIGHT:170 KG
AGE:UNKNOWN (Unverified source indicated activity during the initial settlement of the planet Belgaroth 589 years ago)
STATUS:Wanted for deadly crimes in 26 systems.
LAST VERIFED CONTACT:
failed apprehension 21 years ago by Jedi Knight Shudo Laan.
APPENDUM:92 of Irrymahd's victims died from massive cerebral trauma from unknown weapon.
EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED.
UPDATE: Investigation of recent activities on Metallos indicates the involvement of the criminal Irrymahd. The nature of his involvement is unclear at this time. The council has instructed Master Shudo Laan to take necessary measure to apprehend the subject, using lethal force if needed. Master Shudo has also been advised to instruct his padawan to avoid contact with the subject.
With a growing sense of unease, Trevor withdrew his vision back into his room as Shudo stopped in front of his door. Trevor did not want to be rude and eavesdrop on his master, but this information was not something that Shudo would just give up on his own. Shudo never talked much about himself, or any of his past missions, just that sometimes Jedi are not always as successful as they may think. Trevor harkened back to the mission on Alderaan, when he was successful in rescuing Brea Zal, but was unsuccessful in stopping the theft of an unknown artifact, which all indications were a Sith holocron. Trevor knew what it felt like and did not want to intrude on Shudo's emotions at this point. The door indicator rang, and Trevor waited just a moment before opening the door. Shudo nodded to Trevor, not truly seeing Trevor, but busy in another galaxy.
"Good morning, Master. Up early today?"
Shudo shook his head as if clearing away thoughts.
"My apologies, Trevor. I presume that you have seen your mission profile?"
"Yes, Master, I have. Would you like to come in? I might have some tea available."
Shudo's color turned to a orangish-yellow. "That would be pleasant, Trevor, thank you."
Trevor bowed, and walked towards the kitchenette. Trevor's apartment was just large enough to allow Shudo to walk in and sit in one corner of the room. Due to Shudo's size, his padawan lived in an adjacent apartment instead of the traditional two berthing areas known throughout the Temple. Shudo did not enter Trevor's apartment much, but he had been into the apartment more than just this one time. Shudo sat in a chair reserved just for someone his size, and Trevor worked on making the tea. The silence was palpable in the room. Trevor finished making the tea, and placed a large mug in front of Shudo.
"Master, is there something wrong? You don't seem yourself this morning."
"No, Trevor. I am not myself this morning. I know that you received a copy of our mission to follow up on the sec-cam on Metallos. However, I have received word of another issue that has arisen." Shudo adjusted himself slightly and leaned forward. "What I am about to tell you, Trevor, is very important. Please do not make light of this, or it will be the end of you."
Trevor nodded silently at Shudo's proclamation. He expected something like this, but the look in Shudo's eyes could not be mistaken. Shudo was really… scared? Trevor surmised. Shudo leaned back in his seat, and took out his datapad. He punched a few codes onto the screen, and handed Trevor a picture of a red skinned, flat nosed creature. This creature wore a leather cap on its head, wore a leather jerkin, and seemed to be sitting back in a seat on some unnamed cantina corner. It seemed as if this creatures lips could not cover its teeth. It seemed as if one of the teeth was colored differently, but it could have just be the quality of the picture. Everything seemed to have a red tinge to it, and Trevor shook with fear. The face contained undisguised malice and Trevor knew that the Council's fears for Trevor's safety were not unfounded.
"This is Irrymahd, a very dangerous being. The short version of the story is that I attempted to capture this, . . . creature," Shudo spat, "evaded every trap I had set for him. This thing killed nearly fifty people in six weeks. No one was able to even come close. I nearly died in the last encounter with it. I must have done something right, because this is the first time in over two decades that he's been seen in public. We are going on to Metallos to follow the Deshade. That will be your priority. Do not attempt to follow this creature should you see it. You will not be able to handle this. I mean no disrespect, Trevor but I was already a Knight, and I nearly died in my last encounter with it. I want you to make it to your Trials."
Shudo gave Trevor a stern look as Trevor regarded Irrymahd's countenance. Trevor returned the datapad back to Shudo and nodded solemnly. Shudo's monologue gave enough warning that Trevor did not even dare respond with a question. There was no question smart enough to answer, so Trevor would do his best to meet his Master's request.
"Master, how far is Metallos? I am not familiar with it?"
"Metallos is within the Core Region, so it is not far. However, the system is what many would term 'the dirty brother to Coruscant'. It has about half the population and one-tenth of Coruscant. There is no large city like Coruscant, but … well, you'll have to experience it for yourself. We leave within the hour."
