Chapter _
Pantora
The Pantoran moon had two forms of rail travel. There were the freight lines, which used the lumbering 18-T conveyex for non-delicate cargo that did not need a smooth ride to get there. They required a single metallic track that the conveyex would be guided along. Then there were the hoverlines, used for passenger travel. These trainlines consisted of a series of magnetic rings set across the planet that propelled the trains forward. Each ring stood on top of a massive marble column standing over seventy metres off the ground. Aayla knew that to get where these supplies were needed, there was only one trainline. This smooth hovertrain.
She stared out the window at the passing countryside. It was mostly forests and woodlands. As the train moved towards the equatorial region of the planet, the temperature rose and allowed more lush areas to flourish. There was not as much greenery as the forests of Null, Mimban or Endor, nor the vibrant mixture of the fungal forests of Felucia, but compared to the tundra of the south, the Pantoran forests looked magnificent.
With the cities closest to Fortress resupplied already, Aayla had been dispatched to deliver supplies and medical equipment to the other effected areas, further from the main infrastructure. Her companions, a squad of Senate Guards and a company of Republic soldiers, sat around in the other seats of the carriage, talking amongst themselves. Her stubby astromech droid, QT-KT, rolled over with a bowl of broth.
"Thank you, Qutie.", she smiled down at the droid.
He beeped back at her, spinning his dome before rolling to stand by her seat.
"You two have a special connection, don't you?", Corrant asked, leaning over the headrest of the seats in front of her. He was the Senate Commander in charge of the soldiers travelling with this convoy. Apparently, he had been trained by Captain Taggart himself, "I wish I could have that with a droid."
"Qutie and I have been around each other for quite some time, sir.", she smiled in answer, ever since her padawan years.
He nodded, "Well, I just came to tell you that we will be arriving soon. From what I've heard, Zenton is quite different from Fortress, or even Norran."
Norran had been the small village they had delivered supplies to on the way this morning. It was a small farming community, not far from the agricultural city, Turret.
"Thank you.", she gave him a short bow from her seated position, before resuming her staring out the window. Her thoughts dwelled on her Master. Quinlan Vos had trained her since she was fifteen. He had even found her when she was far younger, saving her from a Rancor on Nal Hutta, and from a life of slavery under the Hutts. They had a special connection. But since he had left for the Harshplains, there had been no communication from the team, except to say that the team had been ambushed.
Qutie placed her scomp link gently on the Twi'lek's leg, patting it comfortably with her pinchers. The droid knew exactly what she was thinking of. Aayla smiled down at her companion, "I know. I suppose that all we can do it wait."
Zenton sat on one of the largest lakes on Pantora. Looking across it, it was impossible to see one side from the other. The city itself started on the bank and extended across the water, kept up by heavy wooden pillars. The water was crystal clear, and Aayla bent down to touch the water. It was cold, and thousands of tiny fish scattered beneath her finger as the ripples shook across the surface.
"That is the main reason we are called a resort city, Master Jedi.", the old woman knelt beside her, her decorative staff tracing shapes across the surface. The Twi'lek took a moment to study her. She wasn't Pantoran, but rather a human with the Pantoran tattoo's etched into her face none the less. The staff that she held was a long, thin piece of polished wood, with a long piece of leather wrapped around the centre for her to grip. Small trinkets decorated the top, which extended well above her head. She recognised it as a staff of power, and therefore knew the woman.
"My apologies, Elder Kindred.", she bowed again, "It is truly mesmerising."
"The fish are harmless, but beware of the Gutran, though.", Kindred let out a laugh, sharp and warm, "They sometimes like to feast on surface creatures that get too close."
Immediately, Aayla pulled her hand back. The infectious laughter continued as the Elder snorted. Suddenly, she got serious though. Grabbing the Jedi's hand, the elder pulled her behind them, heading towards the shoreline.
"I thank you for the supplies, Master Secura.", she leant on her staff, staring out across the lake. "But I am worried about Pantora as a whole. The government is corrupt, the cities are under assault, and you seem to be one of the few people who remembered that we were bombed way out here. I worry for our plea to the Senate."
Aayla absorbed that for a moment. "You don't trust Senator Torn?"
"I do not.", the Elder answered without hesitation. "He is not selfish, and unlike his rivals, he does think of the people's needs. But I believe that the true reason he wanted to be Senator was for the wealth and power that his position gifts him. He does not care for us."
"How well do you know the Senator, Elder?", the Jedi asked.
