The fiery glow lit the chamber's interior with an eerie flicker, similar to a candle in a small room. The multi-layered rock formation normally gave the tall cloaked figure a top-down view of this mini-domain. However, his eyes were glued to the communicator display in his hand. The darkened screen caused a snarl to escape from his lips. The tentacles from his head reached down from the cowl that covered his features, not wanting to be hidden by any cloak. Disappointment filled the air around the bulky figure. He flexed his left hand, crushing the communicator into small bits without thinking. Realizing that the communicator was now useless, he tossed the remains across the cavern with the effort of the Force. He watched them sail through the air toward the molten lava, falling like metallic snow.
"She was USELESS!", he bellowed his voice bouncing off of the sides of the chamber. Pieces of slate and stone shook loose from their moorings, causing a slight dust cloud to rise on one side. "I know the ways of this Jedi. My revenge should have been complete with his defeat. My former Master would not have been able to handle his death. She should have won, but why did she not defeat him? I saw her defeat him in my vision. She was well trained and certainly motivated properly…" Anger boiled in his blood, leading him deeper into the Dark Side. The Force might have been an ally to both Jedi and Sith, but he knew he was better than either, no matter what his former Master thought. He walked back to his high-backed chair to think about this unfortunate turn of events. There had to be a way, there just had to be...
Trevor awoke nearly fifteen hours later, more rested and refreshed than he had ever felt before. Battling battle droids on adrenaline alone was not good for one's physical or mental well being. But an innocent's life was in danger, even though his father had picked the life of a politician. Trevor was aware that some people chose their own life's work while other's lives chose them. His chronometer was on the right side bed stand, along with his utility belt and lightsaber. As he reached for the belt, a sudden thought flittered through him: A stranger had removed those items from her person. Trevor adjusted his sight and reached out with the Force for any additional life forms. He could feel the pilot's Force signature, as well as the copilot. He looked around the room, and E5 stood in the corner, standing guard. Trevor smiled at the droid, and a happy squeal emitted from the small audio synthesizer.
Trevor walked the corridors of the diplomatic starship. Most of his experiences had him traveling with the Crystal Phoenix with Master Shudo. While the Phoenix was certainly a ship of sleek design and speed, this ship was designed for comfort. He walked to the aft kitchenette, and opened the cooler unit. Inside were many different fruits, meats and cheeses. A throat cleared behind him, and Trevor adjusted his point of view. The ship's cook, someone Trevor had not noticed before, was standing there, arms crossed and a smile on his face.
"Master Jedi. I never thought that someone of your stature would stoop to pilfering a meal."
"Master Chef, it would seem that I am caught with my hand in the Corellian Red." Trevor straightened and faced the ample cook. Trevor reminded himself that he was just a guest on this ship, and it certainly was not the average Jedi transport.
"Name's Dex and I have been instructed to make you whatever meal you'd like during the trip. Compliments of Senator Essada. What would you like?"
Trevor was a bit taken aback by such courtesy, but realized that Essada was just trying to thank him in his own way. "Well," he hesitated, "do you have any Aldaraanian nerf steak? I have heard that it is quite good."
"Nerf steak? Of course I have it. Oron goes nowhere without it. I'd recommend some Kuati white vintage. I've got a good bottle here somewhere." Dex could be heard rummaging in the wine storage area. Trevor shook his head, and sat down at the counter. While dinner was being server, Trevor learned a few culinary tips from Dex, and Dex even learned a little history about the Jedi Order while preparing the meal. Trevor sat in rapture at the ease the lumbering cook at which he prepared the meal. Never breaking stride, or even slowing down his speech, Dex continued to talk and cook. It seemed to Trevor that maybe Dex was showing off just a little, but then again, when you are that proficient at something, showing off might be the only way that you can be recognized. He enjoyed the company and even invited Dex to sit with him during his meal. Initially, he refused, citing many different reasons that Trevor was sure had been given to Oron before. But Trevor simply said, "But I'm not him. Please, I'd be honored."
The pair sat for nearly three hours talking and laughing. Trevor stopped with one glass of the Kuati wine, while Dex abstained completely. However the pair could be heard laughing all the way into the pilot's cabin. Both pilots smiled and shook their heads in disbelief. They had never realized Jedi actually needed to laugh and be merry sometimes.
The remainder of the trip was uneventful, as Trevor enjoyed his journey back to Coruscant aboard Senator Essada's comfortable and spacious diplomatic Corellian starshuttle. His arrival seemed anticlimactic, but luxury was not his way of life. He looked forward to returning to his room and the rigors of Jedi life. He thanked Dex and the pilots for a smooth ride. He was actually glad to be off the ship when it landed in the Temple's docking bay. He debarked from the ship via the rear cargo hold. The repulsorsled with the body of the Chev Sith and the six battle droids was delivered to the Jedi Temple's analysis facilities. During a short waiting period while the analysis droids were gathering certain tools, Trevor reviewed the most recent manifests of the deliveries to the facility within the last couple of days. He noticed that Chief Boca had kept his promise to deliver the 'Drone' battle droid from Ord Mantell. Trevor left the pieces to the analysis droids, requesting that should anything be found, he should be contacted immediately. The droids agreed and Trevor walked out of the analysis room. He marched towards the nearest turbolift, figuring a report to the Council was certainly in order, and well overdue.
When he arrived at the Council Chambers, Adi Gallia was the only member in attendance in the Chambers. Her back was to Trevor, and he waited patiently for fifteen minutes at the door. Master Gallia turned and was surprised by his presence.
"Trevor, how long have you been standing there?"
"Not long, Master. I came to give my report on my recent missions."
"Certainly." And with that, Trevor gave greater detail to Master Gallia for nearly twenty minutes more. Gallia stood patiently, listening, nodding. She reached over for a datapad at one point, wrote something down and placed it inside her cloak when Trevor finished. "I am very glad to see that you were successful in your missions. Especially ones that took place back to back. You have grown quickly in recent months and I feel that many more missions will come your way." Master Gallia closed her eyes and concentrated. Trevor could feel her presence in the Force grow slightly.
"And I feel that you are currently rested and well fed?"
Trevor smirked and blushed slightly. "Yes, Master. Senator Essada requested that I take his personal diplomatic shuttle for the return trip. It was his way of thanking me without too much embarrassment. I am extremely humbled by his generosity. Of course, I don't think I could cook as well as his staff. I learned about preparing nerf steak, though" Trevor smiled widely. "My apologizes, Master."
"For what, Trevor? You did not ask for it, and I would actually like to taste some of your recipes when you have a chance to make them. For now, though, you may return to your quarters and studies as you see appropriately."
