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

13. Chapter 13

THE BATTLE OF SSURETH

The return flight to the Temple was quick and quiet. Tinn and Trevor did not speak one word, each deep in their own thoughts. Trevor could see Tinn's wrinkled face in stern concentration as he navigated through the city's spires back towards the Temple District. Trevor's feeling that Talaan was still alive seemed even more assured now. He continued to ponder about the attack on the Temple and the seeming coincidental bounty on Princess Azulia. There was still something missing, but he felt certain that Talaan was involved. He definitely needed to talk to Master Shudo.

Tinn brought the ship into the Whitecloak hanger bay, where Trevor could see Azulia talking to a couple of hanger bay technicians. The conversation seemed to be animated as the trio turned towards the approaching fighter. The landing gear was barely on the ground when the canopy popped open. The fighter settled onto the floor, and Tinn bounded out of the ship, heading straight for the nearest turbolift. Trevor followed, a bit more cautiously. He caught up to the Jedi Commander as he was giving directions to the technicians. Tinn turned towards Azulia.

"Princess, if you will come with us?" Tinn turned, pulling out a comlink.

Azulia turned to Trevor, who motioned toward the retreating back of the Jedi Master. She quickly thanked the technicians and hurried to keep up with Tinn. Trevor followed the Princess, more as an rear guard than anything else. He did not want to have her get lost in the Temple, though something told him that she'd find her way in a dark room. Tinn could be heard talking to the Central Communication center.

"Get me Noa Aquila, R'We'Nok and Dutana… Noa, Saesee Tinn…I need you to report directly to the Council upon your arrival back at the Temple… Thank you."

Tinn pushed the button to the turbolift doors and entered first, followed by Azulia and Trevor. The ride was extremely tense. Azulia looked at Trevor, and he nodded slowly, not wanting to break the silence that enveloped them. The doors opened onto the floor of the Council and Tinn led the trio inside. There the rest of the Jedi Council was in attendance. Everyone's eyes seemed a little brighter this morning, as some had been awake since the first attack. The cityscape showed lights here and there, giving an ominious ambiance to the Council Chambers. Tinn moved towards his seat, but did not sit upon it. Azulia and Trevor stood outside the circles. As a guest of the Council, Azulia was uncertain where to stand. Seconds later, the other Jedi who had accompanied Trevor to Transit Port 67 entered the room. Upon seeing his companions, Trevor walked towards the center of the room. Azuila, seeing the patterns on the floor, tapped Trevor's shoulder, shrugging hers in an unasked question. Trevor guided her to an outer circle, towards the back of the group. He raised one finger to his lips, and she nodded back. Trevor knew that having her in the Council Chambers was a rare occasion, but he knew that at least Mace Windu would understand why Trevor chose to have her so close to him in the chambers.

Tinn began the proceedings. "We have returned from one of the salvageable ships that attacked us earlier. Trevor was able to identify the pilot as Dashade." At this Trevor nodded his head to Yoda and Windu, who had turned towards him in confirmation. "We now believe that this was a combination of an attack with a diversionary tactic, in summoning of the Princess." Tinn covered the basic facts and turned the floor over to Trevor. He then explained the encounter at Transit Port 67 in broad detail.

"One of the bounty hunters took out two of the others and he is now in custody. I don't know if we have had a chance to talk to him yet. I just got back from the ship, and I have no additional information on who the bounty hunter is…"

Noa took a step forward. "He's currently in custody. We have identified him as a known bounty hunter, registered with the bounty hunter's guild. He goes under the alias of Snare, a male human. And apparently he has a fair reputation among the guild. There is no indication that he was contracted, so we think, most likely, these bounty hunters received individual notice of an open bounty. Meaning that someone had a few bounty hunters in mind and put out notice. Without alerting the entire guild."

"This is planned, calculated, which we figured." commented Trevor. "Add to that, the fact that there were two attacks at the same time…" Trevor let this trail off, giving the Council a chance to react to this new information. A few heads turned, silent conversation running rampant. Trevor turned to Mace Windu. "Have we heard from Master Shudo yet?"

"We should hear from him soon." Windu replied calmly.

Trevor sensed that a decision was being reached, but he couldn't grasp what that was. "When do we plan on interrogating the bounty hunter more?" Trevor did not want the opportunity to slip away, but his impatience on not having all the pieces to the puzzle and doing nothing was starting to wear on him.

Noa stared at Trevor, replying with a calm voice that Trevor did not feel, "Soon. As soon as possible." Trevor was about to turn to back to the Council when a comlink tone went off in the room. All eyes turned towards Trevor, who realized that it was his comlink. Knowing it was rude to answer his comlink in the Council chambers, he pulled it out, acknowledging the central communication center.

"Jedi Knight Trevor Gul'dan, I have a high priority holonet message waiting for you from Hyperspace Relay Station TXR-412684."

Trevor turned to Yoda, "With your permission, Master?"

Yoda nodded, "Please."

Trevor bowed his head quickly and walked over to the communication panel near the entrance of the room. He plugged in his comlink to the holonet outlet and notified the communication center to patch it through. Blue light filtered into the room. Trevor expected to have Shudo's face staring back at him. What stopped him still was the tattooed face of a young woman, long hair framing the face, horns protruding from the top, and the back of a starship pilot's chair framing all of her face. Stunned silence greeting Yendys Arctell as she turned towards Trevor.

"Trevor…and the Council." Yendys' face looked around the room, seeing all twelve members staring back at her. The indignation shown in her face as she turned on Trevor. "This message is for you and you alone."

Murmuring could be heard from the members, obvious dislike for the irregular behavior of a former padawan. Trevor kept his face pointed at her, taking the outburst full on like a levee holding back raging water. Knowing the ties that she severed when she left, he knew that she would not be sending a message if it was not important. His body told Yendys that he'd stand there until her ire ran out, believing that he'd done the right thing. They had arguments growing up, and Trevor had used the same posture when he thought he was right. Yendys deflated visibly, knowing that Trevor would have stood stock still, taking everything that she wanted to say and letting it wash over him.

"But it won't hurt if the Council hear this either. I have been doing some…research since giving you that information on Necropolis." Heads turned towards Trevor as the mysterious informant became known. "I have done some investigations back on Metallos and I found some leads. Some really interesting leads. I did some backtracking and I am just getting back from that."

Trevor sensed that there was danger in her near future. He continued to face Yendys, but he sent a quick telepathic message to Mace Windu, asking him for his permission for her to come to the Temple. Windu blinked twice, surprised at the sudden question. He turned from Yendys to Trevor, nodded once, and returned to the rogue Jedi. Trevor nodded slightly in return.

"Yendys…"

"I found a planet. I think it's Ssureth."

Trevor wracked his brain, trying to figure out where he'd heard that name before. Out of the corner of his eye, Yaddle's ears twitched at the name, giving Trevor the impression that she would fill in his gaps. Trevor turned back towards the vision in front of him.

"Yendys. I need you here, as a guest…"

A tremble went through the crowd, knowing that Trevor had just broken a few dozen rules with that one sentence. But another overwhelming presense made itself known in his mind. The presence of Mace Windu was alarmingly strong, immediately calming the rest of the council. Yoda's voice was not heard, but Trevor could see the Jedi Master's eyes closed, listening to either the Force or trying to communicate with it. Yendys' voice brought his attention back to the large visage in front of him.

"I think…you need to convince the Council to send some ships out here. This planet hasn't been registered as active, not even recorded on the charts for quite some time. It has been lost to history."

Yaddle nodded emphatically. "A stronghold of the Sith, it was."

Yendys continued. "They have ships…"

"How many?"
"At least three squadrons. They are very, very old, but they are surprisingly good condition and they are fast. I am not sure who's piloting them, but it might be the Dashade, for all we know. I barely got out of there…"

"Where are you?" Trevor jumped in, but Yendys continued unhindered.

"There is a shrine, some kind of a Temple. I would be willing to bet, given the amount of energy readings that I got from the surface, that whoever has been utilizing these droids, is operating out of this location."

"Where…are… you?" Trevor asked again.

"I'm on my way out of the system. I have already made the jump once to get out of range. I am at a safe enough distance to break out and make this transmission, but I need to jump again."

"Get here as quickly as you can. Here."

"I am going to stop at Ithor, it's on my way. I'm going to resupply and refuel at one of the orbital station. It should be about five hours from now. You can try and contact me again then."

It was Trevor's turn to back off from his position. Yendys had the look in her eyes that she did not want to be within three lightyears of the Jedi Temple. Even asking for Trevor to go to the Council on her behalf took quite a bit from her. Trevor nodded, giving up the fight for now.

"Will do."

Yendys looked at her former clanmate, and set a grim face, almost wanting to get into a squabble with him. "I am going to send you a couple of images I got from my flyby. I actually managed to enter the planet's atmosphere and was able to see the structure firsthand before one of the ships chased me out. I have a scan of the structure and the ships, but no real tactical information."

Trevor nodded, "Transmit it, we'll analyize it…"

"Sending now. I'll expect a message waiting for me when I get to Ithor. Just let me know how things are going, if you don't contact me in person." She looked at the entire Council chamber and returned back to Trevor. "I'm outta here." The screen dissolved and the chamber returned to normal, at least somewhat.

Trevor shook his head from side to side. Knowing that her issues were personal and not philosophical, he retrieved his comlink from the holonet station. He download the images to his datapad and stored it in a pouch. He walked back towards the center when he turned to Master Yaddle.

"This planet she was talking about, what do you know of it?"

"Lost the location was during the battles with the Sith. Large facility I do not believe it has. Weapons, the lure of the Dark Side it has."

