Force Exile III: Liberator/Part 2

3
Annita Daowot carefully pulled the last strands of her dark brown hair back behind her head in her typical working fashion as she briskly walked into her office. Exchanging pleasantries with the secretary, she breezed through the Investigator headquarters with practiced and habitual cheeriness, stopping only to grab a steaming cup of hot caf from the break room. It was an old routine for her, and none the worse for having been used on most mornings. Annita was looking forward to the day. She had had a wonderful time with Jorge the previous night and had been filled with more vigor and enthusiasm for life than she could remember in quite some time.

Glancing at the relative inactivity around the buildings, no major incidents had happened during the night, as the characteristic tension that filled the building during a fast-paced manhunt or high-profile robbery or murder was missing. The other Investigators seemed largely at ease, occupied with routine tasks. However, there was something that she couldn’t quite place her finger on, something amiss. A few people had given her subtle sidelong looks as she paced by. Annita’s intuition had served her well throughout her career and she wasn’t about to start ignoring it now. Something was definitely up.

Taking a sip of the hot and incredibly strong caf- just the way she liked it, though a bit more sweetener was even better- Annita strode into her office. However, to her surprise, someone was sitting at her desk casually reading some papers. Someone whose presence was certainly not welcome there. Certainly not with his boots up, scuffing her desk. That was her prerogative to do with her desk, and the act seemed like usurpation in some strange corner of Annita’s mind.
 * “Sergeant Daowot, please come in and sit down,” purred Captain Norres, the Imperial Intelligence liaison.
 * “I think I will, Captain. In my desk,” said Annita, the iron clearly evident in her voice. “Who let you in anyway?”
 * “Your chief did. And don’t blame him at all for this; it was my idea,” said Norres.
 * “I’m sure it was. Well, if you wanted my attention, you got it. Once you vacate my desk,” she said.

A trace of vexation crossed Norres’s face at her insistence, but he concealed it behind his oily, smooth demeanor as he rose from the desk and stepped to the side.
 * “Of course. What was I thinking?” said Norres, not quite apologizing.
 * “Let’s get to business. What can I do for you at this fine hour, Captain?” asked Annita a bit more pleasantly, settling in behind her desk.

Annita’s comment about the early hour did little to rankle Norres, who merely smiled.
 * “I’d like to talk with you about a few things,” he said. “It’s very important.”
 * “What sort of things?” asked Annita, clearly confused as to where he was going.
 * “Do you recall participating in the Kraen-Mistryl case?”
 * “Recall participating? My life revolved around it for the better part of a month. And that was before I was kidnapped.”
 * “Yes, indeed. I’ve read the reports, you know.”
 * “Then what do you want to know about the case? I was already debriefed- exhaustively. The case was closed a year ago after what happened on Emberlene.”
 * “Precisely,” said Norres. “I merely wanted to ask about a few pertinent details of the case.”
 * “Okay, shoot then,” said Annita. “I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.”
 * “In the initial Mistryl attack on the Kraen residence, which you investigated, a relative of Sarth Kraen was said to have repelled the Mistryl. Almost single-handedly.”
 * “That’s right.”
 * “Your report states that he was Micor Kraen, a long-lost cousin of the Kraens who served the Republic during the war as a pilot.”
 * “Correct.”
 * “Sergeant, I’ve seen the kind of training Republic pilots underwent during the Clone Wars. There’s nothing, even with a focus in hand-to-hand combat, that would indicate an ability to survive, much less defeat, an attack by two Mistryl Shadow Guards.”
 * “Well, I didn’t exactly interview this person. He was in critical condition and was sent to Boz Pity for medical attention. So I don’t know his actual background.”

That was a clear lie. Sarth had told her the truth some time after the attack. The whole Micor identity was a fake, as was his background. The truth was that Selu Kraen had been the one to defeat the Mistryl Shadow Guards. Years ago, Annita had agreed to conceal his identity as a Jedi Knight to protect Sarth and his family from Imperial reprisals. She never guessed that that decision might return to haunt her, as it now was.
 * “You never once bothered to question a key witness?”
 * “I planned on it,” she said reasonably. “However, Micor Kraen returned to Commenor only shortly, while I was in Mistryl custody. Shortly after that, he was taken prisoner by the Mistryl and was never heard of again. Then Emberlene was . . . attacked, and we put the record into the cold case files.”

Annita wasn’t exactly sure if that statement was entirely true. It was probably close enough. Selu had undoubtedly found a different alias to cover his tracks. Possibly more than one if he had gotten into smuggling. That, like Jorge’s past, was an area that she had agreed not to ask about. What she didn’t know, she couldn’t use as evidence to obtain an arrest warrant.
 * “You filed the incident report after that first attack, right?”
 * “Yes, I did.”
 * “And you performed the autopsy on both of the Mistryl, right?”
 * “I think so, yes.”
 * “I have the report in front of me. It says that one of them died from severe trauma to the chest resulting from a throwing knife, and the other from broken neck and other injuries consistent with falling backwards off of a roof.”
 * “If that’s what the report says. I perform a lot of autopsies. It’s sort of my job.”

Norres favored her with a thin smile that promised some further unpleasantness, ignoring her sarcasm.
 * “And the other injuries on the victim’s arm, those were consistent with a vibrobade?”
 * “Look, if you’re staring at the report I wrote, why are you asking me about the minute details of a case two years ago? As extraordinary as the case was, I certainly don’t remember every injury on every body- especially since there were so many of them. Check the court logs from my testimony if you don’t trust the report. What’s the point of all this?”
 * “Sergeant Daowot, I’ve run a search in Imperial records for a Micor Kraen. He never existed. If he did, he was never paid, and the Treasury Department keeps close tabs on who they’ve given money out of their tight-fisted hands to. In fact, I broadened the query in case the Republic got his name wrong. I found one name listed from Commenor: A Selusda Kraen. He was a Jedi Knight, Sergeant. According to my own sources, I learned that Selusda Kraen is a blood relative of Sarth, Lena, and Samtel Kraen, taken from them as an infant was the standard practice. Does that mean anything to you, Sergeant?”
 * “It means that the Kraens were robbed of their son many years ago,” said Annita. “I didn’t know about this beforehand. Nor did I have access to Rep-Imperial records to check into that. As you may recall from the report, I was busy dodging blaster bolts shortly after I encountered Micor Kraen.”
 * “Well, Sergeant, I pulled some strings and found that Selusda Kraen was found dead on Coruscant, an obvious member of the Jedi Rebellion. However, there was one problem: His body was that of a female, according to the autopsy report.”
 * “Is that so? If you can get accurate information from Coruscant law enforcement, I’m impressed.”

The capital world long had a reputation for caring more for high-profile cases and publicity than evidence, thoroughness, or minor details.
 * “Sergeant, I’m this close to being terribly disappointed in you.”
 * “And why is that? Because I don’t have a huge piece of evidence for you to make a case out of?”
 * “No, though that would be most convenient. It’s because you expect me to believe that you not only grew up attending the same school as Sarth Kraen, but also had considerable contact with Sarth Kraen and his family, and never once recalled hearing of a child taken by the Jedi.”
 * “They didn’t talk about it much. I don’t blame them.”
 * “I see,” said Norres, his tone belying his obvious suspicion.
 * “Is there anything else I don’t know that you’d like to ask me about?”
 * “Not at the moment, Sergeant. I believe we are done here- for now. But be forewarned- you cannot afford to let your personal relationships interfere with your duty. If I find proof that you are protecting the Kraens, the consequences will be most . . . severe.”
 * “I’m sure they would be,” said Annita irritably. “Luckily for me, I’m innocent.”
 * “So you say, Sergeant. I hope so, for your sake,” replied Norres, a sadistic gleam in his eye.
 * “If you’re done with the Jedi conspiracy theories, I have evidence reports to compile, Captain.”
 * “Understood. I can take a hint, Sergeant. I take it this means that I won’t be invited to the wedding?”
 * “Take a guess,” she said. “Or even a theory. You seem to be good at it. Maybe you’ll guess right this time.”
 * “Amusing,” Norres said as a parting shot before he disappeared out the door. “Until next time.”
 * “Yeah, right,” Annita muttered after him.

As soon as he was gone, she closed her door and lowered the privacy curtains installed for when her focus was on topics of a more grisly nature. Not all evidence was testimony. After running a quick check to make sure she wasn’t being observed by any spy devices, she returned to her chair. Gripping the arm rests until her knuckles stood out white against the pale tones of her skin, she sat there trembling quietly for some time. The worms of fear rumbling through her midsection mocked her, warning her of impending doom for covering up for Kraen. All of her tough exterior vanished as she thought about how close Norres was to finding out the truth. He had been more than just in the right direction with his hunches- close enough to terrify her to the core. She had heard of what happened to those remotely suspected of aiding the Jedi via unofficial channels and it wasn’t pretty. There wasn’t a lot that could rattle a woman whose daily companion was death and whose job regularly dealt with danger and dead bodies, not to mention having survived a kidnapping and near drowning, but what had just transpired in her office did. She wanted to cry, wanted Jorge to be holding her in his strong arms, but she couldn’t afford either of those things. People would notice, and if Norres was suspicious before, her disappearing suddenly would only serve to corroborate those suspicions. She sat there hugging herself quietly for several minutes, but then finally composed herself. She would make it through this day- somehow. At least until lunch, when she could see Jorge. And to think that this day had started off so well.
 * Star Destroyer Corrupter

Ajaur sat cross-legged inside his dimly lit, spartan quarters onboard the Corrupter, meditating as he let the burning fire of the dark side of the Force fill his being. He had so much to learn of its mysteries and had yet to truly harness its power. While he had been trained in the arts of lightsaber combat, both as a Jedi and after he had joined the Emperor’s service, and in other aspects of the Force, Ajaur had yet to attain mastery of the dark side. Anger was the key, he had concluded some time ago, and had focused his efforts on truly summoning the rage needed to draw more deeply on the dark side’s power.

