The Gul'dan Chronicles Episode I

by TrevorGuldan

One year after QuiGon Jinn's death in TPM The Phantom Menace, a young padawan is nearing the end of his apprenticeship. This is his story. Original characters in the Star Wars Universe, which belongs to Mr. G. Lucas

7. Chapter 7

TREVOR GUL'DAN, JEDI KNIGHT

The walk back to his quarters from the Council chambers was tense. Trevor was not sure how fast the news of his promotion would go through the Temple. He decended the stairs into the main corridor and realized that good news does travel quickly. A small knot of Nexu Clan Jedi, Knights and Padawans alike, were at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the Order's newest Knight. Kymber Thomree was amongst them, nudging people to keep the noise down for those that were in study. Kymber turned her blonde head towards the stairs. When she saw Trevor, she grasped Werren Zoff's arm and began clapping quietly. The rest of her group joined in, pointing up at Trevor. Of the fifteen or so that had gathered, Trevor was glad to see most of his clan in attendance, his family since early on in his life. His first memories of the Jedi Temple were of nineteen other children, thrust together to form bonds of friendship, loyalty and to learn the ways of the Jedi Order. They were mostly human, but the other species of his clan were accepted just as easily. All Jedi initiates were taught that the Force did not see their species, hair color, or anything else that their knowledge would impart upon them. Others gathered at the bottom of the stairs were not unfamiliar, including Kymber, R'We'Nok, Noa, and Dutana. Also in the gathering was Werren Zoff, a male human Jedi Knight who worked out of the Temple in Coruscant. None of these Jedi were assigned off-planet, but secretly Trevor hoped to have a system of his own to protect.

The remaining Jedi's names came back to Trevor as he walked down the stairs. Dela Kintar was a member of the Med Corps and had been instrumental in treating the slaves from Brentaal. Nal Irenez was a human male who joined the ExploriCorps after failing his tests. However, the friendships made did not stop even if one was not a full-fledged Jedi Knight. Trevor kept in contact with each of those that he could. Jalko, a Mon Calamari, was extremely skilled as a diplomat and was had a great sense of humor. It had been a long time since he'd seen Jalko, but he knew the mission assigned to Jalko and his master were of the diplomatic nature and those lasted longer than most.

The group surrounded Trevor, congratulating him over and over. Trevor was whisked away towards the entrance to the Jedi Temple, heading out the main doors. Shudo Laan stood atop the main stairwell, looking down at the small group of friends. Trevor turned around, and with Kymber also looking back, saw Shudo wave in acceptance of the impromptu party. 'There would be time enough for the business of being a Jedi. Let him have some fun,' Shudo thought. 'The rest of his life will be dedicated to the Order.'

The evening was rather eventful, for a Jedi celebration. No one let Trevor buy a single credit for his celebration. These Jedi spent the night getting rowdy and letting off steam. They all stayed out until the wee hours of the morning. The group dispersed a few hours past midnight, leaving Trevor, Kymber and Noa walking back to the Temple. Noa and Kymber told Trevor some interesting news regarding his new knighthood. When he returned to the Temple, the lock to his room near Shudo would be changed to only allow Shudo and his new padawan, should he take one on. Trevor's new quarters were already assigned and his belonging, meager though they were, should have already been relocated.

The pair told Trevor his new quarters were located on the northern side of the Temple, nearly opposite of his old quarters near Shudo. Trevor nearly shook with excitement. Seeing as he had spent over thirty years practicing to be a Jedi Knight, now was his time to shine. Kymber and Noa escorted Trevor to his new quarters and after getting him in the door, left him to his own designs. He was physically tired after the 'partying', but he knew that he needed to be refreshed to be of any use to the Council.

Trevor looked around his new place and was glad to see that most of the rooms in the Temple were similar. This room was a mirror copy of his room next to Shudo's. The door to the hall followed a small corridor, with the refresher on the right, sleeping quarters on the left and a kitchenette / living area near the large window facing the northern pole of Coruscant. The main living area was wide enough for Trevor to perform his daily exercises, but not so wide as to be able to perform his lightsaber drills. Trevor smirked slightly, feeling extremely tired and anxious at the same time. Fatigue started to win out, so he got himself ready for a long sleep period. He used the refresher and upon placing his head on his sleeping pad fell soundly to sleep.

The next few days went by rather quickly. Trevor's first days were spent in meditation and continue training. He found some spare time to liven up his apartment slightly. He found some Miraluken art that seemed to move him. He procured a training mat to place in his room so that he could perform his katas better. The days flew by giving Trevor the illusion of time travel.

One evening, on his way to the dining area, Trevor felt a presence nearby that he had not felt alone in quite a while. Trevor stopped where he was in the hall, and turned to face Master Yoda, who had exited a room where Jedi initiates, or more fondly known as Younglings, were practicing moving objects from one location to another.

"Jedi Trevor Gul'dan, satisfactory your new home is?"

"Yes, Master Yoda. It is more than satisfactory. Thank you."

"Hmm. Necessary from you thanks are not. Earned this rank you have. Happy to see success rewarded always I am."

Trevor bowed deeply to the wizened Jedi Master.

"However, small talk come to you I did not. A mission this evening you will receive. Answer your questions the Council will. This evening after you receive your briefing."

Trevor nodded and bowed. Yoda bowed in response and the two separated. Trevor returned to his quarters as quickly as possible. The nervous energy generated by his first true solo mission caused him some consternation. A few deep breathing exercises calmed him enough to realize that his new quarters were a bit messy. He picked up his belongings and stored a few things when his com-unit buzzed. Trevor activated the unit, and the aforementioned mission briefing appeared on his screen.

---- MISSION ASSIGNMENT ----

JEDI KNIGHT TREVOR GUL'DAN

Jedi Master Kura Oomaal has recently provided intelligence regarding her ongoing mission in Hutt Space. Master Oomaal's sources indicate that the Hutt Crimelord Gardulla on Tatooine has purchased a shipment of slaves. Information on the speed and defenses of the transport vessel is sparse, but it is estimated Gardulla's shipment of slaves will arrive at her palace in Mos Espa in eight days. The slaves are being transported by a notorious Kadas'sa'Nikto slaver known as Vizaad Kha, along with several of his henchmen. Travel from Coruscant to Tatooine by Whitecloak should take approximately six days.

