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Author	Topic: The Gul'dan Chronicles EP 1 (Post-TPM, OC, Jedi Council) - 2006-12-15
Jedi_Trevor_GulDan Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 12/15/06 11:58am Subject: The Gul'dan Chronicles EP 1 (Post-TPM, OC, Jedi Council) - 2006-12-15
	I wanted to bring back an old story that I wrote and get new perspective on this. Please feel free to make constructive comments to this story. It has been a couple of years since I wrote it and wanted some new faces to read through. Well, that said, May the Force Be With You!! =================================================================================== CHAPTER 1 - FOOLPROOF Trevor Gul'dan paced nervously in his sparse room. It was not his nature to show nervousness in any form; the tension in his neck was annoying him. Trevor turned his vision towards the window looking out on Coruscant. His room in the Jedi Temple faced the southern sky, so he had more light than most of the Padawans in the temple at the time. His master, Shudo Laan, a Jedi Master of the Anx race, needed to have one of the larger rooms in the temple, and preferred the southern sky. Trevor was extremely happy for this, as the sun on his face always made him feel warm and comforted. The Miraluka stood in the sunlight, letting the heat warm him. Seeing this humanoid anywhere caused many people to give a second, or even a third look. For those lucky enough to have seen a Miraluka without their eye coverings would find no eyes at all. The bald head shown with sweat whenever Master Mace Windu saber-drilled him for hours. The 1.83 m (just over 6 foot) man had a very muscular build, but not overly so. His last physical showed that he weight nearly 95 kg (209 pounds), and in good enough shape to be back on a mission. Trevor could easily be mistaken for a comic-hero type from the magazines some of the orphans were reading these days. Trevor had been very fortunate to be chosen as Master Shudo’s padawan. It wasn’t rare for Miraluka like Trevor to become Jedi—there were several Miraluka Jedi operating out of the Temple. However, there were many more who served in non-Jedi positions, lacking either the determination or the opportunity to complete their training. Despite their numbers among the Jedi, most people were unfamiliar with Trevor’s species, and often mistook them for blind humans. As with the rest of his race, he was born without eyes. Lacking physical sight, Trevor relied on the Force to see the world around him. He was more sensitive to the Force because of this, but it was not without its downfalls. Two months ago, on his last mission, he had found himself stranded on a world with ysalamiri, creatures that created voids in the Force. It was the most scared that he had been in his entire life. Most of the time, Trevor had to rely on the Force to see things that other people take for granted. When he lost his sight, he had to learn how to walk, and 'see' things again without the Force. For two weeks, he survived in the forests of Myrkr with only his wits. He shivered, as he remembered the sound of howling vornskrs hunting him when he got his sight back. A sudden 'bing-bong' from the door announcer shook Trevor out of his trance. 'Odd,' thought Trevor. 'Who could that be?' He moved his Force-sight through the door, revealing the shape of Master Shudo standing directly outside. Trevor stood and walked towards the door, knowing that using the Force to open a door inside the Temple would show a lack of discipline. Master Shudo often reminded him not to use the force for trivial tasks, or to accomplish things that could be achieved through more conventional means. Trevor opened the door and stepped outside. "Good morning, Master Shudo," spoke Trevor, bowing in greeting and respect. "Good morning, Trevor." whispered Laan, nodding in return. "Are you well this morning, my young Padawan? You look a bit pale." Trevor wasn’t surprised by his master’s keen observation. He knew that all Anx had an instinctive ability to understand the anatomy of other species. "Sorry, Master, I was thinking about Myrkr again. I am still trying to remove the fear that I felt on that mission." "Fear itself isn’t wrong, Trevor; it’s natural. It is only wrong when you let it control you. You should be mindful of your fear, without being fearful of it." Trevor's lips turned up slightly. It sounded just like Master Yoda's teachings, and Trevor couldn't resist ribbing his Master just a little. "Been reading up on Master Yoda's wisdom recently? You are starting to sound like him." His grin grew bigger. The tall Anx's coloring changed from a nervous reddish-orange to