Breathing deeply, he brought to mind dark deeds and memories of his past. The injustice which had stung him when no Master chose him as a Padawan. The resentment of serving in the Agricultural Corps. The anger he had felt upon the slaughter of his comrades by the white-armored clones. Ajaur remembered that day well; it had changed his life forever. He had fought, along with a hundred other workers, against the troopers, wielding lightsabers dropped by fallen Jedi, scavenged blasters from clone corpses, or whatever farm implements or vehicles they had had available. They had fallen by the dozen, but the clones had suffered also. Ajaur had led the charge against their faceless attackers, burning with anger and wielding a lightsaber taken from an overseer riddled with blaster burns. He had called on the dark side for the first time that day, cutting down clone after clone as the mindless hate had overwhelmed him. However, it had all been in vain once he had arrived. Darth Vader, the dark lord of the Sith, and a fearsome harbinger of doom. Ajaur had dueled Vader briefly, but he was no match for the Sith. His weapon destroyed, he had received from Vader the horrific scar on his face, humiliating and disfiguring him. On his knees before Vader’s humming blade, he had begged for mercy, and Vader had let him live after he swore allegiance to Darth Sidious. The Sith must have sensed the dark side in him and seen his potential. However, potential and hatred were not enough for Ajaur. He burned to become increasingly more powerful. One day, he would seek his revenge against Vader and avenge himself against the foe that had bested him and turned him into a servile creature. Still, he had rather enjoyed much of his service. No friend of the Jedi after their rejection, he relished the screams of those who still blindly followed their teachings, and had personally cut down several fugitive Padawans, too weak to pose a serious threat and too stupid to hide or join the Empire.

The pleasure that those memories brought him threatened to spoil his cloud of anger, so Ajaur dispelled them, focusing on the injustices done to him, when a sound in his room disturbed him out of his meditations. Rising out of his cross-legged position and whirling to his feet, Ajaur glared toward the door expecting to see some crewer standing there with a message from Nebulax or Convarion. Instead, a red light was blinking and a tone was sounding from his private holocomm. Immediately, Ajaur walked over and activated the console to receive the transmission. A life-size hologram of Darth Vader shimmered into existence. Upon the sight of his lord, Ajaur immediately dropped to one knee in obeisance, careful to conceal his resentment and hatred of Vader. The armored Sith Lord was still easily more than a match for him, and one of the few things in the galaxy that could truly frighten Ajaur.
 * “My lord, what do you command?”
 * “Ajaur, you are to immediately head for the Suarbi system,” rumbled Vader, not bothering with pleasantries in the slightest.
 * “As you wish, my lord. Might I ask as to what you desire for me to do there?” inquired Ajaur tentatively.
 * “There is a small enclave of Jedi and sympathizers hiding on a moon of that world. You will seize the system for the Empire and neutralize them, Inquisitor,” Vader ordered, the rasp of his respirator evident even through the holocomm.
 * “It shall be as you command,” said Ajaur.
 * “I should expect so,” said Vader. “Report back to me when you have finished dealing with the Jedi traitors.”

With that, Vader’s image winked out, leaving Ajaur to stand for a moment as he processed his new instructions. The Inquisitor was temporarily deprived of his usual menacing aura, or perhaps his own air of lethality had been overshadowed by the grim specter of Vader. Whatever the case, he needed to speak with Captain Nebulax immediately. Ajaur quickly reassumed his characteristically grim and frightening demeanor and strode out to the bridge, exuding peril. It was time for some new orders. Nebulax sat quietly in his command chair, poring over charts of the Outer Rim sectors. He and Convarion had worked out a rough scheme for the first leg of their voyage, and now he was planning the second half. The Corrupter had more than enough supplies for a cruise well in excess of a year, though Nebulax sincerely hoped that Ajaur had a significantly shorter voyage in mind. Only a few weeks of the Inquisitor’s presence had managed to completely shroud this voyage in a dark cloud, and Nebulax knew that the crew was ill at ease with the man. For his own part, Nebulax couldn’t honestly claim that he was either, but as the ranking Fleet officer, he had to maintain appearances.
 * “Captain Nebulax,” hissed Ajaur’s voice from off to his side.

Alarmed at the sudden and unwarned appearance of the Inquisitor, Nebulax whirled the chair to face the Inquisitor, who looked even more pale and sour of mood than usual.
 * “Yes, Inquisitor?” Nebulax forced as much pleasantness into his voice as possible.
 * “You will immediately set your course for the Suarbi system, Captain. And have this ship prepared for combat upon our reversion.”

Ajaur turned and began walking off. Incensed, Nebulax was not about to let him get away that easily.
 * “Not so fast, Inquisitor. This ship goes no where unless I have clear orders as to the nature of the mission. I have my instructions from Fleet Command-“

The Inquisitor, obviously irked at having his instructions challenged, stopped in mid-stride, redirecting his attention and ire back towards Nebulax.
 * “Your instructions, Captain, are to do as I say. We are to journey to the Suarbi system. Immediately.”

Though he was internally terrified of crossing Ajaur- hence why he had refrained from doing so until now- Nebulax knew that every eye on the bridge was focused on him. Were he to back down so easily, every crew member would know within the day that the Inquisitor had him cowed too.
 * “This ship does not simply alter its mission based on the personal whim of anyone but the Emperor,” said Nebulax stiffly.
 * “Is that so?” asked Ajaur, regarding Nebulax with a bemused smile. “True enough, I suppose. My orders are not from the Emperor, in this you are correct, but they do come from Lord Darth Vader. If you doubt my veracity, perhaps I can arrange for you to contact his Lordship.”

Nebulax paled. If Ajaur had managed to instill a level of unpleasantness about the ship, Darth Vader was reputed to be a hundred times worse. Just mentioning Vader evoked unpleasant tales in the mind of any officer who had heard of him. Vader was said to have little patience for incompetence, and even less for failure. Scuttlebutt among the fleet circles had Vader as some sort of mysterious high-ranking enforcer, but no one actually dared to find out what his true nature was.
 * “I see,” Nebulax finally managed. “Surely Lord Vader provided some mission details. If you have them, they would be most useful to myself and the senior officers as we plan for arrival in the system.”
 * “Very well, Captain,” said Ajaur, half-mockingly. “You are to prepare this ship for the immediate occupation of the Suarbi system. Anticipated resistance is unknown, but will likely not exceed the combat capabilities of this vessel. I will provide any further instruction that is needed.”
 * “Well, keep me posted, Inquisitor,” said Nebulax. “The more information I have, the better this ship will accomplish its mission.”
 * “There is one other thing, Captain Nebulax. Prepare your ground troops for a surface engagement. Tell them to expect Jedi.”

With that, Ajaur turned and strode off of the bridge, his black boots clacking on the metal deck as his cloak swirled around him. Nebulax watched him go, his right eye twitching with a trace of resentment, and then he was back to business as usual, issuing orders to the navigator and pilot. Nebulax quickly instructed the chief staff officer to schedule a senior officer meeting in three hours to discuss preparations for the journey to Susefvi, then retired to his quarters to contemplate his new orders and to calm down from his confrontation with Ajaur.
 * Somewhere in Wild Space

Selu Kraen slowly eased the Hawk-bat in through the ionized gases of the nebula, throttling back as he searched the terrain-following sensors for a suitable place to set the battered freighter down on the rocky world they had found. Traveling at only a quarter of the Hawk-bat’s typical cruising speed, the ship soared over any number of dark, craggy mountain ranges jutting into the sky, deep crevasses, and frozen methane ice plains, as alien and inhospitable a landscape as Selu had ever seen. The sheer number of amber and red lights on his display indicated the urgent need to set down and make repairs to the freighter, through. Trimming the throttle, he switched over to repulsor engines, noting with displeasure the rumbling motion the ship made as he did so. Finally, finding a fairly flat and somewhat sheltered area inside a large crater several kilometers across, Selu extended the landing gear and gently set the Hawk-bat down inside the rocky basin.
 * “What does the atmosphere consist of?” asked Sarth, who was grabbing a tool kit.
 * “Not much atmosphere here, but what is here is methane, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Let’s go with full enviro-suits,” replied Selu.
 * “Agreed,” said Sarth.

Sarth, Selu, Spectre, and Milya quickly donned the bulky, fully enclosed environment suits before stepping into the Hawk-bat’s main personnel airlock and lowering the ramp. Then they walked out onto the surface of the planet, followed by Ninesee.
 * “Oh my,” said the droid.

For once, Selu agreed with him. The view of the nebula was breathtaking, the brilliant hues of the ionized gas particles forming a breathtaking view against the glittering dust of the starfield behind it. Tendrils of azure and golden gas coalesced into luminescent clouds of white, cyan, and crimson matter, lighting up the sky. Closer stars appeared as shining orbs of white fire. It was magnificent to behold and each of them took a moment to survey the stellar wonder before them.
 * “Take a good recording of that, Ninesee,” said Selu softly. “That alone almost makes it worth it setting down on this rock.”

