GAMEMASTER
The experiences of this past week have left Sun exhausted and confused. Will’s confrontation on Bin Flor with Tarr, left no doubt that Will is walking the darkside path. Tarr was pure evil and Sun was not confused by Will’s hatred of Tarr. The battle between Tarr and Will left nothing of Bin Flor’s one and only star port. Will’s saving Karyndra, Wart, Jedi Master Co No, Sun and even Bob the Basklin were just incidental to his objective of killing Tarr. Or was it? He did save Karyndra from Tarr’s minions, but only to use her to locate Tarr on Bin Flor. In some ways it all seem to be just away to get the Dirala Stones for himself. And to what end? And what happen to Clev and Clef the strange force adepts from Korriban? And Tarr’s escape from Bin Flor left no trace as where he had gone and what of his master? Questions, riddles and plot twist that mess with your head.
Enough.
Sor is climbing higher, and pitches right into a dive, and targets a Bluegill Bril. Sor will feast well on the 20 kg fish.
Sun breaks the link just after Sor’s strike hits the fish. Sun is reminded to be mindful of the here and now, linking is useful tool but one can get lost in it.
Sun, Wart and Karyndra were sent to this peaceful planet of Toorn. One of the old Toorn A Caa Temples of the Balafy (Soaring Bird) was restored over 100 years ago to be a Jedi retreat. Sun was rested in body, yet conflicted by these most recent events. What is Will’s intent, it seem on the surface to kill Tarr, but why and why with such hatred.
Enough. Focus on the here and now. Sun blinks and restores his vision of Sor feasting on the Bril.
Wart links to Sun to inform him that it is time for him to go. The Jedi Council has accepted Wart’s request to seek the Trials. Master Windu, will be administrating the Trials for Wart. Master Windu is scheduled to pick Wart up today. Sun, Wart and Karyndra have formed a close bond as the events of the previous weeks have tested their collective and individual wits, wills and skills. All shared a brush with the darkside of the Force that has left a mark, that still needs resolution, but all acknowledge their limits to face these unanswered questions.
Karyndra also joins the link to Wart and Sun, a skill all three mastered this last week in this peaceful retreat. Karyndra: “Hey you two, Master Windu’s Transport will be here in15 minutes, and Sun you better put on a burst of speed, the Cliffs are at least a 2 hour run or have Sor give you ride, if want to see this “New Jedi” transport that Windu was talking about”. Karyndra had expanded her Force Sensitivity to able to geo-position (100 kilometers) other Force Adepts and an ever-expanding variety of living force enities. Sun and Wart found this special talent of Karyndra, a major pain. Karyndra always knows where they are, exactly, to the millimeter. And she always reminds them via their newfound linking abilities. Wart started refer to Karyndra as Radar. A joke that Karyndra publicly protested to, but in her heart felt pride.
Sun in working with Sor had gain to See Link through the golden eagles eyes and was now working on links with non-force adept animals. Sun’s link with ants was very enlightening, but humbling. “Size matter not” Yoda, but once an ant is stepped on, it seems size matters a lot.
Wart took his experience with the darkside to heart. He killed many with the powers of the Dirala Stones (Black Stones). All their faces seemed to be burned into his memory. Was his motivation to take the Trials? To prove his power and will over that memory? Or was it to avenge his Master’s Arcane’s lost sanity. Arcane had moved into a deep depression and appears to lost his will to live along with most of his Force powers. Arcane’s powers were taken from him, but by whom? Tarr seems to be the most likely, but what of Will? Wart truly liked Will, and this is what make this question the more difficult to answer. Did Will turn on his old friend to gain the power to kill Tarr?
Wart, will not answer these questions today, but he will in future, this is his oath.
As to block the memory of their faces, Wart had focused his Force abilities on healing others. Remember Sun’s smashed ant, Wart was able to heal it, although it walked with a limp, but very much alive.
Yet Wart was pulled into Lightsaber training with Sun. Both gained in their melee skills. But Wart was obsessed to train constantly, the faces were hard to erase from his memory.
Today, Wart leaves with Master Windu to face the Trials.
