Faction There is Only the Force - [Open to The Jedi Order]

[Ryv]

Peace
Jedi Praxeum Station,
New Found Home of the Unified Jedi Order

Ryv lounged out comfortably across the sofa in his room. It was another long day, leaving him sore and exhausted, but he had yet to fall asleep after the hours of cleaning and training. Since Kintan, the young kiffar struggled to get any sleep at all. His nights were filled with vivid nightmares recalling the gruesome slaughter wrought at the hands of the Sith. Watching old holoflicks on Spaceflix helped in calming the anxious teenager. Tonight, he decided to rewatch Top Blaster, a film following an ace pilot in the Galactic Republic who struggled with love, loss, and disciplinary issues. It had become a classic for so many, Ryv and his father included. So, it wasn't a surprise when the exhausted padawan finally began fading out of consciousness. His head snapped back up a few times, eyes shooting open at the uncomfortable feeling of his head drooping low, but he shrugged it off and finally found sleep's embrace.

Rather than the usual rerun of his greatest fears, Ryv found himself walking down an empty hall. It was uniform in design, maintaining a slate gray color across the ceiling, walls, and floor. No one else appeared to him, so he just began walking. Each step leading him deeper down the endless hall. While many doors appeared to branch off into different rooms or corridors, none of them were responsive. He could feel frustration beginning to nag at the edges of his mind, but he pushed forward and continued his clueless search. After what could have been hours, Ryv felt a surge of pain shoot up his side. He collapsed against the side of the hall, barely able to stay on his feet. A full minute passed before he felt like he could move again and when he took another step in the direction he'd been walking, another wave of pain shot through his body, as if a blade had been driven into his abdomen and twisted. Unable to stay on his feet, the kiffar slammed into the ground and curled up into a ball, his eyes clenched shut. This particular sensation lasted far longer, spreading through his body. Blood ran from wounds he hadn't even realized were there as the temperature of the ship dropped considerably.

When next he straightened, he was at the end of the hall. A blastdoor was shut before him with a terminal to activate it beside him. From behind it, the kiffar could feel an overwhelming sense of pain, as well as a dark presence. Fear threatened to turn him away from the door and flee to whatever safety he could find in this dream state. It nearly did, until he heard a grunt from the otherside. While he couldn't place it, he recognized the sound of pain. With a deep breath, he activated the panel and pressed inward. The sight of Lanik Dawnstar hit the kiffar harder than anything else thus far.

The noble Jedi, a true warrior of the light, was chained to a chair and left alone. Fresh wounds still bleeding freely seemed like the worst of it, but the longer Ryv looked upon the missing Jedi the worse it became. Purplish black bruises, swollen flesh, broken bones; it all added to the horrific sight that made up Lanik's trapped form. Ryv could only approach, reaching out for the larger Jedi with tears in his eyes. It all felt so real to the kiffar that he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to squeeze the gaunt man's shoulder. On contact, Lanik's head snapped up to meet Ryv's eyes.

"Ryv? What are you doing here?" there was a sense of urgency that hung on Lanik's hoarse tone. Before the question could be answered, Ryv felt his body lifted and sucked back through the door. The world blurred around him as the doors he passed earlier whipped by. He managed to turn in time to see the approaching wall growing closer with each second. Unable to stop his flight, Ryv lifted his arms and prepared for an impact that never came.

Ryv's eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. Without thinking, he launched himself off his sofa, grabbed the jacket hanging off the side of a chair, and raced out of the room.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," Ryv's words and heavy footfalls echoed through the halls of Peace as he raced towards the Grand Council chambers. He slid into the chamber, actually stumbling against a chair, only to crash over it and slam into the ground. "Oww, dude, c'mon!" he kicked the chair in protest before racing towards the terminal located dead center in the room. Normally used to project holomaps and other pieces of information, Ryv fiddled with the terminal for several minutes, making numerous mistakes in his work before finally finding what he was looking for. "Engage security protocol 141. A Jedi is in danger."