As Yaddle spoke, Trevor's comlink beeped once more. Another murmur of indignation from the Council. He looked down and noted Shudo's code on his datapad. "Council Members, it's Master Shudo. With your permission?" Silence greeted Trevor's request. He walked back over to the holonet station and placed his comlink in again. The image of Shudo standing in front of two other Jedi filled the center of the room. Trevor immediately recognized Kymber Thomree and deduced that the young woman next to Kymber was her new padawan. Trevor guessed that she was between sixteen and eighteen. It was hard to guess her age due to the veil across the lower half of her face. The features that he could see were strikingly plain. The eyes were quiet, but intense. Trevor thought, That's an interesting choice. This is a good choice for her.

Shudo nodded to Mace Windu.

"Trevor."

"Master."

"My Masters, I have received your message, it sounded urgent. You wanted me to contact you. I understand there has been some activity at the Temple."

Trevor knew that the only way to approach this subject was straight forward and breeched Shudo's defenses as quickly as possible.

"Yes, there has. I need you to tell me about Viko Talaan."

Shudo's shoulders straightened, and even Kymber's eyes widened at the brashness of the question. Trevor held his breath, waiting for the backlash of the decisive question. Shudo studied his latest padawan, wondering what was going on in his mind.

"You have a suspicion?"

"Yes, the name Talon is an striking pseudonym for Talaan."

"If that were your only evidence, I would dismiss it easily."

"I'll continue. Based on the history of what I have been able to research through the Archives, how he disappeared, about his Trial…"

"However, I also have been pondering these things recently."

Trevor nearly stopped in shock. He was not sure how his Master would react to his thought process and the fact that Shudo had also been looking into this made Trevor feel much more comfortable.

"Yendys Arctell made contact with us and she says that she found the lost planet Ssureth. She had a run in with some very archaic, yet mobile ships; at least three squadrons, according to Yendys. There was also some sort of temple there. Knowing the history of the planet, it would make a good place to hide for all these years."

"Ssureth… This is a former Sith stronghold?"

"Yes."

"So we don't know what he might have his hand on."

"He may have his hands on more that just droids and ships."

Shudo nodded, disappointment evident on his face. "We need to strike as soon as possible. If he has three squadrons, and we don't know for certain what capabilities these ships have, we do not have the resources to fully engage in a space battle of this nature."

A movement distracted Trevor from an apology that started to form on his lips. Azulia moved forward, stepping around the Jedi in front of her and addressed the council.

"Masters," she began, "it seems that you are in a bit of a bind. You have a very known quantity of ships at your disposal. I would like to add my wing of starfighters to what ships you can gather and we will lead an assault on this planet."

Windu and Yoda each turned to one another, then to Shudo and the rest of the council. They all nodded in acceptance of the desperate nature of the request. "Your help," Windu said, "is greatly appreciated."

Azulia bowed deeply. "It is I who am appreciative of the Jedi Order, especially one Jedi sent to protect me. I could do no less."

A small smile formed on Shudo's face. "Very well. Where is Yendys now?"

Trevor turned towards Shudo, glad for the distraction. "On her way toward Ithor, Master."

Shudo dropped his head in thought. "Ithor is near Ssureth?"

Trevor nodded. "Yes, the relay station that her message came from near Ithor."

Azulia spoke up. "If we rendevous with Yendys at Ithor, then the rest of my wing, my entire wing can be gathered there by the time we arrive. Given the opportunity for recalculation of hyperspace jump routes, it is possible that by stopping at Ithor we will actually save time on our journey, and we could make about a four-hour stopover there without losing any time from a direct jump from Coruscant."

Trevor thought about this, and noted others doing the calculations in their head. Heads nodded, and others agreed vocally. The murmers grew to a noticeable noise. Trevor turned back towards Shudo.

"Master Shudo, of your knowledge of Viko, would he expect a diversion or a frontal assault?"

Shudo thought about this for a moment. "He will expect the archetypal Jedi approach."

"Well, he knows the training and our methods. We need to do something unexpected."

"Let me ponder this. You think on it as well. We will have a chance to talk at Ithor. I can meet you there as well. I will bring Kymber and Zao." Trevor nodded, not knowing what else to say. Shudo bowed to the Council and the ladies followed suit as the image of the trio faded from the middle of the room. The light of the impending dawn could be seen starting to color the sky. Trevor walked back toward the middle of the room. Windu looked at Trevor.

"Do you expect any more interruptions?"

Trevor shook his head, wondering if he was in more trouble than he realized. Windu's eyes twinkled, and even Yoda guffawed slightly. A small trail of laughter filled the room as the tension eased somewhat. Azulia looked around and realized that something monumental was occurring, but she did not have time to ponder it as Ki-Adi Mundi spoke up for the first time.

"We will send with you what Whitecloaks we can spare. I believe Master Tinn may be interested in heading up the Jedi portion of the battle group." Tinn nodded to Mundi's statement. Trevor bowed to Tinn, acknowledging the Jedi Commander's leadership. Windu spoke.

"Make what preparations you need. If there is to be a ground engagement, use those that you are most familiar with. You will be more successful this way. Use the elements that Masters Shudo and Thomree would recommend. I would suggest that you being making your preparations immediately. And send a communication to Ithor notifying Yendys Arctell of your plans. Her cooperation may prove most useful."

"I agree. By your leave."

"May the Force be with you."

The group of young Jedi with a feline looking princess left the Council chambers quietly. They entered the turbo lift and headed down to a large conference room just three floors below the rest of the Council. The Nexu Clan's members sat down and discussed possible actions. Trevor showed everyone the data files that Yendys sent him. Trevor inquired as to Azulia's squadrons.

"Princess, how big is your wing?"

"It is a full wing, six squadrons, twelve ships each"

"How good are they?"

"Some are still a little green, but where it counts, they are good."

Trevor pursed his lips. "Get them ready."

Azulia stood up. "I'll send a communication immediately. Now, if you would be so kind as to show me to the communication center?"

Trevor turned to R'We'Nok. "Could you escort the Princess there, please?"

R'We'Nok stood and motioned towards the door. Trevor stopped him in the door. "Meet me back here when you are done, unless you hear otherwise."

"I will be back shortly."

Trevor nodded to R'We'Nok and watch Azulia head down the corridor. The flight suit hid the true beauty of Azulia's race, but Trevor knew that having the Princess' squadrons would be a surprise to anyone. He noticed that Noa was watching Azulia as well. Trevor cleared his throat and Noa quickly turned his head back towards the table, his face becoming slightly pink at being caught.

"I need everyone's input. What are we missing?" Trevor began. "We've got two large air wings dealing with the space or atmospheric distractions. Gee, a Blue Wing and a White Wing." Nervous laughter greeting this. "Look, I don't know much about air tactics. Let's ask Master Tinn and Princess Azulia if they could handle that, since that's what they do. Let them coordinate together."

Dutana agreed. "A wise decision, I thought."

Noa interjected. "I would prefer to deal with the ground engagement. We know there's going to be one. He must have more droids."

"The droids are going to be nasty…"

"And Dashade, most likely."

"And you need to be very well aware that these Dashade …" Trevor stopped, unable to shake the fear of the first encounter with them on Alderaan.

"I remember stories from the Sith War."

"They are worse." Hearing the only person who fought Dashade in over three millennia say this caused both Dutana and Noa to whip their heads around. The silence quickly filled the room. Trevor quickly gave them some tips on handling Dashade.

"They usually like a ranged attack, so deflect their fire back at them. It wears them down faster. Don't get cornered, give yourself plenty of room. And work in pairs. We need better intel on that…temple."

"Unfortunately we won't be able to get it without flying into orbit, at which point, those ships will spot us for sure."

Trevor sat up in his chair, an idea suddenly hitting him. "Let me see that datapad again." He studied the picture of the temple, a large beige building with cathedral doors leading out onto a small landing platform. The building was located on what looked like the top of a large cravase.

"There's no access point that I can see other than the 'front' door."

Noa nodded. "And if that dates back to the era of the Sith War, that building has to be heavily shielded and fortified."

"So, the only way into is the back door."

"If there is one."

"Master Yaddle may have some plans for Sith fortresses. She may have access to something that we don't."

"I'll go see if I can get clearance to access the Archives."

"No, the Great Holocron." The Great Holocron was the pinnacle of Jedi Holocrons. No Jedi could just walk into the room containing the Great Holocron and get any information that they wanted. Jedi Master Jocasta Nu was the only person outside of the Council who had unlimited access. Rumors flew between padawans that the Great Holocron read your mind, and only gave you the information that you were ready to have, no more.

"Be my guest." Noa swept his hands towards the door, snickering.

"It makes the most sense."

"I agree, I just don't want Master Nu to be after me for trying to get in. After the last stunt I pulled in there, I still have to check in with Master Nu each time."

"Well, maybe if you did not leave your name all over your pranks, you wouldn't have that problem."

Noa and Trevor bantered for a few moments more, while Dutana sat back and watch the friends show their affection to one another.

"Noa, go talk to Master Yaddle. See if what you can get out of her regarding Sith strongholds. I'm going to…" Trevor stopped in mid-sentence. "Wait a minute. I'm going about this the wrong way." He turned his face away. "I'm looking at this like a Jedi. He's going to expect this."

He stood up and walked over to a holonet terminal, querying the central computer about the freighter that he and Master Shudo confiscated from Metallos. If Viko knew that this shipment had been lost, he might be surprised to find it back again. Trevor's voice went up nearly an octave, excitement flowing out like a broken dam.

"Noa, I brought back a freighter on a mission a few months ago. It's still here in the Temple. See if you can get a couple of technicians to work on the hyperdrive engines. Try and get them to increase hyperspace speed."

Dutana nodded. "Yes, that might work. It would be a distraction in it's own right. Trevor, brilliant!"

Noa stood up. "I am sure that they might be able to swap something better into it pretty quick."

"Good. Let's get moving. I am going to visit with Master Yaddle about everything else. Good luck."

The three left the conference room, Trevor turning left, Dutana and Noa going right. Trevor got on the first turbolift and headed right back to the Council chambers. Unfortunately, the council doors were shut tight and a Jedi padawan stood outside the doors preventing Trevor from entering.

"I am sorry, Master Jedi, but the Council meeting has broken up."