yellow, humor. "No, my young student; I am just trying to keep your spirits up." "Thank you, Master. You have done a very good job of it. But I'm sure that cheering me up is not why you stopped by." "No, as a matter of fact, it was not. I require you to prepare for a mission." Trevor's eye-patch raised itself slightly. He had not been on a mission since Myrkr and he silently wondered if he was ready. "I need only a few moments, Master. Is there anything special I need to bring?" "Not much, please, Padawan. We are not leaving Coruscant." That was a switch. Trevor hadn’t been on a local mission in years. He often got out of the Temple and traveled amongst the population, but rarely as a Jedi. "Master, I only need a few things. I'll be back directly." "No rush, Trevor. We don't need to leave for another hour. I will return in that time." Trevor and Shudo bowed to each other in acknowledgement. Trevor retreated into his room, and quickly gathered his utility belt, his Padawan lightsaber, and a few other odds and ends. He looked over his inventory and decided to bring along a collapsible quarterstaff-sized walking stick that he had procured after he was blinded on Myrkr. It was a bit of a crutch, he knew, but it gave him some strength of will whenever he recalled the dark time, as he jokingly called it. He added some food pellets into his belt, and attached a grappling hook and liquid cable dispenser. One never knew what one needed. He fastened the rest of his gear on his belt, and then checked everything twice. When he was done, Trevor took the next forty-five minutes to meditate. It was the most refreshing meditation he had in a long time. 'I must be ready,' thought Trevor, adjusting his belt one last time and pressing the door mechanism for the second time that hour. Trevor opened the door to his room just as Shudo was emerging from his own quarters. The 3.35-meter Anx lumbered down the hall with the stately grace of a man in thought. His tall crested head nearly brushed the ceiling in several spots, but he knew the temple well—Trevor couldn’t remember ever seeing him bump his head inside the Temple. Shudo and Trevor walked down the hall towards the mid-level of the Temple. On the way, Shudo explained that they were going to escort Oron Essada, a new senator from Umgul. Several traditionalist factions on Umgul were strongly opposed to the senator’s recent election, and he was concerned that there was might be an attack on his life. The arrangements were still being made for a permanent bodyguard, but until then the Jedi Council had agreed to a short-term protective assignment. "I also thought that it would be a good opportunity to help get your confidence back. I have noticed that you have been tentative recently in your studies and during training time. I normally have to slow you down," Master Shudo joked. Trevor nodded saying nothing. Repeating the Jedi Code to himself calmed him. The code was so difficult to live up to, but Trevor knew that even without the code, his life would have been difficult. He reminded himself—as Master Shudo had taught him—that the code was more than a set of rules or restrictions. It was a guide in times of trouble, a foundation to stand on when things were uncertain. A mantra to drown out the howls of hungry vornskrs in his memory. ======================================== The rest of the walk to the docking bay was uneventful. Shudo and Trevor talked about mundane things for a few minutes until they received word the Senator’s shuttle was on its final approach. The bulky red-striped shuttle touched down a little hard, sending a shutter through the platform. As the ramp extended, Shudo walked forwards towards the entrance. Trevor walked behind Shudo, his walking staff extended. Trevor could see the humor in Shudo's posture, but only one who was extremely close to him could sense it. Trevor turned his face towards the shuttle, and up, but concentrated on keeping his Force-sight on the loading ramp. The timed clanking of metal on metal met their ears, and Master Shudo's back straightened. Coming down the ramp were eight battle droids, all with Umgulian delegation markings emblazoned on the front. In the center was a man in his mid-thirties, looking rather confident walking in the middle of the column of droids. The group walked directly towards the Jedi, and parted about five meters away, allowing the senator to walk up to them. "Good afternoon, Master Jedi," the senator said. "Greetings, Senator Essada. I am Master Shudo Laan. The council has appointed us to serve as your temporary guardians.” Shudo extended a long hand toward Trevor. "This is my padawan learner, Trevor Gul'dan. The