Shudo and Trevor sat in silence, finishing their tea. Trevor sat thinking about the last time he met the Deshade and he wondered if he was stronger than the last time.
Trevor finished getting ready, pulling his gear together. As he was placing his lightsaber on his belt, it dawned on him that Shudo was extremely serious during their tea. Shudo was usually a bit more jovial with Trevor, but this time it was certainly much different. Trevor looked down at his belt, and realized that he needed to know just how dangerous this mission was. Something needed to be done to test Shudo's apprehension level.
Shudo, early on in Trevor's training, told him that whenever he needed something from Shudo's apartment he could take as long as they were paired together. Trevor also recalled that his old lightsaber was still in Shudo's apartment. Shudo had mentioned to him that if he needed it, he could get it at anytime. Shudo had stored it in a small closet near the front door.
Trevor entered Shudo's darkened apartment. Apparently Shudo was already at the Phoenix and might even be waiting for Trevor. Trevor opened the closet and quickly located the weapon. Trevor's sight also spied half a dozen training remotes. Trevor looked at the remotes, and immediately found a sack to place them inside. Trevor left the apartment and raced down to the hanger bay, where the ship was already in prelaunch. Trevor looked around the hanger bay, and noticed a familiar face. He waved quickly and hurried up the landing ramp, which started to close as he reached it.
Trevor climbed into his seat next to Shudo on the bridge moments later. "Sorry I'm late, Master."
Shudo waved at Trevor, "Not a problem, Trevor. You must have a good reason."
"Yes, Master. I would to ask you a favor, if you wouldn't mind. I would like to have you set these training remotes on the setting that you feel would be appropriate for this mission."
Shudo turned his massive head toward Trevor and nodded. "Leave them here and I will set them for you."
Trevor left the bridge and headed to the kitchen lounge in the back. He pulled out both lightsabers and walked through some simple lightsaber drills with the blade extinguished. The movements felt awkward and funny, but Trevor did not want to caught unaware. Knowing that the Dashade were bred assassins did not sit well. A disturbance in the Force notified Trevor that the training remotes were circling around him. He ignited both blades, blue and white blazing in the small lounge. He began a fluid dance, slicing through the air, deflecting laserfire as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the remotes got through his defenses early and often. The stings of the remotes were the hardest he had ever felt. Knowing that if he didn't recover his defenses soon he would be unconscious, Trevor disengaged Shudo's blue blade and cast it aside. White light dominated the room as Trevor's blade whirled around, knocking laserfire around the room, causing acrid smoke to build up in the lounge area. As suddenly as it started, all six remotes floated towards the forward door, into Shudo's bag.
"I believe that you work best with only one blade, Trevor."
The white blade retreated into the simple handle. "I was trying to expand my horizons, Master. I just need more practice."
"We shall see how well your practice has helped you. Rest now, we still have some time before reaching our destination."
The Crystal Phoenix emerged from hyperspace into the Metallos sector. Shudo took control of the Phoenix and headed directly towards the planet surface. Trevor took note of the planet surface. Where Coruscant had towering cityscapes, only a few tall buildings could be seen. The rest of the city was single- or double-story buildings. As the ship landed, Trevor noticed that the buildings had grungy tarps hanging from the building front. There seemed to be a dirty feel to the entire area. Everyone kept their covering up, so faces could not be seen. Trevor headed towards the landing ramp and met Shudo just outside the Phoenix. Both Jedi put their hoods up. Trevor still smiled to himself when Shudo walked with his hood up. But there were other tall cloaked figures around, so Shudo didn't actually stand out that much.
Shudo marched down the ramp, and Trevor had to run to catch up. The pair walked amongst the population for the next hour. There were certainly plenty of sights to see, but the people interested Trevor the most. On Coruscant, everyone kept their faces up and forward, acted friendly and a bit stuck up, depending on what part of the city you were in. However, denizens of Metallos kept their faces downcast. There were no throngs of children running happily. Everyone here seemed to live within his or her meager means.
Trevor kept looking around, knowing they were there to find the Dashade and the Irrymahd. Trevor kept getting turned around in the crowd, but keeping up with Shudo was become more difficult as the crowds got thicker. Trevor turned behind him at one point to check to see if anyone was following. Nothing looked familiar so he turned back. Shudo had taken a sudden right turn, heading away from the main street. Trevor tried to reach him, but a sudden throng of people blocked his way. Trevor started to berate himself, when his comlink vibrated. He turned into an alcove so as not to block the flow of traffic.