If the slaves can be intercepted before they arrive at Gardulla's palace, it may be possible to subdue or distract Kha and his henchmen and free the slaves. If they are not intercepted before arrival at Gardulla's palace, they will be fitted with internal tracking devices, making recovery exponentially more dangerous. Kha is also a formidable opponent, with a history of avoiding or escaping capture by authorities. He was last seen in the Cerea system, where he used a concealed miniature slicer's-rig to escape confinement in a magnetically sealed prison cell. He is currently wanted in seven systems. Recovery of the slaves takes priority over any attempts to apprehend or neutralize Vizaad Kha. The council recommends that you avoid directly engaging Gardulla's forces if possible.

Trevor immediately requested a download of all possible information on Tatooine. He headed to the hanger bay to procure a ship. On the way down, Trevor's mind ran over some questions that he wanted to ask the Council. They were simple questions, but something that a new Knight might need to ask. Trevor headed down to the turbolifts, but changed his mind and headed right to the Council Chambers. 'Might as well make a good impression,' thought Trevor.

The Council doors were open to the chamber and Shudo Laan was inside the chamber talking to Master Windu and Council member Ki-Adi-Mundi. Ki-Adi was the only ranking Jedi Knight on the council. Most other members were Jedi Masters, but Mundi had distinguished himself on a number of occasions to be granted a permanent seat on the council. The three Jedi turned as Trevor entered the hallway. They walked to meet Trevor in the hallway, causing Trevor to stop and bow much earlier than he expected.

"Trevor," Shudo greeted.

"Master Shudo, greetings. I was not expecting you here, Master. I had some questions for the Council and I am glad that you are here."

Shudo turned his familiar shade of yellow. "Inquisitive you have always been with new challenges, Trevor. I have something to attend to, so if you will excuse me, I am sure that Master Windu and Jedi Knight Mundi would be glad to assist you."
"Thank you, Master." Trevor nodded his head, and moved out of Shudo's way. The Anx Jedi smirked at Trevor and grasped his former padawan (so strange to think that) on the shoulder in salutation.

"So, Trevor, what can we help you with." Ki-Adi-Mundi inquired.

"Masters, just some housekeeping items, really. I am presuming that you know my mission." Both Jedi nodded. "My question is this: How do I transport the slaves, if I am successful, back to Coruscant?"

Mace responded, "A cautious question and a very observant one, Trevor. All Jedi are given discretionary funds when they are sent on missions based on the experience of each Knight. Since you are a newly designated Knight, you will be given enough to cover basic expenses. This is not an authorization to go on a spending spree. Rather, it allows you to get your mission done with the minimal amount of currency. You will need to be cautious, as you may be swindled out of the credits you are allotted. Whatever remains will be returned to the Temple. Your allotment should be enough to cover the needs of your mission. You should procure transportation as soon as you arrive on Tatooine. It would be best to have this available to you."

"How long is the trip from Ryloth to Tatooine? Is the Phoenix available?"

Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke. "The Phoenix is not registered to you. Your name is still on it as pilot, but Shudo Laan has been given the use of the Crystal Phoenix for his duration as a Jedi Knight. You have been assigned a Whitecloak fighter. In time, you will be allowed to change ships. Take care of the one you are given." Trevor winced. He remembered the last time he took a Whitecloak on his own. Unfortunately, it crashed into the side of a mountain on Ilum.

Mace Windu added, "We understand that the accident on Ilum was not your fault. I believe that you are qualified to fly the Whitecloak. Go down to the hanger and check out your new ship before you leave. Master Oomaal has not given an indication as to when the shipment was to arrive, however I that you leave within the next twenty four hours."

Trevor nodded. "Thank you, Masters. That is all I need."

They bowed to Trevor, and both Jedi wished Trevor well on his mission. Trevor thanked them for the time and turned away. Mace Windu stopped him in his tracks.

"Trevor. Understand something about your mission. The slaves are the most important part. Do not attempt to stop Vizaad Kha on your own. Do not look for trouble. That said, should you need to neutralize Kha, do so quickly. Master Oomaal risked much to get us this info. I am not sure when they will get there. Leave with all possible speed."

Trevor promised that he would leave soon. Mace took his leave and Trevor turned towards the hanger bay immediately. Trevor walked briskly, going over different plans that might happen. Trevor was engrossed in formulating plans and disregarding more when he arrived at the Whitecloak section of the hanger. The Whitecloaks had been stored in orbit to dock with other ships, but recently they were moved inside the Temple for maintenance and storage. The Council needed to change their habits every so often, so the Whitecloaks were stored here in the upper sections of the Temple. Trevor checked the status board and noticed that his name was assigned to Whitecloak fighter number 17. A technician was standing near docking station thirty-five, where Trevor's fighter was stored. Trevor walked over to the technician.

"Excuse me, are you prepping this fighter?"

"Yes, sir. I am supposed to be getting this ship ready for Jedi Knight Trevor Gul'dan."

Trevor smiled slightly. "I am that Knight. I have a quick question for you. How long would it take you to change the painting on that ship to make it seem older."

The technician smirked back. "Only about thirty minutes."

"Great. Get that started. Also make sure that the weapons are fully charged."

"Certainly, Sir."

Trevor and the tech parted ways. He then noticed that Shudo Laan was talking to another technican. Trevor was perplexed by Shudo's presence so he walked over to the unlikely pair.

"…and the new program has been installed?"

"Yes, Master Shudo, it's all been installed. And we downloaded the old program and reloaded it into your new astromech."

"Excellent, excellent. So there shouldn't be any changes in performance with the Crystal Phoenix?"

"No, sir."

"Very good. Trevor!"

"Master Shudo."

"I was just investigating the progress with the modifications to E5. I have had some of his old programming removed, and some new programs and various features installed that might come in useful. I hope that you will take good care of him. He has served me well over the years. Consider it a 'graduation' gift."

"Thank you, Master. I appreciate the help. He was a rather helpful droid during my trials. What features did you have downloaded and installed?"

"Mostly I had an expanded astrogation database added so he'll be able to work independently of the Crystal Phoenix's navi-computer. I also had various refits of tools so that he'll serve better as a Whitecloak astromech. He is now assigned to your individual Whitecloak."

Trevor was rather surprised by Shudo's gift. He was very glad to have E5 along to help him learn to pilot ships better. He always felt comfortable having E5 plotting the course from point to point. Trevor's skills had improved some, but having an astromech who was prepared to cover your backside as necessary was a very comforting thought.