Karyndra and Sun are to return Corasaunt tomorrow, but now they are gather at the Toorn Space Port Gate 7, to say their goodbyes to Wart.
Coming to say goodbye.
Karyndra, or Radar as she had come to be known, wasn't in the room, but he felt her presense all the same. Her mental powers were strong, and he knew she felt the turmoil within him, but he never let her see the extent of his frustration. Of his pain. He never let himself be angry, though it was tempting from time to time, but as a result, he hurt even worse. Things had changed for all three of them. Wart had been a loner to begin with, and now, even among his cloeset friends, he was alone. Arkain, the only father he'd ever known, was beyond his help or even his reach... The old man had sunk so low in his depression that it was almost as if he'd never come out of his comatose state at all.
And Will. And Tarr. And Clev, and Clef, and all the untied loose ends in his life left him ragged and imcomplete, like a tapestry that is fraying at one end, and the Council expected him to pass the Trials with all this looming over him? His inquiry to take the Trials had been more at his friends' urgance versus his own initiative. He didn't feel ready. He didn't feel much of anything at all. Master Windu had once told him that readiness was truly unreadiness and that spur of the moment reaction was potentially better than long-term planning. But that seemed kind of confusing to Wart at the time... Now, he wasn't sure, but he thought he knew what that meant.
Just then, Sun Tor Way and Sor landed next to him on the balcony.
Wart smiles and turns, "It's been my experience that the simplest things are the most beautiful, it's complexity that gets in our way."
Sinn To walks up between Karyndra and Wart, turns to Wart and tugs on his longcoat. When he gets Wart's attention he proceeds to make the cutest/goofiest face ever(one only an Ewok could make) then turns to Karyndra and smiles. He then walks over to look at the view from the balcony.
Wart bursts into laughter as Karyndra says, "I believe Sinn To thinks we are being a little too serious. . . just maybe." and then looks to her furry friend.
"Maybe a bit." Wart comments.
"Sorry Sinn To but" Karyndra states as she turns back to Wart "seriously, how are you? I can feel that you're not telling me something. I know it's hard but I think you have to, at least for a little while, put the situation with Will, Tar, and everything that happened behind you. Just until you get done with the trials."
Wart is silent for a while. "I don't think I'm ready," he murmurs, "we trusted Will, and he betrayed us." "You couldn't help that, we were all fooled." Karyndra wishes she could relieve some of the pain and guilt her friend is feeling.
Wart growls, "But I should have seen it, he was my master."
"Even more powerful Jedi missed . . . " Karyndra is cut off by the arrival of Sun and Sor.
There is a very slight shift in light and air and then Master Windu steps out of no where, only 3 meters away. The three Jedi padawans felt nothing of Master Windu's presence until he did step out of.....
Master Windu, looks at Wart and says "Lesson 1 for the Trials, is always expect the unexpected. Are you ready, we must leave right now. Are you two ready for your transport back to Corscent?(Windu addresses Karyndra and Sun).
"I believe that Sun and I will be ready shortly." She tells Windu and then turns to Wart, "I wish you luck and let the Force be with you."
Windu turns back to Wart, "We must leave now, we much to do very little time." Wart salutes to Sun and Karyndra, both in jest and with respect of their friendship and companionship. Following Master Windu, Wart enters the white void.
Karyndra and Sun both watched and saw Wart and Master Windu step into what appeared, to both with their eyes and with Force, to be nothing. They were just gone, and with slight shift in the light and gentle brush of a breeze, then both knew they were really gone.
Karyndra in attempt to reestablish herself, "It must be a Force cloaking devise, similar to what Will used on Korabon." Sun had a slight shutter from that memory. Sun says "I hope Wart will explain it when we see him next." Sun turns to Karyndra,"So do you think the Council will let you "keep" Sinn Too, he (Sinn Too) sure seems to have adopted you. I think he is under the impression he owes you a Blood Bond, a debt he can only repay with his life." Not waiting for Karyndra's reply, Sun walks to Sinn Too and says "Come on Sinn, lets see what the Council has planned for us."