The group took a quick walk around the ship, surveying the area for signs of trouble. There was no sense in staying on a planet filled with hostile aliens or vicious predators. On a world with such a thin atmosphere and so often bathed by radiation from the nebula, Selu doubted that anything could survive here, but he wanted to be sure. The ground here was mostly igneous rock of a blackish nature, fire-hardened and likely formed from meteor impacts or ancient volcanoes, long extinct. Around them, the sharp, jagged walls of the crater loomed about half a kilometer upwards, leading to a foreboding atmosphere around their landing zone. The sharp peaks of the crater wall indicated a fairly recent impact, Sarth informed them. After a quick look yielded nothing, he and Sarth went to work effecting repairs on the Hawk-bat’s damaged engines, laboring as best as they could inside the awkward gloves and bulk of the enviro-suits, while Cassi provided input from inside the ship via a comlink.

About an hour into disassembling and replacing parts on the port engine manifold, Milya walked over to where Selu was helping Sarth weld a new power relay for the repulsorlifts into place.
 * “Hey guys, there’s something I think you should see,” she said.
 * “Is it important?” asked Selu distractedly, his mind focused on the arc welder in his hands.
 * “It might be,” said Milya. “But there’s something glowing about a quarter kilometer across the crater. It’s coming from some sort of shaft or crevice.”
 * “I see,” said Selu, finishing up the weld in a shower of sparks. “Wait, what?”

Rather than explain herself again, Milya simply pointed across the landscape to where a faint glow could be seen emanating from the ground.
 * “What in space?” muttered Selu as he extricated himself from under the engine to take a look for himself.

Then it hit him, a powerful wave of Force energy. His hands and feet tingled as the sheer magnitude of the Force on this world flowed up and down his body. Whatever the source might be, this planet was very strong in the Force. Selu racked his mind trying to recall any mentions in the Jedi archives about a Force nexus outside in Wild Space, but came up empty. That concerned him.
 * “Sarth, finish what you’re doing, seal her up, and get back inside the ship,” he said urgently to his brother.
 * “If you insist,” said Sarth. “I wasn’t nearly done.”
 * “That’s fine,” said Selu. “I’ll help you with it later. Just . . . get back inside the ship as soon as possible.”
 * “Okay,” said Sarth, somewhat shaken by the tone in his brother’s voice.

Selu shooed Milya, Ninesee, and Spectre back into the ship, but did not return to the Hawk-bat until Sarth had packed up his kit and sealed up the engine compartment. While he waited, he kept one hand on the lightsaber hilt dangling from his belt, his gaze never leaving the eerie glow. Only when Sarth had entered the airlock did he also clamber back into the Hawk-bat.

As the exterior airlock closed, the atmosphere inside was vented, and the interior airlock hissed open, Selu quickly strode through the corridors of the Hawk-bat.
 * “Crew meeting, now,” he ordered brusquely as he walked towards the stern.

One by one, the Hawk-bat’s crew quickly filed into the lounge and quickly seated themselves.
 * “What’s this all about, Selu?” asked Milya, her auburn hair still tousled from being inside the enviro-suit.
 * “Right. What’s the matter?” asked Spectre.
 * “When you pointed out that glow, Milya, I opened myself to the Force to sense that area, to look for possible dangers. When I did, I sensed a massive amount of Force energy coming from inside that crevice, the likes of which I haven’t felt outside the Jedi Temple. Whatever this place is, it’s very strong in the Force, and I’m not sure what that means.”
 * “So, this place is full of mystical energy. I don’t quite see the danger,” said Milya. “I mean, the Force isn’t inherently malevolent, is it?”
 * “No,” said Selu. “But I have no idea what the source of this Force nexus is. I tried to recall of any mentions of such a planet in Wild Space by the Jedi Order, but I couldn’t think of any.”
 * “That’s not surprising,” said Spectre. “The Republic never fully explored Wild Space.”
 * “Hence the name,” noted Sarth slyly.
 * “True,” said Selu. “But seeing how the Force led us onto this world, it is my intention to find out what is causing that ripple of energy.”
 * “Why?” asked Cassi. “Let’s just leave it alone, and it will leave us alone. Or we can leave.”
 * “I wish it was that easy,” said Selu gravely. “But our arrival here may have disturbed something that has been lying dormant. Whatever the case, my mind is made up: I need to investigate whatever is causing that. And that means going down the crevice. I don’t ask any of you to go with me. All I ask is that you give me eight hours to explore. If I don’t contact you by then, take off and get out of here. I’ll be in my quarters getting ready. If this is goodbye for me, then may the Force be with you, and may you have better luck choosing your next captain.”

With that, Selu stood up and walked quickly back to his quarters, sealing the door behind him. His speech had caught the rest of the crew by surprise, and his swift action and grim resolution had brooked no argument from the rest of them. As the door closed behind him, he reached under his bed and pulled out a small storage cylinder he hadn’t opened or even looked at in two years. Carefully, he pressed his fingerprint into one of the locks while looking directly into its retinal scanner. After those locks clicked open, he enunciated clearly as he spoke.
 * “There is no emotion. There is peace.”

The final lock unlocked, he opened the cylinder to examine the contents. A belt clasp. A pair of lightsabers. A corner of a worn and threadbare tunic, stained with dried blood. A lock of black hair. However, as much as those mementos meant to Selu, that wasn’t what he was looking for. Reaching into a small black bag, its smooth surface cool on his hand, he pulled out a weapon that he hadn’t drawn since Emberlene. Similar to a lightsaber, it was smaller and of a slightly different make. Selu looked at his shoto, recalling the first day he had first tried constructing the smaller-bladed version of a lightsaber. A friend of his, Serra, had suggested that he build the weapon to help improve his lightsaber technique and he had acquiesced. His fingers reached out to brush the lock of hair that had been Serra’s. He had taken it from her after the last time he had seen her, mortally wounded by Darth Vader at the Jedi Temple. Then, he was reminded of Emberlene, of the fireball rising above the planet from the bomb he had brought with him, of the Mistryl corpses lying slain about him as he was carried out of the building by Spectre. The knot of pain swelling under his chest made breathing difficult. He sat there for several minutes, reliving each painful memory as if it was there again, the fiery burn of pain searing into him anew. The pain reminded him of the burden he bore from his past. However, Selu didn’t have too much time to dwell on it. Dispelling the guilt with a Jedi calming exercise, he took a deep breath, and then clipped the shoto into place on his belt besides his blaster, on his right side. Straightening up, he composed himself, resealed and hid the cylinder away, and walked back outside his quarters.

As he slid his enviro-suit gloves back on- he hadn’t bothered to remove most of the suit- and tucked the helmet under his arm, Selu noticed that the crew lounge was empty. That was slightly unusual, but perhaps he had offended the rest of the crew. Well, depending on what was causing that Force nexus, their feelings might be the least of his concerns soon. He walked up into the main corridor towards the airlock only to be stopped short by the sight of the rest of the crew assembled there, waiting for him. They were all wearing enviro-suits of their own and fully equipped for a climbing expedition.
 * “You didn’t honestly expect us to let you go out there on your own?” asked Spectre wryly.
 * “The last time we let you venture into a dangerous situation by yourself, we had to come rescue you,” noted Milya.
 * “We’re coming with you,” said Sarth, laying a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “And don’t try to stop us. We’re here to help you, no matter how dangerous it will be.”

Selu looked around and saw the concerned, serious looks on the faces of his friends and family. He was briefly overwhelmed with appreciation by their kind offer, and that was enough to cause his stubborn resolve to relent.
 * “All right,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourselves into, but I don’t think there’s any changing your minds. You can come, but you have to do as I say.”
 * “Sure thing,” said Cassi.
 * “Of course,” said Spectre.
 * “Don’t I always?” asked Milya.
 * “Before we go, though,” spoke up Sarth suddenly, his voice strangely nervous and raised.
 * “What is it, Sarth?” asked Selu.
 * “Seeing as how we’re not sure what might be out there, I’d like to clear up one thing before we go,” he said.
 * “Okay,” said Selu. “Whatever it is you need to do, go ahead.”
 * “Thank you, Selu,” said Sarth.

Turning to Cassi, Sarth got down on one knee and pulled a small box out of one of the many pockets on his enviro-suit as he took her hand in his.
 * “This is not how and where I wanted to do this, but-in the event that we get off of this world alive- Cassi Trealus, would you grant me the honor of agreeing to marry me?” he asked.

Sarth fumbled with the box, flipping it open on the second try, to reveal a golden ring, set with a sparkling durindfire jewel. Cassi’s mouth dropped open as the gravity of the moment hit her. For a moment, she stood there speechless, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. While she and Sarth had become very close over the past two years, she had no idea that he was thinking about proposing marriage.

Sarth watched her face intently, searching for some sort of answer, hoping beyond his wildest dream that she’d say yes. A thousand doubts swirled in his mind and he suddenly was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. If he had thought and planned this act with greater thoroughness, he never would have had the courage to actually follow through with it. Instead, his impulsive proposal had somehow managed to escape his lips before his rational mind could dissuade him.
 * “Sarth Kraen, I would love nothing more in this galaxy than to marry you,” Cassi said, breaking into a smile.

Sarth couldn’t remember making any conscious decision to form this expression, but he was suddenly aware of a grin stretching across his face from ear to ear.
 * “Great timing,” remarked Selu. “I’m impressed that that worked. I mean, you couldn’t have possibly picked a better time to ask her?”
 * “I tried,” said Sarth. “But we were getting shot at the last time I tried. I was a little busy.”
 * “Well, put the ring on,” said Milya. “Don’t just leave the man standing there. And it matches your necklace anyway.”