senator nodded politely toward Trevor, but couldn’t quite hide a look of mild confusion as he glimpsed Trevor’s blindfolded face. Oron extended his hand, and Trevor purposefully moved his hand away from where the senator actually was. Not much, just enough to portray that he didn't really know where the senator was. It worked perfectly; the senator shook his hand, and dismissed him with final bemused glance before his arm even returned to his side “I trust your trip went well?" Laan asked. "An excellent journey, considering I’ve arrived in one piece," the senator guffawed. Shudo nodded, and then paused. Trevor noticed that his master seemed to be a bit perplexed about the droids. Shudo did not make an issue, but Trevor noticed that his posture was a bit straighter. Trevor, using telepathy, asked Shudo, Trouble? Rather than responding through the Force, Shudo simply placed a reassuring hand on Trevor’s shoulder, another of Master Shudo’s subtle reminders that a Jedi need not rely on the Force alone when more conventional methods would suffice. Behind them, the senator was moving towards a trio of sky-cabs that were sitting nearby. "Are we ready to go?" he asked. Shudo bowed towards the senator and— still grasping Trevor’s shoulder—led his padawan toward the sky-cabs. The yellow tinge was back, and Trevor knew he would get some ribbing from his Master for involving him in Trevor’s charade, but humor was the closest emotion they could share, and it was certainly a strange pair they made. They moved towards the sky-cabs. Shudo had requested more than one to throw off any attempt at an assassination. Trevor and Essada, along with the droid-guards, moved towards the first, while Shudo got into the second. The remainder of the entourage moved towards the end. After a few minutes of getting settled, the sky-cabs took off, heading directly for the offices of the Galactic Senate. ====================================== Arrival at the Galactic Senate building was something akin to controlled anarchy. Each senator had to exert some show of power, as most politicians do. The dignitaries whom were departing shook hands and made promises that most would not keep. Almost to a being, they ignored the newest amongst their group, which suited Trevor just fine. It made things easier to pass from the loading dock to the offices of the Umgul delegation. The cargo-crates poured from the shuttles as Trevor, Shudo and Senator Essada looked on. When most of the crates were loaded on small repulsor-pallets, the three of them turned towards the nearest turbolift. After entering the lift, they rose further and further up the building, and soon disembarked on a middle level floor. The Jedi exited the chamber first, and they noticed that the droid-guards were already ahead of them. The senator seemed to have a smug look on his face when he thought no one was looking. The living quarters were efficiently located and the party entered, it was immediately evident that someone already had some pull within the political machine. The apartment was very lush and elegant, with room even for Master Shudo to move about freely. The Jedi reviewed the security system with the building guard, and after that, Shudo left to send a communication to the Council that Senator Essada had arrived safely. Trevor was left alone with Essada for a short time. Trevor continued the guise of a blind man, giving him the feeling that no one really cared what a blind man was doing in the middle of the hustle and bustle. The senator was busy with his people, moving crates in a more organized fashion. Trevor just happened to be out of the way the entire time. Shudo lumbered back in just as the last crates were settled. Shudo asked for some time alone with the senator, and he acquiesced. Soon, the Jedi and the senator were seated around a small table in the anteroom to the senator's bedroom. "Senator, there are a few things to discuss," began Shudo. "To begin, I shall let my Padawan speak." Essada turned toward Trevor in expectation. Trevor wondered if maybe he was a bit smarter than he had given him credit for. "To begin, Senator, I am not blind, as I may have lead to you to believe. I am a Miraluka, and I have no eyesight, as you would know it. I see through the Force, and just as well as you and Master Shudo do normally. I cover the top part of my face with this decorative headpiece." Trevor pulled back his hood, displaying a dark green and tan facemask where his eyes would be. A black cloth covered his head and both were securely fastened with an elaborate braiding behind his head. "I use this staff to portray a blind man to throw off potential enemies. I apologize