Chapter 23
The Hills
Carth heard the whine of power tools as he walked up the boarding ramp and promptly stumbled over a pile of pipes lying close to the ramp. The space normally used by the scout vehicle, name still under argument, had been filled with construction supplies. Looking deeper into the ship he noted that several panels had been pulled loose and piled in the passageway.
Sparks flew up through a floor grating marking the spot where there resident mechanic was busy tooling away on a new project. For a moment he though of returning to Khoonda, but that could result in running into the twins Xena and Lillith. He was flattered by their attention, any red blooded human male would be, and yes it has been years since his wives death. But till he found Dustil; one way or another, he could not move on. Realistically he knew his son is most likely dead, but he still held on some hope. He shook his head, all this enforced down time gave him to much time to get lost on his head.
"T3, look where I am pointing, the water pump pliers not the hydrospanner. Why would I need a hydro tool to work on a water pipe."
The voice came from an open panel droid lifted itself from the panel and left in a huff. Carth heard muttered cursing
"Next service that one is getting a new personality."
Carth leaned down and looked into the crawlspace below. Melissa was holding a pipe in place with one hand and her other groping for a tool. She was dressed in her old black coverall her hair covered in a bandana, her face oil and grease streaked.
"What are you working on now?" He asked
"Laying water pipes to the refreshers, decided to upgrade the showers to water and sonics." Melissa replied
" And here I thought you would only be converting the cargo bay into your personal love nest and den of iniquity." Carth said jokingly
"Not if Bastila has her say, she is working on Mission to get me to put in a bath instead of a shower. I think she may be planning to evict me from my room once I have fixed everything up." Melissa groused
"Put in a divider and give them the other half and turn the second dorm into a much smaller cargo bay.
"And move Juhani in with you guys. I am not that cruel."
Juhani. Their newest crew member by order of the Jedi council. The dark cat lady of the grove as Mission called her. Reformed dark sider. Nineteen year old Cathar female from Taris. No given last name, not unusual in Cathar custom, now that he thought about it. Still getting a read on the girl was hard, she would answer when spoken to and that is it. She seemed to prefer spending her time in the dorms meditating and that is it, no attempts to get to know her or get her involved in anything has worked in any way.
Carth fought the urge to look for the hidden holocameras. Not for the first time he thought that this crew was dreamed up by a production crew for a holodrama.
Terri amnesiac scout turned spontaneously to a Jedi through a bond with a slightly naïve young knight with an attraction to her bondmate. The ultimate in forbidden love stories. Melissa, the orphan who ran away to the army, to lose it all again suddenly, becoming a force sensitive after breaking a mysterious block placed by an uncaring war veteran mother. Forced to make the choice to give up Jedi training to become mandalorian, not forgetting jumping into a relationship with the quintessential bad girl Mission. Canderous the hard bitten mercenary with the surprising backstory. T3M4 the obligatory cranky droid. Zaalbar the ever eating older brother to the bad girl. What did that make him, the grumpy grandfather perhaps?
He heard Melissa snapping her fingers and broke from his thoughts.
"Hello, you in there?'
"Sorry, was lost in my head. Was just thinking I could make a lot of credits by selling our crew composition to a holodrama producer."
"We are a bit dysfunctional." Melissa snorted, "Could you pass me another section of pipe."
"How about you get out of there and clean up. I will make some lunch and afterwards I will help you finish up. Though leaving the connection to the grey water tank is T3's job."
"Was my intention anyway to have it do that piece of work."
Melissa crawled from the space and pulled herself on deck. Her stomach decided then to let its presence known. Carth brushed past her to the galley.
"Bring Juhani when you are done, it is time she gets a job around here."
Mission groaned as he impacted the ground yet again. Despite being constantly tired and bruised she actually enjoyed the training she was being put through. From being beaten badly in hand to hand training to being taught infiltration by a pathfinder, to advanced slicing and information gathering.
"Need a moment down there, short stuff?"
"Or do you need a blanky and a pillow?"