"Trevor here."
"Keep moving in the direction that you were traveling. I have sense something and I need to have you continue on the task at hand. Do not follow me. And contact me if anything out of the ordinary comes up.
"Yes, Master." Disappointment and excitement shook through Trevor like a minor earthquake. He wanted to continue with Master Shudo, but the mission was just as important. Trevor put his comlink back onto his utility belt, and merged with the growing crowd.
Trevor continued to walk a straight line for nearly three kilometers. Nothing was catching his interest at all. 'I am missing something, I can feel it,' thought Trevor. He searched for a place to pull off and noticed an entryway to an abandoned building. He sat down on the stoop, and concentrated. He adjusted his vision to search down three alleys. The first two showed Trevor nothing he could use. However the third time was definitely the charm. Trevor redirected his sight down the third alley. It branched left and right. The left side showed a dead end, but the right alleyway showed a tall, cloaked figure, broad shouldered, and walking briskly. What drew Trevor's attention were the hands. The hands had only three appendages, and were greenish-grey in color. Trevor connected the hands to being similar to the Dashade race. The figure turned around, checking over his shoulder. At that point, Trevor knew that he'd found the Dashade, but why was he walking down a back alley? It made sense since this race was supposed to be extinct. Trevor felt that this Dashade would lead him to the Sith artifact.
Trevor got up from his alcove and walked out into the street. He worked his vision in such a way that he could raise his point of view in the Force to show both the direction of the Dashade and himself. The city layout presented a fairly unique picture. While most of the streets were perpendicular to each other, some ran diagonally across the main thoroughfare. Trevor walked cautiously, but kept pace with the Dashade. At one point, Trevor crossed paths with it, and he paused just long enough to not be seen by the Dashade. Trevor exhaled and continued to follow, getting no closer than a hundred meters.
They continued into the depths of the city for another hour. Trevor's vision showed a deep pit ahead, and the Dashade seemed to be heading for it. Trevor kept back, continuing his watch from a distance. The pit loomed, and the Dashade headed directly for a cantina. Trevor could not make out the name, but he had to keep in contact. Trevor's location was a bit perilous as it was currently out in the open. Trevor found a small doorway in which he could sit unnoticed. A small café was just down the street, and Trevor purposefully kept his back to it. Trevor adjusted his sight one more time to the front door of the cantina. He pushed his vision through the door, and searched for his quarry.
The dark room was not surprising so Trevor shifted his vision again to give the room a brighter appearance. The Dashade was found just sitting down at a round, darkened booth. Trevor moved his sight towards the booth, and was bombarded with waves upon waves of malice and evil. Trevor's body shook nearly two hundred meters away, but continued to press on. After adjusting again, the booth became illuminated. The Dashade had his face into the booth. Just to the right of the booth, was a man who looked like he was sleeping. However, the dried blood on his head was definitely an indication that he was either dead, or nearly so. Trevor looked to the back of the booth, and nearly choked himself. Sitting there was Irrymahd. The datapad Shudo had shown him was not nearly good enough to show how disgusting and mean this creature was. Irrymahd had a few more scars on his face, but the blunt nose and the open mouth were very much a part of his make-up. Trevor couldn't hear the conversation, but the Dashade seemed to be a bit scared of Irrymahd, and Irrymahd in return, seemed very relaxed and, daresay, happy.
Trevor's stomach flipped three times before he could get it under control. He felt around his utility belt for his comlink, and from memory dialed up Shudo's comlink.
"Trevor? Is everything alright?" Shudo's voice reached his ears.
"Master, what is your location? I have some news that you might want to hear."
"I am nearing the Metallos Pit. Why?"
"I found the Irrymahd."
Silence greeted Trevor's ears, and he needed to continue.
"I found a Dashade, and followed it. It walked to the Pit, and entered a seedy cantina, where he walked to a corner booth, and I am currently watching the two have a conversation. I can't hear anything and I am not in direct contact with the cantina. I am about two hundred meters away in a small alcove." More silence. "Have I done something wrong, Master?"
"No, my padawan. You've done well. Keep watch. Let me know if things change." Trevor sensed a bit of relief in the voice as well. "I thought for a moment … It is of no consequence. Keep your vision on him, and do not move."
"Yes, Master."