Ever since any of the crew had known her, Cassi had often worn a necklace with a durindfire around her neck, an heirloom of her family that her mother had passed down to her back on her homeworld of Bakura. Cassi was vaguely aware that her hands were trembling as she took the ring from the box and attempted to place it on her finger, but was unable to get it on.
 * “Here, let me help,” said Sarth, taking her hand and gently sliding the ring onto her finger.
 * “I don’t know what to say,” said Cassi, tears of joy streaming down her face.
 * “Then don’t say anything,” said Sarth, rising to his feet.

Leaning forward, he embraced Cassi tightly and kissed her long and passionately, forgetting the people standing around him. For a long minute, Cassi and Sarth were in their own universe. The only thing in Sarth’s world was Cassi, the sweet taste of her lips against his, her blue eyes meeting his. He could feel the brush of some of her curly blond hair against his face and neck as she relaxed into the kiss, could smell the cloying scent of her perfume. It seemed like the moment could never end, but he finally recognized the need for air and slowly, reluctantly broke away from her. As his mind was drawn back to reality, Sarth gradually realized that people around him were clapping and cheering. Turning, he smiled as Selu and Spectre crowded in for back slaps and Cassi gave Milya a huge hug. The eminent danger awaiting them was momentarily forgotten in the excitement and joy for the newly engaged couple. However, eventually, it returned to their minds one by one, but no one wanted to admit it.
 * “Well,” said Cassi, wiping away a teardrop from her cheek, “As overwhelming as this all has been, shouldn’t we be getting a move on?”
 * “Uh, we could wait a little bit if you want,” said Selu, his prior resolve softened by the sight of seeing his brother engaged to the woman of his dreams.
 * “No,” replied Cassi adamantly. “As much as this means to me, we have a mission to do. We’re already assembled and loaded, so it doesn’t make any sense to delay now.”
 * “Cassi, think about your future. Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Selu, taking her by the shoulders and looking directly at her eyes.
 * “I’ve come this far; I won’t turn back now,” she said resolutely.
 * “Sarth, how about you?” asked Selu.
 * “Of course I'm coming,” Sarth insisted.
 * “Does that go for the rest of you?” Selu inquired, looking at each crew member in turn.
 * “We’re in,” said Milya and Spectre.
 * “Let’s get this ship out of port then,” said Selu, donning his helmet and gloves.

The rest of the crew followed suit. As the airlock cycled, they activated their envirosuits, save for Spectre. Clad in a slightly battered set of the katarn-class armor favored by clone commandos during the war, he needed no enviro-suit and alone of the party carried a blaster rifle. One by one, they walked out onto the barren, rocky surface of the crater floor. Striding across the rock, their boots making no sound in the nearly airless atmosphere, the five of them made their way to the glowing crevice. The heavy tread of the enviro-suits kicked up small, hazy puffs of fine dust with each step. As they walked, Selu could feel the power of the Force tangibly getting stronger as he approached, and it sent a shiver down his spine. They stopped around the rim of the crevice, which was several meters across, and perhaps two meters long. With the hazy glow emanating from within it, there was no way to tell how deep it was.
 * “All right, I’m going in first,” said Selu. “I’ll lower a rope and climb down. The rest of you follow me in this order: Milya, Sarth, Cassi, Spectre.”

Selu’s tone implied that this matter wasn’t up for discussion, so the rest of the crew made ready for the descent. Selu unclipped a sturdy carbon rope from his belt and, after handing one end to Spectre, attached the other end to a snap ring on his belt.
 * “Here goes nothing,” he said, and then plunged down into the crevice.

4
Ajaur gazed down at the smoking corpse lying on the ground by his feet in disgust, and then deactivated his lightsaber. The whelp, while possessing marginal skill, deserved to join the other bodies strewn around the small compound in which Ajaur now stood. All of them, regardless of sex or species, had one thing in common- the lightsaber marks burned through them by the Inquisitor. Some of them couldn’t have been more than ten standard years of age, but Ajaur didn’t care. They were traitors to the Empire and had thus invoked the death penalty. When it came to carrying out his orders, the Inquisitor was utterly merciless and remorseless. The dark side filled his nostrils with its invigorating power, fueled by the slaughter around him.

Grinning evilly, he continued forward as a quartet of V-19s screamed through the scattered clouds overhead. The smell of smoke was in the air, and a tall plume of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, probably from the capital city of Yumfla. This moon, Susefvi, was largely temperate and covered with grasslands, with settlements scattered across the surface. There had been no resistance to the arrival of Corrupter. Captain Nebulax had deployed his troops in a direct assault on the capital to overwhelm any central defense force before they even had a chance to respond, and Ajaur figured they had been successful. Though he would never achieve true power without mastery of the Force, Nebulax was a cunning officer in his own right.

Upon landing, he had come here alone. The Force had told him the location of this refuge and he had arrived like a deadly whirlwind of rage. Several of the inhabitants had tried to plead with him for clemency, but Ajaur had had none. By the time a few of them produced lightsabers of varying hues with which to battle him, he had already cleaved through half of them. The few that were left had fallen quickly, demoralized by the sight of their dead comrades and possessing little skill to match against Ajaur’s blade. A pity, really. The man he had just slain had only lasted as long as he had out of luck, not because of any particular skill. As a reward, he had been able to witness the death of his friends. How delicious, thought Ajaur. His mind, surging from the adrenaline rush of battle, was full of malice, his will seeking out any further victims to satiate his thirst for vengeance. With each kill, he envisioned the death of Vader as he lopped off limbs or opened gaping wounds, his red blade thrusting and slashing at will.

Ajaur looked around the compound one more time, extending his perceptions to see if any more of these people remained. They were apparently called Jensaarai, but the lightsabers in their hands and the pitiful attempts of Force powers that they wielded were enough to condemn them as enemies of the Empire and thus worthy of death. There had been a surprising number of them, and their unusual armor had marked them as clearly not of Jedi origins, though. Perhaps he would make note of that in his report to Lord Vader. Suddenly, Ajaur stopped. His senses had detected one person left, their signature through the Force faint, but distinctly individual. His lightsaber immediately found his hand. He turned in the direction of the remaining life form towards a darkened doorway. A hand and arm could be seen lying on the floor, protruding from the body of a woman inside. She had been unarmed, easily slain, Ajaur recalled. Strange, he had not detected anyone else in the small duracrete building at the time, and the reminder of the limitations of his power stung.

Then, he saw the focus of his senses. Out from the doorway walked a young human girl, perhaps twelve standard years ago. She was dirty, her stringy blond hair ragged and unkempt and her face unwashed. She was only wearing a homespun shift loosely tied around the waist with a belt, its tattered edges not even reaching her knees, and lacking the most basic of footwear. She was completely unarmed, with not even a rock to throw at him. Her expression was strangely curious, confused.
 * “Why? Why have you come to do this?” she asked, her voice plaintive.
 * “Because you were all traitors,” sneered Ajaur down at her, one part of him unsure why he even bothered to speak to this little spawn. “You all deserve to die.”

The girl’s gray eyes turned from Ajaur’s face to focus on something else, as if looking past his shoulder.
 * “You will die soon also,” she said, her voice no longer pleading, but curiously steady and certain. “And you will pass into unending torment for your crimes.”

She turned back to regard him with a level gaze.
 * “I don’t think so,” said Ajaur. “You don’t stand a chance.”
 * “Neither do you. Your time has come,” she said.

With an angry roar, Ajaur leapt forward and cut her down, his crimson lightsaber opening a gash from throat to abdomen in the girl’s torso, the massive wound instantly cauterized by the searing blade. She fell wordlessly to crumple in a heap and died without a sound, her mouth gaping in an unvoiced scream.
 * “Some seer you turned out to be,” Ajaur addressed her corpse.

Yet, even as he walked away to where his speeder bike was waiting, Ajaur could not completely dispel the chill that had run down his spine at the girl’s words, so confident even in the face of her death. What if she had foreseen his imminent death through the Force? Ajaur tried to put the thought out of his mind as he climbed aboard his speeder bike and sped back to the capital.
 * Yumfla

Lieutenant Ait Convarion stood amid the ruins of some recently demolished piece of statuary near the main entrance of a Susefvi government building. The capital city- if Yumfla could indeed be called that- had fallen easily. Captain Nebulax had deployed twelve hundred Imperial Army soldiers and stormtroopers in an astonishingly effective surprise attack that had quickly overwhelmed the few meager stands that some foolhardy locals had chosen to make. Supported by overwhelming air, walker, and ground vehicle support, the Imperials had little chance of being repulsed by Yumfla’s militia, much of which had fled after the initial volley of blaster rifle fire. A brief skirmish had occurred around the government complex, but the stormtrooper commander had called in airstrikes and armor support that had quickly sapped the will and numbers of the resistance, in addition to causing significant damage to the complex. With the government complex taken, the rest of the city had quickly been surrendered by some minor official. Yumfla had fallen in under three hours. By now, the troopers had taken up defensive positions around the complex in preparation for the rapidly approaching nightfall while other detachments went out to take the surrounding settlements. Convarion heard the distant crackle of blaster fire, but it quickly died out. No doubt some local had decided to push an argument with the Imperial troops and had paid for his foolishness with his life, yet another example of the stupidity of contending with the Empire.

Convarion felt no particular sympathy for these people, despite having been born and raised on an Outer Rim world not too unlike Susefvi himself. The fact that they hadn’t immediately surrendered to the Empire had marked them as too stupid to face reality. As he paced around the complex, half-heartedly observing the efforts of the army troops, Convarion felt nothing but disgust for people who couldn’t appreciate what was happening to them. Imperial rule would do them good.