"Master, have you had an evening meal yet? I have some questions for you regarding this mission. I've been working on some plans and I would just like to confirm them with you."

"Certainly."

Trevor and Shudo walked to the nearest eating area and talked about Trevor's plans and his mission.

"Would Anakin Skywalker be available, Master? I'd like to talk to him about his homeworld.

"Unfortunately, my Padawan," Shudo jibed Trevor, knowing that the Master / Padawan pair was now much different, but reminding Trevor that he would always be Shudo's student, "Obi-Wan and Anakin are out of the Temple at this time."

"Well, it was a thought. And the rest of the plans?"

"It would seem that you have prepared well enough. I cannot see any more to add to you plans."

Trevor and Shudo kept the talk to more mundane items, such as Trevor's new quarters, and the sudden quietness from next door. Shudo gave Trevor some anecdotes of his younger days. Trevor laughed at the headaches and problems that he'd given as a youngster. The time flew by, and thirty minutes was over before either one even noticed the time. Shudo wished Trevor well, and Trevor bowed deeply. Trevor stopped by a terminal and updated his cred chip to verify that he had enough currency. The computer automatically updated his account and returned his chip. Trevor placed it in a hidden compartment on his chronometer and headed out to the hanger. The technician waved him over when he arrived.

"All set, sir. Wish you well. We actually got done early.."

"Thank you. May the Force be with you."

Trevor shook hands with the tech and boarded his fighter. The landing platform began to extend itself as Trevor closed his canopy. He turned to see E5 in his familiar spot directly behind him.

"Ready to go, E5?" He got a positive response from the astromech droid. "Take us out."

The Whitecloak was cleared of the Temple by the time Trevor gave the command to take off. He watched the gauges and compass headings to get a better idea of piloting skills. E5 maneuvered through the crowded lanes of traffic directly to the hyperspace jump points in orbit. Coruscant Traffic Control gave Trevor priority through the atmosphere, and that cause some consternation amongst those visiting the planet. Senators and Jedi were usually give preferential and courteous priorities, respectively, when it came to the traffic patterns.

Trevor gave himself a couple of hours to go over his plans. He wrote it down and erased certain items, modified a couple more, and realized that he had his plan ready enough that he could adjust it if necessary. He then stored his datapad and got himself comfortable. Now that he had all of the plans in place, he instructed E5 to wake Trevor if there was a problem with the trip, and Trevor began the Jedi Trance, to pass the next six days more quickly.

Nearly five and a half days later, Whitecloak 17 came out of hyperspace into Tatooine space. E5 had awoken Trevor ten minutes earlier to prepare him for the transition to normal space. Tatooine's binary suns shown off to the starboard side, and slightly behind him, so he was not blinded immediately. Tatootine was an extremely hot planet which got it's water from the moisture farmers that lived on the outskirts of the habitable regions of the planet and from the ice ring of it's sister planet. The dual moons shown near the horizon of the planet, causing Trevor to smile as he worked the controls down to the planet. He'd wanted to talk to Anakin Skywalker before departing on his mission, but the young boy was off with his new Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, known through the Temple as the one who defeated a Sith. It was obvious that Tatooine was a pretty planet, but the surface would be very dangerous.

Trevor navigated the Whitecloak down through the atmosphere towards Mos Espa. The shipment was supposed to be headed towards Gardulla the Hutt, and it made sense from his information that Gardulla was to be in Mos Espa this time of year. Trevor navigated towards the city, looking for specifically the type of freighter that could be retrofitted for a slave transport. Nothing stood out on his approach towards Mos Espa, but he did not expect to find it right away. Slave trade, no matter where they were transported to, even a Hutt world, would not be made public. Trevor circled the city once, hoping to catch a glimpse of a particular type of freighter; the Barloz-class freighter. Mos Espa had a number of docking bays, and Trevor found one that was open, near the north end of town. It was fairly close to Gardulla's castle. Even though it might be rather obvious, keep it close for a quick escape.

Trevor guided his ship down to Docking Bay Seven. The canopy opened, and Trevor glanced around. No one was attempting to refuel or service his ship. He turned to E5.

"I need you to keep your sensors open for a Barloz freighter by the name of Green Harvest." Trevor had guessed the actual name of the freighter, but figured Green Harvest would be enough.

"Should I keep a look out for any others?" A screen in the Whitecloak showed Trevor what E5's whistles and beeps meant in Basic. "Transponder codes can be changed."

"Yes, that would be a good idea."

"Shall I contact you on your comlink?"

"Certainly. Oh, and keep an eye out for anyone servicing the ship."

"Scanning now. I'll keep the ship locked down."

Trevor finished climbing out of the ship, straightened his robes, and left the hanger bay directly. He could hear the canopy closing and smiled to himself. Trevor walked out onto the main street, and turned left from the hanger bay. The crowds were not overly compact, but enough for Trevor to get a sense of the people and places. His reconnoitering would give him some idea about the enemy he was about to face.

There were a great number of Nikto, especially red ones. The five species of Nikto were all adapted to different climates. Red was known for surviving well in hot regions, such as Tatooine desert. Some of the Nikto he saw were also green, but no one matched the description of Vizaad Kha, who is purported to be a green Nikto. A few Twi'lek could be found among the crowd, but not enough to indicate that the slaves were here. Scruffy droids were getting in people's way, and a few pilots from other docking bays were seen as well. However, no one seemed to match any description of any known criminals. Trevor walked around town and saw a few children running around with their pets. Trevor walked around town, near Gardulla's palace. He noticed that there were a number of Nikto and Klatoonians. There were also a good number of wekway grouped together walking around town, circling the palace. They did not pay attention to Trevor, but he paid attention to them. They seemed to be very good guards, and Trevor realized that he might have trouble with them if he tried to infiltrate the castle.

He walked around town for the next few hours, trying to find out where the nearest freighter captain. He looked around town for the first hour, and his search was not very fruitful. The first pilot he talked to did not have the facilities to transport more than two people. The second pilot was not carrying anything. The remaining pilots did not give him the time of day.

Despite his fruitless search, Trevor continued throughout the day. He needed to keep his eyes open for the Barloz freighter, but he needed to get back up transportation, should something happen. He stopped at an open air cantina on the southern end of town. Trevor approached the barman.