At the kiffar's words, a series of loud, wailing sirens pierced the normally tranquil halls of Peace. Red lights flashed, calling to attention everyone aboard the artificial moon.

 

[Wyatt Morga]

In the midst of training, Wyatt was stirred from his meditative state by the sudden onset blaring of an alarm. In the distance, he could sense a Padawan disturbed - the localized sensation of Ryv, before the alarms sent a wave of unease through the station. Wyatt tensed, and like a giant waking from sleep slowly stood tall - proud as a Jedi should. He dawned his mask, one that would help guide the Jedi -​

​

Even if the choice he made on Kintan still haunted him.​

​

As the Jedi masses slowly began to pile into the Council Chambers, Wyatt couldn’t help but noticed the fidgeting, restless figure in the center. Ryv was a Jedi he respected well - knew that of all the Jedi at the station, he held far more potential than most; though he would never admit it, to Ryv or to the others. Despite the alarm, he couldn’t help but offer a smile at the thought, tempered as it were.​

​

“Ryv, what’s going on?”, he asked quietly as to not cause a greater disturbance. He wanted to trust Ryv, not doubt him in front of so many - but a padawan had saw fit to set off an alarm without so much as a consideration for the Masters; and no offense to Ryv, but padawans were not often known for their well-adjusted reactions to stress.​

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Though, come to think of it, neither were many Masters as of late.​

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With a sigh, he glanced to Ryv and repeated himself in clearer terms;​

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“I trust you, I just need to know whats going on…”​

​

Ryv​

 

[Tiland Kortun]

Tiland raised an eyebrow as he felt a sensation rippling through the Force. Fear, worry, deep unease. Panic, perhaps? Moments later, the security alarm for a Jedi in danger went off, summoning them all to the High Council Chamber. He set down the untouched cup of tea and closed his eyes, stretching out with his feelings into the Force. He sensed danger, certainly, and threats hanging ominously in the future. Yet nothing specific, nothing nearby. That concerned him because someone did. The Anzati rose and gathered up his mug of tea, pulling his outer robe tighter around himself before taking up his staff and making his way to the council chamber.

He paused at the entrance to assess what was going on. Crowds of people, Ryv at the center, with Wyatt Morga trying to assess what was happening. Ryv was distraught, that was clear. Panicked perhaps? Something had happened. Tiland could sense no prank or mischief in the young Jedi, but genuine fear and worry. Smoothing his mustache for a moment, Tiland pushed through the crowd, humming softly to himself, beckoning the more concerned padawans with one hand. "Give him room to breathe, please, there you go. Don't crowd him."

Picking his way over to the youngster, he held out the cup of tea. "Drink this. It will help." He said nothing else, but took a seat on the floor facing him and the console, pulling another cup from his robes and beginning the tea ritual anew. Even among Jedi, sentients were sentients, and that meant panic could develop quickly and naturally. It was instinctive. Had kept sentients alive for thousands of years as they developed into complex organisms.

First priority in a situation such as this was keeping panic from spreading and doing more harm. So, he sat and made tea, deliberately and slowly, as if nothing were wrong. "Master Morga, young Ryv, please, come and sit with me."

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Space stations were strange. Their day/night cycle was artificial and unless someone spent all their time on one, there was no chance for the natural body systems to adjust. Alana's was still based on Dremulae's cycle, which was not the same as Peace's. If anything, they were direct opposites. So, she was awake with her hands buried deep in the electronics as she rerouted some of the electronics to bypass some carbon scoring damage.

Then the alarm went off and she raised her head up, nearly banging it on the support struts. She stopped and clambered out slowly, grabbing a rag from where it hung over the edge. She wiped the grease away as the siren echoed through the hangar. What was going on? A quick run through the scanners showed there was nothing present that shouldn't be. So no immediate threat? What was going on?

The summons was to the High Council chamber. She shrugged and strode that way, stepping to one edge of the chambers as she took in the situation. It was no clearer here than in the hangar.

