TRIAL OF A JEDI
For the next five days, Trevor's life became more stressful than ever before. The novelty of the Council's pronouncement that he was prepared to take the Trials had quickly worn off. That first day, rumors spread that a Nexu Padawan had been told to prepare for the Trials. The remaining members of Trevor's Nexu Clan were overjoyed to hear that another of their members was to take the Trials. That evening's meal was the most rowdy in a long time, Trevor thought. The talk was congratulatory and a bit louder than most nights. Many of the other clans took part in the celebrations as well, just to be nearer to the newly popular Miraluka. However, the celebrations were short-lived. Lessons needed to be reviewed, and class assignments that had fallen behind needed to be caught up. Trevor had always been a decent student, and he felt that these lessons might not be useful for the Trials, but they were necessary nonetheless.
The next two days were spent with his normal routine of drills, lessons and research. Trevor enjoyed the drills and dreaded the research. Each research assignment took longer each year and this week, Trevor could hardly keep his mind on the task at hand. Questions of how to prepare kept going through his mind, interrupting his tasks. Trevor spent more time each day meditating on the ways of the Force, and having a hard time sleeping each night. On the fifth morning, Trevor awoke with a desire to release his tension. He gathered his robes and lightsaber, stormed from his quarters and proceeded directly to the Jedi obstacle course. The obstacle course was used to train younger padawans in the ways of the Force. Barriers and other objects were placed on the course to train padawans to predict opponents and to use the Force in battle situations. Trevor detested the course as a younger Padawan, but the need for physical activity overrode Trevor's dislike.
Trevor went to the control room and asked the technician to set the obstacle course to the most difficult level. The technician raised his eyebrows, but did not ask any questions. Trevor took two minutes and cleared his mind completely, imaging the course and the ways to get around the obstacles. The Force flowed through him, giving him a premonition of the course ahead.
Shudo Laan awoke moments after Trevor left his room. The Jedi Master realized that Trevor's nerves were getting the best of him and moved quickly to follow his padawan. Knowing that Trevor had not been through this before caused some consternation for Shudo and the nervous energy he had felt from his padawan only increased Shudo's concern. Shudo walked to the obstacle course control room fifteen seconds before Trevor started the course. Shudo recognized the mantra Trevor was saying to himself. Shudo relaxed a bit, and regarded the technican.
"Master Shudo, he asked for the hardest level. I wanted to challenge him, but you said not to question him if he requested anything."
"Good, he needs to get his mind back on the task at hand."
Trevor felt a slight shift in the Force, realizing that Shudo was nearby. He blocked the feeling out, concentrating on the task at hand. The entire room was darkened, signaling Trevor to begin. Laserfire erupted from the upper portions of the corridor in front of Trevor. He ran forward, lightsaber ignited, deflecting the shots against the wall. He ran forward down the hall, gathering the Force to him, creating a well of power within him. Five more laser shots headed towards Trevor; however, he had jumped ahead with relative ease. Trevor continued to dodge, weave, jump, deflect and tumble his way across the obstacle course. Shudo watched his padawan, and realized that he was physically ready for the task that the Council would provide. Shudo did not even know of the Council's plan, but was convinced that Trevor would make a fine Jedi, provided he could pass the next part of the tests.
The midday meal was genuinely uneventful, but the company was certainly entertaining. Trevor contacted his clanmates who had already become Jedi Knights to pick their brains. Sitting on Trevor's left was R'We'Nok, a male Kajain'sa'Nikto. Next to him was Noa Aquila, a man of nearly Trevor's height. Both Noa and R'We'Nok worked out of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and were very good friends with Trevor. Also at the table was Dutana N'kai, a female Arcona, and Kymber Thomree, a human woman who was Shudo's previous padawan. Kymber was unique by the fact that she took the Trials very early in her padawanship and passed with flying colors. Kymber and Trevor were very close in age, nearly two Standard years apart. Kymber was the elder, but the two shared the common bond of being Shudo's padawans. Kymber helped Trevor through many different assignments and was a superb mentor. Trevor felt that she would have been the consummate big sister so he had asked her to meet him for lunch. She and the others were waiting for Trevor to begin.
"Thank you all for taking your midday meal with me. I have a question to ask each of you. As you know I have been informed that I will be taking the Trials." Trevor took a deep breath at this point. "How did you all prepare for your Trials?"
Noa was the first to respond. "Trevor, these Trials are based on what you know of the Force. I had a hard time with parts of mine, but do not make any assumptions. My mission was to Alan help!
R'We'Nok nodded at Noa's dissertation. "I agree. The Masters want to challenge you in such a way to see how well you can adjust. Keep your wits about you. My mission had a bit of a twist in that …….. Alan, more help here.
The communications continued for nearly twenty minutes. Trevor relaxed, realizing that he was being just a bit childish. Every Padawan experiences these challenges, and they were even a little fearful. Trevor knew that he'd met the same opponent twice in the last four missions, and he'd improved quite a bit since then.
Trevor turned his face towards Kymber, giving her the impression that he was looking at her. "Kymber, what kind of mission would Shudo have for me?"
Kymber turned her blue eyes towards Trevor. She had the look of someone who wanted to tell everything. She knew Trevor wanted to be reassured, but also knew that Shudo would want Trevor to stay on edge to give him a better realization of what was at stake.
"Don't worry, Trevor. Shudo has made sure that you are ready for this. He's trained you and made you into who you are today. He has the full confidence that you will pass." In a louder voice, she said, "Haven't you, Master Shudo?"
Trevor whipped his vision around, and noticed Shudo Laan standing in the doorway of the cafeteria. Shudo's coloring was bright yellow, and a smile lit up his face. Trevor never even noticed Shudo's presence in the Force. Shudo nodded to Trevor and walked away. Trevor's face broke out into a smile. For all the worrying that he had been doing, Shudo would not have let him get this far on his own; he was ready.
The next day consisted of mostly research within the Jedi Archives. Trevor spent from sunrise to well through the afternoon researching a variety of topics, from a dissertation on how to use the Force to change people's thoughts to midichlorian tests. Jocasta Nu responded to every request Trevor asked about, and gave clear answers. Trevor was grateful for Nu's knowledge of the Archives and the answers he could find both from her and the rest of the archives. The late afternoon was dedicated to lightsaber drills. Trevor gave himself fully to the Force; going through every drill he had ever been taught. Some of the younger students stopped their drills and watched Trevor's motions. The white lightsaber cut through the air faster and faster, causing the blade to create a constant whine. The concentration was so intense that Mace Windu walked into the room, and Trevor never even noticed. The dark-skinned Jedi Weapons Master regarded the Padawan through the Force and was pleased to see that even his presense did not disturb him.
Trevor took his evening meal in his quarters. The solitude of the apartment was not overbearing and Trevor decided that he had enough of this and would do some meditation tomorrow to see if the Force would provide some answers. He cleaned up the flatware and turned in early. Sleep overtook him quickly and he slept soundly through the night.
