Yavin

[darklord]

*** Posting as V3 ***

V3 picked it up on his scanners only a few meters away in the undergrowth. A large predator circling the group, waiting to pounce.

Drevin had purchased the small droid soon after his exile to serve as a utility droid on board the Kath Hound. It was a large ship for one person and needed a lot of maintaining. But Drevin had seen the hidden potential in the quirky little droid and installed advanced defense systems within its modest casing.

Now those defense systems kicked in and the concealed hatch on its disk shaped head opened to reveal a small but deadly repeating blaster. The predator lunged out of the dense trees with a howl...

And fell to the ground in a heep as the repeating blaster fired, cutting through flesh and bone. Two more came out of the jungle, heading toward the jedi carrying Drevin. V3 swivled its head, firing repeatedly at the new targets and killing another one.

[extras]

-Posting as Tionne Solusar-

They had barely reached the foot of the landing ramp when the little utility droid let rip with the lasers. Within seconds the sound of laser fire rumbled through the undergrowth obliterating everything in it's path.
Tionne could feel wildlife scatter as lasers tore through bark, leaf and the flesh of the predator it's self. Scorched earth became more charred still where the fire had ricocheted off of rocks or stone surfaces.

Her initial instinct had been to drop into a defensive position, ignite her lightsaber. But when she actually looked with her own eyes, she could see the droid had carefully calculated it's line of fire. Leave it to a droid to do something that inventive.

Tionne could hardly believe her eyes...

Out the corner of her minds eye, she was certain she had felt a flicker of amusement from the wounded Jedi. She wanted to ask him if there were anymore little surprises that they might wish to know about, but there was no time.
New predators would be drawn to the smell of charred and bleeding flesh, it would draw them in like a squadron to a signal beacon.

The trudge up the landing ramp was a tricky one, the two supporting Jedi requiring to take most of the strain and Tionne almost stumbled a couple of times, regaining her footing when she felt the flicker of pain from their stranger ebb to near nothing.
That pain disturbed her more so now than it had at it's onset. She still could not sense it's source, this was Yuuzhan Vong work if ever she sensed it - or not as the case may be.

"I take it your companion answers only to you?" She quizzed the injured Jedi as they helped him toward the medbay. "Anything else he's got under that hat of his? We want to help you, but we can't risk anymore surprises" Her tone was soft, warm and most unlike that of many a Jedi who might have phrased the words sarcastically.
That was probably why her next silent question would come as it did, cautious.

What did they do to you...what is causing this?

[extras]

-posting as Tahiri Veila-

From the medical bay Tahiri could sense Tionne's urgency, and sent a quick confirmation.
It's ready
She waited inside, although she felt the carnage outside. Surely three Masters were capable...
She caught the Jedi from farther down the hall, carrying the unfamiliar man. From this distance she could make out a few words. She could guess why she had felt something die earlier...
Tahiri wheeled the stretcher to them, intent on participating in their conversation.

[darklord]

"I take it your companion answers only to you?" The Jedi Master spoke softly. "Anything else he's got under that hat of his? We want to help you, but we can't risk anymore surprises"

Drevin couldnt help but smile inwardly at the little droid, he had plenty more surprises. The villip hidden in its casing was but another one.

"No... more... surprises. Just...trying to protect us..." Drevin coughed hard, bringing more blood into his mouth. The Jedi lay him on the med bay bed as V3 came rolling into the ship.
Kyle administered some form of injection that seemed to dull the pain, it was the last thing he remembered.

[extras]

-posting as Tionne Solusar-

Drevin's coughs were wracking his body, bringing a worse state to the internal injuries he must have suffered. It was wise of Kyle then, to administer a sedative that would actively help to prevent this also. When Tionne felt the injured man's mind quieten some, she began to take strips of bacta patches - the ones that Tahiri had prepared - and apply them to the more superficial wounds.

"This will have to suffice until we can get him to a bacta tank." She spoke to the other two, then more for the young girl's ears " Will you be able to finish up here? Keep a watch over him while we attempt to get out of here?"

She glanced suspiciously at the little utility droid once more. No more surprises, she reiterated for her own peace of mind.
And with a few subtle hints in the force, she knew she need not voice that Tahiri should keep a close eye on that droid too.
Tionne wondered inwardly, if the young Jedi would remember Drevin at all? She would have perhaps heard of him.

Casting a hasty gaze to Kyle, she motioned back towards the cockpit, "Shall we?" The last thing they needed was another of Yavin's predators to happen upon them now. Especially after the droid's rather impromptu performance outside!

[darklord]

*** Posting as Kyle Katarn ***

Kyle powered up their shuttle, taking one final glance at the smoldering wreckage of Drevins ship. They could deal with that problem at a later date. The shuttle lifted off the ground and into the night sky, drawing further howls from the predators below. He turned to Tionne, the knowing look that she had given while attending to Drevin sent chills through him. He'd felt the oddness with the Dark Jedi's injuries as she had, and the lack of sourcable pain.