 

[Ryv]

"Wyatt I- oh, shoot, Master Morga! I found him, I found Lanik!" Ryv stepped up to Wyatt with a wide assortment of emotions in his eyes. Excitement, fear, and anxiety were likely the most prominent of the bunch. "I dunno how. I dozed off on the couch while watching a holoflick and there he was. I touched him and he felt it, he saw me!" as he spoke, he started noticing the growing crowd of Jedi watching him. His eyes widened as his heart hammered against his chest. The story repeated itself in his mind and the more he thought about it, the more the kiffar realized how ridiculous this all had to seem. An errant padawan sounding an alarm over a dream he had. "Oh man, no no no," Ryv rubbed his eyes a bit and did his best to block out everything aside from Wyatt. He prepared for the worst from his mentor, expecting to be chastised for his actions.

Though, when Tiland approached with a cup of tea in hand, Ryv looked up in confusion. He took the cup and watched the older Jedi begin the strange delay. He took a sip of the drink, warming up his chilled hands on the exterior of the drink. "Master Morga, I know it sounds crazy, but I saw him," he paused at Tiland's invitation and moved to sit across from the elder Jedi. "And, uh, thanks for the tea, Master Tiland," Ryv took another sip before bowing his head to the two masters. He set the cup down before him and took a deep breath. As the kiffar centered himself, he closed his eyes and focused once more on the force. It made being surrounded after his potential mistake far easier when he looked at it from the perspective of the cosmic power.

"Okay, so," Ryv opened his eyes once again. "He was on an imperial prisoner transfer ship, but he was in really bad shape," he motioned to his right side. "There was a real nasty cut on his side, bruises too like he was knocked around a bit," he focused on the vision granted to him, trying to see deeper than he did in his first visit to the ship. "I remembered feeling a great darkness and pain around him. I believe the Sith have him, masters. I don't know, where, I only have a name," he paused as he felt the words lodged in his throat. The instruments of torture used on their captured friend made sense all of a sudden. "It was called the Embrace."

Tiland Kortun | Wyatt Morga​

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Off to the side, Quill, plain and awkward:

"The Kalos Windspeaker saber could help us replicate the vision and get more detail, a bearing. By us I mean not Ryv . He's seen so much already."

Quill held out an old silver saber with an exposed kyber gem, a relic that enhanced visions and farsight.

"If it's a big Imperial dungeon ship, there could be thousands of other prisoners to free. Maybe we should use Underground Ganker Limpets and steal the whole ship, yank it into hyperspace."

 

[Wyatt Morga]

Wyatt knew Ryv didn’t do well amidst crowds - and that alone would be enough punishment for the time being. Even still, when he could feel Ryv trying to focus just on him - when he could feel those emotions rise up in him, Wyatt offered a stern grip of his shoulder; and a gentle smile. A quiet nod, and he encouraged him to continue with his story, at his pace.​

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When he finished, Wyatt sighed ever so slightly - not taking the tea he was offered. Instead, he offered a quiet response to Ryv; moving to cross his arms with a slight frown -​

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“First, this really isn’t what the alarm system is for Ryv… It should only be used when the station is under attack.”, he chastised. But only for a moment.​

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“... But I thank you for doing it. If Lanik can indeed be found, we should do our best to find him.”, he reassured before glancing at the others as they spoke. Of plans to steal the Imperial Dungeon ship, of freeing them all - and Wyatt would nod ever so slightly.​

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“If Lanik is there - we must find a way to save him, but we need information… How to find it, where it is at any given moment, what the layout of the ship is, or could be.”, he sighed.​

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“What do we do about those things?”​

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Jend-Ro Quill │ Ryv │ Alana Sunrider │ Tiland Kortun​

 

[Sev Pitborn]

Sev sat in his chamber. He was knelt on a mat, in the center of the room, deep in contemplation. Before him, floated the dark lightsaber of The Sith he had fought on Nar Shaddaa. The weapon throbbed with anger and pain, containing the souls of both The Sith Assassin who owned it and Sev's late Master, both of whom it had slain. Sev could feel the cries of the bleeding kyber crystal within. Sev had requested the unholy blade back from Master Morga, hoping to heal the bleeding crystal and turn the foul blade into a weapon of justice and redemption. A constant reminder of both his greatest victory and greatest loss. He had spent every night since taking possession of the saber restlessly meditating with it, attempting to soothe the screaming dark crystal in its core. He didn't know if he was making any progress or not, as the weapon still secreted dark and hateful energy, but it helped him focus himself and meditate. Sev hungered to redeem the weapon and its tortured crystal as if doing so would redeem himself.