As impressed as he was with the efficiency in which the town had been taken, Convarion resented being sent down here to supervise the occupation as much as the army troopers around here resented his presence. He was out of his element here, and he expected that was precisely why he had been ordered to supervise the occupation. As his comlink chirped, Convarion pulled it out of his belt, fully expecting it to be Nebulax, safe and comfortable aboard Corrupter. As he activated the device, he was not disappointed.
 * “What is the situation down there, Lieutenant?” asked Nebulax.
 * “The town of Yumfla has fallen, Captain. The locals barely put up a fight. I’m standing in what was their center of resistance right now, sir.”
 * “Casualties?”
 * “I don’t know, sir,” said Convarion, irked at Nebulax’s question.

If the captain had really wanted to know about the casualties, he would have contacted the army commander. Instead, by showing him up in front of the army troopers composing his honor guard, Nebulax was only seeking to bait and discredit him.
 * “Then I suggest you find out,” said Nebulax smoothly. “A good commander looks after his troops.”
 * “Yes, sir. If you were down here personally, I have no doubt that you would have the entire situation firmly under your control.”

Convarion smiled at the brief pause in Nebulax’s litany of questions. No doubt the captain was trying to determine if Convarion’s carefully worded and spoken statement was an insult over his refusal to inspect Yumfla himself, or a compliment on his tactical abilities. It had been worded specifically for the purpose of ambiguity. However, Convarion had to admit that it didn’t take Nebulax long to recover, and the senior officer largely ignored the hidden jibe.
 * “Consider it a part of your training, Lieutenant. Where is the Inquisitor?”
 * “I’m not sure, sir,” said Convarion.
 * “Do you care to explain that, Lieutentant?” Nebulax asked.

This time Convarion was ready. As soon as he had touched down on this miserable excuse of a moon, he had made sure to ask the ground troop commander about the whereabouts of Ajaur for his own personal benefit.
 * “Inquisitor Ajaur appropriated a speeder bike and set off by himself shortly after landing on the planet, sir,” Convarion advised.
 * “I see,” Nebulax said. “I wonder how his mission went.”

It was a silent opportunity for Convarion to offer to inquire, but he let it pass. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Ajaur. Suddenly, the roar of a speeder bike engine grinding to a stop informed him that the subject of their conversation had arrived.
 * “Tell the captain that I have been successful thus far,” said Ajaur, dismounting from the vehicle and walking towards Convarion.
 * “Captain Nebulax, Inquisitor Ajaur has just arrived and he reports that-“
 * “Yes, yes, I heard him myself, Lieutenant,” broke in Nebulax’s voice. “Inquisitor Ajaur, will you require a shuttle back to the Corrupter? I have one on standby if you need it.”
 * “No,” said Ajaur dismissively. “I will remain here until my work is finished. Lieutenant, how long did the troop commander say until this world is fully occupied?”
 * “Not more than a week,” said Convarion, somehow managing to get the words out. “However, we may need to stay here as an occupation force for several more months until a garrison force can arrive.”
 * “I see,” said Ajaur. “Captain Nebulax, immediately inform the nearest sector base that we require a garrison force for this place. While my master may have other missions for me, this moon must not be left unguarded.”
 * “As you wish, Inquisitor,” said Nebulax, who then deactivated the comlink transmission.

As Ajaur moved off to attend to some unknown business of his own, Convarion was left to do little but stand around. While he was grateful for an opportunity to be rid of the fearsome Ajaur, babysitting a bunch of army troops and bullying locals was not what he had in mind. He longed to be back in space, engaging the real enemies of the Empire in this sector, the smugglers and pirates who defied the New Order’s control of space. For now, all he could do was wait for Nebulax to get bored with his little lesson and call him back up to Corrupter. Unfortunately, it appeared they would be in this miserable system for quite some time on pacification and occupation duty. What had started as a promising tour to clean out the sector of space scum had turned into an obnoxiously easy takeover of a backwards world that likely no one would ever care about.

Convarion wondered what Ajaur had seen was so important that they had needed to urgently come here, but Nebulax assured him that the orders were important. Better not to know, he supposed. The only way to find out the reason would likely be talking directly to Ajaur, and Convarion relished the idea of that about as much as he did shooting himself in the foot. Though judging by the splatter on Ajaur’s boots, such an incident would likely be less deadly than incurring the Inquisitor’s wrath. Convarion, while primarily a fleet officer, had spent enough time dirtside to know the scarlet of blood when he saw it. The crimson liquid had stood out against the otherwise uninteresting mud and scuff marks decorating Ajaur’s typically featureless black boots.

As night fell on Susefvi, so did the moon’s freedom. Powerless to resist the troops and Imperial might deployed to its surface by Jack Nebulax and its Jensaarai defenders slain or scattered by dread of the Inquisitor stalking them, Susefvi’s inhabitants slowly submitted to Imperial rule. They had no choice. Anyone who resisted was summarily executed. Whole villages, nestled away in remote river valleys or lying as a speck amidst the vast grasslands were punished with utter destruction by the slightest hint of organized resistance to the Imperial takeover. The conquest of Susefvi was swiftly accomplished as the iron fist of the Empire descended on the world, crushing any that would oppose it.

From the Imperial standpoint, all was progressing as it should. The populace had been taken by surprise and any resistance met with overwhelming force. Order was being enforced in the cities and the outlying settlements were being pacified. Acceptance of Imperial rule was widespread, and fewer than a dozen casualties had been sustained thanks to the complete air and ground supremacy enjoyed by the Imperials. The few pathetic attempts at defense had been piecemeal and uncoordinated, the defenders ill-trained and equipped to contend with well-trained and equipped soldiers. After the devastation wrought on the government complex, the backbone of the meager militia had been broken, and most of the moon was now under Imperial control, or would be soon. Victory was guaranteed.

All around Yumfla, citizens huddled in their dwellings. The paved streets, typically somewhat filled with inhabitants about on errands or pleasure, were completely deserted save for the occasional Imperial patrol. Every business was closed by Imperial order, though few would have opened even if the edict had not been issued. Dread hung over the city like a blanket, snuffing out any remnant of the previous lifestyle held by the people of Yumfla. This gloomy scenario was repeated across Susefvi as each successive settlement fell under Imperial control.
 * Scout ship Observant

The Observant dropped out of hyperspace around the latest in a series of remote worlds that it had visited recently. Its powerful sensors swept the nearest world, searching for anomalies. Her suite had been refitted at Sluis Van with an unusual set of scanners shipped in from an Imperial Intelligence Ubiqtorate base. Her crew in general knew little of their purpose, aside from the fact that any readings were grounds for an immediate signal to Imperial High Command apprising them of the findings. With little other information to go on, they called it the mystery board, and even her proper-minded commander, Almos Terthbak, had taken to calling it that, although he alone had the most idea of what the true nature of the sensors was. As the tiny scout ship cruised through the system, her crew unenthusiastically monitored the sensor boards. For the first dozen worlds, Lieutenant Terthbak had insisted that the ship be on full alert, every station manned and at full readiness. The crew had reluctantly complied, but none of their searches had turned up anything in the slightest to the Empire. The doldrums of the trip had begun to tell on them, and while the veteran crewers were used to it, the maddening boredom had had decidedly noticeable effects on its inexperienced captain.
 * “Here we are in the Bland system,” announced Warrant Officer Sandy Neach, the lead sensor operator and unofficial wit. “The system has three planets and there is absolutely nothing on any of them. For your recreational pleasure, there is nothing, and as far as fancy restaurants are concerned, there are none. In fact, there’s not even a tapcafe in this system. Still, we hope you enjoy your stay in the Bland system and hope you return soon.”

Neach had been addressing nobody on the bridge in particular during his monologue, his voice pitched with the artificial cheeriness common among tour guides. The rest of the bridge crew, save for the captain, stifled chuckles at his speech. Neach knew that his antics annoyed Terthbak, but as the chief sensor officer and the only one who really understood the sensor boards, he was irreplaceable on the bridge at the moment.
 * “Cut that chatter,” snapped Terthbak, irritable and cranky. “This is the bridge of an Imperial vessel, not a tour ship piloted by swarthy civilians.”
 * “Aye, sir,” said Neach obligingly.
 * “Any readings, Warrant Officer?” Terthbak inquired sharply.
 * “No, sir. Nothing on the scopes, sir,” said Neach dutifully.
 * “Excellent,” said Terthbak, not really meaning it. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to the bridge shortly. Notify me by comlink if anything pops up.”

Rising from his chair, Terthback walked out towards the stern of the ship, his posture ramrod-straight as always.
 * “Right. Like there’s a fat chance of that happening,” said Crewman Marth Royner, the ship’s gunner, softly enough so that the exiting Terthbak couldn’t hear him.