"Do you happen to know where Master Yaddle is?"

"As a matter of fact, she made a point to tell me. The others seemed preoccupied. She's gone back to her quarters."

Trevor turned away, heading back down the turbolift to the apartment levels. The lift seemed to slow down as it got closer to the proper floor. As Trevor walked down the hall, his determination cleared a path. No one, not even Jedi Instructors, stood in his way for long. His cloak billowed out behind him, giving an indication that Trevor was walking into a stiff breeze. Instead, the pursed lips gave everyone the signal that this Jedi was not to be stopped. By any one.

Trevor pressed the announcer button in front of Master Yaddle's door. He did not have to wait long. She opened the door and let Trevor right in. Her quarters were exactly what he'd expected for a historian. The room was littered with artifacts, globes of sands and boxes with marking from another time. Shelves lined the room, each one filled with statuettes, figurines and other knickknacks. Various holocrons could be seen and datacards lay all around the room. The room even had a dusty feel to it, even though the floor was immaculately clean. Yaddle returned to her desk, working on a datapad cross-referencing information, or at least that's what it seemed. Trevor came over, and sat down on the floor next to her desk, not wanting her to stop.

"How may I help?"

"I need access to the Great Holocron. I need to know if the Holocron knows anything about Sith fortresses. Back doors, weak areas, access points, that sort of thing. Something to exploit to bring a ground force in."

"The Great Holocron you do not need." She stood up, climbed up one of the ladders to a shelf, pulled out a oversized datafile, large than those found in the Jedi Archives. She returned to Trevor's location, returned to her seat and the historian's hands move quickly over the terminal, downloading information to a smaller datafile for the Knight's use.

"Prove useful this should."

"May I ask what it is, Master?"

"Research. Conjecture. A collection of Sith architecture and defenses." He marveled that she would trust him with such information.

"What will we need on the ground force to be able to get in?"

"Droids he has used in great numbers."

"Dashade as well…"

"More these you can expect."

"Would he use more Chev, or others like her?"

"Exist the possibility does. Draw these forces away from the main entry you must. If you were to go to the door, then most likely it would be protected, and stopped before you could enter. Two diversions you will need; one in space to take care of the ships to allow you reach the planet surface without being shot down, and another to draw the battle away from the true goal: Talaan. True to his form, wait for you there he will."

"Master, thank you for your time."

"One thing more. Young Arctell, wayward she has become. New skills she has learned, yes? Use these might you?"

He worked to keep his face stoic. She must have figured out, or heard reports about Yendys' new lifestyle. As most rogue Jedi within the galaxy, the Order usually kept an eye on those out there. But it was not always a true indication of a person's intentions. He worked to keep his emotions in check, keeping his emotions inward. The eyes of the Jedi Master bore into him nonetheless.

"Perhaps two would be enough to enter without drawing undo attention."

"A sound plan, Master. Thank you."

She pointed to the datafile in Trevor's hand. "Study."

"Yes, Master." And he stood up and left the room. He knew that her plan was simple. And those plans usually seemed to be the best way to go about complex actions. Keeping it simple and yet trying to draw off Talaan's forces would require some unique maneuvering. He started to return to the conference room they had used earlier, but instead stopped in the corridor and contacted the communication center. He requested the locations of R'We'Nok, Azulia and Saesee Tinn. Tinn was in one of the hanger bays and the others were at the communications center. He changed course, heading to the com-center. R'We'Nok was outside one of the public terminals awaiting Azulia's exit. He walked up to the his clan mate. They greeted each other silently, not wanting to disturb the peace and quiet.

Trevor whispered, "I need you to bring Her Highness to the hanger bay when she is done. Your job is to stay with her and protect her."

R'We'Nok's eyes turned guarded. "Are we expecting another attack?"

"At this point I'm not taking anything for granted."

"Very well."

Trevor left the com-center and headed towards the hanger bay. He wasn't sure what his position was in this mission. It seemed like he was running lead, but he did not want to insult Tinn, either by omitting him in decisions or by assuming that he would do something. He decided that the best approach is a cautious one. He sought out the hanger bay, and found Tinn pulling out a navigation card out of a Whitecloak. Trevor greeted him and requested a moment. Tinn came out from under the ship and walked over. Trevor bowed, and Tinn nodded slightly.

"Master Tinn, would you be willing to work with the Princess Azulia on coordinating the wings?"

Tinn looked at him, cocking his head to one side. "You wish to provide sufficient cover so that a ground force could reach the surface with out casualties, yes?"

Trevor smiled, "Am I that transparent?'

Tinn laughed, "No, it is sound tactics."

"And with your leadership, I think that it will augment the Xeddon strike force."

"I will send her to the hanger command center as soon as she is done her communications."
"I have R'We'Nok leading her here when she is done."

Tinn's eyes opened wide. "Excellent!"

"On the off-chance that you said yes, I wanted to be prepared. I have requested that R'We'Nok be her guide and guard for the time being. I don't want to take any more chances."

"Prudent."

"I want to use the Dashade freighter we confiscated from Metallos to land a small strike force to enter on the ground floor."

Tinn rubbed his chin in thought, while Trevor continued.

"I have some studying I need to do on the way to Ithor."

Tinn raised his head slightly. "Are you refitting the freighter?"

"Slightly, yes."

"Who is working on it?"

"Noa and Dutana."

"I'll be in contact with them. I have some ideas."

"Excellent. I will find them and let them know you will be in contact with them."

"We need to make it look convincing."

Trevor stopped. "I know just the technican for the job. I have Noa and Dutana get a hold of him. He does really good work and I'm sure he'll do what you ask." He paused, slightly not knowing exactly how to proceed. "When your work with the freighter is done, please contact me. We will leave as soon as that work is done."

Tinn nodded. "Very well."

"If you will excuse me, I have some other things to take care of."

"By all means." Tinn bowed and moved through the hanger bay toward the freighter's location. Trevor continued through the hanger bay, walking and thinking at the same time. Talaan was an enigma that Kymber and Trevor had lived with during their training. Trevor had tried to approach Shudo early on in his training about 'his first padawan' and was rewarded with extremely difficult drills for three days straight. He never asked about it again. Now that he was certain that Talaan might be the one, he needed more information about his adversary. He reviewed the wreckage of the Dashade ship for just a moment and headed directly towards the Jedi Archives once again. Trevor reviewed all that he knew about Talaan but could not figure out what kind of combatant he might be. He entered the Archives once again, feeling like his quarters were located there. A female Twi'lek Archivist walked up to Trevor.

"Master Jedi, you are back again."

"Yes, Master Archivist. However this time I come to visit with the Great Holocron. Is Master Nu available?"

"Yes, she is. Follow me, please."

Trevor followed the young Twi'lek to Master Nu's office, which Trevor had never seen before. Nu looked up from her datapad and brushed the young aide from her office. The Twi'lek punched the door button, and it whispered closed behind her.

"Trevor Gul'dan. I have not seen you in here more often since you were just an initiate."

"Master Nu, I apologize for bothering you, but I have a great need to visit with the Great Holocron."

"You are not bothering me, young Jedi. The quest for knowledge is never fulfilled, is it? What information is it that you seek?"

"I seek information on a former Jedi Padawan named Viko Talaan."

Nu's face never changed, which didn't surprise him. She nodded once. "I need to confirm this with the Council, you understand."

"Certainly Master Nu. Master Yaddle knew that I was interested in speaking with the Holocron."

"Thank you, Trevor. If you could wait outside, please."

Trevor bowed and turned from the room. A few moments later, the door re-opened and Nu waved Trevor to follow. The pair headed toward a plain door near the back of the archives and Jedi Archivist punched in a code on a small panel. The doors quietly slid open revealing a mediation room with a large crystalline structure holocron on a central pedestal. The Great Holocron was surrounded by a metallic framework which seemed to be more ornamental than structural. Nu motioned for Trevor inside. Trevor made himself comfortable while the door shut behind him. His insides jumbled, but he ran through his meditation exercises to calm himself. The last twenty hours of constant action was starting to catch up with him, but he reached down into his energy reserves allowing him to concentrate on the Holocron and the questions he was going to ask. When he was ready, he reached out with the Force, activating the Great Holocron. The Holocron glowed slightly sending an image of an Jedi dressed in archaic Jedi garb. He seemed to be near human, with white eyes and long white hair. Each hand showed three fingers with an opposing thumb. The nails seemed long and clawed. The Jedi bowed.

"Greeting, young Jedi. What is it you seek?"

"I seek knowledge of a former member of the Jedi Order. I need to anticipate his moves, his battle tactics, to be able to bring him to justice. I fear he has fallen to the Dark Side."

"What Jedi is it that you seek knowledge of?"

"Viko Talaan, padawan to Master Shudo Laan, padawan to Master Kura Oomaal."

"Very well." The image of the first Jedi disappeared, and a Caamasi Jedi appeared. The Caamasi was a tall being, with a head nearly a third of the height of the Jedi shown. The deep purple rings around the eyes and crest gave the Jedi a regal look, and the long crested face seemed to be belie the strength of conviction that the glowing apparition currently showed. Even though the color was a dull grey, Trevor knew that the golden brown cropped fur of the Caamasi would have made anyone stare at them. The Jedi before Trevor folded his long fingers over his hands and bowed to the younger Jedi.

"You seek knowledge of Viko Talaan?"

"Yes, Master."

"What is it you would know?"

"I need to be able to anticipate his battle tactics. What pushes his buttons, what can make him reckless."

The image of the Jedi bowed slightly. "It was his recklessness that caused his failure in the Tests. This recklessness is borne of excessive pride, arrogance, over-confidence. These are things you can rely upon in his behavior. They are also what leads him to be erratic and unpredictable at the same time."

"At his Trials, Master, there was a point in the Trials when one has a decision to make. Was there anything after that decision that could have allowed him to continue within the Order?