Suddenly, Sev's deep concentration was broken by a screaming alarm. His eyes shot open, and the dark saber dropped to the floor. Sev picked it up and put it in his trunk, before pulling a cloak on over his bare shoulders and rushing towards the High Council chamber. This alarm was meant to be used in emergencies, such as an attack on the station and Sev knew he needed to help.

As he arrived in the chamber, he found himself among a crowd of Jedi, surrounding Sev's young acquaintance Ryv and Jedi Master Wyatt Morga . Ryv was frantic, describing a vision he had seen of captured Jedi Lanik Dawnstar . Sev had heard stories of the young Jedi. By all accounts, he was a brave and upright servant of The Force, and the Order suffered in his absence. Master Morga was attempting to bring some logic and calm to the calamity, asking how they could gather more information. Sev was no seer, no spy, but he was a warrior. He felt a strong compulsion to speak up, during a pause in the commotion.

"Master Morga, I am no seer, but I volunteer to do whatever I can to help save Lanik. Simply give me the order and I will not rest until it is done. We must free our fellow Jedi." Sev couldn't contribute any more than that, but this Order had saved him. It was time he returned the favor to one of his comrades. He stood tall and proud in his conviction, ready to make any sacrifice to save a fellow Jedi.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

Lanik Dawnstar Wyatt Morga Ryv Sev Pitborn Alana Sunrider Tiland Kortun

“If Lanik is there - we must find a way to save him, but we need information… How to find it, where it is at any given moment, what the layout of the ship is, or could be.”, he sighed.​

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“What do we do about those things?”​

"The fact that Ryv can feel Lanik at all suggests he hasn't been kept in a ysalamir field or anything comparable. That means we can home in on him, both through visions and through his bond with any of you. That should give us a general course.

"Once we get closer, it'll be easier. If he really is on an Imperial prison ship, and with a name like that I don't doubt it, we'll be able to home in on - forgive me, Ryv - the pain and fear radiating from the thousands of prisoners aboard.

"A dungeon ship will have escorts, so whatever vessel or vessels we bring, they'll need advanced stealth capabilities or a lot of speed. Cargo space for ganker limpets would be ideal, so we're talking freighters or corvettes. Anything smaller and we lose options, anything larger and we risk getting caught in a slugging match we can't win.

"All that to say, if we pick the right ship now and grab appropriate supplies from some old friends of mine on the way, we could be on site in 24 hours or less."

Quill hesitated audibly.

"Something you should know about me. I wasn't always a Jedi. A long time ago, I was a fairly successful, ah...ship thief. Not days or things about myself I want to revisit by any means, but this is that important."

 

[The last clone]

Bernie was still new to this, so when he heard alarm bells he started panicking.
“Oh god, oh god, oh god. What does that mean? I think it’s the council summon.” Bernie opened his door and hurried to the council chambers, or the direction he assumed it was.

He noticed that he was late. As usual. He quickly shuffled towards a seat and sat down next to master Morga and a few Jedi he did not recognise.

“Uh hey, guys what's happening? I’m new around here sorry.”

 

[Alana Sunrider]

Wyatt Morga Sev Pitborn Jend-Ro Quill The last clone Ryv

Alana frowned and stepped closer in to the group that was talking to the younger Jedi. She patted the latecomer on the shoulder as he arrived. "No worries, Bernie. Misunderstanding of the system." She turned to look at the assembled crowd before raising her voice. "Doesn't seem to be any immediate threat!" Seeing Wyatt and Ryv's face. "Well, not here at least."