Now that Terthbak was off of the bridge, the rest of the crew relaxed. They were all familiar with each other, having crewed together for some time before the arrival of Terthbak.
 * “I know. There’s just so much out there to inform him about,” offered the other person on the bridge, the ship’s pilot, Warrant Officer Terena Jasnan.
 * “What? Knowing that Lieutenant Terthbak has to use the refresher isn’t interesting to you, Terena?” asked Royner facetiously.
 * “Hardly,” she sniffed.
 * “Well, you owe me a dozen credits, Royner,” said Neach.
 * “Why?” asked Royner.
 * “You said that the captain would have calmed down some by the twelfth planet. This makes the fourteenth,” Neach replied.
 * “Did I say that?” Royner said, hoping to forget the incident. “I don’t recall.”
 * “Pay up, Royner,” chimed Jasnan. “I heard you say it the first day. And the second after that.”
 * “Thanks a lot, Jasnan,” sulked Royner as he forked over the credits. “You got me this time, Neach. It’s okay though, I’ll get it back from you in sabacc eventually.”
 * “You do that,” said Neach lightly. “It’s not like we’ve had any opportunity to play recently.”
 * “Yeah, what with Captain Stiff Neck having us jump at shadows. Honestly, I never even knew the Imperial Navy had this many regulations,” said Royner.
 * “So I take it you don’t think he’ll ever be manageable,” said Neach.
 * “No way,” said Royner. “He’s as unbendable as a durasteel rod.”
 * “Perhaps not,” said Jasnan. “I might have some ideas in that regard.”
 * “Really,” said Neach. “Do tell.”
 * “Not yet,” said Jasnan, offering Neach a conspiratorial smile. “For now, you’ll just have to put up with Lieutenant Terthbak, though. I’m not quite ready yet.”
 * “Thank you for such pleasant prospects,” said Neach with obvious sarcasm.
 * “I wish we hadn’t lost Captain Dalsun,” said Royner.
 * “Me, too,” agreed Neach sadly. “Let’s have a moment of silence for poor Captain Dalsun.”

Each of the crewmen bowed their heads for a moment in memory of their former superior. Each was recalling fond memories of his tenure as chief of the Observant.
 * “What happened to this Captain Dalsun, Warrant Officer?” demanded Lieutenant Terthbak as he walked back to his chair.

Terthbak had walked in just as Marsden Royner had started lamenting Dalsun, and his curiosity had been thoroughly piqued. Neach turned to offer a mournful expression and downcast eyes to the Lieutenant.
 * “Poor Captain Dalsun, sir- he encountered one of the worst fates to ever befall an officer in the Imperial Navy,” Neach said.
 * “It was shortly after completing our ninth cruise under him,” added Royner.
 * “I just can’t believe he’s gone, even after all this time,” said Jasnan with a shake of her head.
 * “Well, what happened to him?” demanded Terthbak.
 * “Sir- he was promoted, sir,” said Neach, his voice heavy with emotion.
 * “Promoted?” Terthbak was incredulous.

He had feared that some awful fate such being devoured by wild beasts or being trapped in an airlock during decompression had befallen the man. That a similar fate might be awaiting him had prompted his concern, not because of any particular sentiment for this Captain Dalsun.
 * “Aye, sir,” Neach confirmed. “He was stripped of his command and taken into the unknown horrors of rank and responsibility, sir.”
 * “I fail to see how that is an awful fate, Warrant Officer,” said Terthbak. “Though perhaps that explains part of why you are still at your current rank. Promotion in the Imperial Navy is a sign of merit, a fine distinction and a sign of advancing one’s career. It is something to be honored, crewmen, and something to be sought after and relished as a capstone of the search for excellence that each Imperial crewman strives for daily.”

Terthbak’s tone took on an air of importance as he spoke, and he walked around the cramped space of the bridge, his chest puffed out, as if he were a professor lecturing to a group of students. Each member of the bridge crew could see that he was envisioning his own promotion. He was clearly lost in his own fantasy world. In fact, he could see the officers standing around him as nothing less than an admiral stood by to hand him his new rank tabs and code cylinder.
 * “I’m waiting for the tear to fall from his eyes,” whispered Royner to Neach, who grinned and nodded in return.
 * “He speaks with such obvious conviction,” Terena added, but her tone was of mockery rather than admiration.

Full of self-importance, Terthbak continued to stare ahead through the forward viewport into space for several minutes, heedless of what else was occurring around him. Surely after this expedition was complete, he would be awarded for his diligence and success. This was a special mission, after all. That he had been chosen for such a prestigious role was a clear indication of his rising star among the military ranks. A less vain mind would have noted that he was the commander of a sixty-three meter scout boat and one of the smallest Imperial vessels in the service, but Terthbak’s ego knew no bounds. Finally, something managed to break his daydreaming.
 * “Captain, sensor sweep complete,” said Neach. “The scans are all finished, sir.”
 * “Huh?” said Terthbak, startled out of his reverie. “Very well, Warrant Officer. Any findings?”
 * “No, sir,” reported Neach.

Terthbak sighed. That made fourteen worlds, completely barren of any contacts. His dream of glory was a little bit more dashed with each failure, and there wasn’t the slightest thing he could do about it.
 * “Prepare the ship for hyperspace,” he said, unable to keep the glumness from his voice. “Set our course for the next system on the list.”

Jasnan’s fingers adeptly keyed in the next course as the Observant swung around in orbit of the planet Neach had referred to as “Bland”, drawing on the world’s gravity to assist them in building velocity in preparation for a jump to lightspeed. The navicomputer spit the course back out as the ship passed by the largely featureless planet and Jasnan activated the hyperdrive as soon as they were clear of the planet’s gravity well. As the starlines elongated and twisted into the vortex of hyperspace, Terthbak dejectedly walked back to his chair and flung himself down in it. With the ship in transit, there was little for any of the crew to do; he had already exhausted every possible use of their time he could think of from the regulations. There was nothing to do but wait. He checked his chrono and found that he had another seven hours until the ship reverted from hyperspace and groaned. This voyage was maddening and grew even more so with each passing hour.
 * “If you’ll excuse me, Lieutenant, I’ll be in my quarters,” said Jasnan, rising from her seat.

Terthbak nodded listlessly. As Jasnan walked by his chair towards the door leading astern of the chair, she made sure to stoop low and softly speak to the superior officer.
 * “You look down, Lieutenant. Maybe I can help with that . . . we can talk in your quarters later if you’d like,” she purred, her voice dripping with lascivious suggestiveness.
 * “Mm . .  . ? Uh, yes, I’d like that,” he said, startled. “I mean, I’ll consider your request, Warrant Officer. You are dismissed.”

As Jasnan sauntered off the bridge, she smiled knowingly as Royner and Neach faced away from their commanding officer and suppressed guffaws of laughter at his futile attempt to recover his composure. Terthbak had sounded like a red-faced schoolboy and had looked like one too. Jasnan knew that, come rest hours, he’d find a way to get her into his quarters in his own clumsy fashion, likely using some failed attempt at subtlety. Well, she couldn’t say she was looking forward to the experience, but it would certainly be memorable.
 * Somewhere in Wild Space

Selusda Kraen carefully, slowly lowered himself down to a small rocky ledge, feeding more of the slender carbon rope down through the ring on his belt to where it was anchored to a sizable grappling hook driven into a boulder several dozen meters above. Glancing up from his shaky perch on the narrow ledge, he saw the other four members of the Hawk-bat’s crew similarly making their way down towards him, finding hand and footholds among the craggy black rocks of the crevice. As they had descended, the approach had narrowed to be enough of a fairly tight squeeze. Though the shaft was somewhat lit by the murky glow filtering up from the depths, Selu and the others had still activated their glow rods and headlamps on their enviro-suits to get a better idea of what was happening. So far, they had encountered nothing but a somewhat denser atmosphere of mostly nitrogen, and dry, dusty rocks, but Selu could feel the power of the Force steadily increasing the further they descended. The magnitude of the energy was incredible, unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Selu had been taught that life itself created the Force, but in this thoroughly inhospitable environment, what life could exist to generate such a strong connection to its energy current? Had this world once been inhabited? More foreboding was a thought that the planet had been an ancient Sith stronghold, but Selu didn’t sense the evil that was typical of places strong in the dark side of the Force. That didn’t necessarily rule out that possibility, though. The dark side was insidious, and the Sith were rumored to have occupied many worlds in ages past, before the Jedi Civil War and the bloodbath on Ruusan that had sparked a reformation in the Jedi Order. Selu grimaced. The Jedi had believed the Sith extinct on Ruusan, but the ancient enemies of the Jedi had resurfaced about fifteen years ago to menace the galaxy once more. Now they walked openly, hunting down the last few Jedi left. Selu counted himself extremely fortunate not to have perished in the purges, though he was aware that the threat posed by the Empire had not diminished.

Watching as the others made their way down to him, Selu noted that none of them had made any noise of complaint yet. Their choice to accompany him on this quest had mystified him, as he had not requested companions on his investigation of the Force nexus at the bottom of this shaft, but they had come along on their own accord. Perhaps it was the will of the Force, just as Selu believed it had been the will of the Force that the Hawk-bat land on this world. He could have told them to simply release the rope and fall to where was while he used telekinesis to slow their descent, but Selu had no desire to openly use the Force without knowing what might be lurking down in those shadowy depths.
 * “Just a little farther,” he encouraged as each crewmember reached his position.

The ledge was just wide enough for all five of them to crowd along it, jutting maybe half a meter out into the crevice. However, while their feet were able to rest, they clung to the rock wall as best they could, not daring to trust the narrow ledge.
 * “Why did we stop?” asked Spectre, the last one down.
 * “For a quick break,” said Selu. “I think this shaft ends about thirty more meters down, but our rope isn’t that long. If it comes down to it, we may have to climb without it.”
 * “Works for me,” said Milya.
 * “Okay, just wanted to make sure you were informed about the risks,” Selu said, preparing to continue the descent.

As Selu went over the lip of the ledge and began climbing down, his weight was enough to dislodge the already somewhat loose boulder they had been standing on. The combined weight of the five humans had already been causing the rock anchoring the boulder to weaken, but the extra torque of having Selu hanging onto its edge was enough to completely pull it out from the rock, sending them all tumbling down the chasm.