Trevor bowed to Gallia and turned from the room. He entered the turbolift and returned to his quarters. After changing his robes in the refresher, he received word from the analysis room via his com station. The Chev body contained a subcutaneous implant that seemed to be a beacon or tracking device of some kind. In comparison to the reports that had already been provided, the droid hypothesized that, should the implant be linked to the communicator that contained the three code words, and if the woman was indeed Talon, the TALON code word would certainly be in a different color. He thanked the droid for the report, and grabbed his lightsaber. For some reason, he seemed to think better after a workout. It seemed that, if she did have a com-beacon implanted, there was still another player in this game. And something told Trevor that things were going to get worse, not better.
Three weeks later, the droids and technicians had been able to recover a frustratingly small amount of information. None of the surviving components pointed to a specific manufacturer or point of origin, and the rest was an unrecognizable pile of slag. By the end of that week, Trevor was having some difficulty concealing his restlessness. His workouts became more intense, his face became a mask of neutrality.
A reprieve came without warning when Trevor was suddenly summoned from lightsaber training exercises to the Council Chambers. He arrived to find the full council assembled with Master Shudo Laan standing in attendance. Master Windu quickly brought Trevor up to date.
"We have received a priority update from Master Oomaal on the planet Ryloth with regards to her mission there. She mentioned each of you by name."
Trevor and the others watched as Windu stood and walked towards a communications station rising from behind his chair. He entered in a code to replay the holographic message. The translucent blue image of Kura Oomaal stood before them, her normally serene features tinged with a touch of urgency, though her voice remained calm.
"Masters, Nawara and I have successfully infiltrated the Rylothian slaver's fortress. I have included a set of data files regarding the complex and its master, Silais (pronounced Si-LAY-us) Torr. We are prepared to move against the slavers and put an end to their operation, but security is stronger than we had anticipated. The slaves' tracking devices can only be deactivated from Torr's personal starship, but we are unable to safely access the hanger bay or remove the devices ourselves. I believe that with the proper assistance and diversion, we will be able to facilitate the release of the slaves and capture the operation's leaders." Master Windu handed Trevor and Shudo each a set of datacards bearing Master Oomaal's data files as her holographic image continued to speak.
"My masters, I ask your permission to call Master Shudo Laan and Knight Trevor Gul'dan to Ryloth. I believe that Master Shudo's familiarity with my tactics will allow him to adapt to any necessary changes in the plan while disabling hanger security and deactivating the tracking devices. I also believe that Trevor's recent successes in the field indicate that he will be able to engage in a diversionary assault on fortress security with minimal personal risk. I estimate that there are currently sixty trained guards stationed at the fortress, operating in teams of five to ten. They are well-armed and loyal to their masters, but would pose no real threat to an experienced Jedi."
The holographic Kura turned and looked over her shoulder, as if listening to a distant noise, then continued in a hushed and hurried voice.
"I have already taken too much time here. I must go before I arouse suspicion. Please inform me of your decision using this coded frequency."
The image dissolved, and Windu turned to Master Shudo.
"I understand that the Crystal Phoenix is already refueled and fully stocked."
Shudo nodded confidently as Mace turned his gaze on Trevor.
"How soon can you be ready?" he asked.
Trevor replied, "I will meet Master Shudo at the Phoenix in ten minutes. I would like to have E5 and Whitecloak 17 docked with the Phoenix as well." Windu nodded, and the pair bowed to the Council, and turned directly towards the turbolift. Shudo and Trevor made small talk towards the turbolift. Trevor contacted E5 and asked him to launch the Whitecloak into orbit and prepare for docking with the Crystal Phoenix. Trevor also instructed E5 not to wait for him as he would travel this time with Master Shudo. Yellow spots popped up on Shudo's crest, and Trevor smiled right away.
"You know, Master. It has been a few months since we last took part in a mission together."
"Yes, it has, Trevor. I have been watching your progress rather closely, even though I have not taken direct involvement with you. I am glad to see that you are doing well and able to handle yourself." The lift stopped on Trevor's floor. "I will meet you onboard."
Trevor nodded and bowed as he left the lift. He raced for his room and quickly packed his 'mission bag', a simple pack containing items he'd picked up along the way such as a breath mask and goggles from Ord Mantell, eletrobinoculars from Umgul and his change of clothes from both missions. He still wore his own lightsaber, but decided to add his all-weather cloak to his belongings. The cloak was getting a bit frayed at the edges. He quickly locked his room, and headed towards the hanger bay.
Upon his arrival, the Phoenix was already in pre-launch sequence and nearly ready to take off. Trevor boarded, walked towards the rear galley and strapped in. The Phoenix rose from the docking bay and lifted through the Coruscant sky. Three minutes later, Trevor heard the docking sequence finish and knew that E5 was now on board. He took the time to now study the data files that Master Oomaal had sent to the Council.
The first datafile contained a picture and information regarding Silais Torr. The picture on the left side of the screen showed a nearly albino Twi'lek with his head tails draped across the picture. The slug like head filled the entire portrait. What Trevor noted were his eyes. The bright green eyes made Trevor wince at the near callous disregard for life. The clothing seemed a bit elegant for a slaver, but Trevor figured that he had other lines of income. Reading the datafile confirmed it:
-DATAFILE-
SILAIS TORR
This twi'lek is a known dealer of black-market goods, weapons, slaves and illegal exotic animals. He has been identified as the head of a fast-growing slave trade organization responsible for the abduction of hundreds of native twi'leks from the planet Ryloth in the Outer Rim. Surveillance by Jedi Master Kura Oomaal has revealed that Torr is currently operating out of a remote complex on Ryloth.
The next data file showed a detailed schematic of Torr's facility. Three towers stood out of the ground, with large turbines on the top which seemed to be used as an power supply for the entire facility. Each of the towers had doors that led below ground level. Trevor realized that he knew nothing of Ryloth's climate or terrain. He placed the schematic down to study later and began to study Ryloth's planetary information.
Ryloth, according to the Phoenix's computer system, was a terrestrial planet that was tidal-locked with the sun. One side of the planet was constantly bombarded by light from the sun burning away at the mountainous landscape while the opposite side froze under mounds of ice and snow. The only habitable place was a temperate zone which separated the two extremes. Dangers still existed as firestorms and sudden icy blasts of air swept across the planet. Native Twi'leks had adapted to the everchanging climate by building their cities underground. Only the towering wind-turbines and watch posts are exposed to the surface. Trevor never realized how inhospitable a planet could be until he read the almanac for Ryloth. Tatooine was always hot during the daylight hours, but at least at night, it cooled off. Ryloth was a good place for Torr's fortress because no one would ever see him.
Moments later, he picked up the schematics of the slaver's fortress. Knowing that his mission was both simple and complex at the same time, he decided to keep the plan simple. Master Oomaal wanted him to be a distraction and deal with the fortress security. Any one of the guards inside could get a luck shot and kill him right away. The Force moved in mysterious ways so he thought to take the fight to them instead of the reverse. Trevor thought about all his recent missions, especially those where slavers had been involved. The Brentaal and Tatooine missions were more like reconnaissance missions with the benefit of rescuing nearly sixty slaves. The possibility existed that someone might remember Trevor's description. A white lightsaber is a terrible calling call for a Jedi, Trevor realized, but on the other hand, what is the objective here? I am supposed to be a distraction.