"I am looking to hire a ship. Are there any pilots looking for a fare?"

The burly human snickered at the blindfolded Trevor. "I hear there is a pilot in the back who might need a bit of luck. Take a shot at him. He's the Quarren in the back there." The barman pointed back to a squidfaced figure near the edge of the café.

Trevor nodded his thanks and moved towards the Quarren. Its light brown skin reflected the ambient light that lingered in the back of the cantina. Its bright eyes reflected bluish green and its facial tentacles that formed near the mouth gave Trevor a slight nervous energy. What he knew of the Quarren, they were not overly idealistic, so the idea of helping a Jedi in need might not go over very well.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Yeah?" the Quarren retorted.

"I have been told that you are the captain of a transport ship. I am looking for passage."

"For how many?"

Trevor waved his hand slowly in front of his body, gathering the Force to force the captain to accept his answer more readily. He forced the thought into the pilot's mind.

"The cargo is under negotiation." Trevor's tone was one of stern caution; he did not want to discuss this subject.

The captain mumbled something to the effect of cargo is always negotiable, giving Trevor the clear indication that he was successful in his attempt.

"Where do you need to go?"

"I need to get to the Core Systems."

"Coruscant?"

"Good a place as any?"

"Within the next six standard days."

"You expect me to wait?"

Trevor stared at the pilot. It was obvious to the pilot that this robed man in front of him was used to getting his way.

"Well, if you want me to wait, it's going to run you a thousand credits."

"How much time do need for warning?"

"Warning? What warning?"

Trevor leaned onto the table. "I am purchasing your ship for transport to the Core Systems and you are asking me if I need a warning. Do you have brains in there?" Trevor's voice was nearly a whisper, but the pilot understood the meaning behind the words.

"Look, you hired me, I fly. Any more questions? 1200 credits."

Trevor stood back up, thinking about the change in price. He did not have to say it, but he needed the transport as a backup plan. Worst case scenario, he did not have a transport, and he'd be stuck on Tatooine with fifty to one hundred slaves in tow with a Hutt crime lord all over his six.

"Ok, let me see if we understand the bargain. Twelve hundred credits. Half now, half upon delivery. And you can have your ship ready with a ten minute window."

The Quarren raised his hand. "With the understanding that the price might go up should I find that the 'cargo', whatever it is, is more than would be reasonably manageable."

Trevor nodded his acceptance of the addendum. "More than fair."

"My name is Greck, and you can reach me here at this 'fine' establishment."

"Well met, Greck."

The pair shook hands, and processed the monetary transaction in a few minutes. They also exchanged comlink frequencies, and Trevor left to walk around town one more time before turning in for the night. It had been a busy day, and Trevor wanted to get an early start. He finally found a fairly inexpensive place near his landing platform. The cashier took his money and gave him six woopi-woopi as change. Trevor nodded his thanks, headed to his room and bedded down for the evening. The actual room was Spartan even for Jedi standards, but Trevor was not interested in room décor; he continued to concentrate on the task at hand. He cleaned up, and laid down on the bed. Thought of his mission floated through his mind, but sleep eventually overcame him.

Trevor awoke the next morning to find the suns shining directly on his face. The double-sunrise gave Trevor a bit of a start and he looked at it for a few minutes. He shook himself out of his reverire and gathered his equipment. E5 had not contacted him during the night, so all was well with the ship. He walked to a local restaurant for his morning meal. He listened to the patrons for nearly forty-five standard minutes, but to no avail. Trevor shook his head as he paid for his bill, and continued to walk around town, continuing to listen for any information on any freighter. He continued for nearly ninety minutes listening to different conversations with no success.

Trevor thought to himself, 'There is so much random noise out here. Even if people are going to be talking about this guy showing up – of course he's going to be low profile so people probably won't talk about him, but even IF they do…How am I going to happen to be there when they are talking about him?'

Trevor was walking by a scruffy human and a Trendosian when he heard the human say, "Really? And where did you say that was?"

The Trendosain replied, "Somewhere far out there. More than half way to Mos Eisley from here.

"Who did you hear this from?"

"Garst was talking about it. He said he saw the ship coming down, even thought that it might have been one of Jabba's. It just opened fire on the thing. Just went down, out in the Jundland Wastes."

"What kind was it?"

"Barloz, as usual. So, never know. I mean people are crossing that Hutt all the time and they never learn. They just wind up getting wasted every time."

"Any survivors?"

"I doubt it, but you never know. It might have just winged 'em. Haven't showed up over here. I guess that's where it was headed, before Jabba's ship chased it off course."

Trevor doubled back towards the table. The pair was sitting in another common outdoor café. A food vendor had his cart just outside of the shade area. They were standing at a bar near the back. Trevor headed over there.

The Trendosian continued. "They probably had escape pods and stuff. But even if there were, by now the sandpeople would have gotten to 'em."

The scruffy human's eyes lit up. "What about wreckage? We might be able to find something to sell out there."

Shaking his head, the Trendosian replied, "Jawas would have gotten to it first. Or if they were really lucky, a krait dragon." Trevor walked up to the bar to get a better vantage point for the conversation. He ordered a drink from the barman, and just sat stock still. "If they were even two-thirds of the way to Mos Eisley, they've got a three day walk ahead of 'em. Back here to Mos Espa? They are looking at a six-day journey. There is no way they'd make it without running into something. And if Jabba's ship is out there, it's probably hunting them down and picking them off down on top of the rocks."

Trevor finished his drink, paid for it, and turned towards the pair. "Excuse me."

The human turned around, "Huh?"

"I am sorry to interrupt." The Trendoshan stiffened up at Trevor's pronouncement. "I happen to be waiting for a Barloz freighter. Do you happen to have any information on the name of this ship?"

The two stared at Trevor's blindfold, and both realized that a blind man would have better hearing than someone else. They both relaxed a bit more.

The Trendoshan responded first. "Just something a friend of mine said he saw."

"Oh, alright. Sorry to interrupt. I must be mistaken."

"What were you, uh, expecting? Anything valuable?"

"It is to my employer."

"Whose your employer?"

"My employer prefers to remain unnamed. I am sure most employers in this part of the galaxy would prefer to remain nameless."

