Very well.
Verlaine can provide an air speeder to the front lines, for those who wish to go... these things are very fast, and the journey takes less than an hour.
It must be said, when you heard the words 'front line' you were expecting some kind of vast battlefield. Instead, what you have is a rather pleasant set of green fields with sveeral very large gun emplacements built there, manned by bored-looking gunners. In the very, VERY distance you can see K'rra Chi, with the vast sprawling Coroa jungle to one side of it, reaching into the distance and along your flank.
Those who have stayed in the capital may continue to talk with Verlaine, and will soon meet up with Julie.
Ok, this is Julie's introductory post. Judging by her profile she is an Adventurer, and her name is Sieri Gaph
Julie, having just finished a diplomatic mission that required delicate Corellian tact (which is to say you were so scary that no-one argued with you), were expecting to return to the Temple for a quiet period of rest and contemplation. Instead, you are surprised to receive an immediate re-direction to a major industrial planet near the outer rim, named Damagran.
Your orders are received in the form of a pre-recorded message sent by Trorn, the liasion to the Jedi Council. The message is waiting for you as you get back to your ship, marked for urgent attention.
"Sieri," says Trorn's recorded figure. "I'm sorry to do this but we currently need all unassigned agents to a trouble spot near the Outer Rim." A barrage of navigational data is flashing up in front of your eyes.
"This is the Damagran Confederacy, a 13-strong union of worlds that have been Republic members for thousands of years. Following a recent coup d'etat by a powerful trouble maker named Faylar, the Confederacy has declared independance from the Republic. A large civil war has started on the planet between the pro and anti Republicans.
"Normally once a world leaves the Republic it is no longer our business. But a team of Jedi in the area at the time found evidence that Faylar was not only working with subversive elements in the Republic, he had also allied himself with a band of highly dangerous Dark Jedi. These Dark Jedi are led by an ex-Knight named Kuylen."
A bio of Kuylen comes up, about a Knight with a devastating talent for sword play from the highly militarised constellation of Tasker's Crown. Kuylen was a valuable agent who was euqlly valued both in his work out in the field and in the time he spent as one of the keepers of the Jedi Archives. Kuylen disappered two years ago on a mission to Hutt space and was assumed to be dead, but evidently this is not so... Kuylen himself is a darkly attractive man with a beards and braided hair.
"Kuylen's intervention in procdeeings complicated things immensely. He discovered the location of an ancient Sith Archive on the planet Avalar." Julie, you have heard the name Avalar before. But that was just a myth, surely?." He and his fellow Fallens attempted to plunder this archive in order to try and decipher the secrets of the Sith. Luckily our Jedi team was able to greatly hinder their efforts and the archive was eventually destroyed. The Dark Jedi;s powerin the ares was broken and I understand their alliance with Faylar is at an end."
"Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was instrumental in organising a blockade of Damagran while investigations into Faylar's activity continue. We would have liked to leave it at that but the situation has grown much more complex."
A new bio appears, of a young Knight, no older than yourself.
"This is Argentis, a former Padawan of Kuylen's. Argentis has taken the recent turn of events badly, and has vanished, apparently set upon a mission of revenge aginst his former Master. Argentis must be found and retrieced before any harm comes to him. Master Kellan Gundark is leading the mission to find him.
"We have received information that makes us think that Kuylen and his band have returned to Damagran itself, for reasons that are unclear. Where Kuylen goes, Argentis is bound to follow. Gundark has led her team to Damagran where even now they are attempting to gain entry to the city of K'rra Chi, where Faylar, Kuylen and Argentis are suspected to be.
"Your orders are to go to Damagran and link up with this mission. You are being provided with navigational information, and the passcodes to get you through the blockade. You may land in the capital city where Repubican sympathisers are in control. They will help you find the other Jedi, and you can join the mission.
"One final note, Sieri. Remember your mission is to RECOVER ARGENTIS. Whatever our personal feelings about Faylar, until the Repulbic builds a case against him he is outisde our jurisidction., And even stopping Kuylen is secondary to recovering Argentis, unless it becomes clear that Kuylen is a great threat again. Do not allow yourself to be distracted in this mission. May the Force be with you, Sieri. Trorn out."
Nice man, Trorn, but WAY too serious. Well, so much for your holiday!
Julie, you can do some background checking on Damagran during your hyperspace journey.
Damagran is a powerful world with a large military, Obscurely, they recently had a huge pirate problem- an odd choice of target for pirates, who normally prey on weaker worlds.
Reading Master Gundark's report, that Trorn has sent to you, you note that the pirates acted as the private army of Kuylen and Faylar when the two men were working together. Apparently they used vast gold reserves from Avalar to pay the piorates, gold reserves that Faylar still has.
Many of these pirates have now been dealt with, after some vast battle at their base involving Jedi on both sides of the Force. But their leader, Pelloran, is still at large with a lof of provided hardware. If he is stull skulking around that makes this mission no more easy.
Reading about this fallen Knight 'Kuylen' makes you uncomfortable. Gundark tells of a fight she had with him, and makes it clear that she is damn lucky to be alive. You have never, in your life, seen anyone who an outfight a Jedi Master.
They don't seem to talk much about the Sith Archive on Avalar. But then, the Jedi rarely talk of such things. Maybe they think it is best left buried.
Most alarming of all, it seems this band of Dark Jed have already killed one Jedi Master, and taken one of the Knights working for Master Gundark hostage. You're not entirely sure what you are being sent into, here.
Skipping over the indeterminate amount of time it would take you to get there...
You arrive at the Damagran system. These once-busy space lanes have now been closed. Before you, is the quite plesant world of Damagran, but surrounding it is the ugly mass of the Republican blockade.
Forgot what you saw in The Phantom Menace. This is not a corporate blockade of a planet full of pacifists. This is a hardcore military blockade of a powerful world. Hundreds, if not thousands, of ships are surrounding the planet in ALL directions. You can't see how anything could get through that. Actually, you cannot remember the Republic doing anything this decisive in yoiur life.
A vast queue of ships is waiting to get through the blockade; some medical and humanitarian ships that the Republic are allowing through; some private ships that are desperate to return home. They are beimng thoroughly searched and checked; not a single weapon will be allowed onto Damagran. You watch, curiously, as a Hutt freighter is allowed through. Selling medical supplies, presumably. Anywhere where there is profit to be made...
Soon after you leave hypersapce, you are contacted by the blockade flagship. They wish to know your business, Julie.