"He could have reigned in his aggressive tendencies. He could have moderated his aggressive antagonist approach with diplomacy, patience and restraint. These are not things at which he excelled."

"Could he learn them?"

"He could have. He did not. It is unlikely that he has."

"Probablility?"

"I have no numerical value to assign to that." A slight pause from the holographic Jedi Master. "If you are to engage in a confrontation with him, I would have imagine that he has not learned these skills. Restraint. Diplomacy. Moderation. "

"Would he listen to such?'

"Only in as much as it would gain him a tactical advantage. Find a way to fuel his arrogance and pride."

"Probability that he has fallen to the Dark Side and become a Sith?"

"These things I cannot tell. Any one can fall to the Dark Side. Any one could become a Sith, any Jedi. He did not become a Jedi, but he nearly did. If he lets his pride, aggression and lack of moderation overwhelm him, and was exposed to certain influences, it is highly possible that he could turn to the Dark Side and embrace the way of the Sith." Another pause. "If you are to engage him in a confrontation, his personality would indicate that he would attempt to display his greater prowess, to flaunt his superior position, to belittle or disparage the skills of the Jedi or any other opposition before making an aggressive and overconfident strike."

"Thank you, Master, very much. You have been most helpful."

"Do you need any other knowledge?"

"The knowledge I require I do not believe that you can foresee."

"A wise answer," and the vision of the Jedi faded back into the Holocron. Trevor stood up and waved his hand opening the door back into the Archives. Master Nu was nowhere to be seen and Trevor needed some time to study the architectural plans of the Sith headquarters. He felt a strong sense of foreboding. And he'd definitely need to follow up with the others, to find out what was going on. He studied the plans for a few hours, and decided as his head fell down for the fifth time in nearly three hours worth that he needed a walk.

He stood in the main corridor, wondering what he should do next. He realized that it was nearly time to contact Yendys. He walked the corridor, heading directly to the closest holographic communication room. He contacted the main communications center using a priority one code to the Ithorian communication relay requesting Yendys specifically. Nearly ten minutes later, Yendys appeared on the holonet pad in front of him. Trevor adjusted the image so that it was Yendys' full height. Yendys greeted Trevor coolly.

"Trevor,… and without the rest of the council I see." Trevor's lack of response gave Yendys the indication that this was definitely not the forum to discuss the breech of protocol. "How are things going?" she continued, seemingly indifferent but her voice betraying the nervousness within.

"We will meet you at Ithor."

"You are bringing the Jedi?"

"I am bringing help. And I need yours as well."

"Then you have it."

"How far are you willing to see this through, Yendys."

"With the exception of my experiences with the Order and their 'code', you know I'll see things through."

"I need you watch my back."

"Then that's what I'll do."

"I am also going to need your other skills."

"Ah ha! You don't know how to get in." She made it a statement of fact, seemingly already putting the puzzle together. Trevor brought her right back into the atmosphere.

"Oh, that…… I know how to get in. But I need your help to guarantee that I get in."

"Got it. You will meet me at Ithor, then?"

"Find a quiet café, similar to the one where we met recently." Trevor was not sure how secure things were, so he hoped that the audio clues would be enough for her to figure out where he was talking about. She nodded at him, letting him know that she understood.

"I am on Lumaas Station right now. I'll be at the Baffor Root. You can track me down there. How soon are you going to leave?"

"Give me a moment." He pulled out his comlink and tried to contact Master Tinn. The Jedi Commander immediately responded.

"Master Tinn, how soon will be ready?"

"I am altering the plan a little bit." The clanmates looked at one another in surprise. This was NOT what they expected. "I have contacted the shipyard at Ithor and have arranged for the preparation of some of the final components we are going to need for the ship. They are going to work on them while we head over there. That way, we will have to spend less time waiting here preparing. So we will be ready to leave in two hours."

"I'll meet you in the freighter's hanger bay in ninety minutes."

"Would you like to have your Whitecloak docked for the trip? We will be bringing at least one space cruiser, similar to the Crystal Phoenix."

"Yes, having it will give you a chance for parts, too."

"Very well." Trevor turned his head towards Yendys' direction. "We will be at Ithor in approximately fifty-two hours."

"I'll hold you to that. See you then. Remember, Baffor Root."

Trevor's face broke into a slight grin as Yendys' image disappeared. He left the holonet center and was going over his list when he realized that he had done nothing about ground forces. Other than his three clanmates, Shudo, Kymber and Zao Chun made six, there was no other Jedi that were part of the ground forces. He wasn't sure if he would need more when he walked by Meditation Room 3. Trevor's fatigue hit him like a wampa and he did not notice the occupant of Meditation Room Three leaving. He crashed head-on to Master Windu. Trevor apologized profusely, but Windu shrugged it off.

"It would seem that this mission has kept you preoccupied, Trevor."

"I was going over some of the things that we would need and I was not paying attention Master. Please –"

"Trevor. No need to apologize. I've run over Master Yoda on more than one occasion. Now, tell me what has filled your mind today, young Jedi."

"Not knowing the strength and size of the ground forces that may or may not be on Ssureth, I was wondering if you would be willing to be a part of the ground forces. If you believe that the force that I have gathered is enough to handle the droids and Dashade."

Windu ticked off with his fingers as he spoke, "With you are Masters Shudo and Thomree, Master Thomree's padawan and the three Jedi who assisted you with the bounty hunters. In addition to the additional Jedi that we are sending along with you on board two Jedi cruisers, you should have sufficient ground forces."

Trevor realized that the Council understood the complexity of the mission he was being given and had already put into motion the additional ground forces that a Jedi team would need. He bowed to Master Windu. "Thank you, Master," was all that he could say, fatigue weighing him down. His objective was a bit short-sighted, so he was very glad to have the Council's support in this venture.

"I would consider going myself if there weren't other matters to also consider that will require my attention here."

Trevor bowed deeply. "Thank you, Master. I…I would have been honored to have you join us."

"Preparations are going well?"

"They are well underway. We are going to continue the preparation at Ithor, prior to the jump to Ssureth."

"Send a communication back to the Council only if matters change drastically upon reaching Ithor. I'll count on Master Tinn and some of the others to provide updates after your arrival in the Ssureth system. Your task will be to focus on the matter at hand."

"Viko." Trevor's skin crawled at the name. Another question popped into Trevor's head. "Master, have you ever run into a Sith?"

"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has. You should talk to him."

"Is he around?"

"Unfortunately, no. I would send him if he was."

Trevor nodded. He felt as prepared as he was ever going to be . It was now or never. He bowed to the Jedi Master, who replied back.

"May the Force be with you." Those six words suddenly seemed very important and Trevor held the bow for more than the customary half second. He raised his torso up from the bowing posture. Mace was staring into the handmade blindfold that Trevor constantly wore, and nodded slightly. Trevor turned around, and walked back to his quarters to gather what remaining supplies he would need. He grabbed a bag, placed a couple changes of clothes and all of the training remotes from his trip to Alderaan. He had not even changed the settings on them. He did not know if they would be necessary, but it never hurt.

Trevor walked into the hanger bay, bumping into Warren Zoff, another human member of the Nexu Clan. They greeted each other enthusiastically.

"I heard that you were recruiting for a mission, Trevor."

"Werren, I have done no such thing."

"Are you kidding? Word all over the Temple is that you are going to be going up against a Sith, just like Master Obi-Wan. No way I wanted to miss this."

At that, Trevor felt a slight tremor in the Force. He turned his vision around, and noted that Masters Yoda and Windu were watching them from an observation lounge above the hanger bay. Trevor turned his face to the pair, bowing slightly. The wizened face of Yoda nodded back, silently wishing him well. The clicking of Yoda's gimer stick could barely be heard as the pair of Jedi Masters moved away from the windows. Windu turned back, nodded once, and followed Yoda out of the room. Trevor turned his attention back to Zoff.

"Well, I, for one, am glad to have you along. It will make it easier to pair you off with someone."

Werren cocked his head, and Trevor motioned him inside.

"Sorry, old friend. I have been running around for the last three hours trying to cram a great deal inside my head."

"No problem. Why don't you get some rest? You look exhausted."

"Thanks, but I want to check out the command center. Head inside the main hold and find yourself a bunk. Noa, R'We'Nok, and Dutana should be nearby."

Warren nodded, leaving the Miraluka with his own thoughts. He took the short trip to the command center, where he was nearly run over by his own enthusiastic droid as he entered. E5's jabbering and whistling nearly made Trevor wish for an interpreter, until the droid pushed itself into Trevor, forcing him to make a hasty retreat out of the command center. E5 knew how to fly a larger ship, such as the freighter especially with it's time on the Crystal Phoenix. Trevor decided that the first thing he needed was sleep. He walked to the nearest open bunk room, selected a simple cot, and put his head down, falling asleep nearly instantly. The door to his room was open as Dutana came walking down the corridor ten minutes later. The snoring issuing forth from Trevor's room was so loud, that she nearly drew her lightsaber the first time she heard the loud intake. She forced his door closed, and let the others know not to disturb him, unless it was a dire emergency. The rest of the clan followed suit, and soon five Jedi were asleep on the freighter, bound for the planet of Ithor.

The travel to Ithor was surprising basic, time being filled with drills and studying. Trevor's training remotes certainly came in handy during the journey. Most of the Clan had studied together so they knew how to duel around each other's strengths and weaknesses. But Trevor had set the remotes at nearly the highest level, not to hurt his friends but to give them enough of a warning that this was what they had trained for their entire lives. Each Jedi understood that their 'leader' was nervous, but Noa's joking nature took over early on. Trevor was studying some plans when Noa interrupted him.

"Look, if we are going to go up against these Dashade, don't you think that we should be practicing against something a little more challenging, like, say, one another?"