The human turned back to his partner, who continued on with his tirade. "See, I'm tellin' ya. Even if they're still alive, or the cargo is still there, it is not worth messin' with it. Come on, I got some stuff that I need to tell Garst anyway. "

The two left the cantina, and Trevor stood a moment later heading directly back to his landing bay. Trevor had a very bad feeling that someone else was after the ship. This Jabba seemed to be another crime lord in the area. He did not want to get in the middle of that squabble. His trip back to the landing area brought him near Gardulla's home. Trevor noticed that the number of guards seemed to be the same, but their placement was now somewhat different. Most of the guards were located on the parapets and balconies of the palace, while the remainder were outside the gates, prowling around. Trevor also saw that one group of guards was looking in an easterly – southerly direction. Trevor pulled off into an alleyway, and communicated to E5.

"E5, has there been any activity to the east or southeast of the city?"

A negative signal came across the comlink, and Trevor did not need the translator to realize that E5's sensor did not pick up anything. Trevor paused just a moment more, and asked E5 to prep the ship. Trevor slipped back into walking traffic and headed back to his landing bay. On the way back, Trevor had the feeling that someone was following him. It wasn't a concrete feeling, but it certainly was something to listen to. Trevor found a hanger bay nearby, and walked into it. Trevor then acted as if he had turned into the wrong one, and retraced his steps right away. No one else was following him, so he headed back towards his ship as quickly as possible.

Trevor found his hanger with no further incident. E5 had the Whitecloak fired up and the canopy open, awaiting his arrival. The ship lifted off the ground as soon as Trevor started to close the canopy. Trevor guided the ship to the south and slightly west, to throw off any potential pursuers. E5 monitored the sensors and reported anything unusual, which thankfully was not much.

Once out of eyesight of Mos Espa, the Jedi turned his ship towards Mos Eisley. The ship and any wreckage would be easy to spot, so he instructed E5 to keep an eye out. Five minutes later, E5 detected signs of a crash, displaying the coordinates of the crash site. Trevor adjusted his heading in that direction and kept his vision ahead of him, searching as well. A few moments later, Trevor was flying over rugged, rocky area of the Jundland Waste when he spotted a fresh gouge in the plateau. Pieces of metal could be seen on the side of the plateau. Trevor slowed down, hovering above the site, when E5 diverted his attention. He could now see the crash site in better detail. The ship had caromed off the plateau and headed into a large ravine. The crashing of the ship had broken off smaller parts of the ship, scattering them all over the place. The rest of the ship was at the far end, crumpled and definitely unable to fly again. The main body area was still intact, enough to allow survivors to exist.

Trevor asked E5 to scan for other ships in the area, and got a negative response. He landed the ship, giving E5 instructions to keep the engines fired up for an immediate takeoff. Trevor climbed out and walked over to the wreckage. He listened for any signs of life, and could only hear the wind through the peaks. Trevor kept his hands inside his cloak, in case he needed to duck down for some reason. Trevor stopped halfway to the ship, and looked at the ground, finding more pieces of the ship all over the place. There were a large number of footprints where Trevor was currently standing. Trevor tried to figure out where the tracks went, and was rewarded with a glint of metal on the side of the ravine. Trevor nodded to himself, glad to know that there were some survivors. He continued to walk toward the ship, hoping against hope that there was a survivor here that would communicate with him.

Trevor got to the edge of the ship and slipped his lightsaber off his belt into his hand. He adjusted his sleeves to extend past his hands, hiding the weapon from view. He concentrated on moving his vision into the freighter. The first thing Trevor saw was an open cargo bay. What really caught his attention was the reconfiguration of the area with partitions. As he was looking at the storage area, Trevor heard a shuffling sound from within the freighter. Trevor readjusted his vision to follow the sound. He moved through a couple of storage areas and was able to find nutrient paste, water, water tanks, and all the paraphernalia of a slave ship; stun collars, binders, and vibropoles. Trevor moved into a third room and saw two figures standing with their backs to the door. The two figures wore sandy brown robes and both were holding some strange looking polearms with pointed ends. Their heads completed wrapped with bandages. Eyeholes and breath masks could be seen as very small holes in the coverings. Trevor could hear the gruntings of the two from the entrance point. They did not seem to realize that he was there, so he decided to walk in. Unsure what they were, Trevor's curiosity pushed him forward towards that storage room. Trevor walked slowly down the hall, keeping his vision on the two figures. As he walked down towards them, the two continued to argue about who would carry what. Suddenly, one of them lifted his head, grabbing his weapon and turned quickly around. He headed right out the door, and swung his weapon at Trevor.

Luckily for Trevor, he was able to move his head back to avoid the metal head of that club. The wind pushed Trevor's blindfold against his face. The loud metal CLANK of the club head against the bulkhead door caused Trevor to realize that this is a BIG metal club. Very solid, and these two were very strong. Trevor ignited his blade immediately and swung quickly, striking the creature's shoulders. The other now moved into range and swung at Trevor. Trevor threw himself backwards to avoid the attack. The first tried to jump in, but Trevor was able to anticipate the move, and swung his saber high, slicing it's head clean off. The second creature, now completely enraged by the ferocity of Trevor's attack, moved in closer, swinging wildly, denting doors as he moved towards Trevor. He ducked and swung back as well, but the creature jumped back enough to avoid a deadly blow. The creature stabbed the weapon at Trevor, but he sidestepped quickly causing the weapon to be lodged into the door. Trevor slashed at his attacker's hands, severing them from its body, still wrapped around the weapon. The unknown species fell backwards, banged his head against the wall, and slumped down on to the floor.

Trevor disengaged his lightsaber and watched the still-writhing being. He looked for the other weapon, and grasping it in his hand, turned back towards the slumped one. It saw Trevor grabbing the weapon and tried to get away. Trevor did not know what this creature's culture was like, but by the way they were arguing over water, it made sense to Trevor that this was a very barbaric culture, and if one cannot fight in such a culture, one is abandoned. This one would probably prefer a quick death instead of a slow one. Trevor gave the figure a salute with the weapon, took aim, and put the being out of its misery. As Trevor raised the weapon, the being nodded once, acknowledging that its death was imminent. Trevor did not like taking this life, as it was not in line with what he had be taught. However, Trevor rationalized that he would have died eventually. This was much better for the being to not be in pain, nor to have it go through the rest of it's life as a liability. Trevor took a few moments, laying the body next to his comrade. Both died in battle and he hoped that they were at a better place.