Trevor turned off his comlink and placed it back on his belt. The two subjects were just talking, rather animatedly. Trevor wished for a moment that he could hear what they were saying, but it probably was not in a language that he'd understand. Trevor got himself comfortable in his alcove and prepared for long wait.
A change in the Irrymahd's attitude stopped Trevor in his tracks. Irrymahd suddenly raised his hand to stop the Dashade from speaking, and he turned around as if looking for something. Irrymahd closed his eyes and Trevor realized that he was a Force-sensitive. Trevor grabbed the comlink from his belt and was nearly finished with Shudo's frequency when Irrymahd's face became nearly berserkish. Trevor imagined a snarl coming from Irrymahd's mouth as Irrymahd stood up, causing the Dashade to back away from the table. The rest of the patrons looked over quickly, and just as fast, put their faces to their cups. Trevor got up from his location and started to head towards the cantina as he spoke into his comlink.
"Master, Irrymahd has noticed something. He is searching for someone, I think."
Shudo's voice was tense over the comlink. "Irrymahd may sensed my presense. What is he doing now?"
Trevor watch Irrymahd get up from the booth, and bolt out of the cantina. Irrymahd looked around, sniffed and turned.
"He's leaving the cantina and heading in a southerly direction."
"My presense was not hidden well enough, he sensed me. I need to get off the street. Continue following the Dashade. Leave Irrymahd to me."
"May the Force be with you, Master."
Shudo did not respond due to the preparations he was taking, Trevor presumed. Trevor watched as Irrymahd turn a corner, moving east, and turned his vision back to the Dashade. The Dashade, on the other hand, seemed to be frenzied. He immediately left the cantina and headed north. Trevor moved quicker and switched back and forth so that he would not trip on the occational stone, rock or crack in the structures. He did not want to lose the Dashade and this would certainly constitute losing him if the Dashade suddenly disappeared. It only took a couple of minutes to get to the Pit. The Dashade had turned east as well, going around the Pit. Trevor thought that was odd, but maybe he might be going to get some reinforcements. The Dashade walked nearly the length of the street and turned right into a three story apartment-type building. When the Dashade entered the building, Trevor quickened his pace and moved to the alleyway on the west side of the building. Trevor's vision showed that the Dashade headed through the building, towards an apartment on the southeast corner. Trevor followed the Dashade into the apartment, where a new surprise awaited him.
Two more Dashades were sitting on sleeping cots in the corner of the main room. The first was very animated, probably discussing what had just transpired in the cantina. The three turned around and started talking to an fourth that emerged from the kitchen area. This one seemed to be a bit bigger and more in control of the others. This one, Trevor nicknamed Leftenant, took the information and started to digest the information. Trevor was not sure what he should do at this point, but if they decided to leave the building, Trevor needed to keep them slowed down. Trevor switched his vision back to himself, and walked directly into the front door. Trevor saw three apartments on the left side of the hallway, and two on the right. Not knowing who was in the building, Trevor used his sight to search the apartments quickly. There were no other Dashades in the building and the residents here did not seem to be involved with them at all. Trevor noticed a turbolift next to the front door.
To make their escape more difficult Trevor decided that he would make their options severly limited. Trevor took out his lightsaber and pointed it at the turbolift controls. He activated his weapon, causing the blade to extend directly into the panel. It exploded with a quick pop and Trevor immediately shut down the blade. After returning the blade to his belt, he closed the main door and locked that from the inside. Feeling that this entrance would be unusable by the Dashade, he tried to sneak his way down the corridor. Unfortunately, his foot kicked a foodstuff canister down the corridor, causing quite a racket. With a quick thought, Trevor whipped out his collapsible walking stick, and extended it with a quick snap of the wrist. He had reached the door to the Dashade's apartment when it whipped open. Leftenant stuck his head out, blaster by his side. When Leftenant put his gaze on Trevor, Trevor continued with the charade of a blind man. Trevor noticed that another small canister was near his foot, and he purposefully kicked it. Leftenant snarled and closed the door, dismissing Trevor as some old blind beggar.
Trevor exhaled slowly and exited the apartment with no further incident. The back side of the apartment building lead onto a docking area, where three large transport ships were lined up next to one another. A warehouse could be seen nearly one hundred meters away. The pit was about fifteen meters from Trevor's location due north. The platform opened directly onto the Pit.
Once ouside, Trevor immediately turned to the right, west. He took his cloak off and crouched down. His vision, when he returned it to the apartment, showed all four Dashades loaded for a battle. Trevor reached down and grasped his lightsaber, getting himself ready for anything.