He continued to mull over his options as Shudo walked into the cabin where Trevor was concentrating on the problem at hand. Shudo watched his former padawan closely and actually smiled upon seeing the Miraluka working on a problem more diligently than he'd ever remembered. But then again, he's been through some pretty hair raising things lately. That would certainly age you appropriately, he thought. Trevor turned slightly and caught Shudo's figure standing in the doorway. He turned his face towards his Master and smirked.
"Still like sneaking up on your padawan, eh, Master Shudo?"
"I need to keep in practice. The apartment is rather quiet now, you know. Old habits die hard, and I am not exactly young, you know."
Trevor's face broke out a smile. "Really? I only thought you were a few years younger than Yoda."
The pair shared a hearty laugh and talked shop for the rest of the day. Shudo talked about some of the planets he'd been on recently. Trevor did not push Shudo when it came to details, but he knew that the Council would keep him busy. Trevor recited some of the details of his missions, not that he was trying to brag, but to talk to his Master with insight on certain problems. The two talked about missions, interesting sites on planet, and even an old gossip or two. The pair shared the ship for two days before Trevor broached the subject of the upcoming mission.
"I was thinking about the upcoming mission. Master Oomaal has been following this slaver for quite some time. I know about four months ago we went on the mission to Brentaal, and then I had a separate mission about six weeks ago to Tatooine. If anyone had seen me and reported back to Torr, I am going to be well know. It would make for a good distraction for me to walk into the front door of this tower," he said, pointing to the northern most of the three towers. The towers were placed on three corners of the facility. The tower Trevor pointed to lead to the inner section of the fortress at one access point, as well as directly towards the hanger bay. "This way, I can block all access to the hanger bay for you, and no one will get in. What do you think?"
Shudo regarded his copy of the fortress schematics. He studied it for a few minutes while Trevor waited. He shook his head slightly, and looked up with just his eyes staring across the room. His large head continued to point towards his datapad.
"There are guard posts, according to this schematic, at the entrance to every egress point, except the hanger bay. If I enter here, I can keep everyone out of the way, and keep the path clear for when we free the slaves."
The Anx Jedi listened to his padawan carefully. He had immediately thrown the plan out due to the brashness of the plan, but there was a good understanding of the underlying mission. "I can see where this plan would be effective, and the only suggestion that I have would be not enter there, but rather at the furthest point away." Shudo pointed to the lower right corner of the datapad where a third tower was located. "It would be far enough away from the main engagement to cause them not to look over there."
Trevor regarded the schematic with a concerned look on his face. He respected his Master's opinion, but his mind wandered to the time back on Alderaan when he nearly died, or even on Ord Mantell. Was he really ready to be this much on the front line?
Shudo saw his padawan musing and interrupted. "It would seem to me that as of recently days, you have proved yourself extremely capable with a lightsaber. Kura would not ask you to assist on this mission if she thought otherwise."
Trevor's head jerked upwards. Shudo never lavished praise very much during his novitiate. He was a stern Master, but cautious as to what steps Trevor would have taken next. He looked at Shudo differently when he realized what his Master was doing.
"Master, I was wondering. What is Master Oomaal like?"
Shudo nodded and smiled. "If you think I am cautious, she is even more so. She is analytical and able to see multiple points of view at the same time. It is a trait that I have been working years to perfect, but have not been able to master yet." A faraway look in his eyes, remembering some part of his past. Trevor continued to study the fortress layout.
"I'd like to take the evening to think about your plan, Master, if you don't mind."
"Go right ahead. I have some items I need to ready myself. When you are hungry, the galley is fully stocked. I don't have any Aldarian nerf steaks, but feel free nonetheless to make us a meal." Trevor smiled at Shudo and continued to study the map, working out possibilities of attack routes, force strengths and possible areas for ambush.
"I'll make sure it is something edible, Master."
Trevor took the evening to think about what Shudo suggested, and the Jedi Master's suggestion seemed to make the best logical choice. Even though Trevor felt strongly about his plan, he was smart enough to keep his pride in check and review all options again before deciding on a course of action. Going on towards Standard evening time, Trevor walked into the galley and began to prepare a meal that he knew Shudo would like. He prepared the meal for nearly thirty standard minutes, causing a hungry Shudo to be drawn into the gallery about the same time that the meal was completed. No words were spoken out loud between Master and padawan. The pair had been together for so long that words seemed to be unnecessary during meals. They ate silently, each enjoying the hum of the hyperdrive and the silence of space. As they cleaned up their dishes from the meal, Trevor broke the stillness.
"I reviewed all the options again, Master. You were right, the farthest tower from the hanger does make the best sense. However, I'm going to have to employ some untested saber maneuvers."
"Trevor, I am sure that you will be fine. You are a Jedi Knight, and one who has progress rapidly. I am sure that your skills will not be a match for them. But remember, do not take their life, unless threatened."
The Miraluka nodded, realizing that in all the planning, he never figured on the cost of lives. "I will do my best to keep the number of casualties down."
"Make sure that if you leave an enemy down, he cannot hit you from behind. Most of them will probably have blasters, so they only know how to shoot with one hand."
"Master, how much time do you need before I begin the distraction? That is one part that I missed in our earlier briefing."
"Good thinking. We will have to split up, as I am sure that you surmised." Shudo looked at Ryloth and did some quick calculations. "It will take about an hour for me to get into position. Have you considered how you will get into the facility?"
Trevor raised his face up from the table. "I'm still going to walk in the front door. That part still makes the most sense. I don't see any other course of action. That is the best one that makes sense for this mission. I am a distraction this time. I am going to be up front, to a point. It's not like I am going to walk up to the door and say, 'I am a Jedi, let me in.' " Trevor waved his hands from side to side, causing Shudo to laugh uncontrollably. "That part just doesn't make any sense other than in the front door."
Shudo nodded his head. "I agree. It does seem to be the only way. But be careful, padawan."
Trevor just looked at his master with a who-me? Attitude. Shudo shook his head, and his crest became a bright beacon of yellow, with streaks of purple.
Kla Voir walked the corridor with the practice ease of someone who was completely bored. He had walked down the slaves quarters nearly fifty times this shift. The Nikto swung his arms lazily at his side, and turned quickly and drew his weapon to fend off an invisible enemy. He grunted to himself, practicing quick-draws a few more times in practice, thinking himself getting faster and faster with each motion. Each of the cells in this particular corridor got bored with watching him all the time. All, that is, except one. She was a purple skinned twi'lek who constantly wore a headpiece which gave the appearance of a second set of head tails. The slave master liked this one more than the others, so she was allowed to keep her headdress when everyone else wore rags. Nawara adjusted her position so she could keep an eye on the Nikto guard and watch his motions, gathering intelligence for when the time came. Master Oomaal had let her know that her friend Trevor was on his way with Master Shudo to free the slaves. Her mission had been a long tortuous journey. However, she was glad to hear that a clan mate was helping her escape. She didn't think she'd be able to take care of the guards on her own.