They all tumbled down in freefall, cries of surprise echoing through their comlinks, falling past Selu, who was still anchored by the rope. Selu shut out the distractions and channeled the Force through his body. He had to, or else they were all going to end up with at least a large number of broken bones. With the sudden change in situation, there was no other option but to use the Force to save his friends. Not hesitating, he unclipped the carbon rope from his belt and plunged down after them, streamlining his body to fall faster through the shaft.

Selu reached out and grabbed Cassi telekinetically, pulling her close to him and ducking into the side of the shaft as the giant boulder crashed past them to smash its way down through the shaft. While clinging to Cassi with one hand and a small protruding nub of rock with the other, he closed his eyes and concentrated on finding the others. To his relief, he found that Spectre had managed to catch a hold of the carbon rope, dangling there tenuously, while Milya had managed to stretch her body across the chasm, her arms gripping one side of the shaft while her legs were pressed against the other side. Only Sarth continued to fall. Releasing both the wall and Cassi, Selu plunged down, purposefully speeding his descent to catch up with Sarth. Cassi, unaware of his plan, screamed in terror, but Selu ingored the sound temporarily. Stretching out, he grabbed Sarth’s arm and, his strength augmented by the Force flowing through his muscles, arrested his descent. As Cassi fell past him a split second later, he reached out and snagged her as well.
 * “Hang onto me,” he ordered.

They both clung onto him, and, his hands now free, he was able to easily grab the carbon rope, pulling the three of them to a swaying stop in mid air.
 * “Is everyone all right?” he asked.
 * “We’re- we’re fine,” said Cassi, catching her breath.

She was obviously a little shaken, but seemed to be unhurt.
 * “Hang on,” shouted Spectre. “We’ll be down in a minute.”

Selu looked up to see that Spectre had gotten the rope to Milya and now they were both rapidly rappelling down to where Selu, Sarth, and Cassi dangled. Despite the sheer terror they had experienced, the whole fall had occurred in less than ten seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime to them, except possibly to Selu, who had fallen much greater distances before as a Jedi.
 * “Nice work,” Selu said as Spectre and Milya reached their position.
 * “Thanks,” said Milya.
 * “Well, we certainly increased our rate of descent,” said Sarth.
 * “Yes,” said Selu. “Let’s just hope we didn’t reveal our presence to anyone.”

The rest of their climb was thankfully uneventful, with the rocks craggy and rough, but not loose or treacherous. They took it slow, checking their handholds and footholds as they worked their way down. With Sarth and Cassi in much less physical condition as Selu, Milya, and Spectre, they climbed down at the pace of the two least fit members of the party. However, as much as they delayed the group’s descent, Selu knew that both Sarth and Cassi had unique talents that might prove useful depending on what they found. Sarth was amazingly talented with anything mechanical, particularly computers or droids, and Cassi spoke at least half a dozen languages and was familiar with any number of alien cultures.

As he reached the end of the rope, Selu detached from the end of the carbon line and began working his way down, relying on his hands and feet only to guide his passage into the depths. Thankfully, he could just barely make out the bottom of the shaft and it didn’t appear to be too far down. For the last dozen meters, he switched to a chimneying style of climbing, with his back and hands against one side of the wall while his feet were against the other side. Knowing that the others, particularly Sarth and Cassi, would not be able to maintain that style of technique on such a difficult area of rock, he moved swiftly down to the bottom. In case of any danger, Selu wanted to be the first on the scene and have enough time to warn the others. As he dropped the last three meters to the bottom of the cave, Selu found that he was in a slightly larger cave than the shaft they had been clambering down. As soon as he landed, he swept his glow rod around the chamber, its pale light illuminating each enclosing rock wall in turn. However, there was nothing there to indicate any passage or continuation. The shaft they had climbed down appeared to be a dead end, and nothing at its bottom held any indication of what was generating the dim, eerie green glow or causing the intense Force energy radiating from below the surface.
 * “Come on down,” Selu called to the others. “It’s clear; just drop and I’ll catch you.”
 * “Are you sure about that?” Milya asked from her particularly precarious perch. :“That’s a long way to fall.”
 * “Trust me, Milya,” Selu assured her. “The Force is strong in this place. It hardly takes any effort to levitate things here.”
 * “If you say so,” muttered Milya, obviously not convinced. “But you’d better be right or I’m going to break your face.”

Still, she let go of the rope, plummeting down towards the ground some two score meters below her. As she fell, Selu surrounded her with a cushion of the Force, gently slowing her until she landed on the bottom of the shaft with no more force than one might experience stepping out from a speeder to the ground. As each of the others similarly released their grips and fell, Selu caught them in turn until Spectre was finally down in the enclosed room.

They shone their glowrods around the small chamber, but found nothing but sheer rock walls climbing for hundreds of meters in every direction. With all five of them in the cave, it was uncomfortably crowded, particularly in bulky enviro-suits.
 * “I guess there’s nothing here,” said Cassi.
 * “That explanation makes no sense,” countered Sarth.
 * “Why not?” she replied.
 * “There is a denser atmosphere down here, of a slightly different composition. If this shaft has been here for even a few days, the atmospheric gases would have equalized with the atmosphere and the composition would be a lot more similar to the surface atmosphere. The only explanation is that this chamber leads somewhere,” Sarth explained.
 * “I don’t understand everything he just said,” remarked Milya, “But this chamber just feels wrong. Like there’s something hidden from us.”
 * “I think you’re right,” said Selu. “Perhaps it’s a test, or a safeguard.”

Selu closed his eyes and let the Force flow through him, blocking out his own senses. In its amplified state, the rush of energy was sharper, more vibrant than he usually felt, and he marveled at the pure power running through him. His mind focused the Force into something resembling a mental glow rod as he searched the chamber for something hidden. Relying on his instincts, he let his legs carry him where they would, unconscious of the movement as the Force guided him. He imagined himself as a leaf, floating on a current of the Force, to be taken in its flow wherever it willed, and was surprised at what he found. Milya had been correct; there was something hidden here, a carefully placed illusion concealing another passage from their eyes.
 * “What’s he doing?” Cassi asked.
 * “I don’t know, but he’s about to walk into that rock wall. If he does, I might have to laugh at him,” said Milya.

Then Selu, slowly taking one step at a time with his eyes still closed, reached the wall and stepped into it. First his leg, then his whole body disappeared into the solid wall. Milya and Sarth gasped in surprise while Spectre just stood there impassively, though he was as stunned as they were.
 * “It’s all right,” said Selu, as he re-emerged from the wall. “It’s a Force illusion. There’s another passage beyond it. Who wants to come first?”

The other four stood there in silence, unsure of whether they wanted to venture into whatever unknown lay behind the wall.
 * “Come on,” said Selu. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
 * “I’ll go,” said Milya, stepping forward.

Selu took her gloved hand in his and led her forward into the wall. Milya saw the wall rush towards her as she stepped towards it, then it rippled and her vision was distorted as she walked into and through the rock.
 * “Oooh-“ she said, then was amazed to find herself in another passage that gently sloped downward.

This one was not just rough-hewn rock, though. While the walls were the same dark rock that had lined the shaft they had descended, the floor grew increasingly covered with a slippery-smooth grey stone that had obviously been artificially placed here. As she stood there marveling, Selu released her hand and returned to conduct the others across. To Milya, it seemed that there was no barrier separating her from the others, but she knew they couldn’t see her. One by one, Selu brought Cassi, Sarth, and Spectre through the Force illusion until all five of them were beyond it.
 * “That’s strange,” Spectre noted. “From this side, there doesn’t even appear to be a barrier.”
 * “I know,” said Selu. “And that confirms part of what I suspected- this place is artificial. That illusion couldn’t be a natural phenomenon. When we passed through it, I sensed that it had been placed there by its creator.”
 * “You know what else,” said Cassi. “I think there’s breathable air here.”
 * “She’s right,” said Spectre, looking at the readouts on his suit. “I’m reading seventy percent nitrogen, twenty-eight percent oxygen, two percent carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration.”
 * “That wall isn’t just a hidden door,” said Selu. “It’s an airlock.”

They all took off their helmets gratefully, conserving their air supply for in case they might need it later, and found that the air was quite breathable, though it smelled a bit musty.
 * “Where does this passage lead?” asked Sarth.
 * “I don’t know,” said Selu. “But I’m going to follow it.”
 * “Sounds good to me,” said Milya, stepping forward.

As she stepped forward onto the slick gray stone, though, she lost her balance and slid forward down the smooth slope. Spectre darted forward to catch her, but he, too, had his feet slip out from under him and the two went flying down the passageway, sliding along the nearly frictionless surface, despite all their attempts to stop.
 * “Blast,” said Selu, jumping after them, though he slid on his feet like a skater on ice.

Sarth and Cassi followed but, looking over his shoulder, Selu saw that they had also lost their footing and were now sliding along. He was also having difficulty standing upright, but had managed to keep his—suddenly, his feet flew out from under him in his moment of distraction, and he found himself sliding down the steep passageway in the same fashion as his companions. Clearly he wasn’t as infallible as thought. Ruefully, Selu considered that humility was a good lesson that needed to be refreshed often and he conceded that it was true even for Jedi-in-exile.