The Wren twins, the current bane of her existence, were looking down her. From the ground her feeling of inadequacy returned as she looked up at the busty and statuesque blondes. How Carth had resisted their advances so far was a mystery to her, she would have been all over that in a moment.
"No bad, Mission. You have a girlfriend…"
Her thought broke of and she groaned. She had a girlfriend, a girlfriend who could feel what she was thinking. She was so screwed.
Melissa paid for her momentary distraction from Mission's sense of mortification, by being taken in a headlock by Karana. She felt blackness encroaching as she was being choked out, Karana's favourite move. She almost smiled.
"Not today." She thought
She pulled on a technique taught to her by Hissk to conserve oxygen and the blackness receded. She started playing possum and weakened her struggles to break loose before going limp. Feeling the grip loosen she butted her head back and felt satisfying contact being made, Before grabbing onto the hand holding her throat and twisting into a throw. The two grappled on the ground, fighting for superiority. She want airborne as Karana flipped her over. She came up in a crouch after flipping herself up. Only to drop to her knees in agony from a crotch shot. Whimpering in pain, she ignored the sympathetic exclamations around her.
"That was for my nose." Karana whispered in her ear.
The Mandalorian contingent had delayed their return to Krownest to spend some time training the young ones on Dantooine. News of their action against the raiders had been released by a drastically reduced and restructured town council. This had led to a very marked decrease in the tension between the locals and the visiting warriors, knowing now the bullet they had dodged. The local children had taken to observing the training sessions from the edge of the field
The law offices of Snipes had grown from Snipes to Snipes and Snipes to Snipes Associates and Partners in the question of nearly two months. For some reason companies from Muunilist and now Nal Hutta had become interested in investing in the once background planet. Snipes looked out the window of his new office. The building having been built in record time by his second biggest client; for a reduced rate. He shook his head.
"To think I almost threw that girl out of my office when she stormed in demanding a lawyer." He spoke to himself
Shaking himself from his daydream he turned back to the newest rezoning request he received from the Nal Hutta company. Checking the name for the proposed he distillery he shook his head.
"Now I am sure they are screwing with me. Really, Cannok's Breath Brewery?"
He went back to work. If they want to call it that it was their business. Not that council would object anyway. More employement meant more municipal income and more business meant more land tax. Money made the world spin after all, not gravity as the scientists would claim.
Melissa was starting to feel restless, it has been five days since they had revealed the communal dream to the council and apart from them assigning Juhani to the crew, there was no move to investigate the ruins that they could see. Training and building projects kept her busy, but the unease did not go away. Sitting up on the newly built double bunk, she reached for her boots. There came a polite knock on the door.
"Enter." She called.
Karana entered and looked around in interest.
"This looks better than I thought it would" She said
"Thank you. Still not sure about that bath tub though." Melissa replied
"I get it, there is nothing wrong with a decent shower, what more do you need."
Karana settled her self into a bolted down chair. Almost nervously she played with the armrest.
"What is on your mind?" Melissa asked.
"I thought to give you a heads up. You might need to act as clan head tonight if Lance can gather his courage."
"I am a bit lost here. Why would I need to act as a clan head, Canderous is in line then you, his kids and then me as the adopted daughter. The Wren line is even longer."
"Not as long as you think though as the daughter of Achilla Wren you would have taken preference as he was the primary heir. No I am talking of clan Carpenter. You established that when you were adopted and not taking the Wren name."
"Was I supposed to?" Melissa asked.
"You could have, but I guess we all forgot you would not know all the rules. By not taking the name you in essence abdicated your birth position to create your own clan."
"So that is why everyone kept asking my surname during the bath."
Karana shuddered.
"The Cleansing, If Buir heard you now we would be in for a two hour lecture. But yes."
" Were they disappointed, Daria and Marina, I mean."
"Yes, don't worry I will explain to them later as to what happened there. It is not your fault."
"And I am guessing by abdicating I sundered all claims to house Wren and Ordo."