The destination klaxon was blaring as Trevor and E5 entered the Whitecloak for the final time this mission. Shudo and Trevor worked out an additional distraction that would certainly bend the scales in their favor. Not wanting to take any chances, Trevor doubled checked his armament and found that the Whitecloak was fully stocked and ready to go. E5 whistled to the Jedi and he maneuvered himself into position, upside down from the relative position of the Crystal Phoenix. Moments after settling in, starlines became dots and the planet of Ryloth filled the viewscreen.
Shudo's voice came in over the ship-to-ship intercom. "Remember Trevor, I need one hour from when you land to get into position. Don't be late."
"I don't plan to be, Master. May the Force be with you."
Shudo signed off similarly and the intercom went quiet. A separation light blinked on Trevor's console, giving him the signal to separate from the Phoenix. He released the ship and followed Shudo down toward the planet. E5 was ready to take over, but the flight down through the atmosphere was rather uneventful this time. Compared to the flight down on Ilum, this was a breeze. Trevor actually took time to look at the landscape as it zoomed past.
The 'hot' side of the planet was a barren wasteland of burnt rock and sand. Crags of melted rock could be seen everywhere. Firestorms were avoided at all costs and the starships navigated the planet's atmosphere with precision. Trevor flew under the Phoenix's shadow as often as possible to prevent any sort of overheating to his own meager air recyclers. The shielding of the Phoenix gave it much greater protection against the heat. Trevor looked out and navigated towards the temperate area of the planet, running a more easterly course than before. The navigation program E5 ran to allow them to plot a course to the fortress bleeped, causing E5 to translate the code to something that Trevor could read.
"Good. We are still on course. Amazing how dynamic this world is. How can the twi'leks deal with this on a day to day basis?" Trevor's voice trailed off, thinking about the history of the Miraluka. His homeworld was under constant radiation, which cause the blindness of his peoples, until they realized that there was another way to see. "Well, I guess I know how they could live with it… E5, how much longer?"
E5 warbled back that they were ten minutes from the separation point. Trevor flew the Whitecloak alongside the Phoenix's bridge, flashed his navigation lights three times, the signal that he would be leaving the formation. Shudo flashed the cabin lights twice, the affirmative response. As Trevor started to turn away, a calming presense invaded his mind. Trevor soaked in those feelings, knowing that Shudo was always close by. Trevor followed the telepathic path back to his Master, and in his mind's eye, winked. The link closed shortly after that, with a slight humor tint. Trevor shook his head, and turned to the task at hand. He reviewed the land masses around the fortress. Knowing that he had just over an hour to get into position, he wanted to find a place to land under five kilometers away. He figured that with the rough terrain, he'd have better luck being on time if he was under that distance. E5 was reviewing the terrain map when he gave Trevor a warning that they were nearing the drop zone.
He pulled back gently on the stick to get a better view of the area. He came into this area with the sun on his backside, covering up any flashing with the sun's light. He found a open area at the bottom of a foot hill to the mountains that surrounded the fortress. He landed softly and immediately unfastened the harness that held him in place and shut down all non-essential power, leaving E5 essentially in command. He grabbed his cloak, fastened his lightsaber to his utility belt, and opened the cockpit. The wind was moving at a decent pace, but not overly strong. Trevor wound his cape around his neck, and lifted the cowl. He placed a set of goggles over his eyepatch to confusing the casual observance. He also grabbed his breathmask from Ord Mantell and placed it over his mouth. No sense in taking any chances. A spare breathing tank was stowed under the pilot's seat. Trevor grabbed it, connected it to his mask, and placed it over his head. After adjusting the breather properly, Trevor gave E5 his last instructions.
"Now, you have forty five minutes before you lift off. After that, you should reach the fortress about the same time I am inside. Once you take off, take care of the two turbines on the towers we discussed. The second and third towers should to do the trick. Just make sure I'm inside before you start blowing up the third tower, okay?"
E5 whistled, beeped and whirled so hard Trevor had a hard time keeping up.
"Look, let's sync our chronometers. We have about fifty minutes left before Shudo is in position so let's do this right. He's expecting us to be there. Let's not let him down."
E5 gave a mournful whistle, and Trevor nodded.
"May the Force be with you, E5." With that, he closed the canopy, and turned due west, towards the fortress.
The Phoenix landed a bit closer to the fortress than Shudo would have liked but he did not want to risk being late. Trevor had a knack for being on time for most things, and he certainly did not want to be shown up at this point.
The tall Anx was bent over as he neared the hanger bay. Two guards stood outside, ambling along without a care in the world. They appeared to be Klatooinan and not very good. Shudo raised his hand slightly, and concentrated on the pair. First one, then the other, yawned and stretched their arms. As they did so, Shudo put an image of a soft bed into their minds, and the two fell down, fully asleep. Shudo closed his eyes, and concentrated for any more life forms in the near vicinity and was rewarded with only one other life form. It looks like they are not expecting us. Let's hope that Trevor runs into the same light resistance.
The tall turbine tower grew from the sand dune like a giant snake grasping for its next unsuspecting meal. As Trevor got closer, it loomed like a spire from the Coruscant residential district. This spire was, however, much different as it sported scorch marks all around the metal. Trevor looked at it, and realized that this metal was used for constructing these kinds of towers in these conditions because of the hot environment. It cooled rapidly, yet in cold weather it could heat quickly as well. Trevor approached the tower as if he had already been there once before. The winds whipped around his head, and the thought he heard the word Jedi uttered by one of the guards who had been watching him for a while.
He leaned his head down to cover his face from the wind, also giving himself a chance to get to the main doors without being stopped. Some might have gotten a good look at his waist and seen a lightsaber. He was too close now to allow that to happen. He reached the main doors without further incident and pressed an announcement button on the side of the doors. One of the doors opened, and a protocol droid walked out, surprising Trevor slightly.
"Good day, what is your business?" the mechanical voice questioned in Huttese.
"I would like to speak to the master of this establishment," replied Trevor in the same dialect.
"Whom is it that is calling."
Trevor's mind raced. He only had a couple of seconds to respond. "A fellow businessman from Brentaal," was the response that finally emerged.
"Thank you," replied the tinny voice. The droid ushered him inside the doors, and Trevor knew that the mission was really beginning. The droid led him down a short corridor, maybe twenty meters long, where another set of doors was imbedded into the wall. The protocol droid was nonresponsive to any inquiries as a soft rumble could be heard from the other side. Trevor poked his vision through the doors and realized immediately that he should have expected a turblolift somewhere near the entrance. Trevor realized that he'd been holding his breath, so he exhaled slowly, running through a Jedi calming technique to relax his muscles and to feel the Force flowing through him.