As he wound his way down through the dark and winding tunnel, the only sounds the scrape of his envirosuit against whatever material on which he was riding, Selu could see little but the glistening of the rock against his headlamps and, ahead of him, Milya and Spectre, who had stopped attempting to arrest their motion and were now sliding freely also. The smooth, shiny rock had little friction and few bumps or irregularities in its surface. Combined with the steep slope of the winding tunnel, had led to a rather high velocity for the travelers. Unfortunately, there would be little warning or opportunity for them to halt if a danger presented itself. That thought concerned Selu, as there was a distinct possibility that whoever created the Force illusion had not relied upon it as the only defense to whatever was down here.

However, this time Selu’s fear was unfounded. After what seemed like an eternity, the passage widened and light could be seen coming from what looked a mouth of the tunnel. As they slid down the final few meters of the passage, a sudden drop deposited them at the exit of the tunnel in a heap on the ground. Thankfully, the rock they found beneath them as they landed, though different from the slick stone they had been sliding on, was not jagged and their suits cushioned most of the impact.

Selu rose quickly, instantly on guard for a trap.
 * “Is anyone hurt?” he asked.
 * “No, we’re fine,” said Cassi distractedly, looking past Selu and pointing. “Look at that, though!”

Selu turned and looked in the direction she indicated and was surprised to see a massive stone tower carved out of the rock about two kilometers away, at least a hundred meters around, rising to jut at least a kilometer in the sky, and obviously not a natural formation. From the platform from where they were standing, they could see a paved path leading down to the edge of a large expanse. They were at the edge of a massive stone bowl that resembled the crater that the Hawk-bat had been landed in, except not quite as large, but much deeper, judging by the height of the walls. It was composed of the same black, craggy volcanic rock that the other crater had been, but they glowed with that same unnatural glow, a mixture of blues, greens, and purples. To Selu, it seemed like the Force was singing, the very stone infused with its presence. It was like walking into a concert hall to hear a full orchestra playing a symphony; the feeling wasn’t dark or ominous in the least bit.
 * “I can see the sky,” noted Sarth, looking up to see the magnificent starfield of the nebula far overhead.
 * “What?” said Milya. “But we should have seen this formation from the ship as we came in to land.”
 * “Remember the Force illusions,” reminded Selu. “I think this chamber is enclosed by another one, because we still have air in here.”
 * “That’s true,” Spectre noted. “Is this tower what you have been sensing, Selu?”

Selu breathed deeply.
 * “Yes,” he said. “This is it.”

With that, they set out across the expanse between them and the tower. However, while the walls of the crater were jagged black rock, they were walking on paved material that Sarth could have sworn was permacrete. Dotting the landscape were what appeared to be sculptures. Some of them Cassi thought resembled birds or people, but many were abstract, indefinable shapes of stone rising from the ground. As they passed close by some of the sculptures, they noted the intricate details and tiny sigils carved into the stone. Some of them had crystals set in certain parts of the carving, but even if Selu hadn’t warned them not to touch anything, none of the crew would have done so anyway. It would have been like desecrating a memorial or museum. The area was deserted, with no trace of habitation, but as they drew nearer to the tower, the power of the Force steadily increased until Selu felt like he was walking into the heart of the Force itself.

Finally, they reached the base of the tower. There was a massive stone doorway at its base that towered seven or eight meters above them and was at least four meters wide, the frame covered with the same style of ornate carvings as some of the sculptures had contained. The two stone doors were featureless, aside from a single glowing crystal set about head height on each door. Cassi thought she saw an avian motif in the carvings on the doorway, but she couldn’t be sure. As they approached, they could see that the tower rose for hundreds of meters above them. This close, it seemed more foreboding and threatening than it had before, the sheer size of it detracting from the elegance of its design.
 * “Who could have built such a thing?” asked Cassi.
 * “That’s what I’m wondering,” said Selu.

Then, as they were about five meters away from the doorway, one of the massive doors creaked and swung open with a sighing groan, revealing a glowing blue interior. Every weapon they had was instantly out and pointed in that direction. Spectre’s was the first up, his blaster rifle trained on the doorway. Cassi and Sarth had smaller blaster pistols in hand that they had acquired on their travels, while Milya had her vibroblade unsheathed and gripped firmly in front of her in a fraction of a second. Selu’s lightsaber and shoto flew to his hands, but he kept them extinguished for the moment.
 * “Please tell me that you did that without telling us, Selu,” said Milya quietly.
 * “Okay. If it makes you feel better, that was me using telekinesis without telling you,” replied Selu. “Do you feel better now?”
 * “Was it?” asked Sarth.
 * “No,” admitted Selu.
 * “I didn’t think so,” Milya said.

Suddenly, a bluish apparition materialized in front of them, a tall human with long graying brown hair tied behind his head, and clad in ancient-looking Jedi robes from head to foot. Selu jumped back and triggered both his blades, the emerald beams of light ready to block a sudden strike, though the spirit wore no lightsaber, nor bore any other weapon. Then, another apparition appeared, this one a woman in a less-flowing jumpsuit, but still styled after Jedi robes. One after another, ghostly, translucent spirits appeared in front of them, including a Cathar, a Zabrak, a Miraluka, an Echani, and five more humans, for a total of eleven spirits standing around them, quiet as a grave. Some of them wore Jedi robes of various colors and cuts, while others wore more conventional tunics and pants. None of them seemed to bear any weapons, and while they all resonated within the Force, Selu couldn’t detect any dark intentions from them.
 * “Who are you?” demanded Selu. “Speak! Are you servants of the light?”

His cries went unanswered, leaving him to stand in front of the others, blades at the ready, though he did not know how effective they would be on a Force ghost. The spirits regarded him gravely, and Selu was unsure of what to do. Such phenomena had been recorded in the Jedi archives and in the holocrons that Selu had brought with him, but he had never personally experienced one of them, nor frequently talked about often by Jedi. They were often dismissed as an ancient occurrence that had been lost to modern Jedi, and Selu had never researched the topic.
 * “What say you?” Selu continued. “Who are you?”

Finally, the first apparition spoke.
 * “Welcome, Selusda Kraen. We have been waiting for you and your companions to arrive.”
 * “Is that so?” said Selu, warily. “And why is that?”
 * “Calm down, young Jedi,” said one of the other humans, an elderly looking man wearing Jedi robes and with dark brown skin and scarcely any hair on his head. “There’s no need for the lightsabers.”
 * “I’ll be the judge of that,” said Selu. “Who are you?”
 * “We are Jedi, like yourself,” replied the first speaker, then he continued after a pause. “You might know me as Revan.”
 * “Revan?” gasped Selu, in complete surprise. “The Jedi who defeated the Mandalorians, then brokered the Jedi Civil War until he was redeemed? That Revan?”
 * “The one and the same,” Revan said. “Perhaps I should more properly introduce my companions.”

One by one, Revan pointed them out, each heroes of an era long past, Jedi Knights and Masters, champions of the Force in their time. Bastila Shan, the Jedi who had turned Revan back from the dark side and had nearly single-handedly stemmed the tide of the Jedi Civil War, was the woman in the jumpsuit. The old dark-skinned Jedi was Jolee Bindo, one of Revan’s companions. The Cathar was Juhani, a famed Jedi warrior, and one whose teachings Selu had studied when learning how to camouflage himself with the Force as a Padawan. Srynassa Valaris, the exiled Jedi who had fought in the Mandalorian Wars and later defeated a trio of Sith and resurrected the order was there, as was Master Mical, a Jedi Council member three millennia earlier. Rounding out the group of spirits was the Echani Jedi, Brianna, the Miraluka Visas Marr, and the human Mira. Each one of them had been a luminary of the Jedi many years ago.
 * “My Masters,” Selu said, extinguishing his blades and falling to his knees in awe of the famous Jedi in whose presence he was standing. “How is this possible? What is this place?”
 * “I know you have many questions. They will be answered, in due time,” said Revan. “Yet perhaps you would prefer to come inside the tower. Rooms have been prepared for you.”

Selu looked up at the sound of beeping and whistling. Wheeling out from the doorway was a positively ancient utility droid, about waist-high, now only seen in museums or holobooks on Old Republic technology.
 * “This is T3-M4,” said Revan. “My faithful companion and friend. He will show you to your rooms.”
 * “Is this a good idea, Selu?” asked Spectre.
 * “These are ancient Jedi Masters,” explained Selu. “We are safe here.”
 * “Maybe,” said Milya cautiously, “But I don’t like this whole visited by spirits thing.”

The spirit of the Echani, Brianna, turned back to regard them.
 * “Annui lenaoedth tes taslanna yul sithryn tasparden, Milya e Tayrce. Unskí sithryl nuquielad. Ubrienól, tes larii testraen askadala sithrye il ablada.”

Milya stood as if spellstruck by the words that Brianna had said to her, but the spirit turned and disappeared into the tower, following after the other luminescent figures.
 * “What in space did she just say?” asked Sarth.
 * “That was Echani. I haven’t heard anyone speak Echani in years” said Milya brusquely. “She said—it’s not important.”
 * “She said, ‘Much suspicion and fear you hold within, Milya Tayrce. Long have you suffered. Enter, and find peace in this place,’” spoke up Cassi quietly.
 * “How did you know that?” asked Milya tersely.

Cassi shrugged.
 * “I started teaching myself Echani shortly after I met you, in case you missed hearing the language. But you never wanted to talk about your past life, so I never mentioned it.”

Milya just stared at Cassi, even more thunderstruck than before, if that was possible.

Selu, a few steps ahead of the others and only vaguely aware of the conversation occurring behind him, turned back to look at his companions.
 * “Well, shall we go in?”

In response, the others followed Selu and the little wheeled droid through the cavernous doorway into the mysterious interior of the tower. As they passed in, the massive stone door closed behind them with a bass rumble.