"You are still family no matter what so the official nonsense is just that nonsense and politics. So you get a free pass till your clan becomes prominent, so you have a year to learn it all."
"A year?"
"You are right at the rate you are going giving it a year is optimistic. Killing Vesalik's and wowing the republic elite with your art. Say two months. But to get back to the main point."
"Okay…"
"When you took in Fay and Ellia they become part of your clan. Lancelot is taking her very seriously and he is worried you might decline his suit as Fay's clan head."
"The Jedi and Mandalorian thing?"
"I told him he was being stupid, but the thought of monogamy has him turning his brain off. If anything you would be more receptive than others, but if blindsided by his request who knows. And more so realising there is some very large gaps in your cultural education."
Melissa shuddered.
"Better call in the Buirs; it is time for a crash course in culture and etiquette."
"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten." Karana smiled, solemnly
"You will be right next to me…and we need to talk to Fay first as well and get her in on the lessons if she is as interested in Lance as he is in her."
The culture class had grown beyond the initial planning with a reluctant Mission being pulled in with a giddily happy Bastila when she had expressed disappointment in not being able to learn. Though the fact that she was told she could not share what she learned, did not seem to bother her at all. Terri was thankful that she had been excused, the fact that Marina said she did not need to learn yet bothered her. Strange how one word could be so innocent and also be so ominous.
The waiting on the council was also getting to her as much as to the others. She could feel their anxiety and restlessness growing through the bonds. Training, exercise and work could only keep you busy for so long. It was not just the force sensitives getting restless though all the others had been increasing their training and exercise as well. Carth had been spending more time on the range and had actually joined the CQC training, also he had been spending time training Bastila to act as co-pilot
Zaalbar spend time to hone the skill he had left to atrophy during his exile on Taris. Something they still had no further knowledge of. Mission was was letting her managers take over the business dealings and was throwing herself in her training. Canderous had stepped up the pace in his classes. The biggest surprise was Juhani. Giving her work seemed to have been key to getting her to start integrating with the crew. Her skill sets were limited to what she had been taught in the enclave, but she was eager to learn whatever she could. She made a clumsy assistant cook and mechanic but she was finaly participating. Terri snorted, Canderous being their designated cook still seemed incongruous to her. Though between his protein heavy meals and others attempts at cooking, herself included, there was no contest for the position.
Terri heard the culture class breaking up and noticed Juhani approaching from the Hawk. The crowd watching the training sessions from the edge of the camp had grown considerably. If the CQC training was well attended the free form lightsaber/force practice was like the hottest show fresh from Coruscant as the four practised sometimes five if Fay joined. The crowd grew more exited as new arrivals appeared.
The more approachable council members had taken to walking around Khoonda more, a move the population approved of. Curiously their wanderings brought them here at this time. Terri shuddered as she remembered the day Hissk had taken all four on at once to "inspect" their progress, it was a one sided massacre.
She looked over and saw today's inspectors. Kavar and Hissk were standing on the edge. Her heart sank as she saw who entered the training ground. The crowd was tittering slightly at the sight, Today was not going to be an inspection day, today was going to be, kick their asses and call it training. Her suspicions were confirmed as Vandar calmly walked to the middle and motioned for Fay to join the four. She lit her blade, knowing trying to delay is not going to make it hurt less in any way.
The communal meal was drawing to a close when Lancelot Aliit Ordo stood up and hammered on the table with his gauntlet. Silence descended. He cleared his throat nervously, an unusual sight for the man
"Alor Carpenter. I wish to have a moment of your time."
Melissa rose and acknowledged him with a slight bow.
"I acknowledge you, Lancelot Aliit Ordo. Speak freely, my valued Cousin."
" I wish to present my suit to a member of your house and ask your blessings in my endeavour."
"And who might this member be?"
Bastila quickly shoved a hand in front of Missions mouth to prevent an inevitable wisecrack. Karana shot her a grateful glance. Lancelot pulled against his neckpiece and cleared his throat again
"Fay Watson Aliit Carpenter." He said, swallowing thickly.