Trevor searched the rest of the ship looking for survivors. He found one Klatooinian, who seemed to have the remains of a weapon embedded in his neck. The bodies of three twi'leks were also found, all dead by the same blunt type of weapon. One had a blaster shot directly in the middle of his chest. It would seem these tried to fight the slavers and were unsuccessful. Trevor covered the bodies and headed back to the storage room. He grabbed some of the water from the storage area and headed back outside. These two dead fighters made Trevor much more anxious to find the original occupants of this freighter. If these beings decided to come here, then they would certainly make a try for the slaves. Trevor returned to the exit route of the slaves and climbed the wire rope up out of the ravine. Suddenly, Trevor's comlink squeaked.

"Yes?"

An indignant whistling greeted Trevor. He immediately placed his comlink on his datapad and received E5's inquiry.

"Where are you going?"

"I am following the path of the slaves to find out what direction they went."

"Don't go out of com range."

Trevor stopped climbing and turned around to the Whitecloak, located about seventy five meters away.

"Did Shudo reprogram you for protection as well?" Trevor asked rhetorically. No response dignified Trevor's question and that was fine enough for him. It seemed that Shudo also updated E5's programming with some additional Jedi Master logic. Trevor smiled as he put his equipment back into their respective pouches and continued to climb out of the ravine.

The top of the ravine was mostly rock, and tracks were impossible to find. Trevor searched for nearly fifteen minutes but was unable to make sense of the terrain. He backtracked down the ravine, climbed in and asked E5 to make more sensor sweeps. Taking off from the bottom of the ravine, Trevor hovered nearly fifty meters above the ground for a moment, got his bearings for Mos Eisley, and asked E5 if he had anything on the sensors. E5 got an immediate reading from the sensors of two large life form readings in a canyon just over three hundred meters away. Trevor flew towards the figures, and hovered the craft just above an outcropping a few moments later. It was far enough away to land the craft so as not to alert the slavers, but yet near enough so that they are not going to get too far.

Trevor thought about approaching directly, but it seemed that if there was another ship in the area, it would shoot Trevor down without any thought. Trevor directed E5 towards a plateau about two hundred meters away from the signals. He decided to approach on foot, as it made more sense. He hurried along, quieting down as he neared a ledge. He slowed down enough to walk. He did not pay any attention to the landscape, which was a mistake that caused the ledge he was on to break away. Trevor suddenly found himself on a flat piece of rock hurling down the cliff face. He was concentrating so hard on staying on his feet that he never saw another rock sticking up out of the ground. Trevor's landslide caught it, sending him sprawling into the ground. Trevor's vision caught a glimpse of something large and hairy on his right side running away from him.

The ground continued to tremble as Trevor readjusted his sight as he lifted his torso off the ground. The massive pile of fur was much faster than it looked. Trevor heard more footsteps coming from his left, and was completely surprised by another hairy 'space cow', this with long rolling tusks and lumbering feet. Trevor started to roll to his right, but the legs of the Bantha caught him mid-roll, and pushed him forward a few meters. Trevor rolled a little more, and was able to move out of the way of the large beast. Trevor's chest felt like it had just been shut between an airlock bulkhead and space. He curled into a fetal position trying to catch his breath. Grabbing his comlink, he tried to contact E5.

Inside the ship, E5 was continuously scanning Trevor's lifesigns. The other two signs seemed to be motionless. No idea why he wanted to go chasing ghosts, but humanoids were certainly strange. Suddenly, E5 noticed Trevor's lifeform falling down a hill. The screech that emitted from E5's vocal units was nothing compared to the hail of noise coming as Trevor's life sign and the other large one merged. Without being notified, E5 pushed the throttles forward toward the ravine.

Trevor had barely uttered "E5" when the whine of the Whitecloak engines could be heard. Trevor pushed himself up onto his hands and feet. The engines whimpered down, and Trevor slowly stood up, walked over to the ship. He climbed in, and shook his head. Gathering his breathe in slowly, Trevor asked E5 to get the ship moving towards Mos Eisley. The pain was subsiding and Trevor checked himself out. Nothing was broken, and that was a very good thing. Trevor closed his eyes, and upon using a Jedi technique of self-healing, felt better after a few seconds.

E5 communicated to Trevor, "Do you want me to continue searching?"

Trevor nodded, "Yes, please."

"Would you like to have me eliminate that type of life form from my readings?"

Trevor smiled, "Yes, definitely."

Trevor spent the next few minutes in a healing trance. Once he was done with the ritual, he opened his eyes, and decided that moving in a spiral pattern would be the best search tactic. Knowing that this would take a while, Trevor sat back and kept his vision open, hoping nothing else would happen.

After a half hour search, E5 finally picked up a life form reading in the direction that Trevor was flying. It was another very large reading; bigger than the Bantha reading. It was definitely different, E5 notified Trevor.

"Let's head in that direction."

On way there, E5 lost the signal twice, reacquired it and then lost it again. Trevor, during this time, looked outside of the ship. The landscape was a mix of rocky hills and sandy paths between. Deep canyons could be seen between high peaks. Trevor was looking at a column of smoke coming out of an outcropping when E5 gave him coordinates of the lift reading. It coincided directly with the smoke column. Trevor was unsure as to why there would be smoke, but if a large creature had sniffed out the slaves, it would be a veritable smorgasborg for the creature. Trevor redirected the fighter down to the column. E5 notified Trevor that there was a vast network of underground caves here. Trevor nodded, realizing that the slavers might have been trying to hide from the Whitecloak in the caves when they ran across something. They might have even been hiding from the creature.

"E5, let's split up. I want you to continue to scout the large lifeform. When you get a better image of it, let me know." Trevor jumped out of the ship as it neared a cliff face. The Whitecloak's engines spun up as it took off to monitor the creature in the caves. Knowing the astromech would probably be close by, Trevor immediately began to search for an entrance to the cave. Luckily he landed only fifteen meters from a very large entrance, large enough for two Banthas standing one on top of the other, and nearly three Bantha wide. Trevor walked over to it, peering his face gently around the corner. There were no signs of life down the corridor, but Trevor did not want to take the chance. He concentrated his vision down the long dark corridor. The darkness was gently filled in by his natural Force sight. The darkness faded to a nearly black-and-white image of the corridor. He adjusted his vision and soon the stalagtites and stalagmites of the cavern could be seen. Trevor walked as quietly as he could down the corridor, checking every so often for loose rocks that would give his position away.