Trevor's chronometer showed it was two hours past sunrise. Sleep fell away quickly. Trevor made himself a cup of stimcaf and ate sparingly. He cleaned up his dishes and dressed himself in a simple Jedi smock and loose fitting trousers. He cleared away most of the sparse furnishing in the living area and sat down in the middle of the room cross-legged. He placed his hands on his knees and changed his vision to 'see' nothing. He found during the years of meditation that having the Force to use as a way of seeing caused some problems for him when he needed to concentrate. He learned to 'shut his vision', similar to a human shutting her eyes. All he saw was blackness. He concentrated his mind on the Force and proceeded to follow the flow of the Force within himself and through his surroundings. Time had no meaning for Trevor as he became one with the Force through his meditation.
A sudden tweep-tweep from the door and a strong familiar presence within the Force energized Trevor. Master Shudo was standing outside his door.
"Trevor, the Council wishes to see you. Now. Come as you are."
Shudo turned immediately and walked towards the turbolifts. Trevor thought about running back into his apartment, but then realized that Shudo expected his command to be obeyed. So Trevor left his lightsaber in his room, feeling that he would not need it for this test. 'Well, what else could it be,' thought Trevor.
The turbolift doors opened to the waiting area of the Jedi Council. Sunlight streamed in from the paristeel above the waiting area. The sky seemed extra blue this day, but Trevor's thoughts were quickly corralled back to the present. 'Tension was not what was needed here today, calm,' thought Trevor. 'No matter how much I study, I must be ready for anything.' Trevor then began to repeat the Jedi Code, though simplistic, Trevor thought that the answers he would need could be found there. He repeated to himself, 'There is no emotion, there is peace; There is no ignorance, there is knowledge; there is no passion, there is serenity; there is no death, there is the Force.'
The entire Jedi Council waited Trevor's arrival. Shudo Laan stood by the entrance to the Council Chambers, just inside the archway, behind the seat of Yarael Poof. A Jedi Master was always present during the Triasl, both to see if his or her padawan would succeed but also to learn where they could better teach the ways of the Force to the next Padawan that they may have. Trevor walked directly to the center of the Chamber. He stood on the innermost circle within the design on the floor. There were many circles woven through the floor pattern, each circle designating the importance the speaker had to the Council members. Today, Trevor stood directly in the middle and faced Masters Yoda and Windu. Jedi Knight Ki-Adi-Mundi was to Yoda's right and Plo Koon sat next to Mace Windu.
"Welcome to our council, Trevor Gul'dan. You have been summoned here to take the Jedi Trials," began Mace Windu. "As you know, these Trials are given to those who are deemed ready to be recognized as Jedi Knights, protectors of peace throughout the galaxy. Are you prepared to begin?"
"Master, I am" was the simple reply; the only one Trevor could successfully get out of his suddenly dry mouth.
"Very well." Windu nodded his head to Yoda, and the wizened Jedi Master got down from his seat, and proceeded to guide a chest from behind his seat. He opened the chest and showed Trevor four globes, each of a milky white and the size of a training remote. Yoda lifted them up in his hand, and placed them directly on the ground in front of him. Yoda turned to Mace, and nodded.
"On the floor in front, as you can see, there are four globes. Each one has something in it. Please tell us which one contains a life force."
Trevor searched his memory to find the answer to the puzzle. Changing his vision to look inside each of the globes would not work because they would be too close for him to be able to focus, similar to a human holding something too close to her eyes. Trevor switched his vision to see the Force, and was rewarded with two positive Force readings. From Trevor's position, the right most globe seemed to be the one that was brightest, but the second from the left also had some Force readings from it. The presence was certainly powerful enough to be a living object, but Trevor realized that this presense was steady. Trevor looked at the globes through the force one more time, and pointed to the rightmost globe. "That one a has a life force in it."
Mace Windu nodded to Yoda, and Yoda proceeded to place the globes back into the case. When Yoda was done packing the globes, he turned towards Trevor. "Hide yourself from others you may have to. Cloak yourself from the Force you must do."
Trevor's mind raced. This seemed somewhat familiar; he'd done this when he was a youngling with…Master Yoda. He turned his face towards Yoda, who was watching Trevor, gauging when he'd be ready. Yoda had taught his Clan how to do this early on in their training. It actually had been a good time. The idea was to blanket yourself in the Force to protect you from someone else watching or sensing another through the Force. Trevor's memory filled with the technique when Yoda closed his eyes, beginning the test.
Yoda's Force sight discerned the different members of the Council. He saw Trevor's presence clearly in the Force. Yoda reached through the Force to touch the padawan's Force energy. Trevor immediately felt Yoda's gentle touch, and tried to cloak himself. However, Yoda was still able to sense Trevor's appearance. Trevor took a deep calming breath, and concentrated for a moment. Yoda saw him very clearly one moment, then had it slip away. Yoda reached forward through the Force to the place where Trevor was standing. Trevor gently redirected the push to another direction. The Jedi Instructor recognized that Trevor was completely shrouded from Force-sight, and nodded to Trevor. "Remembered your lessons you did," Yoda said, with a gentle cackle in his voice.
Trevor nodded to the aged Jedi Master, and waited patiently for him to return to his seat. However, Yoda surprised Trevor by walking back to the container of globes. He picked one up and held it in his hand. Turning around, he held the globe out to Trevor. "Open this you must. However, first unlock the secret of this globe to open its contents." Yoda realized that Trevor could use his sight from anywhere, so he adjusted the globe to cover the latch with his hands. Yoda and Trevor smiled at each other, and a laugh escaped Trevor. Yoda nodded at him to begin, and Trevor began to concentrate on the problem at hand. He could not look at the latch because Yoda was covering it. However, there was no limitation to Trevor taking the globe out of Yoda's hand. Trevor lifted his hand and attempted to pull the globe from Yoda's hand. Yoda's hand moved forward a few centimeters, but he pulled the globe back toward his body.
"Again." Yoda said simply. Trevor turned his head to the side, trying to look at the problem from a different angle. Suddenly the solution presented itself: Trevor realized that Yoda prevented him from pulling it from his hand. What about lifting it? Trevor reached out, turned his hand upward and lifted the globe from Yoda's hand. Yoda smiled, closed his eyes and nodded at Trevor. Trevor floated the globe across the room into his hand. The latch was simple and Trevor immediately opened the globe, curiosity getting the best of him.
The interior, however, was empty. Trevor searched the globe again to make sure he did not miss anything. Yoda turned his face toward Trevor. "The interior you must describe for the Council. What is in it?" Trevor thought about it, and was repeating the Jedi Code. Fortunately for him, the answer was in the Code. "The Force," replied Trevor. Yoda smiled at Trevor and nodded. Yoda turned to Mace Windu, and they both nodded to others.
"Trevor Gul'dan, you have made it through the first part of the Trials. Continue your studies and prepare for a mission. We will advise you of your next mission shortly. You are dismissed."
Trevor bowed to the Council and left the room with Master Shudo in tow. Not a word was said between Shudo and Trevor the entire way. Trevor wanted to ask, but Shudo shook his head at Trevor's unspoken request. The silence continued to Trevor's door. Shudo opened the door and motioned fro Trevor to walk in. As Trevor walked through the threshold, Shudo whispered, "Well done, Trevor. Well done indeed." And the door closed immediately after.
The next afternoon, Trevor was walking down the hallway of the Jedi Temple when he heard the familiar click-clack of a gimer stick cane. Trevor stopped and waited for Master Yoda to catch up.
"Prepared you are, Trevor Gul'dan?"