Melissa turned to Fay.
"And do you object to his suit."
"I do not" Fay replied, blushing slightly
Turning to Daria, Melissa got a nod of approval. She turned Back to Lancelot who was clearly trying not to fidget.
"I consent and give my blessings. Treat the daughter of my clan as if she was a daughter of yours in all your dealings."
Cheers erupted and Lancelot visibly sagged in relief. The other two clan heads giving Melissa approving smiles and head nods. Bastila removed her hand and reached for a serviette. Mission had decided to lick her hand in retaliation and she was mildly disgusted, though curiously not as much as she would have been before. She noted with amusement as the twins subtly moved closer to Carth.
The call came early morning. Many a disgruntled sound came as the comlinks chirped and bleeped awakening their owners. Melissa slipped from her bed and plodded to the refresher thankful, she would not have to wait her turn unlike the other three sharing the female dorm.
The Temple guards were part of the new rotation of residents to the Enclave that had arrived a few days before. Bastila and Juhani were cleared after barely a glance at their identity cards. Terri's was subjected to a higher level of inspection. Melissa was denied entry till her identity could be verified by one of the council. Of course their luck held true and it was Vrook who was summoned. They had to endure his fuming presence up to and into the Council chamber. Melissa looked around the room and smiled behind her helmet visor. To prevent a repeat of their previous visit someone had removed the extra chairs from the room, forcing them to stay standing. Terri's mouth corner twitched as she caught the amusement.
" Now that the delay is out of the way and everyone is finally here…" Vrook began
"Bad planning that, maybe tell the guards next time to expect us." Melissa chirped in
Vrook assumed his customary expression and colour, for a moment Terri thought she saw Hissk and Zhars shoulders shake in laughter. Kavar had his hand in front of his mouth
"Time to act on the shared vision it is." Vandar took over," Dispatched a master to investigate the ruins we did, return he did not."
"After careful consideration it was decided that the three of you along with young Juhani would be more effective in conducting an investigation into the ruins." Dorak continued
"And the Master, what do we do in regards to him or her?" Terri querried.
"We felt when he passed into the Force." Zhar answered
"Can you tell us anything about these ruins?" Bastila asked
Dorak leaned back in his chair.
"The archive had very little information on them. They predate the building of the first Enclave and have unfortunately not been examined in detail before, the records postulate that they were remnants of a failed colony, though how that conclusion was made is unclear."
"You said the first Enclave, Master, how long ago was that?" Melissa asked
"Close to a thousand years ago, this structure is the sixth iteration of the Enclave the last one having been destroyed during the Hyperspace Wars."
"Any other usefull information on the area apart from being an active kath hound breeding ground?" Terri asked
" Geology reports had shown a high concentration of iron and marble in the area but nothing that would have made mining viable."
"More indicative of a hidden structure; if you think about it." Melissa mused," But then drawing that conclusion is easy keeping in mind we know something is there."
"An astute and probably correct observation." Dorak complimented her," Acknowledging that preconceptions could influence current knowledge shows wisdom."
Terri could see Vrook building up to a rejoinder.
"To clarify then. We are to investigate the area and immediately report back should we find what Revan and Malak had been looking for. Assuming it has not been removed or destroyed."
"Correct. We are looking forward to your return" Zhar stated
Juhani shifted in her seat in the lounge of the Hawk, tugging slightly at the collar of her new combatsuit. Bastila placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Getting used to not wearing the robes take some time. Honestly it still feels strange for me at times."
"It is the tightness, isn't it? You are more used to free flowing clothing." Terri commented
"Yes." Juhani replied
" For most things we would say dress in what makes you comfortable, but for this what makes most tactical sense is what we have to go with." Terri said, apologetically," Being in tighter clothing gives you more freedom of movement than the robes do. As well as better protection with the armour inserts. We do not know what we will be going into, so safety first."
