Yerssot who was sitting quietly on a chair closed his eyes and started to meditate, concentrating on expanding his Force-powers and his strenght. He knew he was going to need it.
I better let both master Gundark and master Windu alone, they need to discuss a lot...
Master Gundark, with your permission, I would also like to give a report to the honorable master Windu
The young knight used the Force to give the message through, there was no need for breaking the silence
Lance starts to walk towards his cabin to begin his healing and rest. He lays himself down on his bed and begins his trance.
I sure hope that everything goes well, Lance thinks to himself.
He slowly drifts off and begins a dream. In it the four Jedi in the ship all dissapear in a cloud of dust. Lance suddenly wakes up with sweat drifting down his face in beads just like tears. He looks at his chronometer and it says that he was only out for about five minutes.
Lance then realizes that it wasn't a dream, but a vision.
The future is always in motion. So lets up that this vision doesn't come true, Lance thinks.
Gundy, Windu is unavilable when you call him- though the anxious Council does here your report, which you make in full.
Some fifteen minutes later, you are contacted by Trorn (remember him? The Council's representative who sent for you guys at the start). Trorn is looking extremely serious.
"Thank you for your report, Master Gundark," says Trorn. "I have some news for you people as well, and I am afraid that it is not good.
"Five hours ago, the State Duma on Damagran voted in favour of secession from the Republic. The Damagran Confederacy has declared independance in its entirity. This declaration led to at first discontent, then rioting, and now it appears open warfare beween the pro- and ant- Republican factions on the planet.
"The new First Minister of the Damagran Confederacy is Faylar. From your report it seems almost certain that the Dark Jedi aided him in this coup d'etat. Faylar's troops are carrying out an invasion of cities loyal to the Republic. We are getting reports now of a major battle inside the Damagran captial. Casualty reports are high."
So much for THAT peace mission, you can't help thinking to yourselves.
"No-one blames you for this eventuality," says Trorn. "The intervention of such Dark Forces was something we did not account for. Master Gundark, your vision seems to have been justified.
"As for Kuylen... your report of his involvement troubles us greatly. I have the background information you requested on him..."
Kuylen was born in the constellation of Tasker's Crown, a region of space renowned for it's fierce and capable warriors. He was detected early as a Force Sensitive and quickly and competently became a Jedi some two decades later.
Kuylen combined the superb warrior skills of his people with his natural apditude for all things Jedi and quicklly became one of the best Knights that the Order ever produced. His one flaw was his impatience and haste. In order to try and do something about this, Kuylen was posted to the Jedi Archives. As an active military historian, Kuylen loved this assignment, and spent all his time researching ancient Jedi legends and battles. It was in this capacity that Kuylen once found that book you wanted, Gundark.
Kuylen won much praise from all he worked with and was tipped to soon become a Master. But such a valuable agent was too good to waste in the archives forever, and Kuylen was often returned to active duty. He has trained two Padawans during his career, both successfully.
After the training of his second Padawan, Argentis, Kuylen was sent on a dangerous mission to Hutt space. He never returned. Six months later, after reliable intelligence, he was declared Killed in Action, and a large funeral held He was much mourned.
"If Kuylen is indeed alive and turned to the Dark Side," says Trorn, "it is of extreme concern to the Council. However, we are not so interested, right now, in exactly how it happened, but in what happened next.
"Master Gundark, I cannot overstate the importance of following orders. Damagran, no longer part of the Republic, is not our concern. But Kuylen and this band of Dark Jedi simply MUST be prevented from spreading any more chaos in that sector. If Damagran gets a taste for indepdnance it could be the start of the unravelling of the Republic and all the values the Order has fought for all these years.
"There are no other Jedi that can help you in the near future, though other resources will be diverted to your aid as soon as possible. Until that time, you MUST attempt to follow Kuylen and prevent him from doing whatever he is doing. Failing that, simply follow him so we know where he is. Should Kuylen disappear into the vastness of the Galaxy he could spread unacceptable chaos and confusion.
"Stay on Kuylen's tail, Master Gundark. For the sake of us all."
Now Gundark knew the identity of the driver of the yellow speeder. He was working with Kuylen for sure and there was probably more than two of them. The threat of the Dark Jedi was now very real and she knew she would have to face Kuylen again.
"Lance, anything on those possible trajectories ?" she asked the young Knight, coming to stand behind his seat. "We've got to move quickly."
Working out hyperspace trajectories after this is rarely an accurate science. Luckily, the Dark Jedi were heading out to the rim, where the stars are less dense. Lance can very quickly narrow it down to one choice.
It's an isolated star, old and dying, unlikely to have life-bearing planets. It is on the very edge of the Confederacy. No name, just an id number.
Rather remote, but perhaps a good location for a hidden base.
Lance can have the co-ords ready fro you very soon...
Yerssot took "his" lightsabre and placed the hilt on his forehead, he kneeled.
"My skills will be used for knowledge and defence. Allow me to help everyone of you with this lightsabre"
After that, he stood up, still with his head down.
"Master Gundark... about your vision... ... how many Jedis were involved? How many will die?"
The young knight glansed at Lance.
"Friend Lance, we need to get into hyperspace now."
Lance has the co-ords for you now. Course is set, and the ship jumps flawlessly unto hyperspace. All things considered, it is not far. You should be there in about 30 minutes.
(Quick note, Gundy means according to Trorn, rather than Argentis, of course).
Gundy, before you can answer yerssot, you are overwhelmed by a huge feeling of dread and horror so strong that you have to sit down for a moment.
The disturbance in the Force that your vision fortold is imminent. What happens next could decide the fate of the Galaxy.
(Actually, I think I will move things on for you guys)
Your ship drops out of hyperspace at the unknown system. An impressive sight awaits your eyes.
The sun is quite close to nova- close in astronomical terms, anyway, being a good few centuries away. But the sun is swollen and deep red. Part of it has been caught in the gravity of the single planet orbiting the sun, and a long trail of stellar material loops beautifully around the planet.
The planet itself is a large ball of ice. Gundy, a familiar shiver comes over you, again. THAT is the ice planet you saw in your vision.
Orbiting the planet is a large mining platform. The platform has a large mining laser built into the bottom of it, that has been recently fired.
There is little other sign of life. One of the docking bays on the platform is sealed and occupied. The other is empty.
The planet is almost totally uninhabited, but there IS a small structure on it. But you cannot take your ship down there- the stellar material in the atmosphere would make such a trip fatal. But you would guess that adapted station-to-surface transport vehicles will be on the mining platform.
The platform is unarmed, and there seems to be little barrier to you docking there.