The doors of the turbolift slid to the side, allowing entrance inside. The small lift had a rail around the middle and a pair of buttons near the door. The droid pushed the bottom button and the doors slid closed. Trevor loosened his cloak to allow for better access to his lightsaber. The droid continued its communication silence, which he greatly appreciated. The lift increased speed so much that Trevor had to hold the railing. He calculated the depth of the fortress under the ground and nodded at the distinct advantage having only three entrances to an underground fortress. The weather on the surface could filter through the upper levels, causing problems down below, so it make a certain amount of sense to be this deep.
Moments later, the turbolift slowed its decent and came to a stop. The doors opened into a fairly large room. The droid stepped out into the room with the Jedi in tow. Trevor removed the cowl of his cloak from around his head and looked around. The room was longer than it was wide and contained a few tables and chairs. What concerned him the most was the ten around the room. Most of the guards consisted of Nikto, Klatooinans, and Weequays. The closest guard, a Klatooinan, stood up and looked Trevor over with a nasty sneer on his face.
"What do you want?" he grumbled, his blaster held loosely in his hand.
"I would like to talk to your master." Trevor took a quick moment to survey the room. Each of the guards had a vibroblade in a sheath, but four of the guards has laser rifles, very good models by the look of them.
The guard nodded, "Oh, and what do you want to talk to him about?"
Trevor's mental clock realized that there was only a few minutes left until E5 would begin his attack run on the towers. Trevor shrugged his shoulders, dropping the cloak to the ground. His right hand grasped his lightsaber from his belt, and held it point down and just to his right, extinguished but ready for action.
"I came to apprehend him for his involvement of slave trading." His body relaxed, giving him a clear view of the situation. The first guard's face did not change, but two of the rear guards believed that the Jedi was not ready. They immediately tried to take down the Jedi first. They raised their laser rifles as if to fire on him. The first guard, shaking his head at such an easy target, lunged before anyone else could react.
Unfortunately, Trevor had expected such a move and ignited his lightsaber milliseconds before the guard could leave his position. The vibroblade never cleared the sheath as the first guard's head clanged to the floor. The crystal blade hummed throughout the room. Time seemed to slow down for the Jedi as he saw the entire room from a detached point of view. His blade reversed course as it exited the first guard, and a second guard's eyes started to grow large in anticipation and fear. The guard's weapon of choice was a vibroblade, a high-tech sword with a sharp vibrating edge. A second guard was able to swing at Trevor. He was able to inadvertently slice off the tip of the blade, but not before a quick step backward gave him a bit of an gap between each other. A third and fourth attempted to slash their blades in his direction, but to no avail. His training taking over, Trevor realized that these men, though trained well, could not be a match for someone as learned as he in the art of swordfighting. The years in repetitive training came in handy here. With multiple attackers, Trevor kept his ligthsaber in constant motion to keep all of them at arm's length. The second guard tried to step into the deadly arc of the saber, and Trevor clipped him across the shoulders, without even turning his head. A whispering brush of cloth on cloth gave Trevor an indication of where his next attacker would be coming from. The blade nearly moved of it's own accord. Trevor kept his arm moving from the previous swipe and brought the blade straight over his head, spun on his toes to bisect another guard vertically. Two more advanced on the saber-weilding Jedi. They tried to slash across the body, but the only thing they connected with was the Jedi's weapon. Trevor was certainly taking off more of their weapons each time they attacked. The rear guards were able to get a few shots off, but Trevor easily blocked them, even causing one laser bolt to be rebounded directly back to the attacker's head, flying back into the far wall. The crystal blade crackled with energy as another pair of guards fell under Trevor's casual swinging of the blade. Killing these guards did not give Trevor any pleasure. But Trevor knew that he did not have to kill all the guards. The next two guards advanced on Trevor, and he responded by starting his swing high. Both guards instinctively moved forward, but Trevor immediately dropped to one knee, swinging his blade across the upper thighs. The shock of losing both legs caused each guard to fall face first, completely out of the fight. The guards remained, two with blasters and one with another vibroblade. The first blaster-bearing guard shot at Trevor and received his own shot right into the chest. The guard was thrown back against the side wall, dropping the weapon. The blade-weilder walked in and tried to feint. Unfortunately, Trevor advanced too quick and slashed off the left leg. The blade clattered to the ground, and the guard immediately grabbed his leg in pain. Trevor attempted the final guard, but he jumped back out of harm's way. Another shot rang out, but only took out a light source. Trevor swung wildly at the guard, barely clipping the guard's tunic. The guard was certainly not ready for an immediate counter attack. The body slid down the wall, unconscious from blood loss.
Now that the guards were dispatched, Trevor spend a few moments searching the room. What he did not realize was that, while he was systematically dispensing the guards, someone was watching the entire affair…
The viewscreen showed the action dispassionately to the large twi'lek. He took no pleasure in the carnage that this blind man was causing. In fact, his face changed from pink to red to maroon as the battle raged on. As he looked at the 'blind man' he realized that the head never turned towards his target, always looking straight ahead. Silais Torr's forehead bore beads of sweat as the Jedi dismantled the guards in the main foyer. "No, no, no" was the montage that he kept repeating as each guard fell under the blade of the swordsman. "This is impossible, how could one man take on so many?" he whispered. "Send in the next detachment, quickly!" he ordered into his comlink. A feeble response was scarcely heard as Torr concentrated on the screen. Unbeknownst to Torr, an other viewscreen showed his ship being boarded by a large cloaked figure bearing a blue lightsaber. Torr's only interest was the screen he was hunched over at the time. The Jedi on the screen deactivated his blade, casually picked up his cloak, and proceeded to search the entire room.The lust for battle remained in his mouth, but not his soul. Killing the guards was necessary, but not wanted. Trevor knew that these guards would have killed him in an instant and was surprised to find that he respected each of the guards for doing their jobs. He searched the room and found a couple of data cards as well as two code cylinders, high security keys. One cylinder had a single dot while the other contained two dots. Each of these keys would work, probably, but only on the doors in this room.
Suddenly, the sound of the turbolift returning jolted Trevor into action. He took the single-dot key and placed it in the slot where he entered just moments before. Upon turning the cylinder counterclockwise, he could hear the distinctive bing-bong of the locking mechanism giving an affirmative response. He pulled the key out and proceeded into the next room. I've started this run, let's see where this lead me. He never increased his speed, never moved his head while looking around. He seemed to be either a man possessed, or a very good android. The guard post had only two doors, one leading out another to the west that lead to a circular room. This second room also had a western door. Movement could be heard coming from the second entrance. Time for more distractions, Trevor mused. He ignited his blade, and dropped his cloak one more time.