Melissa returned to lounge holding the Katarn holocron and placed it onto the holotable. Juhani looked at it in slight shock and awe, only having seen holocrons in the display area of the archive. Most apprentices have never interacted with one. Melissa concentrated for a moment on the cube, it opened and the gatekeeper appeared. She smiled at the representation of the creator
"What do you wish to learn today, student." Berek asked
"The technique shock droid and the technique force breath." Melissa stated
"The subjects has already been discussed, do you wish to review."
"No, start from the beginning, I have others here who needs to learn this as well."
"Very Well. Student…"
"Hold!" Terri ordered
She turned to Melissa.
"Are you sure about this? This is your birthright, you do not have to share the knowledge it contains." She spoke
"I am. We may need this knowledge and me hoarding it serves no purpose. The better prepared we are the greater our chance of success." Melissa replied,
"This is very generous of you." Bastila said
"I am certain if you find something really useful, you will share it too." Melissa responded" Gate keeper continue."
The recording left of where it began.
"It is postulated that the technique droid shock and its evolution to droid disable and ultimate level destroy droid began as a n off shoot of the banned technique force lightning. The question that occurs most frequently is that if the technique force lightening is banned why is this technique also not on the proscribed list. The answer is that due to the fact that the technique has no interaction with organic material. To be able to access the technique…."
Juhani found the air blowing through her face quite refreshing as their small group were moving along to the ruins. After the impromptu training session she had felt more closer to the group that she had done before, she was still slightly unnerved by the readiness with which she had been taken in. She had expected judgement for having fallen but so far none had been forthcoming. Nor did they pretend it did not happen, it was acknowledged and they moved on to get the mission done.
"Stand by on guns. We are close" Melissa ordered over the headset coms.
They stopped on the perceived edge of the ruins. It was difficult to see what was ruin and what was natural formation. Melissa scanned the perimeter with a set of macro binoculars.
"Something is up, I see no Kath hounds. It is too quiet." She said.
"That means bigger predators or a larger group of predators." Terri replied.
" Ambush?" Bastila asked
"Ambush." Terri and Melissa replied
Twelve figures shimmered into view wearing the now familiar black and red armour.
" Just how many if these are there?" Terri asked
"Subtract fifteen, carry the zero. Still too many assholes." Melissa quipped
A figure stepped forward.
"Funny. Shall we see how well you do without superior numbers?"
"I assume you will not surrender. A firing squad is a much nicer way to die." Melissa retorted
With a nod the four stepped from the craft and unclipped their lightsabers. The figure encircled them, drawing a collection of pikes and beskads. Terri unleashed a small pulse from the force, a technique she had learned from Vandar to detect force sensitives.
"Clear, probably just augmented then." She whispered.
Augmentation was another reason that the Vesalik clan was hated and reviled. It went against the strict training proscriptions of the Mandalorian people. Being granted extra abilities and strength for no work put in to attain it, was anathema to them. Natural born abilities like psychometry of the Kiffar's and Melissa's force abilities were accepted only due to the fact that it still required work to bring to peak efficiency.
Bastila whispered to Juhani
"Block your ears."
From the way the armoured figures reacted they were certain they were listening. The visors on their helmets darkened as they were expecting either stun or sonic munitions. The four moved.
Melissa and Terri force jumped over them and swung at the unprotected leg sections of two, crippling them. Bastila lashed out with a force push to a broken column, the armoured figure in its path braced with a laugh.
"Nice try Jetii." He snarled
Bastila pulled the now more broken column forward, pancaking him under the column. Juahani a Jar Kai practitioner was engaging two at one time. A lucky strike disarming one. Bastila engaged her saber and intercepted the cortosis blade of a force pike.
Terri stamped her foot and unleashed a force shriek, a borderline grey technique. The figure in front of her involuntarily clapping his hands to his helmet as the noise shattered his eardrums, and dropping to his knees. A victim of his own cleverness, having amplified his helmets microphone receiver to maximum level. His head was soon relieved from his shoulders.