for the deception and request that, when I have this staff in my hand, you treat me as if I were blind. It helps in my deception, sir." "Apologize? Why? You did what you thought you must! An excellent ruse indeed!" the senator smiled. "This could give you quite an edge against your opponents. By all means, keep up appearances." Shudo's yellow coloring returned once again, this time more pronounced, and directed the conversation back towards the task at hand. "Senator, what is your itinerary for the next few days?" His voice betrayed none of the emotion he displayed. "I plan on being in my office bright and early in the morning, getting my affairs straightened out. I need to meet with the Malastare delegation, and there is a reception at the Umgul-Plobex corporate complex tomorrow evening." "Who owns these droids?" The senator laughed. "I do. I purchased them at an incredibly reasonable price from a salvage-dealer on Naboo after the Trade Federation debacle. They’ve been rigged to respond to a portable control computer, which I keep on my person at all times. Unlike the arrangement with the Trade Federation and their cumbersome droid-control ships, anyone who wishes to get to the control computer or me must get past my droids first. I’ve been assured that the control signal is completely un-sliceable." “Indeed?” Shudo mumbled, showing a skeptical mottling of pale blue and red speckles. “Oh yes,” Essada continued proudly. “It’s completely foolproof.” "Very well, Senator. My Padawan and I will stand guard tonight. Please get some sleep. It seems that we will need it tomorrow.” -----signature----- Author of The Gul'dan Chronicles: http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/14526179
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Jedi_Trevor_GulDan Registered: Dec '03	Date Posted: 12/22/06 1:02pm Subject: The Gul'dan Chronicles EP 1 (Post-TPM, OC, Jedi Council) - 2006-12-22
	The next day brought nothing but monotony. A politician's day was basically meeting after meeting after conference. It seemed to Trevor that Senator Essade was engaged in at least fifteen different meetings that day, and most of them were impromptu affairs that lasted for more than a half-hour. Trevor thought to himself that it was a complete waste of time, but then remembered that politicians were part of the way of life on Coruscant; therefore, part of the balance in the Force. Essada moved around from early morning until retiring in the early afternoon to prepare for the evening festivities. During the downtime Shudo and Oron gave some lessons in political intrigue and identification. It actually became interesting after that point, because Trevor now understood both sides of the issues that Oron had presided over the entire day. After Trevor tidied his robes, the Jedi waited for the senator to finish his preparations. Once completed, the three entered a sky-shuttle to take them to the initial reception for the Umgul senator. The day turned into evening and the approaching reception was causing Trevor's hair to stand on end. Public receptions were never Trevor's cup of sim-cafe. Shaking his shoulders quickly in the air-taxi en route to the reception, Trevor caught Shudo giving him an are-you-ready look. Trevor nodded once in silent reply. 'Well, it's time to put Myrkr behind me,' Trevor thought. As the air-taxi waited its turn to deposit its passengers at the Coruscant Acadamy of Political Science, the Jedi turned up their hoods to better blend into the background. The doors slid open silently, discharging its passengers. Senator Essada and a few of his staff lead the entourage into the reception area of the Acadamy. The building was fairly new, in terms of Coruscant years. The gleaming towers on either side of the doorway were lit by a pair of mulitcolored spotlights. There were a great many stares as the Jedi entered the main hall, directly mostly at Shudo. Neither Jedi reactaed, having experienced this 'first impression' before on many assignments over the last fifteen years. 'You would stare, too, if you were to find three meter tall brown cloth standing in a doorway’ Trevor thought to himself. He nearly smiled, but after scanning the crowd, he did a quick Jedi concentration technique to remain focused on the task at hand. 