"Him, I know only through my granddaughter, Miriam.", Kindred answered, "She is one of the handmaidens. Trav-iss is selfish, and his aide is not much better. I wouldn't trust anyone on the Assembly except for Ful Man."
Ful Man; the Chairman's Aide and the Speaker of the Assembly. Aayla filed that information away for future reference. But unfortunately, she had other matters to attend to at the moment. "Could you show me the bombing site, Elder?"
It was a single building, sitting in the centre of the marketplace. The blast radius was marked by a black charring on the cobblestones. Apparently, it had been the city storehouse, where most of the meat, vegetables and crops were stored for winter. The people were starving, and the soldiers set up a kitchen along the docks. Within seconds, the line of hungry citizens stretched as far as the eye could see, and a strong savoury smell filled the air.
Aayla knelt by the charred ash, wishing not for the first time that she had her master's ability to sense echoes in the Force. Footsteps echoed behind her, but they slowed, waiting patiently outside the circle of lights that marked the scene. She waited a few minutes, before turning to see Sergeant Corrant standing nearby.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, ma'am.", he gave an awkward half-bow, "The transmission tent has been set up in the main corridor. Central Command is waiting for your report."
"I'll take it here, Captain. Can you reroute the connection through my droid?", she asked. He shook his head in mild exacerbation and called a few orders into his helmet comm. She nodded her thanks, then turned to QT-KT, who had followed her up to the site to do some sort of scans for the investigation droids. She nodded to the squat droid, "Let's hear it, Qutie."
Three surprisingly clear holograms appeared from the droid's projector, fizzing a little with the distance and the transmission towers required to get a signal back to Fortress. She had honestly expected more static. Then, the holograms solidified even more, and she found herself staring at the three people waiting for her report.
Master Windu eyed her carefully, trying to read her mannerisms before he spoke with whatever news he carried. She had never seen him look so tired. Perhaps being here was beginning to have an effect on him. He still kept on a brave face however, a stern expression that commanded others to listen.
Kit stood behind him, studying a small datacube's worth of data in a handheld device. She smiled at his studious expression. They had been friends since their days in the Tomma Youngling Clan. To this day, she counted the Nautolaun as one of her best friends within the Jedi Order. He finally put away the device, looking up to give her a signature smile that he reserved only for her eyes.
The third person was a surprise. Captain Gill, one of the higher ups on the Resurrection. Yularen had placed him in charge of the ground movements. He was a stout man with a thick moustache and an impecible uniform. Aayla didn't know him well.
"Greetings, Secura.", he nodded. "How is Zenton?"
"Bustling, Captain.", she answered. "How are you here, exactly? Your transmissions are really clear."
As if on cue, all three holograms fizzed into static for a minute, before they solidified again. Kit cleared his throat, "The transmission towers across Pantora have been working overtime. Republic communications are being beamed directly through a series of shuttles we have landed at high points around the planet. It is not ideal, but it is helping. Very soon though, I believe that they will be obsolete. Mark Antilles is working on finding the jamming signal by hunting through the Pantoran Underworld, or what is left of the Underworld."
"What is the news from Zenton?", Windu asked, stroking his chin.
She glanced over at the line for the meals her soldiers were passing out, "People are desperate for the supplies we are here to give. The lines to the kitchen I had the soldiers set up hasn't stopped. The men are loading any injured onto the train for our return, but I am going to stay here for a bit. I feel that a Jedi presence would be beneficial."
Windu frowned at that, thinking it over. "Is there something there that you noticed in particular, Aayla?"
She almost didn't want to answer, but knew that was probably just rude, and would kill her chances of ever getting on the Council. "I thought I sensed something here, Master. A flicker in the Force. I want to investigate. Also, the village elder has ties to the Assembly, and I want to see what I can find out about the political angle in this. The people need us here, and I want to help with the rebuilding. There are a lot of reasons for me to stay."
"So, I see.", he nodded at her, "Follow the Force, Aayla. See what it needs to show you."
She bowed, and was about to voice her thanks, when a commotion off-camera interrupted her. Three more holograms appeared, each covered in mud and sludge. She could recognise Fay, Ord Enisence and Doctor Nema, but each seemed to be weary and exhausted.
Fay glanced around at the people present, before she grabbed Mace. "We need to talk."
"Can we do it after you shower?", Kit interrupted, "You smell like you have just trudged through a sewer."
And as the holograms flickered out, Aayla caught a glimpse of the intense glare Fay was shooting him. She would decided that the Silverine's wrath would be another reason to stay here in Zenton for now.