Quill's words got her considering. "Can't help you find it, but you need a ship? Mine's ready to go. Just did some rewiring to boost sensor scans. She's not big, but she's discreet, and has the firepower to tackle things pretty high above her weight class. Reinforced hull and equipment too. Got some old Silk hyperspace navcomputers from my old ship as well. Smuggler's runs, corporate trade routes, added some new ones. Works great for getting in and out of enemy space."

She nodded over towards Bernie. "You're a clone, right? Ever do any infil missions?"

 

[Ryv]

As others stepped forward, Ryv stood back up and moved a bit off to the side. There was so much to be said and many of the gathered Jedi were far more experienced than he was. He delivered the message, Lanik was alive, and it was up to the experts to figure out the next steps. Ryv listened in, however, hoping to glean what the masters could come up with. The force was still a grand mystery to him. Up until that night, he didn't even know it was possible to connect with other force sensitives, yet he'd managed to reach Lanik across the stars. It confused the kiffar greatly, but so too did he find awe in the twist. He never really believed his father when he spoke of the vast quantity of mysteries surrounding the omnipresent power. Now though, there might be a reason to press forward in his studies.

Sev's appearance and declaration took Ryv by surprise. He knew the older Jedi to be a competent fighter from personal experience, but the padawan certainly didn't expect the knight to rise to the occasion in such a manner. Ryv neared his friend and reached up, setting a hand on Sev's shoulder.

"If Sev's gonna go, I'd like to tag along. I couldn't tell you how, but Lanik and I are connected somehow. I think I can help find him once we're on the ship," Ryv straightened a bit beside Sev, his earlier anxieties replaced by a need to help his friends. "If Alana can provide the ship and Master Quill can provide the route, I just think we need to find the ship and a means of freeing the prisoners, right?" he questioned the group around him and tilted his head to the side. They still needed to discuss how many Jedi they wanted to send. How many would be too many? What was Lanik's life worth to the Jedi Order? To Ryv, it was priceless, but so were all the others gathered together. The young kiffar couldn't imagine the stress of making that decision.

"I have uh-" Ryv paused and rubbed at his face with his free hand. "I've got a fair bit of experience slicing imperial tech from my time before the order," he looked at Master Quill, offering a thankful nod. "I would request to bring someone I'm familiar with, like Bernard perhaps? We're used to working together and he's a great fighter. Maybe they won't notice a smaller unit working parallel to a ship-wide distraction?"

Alana Sunrider | Bernard of Arca | Jend-Ro Quill | Sev Pitborn | The last clone | Wyatt Morga​

 

[Wyatt Morga]

Wyatt heard the various voices, the plan of action - the idea of stealing ships, of freeing prisoners, of bringing Jedi back into the fold. A finger ran to his chin, almost passively, as his brow furrowed and he considered the proposition. It was certainly a plan - but he couldn’t help but feel as though they were outstretching their abilities…​

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The Force was a subtle thing, and were it the simple corruption of the Sith in the distance, or the chance this truly was a poor decision could not be determined. It would require hours of meditation - Hours Lanik or the other prisoners didn’t have, and not something the other Jedi would allow. Nor would Wyatt, all things considered in the moment.​

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Eventually, he nodded as he glanced to those present, from the newly brought forth Clone named Bernie, to Sunrider, Quill, Ryv, and Pitborn;​

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“If you are confident in this…”, he offered, slowly and quietly.​

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“I will back you. My blade is as much yours, Ryv.”, said with a smile, though weak as it were. Tempered.​

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“Prepare the ships. Jend-Ro Quill , I have a… bad feeling about this. Please, if your tracking can tell anything more than where the ship is - I would appreciate it. That applies for any of you.”, he said as his eyes glanced at the many present once more.​

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“We may need a fighter distraction. We should ask the Jedi Aces if they are able to assist - it seems only right for the moment.”, he finalized before glancing at the many in the council.​

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“We don’t need an army, but I would… greatly appreciate anyone willing to volunteer for this effort. A jedi was taken from us - subjected to how knows what. We can not let that stand, for the good of Lanik Dawnstar, or the continued hope of the Jedi Order.”, he exclaimed with far more confidence.​