'Such a great place to stealthily attack the senator,' Trevor mused. The crowd was teeming with a vast variety of species and political ideals. Essada soon mingled into the crowd, swallowed like a small fish into the weeds of a pond. Shudo realized that it would be awkward walking into the sea of party-goers, so he moved off to the side of the room, allowing him slightly higher ground in order to keep his charges in sight. Trevor turned his Force-vision towards Shudo, and noticed that Shudo moved his head towards the senator, the message very clear: KEEP CLOSE TO THE SENATOR. Trevor nodded slightly, and began joining the throng. Trevor nearly didn't see the two stairs in front of him; it was the timely arrival of a green male twi'lek waiter that prvented his misstep. After nearly bumping into him, he calmly walked down the stairs towards the senator's location. He did not push his way over, knowing that Shudo had kept his eye on him the entire time. A small nudge of the Force directed Trevor to the Senator's location. As he neared the conversation, Trevor turned so his back was facing the senator, allowing him to use his vision to search and mentally catalog all the faces who seemed interested in the senator. Trevor had an advantage because any who spied at the young Jedi thought he was looking in a a different direction, if they thought he could see at all. He made good use of this tactic during the next three hours. Senator Essada had neatly gathered a small crowd around him, and they seemed to be having a grand old time. Trevor noticed that over the last fifteen minutes, a couple of the guard-droids were patrolling nearby more often. He also saw the face of the same twi’lek waiter that prevented his fall pass by with unusual frequency, almost always within earshot of the senator. Trevor worried about this and thought Shudo should know. He turned his vision towards Master Shudo, his face also moving the same way. When Shudo turned his robe towards him, Trevor moved his head towards the twi'lek, pointing at a possible problem. Shudo and Trevor had worked enough together over the last fifteen years that they spoke more in motions that with any real words. Shudo nodded back and immediately began to glide slowly towards the side of the room with the twi'lek waiter. Without realizing it, the Senator moved away from Trevor and headed towards a turbo lift. Trevor, concerned that he was being left behind, walked purposefully towards the lift and was the last one to squeeze on board. There were five humanoids, not including himself, and two of the senator's battle droids. Trevor was introduced, and he nodded appropriately at the guests. One of the guests, a Corellian woman of middle years, looked Trevor up and down, thinking that he wasn't bad looking. Trevor half-smiled at the woman's attempt at subtlety. The lift entered one of the top floors and opened into a junction of hallways. Trevor walked out, and started investigating the floor. The rest of the group seemed to know where they were going, so Trevor allowed them to pass, watching for hidden enemies and surprises. The corridor opened up to a salon with a table large enough for seven. The droids marched up to either side. Trevor took in the sights and investigated the room for a little while. Food was already sitting there on table and the group proceeded to continue their discussions from downstairs. Suddenly, his comlink squawked. Trevor felt his spine tingle in apprehension. "Yes?" "Trevor, where are you?" Master Shudo's voice wafted from the comlink. "Master, I am with the senator on the...," he checked the sign next to the lift, "394th floor. Is everything alright?" "Stay with him, no matter what." "Certainly, Master. Is something wrong?" "No, I -- Hold on!" The sound of a lightsaber activating was the last thing Trevor heard, causing his skin to crawl with a sudden chill. He searched the room again, fearing he'd missed something. Trying to remain calm, Trevor casually removed his cloak, palming his lightsaber for easier access and quicker reaction, should it be needed. He did not want to cause panic amongst the guests, but Shudo's instructions were clear; protect the senator. Essada caught the additional movements from the young Jedi and locked his eyes to Trevor's, or where they should have been, widened just a little. Trevor made a small calming motion, and suddenly the senator’s face was a mask of happiness and unconcern. Trevor walked over to Essada and spoke quietly. “Master Shudo just contacted me. Something is wrong. It's nothing to worry about yet but let me find out more." The senator placed his hand on Trevor's arm, feigning calm and confidence. "Do what you must, Master Jedi," the senator whispered. Trevor nodded and moved towards a computer console to see if it would give a security status within the building. At first the building’s security system tried to refuse access, but then Trevor tried one of the codes he had seen Essada’s aides use, and suddenly, a schematic of the floor appeared. He accounted for all six humans, and