The room was round and ornate. Many ancient weapons and art could be seen on the surrounding walls. The paintings were of different styles and Trevor merely glanced at them. Some of the weapons were interesting, but the statue in the middle was the most impressive. The carving of some sort of beast was nearly as tall as the domed ceiling. The ornate door on the opposite end of the room was guilded with some sort of expensive metal. Trevor shook his head as the door opened, guards spilling into the area. Most of them had blaster pistols ready and they split up into the room, trying to surround the Jedi. As the last guard entered the room, a deep reverberation was felt throughout the complex. Trevor smiled as the lights flickered knowing that E5 had finished his attack run on the turrets. Four of the guards fired at Trevor blindly. The Jedi swung his blade in a circular pattern in front of his torso, causing two of the bolts to return to their original locations. Smoke billowed forth from the chests of both guards as they fell backwards. Trevor's momentum from walking into the room took him directly into the middle of the fray. Four guards lined up next to the statue, and Trevor discovered an opportunity. He bunched his legs, and jumped directly at the statue, raising his lightsaber straight up, dropping a guard who had ventured into Trevor's kill zone. The Jedi's jump elevated him to the waist of the statue. He pushed off with his foot, and spun himself around, lightsaber outstretched. The blade sang with energy as his rotation increased slightly. Trevor's vision blurred slightly, as he got slightly disoriented. When he landed on his feet, the bodies of three guards, sliced in half, were strewn around him. When Trevor's vision stabilized, he noticed for the first time that small holocams were located around the room. Trevor cocked his head to one side, and tried to imagine the look on Torr's face, if he was watching.
Torr's normally pale faced lightened so much that his aide thought he might faint. The large twi'lek whispered softly, "I know him" over and over again. The aide leaned over Torr's shoulder.
"Master Torr. What should we do about this?"
Torr's color returned slightly. "I think it is time to meet this . . . Jedi," he spat. "I've had enough of this cat-and-mouse." The large twi'lek stood up from the security station, and walked out towards the hallway leading to a large open chamber. The unique construction of this chamber was obvious by the large tree located directly in the middle. Torr had purchased this tree especially for this garden. It was certainly rare for any vegetation to grow on Ryloth, but this tree seemed to flourish in the dank conditions. Rarely did Torr water it, and he did not think it odd. Torr sat down on the base wall of the tree and thought about the Jedi's skills and how he could counteract it…
The remants of the battle was anticlimactic. The remaining guards had no morale to fight this Jedi, and their aim was definitely off. Trevor deflected as many shots as he could, and killed the remaining guards through their own fire and lightsaber swipes. The last guard only lost his hands but did not pass out from loss of blood. However, the shock of the loss definitely incapacitated him. Trevor disengaged his lightsaber, returned it to his belt, and assisted the guard to the ground. He searched all ten bodies for additional cylinders and found one with three dots on it. Trevor tried to use the first key, but was balked by the lock. He tried the second key and was rewarded with a swoop of the opening of the door. The hallway was not lit completely, as the power levels dropped beyond the ability for the lights to illuminate. Trevor adjusted his vision to compensate for the lack of light. The hallway was clear of any guards, so he proceeded the length of the corridor casually. He'd left his cloak behind, but he did not want to stop now. He was on his course now, and the advantage was still his. Surprise was out the door, but Torr was sure to be sending more at him. Trevor spied more holocams down the corridors.
He approached a small anteroom that seemed to be a waiting area or a parlor of some sort. The room had benches built into the walls and more exotic art lined the walls. The rooms seemed much smaller than the previous two rooms, but no additional guard detachment was here to meet him. The hallway continued on into a more traditional narrow alleyway into a room that resembled a dining hall. Here four tables with benches around each side were evenly spaced apart. Chairs headed each table, and there seemed to be only enough for two-thirds of the guard's strength, if Master Oomaal's intelligence was to be believed. So far, she had been right. I wonder how she got her intelligence so accurate," Trevor mused. He walked to the opposite end of the dining area, and sauntered down a thirty foot corridor into wide corridor. Directly across from him was a door leading to another section of the complex. Trevor reviewed the fortress' floor plans in his head, and realized that this was the meeting room near Torr's audience chamber. He turned around, locked the door behind him and started to walk across the room, when a movement caught his eye.
The holovid of the large pasty white twi'lek was surprising accurate. Instead of him seeming to be nearly 560 kilograms, the holocam took off nearly 100 kilos. The bulbous figure stood to Trevor's right, blocking the entrance to the audience chamber, and Torr's residence.
"Trevor Gul'dan." The sickly voice wafted down the corridor like the stench of a garbage compactor. "You've become quite a nuisance."
"I tried, Silais." He tried to sound casual in his remarks, and surprisingly to his own ears, it sounded like he kept his surprise under control.
The gelatinous figure sneered at the Miraluka Jedi. His long fingers, accentuated by the elongated fingernails, flexed in front of the large belly. "Well. You think you are ready for me?"
Trevor looked at the ornately clad twi'lek. Torr's body language gave no indication of what was going on his mind, but Trevor detected a bit of consternation emitting from Torr's aura. So far, so good. But something is not right. Trevor looked at the large twi'lek, immediately getting an image of a Hutt lording over his criminal domain. But that did not seem quite right, either. There was something more shifty to him. Maybe the eyes were smaller.
Trevor was unsure of his next move. He stood at the other end of the hall the large twi'lek, and decided to take a moment to try communicating with Shudo. He concentrated, give Shudo a quick telepathic message: Silais is confronting me.
Shudo was inside Silais' ship after taking out a squad of guards along the way. He found the controls for the tracking devices known to be embedded in the skin of all the slaves. He began to disassemble his toolkit, when Trevor's message reached him. Silais is confronting me. Shudo took a small moment, concentrated on the Force. After only three seconds, Shudo sent back a cryptic, but consice message.
Desperate. Bluffing. More time.
Trevor received the phrases, thought about the current situation. After making some quick calculations, realizing that half of Silais' guard force was out of commission. Shudo needed more time to deal with the control module, he was sure. Silais was shaking his head, and staring to turn away. Trevor took a step forward to give Silais as little time as possible to react. The lights in the room made it difficult to see, but Trevor continued to walk confidently across the room. Torr, realizing that the Jedi had indeed decided to confront him. He reached into his cloak, took out a metallic tube and made to depress a button on the upper side. Trevor stopped, thinking that a lightsaber was about to be ignited. That pause gave Silais the time he needed to activate the large trap door directly under Trevor's feet. The sudden drop surprised the Jedi. He tried to grasp the edge of the door, but was already sliding past the doors. The last glimpse of Torr he got was of smug satisfaction. He immediately turned his vision down, trying to get re-oriented to the ground. He gathered the Force around him, trying to slow his fall. Not knowing how deep this pit was, or even what was in it, caused minor panic to fill Trevor's throat. His vision was adjusting to the dark slower than he wanted, but was able to make out ripples in what appeared to be water about ten meters below. When he hit the liquid, he sank to his shoulders in dank rancid water. The dark seemed to be creeping in on all sides as the trap door could be heard closing. Trevor envisioned Torr's gloating face as the darkness encased the room.