Trevor turned his face up, focusing on the seemingly innocuous comment from his clanmate. He silently closed the book, took a deep breath, and stood up. He folded his cloak and nodded to Noa once, a pre-arranged signal to begin a duel. Noa ignited his blue saber while Trevor's fingers engaged his own. The two duelists tested each other's defenses, trying to find gaps and holes that might be there. Sparks flew off of the blades as they contacted with one another. The two circled, each trying to best the other. The others, realizing that this duel showcased the best of their clan, allowed silence to fill the room, the hum of the blades the only conscious sound. Trevor nodded slightly, with Noa giving him a slight smirk. The two had always been fair duelists, but Noa had the distinct advantage of having a slightly longer reach and a perfect record thus far against Trevor.

Sensing weakness, Trevor smoothly lanced out at Noa's right side, slashing down towards Noa's front foot. Noa blocked the swipe and started to swing back underneath the attack when he realized that Trevor had already changed the blade's direction from down the side to up. Noa twisted, allowing the silver blade to continue overhead harmlessly. Trevor knew that he could have struck down just as quick, separating Noa's head from his shoulders in one swipe, so he allowed the swing to follow through, flying overhead and back to a ready stance, waiting Noa's next move. Noa turned, blue blade at the ready, eyes wide. He realized that Trevor's skills had grown exponentially, took a step back and disengaged his blade. Trevor did the same, nodding to his mate. He turned to the others, who stared at the apprentice Jedi Weapons Master. Shouts and clapping could be heard amongst the three onlookers. Trevor nodded his head.

"Look, these Dashade don't fool around. They don't care that you are Jedi Knights. They go for the kill, right off the bat. They don't show up on infrared sensors, they can sense your presence in the Force, and their blaster will kill you faster than most anything you have encountered before. They look forward to the battle and get stronger as it goes on."

The gathering looked at one another, each realizing that their friend had much more experience with the Dashade than anyone in the Order, being the only Jedi alive to have encountered them; he knew what he was talking about. They nodded, acknowledging that their friend wasn't just training; he was out there 'doing', living up to the Jedi Order and the Code in ways that they had not thought possible.

"You all volunteered for this and have all made your own contributions to the Order. I don't want to have any of you die on me. Which is why I suggest that you find a partner and stick next to that person for the remainder of this mission. From what I have studied, Sith tend to be very nasty when it comes to boobytraps and the like. Keep an active link open, as we might encounter Dark Side energies. Use each other as a beacon to the Light."

Noa spoke up. "What about you?"

"I have a partner on this mission." Trevor did not turn, but the tone of voice was enough to keep the jokester at bay in Noa's mind. He nodded, leaving the subject alone.

The others returned to their drilling, jokes and comments replaced by a sense of urgency and danger. Constructive comments floated down the hall as Trevor left them to return to his quarters to continue studying the Sith information that Master Yaddle had entrusted to him. What discouraged him most was that every Sith in history seemed to find new and ingenious ways to prevent enemies and allies alike from reaching the inner sanctum. Trevor knew that this information may just save his life, so he continued to study each set of plans and their function. He continued to study until his eyes started to feel dry. He turned the datapad off, not hearing any sound within the cabin other than the whine of the engine. The freighter was quiet, the Jedi having finished their drilling, preparing for the coming battle. Trevor could feel the calm like an early morning stillness on a mountain top pond. He turned his study lamp off and allowed sleep to overtake him.

The Ithorian starship control office was in disarray. The night crew was just coming on-shift and the head traffic controllers were just finishing the nightly debrief when a junior technician howled from her chair. When the supervisors turned, They saw a large freighter surrounded by nearly fifty Whitecloak fighters exit from hyperspace near the shipyards. The sudden appearance gave the impression of a full-scale assault on the city-ships orbiting the lush surface of the Ithorian home world. Two Republic cruisers were trailing the group slightly, as if to prevent any one from escaping. However, a coded message received from one of the cruisers alerted the traffic controllers that these ships were supposed to arrive at this point. Whitecloaks were the Jedi favorite craft at this time, so when a large force such as this was seen, naturally, invasion or attack were the first words in the minds of others.

Just as the shock of the Jedi task force had started to sink in, another group of starships streaked in, merging with the first. Battle group formations formed almost instantly, causing the air traffic techs to breathe a sigh of relief. They redirected the battle group towards the large landing platforms that were the Ithorian shipyards. One of the techs voiced what everyone else was thinking upon realizing that a large ship was right in the middle of the entire bunch.

"Wonder what that freighter did? Must have REALLY pissed off the Jedi."

Upon the completion of the jump, Trevor immediately contacted Saesee Tinn for any additional instructions. Tinn's response was measured, and yet dismissive as well.

"Trevor, you need to rendevous with Arctell as soon as possible. Is Noa still with you?"

"Yes, Master, he is, along with the rest of the Nexu Clan. We were discussing the fact that we are going headlong into an area of strong Dark Side energy. Could you forward to the others to partner up? That way, they can assist should the dark energies interfere with them."

Tinn's head bobbed on the holoprojection. "Good thinking. I'll get on that right away. Have Noa drop you off at the nearest platform, find Arctell and meet us at the ship yards. We still have some modifications to do to that freighter."

Trevor and Tinn signed off. Noa took over the controls as Trevor headed to his room to chance his clothing. He decided that going in normal Jedi garb might not be able to get around as easily. His white shirt, black vest and pants seemed to fit the guise of a pilot more than a Jedi. He strapped a blaster to his left leg and his lightsaber to his right. He could feel the ship slowing down, approaching the landing platform. He exited the room, and headed towards the freighter's docking area. The landing struts had barely taken any weight when Trevor jumped down, waving to Noa and Dutana in the command center. No sooner had he waved, the freighter blasted off again, destined for the shipyards.

Trevor merged with the crowds to find public transportation to the café. He found the Baffor Root rather easier than he anticipated. He entered the cantina, adjusting to the darkened room. The large cantina was upscale with fancy dining, casino area, and even had rooms to rent for those that required it. Trevor was slightly taken aback, but caught a glimpse of a lovely young Zabrak by the bar in the back who was looking around. He walked over to the bar, ordered a drink, and turned to the figure next to him.

"What are you having to drink?"

"I've been holding off."

"Have one, on me."

Eyebrows raised, she ordered a frilly drink, which surprised Trevor somewhat. Yendys' attire was a bit different than before. Instead of earthy tones, her outfit was a light red short sleeve shirt and dark pants. Her hair was held up by a small metal band and thrown over her left shoulder. Her tattooed face shown with anticipation as the Jedi sat next to her.

"So, you brought Jedi? Whitecloaks?"

Trevor nodded, the background noise of the bar drowning out their conversation. The bartender would not have been able to hear the conversation even standing three meters away. There was even someone stating the standard joke of "A Rodian walks into the bar…"

"Yes. And another surprise. We've been busy."

"So, I heard about some of the goings-on, back on Coruscant."

Trevor shrugged. "It's a little hectic."

"Six bounty hunters, huh?"

"Where are you getting your information from?" he asked incredulously.

It was her turn to shrug. "I have my sources," she sheepishly hinted.

"Those are pretty good sources, there you."

"Well, it wasn't like you did it in a back alley. It was a little bit noticeable."

Trevor gave her all the information that he had about the attack on the Princess Azulia, without giving names. They talked a little longer about the attacks.

"Well, what's the plan?"

Trevor reviewed the plans, going over the air wings and the ground forces. He told of the freighter confiscated months ago and what he planned to do with it. Yendys screwed her face.

"What are we going to do, sit on our hands?"

"You and I are going in the front door."

"Are we using the other stuff as a distraction?"

"Yes"

"Good. I was afraid that I would have to sit back and wait for a prolonged space battle while he escapes."

"We are going after him," Trevor's determination flowed off in waves, catching her off-guard with the intensity in his body language. She looked at him, seeing for the first time that his hair was a bit longer. And there was a hint of a beard on his normally clean shaven face. He looked a bit harried, but there was something about him now, more than ever, that attracted her to him. He turned his head, realizing that she was staring at him with a strange look in her eyes. Trevor continued with his train of thought.

"You and I need to work together, inside that Sith Temple. You need to stay connected to me when we get in there."

"Dark side?"

Trevor nodded. Her blue eyes sparkled with the lights playing out over the bar. He knew that there would never be anything between them, but it was nice to see her one more time.

"Same clan. We can do it."

"I will do my best to not let anything happen to you." Trevor's promise held the conviction of the entire Jedi Order. Yendys knew that his promise was heartfelt, so much so that if the Miraluka had eyes, there would be at least two tears in it. She decided to shrug it off, giving Trevor nothing more to worry about.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be watching your back."

"And I'll be watching yours."

"Don't forget to keep, uh, one…of…something on Talaan."

"Don't worry. If you keep your Force connection on me, we need to feed off of one another. Have you ever been in proximity to Dark Side aura?"

"Close enough. I have experienced my own share of personal Darkness in my life. I can take this."

"We'll get through."

"Talaan won't."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Trevor agreed

"So, how long is it going to take to get your freighter refitted?"

"Total time, about six hours. I've been on site for about a hour now. Master Tinn said it was better for here than taking three days on Coruscant." Trevor took a moment to look at a chronometer behind the bar. His internal clock was telling him that it was nearing midday on Coruscant, but the patrons of the facility seemed to be partaking of their evening festivities, with drinks being served. Trevor had been studying and he definitely lost track of where he was. He turned his face back to Yendys, who was still staring at him resolutely.

"It should be done right around two or three in the morning. Where are you staying?"

"Right here, on the fifth floor."

"Get your things."

"I have an extra room. They have really nice beds." The innocuous question did not escape Trevor's notice, but he felt that he needed to keep the subject on track.

"Get your stuff." Trevor repeated, with a bit more conviction than before.

Yendys nodded, knowing that she was not going to win. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Trevor did not want to give away anything yet, but felt the need to keep his new Force-partner in sight. She stood up from the table, nodding. Trevor also stood, following her out of the cantina and towards the turbolift. She looked back, shaking her head, but not commenting otherwise. The pair disembarked from the turbolift and headed to the furthest room from the lift. Yendys opened the door, and Trevor's mind took in the entire room in an instant. The bed, which she had mentioned so casually before, was made entirely of moss and trees. Trevor walked over, rubbed his hand over the bed coverings. The mossy blanket was cool to the touch.