the two droids. What caught his attention, however, was the turbo lift. It was moving towards their floor. The console showed one, two, four, six shapes walking in formation down the corridor. Odd, thought Trevor. He walked towards the open door. Essada and his group, for the first time that evening, noticed that Trevor's lightsaber was ready for action. Trevor's mind did not register the two droids who escorted them to this floor lifting their weapons immediately. As Trevor stood in the doorway, a familiar marching sound reached his ears. He'd heard that sound just the other day: battle droids! Feeling a small warning in the back of his mind, he activated his lightsaber and took a defensive posture as the first of the droids turned the corner. The front droids, seeing the Jedi with his activated lightsaber, turned to each other. "Uh oh," the first commented. "Stick to the new orders: kill the senator," the second reminded. "Roger, roger." They immediately turned their attention, and their rifles, on Trevor. He parried the bolts rather easily, and took a step back. One of the ricochets hit the top of the door, causing the emergency blast doors to clang shut automatically. He moved between the other two droids before noticing that they were not fulfilling their initial guard duty; they were actually firing upon their weapons at the senator's party. Turning quickly, he sliced at the nearest droid, and then used the Force to pull the blaster out of the other's metal hands. The blaster flew through the air and fired instantly when it reached Trevor's hand. The blaster shot hit true, and the droid was hammered directly in the chest. Trevor jumped at it, cutting it from shoulder to hip in one fluid motion with his lightsaber. He then turned to deal with the first; however, the Senator and the rest had jumped to the offensive. The droid managed to punch one of the other men in the face, causing blood to trickle down his cheek. However the combined might of the five humans easily overpowered the droid's mechanical gears. "Out of the way!" Trevor shouted waving his lightsaber above his head. The crowd suddenly dispersed, leaving the droid open for the Jedi's attack. Trevor thrust his saber directly into the head of the droid, and it fell over immediately. Trevor sensed the tension of the group as they all turned to see the Jedi with the green lightsaber raised in the classic defensive posture. Trevor scanned the rest of the room. "They will get through that door fairly quick. Grab that blaster and let's get out of here." When no one even twitched, Trevor roared, "NOW!" The group sprang to the opposite end of the room, where a door led out into another smaller room and a small corridor. One of the women in the group led the way, with Trevor as rear guard. They exited the room, and poured out onto the main corridor. Based on the layout from the comptuer console, Trevor could immediately discern three options available to him: he could attempt escape to the turbolift, he could hole-up in the large dining room available, or he could take them out onto the landing platform / patio. It certainly made sense to try the turbolift, but Trevor immediately foresaw the danger that way; it ran right back into the droids. The dining room represented a closed-in area, which had a smaller chance of survival. The platform won on principle, allowing reinforcements to arrive and safely evacuate the Senator and his entourage. "Out onto the platform, now!" The group moved with alacrity. Trevor stood in the doorway, trying to catch his breath, and calming himself. The last words of Shudo Laan came to him, and he dialed an emergency code into his comlink. "This is Jedi Padawan Trevor Gul'dan. I am in need immediate transport and support at the Senatorial Reception Center of the Umgul-Plobex Building, floor 394. Senator Essada is under attack. Code 99." Trevor clicked off the comlink, and heard the marching of feet again. He took a deep cleansing breath, waiting for the end to come. 