Trevor stopped halfway down the hall, listening for any sounds in the corridor. The wind gently blew down the corridor, echoing across the rocks. The echoes of the cave brought to Trevor a nearly rhythmic sound of something scraping against a rock. His night vision was now fully in effect giving Trevor the illusion of daylight. He moved his vision down the tunnel, which intersected another perpendicular tunnel. This larger tunnel branched upward to the left, downward to the right. The downward tunnel seemed to be block, so Trevor investigate the upslope. Sounds continued to play tricks on Trevor's mind, but his vision showed rocks showering out from the upper part of the tunnel. Trevor moved his vision forward and was greeting with a large pair of back legs of a huge creature. It seemed to be trying to open the existing tunnel wider so that it could get through to the other side. Trevor switched his vision back to where he was hidden. 'This creature does not know that I am here, so I am going to get out.'

Trevor turned around and headed out. As he walked out, his vision caught sight of a blaster power cell. Trevor squatted down, looking at it closely. As he picked up the power cell, another power cell was nearby. Trevor got the impression that someone was firing continuously and performing a quick reload. He turned his vision up at the walls and the ceiling. What caught it was the plethora of blaster marks. The height of the blaster marks made him think that whoever it was firing that much was trying to hit something higher than himself. Trevor could envision that tall creature coming into the cave, and the slavers trying to hold it at bay. The way the blaster marks scarred the walls it made sense. Blood was splattered everywhere. He walked up to the nearest blood spot and scraped a sample off. He sent it to E5 for analysis, and then doubled back towards the intersection of the two tunnels.

He reached the far end of the tunnel and look down, instead of up. Instead of the tunnel being blocked as he original thought, he realized that this was a carcass of a similar creature to the one digging in the other tunnel. The hard-shelled back covered the entire body, included the claws which made up the base of the angular legs. The claws each has small digits on the end, causing Trevor to shudder slightly. 'I would not want to meet this creature.' He promised himself that he would research the type of creature at a later date. The creature did have a soft underbelly, which he could see, but not investigate further. He moved down toward the head where a large crest seemed to extend out from the neck, protecting the head. More blaster marks were here on the wall.

"Gave them a run for their money, didn't you?"

Trevor noticed that embedded under the crest was some sort of device. Reached out with Force and pulled device from the neck. It was very well stuck in there, but did finally come loose. The device flew across the room into Trevor's hand. The smell was a bit disconcerting. It seemed to be a small transmitter / receiver, designed to stimulate the nervous system. Trevor guessed that this device might be used to drive a creature mad. Trevor continued to hear the sounds of the other creature in the upper tunnel. 'The other one might have one inside. Someone did not want these slavers to be alive at the end of the day. Who ever it is, they are pretty pissed off.'

Trevor turned his face up, and sent his vision towards the other creature. He walked up the tunnel towards the intersection. His vision showed the other creature continuing to pound on the opening at the other end. He tried to watch the neck to see if another device was lodged into its neck. Due to his concentration of the creature, Trevor never saw the rock that connected with his foot. The sudden shifting behind it caused the creature to stop trying to get into the next room. It turned in on itself, reversing its position with relative ease. Trevor's jaw dropped when he saw this thing turn around as if it was on a fulcrum.

It moved down the corridor, trying to find the source of the sound. Trevor realized that he was right in the middle of the corridor. Trevor looked quickly at the cavern and finally noticed that there was a small alcove directly above him. Trevor pulled the Force within him, and jumped straight up towards the alcove. He easily jumped the twenty meters into the alcove. He climbed up into the alcove, just barely above the opening.

The creature cleared the upper tunnel and walked into the intersection. It jabbed its claws into every nook and corner of the tunnel, trying to find where the sound came from. Trevor moved his vision above the creature to be able to get a better view of the device. He reached out and tried to grab it with the Force again. But this time, a different reaction came about. The creature suddenly went into frenzy, lashing out with its claws all over the tunnel. A claw nearly clipped his hiding space. He reached out one more time, this time pulling the device free from the creature. The frenzy continued for a few seconds more. Trevor was able to watch the creature slow down, and eventually head out of the cave. He could hear it as it neared the entrance, but then it disappeared.

He loosened his grip on his hiding area, gathering the Force to safely bring him back down to the ground. Trevor looked at the electrostatic spinal agitators, placed both into his utility belt, and then looked around the tunnel. A muffled voice wafted its way down to him. The echoes were definitely giving him a hard time in distinguishing where the voices were coming from. One moment they were coming from up the tunnel, the next they seemed to be coming from the roof. It did not make any sense to him, until he realized that maybe there was a tunnel above him. He took his vision and raised it up through the alcove. It continued higher up above his hiding spot, as if it was a fissure in the rock. It was hard to see inside, but he continued to follow it along until it opened into another chamber. It was four meters wide and just over a meter in height, but the deep ceiling seemed to go on above the corridor where the creature was located.

Trevor continued to push his vision forward and was greeted with a vast cavern large enough to hold the creature. Inside the cavern were approximately thirty twi'leks gathered together directly below the ledge. The cavern did open up to the tunnel but the size of the opening was only big enough for a humanoid to fit through. Trevor realized that this ledge was a perfect place to hide. No one of the slavers probably even knew that it was there. Trevor rested a moment, performed a Jedi mantra, and then Force-jumped back into the crevasse where he was hiding earlier. Trevor wedged himself against the walls, climbing slowly and very stealthily. He continued to climb for the next few minutes, and scrambled his way to the ledge.

He looked out over the cavern taking in the scene. The slavers had split themselves up into four small areas. Three were guarding the slaves from different positions. A Klatooinan was directly below Trevor's hiding spot. Another Klatooinan was directly across the cavern, and a Nikto was near a large puddle at the back of the cavern. Near the opening, Trevor could see three more investigating where the monster was that had chased them.

"Where is it?" Trevor heard a voice climb up to him.

"I don't know," a second voice nearly screamed at him.

"Do you think there is someone else out there that made it walk away?"

"I said, I don't know where that Aklai went! Now keep your eyes open!"

Trevor's vision caught sight of the face of Vizaad Kha. The face was half covered with a metal helm. Kha's left eye seemed to have been replaced by a cybernetic viewing device. The group near the tunnel opening was certainly busy with the tunnel and preoccupied with that area.