"I am as prepared as I can be, Master Yoda. Everything I try and concentrate, something distracts me. I am focusing on my exercises, and Master Shudo has been very helpful. However, he's been very close lipped about what might be coming."
"In this, help you I can. A message you shall receive this evening. Your assignment has been chosen."
Trevor bowed to Yoda to mask the excitement that he was feeling in his stomach.
"Ready you think but be prepared for surprises, padawan."
"Yes, Master Yoda. I shall be prepared."
Yoda bowed to Trevor. "May the Force be with you!"
Trevor was cleaning up his apartment from his evening meal when his comstation twittered at him. Trevor bounded from the cleaning area to the door in a matter of seconds. The message looked odd, not having Shudo's name on it. The realization that he was nearing the final step in becoming a Jedi finally dawned on Trevor. He took a deep breath, and calmed himself before reading the mission brief. It read:
MISSION ASSIGNMENT
In six days, the daughter of King Dolimus Ulosa of the Therazzu species of Xeddon-Nine will arrive at the planet Pelior in the Mid Rim. She will be attending the twelfth-annual Cryslev Classic podrace. The Princess is a strong supporter of the famous Therazzu podracer, Zinonyx, and has arranged to attend the races despite the protests of the King. King Dolimus is currently dealing with numerous long-lasting political tangles, and has become suspicious of any alleged threats or possible dangers. The King currently suspects that he or his daughter may be the target of any variety of mercenaries, bounty hunters or assassins, despite the fact that he has no real evidence of such a plot. He fears that the Princess may be kidnapped or even assassinated in order to gain leverage against him.
The Council has agreed to provide a Jedi guardian for the Princess during her stay on Pelior. The threat risk is believed to be minimal, but the Supreme Chancellor has personally requested our assistance in a show of good faith toward the Therazzu regency. Travel to Pelior system via Whitecloak is estimated to take approximately 126 hours (5 days 6 hours). Immediate departure is recommended.
-END MESSAGE-
Detailed information about the Pelior system and Princess Azulia Ulosa were accessible as well. Trevor inserted a datacard and downloaded the information for better review later. He also made a request of the Jedi Archives for a list of all bounty hunters in the Pelior system within the most recent year. While the information was being retrieved, Trevor gathered his Jedi gear together. He placed his own lightsaber on his belt, and gathered up his older lightsaber, knowing that having two lightsabers is better than one. He placed it into a small sachel and headed out of his apartment. No one greeted him as he made his way towards the turbolift. The doors opened, discharging its passengers. Trevor entered alone, but feeling energized by the fact that he was able to gather what information he could. He pulled out his datapad and inserted the datacard with Pelior's information with the intent of reviewing it. However, the doors opened to the hanger bay much too quickly for Trevor's liking.
Shudo was waiting for Trevor in the Whitecloak landing area. The bay was crowded with many smaller ships in various displays of repair. Shudo was talking with a technician about something when Trevor neared. Shudo nodded to the tech and turned toward Trevor.
"Trevor, I wish you the best on this mission. I hope to be here when you get back. Good luck. May the Force be with you."
"Thank you, Master. May the Force be with you, also. I will see you upon my return."
Trevor opened the top hatch of the Whitecloak fighter and noticed that R2-E5 was strapped into the back seat of the ship. Trevor turned with surprise. "Master? E5 is coming along?"
"Yes, E5 is going with you. I felt that he would benefit you on your travels."
"I'll return him safely, Master"
"I know you will, Trevor. I must go. Good luck!"
Trevor entered the ship and stowed his gear in a compartment under his seat. E5 closed the hatch and began the start up sequence. Trevor requested clearance from the control tower and asked E5 to begin the engine start sequence. Shudo stood off to one side as the Whitecloak engines began to lightup. Trevor assisted E5 where he could, but knowing that his piloting skills could use some work he left the work to E5. E5 twittered that he was ready when the tower cleared Trevor for take-off. Once the platform had extended outside the Jedi Temple, the Whitecloak flew off into the Coruscant sky, heading up through the atmosphere towards the Jedi hyperspace windows. E5 and Trevor scanned for traffic and checked the area for their hyperspace window. Two green lights blinked in the distance, indiciating where the Whitecloak needed to go. E5 banked the fighter, lined it up with the indicators, and launched the Whitecloak into hyperspace. Trevor was now on his first solo mission.
The excitement of being on his first solo mission dissipated very quickly. Trevor pulled out the datapad and studied the Pelior system. The interesting part of the entire database was Pelior was an oceanic planet. Massive ice-floes littered the icy seas that covered the planet. One of the major export of Pelior was the repulsorlift technology that was common throughout the galaxy. Another interesting fact was that with the ice floes around the planet, each podrace would have a different configuration. Trevor also studied the face of Princess Azulia and noticed that the most interesting parts of the Therazzu species were the coloring of their skin and the long pointed ears. Princess Azulia stood approximately 1.65 meters in height and was about 23 standard years. The feline look of the Therazzu made them stand out in a crowd. Her face in the datapad showed grim determination, but not arrogance, which gave Trevor hope. He studied the data for nearly two hours. The trip was going to last five days, at least. Trevor decided that to make the journey faster, he would place himself in a Jedi meditative state that would keep him alive, without taxing the life support system.
"E5, notify me if something goes wrong, or we are half way to our destination, which ever comes first."
E5 whistled and beeped. The translator gave Trevor E5's positive response. Trevor smiled, leaned back, and let himself drift into the Jedi Trance for the next two days.
Trevor awoke to the gentle whistling of E5. It took Trevor nearly a minute to get reacquainted with his surroundings. Even though it had been nearly two days to reach this point, Trevor still felt the need to look around and adjust. E5's socket inside the fighter actually gave Trevor more room than normal. Trevor performed some stretching exercises to keep his muscles fresh. After querying E5 as to the status of the trip, which was normal, Trevor gave E5 instructions to wake up as they were about to come out of hyperspace. Trevor went back into his trance. E5 continued to pilot the ship, and recalculated the remainder of the trip, gaining time with each minor calculation.
The remainder of the trip was extremely boring to E5, if he were to have any feelings whatsoever. The fact that it was piloting a smaller ship made it easier for E5 to adjust their course and to get to their destination quicker. E5 twittered at Trevor three minutes before arrival in Pelior space. Trevor rotated his head around his neck after waking, and notice the chronometer that their trip took just under five days.
"Good work, E5. We've made it here early."
E5 responded, "Thank you. Time to sublight, one minute."
"Ok, let me take a handle at this. If I get into trouble, bail me out, okay?"
A few beeps and whistles from E5 caused Trevor to smile, after looking at the translator. "No, E5, I'm fine. I just feel like I need to do something."
Starlines turned to dots, and Pelior rushed into view. The large blue planet filled the view screen in moments, and Trevor could see that the information contained on the datapad was certainly correct. The entire planet was covered with water, from pole to pole. Giant icebergs were seen floating on the ocean surface. Trevor reviewed his datapad and questioned E5 as to the location of Pelior Station, the meeting place and headquarters for the Cryslev Podrace. Trevor followed the coordinates towards the station. Within three minutes, a large pyramid-shaped floating city floated in the middle of the ocean. Ships could be seen flying around the outside. The water was so clear that Trevor noticed the underside of the station dropped into the depths of the ocean. While circling the station, Trevor noticed that crystals of various sizes were floating up from the ocean depths. Recalling the information on his datapad, Trevor realized that these crystals must be the raw materials for repulsorlift technology.