Melissa was chest to chest with her opponent, her wrists being gripped in crushgaunts, both had their weapons on the snapped her wrist to the side and her hidden blade jumped free from the vambrace,cutting through the servos of the slammed the deployed blade in underneath her opponents helmet, impaling his throat. She detracted her blade and an arterial spray covered her helmet. Her lightsaber sprung back to her hand after a quick pull.
The remaining six seemed to hesitate for a moment, unused to being equalised in combat despite superiour numbers. The number dropped to five as Juhani confirmed another kill by scissoring her blades across another ones neck. A squeal of pain came as Bastilla slammed her blade through the inner thigh of her latest foe and bisected her torso from the bottom up.
The remaining four started to back up slowly, their opponents came together in a line. The multi coloured blades extending towards them.
Juhani flinched as she heard the tree blaster shots as the three crippled criminals were put out of their misery. She felt the cessation in the force. She felt uneasy with how euphoria she was feeling after the battle and was having flashbacks to her slide to darkness. She felt Bastilla take her hands.
"Come help me meditate." Bastilla offered." I could use some help right now."
Melissa was using the scouts comstation to contact the Hawk. Carth must have been sitting by the station as he answered immediately.
"Rover Three to Hawk. Hawk do you read?"
"Hawk standing by."
"Rover Three to Hawk. Have engaged twelve hostiles, please inform nobility as they are from the naughty list. We will require a clean up detail."
"Copy, Rover three, do you require additional resources or resupply."
"Negative, Hawk. No ordinance discharged."
There was a moment of silence in the cockpit at that. Xena slipped from the room pulling her comlink out to alert the duchess, Lillith hers to warn the countess.
" Hawk to Three. Transmit coordinates for clean up crew."
"Sending now, Hawk. Radio silence now active."
" Radio silence acknowledged. Watch every sixty for twenty five."
They waited till the landspeeders were in visual range and confirmed to carry friendlies before moving deeper into the ruins. The kath hounds were still holding their distance making them to feel on edge, fearing another ambush.
Bastilla stopped as she recognised a landmark from the dream.
"This way." She called.
The regrouped on her position. Soon they saw more landmarks and then the first Kath hounds. The animal scattered at their approach and left the body they were scavenging alone. A quick examination revealed the old master had succumbed to a blaster wound to the stomach.
They took the time to build a cairn over his body and marked the location on their maps for later retrieval. Terri felt annoyance at the council for not dispatching someone immediately when they felt his death. She stopped as she remembered the last line of the code. They simply did not see it the way others did. Her commitment to the code took another hit, she was almost sure the same thing was going through Juhani and Bastila's minds.
They found the entrance area easily thereafter, the recently disturbed ground marking the spot. Lifting their hands they lifted the ground up to reveal the entrance, unlike their predecessors they moved the covering ground and rubble to the sides to leave the entrance open. A damaged panel in the ancient doors showed the way inside.
They walked up to the door and stood looking into the darkness. No sounds coming from within. Firing a flare revealed a Hall like structure the roof being held up by marble columns. Melissa was cycling through the vision modes of her helmet.
"Nothing in thermal or night vision." Melissa reported
"Nothing in electromagnetic either." Terri added, having "borrowed" Mission's goggles.
As the one most protected Melissa stepped in first. Another flare lit up the hall the walls were covered by moss and other plantgrowth. Looking up they could see patches of ground where the ceiling had broken of. Most of the pillars also had some form of growth on them. They kept hearing an odd sound and could not immediately place it. It was strange but familiar.
" Is that machines?" Terri eventually asked.
"Sounds like machines but surely it cannot be." Bastilla replied" No machine can run for a thousand years or more without some form of maintenance."
They heard a clanking sound as a door in the middle lifted and an arachnoid type droid exited. The door slammed shut behind it. Cautiously they walked closer. The droid started Cycling through various languages to try and communicate with them.
"That almost sounded like Shirrywook." Teri said aloud.
The droid clacked as it processed.