The four Dashade emerged from the apartment and headed right towards the exit Trevor just left. They walked past Trevor without even noticing him. The four split up into two groups; Leftenant and one walking purposefully towards the warehouse, and the other two ran into the nearest transport ship. Trevor only had to wait about two minutes before a steady beat of metal on metal could be heard coming from the transport ship. 'What? More battle droids?' thought Trevor.
The battle droids that exited the transport were not what he'd seen before. The legs were spindly like the droids he met before, but the bodies were closer to humanoid shape than before. These were also taller, and seemed to have two sets of blaster arms. The droids marched down the ramp in unison. After walking five meters away from the ship, they turned hard left towards Leftenant and partner. Trevor could feel a familiar disturbance in the force; Master Shudo was engaged in battle. Trevor pinpointed Shudo's location as being in the warehouse across the platform. Now, Trevor had a problem. The Dashade were split up and they were extremely tough opponents. Two were headed towards Master Shudo and Irrymahd, which Trevor supposed that Shudo could handle, but even a Jedi Master needed help.
The battle droids were nearly halfway to the warehouse when Trevor acted. He grabbed a liquid cable dispenser, and jammed it into the wall of the building. He pushed the firing button and a long thread of cable reached out and snagged the center droid. Trevor activated his lightsaber, and with the audible snap-hiss, he stood up and ran towards the droids. Two of the droids noticed the cables and turned to see what was stopping them. They immediately raised their arms, and four blaster rifles were staring Trevor in the face. Undeterred, Trevor slowed to a walk, lightsaber at the ready. The droids fired four shots directly at Trevor. Trevor redirected three of them, all scored on their original target. The third droid turned around at the sound of blaster fire and fired two shots as well. Trevor rolled under the shots and moved forwards another few meters. The droids adjusted their fire and Trevor redirected four more shots back at the droids. The middle droid dropped after having its two laser blasts directed at its torso. The trailing droid had a shot nearly take off it's head, but it still continued to try to cut Trevor down. However, it never got the chance. Trevor had moved close enough to slice down the torso, from neck to hip. The first droid fired nearly point blank, but Trevor defended himself and the final droid collapsed in a heap after Trevor zigzagged his next thrust through the droid.
The first Dashade group had made it to the warehouse. Leftenant climbed the stairs and saw Trevor cut down the final droid. He barked instructions, and the remaining Dashade wheeled around, back towards the transport. He came out of the entrance firing away. Luckily Trevor's senses were on high alert and the blaster fire went harmlessly by Trevor. Trevor moved forward, engaging the Dashade head on. The Dashade continue to fire at Trevor. This encounter, however, was much different than the last. Trevor redirected every other shot back at him, cause more damage to be done by its own weapon then by anything Trevor could have done. The Dashade was well overmatched by Trevor's defenses. Trevor moved quickly to within a three meter reach, and ended the Dashade's life. Trevor felt the Force flowing through him and the fading force of the Dashade. Trevor saluted the Dashade in his death to send him to the Force. A steady metallic noise caused Trevor to turn his attention back to the transport ship.
Two more battle droids were starting to head down the ramp, moving at a slow steady space. Trevor ran towards the ship, knowing that at least two more Dashade were inside. There seemed to be more droids than originally thought. Trevor's blade whipped around him in a defensive circle. The droids did not even recognize that he was a threat until he sliced open a droid from stem to stern. The second droid could not get its blaster into place as Trevor cut off both arms from the torso in an acrobatic move that was very similar to a training routine he'd done with Master Yoda a long time ago. The remaining Dashade saw a Jedi at the bottom of the ramp and they too let loose a barrage of blaster fire. The laser shots were nearer to the mark, but Trevor was able to evade most. He even returned their fire back at them, but it did not connect with any living form.
Trevor moved up the loading ramp towards the main docking doors. The Dashade were situated in a classic cover fire formation. A Dashade was near the entrance door, while the second was giving cover fire from behind a cargo container. Trevor recognized the situation immediately and quickly formed a plan of action. He boarded the ramp, redirecting laser fire back towards the attacker, giving himself some time to get up the ramp. The closest Dashade fired three times at Trevor. The first two shots were directed at the covering Dashade and the last Trevor sent back to the original attacker. When both Dashade went for cover, Trevor raced up the ramp and moved towards the side of the closest Dashade. Trevor then thrust the blade through the ramp doors. A loud grunt could be heard on the inside of the cargo bay. Trevor moved his blade and the body of the Dashade fell directly into the doorway.