Trevor was contemplating how the Peliorites gathered the crystals when the Pelior Station Traffic control made contact.
"Whitecloak Seven-Five-Nine, this is Pelior Station Traffic Contol. What is your destination?"
"Pelior Station Traffic Control, Whitecloak Seven-Five-Nine. I am looking for permission to land on Pelior Station. Authorization transmitting now."
"Trasmission received, Whitecloak Seven-Five-Nine. Welcome to Pelior. First time here TG?"
"Sorry for the sidetrip, Control. Yes, it is my first time here."
"Commence landing in section sub level 18. North landing area. You should be seeing the landing lights now."
Trevor had been circling the station about 10 kilometers away from the station in a counterclockwise fashion. The landing lights Control mentioned blinked quickly to Trevor's left. Trevor guided his ship through the initial landing area for larger capitol ships. Landing Control guided him to a shaft in the middle of the platform, which allowed him to hover the ship down into the bowels of the landing bay. Trevor dropped down seventeen levels when Landing Control told him to guide his ship forward and into an open area nearly fifty meters deeper into the station. Trevor landed the ship, and breathed deeply. The fact that the ship was no real worse for wear made Trevor feel that it was certainly a better trip than Ilum.
Trevor opened the canopy, and disembarked from the fighter. E5 started to leave the ship when Trevor waved him to stay put. E5 quickly questioned the reasons, and Trevor responded, "I need someone I can trust to watch the ship."
"I am the only one here"
"True, but who else could I trust?" With that, Trevor left E5 with the security of the Whitecloak. It would not make any sense to have the ship unattended, but no stone unturned, as Shudo would preach. Trevor walked towards the landing level dockhand, and asked the location of the landing control officer was. With immediate directions, Trevor made his way towards the upper levels.
The Landing Control Office was controlled chaos. Trevor entered the main office and no less than fifteen people were busily moving from one side of the room to the other. Trevor inquired as to where the landing master was located and immediately rewarded with the man himself. He was a tall human, with graying hair. Trevor introduced himself, and the two walked over to one side of the counter.
"I am wondering if the Princess Azulia Ulosa is supposed to arriving here soon, and I was wondering where her ship would be landing."
"Ah! I figured a Jedi like you'd want to know. Here on business, eh?"
Trevor just smiled at him, and the landing officer didn't push.
"It looks like she has not yet arrived. Would you like me to notify you when she does get here?"
"Yes, that would be fine. Here's my com frequency. Please let me know as soon as she has contacted you. I would like to there waiting for her when she arrives."
"No problem. Glad to help."
The two parted ways, and Trevor decided that he would take a walk around the station. Many supporters of the podracers entered were already gathering in the streets, dancing and parting. Trevor took a long trip around the station, and got acclimated with the surroundings. It wasn't much in the way of reconnaissance, but he didn't expect a great deal. Something, however, was nagging him. Why did the Council give him such an easy assignment? There had to be something deeper than just protecting the princess. Maybe there would be an attack on her life, but no evidence supported it. Never hurts to be careful.
Trevor spent the night in a sleeping berth near the main landing area. It was cheap, but comfortable. He awoke the next morning, ate a quick meal and paid his bills. He left the inn, as it was called, and headed towards the landing area. As he neared the main area, a call came in, notifying him that Princess Azulia's ship had just made contact, and would be landing in Docking Bay 5, along with Zinonyx's ship. The fact that both ships arrived together confirmed that Azulia was a strong supporter of Zinonyx. Trevor thought he might get to see what the great Zinonyx looked like, but reminded himself of his mission.
He walked into the docking bay at the same time that Princess' ship entered. Trevor stood by the main door, watching the ship land with ease. Trevor detached himself from the door when the loading ramp dropped down, discharging its passengers. Princess Azulia was certain very prominent in the group, as she stood dwarved by her entourage. Azulia's coloring was even more bluish than Trevor remembered, and she walked with a regal bearing, but not overly so. Trevor stopped four meters away from Azulia and her group.
"Princess Azulia, I am Trevor Gul'dan."
"You are the Jedi that was sent to protect me?" the princess inquired, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"Yes, Your Highness. I have been assigned that task."
"It would seem that the Galactic Republic is trying to influence my father in some way."
"I would not know, Your Highness. My job is to protect you, and that is what I intend to do."
"Very well," Azulia nearly dismissed Trevor as being a nuisance when a tall man walked forward to Trevor. "The Princess may seem disinterested in your presence, Master Jedi, but I for one am glad to see you. Captain Davin Williams, I am with King Dolimus' security detachment. Welcome!"
Captain Williams shook Trevor's hand with warmth and relief. Princess Azulia turned away from the pair. "She's not always like this, you know."
"I am sure that she understands the need, just feels that it inconveniences her," Trevor responded. The two smiled at the inside information, and the entourage moved toward the main entrance. The doors opened and a welcoming delegation met them just inside the corridor. Two of the main dignitaries walked right up to Princess Azulia.
A tall human woman started. "Welcome, Princess Azulia of Xeddon-Nine, welcome. I am Yara Chun, CEO of the Cryslev Corporation, sponsor of this race. It is both a pleasure and an honor to have you here for the race."
A Syngathi, a bipedal, sea-horse type male, bowed his head and spoke halting Basic. "I am Clanspeaker Teryx, and welcome to Pelior Station. We have honor of leading you to your quarters during your stay. If there is need of things…"
Trevor got the distinct impression for Azulia that was used to this sort of introduction, but got quickly bored with it. Trevor, in his reconnoitering, had identified the heads of companies running the podrace. These two were the leading dignitaries and could be seen all over the station. The large group walked towards a large bank of turbolifts and the three heads of state proceeded to enter one turbolift. The doors closed before Trevor could get there, so he boarded the one with the remainder of Azulia's staff. They traveled towards the upper levels where most of the dignitaries from other worlds would rent penthouses for themselves. Azulia's family rented one of these apartments where Azulia could be in comfort. Trevor walked into the room and did an initial search of all the rooms in the apartment. Azulia dismissed the two dignitaries, with all the dignity of a paristeel beam, but they politely bowed out to give Azulia some time to recover. Trevor entered the apartment first with Captain Williams to verify that no one was in the room. Azulia immediately turned to Chun and Teryx.
"Thank you for the impromptu histories of your respective organizations. If you would excuse me, I would like to rest." And with that turned and walked away. The pair bowed gracefully and backed away from the front door. Azulia marched directly to her quarters, and closed the main door. Trevor realized that he'd been staring at the Princess, and shook his head. This assignment was certainly not going to be a cakewalk, and if they were to get separated, Trevor wanted to have a better idea on Azulia's personality. Trevor concentrated on Azulia's presence in the Force, to get a better idea of the princess hidden personality. What surprised Trevor most were not the layers of personality, but the strong adventurous feelings flowing for the other room. That would certainly make her stand out in the Force. Trevor assisted Captain Williams and the rest of the staff getting settled for the next few minutes, and then sat down in a corner chair to rest and placed himself through some mental meditation exercises. It was going to be a long night, he thought.