'I shall not let them take the Senator while I have breath left,' thought Trevor. A bit of fear creaped into Trevor's mind, but he washed it away, knowing that his training would be tested more than even a duel with Master Mace Windu. A woman gasped in horror as she saw Trevor take a step closer into the hallway. Just at that moment, a reply was heard on the comlink. "Jedi Gul'dan, transport is thirty seconds away. Hold the fort." =============================================================== The sudden closing of the doors surprised the droids. "So, what are we supposed to do now?" Droid BD7325 reviewed his mission parameter program. "Follow your orders. Kill the senator." "Roger, Commander." The droids moved out and headed down a small corridor. Their limited intelligence told them that there were only two additional ways out, and the backup plan would work perfectly. ====================================== The droids rounded the corner to find themselves faced with a lone Jedi guarding a doorway three meters wide and five meters high. "Not again," one was heard to say. "Fire!" ordered the commander. Trevor immediately went into his 'full defensive mode'. He felt that it was truly the only way to keep the droids at bay until reinforcements arrived. The first rain of laser fire bounced off his blade, and Trevor's blade became a blur of motion to his charges. Trevor split his vision to notice that an older man still had the blaster. "Know how to use that thing?" Trevor asked calmly as he continued to defend the archway, redirecting fire back at the droids. "I can try," he croaked out. "Take your time. I've got them a little busy right now. Fire when you are ready." The older man, obviously scared, nodded and placed the blaster around the corner. He fired down the hallway. His first shot went wide, but the second shot was true. One of the droids went down in a heap, and Trevor knocked out a second shortly thereafter. The droids kept firing down the hall, but none could get through Trevor's whirling defense. Trevor's lightsaber training had dealt with defense foremost -- it was truly an amazing sight to see a Miraluka Jedi redirect the blaster fire back towards the firing battle-droids. Many of the group noted that the Jedi's stern visage was the epitome of concentration. The older man fired again, knocking down another. By this time, there were only three left, and Trevor, sensing an advanced, walked towards them. The droids also moved forward a meter or so, continuing to fire. Trevor returned their own fire back at them, knocking one more off its feet. Trevor, realizing the end was definately near, jumped down the hall, proceeding to slash and parry the rest to pieces. The crackling of burnt metal and charred wall plaster assailed Trevor's senses. He disengaged his blade as the last droid was destroyed and walked down the corridor to find an open-cockpit shuttlecar already pulling up to the platform. "Senator! Get everyone on board! Move!" Trevor shouted. It did not take the group long to enter the shuttle. Trevor's comlink twittered again, and he immediately answered, "Master?" "Trevor, are you alright?" "Yes, Master. The senator and his guests are secured--" "Did you happen to see six droids come your way?" "Yes, as a matt--" "Get out of there! You only have a few seconds!" The voice on the other end sounded suddenly frightened. Trevor never questioned his Master; he turned to the shuttle, shouting and gesturing. "TAKE OFF! MOVE!" The driver, hearing the shouts, gunned the engines right away, pulling the Senatorial group to safety. Trevor ran for the shuttle at the same time. He reached the end of the platform and Force-jumped off the edge towards the transport. However, the exhaustion of battle caused him to lose his concentration. Trevor realized almost immediately he was not going to make it even using a Force-jump. Instead, he calmly reached down on his leg for his grappling launcher, pointing and firing the launcher towards the shuttlecar. As Trevor began to pick up speed from the fall into the depths of Coruscant, the hook sunk directly into the right wing of the shuttle car. Trevor bounced upwards a bit as the line went taut, relatively safe on the end of the ascension cable. As Trevor adjusted his grip on the cable, he turned his vision towards the floor they just evacuated from. A series of explosions rippled through the floor, heat and smoke billowing from the transparisteel structure. Trevor continued to concentrate on his grip as a wave of heat and the concussion of the explosions met the shuttle-car and its precarious hanger-on. =========================================== Moments later, the shuttle car came towards a secured landing platform, hovering first to allow the exhausted Jedi drop to the platform, then moved a safe distance to unload its passengers. Trevor brushed the dust off his clothing as the shuttle touched down. A gentle ripple in the Force alerted Trevor to his Master's approach, but something seemed different about it this time. He turned around to find Master Shudo Laan walking up, orange and red spots all up and down his tall face. Trevor had rarely seen Shudo look like this. The combination of coloring on his Master's skin showed his true emotions; a mix of excitement and fear. Master and student looked at one another, and