Trevor realized that a distraction would work well to his advantage. Using the Force, Trevor picked up a stone and dropped it down the fissure. The noise caused Kha and his two Niktos jumped at the sound, raising their weapons in fear. The others seemed to ignore the trio, as they had been doing this for at least a half hour.

Trevor took a deep breath and jumped down next to the guard near the twi'leks. The Klatooinan guard never saw him coming. Trevor landed next the guard and threw his elbow into his face. The Klatooinan was knocked back against the wall, causing him to drop his weapon. A male twi'lek leapt up from his spot, and jumped for the gun. The twi'lek quickly grabbed the gun and fired blindly at the other two guards. The shot hit the Nikto guard square in the chest. The Klatooinan slumped down, dead.

Trevor turned around and saw the other guard coming from across the room firing at the twi'lek. The shot was true, causing the twi'lek to drop. Another twi'lek bounded up and grabbed the dropped weapon, standing over his wounded comrade.

Trevor interposed himself between the Klatooinan guard who fired again. This time, Trevor deflected the laser fire back at the guard. The guard was hit immediately, but he was still standing. By this time, the Klatooinan and Nikto guards realized that something was wrong. They saw a tall blindfolded man with a lightsaber turning laser fire around towards their comrade. They took aim at him, but Trevor turned that laser fire back onto their owners. The laser bolts smashed into their shoulders. All three of the guards moved closer to Trevor, causing him to twist and slash his lightsaber around his body. Before any more weapon fire could be loosed, Trevor slashed through the air at the nearest Klatooinan who was from Kha's door guard. His blade sliced clean through its abdomen. Trevor, sensing the last twi'lek guard coming up behind him, whipped his torso around, outstretching his arm. The lightsaber caught the guard unawares, severing his head in one smooth motion. Trevor turned around and approached the final guard and Kha.

The slaver Vizaad took aim at the blindfolded Jedi and fire directly at Trevor. He barely ducked out of the way in time. The other shot doesn't even come close. Trevor could not get even close to that Nikto, but if he did not get close, it was going to be a very short mission. Trevor advanced on the pair, keeping his lightsaber in front of him. They continued to fire upon Trevor, catching his robes a few times too many. Trevor's energy reserves were draining very quickly, and adrenaline was not going to make it much longer.

The remaining guard approached the Jedi, feeling very cocky. Trevor kept pace and twisted his body around to slice the guard nearly in half. The guard died instantly.

Trevor noticed that Kha had reached down and pulled out a second blaster pistol. Kha took aim at Trevor, and fired.

'I am not going to be able to take this much longer.' The first shot was wide. The second shot Trevor tried to deflect back to Kha, but was not even close. The third shot hit Trevor squarely on the left shoulder, spinning him around. Trevor's whole arm felt numb. With a near-rage feeling in his stomach, Trevor whipped his lightsaber around, one handed.

Kha knew he had hit the blindfolded Jedi and caused a near mortal wound. 'I have you know, whelp' he thought to himself. He never saw the lightsaber coming up from the Jedi's crouch. The saber severed his head cleanly from his body. 'How odd,' Kha thought, 'I never expected to lose my head over this…'

Trevor's breathing was ragged and very intense. Blood pooled on Trevor's cloak, but he ignored the pain. He still had a mission to complete, and passing out was not an option. He checked Kha's body, and removed the eyepiece to prove to the Council that Vizaad Kha was indeed dead. The slaves stood up and gathered themselves near Trevor as he finished with the bodies.

The group exited the caverns with no problem. Trevor contacted Grast with the coordinates of their current location. Twenty minutes later, Grast's ship landed on the plateau. As soon as the dust settled, Grast walked out of his ship towards Trevor, tentacles twitching. Trevor walked over to meet him, lightsaber hanging down in plain view.

"Glad to see you made it."

"Yeah. So, where is your… cargo?"

"You are looking at it."

"What is this, like fifty people?"

"No, thirty-eight."

Grast looked over at E5 and the Whitecloak.

"Thirty-eight. You taking that yourself or are you riding with me?"

"I'll be with you."

"We are going to Coruscant, right? The Jedi Temple, I assume. Can I also assume that there will be an increase in pay, as this is going to put a strain on my resources."

Trevor did not even argue with Grast on the increase cost. Trevor transferred the money immediately, due to the quick response of Grast to their location. He felt a little better, but not well enough to pilot a ship. Trevor felt better being on the ship, both to make sure that the pilot gets to their location, but to also make sure that the slaves were as comfortable as possible. E5 coordinated the jump, and Trevor instructed him to match speed. E5 notified Trevor that the trip would take eight days. Trevor had enough on his hand to deal with. Hopefully, things were not going to be too hectic.

The trip, all in all, was rather uneventful. Grast was not what most would call a social butterfly, but the fact that the twi'leks were so animated and happy to be free that they constantly thanked Grast for his transport. Grast, normally not a happy pilot, felt that the intrusion was not worth the cost of the fare, but the constant honest thankfulness of the twi'leks thawed some of the coolness from his demeanor. The entry to Coruscant was rather routine, except that Grast was not used to be allowed immediately access to the landing routine.

The freighter landed in the Jedi Temple, and a crew of Jedi Healers and Med-Corp triage folks were waiting for them in the hanger bay. The former slaves would be checked out and then processed through the Republic diplomatic core. Trevor stayed with Grast and made sure that the Quarren's ship was completely restocked full. He also added more to the final price of the fare. Trevor wanted to make sure that Grast was completely escorted and taken care of. Once Grast had taken off, Trevor headed up the turbolift towards the Council Chambers.

The doors opened into the Jedi Chambers, showing all twelve members of the Jedi Council in attendance. Trevor also noticed that Shudo was in the back of the room, in the position of advisor to Trevor. Trevor spent the next thirty minutes detailing the mission from start to finish. The end battle with Vizaad Kha was almost not accepted by a couple of members of the Council. Trevor had anticipated that. He showed Masters Yoda, Windu and Mundi the eye from Vizaad Kha.

The remainder of the Council was very pleased. They dismissed him with instructions to continue to study and to work on his skills. Trevor bowed to the Council, thanking them for this mission. He turned and headed out the door, towards his new apartment. The Council seemed pleased, but it was always very hard to tell, as the stoic faces never let their emotions run away or get out of control. Trevor wasn't sure of the short term, but he could feel that the Force held plenty of surprises waiting for him.