The second Dashade realized that the Jedi was prepared and laid out a barrage of laser fire. Trevor deflected more than his fair share of laser fire. Out of the ten shots that the Dashade sent at him, Trevor redirected nine of them. All nine connected with some sort of equipment. The Dashade's blaster pistol was getting hot, and definitely low on power. He tried to grab another pistol. When he turned around, Trevor had run towards the hiding spot. Trevor timed his leap just as the Dashade emerged from his concealment. Trevor spun around in midair and landed behind the Dashade. The white blade split the Dashade nearly in two and it fell into a heap without being able to fire another shot.
Trevor disengaged his blade, and reflected quickly on his actions. They were born of desperation and a need to protect his Master and himself. However, there was still one more Dashade out there. Trevor was not sure if Shudo needed help, but wanted to follow his master's instructions. Trevor walked down the transport loading ramp and gazed at the warehouse. He concentrated on Shudo's lifeforce. Sensing Shudo was still there and in basically one piece, he maneuvered his vision up the back stairs, where Leftenant had entered, through a door, and into a large open area on the top floor of the warehouse, which was a large open area. Trevor's point of view showed a very different scene than what Trevor expected.
Shudo Laan had been a Jedi Master for many years and he needed every gram of experience to even be alive against Irrymahd. The two combantants had been battling for nearly fifteen minutes and the tension of the standoff was showing on both of their faces. Trevor noticed that Shudo was a neutral green color, with bits of red and orange flashing through his skin. Shudo's green blade whizzed through the air, blocking large pieces of debris, paristeel beams and any thing else Irrymahd needed keep Shudo more than arm's length away.
Irrymahd on the other hand looked angrier than Trevor had ever seen. The beast was nearly five meters tall, dwarving even Shudo. A large five-meter beam was in his arms and he was swinging it like a club at Shudo. Neither combatant could gain an advantage. Trevor noticed that Leftenant was crouched behind a storage container and was taking aim at Shudo. He nearly called out to Shudo, but he did not want to break his concentration. Shudo, however, did not need Trevor's assistance. As soon as Leftenant had a bead, he fired his weapon. Shudo, without even looking back, swung his blade over his head and parallel with his back, deflecting the shot back at Leftenant. The shock on the remainder of leftenant's face gave credence to Shudo's abilities.
Irrymahd and Shudo continued to dog one another for a few minutes more. As Irrymahd waved the beam like a club, Shudo took over half-meter pieces each time it swung close to him. Irrymahd got fed up with the beam and threw it at Shudo. Shudo ducked down and the beam went crashing into the wall, causing the brick and mortar to explode in a shower of debris on the outside. Shudo took a deep breath and moved into close combat range. Irrymahd, however, had a bit of a surprise for him. Irrymahd closed his eyes, reached out his hand, and blue lightning reach out of Irrymahd's hand and headed straight for Shudo's head. Shudo raised his lightsaber in defense and the lightning caught directly on Shudo's blade. Shudo moved in again, and Irrymahd fired Force lightning at the Anx once again. However, Shudo had a surprise of his own. Shudo reached out his hand, and captured the lightning into his hand. Shudo closed his eyes and the lightning dissipated right in front of Trevor's sight. Shudo then reached out his hand, and Irrymahd suddenly flew through the air, crashing through the outer wall and falling nearly forty meters onto a landing platform over the pit. Trevor switched his vision back to his point of view, and walked down the ramp, lightsaber drawn and lit. Irrymahd was definitely dazed, and Shudo walked up to the edge of the opening and followed downward, landing on his feet graceful as a cat. Shudo advanced on Irrymahd, saber up and ready. Irrymahd got to his feet slowly, still stunned by the sudden drop. Shudo whipped around, Irrymahd putting up a feeble defense, and Shudo slashed directly through Irrymahd's left shoulder, downwards to the right hip and through. Irrymahd took a step back, teetering on the edge. Shudo raised his hand one more time, and Irrymahd fell backwards, falling down into the Pit. The Pit was rumored to be bottomless. Trevor could not tell as he never heard the sound of Irrymahd's body crashing into anything. Shudo's breathing quickened as if he were physically exhausted. However, he twisted his neck around, saluted and, with a quick flick of his wrist, turned off the lightsaber and replaced it onto his belt.
Trevor walked over to the end of the platform and waited for his Master to step away from the edge where Irrymahd tumbled. Trevor sensed a great deal of anguish from Shudo over killing another, but Shudo also had a profound sense of peace about him. Knowing that it was kill or be killed seemed to sit well with Shudo. Shudo turned and saw his padawan at the end of the ramp.