bowed respectfully towards each other. Shudo's coloring changed slowly back to his normal tan coloring as he spoke. "Had a busy day, my young Padawan?" "A little, Master. Could have been worse, couldn't it?" "True, very true, Trevor," as they both turned to watch Senator Essada and his party enter a diplomatic convoy. The older man that had assisted him walked over, and handed Trevor his Jedi robes. "I thought you might need this, sir, so I grabbed it as we ran out." Trevor bowed towards the man, "Thank you, Sir. I am in your debt." "No," the man said, "We are in yours," and with that walked towards the shuttle. "You were able to defeat all the droids, Padawan?" Shudo Laan asked in a peculiar way. "No, Master. I needed help from them. Something escaped my notice that should not have. This was a very valuable lesson, Master." The tall Anx turned his face to his shorter student. "It was not my intention to place you in danger, Trevor. But your experiences today have shown you a reserve of confidence that you didn't know existed before, I think. Come, we have an appointment to keep." A question suddenly sprung up from a comment Essada had made earlier. "Master, how did someone slice into the droid-control signal? Senator Essada said it was foolproof.” Shudo’s face took on a yellow-striped pattern as he reached into his robes and withdrew a damaged custom-built signal-interrupter pack. It looked like it contained several black-market military-grade components, and one end of it had been sliced off. “Remember Trevor, nothing is foolproof to a talented fool.” Trevor grinned and nodded. “And what about the senator?" "Not to worry, his bodyguard contingent has just arrived.” A red Republic transport with Umgul escort fighters began its decent onto the wide platform. “We have been relieved. Come, now, my young apprentice." # # # The early morning sunshine of dawn lit the Jedi Council chambers. The chambers were fairly empty at this time of day, but Trevor always felt a warmth in his heart when he was in this room. There were so many memories to draw on; so many experiences yet to be had. Shudo Laan had been speaking for a few minutes to Masters Yoda, Plo Koon, Depa Bilaba, Adi Gallia, and Ki-Adi-Mundi. Trevor shook himself away from his reverie of the dawn to listen to Shudo’s report. "It would seem that my young Padawan dispatched the eight droids on his own. I had some issues with the twi’lek controlling the droids, but Trevor was able to disable the rogue droids while keeping the senator and his guests completely protected." Master Yoda turned to Trevor, and spoke. "Well you did young padawan. Ready might you be for greater tests, yes? Keep an eye on you, we will. More work I see in the near future for you, Trevor Gul'dan. Be mindful of the lessons learned today. Helpful they may be, in the future." Trevor had rarely spoken to the Council these days. He'd had Master Yoda as a teacher years before Shuda Laan, and his respect for Yoda was immeasurable. Trevor could not help but smile at Yoda’s approving gaze. He ventured a comment to the aged Jedi. "Thank you, Master Yoda. It would seem that the knowledge passed from you to Master Shudo has finally found its way into my stubborn head." Trevor broke out in wide grin, and not even Yoda could help but smile slightly at his levity. "Recovered from your fear, you have. Glad I am that you have come full circle," Yoda responded. The wizened Jedi got up from his chair and walked towards Trevor. He knelt on one knee to be face to face with the powerful Jedi. "More tasks there will be, young Padawan. Remember the Code; serve you well it will." Yoda patted Trevor's arm, causing glowing warmth to flow around Trevor. Trevor’s arm trembled slightly with emotion, and Yoda immediately winked at the young Padawan. "More we will hear from this one, will we not, Master Shudo?" "It is possible, Master, provided he can continue to keep his wits about him," responded the tall Jedi, turning various shades of yellow. Trevor and Shudo bowed deeply to Master Yoda and the Council. With that, Shudo Laan escorted Trevor out of the Chamber. ### Back at the entrance to his quarters, Trevor felt a slight flutter in the Force. He turned to his mentor and teacher, and noticed him staring at him. Orange streaks were all over his skin. Trevor blushed, and for the first time in nearly a month, felt ready to attempt a surprise for his master. 'I must start working on my own lightsaber as soon as I have some extra time,' he thought. -----signature----- Author of The Gul'dan Chronicles: http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/14526179
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