Yendys gathered a few items and placed them into a carrying bag. She watched Trevor examine the bed with a smile across her face.

"I am going to buy me a bed like this one day. It is the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in."

Trevor smiled, turning his face towards her. "Of that, I have no doubt." He looked at her as she smiled back at him and felt slightly guilty for removing her from her life. "Tell you what, if we get through this," he began. She stopped packing, turning around and watching him. "Um…if we both get through this, uh, we'll come back. You can show me around. And maybe I'll find out how comfortable these beds are for myself." He felt his ears getting red, but figured a week with Yendys would last for a lifetime. It had been many years since they had walked around a city together, last time was when they were nearly adults in Coruscant.

She looked at him quizzically. "You're on," she walked over and gave him a warm embrace, then continued packing her belongings. Trevor took a moment to extend his senses, creating a connection in the Force between him and Yendys. The bond immediately pulsed, and Yendys turned around, winking. Trevor left the bond alone and waited for her to complete her task.

Ten minutes later, they were on a public transport shuttle to the shipyards. As they cleared the station heading across open space to the outer shipyards, the Xeddonian fighters zoomed around them in formation. Trevor watched them, figuring that Azulia was leading them in practice runs before going into battle. He watched Yendys' face for a reaction to the sleek-looking blue and white starships. She regarded them with professional envy, but not much else. Trevor had told her basically of the distraction plans, but had forgotten to mention the Xeddonian involvement. The rest of the ride was uneventful, and the pair arrived fifteen minutes later on the main landing platform with nearly thirty Whitecloaks and three Jedi cruisers. The newest cruiser had a Whitecloak docked upon it, and Trevor recognized the symbols on the fighter to be Kymber's ship. Knowing that the Crystal Phoenix was supposed to be here, and they had more comfortable accommodations than the freighter, he grasped her arm, redirecting her toward the Phoenix. She tensed slightly as Master Shudo Laan exited, slightly surprised to see his most recent padawan approaching. The two greeted each other warmly, Shudo grasping his shoulder firmly. Yellow marks spotted his crest, giving Trevor the impression that he was happier than he had ever seen before.

"Is Kymber on board, Master?"

"Yes, she is. We weren't expecting you for a few hours."

"Well, I thought it might be prudent to be near the ship, in case the modifications got done early."

"Good thinking, as always, my young padawan." Shudo's smile shown like a binary star. "You are looking well, Trevor. Not too many scraps on you. I look forward to talking more later." Shudo released his shoulder and turned to the newcomer. "Yendys Arctell, welcome to the Crystal Phoenix. Glad to have you assistance in this matter." Shudo's genuine gratitude seemed to cause an additional layer of defenses to go up. Trevor sensed this, and allowed a calm thought through the bond to force her drop her shields a tad. She responded with a slight twitch of her mouth, and bowed slightly to Shudo.

"Sure. Any time." Yendys responded politely.

Shudo bowed slightly, allowing the two to enter the ship. Trevor went up the ramp first, being most familiar with the ship. As he turned down the main corridor to the rest of the ship, a splash of blonde hair could be seen peeking out of a doorway. Kymber Thomree's hair had grown quite a bit since the last time he'd seen her. Now braids lined the face that Trevor knew going through the last part of the Jedi Order. She nearly raced down the hall, embracing him with more emotion that he was expecting. He returned the hug, as well.

"Kymber, it is great to see you again. It's been a while."

"Yes, Trevor, it has. At least four months, I believe."

A soft footfall interrupted the family reunion. Kymber's padawan had entered the hall, looked at the two Jedi's in near surprise. Zao Chun's face was covered by a thin veil. Nothing about her face was remarkable, yet her hair was ink-black. Her small frame was easily overshadowed by Kymber's.

"Knight Trevor Gul'dan, I have heard many interesting things about you."

Trevor's quick wit took over before his mind could make him stop. "And I'll bet half of them are lies." Zao's eyes nearly popped out of her head when Kymber socked him in the shoulder. Trevor laughed, causing Zao to be even more surprised. "Master Thomree, forgive my attempt at levity. I was only trying to make your padawan more at ease. And by the way, belated congratulations on your promotion. It couldn't have happened to a nicer Jedi."

Kymber's cheeks turned slightly red. "We have adjusted to local time. We were going to have our evening meal then rest up before the trip to Ssureth. There is plenty of room here on the Phoenix if you'd rather take one of these bunks. There is a couple of smaller rooms still available."

Trevor turned to Yendys. "Go ahead and take one of them."

Yendys nodded. "Thanks for the offer for a meal. However, I already had one, waiting for this clown to show up," she pointed toward Trevor, "I think I am going to rest up now."

Kymber waved her past, "Third room on the left and right are available."

Trevor made sure Yendys was settled then met up with Shudo, Kymber and Zao in the kitchen. They all ate and spent nearly an hour just talking amongst themselves. Trevor sat back at one point and realized that he missed these people. It had the feel of a family reunion and Trevor relaxed more than usual. He realized that the bond was still open, and he allowed those feeling to run down the bond. He sat back and watched the new member of Shudo's little 'family'. Zao, being relatively new, seemed to be a very bright girl, but she was certainly the quietest amongst the four. Trevor got the feeling that, though she was trustworthy, there was a strong wall holding something back. This is a complicated person, Trevor thought, No wonder the Order wanted Kymber to have her for a padawan. An hour later, Trevor excused himself to rest up. He fell asleep right away.

Trevor's dreams were surprisingly calm. The only notable part was Yendys seemed to intrude on the dream, but he realized that it was not the dream. Rather it was the bond that Trevor created which caused Yendys to enter his dream. She was awake, he realized. Moments later, Trevor awoke from his sleep, and gathered his belongings. He walked down to the main command center, where Shudo was waiting.

"Master Tinn informs me that the freighter was done nearly a half hour ago. I mentioned that you were sleeping and we should wait for you to wake up before taking off. He will meet you there. I am going to come along as well."

Trevor nodded, and walked out of the main bridge and down to the end of the ramp, where Yendys was pacing. She seemed to be a jumble of emotions. Trevor continued to send calming waves to her to keep her calm. The only noticeable trait was that her right foot kept jumping. He smirked as he walked over to the modified freighter. The trio walked across the hanger bay to the Corellian Action IV transport.

The most noticeable change was the throng of Jedi standing near the loading ramp to the transport. Noa, R'We'Nok, Dutana and Werren were all milling around, trying to look busy. Trevor realized that they were all anxious to see Yendys once again. In testing their bond, Trevor got the sense that Yendys was getting more and more nervous, wondering how her former clan mates would react. Trevor closed off the bond, trying to keep from laughing at the forthcoming uncomfortable silence. Master Tinn walked down the loading ramp, waving to the approaching trio. The four Nexu Jedi all turned, wiped their hands and joined Shudo, Trevor and Yendys for an impromptu meeting. Noa was the first to offer greeting to Yendys.

"Man, you are definitely treating yourself well, aren't you, Pip?" The youthful pet name Noa always used as a youngling came forth unbidden. Noa's eyes bulged slightly, wondering if he made a misstep. Yendys' head jerked back as if someone just smacked her.

"Well, Stretch, you want go a couple rounds?" Her face broke into a grin, hand outstretch. Murmurs turned to outright laughter as the six clanmates, current and former, quickly got reacquainted. The elder Jedi let them youngsters catch up for only a few moments, then Shudo cleared his throat. Trevor nodded, face towards his clan mates.

"Ok, gang. Let's break this up for now." A slight pause as the reason for the Clan reunion was suddenly pushed back in front of them. Trevor felt a slight tremble in the Force and turned his vision to find that Kymber and Zao had come out of the Phoenix to join them. As he adjusted to having a third Jedi Master and her padawan join in, Princess Azulia, dressed in her blue-white fighter suit, walked from around the freighter.

"Good," she said. "You haven't started yet. Do you mind if I sit in on this impromptu conference?"

"Not at all, Your Highness. Glad to have you here." Trevor turned things over to Master Tinn, who nodded.

"Our current plan of attack is this: Trevor and Yendys will fly the freighter into the Ssureth system. Moments later, all of the starfighters will jump into the system and begin to fire at you. Along the hull of the freighter are explosive charges, not enough to cripple the ship, causing enough damage to give the ground forces the impression that you are under fire. The explosives are set to go off when a laser bolt is in the vicinity. It will take out some non-critical systems and make it look like the ship is in trouble. The Xeddon and Jedi starfighters are going to follow as you enter the atmosphere. At that point, the cruisers will appear and make a landing about one kilometer from the freighter's landing point. Hopefully, we will have the ground forces attention so that you two can get into the Temple. It is a simple plan, but extremely dangerous. Trevor, give everyone your idea."

The Miraluka swallowed deeply, and took a step forward. "We are going into an area that will be heavily seeped in the Dark Side. Find yourself a partner and latch on to them. Be each other's Light. If you work together, the Dark Side will not bother you." Trevor turned his face towards each of his friends and allies. He was uncomfortable with Zao joining this mission, as he believed this was her first mission. He looked directly at Shudo as if asking a question. A single nod, and Shudo motioned for Kymber and Zao to follow him back to the Phoenix. Trevor nodded at the trio of retreating backs. He knew that Shudo would not leave the newest Jedi Master and her padawan by themselves. He did not want to be responsible for the death of a new padawan, and he had the sinking feeling that he would lose her in this battle. Tinn walked over to Trevor, and whispered in his ear.

"They will be fine, padawan."

"Yes, Master. But I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen."

"Concentrate on the here and now, Trevor. Control what you can. Your mission is to go after Talaan. Remember it." Trevor turned to the Jedi Commander. The visage seemed to show more worry than ever before. "Your most difficult mission is ahead. Your focus is ahead but not too far."