The door to Azulia's quarters opened quickly after nearly a half an hour. Azulia walked into the main greeting area in a gown decorated with the colors of Zinonyx. Trevor stood as she approached him.
"I am going down to the Crystal Drift. Are you going to stop me?" she challenged.
"No, but I am going with you."
She looked at Trevor and he kept his nose pointed directly at her. She nodded her acceptance of Trevor's statement. "I will be bringing with me one handmaiden, if that's alright with you."
"Princess, you do what you like. I am going to be near enough to you to protect you. That is my job, and I am going to do it to the best of my ability."
Azulia's eyes narrowed, and her mouth formed a small smile. "We'll see," she purred. The trio left the apartment. Trevor notified Captain Williams that the Princess was leaving the apartment and he was accompanying her. Williams' voice portrayed that he didn't like the idea, but the fact that the Jedi contacted him made it easier to accept. Azulia knew exactly where she was going, and Trevor had a distinct impression of the location of the Crystal Drift. As they approached the cantina, it was apparent that all the racers made an appearance here. Mobs of people were waiting for their favorite racer to make an appearance. Bouncers at the doors kept most of the patrons out, but allowed Azulia's group to pass without hinderance. They looked Trevor over for any weapons, but Trevor just looked at them, not forcing his influence at all. They waved him through and he nodded his head at them. They were just doing their job, which he could respect.
The interior of the Crystal Drift was definitely busy. Azulia was waved over to a group of young ladies dressed similarly to Azulia. They immediately got together and were soon laughing at a joke shared amongst friends. Trevor keep his back to the group and keep his vision squarely around the room. Most everyone was engaged in conversations and kept to their own group. Trevor turned back to Azulia and her company when he suddenly realized that Azulia was walking across the room. He started to get up, but realized that she was just mingling around the room. There was nothing here that was of interest, except the outer walls, which were made of double paristeel and gave patrons a view of the water world and the crystals drifting from the core of the planet. Trevor watched a small crystal come darting up through the water, passing a larger portion. He turned back towards Azulia as she made her way back to her group.
A sudden disturbance near Azulia broke Trevor's reverie. A Shistovanian was making very loud comments, uncomprehendable from this distance. Trevor stood from his seat and walked over to where Azulia was last seen. The Shistovanian now could be heard much clearer, shouting at a young man in a strangely familiar hat
"ARE YOU TELLING HIM THAT I SPILLED YOUR DRINK?"
"No, I told you that I apologize for spilling my drink. I –"
"I THINK YOU ARE CALLING ME A LIAR"
The Shistovanian looked very agitated. The young man took a step back away from the Shistovanian. The Shistovanian walked forward to the young man, almost raising his gourd-sized fist in an aggressive manner. Trevor knew that if a bar fight broke out, Azulia might be hurt, and he couldn't have that. Trevor stepped forward, grabbed his lightsaber and ignited it between the antagonists.
Silence descended on the cantina with the hiss-snap of Trevor's white blade. The darkened room exploded with light as Trevor stood, not moving his saber towards either of the two. The young man turned his face towards Trevor, and a familiar Force surge immediately registered to Trevor that the young man was a Miraluka. The custom-designed blindfold was hidden beneath the hat, and the other Miraluka's vision washed over Trevor once, twice, giving Trevor the impression that the Miraluka was staring in disbelief. Neither of the three said a word. The Miraluka nodded his head, and Trevor nodded his, acknowledging the racial bond they shared. The Miraluka walked away from Trevor and the Shistovanian back to his table. Trevor could feel the stares from the other Miraluka from the table, and the group of five left the cantina, posthaste. Trevor disengaged his saber and turned towards the Shistovanian.
"I DID NOT NEED YOUR HELP!" he moved directly into Trevor's face and shouted.
"I wasn't helping you. But you want to think that way, be my guest." Trevor calmly responded, knowing that he had given his anonymity away. He did not want to fight this creature, which was dressed, Trevor could now discern, in a flight suit marked with colors of another racer. The Shistovanian's breath reeked of alcohol and other spirits. Trevor thought that this was not the way to becoming a Jedi. He protected the Miraluka because in the end, it would protect Azulia.
The Shistovanian waved his hand and moved away from Trevor, back to his seat. Trevor breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find Azulia. Unfortunately, Trevor's relief turned to anguish almost immediately. Azulia had disappeared.
Trevor realized that he was holding his breath and exhaled deeply. He shook his head at his lack of concentration at the situation. He took a moment, turned his vision inward and reviewed the entire encounter. He had seen Azulia backing away, but the face, upon further review, showed that she was not afraid, just calculating. Trevor shook himself back to the present and bolted out of the Crystal Drift.
The crowd parted as Trevor turned around. Trevor did not realize how many more people had crowded into the cantina during the fiasco. Everyone moved back to allow Trevor quicker access to the door. The bouncers at the front door, who had moved inside to break up the ruckus, realized that the best way to help, was to open a way for the stone-faced Jedi. Trevor nodded to them and continued outside. The crowds outside were thicker than ever. The nighttime brought out the revelers in droves. Each of the racer's public relations teams promoted their products well by the thickness of the crowd. Trevor moved his vision first north, then south along the busy crowded street. He could not see anyone even remotely resembling Azulia. Trevor took a moment and concentrated on the crowd. Azulia was an adventurous sort, and Trevor remembered that her Force signature was very unique. It should give him a very good idea of where she had gone. Trevor breathed deeply and concentrated, right in the middle of the street. People and beings changed to different colors in Trevor's vision. The Force showed Trevor a strong adventurous spirit heading north, towards a bank of turbolifts. Trevor moved quickly to intercept.
Crowds jostled him, but eventually he made it to the turbolifts. He spotted Azulia and the handmaiden getting on board the most recent turbolift. Not many people were using them, and Trevor was able to get through this crowd much easier than before. Azulia's lift closed before he could get near enough to stop her. Trevor spotted another door opening, and heading to it, intent on following her. Ahead, her lift stopped, and Trevor hit the button for the floor with enough time for the lift to stop. Trevor exited the turbolift and caught a glimpse of the handmaiden heading around a corner. He moved quickly down the corridor, heading, he realized, towards the capitol ship landing area. Trevor was perplexed, but realized that he was not going to be able to make it to the door. He gathered himself and, using the Force, propelled himself towards the door, barely sliding under the door as it closed.
With very little time left, Trevor saw Azulia and the handmaiden walking up the ramp to Zinonyx's ship. Trevor was scrambled to his feet, and ran as quietly as possible. The ramp was being raised as Trevor got halfway across the hanger. Trevor gathered himself yet again, and literally threw himself onto the landing platform. Trevor bunched himself into a ball and rolled onto the ramp and into the ship before the ramp met the ship's hull, sealing Trevor in a fairly big cargo hold. A blue and green podracer stood in the middle of the hold, with open compartments and tools littering the ground. Oil slicks could be seen, but they did not seem to be actively growing. A noise coming from the forecastle of the ship reminded Trevor of his mission. He took his lightsaber into his hand, and stealthily moved toward the sound. He made his way toward a group of lockers and peered around the corner.