"So, what do you think of our passenger?" Kyle always spoke with a little humor in his voice, always trying to make the situation seem brighter. But inside, he felt only fear. "I see no indication that he's lying, those memories were painfully accurate. But..." He trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

It would seem as though the Dark Jedi had somehow been captured by the yuuzhan vong, barely escaped and then limped to Yavin 4. It would seem. Kyle had been around long enough to realise that things were not always as they seemed. Drevin had been a good Jedi once but he was just as arrogant and as stubborn as Kyp Durron. Probably even more so, which threw into doubt the fact that he would come to the Jedi for help. Even in his current state.

Your being too cynical old man. Perhaps things had changed with the boy.

And maybe Banthas could fly...

[extras]

-Posting as Tionne Solusar-

"So, what do you think of our passenger?"

Tionne allowed a serene sense of calm to fall across her as she considered Kyle's question. A thoughtful look in her eyes, she responded a few moments later,
"The memories are real enough, his experiences with the Yuuzhan Vong are true...I sense that much." She was, unknowingly, reiterating Kyle's thoughts.

She paused as if to draw a long deep breath, something about this still didn't sit right with her, nor any of them - if the general air of uneasiness was anything to go by. She had always been somewhat of an optimist in many situations where she should have learned to sit on the proverbial fence.

"We have heard stranger tales have we not?" She queried, "War does strange things to people, forges unlikely alliances...and it's clear to us at least, that the Yuuzhan Vong aren't the kind for keeping their side of bargains."

Sliding down into the co-pilot's seat, she ran through the last few checks they would need to perform before lifting off again for the temple. Through the viewports she could see the sky above clouding over in preparation for a storm. Inwardly she smiled, it was almost as if the eco-system knew what was needed sometimes. The torrential rains would soon take care of that wreck, washing away with it many signs of the fact they had been here at all.

"It's possible he tried to ally with them only to find himself on the wrong end of one of their 'agreements'. " She concluded, then laughing at having caught the tail end of one of Kyles inward statements.
"If bantha's could fly, we'd need more than deflector shields." As humorous as the statement was, there was also an air of seriousness about it. They were going to need more than their fair share of defense should they be making the wrong decision here.

[darklord]

Tionnes soft laughter poured warmness into the force, if only for a moment. The Jedi were stretched too thin across the galaxy at present, stopping riots here, policing political rallies there. Some Jedi like Kyp Durron were taking it upon themselves to cleanse the galaxy of any potential threats they encountered. As if the current situation wasnt enough to deal with. The Jedi needed unity at a time like this but it felt to Kyle as though the order was in danger of fracturing even further.

Kyle replayed Tionnes words in his head.

"It's possible he tried to ally with them only to find himself on the wrong end of one of their 'agreements'."

He had also considered this possibility. But why? It was no secret that Drevin disliked the Jedi, having felt that they had let him down. But to side with the enemy? He couldnt help but be skeptical about such a thing. Although he was equally as skeptical about Drevins decision to come back to Yavin.

"He'll probably be out of it for a few hours." Kyle mused. "I think we should take the opportunity to gather the other masters and hold a council tonight." He secretly reminded himself how much he hated meetings. But this was necessary.

He looked out of the view port as the rain began to pour heavily.

[extras]

-Posting as Tionne Solusar-

"Agreed" she stated in regards to holding that meeting, the sedative would wear off in a few hours, by which time the meeting would be done and dusted with.

They pressed on through the torrents of rain, an eerie silence falling upon them for the duration of the journey. But not one of them had a silent mind. Tionne herself was contemplating every variable, any way that her theory could be proved wrong...or even right.

---

Their arrival at the temple was met with a great air of caution. Masters requested that the students remain away from the landing bay, no doubt having sensed the aprehension of those aboard the shuttle. Tionne had also sensed her husbands quiet relief in the force, safe in the fact that she had been unharmed. She sent Kam back reassurance, yet questioning. He would need to be present at the meeting also...and it should happen soon.

In the back of the Shuttle, Tahiri was still tending to their 'guest' and doing quite the job of it too. As much as she disliked having to use real situations such as this to test the mettle of their students, that was the Jedi way. There was no better experience than in the field. No doubt she would be mobbed by her peers later and asked to tell tales of her little mission.

"I've sent word to Kam, he'll pass word to the other masters, it shouldn't be long now." She spoke to Kyle as she unstrapped herself from her seat.
"I get the impression he senses it too...though that could just be my aprehension."
She spoke in kind about the undefinable source of the dark jedi's pain, how it was impossible to locate within the force. How she was deeply concerned about what they may have brought back with them.

It was a jedi's duty to help others though. And that was what they were doing, was it not?

[darklord]

*** Kyle Katarn ***

"I get the impression he senses it too...though that could just be my aprehension."

That was a certainty, Kyle thought. They would need Kams insight into this matter more than anyones, he had after all been a Dark Jedi himself. His views would be highly valued.

With many of the Jedi Masters out on missions across the galaxy the chamber in which they usually conducted such meetings would be considerably empty. It was late in the night now, but he doubted that any of the masters would hesitate in coming.