Trevor just nodded. He shook off the fog that had surrounded him, and turned abruptly as the freighter's engines spun up. Tinn raced towards his fighter, wondering what was going on in the young man's mind. Trevor decided that fuming and worrying about something he could not control. He headed into the control area and E5 whistled a greeting. Trevor nodded, giving the droid his standard "wake me if there's anything wrong" instructions. E5 whistled an affirmative and Trevor walked down to his bunk. The room was one of the officer's rooms, but Trevor felt like just a passenger. He removed his robe, turned up the heat in the room and removed his tunic. Turning his robes into a roll, he placed his head back, laid down and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.

The dreams did not come as Trevor rested his body. His mind was going over the entire plan one more time. Possibilities were reviewed, discharged and reviewed once again. Traps and surprises popped out from behind posts and dark faces seemed to jump out from behind pillars that blocked his view of the end of the encounters. As an extremely dark visage faded, the small voice that kept alert during meditation caught a strange noise, like a door opening and closing. The dream faded almost immediately as the room began to solidify into his quarters on the freighter. Trevor's senses went into overdrive, as he expected some Dark Knight to come flying out. He adjusted his vision so that the room would be lit up. A figure could be seen standing just inside the door. The figure's outline could be seen standing next to the door. Trevor adjusted his vision once more, and the familiar tattoo markings of Yendys' face came into focus. Her face was smooth and serene, as if happy to watch him sleep. The next movement surprised even Trevor. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. He sat straight up, blankets falling off the bed.

"What's wro--?" Trevor began, but was interrupted by a soft hand on his chest. She leaned closer to him, whispering just loud enough to be heard over the hum of the engines.

"We're probably not going to get this chance again."

"What are you –"

"Just shut up." Her voice, though no higher than a whisper, carried the weight of a black hole. Her blue eyes pierced through Trevor's defenses quickly. Her evening wear was normal tradional spacer wear. Her hair was down around her shoulders. The look she gave him spoke volumes and the feelings he had for her as a child. He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a finger over his mouth.

"I don't know that we'll live to see this again." She leaned forward, removed her fingers and kissed him deeply. Trevor allowed it, and responded in kind.

The chronometer on the wall counting down to the expected arrival time to Ssureth showed just over one standard hour left in the journey. Trevor sat on the hard freighter floor, legs crossed in front. His thoughts tettered between his encounter with Yendys and the impending mission that was just over the horizon. He put his feelings for Yendys in the back of his mind, knowing that Shudo and the Order would not allow these feeling to continue to grow. He began his standard meditation, allowing the Force to flow through him. His connection to the Force surprised him with sudden strength. His battle mantra that he usually used seemed to make everything much clearer. He felt the Force warm his body and mind more completely than he ever. He allowed this to continue for what he seemed to be only a few minutes. He awoke from his trance to find the proximity alarm going off. Trevor grabbed his shirt and vest, heading for the bridge. Yendys, already strapped into the copilot's seat, turned around when the door opened. The smile on her face lit up the room. Trevor, for the first time in his life, wished he could wink. The slight smirk on his face was the only emotion he allowed himself to have. He sat down in the pilot's chair, and gave E5 the command to revert to normal speed.

The planet of Ssureth filled the viewscreen as the freighter slowed from the jump from hyperspace. The orange sun bathed the planet in a constant late afternoon light. The majority of the planet, based on the readings on the sensors, showed a variety of landscapes. Deep trenches, high mountains, extensive swamps and a convoluted plateau network dominated the planet. Trevor's initial review of the location of the pseudo-Temple showed a trench digging directly to the east of a platform extending over the trench. A sudden lurch wrenched Trevor's attention back to the current part of the mission. Sensors showed three squadrons of fighters had emerged from hyperspace and snuck up on Trevor with more reverting moment to moment. He yanked the ship around, and another blast rocked the ship. The explosive devices around the ship were set not cause much damage. The first explosion took out the communications array, leaving only the receiving portion of the communicator working. Trevor and Yendys worked together to make the flight of their ship look like there was a definite problem. A whistle from one of the droids alerted Yendys.

"We've got more company."

Ships emerged from the cloud cover from the planet's surface. Trevor tried to count the ships, but realized that both sides of this battle were extremely balanced. The Xeddonians were untested in battle and unaccustomed to the strain, but the Jedi offset that inexperience with their unique abilities. Reviewing tactics and the information that was received prior to planning the mission, Trevor knew that Jedi starfighters alone would not have been enough.

A pair of starfighters from the surface broke off on their approach to inspect the freighter heading to the surface. Trevor could not get a good view of the pilots, but the pair returned to the main fight, ignoring the injured ship heading towards the surface. Trevor piloted the ship down through the atmosphere, following a pre-determined path garnered from the data that Yendys had entered from her previous trip to the planet nearly a week ago. Trevor scanned the surface, finding a large power source to the north. He turned the ship towards the power source. As he completed the turn, the communication speaker squawked with an unfamiliar language in an angry voice. One of the early explosives took out half of the communications array, only allowing reception of communications. The voice being transmitted to the freighter seemed to be yelling, but neither of the pilots felt the need to respond. In flying through the cloud cover, the pair noticed the outlines of a temple. A landing platform could be seen extending out over a large canyon. Trevor guided the ship down as best he could towards the platform. The voices over the com-link continued to be attempt to contact them and the pilots continued to ignore it. Their best chance to get close was to pretend to be wounded and needing assistance. Two Xeddon starships flew overhead, chased by a Sith ship. Trevor watched the trailing ship getting hammered by a Jedi Whitecloak. The debris field falling from the sky shown like a firework display. Trevor guided the freighter down towards the planet without too much interference. The landing was made rough by E5 firing off another charge just before landing, making it seem as if the freighter was on its last legs. Trevor turned his attention towards the temple, seeing six figures moving towards them with a steady pace.

"You ready for this?" Trevor turned to his partner.

"No, but then again, who ever is?

The three Jedi cruisers had continue pursuing the ailing freighter until it disappeared under the cloud cover. At a prearranged time, the pilots veered away from their pursuit to begin landing the Jedi ground forces on the surface. Some of the Coruscant security forces were amongst the Jedi to augment the forces somewhat, but most knew that the Jedi, numbering nearly seventy five, would handle most of the work. They watched the Jedi prepare, more out of curiosity then actually doing anything. They watched as Kymber ran Zao through some calming exercises, while Shudo closed his eyes, doing some such thing. They knew there would be casualties, but no one dwelt on it much, except for one small Jedi that most did not pay much attention to. Zao Chun listened to her new Master as she repeated the calming mantra, but was secretly wondering why she was here on the eve of what history might one day call an epic battle. She forced her morbid thoughts away by paying attention to Kymber's Master. Shudo had spoken to nearly all of the Jedi, paying special attention to the Nexu Clan who had specifically requested to travel on board the Phoenix. She caught the many looks of respect as the Anx Jedi walked by, wondering just how special this imposing Master really was. She adjusted her tunic without thinking, fidgeting with the clasp like a star-struck schoolgirl. Deep in her heart, she wanted to run away, but seeing the way everyone carried themselves, readying themselves for the possibility of death and accepting their fate, whatever it was, curbed her anxiety and lifted her spirits.

Kymber felt a slight shift from her padawn and knew exactly what she was feeling. Fighting was not her strong suit, but had learned much from Master Shudo over the years. She knew that he was a very good teacher and had learned some hard lessons over the years. Stories of Shudo in his younger days and even in his later years made her glad that he spent the extra time to teach her the ways of the lightsaber, and making her an even better weapon. She also realized that her strengths were not in the fight, but in other things. Trevor's skill with the saber had nearly become legendary since he took on the mantle of Jedi Knight. She felt so proud of her 'younger' Jedi brother that when she heard he had requested to be a Jedi Weapon Master, she nearly cried. Only her duty to her current assignment allowed to temper her emotions. Knowing that Trevor had worked so hard to find out who was behind the attack on the Temple and everywhere else made her decide instantly to be on the front line with her Master. Zao would be in good hands with Shudo and her watching. She just knew it.

A claxon blared, notifying all on-board to get ready to depart. Nearly as one, the Jedi shed their cloaks and pulled their lightsabers from the belts. The sudden ignition of more than twenty lightsabers nearly deafened the Phoenix contingent, but the roar from the Nexu Clan could clearly be heard as they disembarked. As Zao was about to head out, an hand grasped her shoulder.

"Padawan, stay near your Master. We are going to be outnumbered, but her training and yours will protect you. May the Force be with you." Shudo whispered, green blade augmenting his coloration. She nodded to him, looked over to Kymber, who nodded as well. And the three raced down the ramp into the swampland nearly a kilometer away from where the freighter landed.

The interior of the Dark Temple was alive with activity. The warning claxon whined and the battle droids were activated almost immediately upon sensor awareness of the cruisers. As they broached the atmosphere, the six battalions of the battle droids and nearly one hundred Dashade were loaded onto a huge cargo skif, nearly fifty meters long and forty-five wide. The repulsor lifts carried the deadly force up to the surface at approximately the same time as the ground force landing on the ground.

Trevor watched the radar scope as the three cruisers landed. He grabbed his cloak and threw it over himself. He was glad that he had donned goggles instead of his normal headband, hoping against hope that no one would recognize him either way. He and Yendys headed outside the freighter as if to inspect the damage. Trevor spied the figures coming closer, making out four droids and two other humanoids.

"Follow my lead." Trevor whispered in Huttese.

Yendys just nodded, unsure of what Trevor was going to pull out of the proverbial blasthelmet. He exited the ship from the rear, and immediately walked to the blind side of the ship. He did not want to give much away, and if any action was going to take place, he certainly felt that keeping it hidden was a much better use of the ship. He raced up the ladder, inspecting the damage on the top of the freighter. He could see the figures pointing to the ship and at the new figure on top. Trevor began shouting at Yendys in Huttese

"Look! I don't want to stand around here all day discussing your little pranks! Start cannibalizing the parts so we can get the bucket of bolts off the ground!"