A pile of clothing was stacked on a bench located between two rows of lockers. Trevor was about ten meters away from Azulia, who had quickly changed into a blue-green podracer's suit. Trevor's mind clicked and realized that Azulia WAS Zinonyx. She must have been carrying this façade out for years. Zinonyx was well known throughout podracing circles. Trevor put away his lightsaber and carefully watched as Azulia walked away from Trevor's position, leaving her helmet on the bench. Trevor reached out with the Force and picked it up, moving it into his grasp. He stood very still as Azulia/Zinonyx approached the bench. She had tied a bandana over her head and goggles were draped around her neck. She reached blindly for the helmet, and when she turned to look for the helmet, Trevor spoke.
"Looking for this?" Trevor asked, holding up the helmet.
Azulia / Zinonyx quickly reached back for the blaster that was hidden at her side, but realized that her cover had been undone. She relaxed her hand, and her shoulders slumped forward.
"How long have you known?" she asked.
"About three minutes. Care to tell me what is going on?"
"I don't think you'd understand."
"Try me."
Azulia looked at Trevor's skullcap / masked face and sat down on the bench. "All my life, I have had things given to me, and I wanted to see the world. Without bodyguards and the trappings of my life. I wanted to be my own person, not just a ruler of people. I have a few ideas that I would like to persue, but Father just would not hear of them. So, I got into podracing and am very good at it." Azulia turned her face upward, tears glistening in her eyes at finally being caught redhanded. "What are you going to do?"
Trevor knew that this was the biggest decision he would have to make. His job was very clear; protect the Princess from harm. But nowhere in the mandate did it say protect her from herself. Trevor, with sudden insight, knew that his place was not between father and daughter. Trevor walked over, and handed the helmet to Azulia.
"I am here to protect you from harm, not intercede on family affairs. You have chosen this path, and I cannot be the one to force you from it. However, you need to be honest with your father as you may be leading your people in the near future without his guidance. Be honest with him, and discuss your ideas rationally as a peer and as the ruler of your people. Show him you are ready to lead by example, not just telling him of ideas. Sometimes the right path, of the things you have done. I would strongly caution you of this course of action, but I cannot stop you."
Azulia reached out for the helmet and thanked Trevor for his discretion.
"We now have a problem, though," she smirked.
"Oh? What's that?" Trevor's eyebrows raised in concern.
"We need to let Zinonyx be seen. She is expected to make an appearance soon."
It was Trevor's turn to be concerned. A few thoughts twittered in his mind, when an idea struck him. "Does your handmaiden know your secret?"
Azulia turned, "Yes, she does. She's had to."
"Let's use that to our advantange," and Trevor quickly outlined the plan.
The Crystal Drift was more packed than before. Trevor and the handmaiden, Abithat, returned to the cantina, alone. Trevor's face was as stone faced as when he left, and the handmaiden looked as if she were going to jail. Trevor guided her to a small table near the back of the room. The plan was really very simple; Trevor and Abithat would return the Crystal Drift, acting as if Azulia was not feeling well. Zinonyx would make her appearance and spend ninty minutes making the rounds, then would try and search for Azulia. Trevor and Abithat would tell Zinonyx that Azulia was not feeling well, but they would be willing to bring Zinonyx to her. Azulia had agreed, because not only was she able to continue the charade, but she also felt that she was not in trouble with a Jedi. Trevor was not completely certain about this course of action, but knew that he had no business interfering in a family affair. Azulia was grown up, but King Dolimus did not see that. Trevor could see that she had some wonderful ideas, of which she discussed during the planning session back on the Zinonyx's ship. The walk back to the Drift was stressful for Abithat; she kept turning to Trevor to see if she was in trouble. Just before entering, Trevor turned his face towards her.
"Do me a favor? Relax. You aren't helping concentrate."
"How can you see?" she timidly asked.
Trevor smiled at her. "Would you believe I see from happiness?"
She looked at Trevor, and smiled back. "You don't really see from happiness, do you?"
Trevor would have winked if he could. However, he did place his finger over his mouth. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"
She covered her mouth and giggled. They entered the cantina moments before Zinonyx made her appearance. A loud cheer from the throng that gathered at the cantina greeted her. She walked around the cantina, shaking hands and conversing at least seven different groups of spectators. This continued on for nearly the entire ninty minutes, what the limit of Trevor's nerves could take. They had agreed that she needed to be seen as Zinonyx for enough time that would allow everyone to forget that Trevor had left quickly and Azulia was not in tow.
Zinonyx made her way over to Trevor and the handmaiden near the time allotted. "Pardon me, but have you seen Princess Azulia?" her voice was muffled and
"No, I am sorry, she is not feeling well. She has asked if you would visit with her at her apartment. We can bring you there, if you would not mind."
"Certainly, we can leave any time."
Trevor, Abithat and Zinonyx left the Crystal Drift together, heading back towards the apartments via Zinonyx's ship. The trip back was uneventful, yet rather interesting, now knowing that Zinonyx was Azulia. Trevor never mentioned it to Captain Williams either, as Azulia had asked. Trevor took some time, made some notes on his datapad. The Council might not believe him, but at least if he wrote it down, he might have a chance to get it right.
Trevor slept fitfully, knowing that the pod race was mere hours away. The scheduled time was to be at the sun's zenith, giving all the racers and spectators the best view of the course. The Cryslev Classic had been running for eleven years with a superb history of close finishes and quite a few daring moves by many of the racers. This course was laid out over a hundred square kilometers and was in a triangular configuration for this year's entry. The racers were to start next to Pelior Station and were to proceed in a clockwise fashion around the track. Trevor stood up from his sleeping area and looked out the window. The largest ice flows were nearly in place by sunrise and pod-tugs were moving smaller flows together to make the course more interesting.
Trevor heard rustling behind him, and did not need to turn his vision to realize that Azulia was also up early. Azulia was preparing herself some refreshment and offered some to Trevor. He accepted and the two ate in silence, neither one needing to say anything more. Abithat walked in, bowed to Azulia and nodded to Trevor. Trevor nodded back, and continued to listen to the movements of the other occupants. The plan for today was mingle with the spectators for a while as Azulia. The covered observation pods for the dignitaries were to float high above the racetrack, nearly fife kilometers above the icy surface. From that vantage point, the dignitaries and special guests could see ninty-five percent of the course. Azulia and her Jedi guardian would mingle with the other dignitaries for about an hour and then meet with Zinonyx on the last pod. The rumors floating around would be that Zinonyx wanted to check on Azulia's health prior to racing. He wanted to be sure that his staunchest support was feeling well enough to be watching. Azulia had started this rumor during her evening's journeys.
The small entourage left the apartments and headed to the dignitary loading area. The spacious cavern was enough to get lost in, Trevor thought. Some one might recognize Azulia, so we need to be extra careful.
They entered their pod without incident and the droid-pilot guided the pod outside into the frigid cold air. Trevor watched Azulia discuss politics and other issues with the ease of a Senator with the polish of a Princess. She handled everyone carefully, and Trevor saw the layers upon layers building up on her, shielding herself from those that she did not want close. However, those same layers came down with friends and confidants.
For just over an hour, Azulia met with different persons of varying rank. She excused herself to her own pod, asking to have the pod maneuvered over to Zinonyx's colored pod weaving it's way towards her. When the two pods were docked, the doors opened, and a mechanic from the ship held out her flight suit.
"We need to hurry if we are to get back on time," the short bald human man said.
"I agree. Abithat, close the blinds. We don't want someone looking in on us right now."