Drevin would be taken to the medbay where several Jedi would be able to care for him... and keep a watch on him.

[extras]

The waiting was the worst part. Paitence was still a trait he had to work on. He had sent messages to the other Masters through the holonet. He prayed those deeper in the outer rim where the holonet was being destroyed slowly by the invading Yuuzhan Vong would receive it.

It seemed he had been right. The others were tending to the dark jedi now. He sought to see this as a Jedi should..It was their duty to give aid to any that needed it even if that included their enemies. He could still not shake the feeling that this one had brought back. The shadow of the darkside still remained in his mind but that's all it was..a shadow before the light. That was what he believed and he would remain steady to his beliefs.

He turned his attention to the others that were here. Katarn, his wife, and Ikrit. The information that he had received about the prisoner.

"We should not all be here..One of us should be watching him..and getting ready to return him to the prison he escaped from if need be."

He would not take action until all the masters that could be contacted..all of them.

"His attackers might not be far behind.." If indeed he was attacked.

[darklord]

*** Posting as Kyle Katarn ***


"We should not all be here..One of us should be watching him..and getting ready to return him to the prison he escaped from if need be."

The diminutive jedi master Kam Solusar was first to speak. They were all aware of Drevins identity now. Of course none of them were likely to forget the Dark Jedi's trial or imprisonment.

"Dont worry Kam, the others can take care of him for now. Im not saying he's not still dangerous but he's in no shape to take on three Jedi Knights."

The utility droid that had belonged to the Dark Jedi had eventually been deactivated when the third restraining bolt had been attached. The droid had put up a good fight but they couldnt risk leaving it to roam free after seeing what it was capable of.

"And I hardly think that returning him to the Yuuzhan Vong would be a very Jedi-thing to do." Kyle said, a little angry at the suggestion. Tensions were high but he had thought that Kam would at least have some understanding of Drevins situation. He had been a dark jedi too once but Luke had saved him from the Dark side. No, the Jedi would not turn their backs on Drevin, no matter his alignment.

"His attackers might not be far behind.."

That was a valid point and one that they all feared.

[extras]

-Posting as Tionne Solusar-

Even Tionne was surprised at Kam's suggestion of returning Drevin to where he had apparently escaped from. She felt a hint of stress behind the words even as he had spoken them, that only told a fraction of the story that was becoming the burden bearing down on all the Jedi in recent times.

"Kam...you don't mean that." She was quick to add perhaps a little too softly.
"Returning him to the Yuuzhan Vong is not only wrong on the level that Kyle suggests, but it could also be losing our best chance at actually learning something from someone who has had first hand experience and survived." There were few others she could think of that had spent this amount of time in their grip and lived.
Jacen Solo's experience aside.

"Regardless of what decision we make, we are obligated to help him...he was one of us once. Though outwardly this might look bad if the senate were to catch word of it." Her brow furrowed in concern, she glanced around the small gathering. Borsk Fey'lya had not exactly endeared the Jedi to the New Republic after the fiasco at Helska 4, or indeed Dubrillion.

[darklord]

*** Posting as Kyle Katarn ***

"I think the senate will be the least of our problems. But it might be best if we kept this quiet for the time being." Kyle had never been a fan of politicians, in fact he detested them. One or two aside of course. But the current brood were the worst of all, especially with Fey'lya in charge.

"We need to establish what actually happened and what he's learned. Only Drevin can tell us that. Perhaps when he is awake we should bring him before us. He would find it very difficult to deceive all of us together, no matter how guarded he is." Kyle thought back to the feeling that he'd had concerning Drevins injuries.

"And we also need to find out what the Vong have done to him." He and Tionne had informed the other masters of their findings concerning Drevins unusual source of pain. It would appear that he had been implanted with something, but what its purpose was, was anyones guess.

[extras]

-Posting as Tionne Solusar-

The apprehension was tenable, it needed no explanation. They were all concerned for various reasons, pretty much the same reasons, but none could seem to come up with a foolproof way of handling this. Whichever way they handled it, something could potentially go wrong.

"I asked Tahiri to make sure he was sent to a bacta chamber as soon as possible. It would be wise for a healer among us to examine him before he wakes...the Yuuzhan Vong have been known to use implants on captives before now. If we catch it fast..."
She was no expert on such things, she was more the historian than anything else, and nothing in holocrons or records told of technology such as this. That was all legend, and legends were hard to decipher between fact and fiction.

"Is there any way we could perhaps contact someone such as Cilghal?" she queried, knowing that the mon cal female was indeed only too interested to learn new ways of combating such offensive bio weapons of sorts. The slave seeds had been her main focus of late.

There was of course, as Kam had rightly suggested, the chance that the Yuuzhan Vong had followed their escapee here. They appered somewhat fanatical on the idea of exterminating a Jedi in combat, it must have become an ambition among their warriors, or so she thought. This was by the by, the fact still remained that there would quite probably be those out there or not too far away looking for Drevin. And if not, why not?

"We should speak with him first chance we get, in the meanwhile we should perhaps request scans of anything unusual orbiting Yavin..."