Yendys' eyebrows shot up, catching on immediately to his ruse. "All right, flyboy. You want me to get the dang parts, I will! Just next time you want me to join you, forget it! I'm not listening to any more of your fuzz-ball schemes."

"Sweetheart, I'm not the one who wanted to shop at the Jedi Library and take a book without asking!"

"Buddy, you have no idea how close I was to that thing! A microsecond more and I would have had it."

"Whatever, get that electrowrench and get cracking."

By this point, the six figures approaching were definitely within shouting distance. The two humanoid figures, Trevor could see, had three appendages on each hand. He immediately recognized them as Dashade and realized that if they scanned him even once, the jig was up.

"YOU!" shouted one of the Dashade, who had a blaster rifle over his shoulder and a vibroblade at the hip. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to fix my ship, what does it look like?" Trevor turned his face towards the new arrivals. Somehow the cowl of his cloak covered his face slightly, causing the taller of the two Dashade to draw his rifle.

"Get down, now."

Trevor felt along Yendys' bond and got a very tense feeling. "Great. Our day has gone from bad to worse."

"One!" the first waved his rifle in a downward motion.

"Ok, fine! I'm moving. Give me a second, will you?" Trevor walked back towards the ladder and climbed down. By this time two droids and positioned themselves near the base of the cargo ramp, weapons at the ready, but held down at the side. Trevor caught sight of the other Dashade reaching for a comlink, as if checking the registration markings of the ship. Trevor looked out over the plains to catch a glimpse of the ongoing battle for Ssureth.

The army repulsor sled carrying the Ssureth army stopped nearly two hundred meters away from the Jedi landing zone. The cruisers were busy firing up at the ancient Sith starfighters that continued to harass them from the air. The droids marched out of their transportation heading directly towards the enemy ships that had made their landing a mere moment before. All weapons were at the ready at the first sign of the enemy.

The Jedi had positioned themselves in a fashion that allowed each of them plenty of room to swing their sabers, but yet be able to support one another if necessary. As the Jedi escaped the confines of their respective ships, they were greeted with a barrage of laserfire from nearly twice their number in battle droids. The double gun toting droids fired mercilessly at the Jedi contingent. Luckily, Trevor's debriefing to the Council had filtered down to the rest of the Jedi ground force and the laser fire was deflected back at the droids nearly as often as they were taking fire. No Jedi went down in the initial attack, but the droids continued to advance up on the unwavering line of Jedi.

Trevor stood against the ship as the rifleman turned the corner. He kept the rifle training on the cloaked pilot, unsure of his identity. The Dashade was not sure who was the more dangerous of the two pilots in front of him, but the cloaked figured made him the most nervous.

"Take off hood."

The taller of the two threw up his hands. "What next, we going to dance?"

The Dashade knew that something was definitely not right, but he couldn't put his talon on it. He raised his rifle higher, but the creature on the other end of the rifle dropped the hood, giving him an angry stare. He'd had to endure those before, so this was nothing new. The goggles staring at him cause the man's eyes to shift somewhat. The Dashade was getting nervous now, so he asked a completely reasonable question.

"Take off goggles."

The goggled man pursed his lips and emphatically said, "No, I will not take these off. They keep the sun out of my eyes, ok? Something about this place makes my eyes hurt."

Yendys walked over to the side, away from Trevor to give each of them some separation. The Dashade ignored her for the time being, concentrating on Trevor, who continually kept badgering the Dashade.

"Look, what do you want? All we need is to repair-"

"Take off goggles now!" The Dashade wanted to be sure of the identity of the spacer who so bravely, or stupidly set down on their base.

"Why?" The belligerence in his voice was evident and the pitch was getting higher, trying to keep the attention away from Yendys who was moving closer to the droids.

"Do it, or I fire!" The Dashade had certainly lost his patience with this spacer. The master chief would have his head if he could not get simple statements out of this stranger.

"You really don't want me to do that," Trevor took a deep breath and concentrated on gathering the Force.

"One………. Two…………."

Trevor reached out with the Force, and yanked the rifle away from the unsuspecting Dashade. Utter surprise filled his face, but not for long. The virboblade whipped from its sheath and he took one step towards Trevor, but not before Yendys swung her blade and ignited it in the middle of his blade arm severing it from his body. The droids fired quickly, but their shots never even came close to their mark. Yendys deflected one bolt back, causing that automaton to stagger backwards.

Trevor ignited his blade and severed the head from the other droid's body. The falling Dashade's eyes rolled back into his head, shock taking over. The body slumped down to the ground and Trevor raced past to intercept the remaining Dashade. The remaining droids attempted to fire at Trevor, but the white blade blazed around, deflecting the shots back, damaging them enough so that his next swing tore them apart. Trevor realized that the remaining Dashade was not directly in front of him, so he immediately reversed his blade and pointed it behind him. The grunt of disgust confirmed his hunch. He turned around, bringing his saber to bear. The Dashade shook his head quickly and lashed out with a vibroblade. Unfortunately, the Dashade thought that Trevor would move closer. The blade lodged itself directly into the freighter and Trevor took advantage, slicing the arm clean off at the elbow. He turned around before the body even hit the ground, realizing that Yendys had easily dispatched the last droid.

She turned around, nodding to her Jedi partner. She then raced off towards the temple. Trevor heard a large laser cannon discharge, and turned back towards the battle.

Kymber and a Dashade were battling back and forth. Trevor noticed that a second Dashade was joining in and nearly sent a warning out to Kymber when he noticed a lightsaber in the Dashade's hand, which was really odd. Suddenly the Dashade ignited the saber directly into the first's back. Kymber took a step back, and Trevor watched the face change to Zao Chun's. He shook his head and realized that Zao was certainly going to be a challenge. The

The Jedi were easily handling the droids, but the legion of Dashade and lightsaber wielding droids were giving the Jedi all they could handle. Noa and the rest of the Nexu Clan were dealing fairly well with the Dashade. Shudo dispatched six droids with a complete turn of his body; half of the droids were sent spinning by the large tail, while the rest were shaved in two by his blade. Suddenly a large rock raised itself up, giving away the large laser cannon on the front. The spider-like droid looked as if it was rusting away as large amounts of water and mud fell from it. One of the many arms extended out and a dual headed axe reached down. A whine issued forth from the blades as they started spinning. The blade extended down into the muck spraying mud and stones all around. Jedi jumped out of the way, trying to avoid the debris.

Shudo heard the droid coming out of the water, and heard the laser cannon fire off. He leaned his body over and closed the distance between himself and the sudden surprise that was sprung on them. Shudo closed the distance quickly. When he arrived, he whipped the saber around, but the blade just bounced off. The look of shock was replaced by an immediate determined look and a constact whacking. Sparks showered the Jedi while he bored a hole into the back leg of the spider droid. A group of Jedi ran over to the droid and began to hack away at the droid, avoiding the spinning blade.

Trevor began to turn around when four lightsabers caught his attention. Kymber and Zao had been cornered by two droids, firing directly at the Jedi. Trevor saw that the droids were giving Zao a hard time, making her work extra hard. Sweat fell off her face and the exertion was wearing on her quickly. Kymber was also pushed to the test by the droids laser fire. Kymber backed up, and suddenly a red lightsaber protruded from her chest. The droid attacking from the front stopped firing, and turned to the smaller Jedi. Zao screamed, seeing Kymber's body drop to a kneeling position, then fell backwards. Shudo stopped hammering at the droid, and Trevor could see the red and purple hue of his skin shine in the Ssureth light. Trevor nearly screamed in agony at the deadly attack of the droids. Suddenly, a gentle voice reached into his mind.

Trevor. Remember your mission. Make my sacrifice worthwhile. I will be watching you. Good luck, my brother.

The sadness that suddenly filled his soul was staggering. He took one step towards the battle, but felt a small tug along the bond. He turned his vision to Yendys. He could see the tears streaming down her face, presumably from the sudden anguish that filled Trevor's soul. She pleaded with him mentally to move towards the temple. The voice continued, vading as it did so.

Trevor. Remember the mission.

He nodded once and rising, not even realizing that he had knelt down. He stood up, ignited his saber and ran up the slope towards the temple. Yendys ran along side him, giving him a shoulder to lean on. As they neared the temple, a large scraping sound could be heard ahead. Jedi and rogue stopped, watching another large spider creature extracting itself from the temple and moving down the walkway toward the landing platform. Trevor suddenly had an way to empty the helplessness that threatened to overpower him. He disengaged his lightsaber, placed it on his belt and walked ahead. Yendys tried to grab his elbow, but the way he had his shoulders set, she was not going to stop him.

Trevor gathered the Force around him, not caring if he sounded any alarms. He watched the spider droid head out onto the end of the cliff to turn around and look around. He reached his hands out, pushing the Force out trying to get the creature off-balance. One leg reach up to take the next step, but could not move it any more. Trevor then pulled the leg out over the edge. The creature realized that it could not move so it tried to stop its movement. Trevor continued to pull on it, moving it closer and closer to the edge. Panic set in and the droid tried to move with the remaining legs. Trevor continued to pull it out over the edge. First one leg, then two, four and soon the entire body fell down, tumbling over and over as it raced down through the canyon.

Yendys walked over to Trevor placing her hand on his shoulders.

"Come on, lover. We still have a job to do."

Trevor shook his head. "He isn't getting out of there, is he?"

"No, in fact I think that he's waiting for us."
"Distinctly possible. I'd hate to disappoint him."

A small bark emitted from her mouth. "I'm sure. Let's go."

The pair finished the walk up to the Temple, igniting their lightsabers to see in the dark. They looked around, and not seeing anything, began their trek into the dark. Ten meters into the temple, the doors behind them slid shut. The big surprise was the laser wall that erupted directly in front of the doors, effectively shutting them in for the long haul.