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“... We need to bring the fight back to the Sith - and this is just the beginning.”​

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Alana Sunrider │ Bernard of Arca │ Jend-Ro Quill │ Sev Pitborn │ The last clone │ Ryv​

 

[Bernard of Arca]

A long breath escaped the Jedi Padawan. His eyes were closed. All concentration he could muster was directed towards his closed fist which hovered before him, resting its blunt face against a sheet of stone. He drew another breath and held it for a few heartbeats while he drew his fist backwards. Then, accompanied by an explosive exhalation, the fist flew back against the stone with tremendous force. A dull and quiet sound echoed through the small chamber. It was reminiscent of cracking glasteel. The sensation he felt along his fist was that of solid, cool stone. It hadn't broken. He began drawing another breath when an alarm began to blare loudly. He perked up, attempting to identify it. Just enough familiarity with the emergency protocols told him this one meant danger for the entirety of Peace. Immediately he turned to run out the chamber, making sure to grab the kolto-soaked bandage he had prepared on his way out.

The way towards the hangars wasn't particularly long, but pushing through the crowds of Jedi all attempting to get to different places had been an ordeal. He was only half-way towards the hangars when his comlink gave of a quiet chime, as did those of the Jedi around him. Inspecting the message, he found it to be a general all-clear. There were audible sighs and groans among the younger Jedi, even some of the elder ones to Bernard's surprised. The alarm had been false, the station was not under threat. Another chime brought another message, though this time it was his alone. One of the Knights, a familiar name had summoned him, he was unsure why. Perhaps they suspected him of being behind the alarms? But with what motive and evidence? More importantly, whoever had triggered the alarm was likely still within the council chambers, so his presence in the hangar would be enough of an alibi to free him of any guilt. That was unless he was being framed.

As he made his way to the council chambers several scenarios began playing out within his mind. A sense of guilty paranoia washed over him as he continued to ponder on the short walk to the chambers. The closer he came the more a sense of determination filled him, but not his own, it came from beyond, from the hall itself. He entered in time to hear the last words of Master Morga's speech, the voice familiar enough to pick out instantly, though he didn't quite see the Jedi as he entered. A familiar face greeted him, however, amongst the crowd of Jedi before him. A Knight whose acquaintance he'd made on a mission to Bogden.

"Ah, you came." the man spoke in a respectful whisper. Bernard wasn't sure how he should take the expectation that he might not have. The Knight gave Bernard a brief summary of what had been discussed. Even if he did not feel the same passion towards a rescue operation as the others did, an incursion into Sith space could yield many valuable secrets. The human pat Bernard on the shoulder to get his attention and nodded towards the centre of the room, an indication to push through the wall of robes.

Bernard's only response was an expression of suspicion. He pushed through, stepping beyond the Jedi to find familiar faces among many more unknown. The sense of suspicion had yet to leave him as he began down the stairs. He bowed respectfully as he reached the last few steps.

"I volunteer." His voice was filled with confidence, even as his mind remained cautious.

Wyatt Morga Ryv Alana Sunrider Tiland Kortun Jend-Ro Quill Sev Pitborn The last clone

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

“Prepare the ships. Jend-Ro Quill , I have a… bad feeling about this. Please, if your tracking can tell anything more than where the ship is - I would appreciate it. That applies for any of you.”​

Quill looked around the room, then down at the Windspeaker saber in his hand. "Any of you feel the Force telling you anything about this, about what's coming, about Lanik or the Sith or any other prisoners, please tell me soon as you can. I'll take what we've learned and what I can dig out myself, throw in anything you intuit or see, and build us a coherent picture of what we're about to face."

He stowed the saber away and headed for the door. "In the meantime, I'll be getting some gear together and making some calls. For once I'll keep my comlink on. Keep me posted."

Wyatt Morga Ryv Sev Pitborn Alana Sunrider Tiland Kortun Bernard of Arca The last clone