Trevor turned his attention to Azulia. She in turn looked at him with the adventurous spirit flowing over him in waves. "Thank you, Trevor," she said simply.
"Just don't get hurt. The Jedi Council will not be happy if any harm comes to you."
Azulia smiled back. "Who, me?"
Trevor groaned, hearing his own words coming back to haunt him. Azulia entered the other pod, closed the hatch, and made a hasty exit to the ship. Trevor stood by the window, watching the ship, hoping against hope that she would be save.
The pods growled with power; the roar could be heard even from four kilometers up. Trevor had deactivated the droid-pilot to get a better feel for the pod and to move the pod away from the more conjested viewing locations. It also gave him a better chance to see more of the course, just in case something was to happen. The tension inside the observation pod was mild compared to the excitement felt in Zinonyx's racer. The engines purred wildly as Zinonyx and the rest of the racers revved the engines, waiting for the green light to illuminate, giving the racers permission to release the fury that was podracing.
The light changed, and the racers were off without any incidences. All twelve racers were screaming around the first right corner, giving life to the spectators watching the race. Zinonyx was in the lead at the first turn, but barely. The Shistovanian from the night before was right in on her exhaust, followed by the Miraluka, also from the cantina. Trevor watched Zinonyx swerve the racer across the racing lane in front of Shisto. The icy water made the racers slide all over the track, so Zinonyx could not keep the veering up for much longer, because just a few hundred meters the track narrowed to barely a racer-width. All the racers lined up just in time to prevent a fiery crash into the icebergs, which made up the narrow pass. At the end of the chasm, a large ice spike rose up from the sea, causing the racers to veer to either left or right to avoid a crash. Zinonyx and Shisto's pods gained a small space between themselves and the other racers. It was amazing to watch these podracers barrel across the icy waters at breakneck speeds.
The lead racers kept the distance increasing through the first half of the course. A single racer had broken away from the trailing pack and started to gain on the first pair. Trevor recognized the colors as the Miraluka pod, and secretly cheered his species-brother along to second place. However, the next turn proved a bit disastrous for Zinonyx. As they started the next right hand turn, Shisto got to the inside of Zinonyx and bumped her outside. Zinonyx got the racer under control, but had to relinquish first place. This allowed the Miraluka to gain ground on the pair. One of the other racers was not so lucky. Unable to maintain control his machine, the racer smashed directly into the side of an iceberg, exploding into a shower of metal, wire and ice.
The first three racers now headed down the easiest part of the track. A few narrower areas could be navigated fairly easily. The course opened to a wider area before entering a maze of small, moving icebergs. The racers had to flip their pods over, and in different rotations to narrowly avoid losing an engine into these ice formations. After this obstacle, there was a sharp right hand hairpin, leading to the most dangerous portion of the course. A large iceramp was laid in the middle of the course. This propelled the racers over an area of floating crystals coming from the bowels of the planet. A racer, no matter how good, might not be able to avoid the larger crystals. As the racers fell back down, they had to navigate an S-chasm, which was just as small as the first.
Trevor watched the racers navigate this course, wondering how Zinonyx was going to get into the lead again. She was able to get by Shisto in the early part of the course, and was able to hit the iceramp first. However, Trevor's shackles went up when Zinonyx emerged from the chasm. Trevor noticed that on Zinonyx's left engine was a white blob. However, it was moving towards the canopy, very slowly. Zinonyx's racer weaved and bobbed, trying to dislodge the new appendage. She was unsuccessful, however. Trevor did not even stop to think about his actions. He quickly contacted E5, telling him to get his ship out on the course immediately. Trevor then raced toward the back of the observation pod, opened the door, and jumped out.
The icy cold hit him in the face with the force of a hyperspace jump. Trevor free fell for a few seconds when he realized that he would be going too fast to stop. He attempted to land on a few observation pods on the way down, but could not concentrate enough to get a good grasp on the Force. He continued to fall with increasing speed, and panic started to creep into his mind. Pushing the panic from his mind, Trevor guided himself through the steps to slow down through the atmosphere and was rewarded by decreased speed and an ability to direct his fall. He directed himself towards the open area on the backstretch of the course. Zinonyx had just come from the first chasm, and was making her way across the course towards the first sharp turn. Trevor's mind quickly calculated where he needed to be, and finally moving himself with the Force, was able to line up his approach with Zinonyx's path.
The pod turned the right and corner, proceeding towards the ice spires at the end of the backstretch. Shisto took advantage of the distraction of the extra body on Zinonyx's craft, and zoomed into the lead. Zinonyx jerked the racer back and forth, nearly knocking off the assailant. The creature had attached itself between the engines, between the power coupling and the cockpit. Trevor neared the racer, and guided himself to land on the right hand engine. He successfully landed and grasped a fin that was sticking out to balance himself. The attacker turned its face to Trevor, and attempted to grasp a weapon from its holster. However, Zinonyx, upon seeing Trevor float in from the sky, slowed down suddenly, causing the attacker to grasp the engine again. The pod made it's way to the next hairpin, turned and headed directly towards the ramp. Trevor realized that the extra weigh would not be good for Zinonyx going over the ramp. He timed his roll off the engine, dropping added weight onto the assailant, causing it to lose its grip. The pair fell down onto the ramp, causing Zinonyx's craft to suddenly jump up and take off with plenty of power. Trevor and the attacker fell together, landing side by side, rolling towards, and over, the edge. The pair fell into the water, disappearing from view.
The water was shockingly cold. Trevor had expected to be cold, which was why he brought along very good cold weather gear, but he only had on his Jedi cloak, which had protected him while on the planet Ilum, but water was a different hazard altogether. The two aggressors had separated once they hit the water, and both were able to view each other quickly. The aggressor was dressed in a metallic suit, with a full covering over his head. Trevor only had his Jedi robes on. Trevor immediately knew that he could not survive underwater, and began to swim toward the surface. The antagonist reached out and grabbed Trevor's legs to prevent him from getting to the surface, and swam the opposite direction. Trevor, realizing that he was trapped, reached into his utility belt, and extracted an aquata breather. This little device allowed Trevor to breathe normally under water. However, Trevor could certainly not swim with the attacker on his legs.
Trevor grabbed his lightsaber and proceeded to point it straight down towards his legs. The helmeted head stared back at Trevor, wondering what he was going to do. Trevor was not sure that his saber would work under water. If his construction was faulty in any way, the weapon would explode and neither combatant would survive. Trevor depressed the button and was rewarded with boiling water around his white blade. The sudden light caused temporary blindness in both combatants, but Trevor's vision cleared first. He swung his blade slowly across the front of his legs. The figure below released himself from Trevor's legs and tried to swim away, but his suit did not seem to function properly. Trevor swung again, hitting the breast plate of the other's armor. Water bubbled all around Trevor, blocking both figures from one another for quick moments. The other tried to swim inside Trevor's arc, but Trevor adjusted the swipes to prevent such a move. Trevor swung a third time, and was rewarded with a scar on the man's armor. Air bubbles rose from the sealed armor, and the other figured seemed to go limp. Trevor disengaged his blade, and swam to the falling figure. Grabbing under the other's arms, Trevor started swimming toward the surface.
