Chapter 15: The Wizard
During the weeks it took to reach Lah'mu, Cal spent a good deal of time in the cockpit with Greez who was trying to teach him all he could about flying. "Someone should know how to take care of the Mantis… just in case," Greez would often say, however, Cal refused to ask what Greez really meant by that and why it was so important to the captain that he learned. He couldn't imagine the Mantis without Greez at the controls.
Ilyana and Merrin would spend hours talking about Nightsister Magick and how Merrin relates to the Force. Ilyana had never met a Nightsister before and Merrin's threat during her last match with Cal on Savereen sparked her curiosity in a Nightsister's abilities. Merrin's use of the Force was heavier, darker than the Jedi's. In some ways it reminded her of the Inquisitors; however, it did not consume her the way the darkness seemed to consume the Inquisitors. At times Ilyana felt she related more to Merrin's use of the Force than the Jedi.
The Jedi.
The Jedi confused her. When Cal was not in the cockpit with Greez he was trying to teach Ilyana about the Force and how to control it, as no one wanted the ship to end up in shambles whenever she tried to meditate. The teachings were so at odds with how she had been trained that she was often left confused and aggravated but over time some of the lessons began to sink in.
Other times, however, they would split Ilyana's staff in half, each taking one makeshift baton, and practice fighting in the common area, the most open space available on the ship. Or better yet, with no weapons at all. No Force. Just skill alone. One against the other. It quickly became clear that Ilyana had as much to teach Cal about hand-to-hand combat as he had to teach her about the Force, to Greez's unending entertainment. Each time one would get the advantage and send the other to the floor with violent crack it was immediately followed by Greez's howling laughter. The idea of a Jedi, one of those mighty warriors from legend, being thrown to the floor so easily or the Purge Trooper, who lives to fight losing to the frightened boy who had scrambled onto his ship on Bracca, was all too funny to him. But at least it kept both of their egos in check.
On the other hand, Cere's worry grew as she saw how much each of them needed to fight, how they fed off of it. Ilyana was constantly itching for a fight, whether it be by words or fists. She reveled in the opportunity to let loose, to give in to her need to fight back against everything the Empire had put her through. That revelry put her at constant risk of giving in to the Dark Side of the Force. Then there was Cal who had spent years in hiding and now felt he must make up for it somehow, must fight harder, take up the standard of all the Jedi who fell while he could do nothing to stop it. Cere worried that he wasn't looking forward, he wasn't seeing anything beyond the fight. What would become of him if he could not see a future?
The Mantis drops out of hyperspace and enters into orbit outside the rings of Lah'mu. Their shimmering silver contrast strikingly against the cool blues and greens of the planet below.
"Okay, where do we need to land?" Greez asks Ilyana.
"I'm not sure yet," she answers, "I don't know much about the surface. The Empire doesn't come out here often."
"Okay," says Greez, "Cal, I'm putting us into orbit. Let's do a few passes around the planet to see if we can get an idea of what's down there."
"Sure thing," says Cal as he starts working the scanners.
"We should focus on the agrarian region in the western hemisphere," says Ilyana.
"Got it," says Greez.
A couple hours later and after a few orbits around the planet Cal sits back from the scanners. "Looks like there's not a lot down there in terms of development. It's mostly agricultural land and forests with only a few villages."
"That's a start," says Ilyana.
"Is there anything else that could help us narrow it down?" Cal asks.
"Possibly. Can you send the scans to the holotable?"
"Yeah," Cal presses some buttons then they all gather around the holotable.
"The rumors suggest it would be one of the villages in the mountains." Ilyana says and removes any settlements in open plains where no potential ravine features are present. "One version talks of a river or stream."
"That leaves us with three villages in the uplands," says Cal, navigating to the remaining settlements. "Unfortunately, all have mountain streams nearby," Cal says, bringing up the scan of the landscape of one of the villages, "Is there anything else?"
"This one," Ilyana says, pointing to the hologram, "Is located at the base of a ravine itself. It's possible but seems unlikely as they would have quite a hike ahead of them to follow through with their threat."
"Okay," says Cal, removing that settlement from the map and focusing on one of the last two. "The last two have streams or rivers nearby."
Ilyana adjusts the view to examine more closely and consider all the shapes and landforms in the scan. She rotates the hologram and tilts the axis to examine minute variations in the surface.
"The stream here is outside of the village. It would be a walk to get there. It also meanders so there are no noticeable changes in elevation. I don't see anything that I would describe as a ravine. Can I see the other one?" she asks and Cal switches the hologram to the last scan.
Ilyana examines this one as she had the previous one then stops and zooms into a select area.
"Here," she says pointing to the hologram, "in this one the stream runs directly through the village and to the south, right near the edge of the settlement, the land slopes down and gets rougher. I would guess the river turns into rapids there and could be described as a ravine, especially if the story has been exaggerated."
"That looks promising," says Cere.
"Let's check it out," Cal agrees.
"There's a clearing in the forest about a couple miles east of the village," Ilyana says to Greez, "That might be a good place to land where we wouldn't announce ourselves too much."
"I'll take us down," says Greez and he heads back to the cockpit, Ilyana follows him to get a better understanding of the area as they arrive.
Cere turns to Cal once they have left, "I have to admit, I am impressed. That wasn't much information to go on but she seems certain that this is the place."
"Yeah," says Cal with a half smile, "she is good."
"Yes, she truly is a hunter," she says earnestly, "and she was trained to hunt us. Don't forget that and don't let your guard down."
"I won't," he says.
"With all the training you two have been doing together I know you've become more comfortable with her, but that doesn't mean you truly know her." Cere warns him, "We still don't know if she can be trusted; if she's safe."
"I will be careful," he reassures her. "I promise."
Greez brings the ship down through the thick gray clouds and lands in the clearing Ilyana had identified.
"That village is small," says Cal, "probably no more than a couple dozen people could live there so I don't think we should all go."
"Yes, a group could seem threatening," Cere adds, "You and Ilyana should go since she knows the intel. I'll monitor the comms and we'll be ready if you need us."
"From all the way out here?" Ilyana asks.
"Yes," says Merrin as she raises her hand and a green flame engulfes it, "with my Magicks I can get us there immediately."
"Thank you, Merrin," says Cal and notices Ilyana is staring at the flame, transfixed. He smiles and asks her, "You still haven't actually seen Nightsister Magick in action have you?"
"No," she answers without averting her gaze from the flame.
"When you get back, I will show you some," says Merrin with a crooked smile.
"Yes, please," says Ilyana.
"Take this," says Cere and hands Ilyana the vibroblade they confiscated and her own blaster, the very one she had trained on Ilyana the day she arrived. "Your staff would attract too much attention."
Ilyana thanks her and secures them in her belt as Cal opens the exit. The clouds they had flown through on the way down had now turned dark and heavy. A storm was coming.
"But first," Cal says, eyeing the storm clouds and gesturing for Ilyana to follow him to the back of the ship. In the engine room he opens a compartment above his cot and pulls out a few ponchos. "Pick one," he tells her.
Ilyana grabs a dark blue poncho with a white symbol she does not recognize across the back and pulls it over her head. Cal pulls on a mottled green one. Both should mask their presence well in the blue-green haze of the woods.
"Be careful, both of you" Cere says to them as they head to the door. BD-1 rushes across the room and jumps on Cal's back as they head down the ramp.