Trevor waited until his vision adjusted to the darkness. The cavern was nearly the size of a small freighter's cargo area. It was only eight meters high, and forty meters at the widest point. Even though the water only came up to his shoulders, it gave him an really bad feeling that something was down here. Reviewing the information in Torr's datafile, any manner of exotic creature could be down in a cave such as this. He maneuvered his vision around the cavern to find a flat outcropping nearby. He moved towards it, wanting to get out of the water. As he began to turn around, a movement in the water caught his attention. A bulge in the water gave the impression of moving. Upon confirmation of that theory, he ignited his lightsaber under the water, giving the object something to concentrate on, besides his own flesh. The water around the submerged blade boiled instantly. Well, I'm not going down without a fight. Trevor swam over to the outcropping, which was the beginning of an alcove that had missed his scrutiny before. He walked towards it. There was definitely something coming towards him as the movement veered around him. As Trevor exited the water, a large wall of grey-white flesh cobbled with pebbles on part, and smooth on the rest, erupted from just under the surface, spraying the entire cavern with murky water. Trevor wondered what kind of monster would like this kind of home. The creature Torr had picked for this home was a Dagobah swamp snake, a humongous creature nearly twenty meters in length. This creature would normally thrive on it's home planet feeding on other creatures who were not fast enough to get out of it's way. On this strange planet, however, the meals were dropped from the light area above.
Trevor maneuvered his lightsaber into a defensive stance, not knowing how fast this slug moved. As it lashed out for a quick bite, Trevor moved to one side of the rocky ledge, avoiding the layers of teeth he'd seen. When the snake smacked into the back wall of the alcove he was standing in front of, the wet slap of flesh could not quite cover the lanced out to grab its meal, the light seemed to sink into its doughy flesh, causing extreme pain. The creature reared up, roaring in agony. The meal was getting away from him, and he did not appreciate the fact that this meal would fight for its life.
Trevor jumped out of the way as the creature backed away, lightsaber ready for the next attack. The slug-like creature approached again, quicker this time trying to get at its meal. The Jedi stepped against the side wall of the alcove, keeping himself on the ledge, but out of harms way. The monster's momentum carried him into the back wall, giving Trevor plenty of time to embed his saber into the creature's side. He nearly made a complete symbol in the creature's hide before it retracted from the wall. Yellow ooze slid down the creatures body where the lightsaber had rent the flesh apart. The creature looked down and decided that no meal was worth this much work. It dove into the water away from the alcove. Trevor watched the creature slide into the water, leaving its entrails in the depths of the water.
As the creature growled in retreat, Trevor discerned a louder noise coming from above him. He adjusted his vision, and noticed that the doors above him seemed to be moving, as if two giants were trying to lift the doors with invisible crowbars. Unsure of what to do, he moved his vision from the base of the cavern to the main hall above. The doors continued to lift in opposition of its normal direction. However, there was no one in the room. He continued to traverse the area, noting that Torr walking towards the hallway again, investigating the metallic creaking emanating from the corridor. Trevor reset his vision back to himself to get a better view of what was happening. The door directly above Trevor opened enough to allow him to possibly jump through it. He gather the Force around him, and jumped straight up. He landed on the opposite trap door. The open door behind him dropped suddenly, bouncing on its hinges. Trevor felt a slight disturbance in the Force. The disturbance seemed somewhat familiar, yet very different. A sudden insight gave Trevor a clue as to who it might be. He ignited his saber and gave a Jedi salute to his unknown benefactor, giving notice that he appreciated the assist.
Shouting could be heard ahead in the main corridor. Trevor could not make out the words, but he got the distinct impression that Torr was not happy to see the Jedi again. He does not know that I did not open those doors, Trevor thought. Interesting. He's overestimated the strength of the Jedi in his stronghold. Footsteps could heard from the other room. Trevor moved his vision into the circular audience chamber, noting the large tree in the middle and the multiple mercenaries flooding the chamber. He counted fifteen individuals heading towards the corridor. He stood back from the door, to give himself plenty of room to maneuver. Ten guards flooded in, most with blaster pistols blazing. The Miraluka dodged two laser shots, and deflect three back into the bodies of the attackers. Two additional mercenaries moved forward into the lightsaber's arc, and never stood up again. Four of the others laced fire at him, but nothing got through his defenses. Trevor felt that his training excercises were not match for the real thing. He felt the Force flowing through him, giving him added defensive energies. He felt sorrow at the deaths of these warriors, but their job was similar to his: fight or die. He continued to battle the remainder of the group, giving two more a shortened lifecycle. Three more continued to do battle with him in the corridor. The two remaining continued to battle the Jedi. However, his skills were too much for them. He dispatched the one on his left, but the assailant on his right was spared, only losing his right arm. The shock of the loss was such that the guard dropped to his knees. The doors to the other room closed and he could hear the blast seals on the door lock it into place.
Trevor disengaged his blade, and helped the guard to one side of the room. He did not want the guard to suffer anymore indignities. He found an extra coat from another guard, covered him with it. "May the Force be with you, warrior. You fought well." He bowed his head slightly in respect and turned his face back toward the door; his next target. The thick doors stood in front of him, as if daring him to walk through walls. Trevor stood momentarily, reminding himself of story not too long ago of another Jedi, standing in front of blast doors similar to these, and nearly melting it from the middle to gain entrance. Trevor ignited his blade and jabbed it along the sides of the door, cutting it out of the frames. He gathered himself, listening to the rest of the sounds around him. The acrid smell of molten metal assaulted his senses and the crackle of the blade in the door pounded his hearing. However, his vision moved into the other room to gauge what was happening on the other side. A smile crossed his face as the scene played out.
Two guards had situated themselves in such a way as to create a firing zone centered on the door. Two more guards seemed to be headed towards the slaves quarters. But what caught his attention most, was the guard running to the opposite door from Trevor's current position. He seemed to be deserting the group, which most mercenaries would never think of doing. Torr, it seemed, believed in that policy because a green laser shot came out and hit him squarely in the shoulders, killing him instantly. Trevor shook his head at the dissention in the ranks, and thanked the Force that things were finally going his way. The door frame was nearly cut through; the door teeterin inside the frame. Let's have a little fun with this suddenly came unbidden to his brain. Trevor kicked the door hard, tumbling into the room with it. Trevor kept his face towards the two guards, but took a moment to change his perspective, watching Torr with his "mind's eye". Torr reached into his cloak to grab the remote one more time. But this time, Trevor pulled the remote from Torr's hands. The remote flew across the room, surprising Torr so completely that he did not move for at least fifteen seconds. Laserfire was released immediately after the remote came in contact with his hand and he easily defeated the two guards.
Torr realized that his tricks were up. He turned back towards his chambers and closed the far door enough to make any movement into the room noticeable. Trevor quickly searched the two bodies. He could not find any keys on the guards, and realized that Torr might have had the only keys. Not knowing what the remote did, he did not want to inadvertently release noxious gas into the underground hideout, killing the slaves in the process. He decided to pursue Torr down the corridor to his living quarters.