Sinn Too side steps Sun, to position himself on the farside from Sor. Sinn's eyes, the now very much reduced in size golden eagle on Sun's right shoulder. Sinn shuffles back to Kryndra and says "Bird looks at me and says "lunch"." On cue Sor rotates her head back to look at Sinn and Karyndra, and squawks. Sinn: "See she wants to eat me!" Sun: "No, she said "if you do not hurry up, I will eat you." And she is right we need to get to the landing pad."
So this strange set companions moved to the Morning Star, a Carillin Inter Galactic transport, on land pad #6.
Wart turning to follow Master Windu to...well Wart just followed. Once Windu stepped into the "portal", Wart saw nothing but a empty landing pad and sense nothing. One second Wart felt Windu presence, then nothing. The feeling shut off completely, but with only a slight hestination Wart also stepped to the last place Windu was.
A soft white light surrounded him for moment and as he moved forward, the light faded to various hues of white. Wart was startled by both the phyiscal and force awareness of Master Windu. The Jedi Master was smiling at Wart in assument and was handing Wart white wrap around goggles. Windu:"These are for your eyes. The optic sheilding will allow your eyes time to adjust. It is best to use them when you know you will be only in the ship for short trips, for long trips your eyes will adjust and should be able to function just find without them."
Wart takes the goggles and put them on. Although the white light is the same, the contrast between the hues of white is much improved. Wart is now able to see that he and Windu were standing on a 2 meter round platform that was vertically extended down from the "ship's" hull about 6 meters above them. The platform was rising with a force sheild type of energy field. All this Wart could sense and just as he was going to ask Master Windu, Windu answers:"This is not our technology. This craft was discovered quite by accident by Master Bril Yi on Seta Prime six months ago. Bril Yi was leading a team of climatologist to study the effects of solar radiation on the methane clouds. Master Bril Yi was cloudwalking, when she walk onto this very platform." The platform molds itself to the now floor of a sphere shape room, about 10 meters in diameter. Windu continues "Being a Duros the white light had a lesser effect on her. She was able to explore the ship and discover no one was aboard and discover some of it's secrets." With that Windu looks straight up and says "Nav", a portal opens 10 meters above them. Through the portal Wart see a long hall. Windu just walks up the wall to the portal and steps into the hall and turns to Wart "It takes some time to get use to the space orientation of what is up." Wart follows Windu into the hall, all is still white, but shapes are very visable. Wart learns that Nav is the main control room for all systems of the ship and is where you "fly" the ship. Wart is informed that the ship is cloaked from visual, all known sensors and the Force. There is no known technology that can detect this ship. The ship has been clocked at 3 times the fastest Hyperdrive ships, but the speed seems to be dependent on the pilot's abilities. Windu says "Pilot 1" and white POD seat confirgures from the floor and small white sphere (basketball size) floats just in front of the seat. Windu to Wart "Lets see how good you are. Bow visual." The whole room disapears except for the POD seat, the sphere and hallway behind them. To Wart it looks like they are standing in air. Wart sits down and takes the sphere into both hands, the sphere's color changes to a very light green. Wart looks out and sees his friends moving down the launch area to their waiting transport. Wart senses their presence, again Windu answers before the words can be formed. "Yes, your Forces Senses work. They also allow you to pilot this ship. Take us to the Troon star, I want to show you something else. Now clear your mind and think yourself to the star. If you need direction just say "Nav Control"." A see through visual display pops up and highlights the system and the star. Windu "Now go."
Wart does a quick Jedi mind clearing trick and then "thinks" his way to the star. Wart learns that the sphere is sending all kinds of information about the ship, speed, hull strength, internal climate control, external sensors all through his hands and at a speed that flows evenly into his mind. Wart feels the ship's movement and gains speed and altitude, Wart has merged with the ship. The atmosphere and space dust brush pass the ship's shielding like a cool mist on the face. The ship jumped to hyperspace and dropped out just 900 meters from the star's corona, only the most heavily shielded ships of the Republic could be this close, and yet Wart knew this ship could handle it and more.
This is what Windu wanted Wart to see, feel and to know.