Lifting the limp body toward the surface was tiring, and Trevor was not sure that he would make it. A crystal drifted in front of Trevor's vision, causing a sudden thought. Trevor looked around, and saw a fast moving crystal moving toward the surface. He reached out with the Force, and guided the crystal under the pair. Trevor grabbed on and the pair headed towards the surface faster than Trevor could have ever moved. Within moments, the two broke the surface of the water, right in the middle of the crystal obstacle on the podracing course. Fortunately, the race seemed to be over as emergency rescue vehicles were moving onto the course around Trevor's location. A Whitecloak fighter could be seen hovering just outside the course boundaries. Trevor waved to the rescue workers as they approached. A sense of calm washed over Trevor as the attacker was lifted from his arms onto a waiting shuttle platform. Trevor climbed aboard and was given a warm blanket to cover himself with. Medical personnel and droids bombarded Trevor with questions, but he heard only a couple before passing out due to exposure from the cold.
Trevor awoke feeling surprising refreshed. He found himself on a repulsorbed in a private bed. Medical wing, his mind registered. His clothing was folded neatly on the end of his repulsorbed and a medical droid stood at the end, monitoring his vital signs. It reported to him that if he were able to stand, he could be released. He stood up for a moment, got his balance and waved at the droid, indicating that everything was normal. The droid nodded, and left Trevor to dress. Trevor inspected the clothing and noticed that his utility belt and his lightsaber were missing. He dressed quickly and was searching his room when a Peliorian security guard walked in. Trevor turned and was rewarded with his weapon and belt. The guard saluted Trevor and walked out.
A contingent of security forces had surrounded the repulsor bed of Zinonyx's attacker. Trevor noted that the guards alternated whether they were looking out from, or looking at, the prisoner. All of them were on high alert, weapons at the ready. Odd, thought Trevor. A moment near the door alerted Trevor that Princess Azulia herself was nearing the medical triage area. Trevor walked away from the guards, nodding to the Captain and receiving a salute in return.
Princess Azulia was outside of the medical wing with nearly a battalion of guards. Captain Williams himself was leading the group. Azulia looked at Trevor and bowed deeply. "Trevor Gul'dan, I am deeply indebted to you for saving Zinonyx's life. I appreciate your willingness to grant my request to save him from that awful attacker." Trevor did not want to really be a part of this charade, but feeling that he might have found a way to get out, Trevor replied, "Now that Zinonyx is safe as are you, the two of you would be able to discuss the plans that you mentioned to me the other day. He would be a very valuable asset to your plans."
Azulia's eyes lit up and gave Trevor hope. She bowed to Trevor. "I shall endeavor to convince my father to give him an audience."
Trevor whispered, "The effort is all I can ask, Your Highness."
Azulia blushed slightly, her skin turning a very light shade of violet. Trevor bowed and backed away. "Your Highness, I need to question the man in custody. Please excuse me." Captain Williams grasped Azulia's arm and moved her away from the medical wing. She seemed like she wanted to stay, but Trevor turned around and headed back to the medical wing.
Trevor walked into the medical wing, and waved away the guards. All of them looked at the Jedi and wondered whether they should or not. Trevor did not give them a second look, and the captain of the group waved them away. Trevor stood stock still and waited. The captain whispered over Trevor's shoulder. "If you need us, Jedi, just speak up." Trevor nodded his head slowly, concentrating on the face that lay just in front of him. The captain nodded his head, glanced over at the bed, and said, "Boy, are you in trouble." Trevor never moved, continuing to keep his nose pointed at the bounty hunter, who was bound to the bed in restraints.
"I am not going to talk to you," the man said.
Trevor stared ahead, and decided that it was time to play bad cop. He waved his hand in front of his body, and said, "You WILL tell me what I want to know."
The man looked at Trevor, "You know, why don't I just tell you want you want to know."
Trevor smirked, "I am glad that we are thinking alike." And for the next hour, Trevor gathered as much information as possible. He recorded the information from the bounty hunter. A rival faction on Azulia's home planet paid him. Trevor finished his interview and suggested that the bounty hunter give the same information to the security forces sitting outside. Trevor walked out of the medical center, feeling rather confused by the entire mission.
Trevor returned to the Ulosa apartment two hours later. He was immediately summoned to Azulia's chamber door. Trevor walk up and Azulia was standing in a long purple gown. She spoke in a low whisper so that only Trevor would hear.
"I am leaving tomorrow, and I wanted to say thank you for all you have done. I have thought about what we talked about, and maybe it is time I slow down."
"Princess, I hope that you realize that I did not mean to intrude on your life. You asked for my opinion, and that is all it was. If it made you think then my job is truly complete. People cannot always go out doing their own things, especially those that are going to lead people."
"Trevor, I wish you the best. Thank you for everything."
"Princess, it has been a pleasure."
Trevor bowed and turned away. Azulia watched the Jedi walk away. Azulia suddenly realized that the Jedi who risked his life to save her would not be in her new life any more. Maybe he would keep in touch; she hoped so. He made sense out of a crazy life. Trevor's thoughts were on whether he'd successfully completed his Trials.
Trevor escorted Azulia back to her ship and watched it lift off. Few words were said on the way back, and Trevor kept his thought looking ahead, still keeping his vision on the lookout for any more attempts. Nothing happened, and Trevor was glad to see the ship leaving. Protection duty was difficult. This was his most difficult job and each one was more difficult than the last. With Shudo nearby, Trevor never had to rely on his own decisions before. Nothing Trevor had done before had really prepared him for this. He was glad to get back into the Whitecloak, and head back to Coruscant. He instructed E5 to wake him an hour before arrival at Coruscant. Trevor sat back once the fighter was in hyperspace, and entered a Jedi Trance. Peace flowed through Trevor and he dropped directly into the Trance.
The Whitecloak approached the Jedi Temple and landed immediately in the main hanger bay. Trevor received a summons on the way into the hanger bay to report directly to the Council Chambers. Trevor was very nervous, unsure of what his future would hold. Tension built in Trevor's neck and he twisted his neck to break out the kinks. The turbolift entered the waiting area outside the Council Chambers. The doors were thrown wide open, and Trevor could see Shudo, Yoda and Mace Windu standing by the windows. Trevor walked in, and waited until someone motioned to him. Yoda turned around and waved Trevor into the chamber. Shudo nodded to Trevor, and Trevor responded in kind.
"Report on your mission." Trevor pulled out his datapad and reviewed his notes on the entire operation. Yoda and Shudo nodded respectfully. Windu continue to stare out the window, concentrating on Trevor's report. Trevor spent the next twenty minutes giving a blow-by-blow of the entire mission, right up to the hyperspace jump. Trevor turned off the datapad and waited.
Yoda gimped his way across the floor towards Trevor.
"Bestow on you the level of Jedi Knight the Council does." Yoda proclaimed. "Continue your studies you should. Also acclimate yourself with your new quarters." It dawned on Trevor that he would be on his own for the first time in his life. "Giving you your first mission, Master Shudo shall. Dismissed you are."
Trevor walked out of the chambers and realized for the first time, that he had successfully made it as a Jedi Knight. For now, he needed to enjoy the feeling, but the real work was just ahead. There were still some things outstanding that he needed to work on solving, and the number one question on his mind was what had happened with that Sith artifact? Something that Trevor could see that he'd have a few chances to solve that mystery.