"Been busy, Master?" Trevor knew that even slight levity help him when he needed it.
"Just a little, Padawan." Slight yellow coloring could be seen around the eyes and just under Shudo's crest.
"Master, you look tired." Trevor rested his hand upon Shudo, and attempted a Jedi healing skill. Shudo stood still, letting his padawan help. Shudo smiled at his padawan, knowing that he was trying to help. Shudo also realized that Trevor had not been successful in performing the task. Trevor realized immediately that he was not successful. Shudo placed his hand on Trevor. "Fear not, my padawan. Not all of the Jedi skills we have at our disposal work all the time. I appreciate your concern. Now, let me ask you. Have you been busy?"
Trevor took a few minutes to explain what took place and the pair walked towards the transport.
"I have not investigated the transport, Master. I was waiting for you finish your task." Trevor snickered, making light of the situation at hand.
"Well, since I'm done my task, let's see what information we can gather."
First the Jedi entered the apartment of the Dashade. Trevor was hoping to find the missing Sith artifact in the apartment, but no luck. In fact, nothing in the apartment even gave a clue as to who hired them. The Jedi pair then entered the transport's cargo bay, and were surprised by the amount of shipping containers were stored here. A smaller cargo container was opened, showing five empty droid silhouettes. Three more of these containers appeared in the cargo bay. Shudo directed Trevor to investigate the bridge of the ship. Trevor left the cargo bay and attempted to find out more information about the ship. Trevor's skills with computers came in handy, and he was able to get into the ship's astrogation computer. There were four recent entries into the log, but Trevor was unable to make them coherent. He searched the rest of the ship for any information regarding the owner. However, the computer systems seemed to be up to date. Trevor went back to report to Shudo what he found. Shudo was waiting for him in the cargo hold.
"It would seem that this transport was going somewhere." Shudo opened a rack where five more battle droids were stored. "There are more in those two containers. It would seem someone was supposed to get this as a shipment of some sort. We need to take this ship back to Coruscant."
"Master, I do not think I can handle this ship on my own, if that is what you were thinking."
"Actually, you wouldn't be handling it alone. E5 would be assisting you."
"That makes me feel better. My astrogation skills need honing."
"So does your flying, but that is another time." Shudo's yellow coloring came back in full swing.
"Master, please. I was still making payments on that ship." Trevor winked at Shudo.
"Contact E5 and have him meet us here."
The Crystal Phoenix arrived in short order, and E5 wheeled itself down the ramp towards the transport ship. Trevor and E5 went right to work on changing the designator of the ship to Emerald Unicorn. Shudo went aboard the Phoenix to prepare for take off. Trevor and E5 calculated the jump time, and with the Crystal Phoenix's computer system, double checked the coordinates and times. E5 squawked at Trevor, letting him know that he was ready to take off. Trevor nodded to E5, and contacted Shudo.
"Master, we are ready to take off when you are."
"We'll see you back on Coruscant, Trevor."
The trip back to Coruscant took longer than the trip to Metallos. Each ship with a hyperspace engine had different speed in which it could travel. The lower the rating on the ship, the faster it could travel. Unfortunately, the transport could only move at half the speed of the Phoenix. During the two hour trip back to Coruscant, Trevor reviewed the entire mission. It seemed as if there was something missing in the entire scheme of things. Trevor felt that some where, someone was getting some very good information, and if it wasn't going to be recovered quickly, innocent people would get hurt, and so would the Jedi Order.
Entry into the Jedi Temple was completely routine. Shudo had called when they entered Coruscant space, and a cadre of Jedi technicians were on hand to unload the transport. E5 and Trevor landed the transport in a rarely used hanger so as to make it easier to have search teams investigate every inch of the ship.
As Trevor exited the transport, Shudo waved him towards the turbolifts. E5 twittered at Trevor, and Trevor waved him towards the Phoenix. E5 whistled an affirmative, moving smoothly off to complete his tasks. Trevor walked towards the lifts and noticed that Shudo was standing near the Council's lift. Shudo opened the door without a word, and the two entered. Trevor was a bit tired from the mission and was still not comfortable in this role. Shudo stared straight ahead, his thoughts to himself. Trevor could read nothing but calm on Shudo.
The doors opened to the waiting area, and the chamber's doors were already open in anticipation of the comrades. The entire council was present for them, which Trevor found odd. At least two of the Council members had been on missions recently. Shudo strode into the chambers, and Trevor took his usual place on the first light colored ring. Shudo took up most of the center rings.