"Language determined. New slave species language, Data incomplete. Slaves you are standing in the halls of your masters explain yourself or face summary execution."
Bastilla stepped forward.
" The Masters have sent us to ascertain what needs to be done to bring the hall back to its rightfull glory."
"Subterfuge will not aid you, slave. The master will never send a slave for such glorious work. Prepare for termination."
Four pods dropped from the ceiling and unfurled to form more of the same type droid. The first went up as Bastila bisected it at close range. The other four managed to get of a few shots before being hit with electrical discharges. The stunned droids were quickly dispatched.
The central door now had a crackling shield up in front of it. Bastila pointed to two dark holes equidistant from each other.
" I suggest we search there for a way through. There has to be some way for us to deactivate the shield and get through."
They looked at the ancient terminal in dismay. More importantly to the more modern datapad that had been spliced into the system.
"This feels like such a cheat it is not even funny." Bastila commented
"Were you hoping to have to defeat some ancient traps and having to run for your life to escape the doomsday trap you triggered when you got your objective." Terri teased
"That would have been more exciting than this. Ancient droids that can barely fight and a security question regarding agricultural worlds. No lost treasures or anything worthwhile in here" Melissa answered.
Both Bastila and Juhani nodded in agreement. Terri sighed and ran her hand through her hair.
"Okay, fine. After all the buildup to get in here I feel cheated as well. Might as well go to the other side and see what disappointment awaits us there."
Finally stepping into the middle chamber they were greeted by a much larger arachnoid droid calling itself the Architech. Questioning it revealed that, it basically knew nothing and was just standing guard over a holomap. Another datapad sliced into the ancient system allowed them to download the map. Walking out of the complex they considered covering it up again but decided it was too much trouble to do so.
"Next time we go tomb raiding lets at least make sure it is worth doing." Terri groused
The council was as underwhelmed by their report as they were. Dorak seemed vaguely interested to have the uncovered facility examined. The only real interesting item was the six locations marked on the map. Superimposing the images on a current star map they ran into the first problem. The closest point no longer existed. The star had gone supernova three hundred years prior, obliterating anything in range. The second problem planet was Korriban, an ancient Sith stronghold. Manaan was contentious as the planetary rulers were courting both the republic and the empire and currently the only producers of kolto so no one wanted that cradle rocked. The easiest planet was Kashyk. Finding anything in the jungle planet would be a momentous and time consuming task. And lastly Tatooine, the planet that no right thinking being would ever want to go to.
The group was told to go meditate in the garden while the new relevations were discussed. Kavar came out an hour later. He motioned for them to wait a moment as they stood up to go back in. He akwardly rubbed his neck.
"Please never repeat what I am about to tell you. Investigating the ruins were supposed to be part of the knighthood trails for Terri and Juhani, in addition to try and track Revan's movements. We will, of course, go over the ruins to see if there is anything usefull, but the chances are slim. The problem is after what you reported promoting you to knights would be a farce. So you will be given another task before being tasked to investigate the five remaining maps. Hopefully finding the other five will allow us to triangulate where Revan disappeared to and let us find some answers."
Terri resisted the urge to facepalm.
" Okay, we get it. Go in be amazed. Finish a new task, return. Then get told to go hunt for these starmaps."
" Yes, thank you. For what it is worth I am sorry for the task you are getting. Vandar Hissk and I fought against it but the full council approved it and we to comply."
They trooped back into the room. The rest of the full council were there via holograms. Vandar sat back in his chair, clearly distancing himself. Vrook took the lead.
" Thirty hours ago a research team had failed to re-establish contact with the temple. They were searching for a lost outpost to secure any data that might have been left behind for the archives. Due to the location of the planet the entry has to be covert. Your orders are to find the research team and extract them back here. Secondary would be to find the outpost and secure or destroy any data in the local archive there."
"How many researchers and which planet?" Terri asked
"Lothal. The research team consists of one master, one padawan and three apprentices. The team is under the leadership of Master Ashani Carpenter."