At the entrance, Trevor spotted a multitude of cameras lining the wall. Trevor stopped, feeling a tremble of warning about the cameras. The sheer volume of numbers on the wall gave Trevor an indication that not everything was as it seemed. He maneuvered his vision closer to the cameras. The fifth camera down on the right side was only a shell; inside was the barrel of a laser blaster. Trevor reached out with the Force, pulling a blaster from one of the dead guards in the corner. He fired blindly down the corridor, causing twenty different laser bolts to criss cross the hall, creating a deadly fire zone. Trevor raised his eyebrows in surprise. Nice. Glad I took a moment. Where is that maniac? He concentrated, moving his vision down the corridor and into the living quarters.
The main reception – office area contained a desk with a holonet terminal, fifteen to tweny datapads on the credenza on the near wall, and a few chairs. The next room contained a bed, closet, dresser and a few trinkets lining the wall. A closet, barely open, could be seen on the far wall in the bedroom.
Trevor continued to search the room, but Silais Torr was not longer in the area. At that moment, a strangely familiar voice spoke; so clearly and so shockingly familiar that Trevor did not even adjust his vision to see who it was.
"There is a turbolift just behind the large tapestry, directly across from the door to the office."
Trevor nodded, readjusted his point of view, and fired directly down the hall towards the indicated spot. The door, originally blocking the entrance had moved slightly, giving Trevor a better chance to strike. The laser bolt speared the tapestry, not allowing mere threads to stop it's progress. Trevor fired a second time, and then, a third. The sounds of the turbolift's emergency return could be heard over the din. Following the power cable up the shaft, his viewpoint showed Torr reaching inside his robes to pull out a small blaster pistol as the turbolift slowed, and started to retract. At this moment, the voice invaded his thoughts.
"Step out of the way. I'll get him. We want him alive."
Trevor straightened, replaced the laser pistol into his belt and turned around to meet his benefactor. Jedi Master Kura Oomaal was standing directly behind him with a sly twinkle in her eye. Trevor bowed slightly.
"Get out of view. You can watch, but don't be seen."
The elder Jedi turned on her heel and proceeded to the garden. Trevor just noticed that the immense tree, which he could not miss when he walked in, was clearly missing from the center. Oomaal stood in the center of the botanical exhibit as viney branches suddenly whipped around her, wrapping her within the folds of the tree like a new parent placing a baby in swaddling clothes. Trevor nearly stopped in amazement at the beauty of the tree, and the sudden insight of Master Oomaal's "undercover" assignment cause a smirk to break out on Trevor's face. Trevor heard footsteps coming down the corridor and hurried back the way he entered. He ducked behind the bulkhead just as Torr emerged from the corridor. The look of panic on Torr's face was nothing compared to the shock of what happened next. Torr walked around the room, attempting to find the hidden Jedi. He slinked across the room, hovering it seemed on his toes, ready for any movement.
Torr's lack of comfort was evident as he walked across the room. He kept turning around, physically spinning himself around at least twice while navigating towards the garden. Torr thought that the tree would give him some cover from any blaster fire, so he moved himself towards the garden. As Torr turned around for another glare around the room, the tree seemed to shrink, but also change its shape once again. The end result was of a bi-pedal creature made of tree bark. The branches of the tree became cascading vines, like long flowing hair. The vines reached out all around Torr, grabbing him in a tight grip. Torr immediately began to panic and thrash around. A vine with a blunt end raised itself up silently, poising for a moment, similar to a rifleman stopping to release his breath before a shot. Suddenly, the branch dropped down, soundly slammed itself onto Torr's temple. The impact caused bulky twi'lek's eyes to roll backward into his head, and the slaver boss' head slumped forward. The vines released the body, and fell to the floor, face down with a loud liquid thud.
The vines and tree branches whipped around again with the sound of a light breeze as Trevor extricated himself from his hiding spot. He walked toward the Jedi Master as her transformation completed. Oomaal extracted a comlink and Trevor could hear only one side of the conversation.
"Shudo… Good. It's all set? … Call in the backup ship. Let's get them out of here." The channel closed with an audible tone, and she turned toward Trevor as he neared her.
"Excellent work."
Trevor bowed deeply to her. "That was very impressive, Master Oomaal. How did you do that?"
Oomaal cocked her head at him. "Any Yeti can do that."
"I did not realize that."
"You should study up on your species more, but not your lightsaber training apparently." Oomaal chided gently. Trevor now understood why Shudo and Oomaal had been padawan and master. Oomaal's demeanor reminded Trevor of Shudo. Trevor smiled.
"Let's get the slaves." Oomaal led the way across the antechamber to the slaves quarters. The pair opened the doors to the slaves quarters. They were surprised to find Nawara and a large crowd of slaves milling about the central corridor. Trevor immediately noticed that the two guards who had entered here had met Nawara head-on, and lost. Smoke lifted slowly from the blaster holes, giving the Jedi an immediate recreation of the event. Nawara was dressed in fancy garments littered with jewels and necklaces across her neck and throughout her hair. It reminded Trevor of a dress he'd seen from the Queen of Naboo once upon a time. Nawara's eyes followed Trevor down the corridor. A thin smile creased her face, giving Trevor the impression of a chiding remark coming from her. He returned the favor, and the two friends shared a moment of greeting.
"Nice outfit, Nawara. You should wear that more often. It really accentuates your eyes."
"Good try, Trev. I won't be caught in this get-up again anytime soon. Too many memories."
"Well, let's hope that the others don't see a holo of this then."
"Very funny." The two were interrupted by Master Oomaal, who informed Trevor that they needed to get nearly one thousand slaves here in the complex. I've done a quick inventory of the 'facilities', and that's my best guess."
Oomaal, who had walked up to the two friends, nodded and gathered the slaves together and herded a group of slaves out the corridor to the remaining tower. The walk through the rubble was a bit dangerous, and the Jedi cleared paths where the going was rougher. Trevor, Nawara and Master Oomaal escorted the first hundred of the former slaves to the underground hanger bay, where Shudo had completely swept Torr's command ship for any booby-traps or other unknown dangers. Shudo bowed to his master, and lifted three small children onto his back. He proceeded to point out to the remaininig the twi'lek slaves places to stay during the trip back to the authorities. The Jedi loaded the slaves onto Torr's ship, making sure that all were comfortable for the trip back to the authorities.
The loading process took nearly two hours to complete. As the time flew past, Trevor took a few moments to reflect on his actions inside the fortress. He pondered his place within the Jedi Order. Most of the Jedi these days wanted to be scholors or philanthropists. Some even saw themselves as diplomats. However, Trevor sensed that his path was different than most. He felt that there was a need in the future for a long underutilized path within the Order. The landscape of Ryloth, its rocky barren terrain, and the recent battles beneath the surface, shone on the path that he felt suddenly compelled to follow: a Jedi Weapon Master. Nawara whistled, catching Trevor's attention as she waved him over to the gathering of Jedi outside a second Republic cruiser that just landed. Trevor walked over in silent thought, wondering what it would take to become a recognized weapons master.