"Requested this meeting, you did Master Shudo. What is your report?" prompted Yoda.
"Master, I would like to give you a full accounting of the mission, but not from my eyes. I request that my Padawan, Trevor Gul'dan, give this debrief."
Trevor's stomach twitched and his skin crawled at Shudo's request. 'I got a bad feeling about this,' Trevor thought.
Master Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "Master Shudo, this is highly irregular."
"My apologies, Master Mundi, but the reasons will be clear by the end of the briefing."
Shudo turned towards Yoda and Mace Windu. The pair looked at one another in anticipation. Trevor noticed that Windu even raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Well, should we allow this to happen?"
Yoda turned towards the rest of the Council as well. Trevor kept his eyes on Yoda and the green Jedi Master turned towards Shudo. "Unusual this request is, Master Shudo. However, interested we are in hearing from your padawan."
Shudo turned towards Trevor and motioned him forward. "Now, Trevor, please give the Council a FULL accounting of the events on Metallos."
Trevor swallowed what seemed to be a Bantha-sized portion of air, and stepped forward. For the next fifteen minutes, Trevor gave Shudo and the Council the entire mission that he was involved in. When Trevor mentioned parts where Shudo had intersected his story, Shudo filled in the gaps on what he had been doing. Trevor's story about the death of Irrymahd was enhanced by Shudo's accounting. Trevor's voice wavered at the end, and Yoda raised his gimer stick cane to halt Trevor's dissertation.
"Performed well you have on this mission, Trevor Gul'dan. However, pieces missing from your story there are. Not mentioned your mission to Ilum was. Your mission successful it was?" Yoda's eyes bore into Trevor. Trevor felt Yoda's calming presence in his thoughts, and he bowed his head toward Yoda.
"With the Council's blessing, I would like to show you the results of my work at Ilum." Bowing to Masters Yoda and Windu, Trevor performed a Jedi salute with his lightsaber, activating it as it reached the apex. The collective awe in the Chamber was palpable. Trevor walked around the Chambers, stopping in front of the twelve members individually to allow them to inspect his lightsaber. From Yoda, he turned in a counter clockwise fashion ending with Master Windu. Each of the Council members bowed his or her head in acknowledgement of the feat Trevor had performed. Very few lightsabers had distinct qualities, only Mace Windu had a unique blade color. Trevor's blade coloring was truly distinct and it cause Mace Windu to exclaim, "Whoa." Trevor's skin crawled again on that proclamation, and disengaged the blade. He handed it to Master Windu for closer examination. Mace examined the hilt and the components. Yoda requested a closer inspection also, and Master Windu handed it to him without additional comment. Yoda looked the lightsaber over and nodded very clearly.
"Well done, Padawan Gul'dan. Very well done! Be mindful, this weapon part of you, and you part of it. Good care of it you must take." Yoda got down from his seat and walked towards Trevor.
"Ready, you are, for the Trials, I think. Hmm?"
Trevor's knees trembled with anticipation. It was time for him to go through the Jedi Trials? Is that what Master Shudo has been doing lately?
"Master, I thank you for this opportunity."
"Thank us not, for you need to prepare yourself. Take some time, Trevor Gul'dan. Remember your lessons, review them, and we will contact you when we are ready to begin," instructed Master Depa Billaba, who spoke to Trevor for the first time.
Trevor bowed to Yoda and to the other Council members, and stepped back to his normal place just behind Shudo. However, Shudo turned slightly and motioned Trevor to stand next to him. Trevor's lips could not completely hide the lopsided grin that came unbidden to his face. The next thought that entered Trevor's head was 'How do I prepare for something that I know nothing about?'
Shudo and Trevor stood silently with each other in the middle of the Council chambers, not having been dismissed yet. Yoda returned to his chair, grunting as he climbed back to his normal spot. Yoda nodded to Shudo, and the Anx returned the bow, turned and motioned Trevor out of the Council chambers. The pair exited the Chambers without a word, back to their quarters. Trevor's thoughts were on the upcoming Trials, and wondered how he would fair. Shudo had trained him well, and he had let Trevor perform more of the tasks during the last few missions. Trevor could certainly handle a lightsaber as well as constructing his own, two of the tasks necessary to become a full-fledged Jedi Knight. The remainder of the tasks still remained in front of Trevor, and he knew he would need to continue his studies. Maybe the rest of this clan could give him a clue as to where review was needed.