The Call; The Ship

[Charlotte]

(Transcript.)



Not too long after it all started a second call was being placed. Just enough time had passed that he was breathing better, and there was not so much of a crunch against his lungs or other vital organs. Movement still felt alien, as he had just told Ava Azalee, but it was sharp enough and clear enough that when the call was made he was fully alert this time. The call was sent out through his in-ear device, but was quickly linked to a palm-held extension that he had pulled out for Ava’s sake. Right now, the only people he was willing to contact for information regarding the Mandal homeworld weren’t even Mandals at all. They were as close as he was willing to get, though. The nine hells knew he wasn’t going to call the Chiss. “Hapan Control, this is Solomon Tekal. I have with me Jedi Ava Azalee. What’s the status on Mandalore?”


The comm connected—but this time it took a while. “Solomon Tekal, this is Comm Officer Miada Nor. I don’t see your clearance level. Please confirm for me your Clearance, sir.”

Miada Nor’s voice was hard-edged and harassed, and the technology was doing its best to keep her clear but even with its best capabilities it was still obvious by the clap of background noise that right then Miada Nor was in a room full of rapidly speaking people, probably other Comm Officers.


Next to him, Ava sat quietly – letting Solomon do the talking for now.

It was the background noise that she heard. Random voices who spoke overtop of Miada Nor’s own. In and out they came… and each time they did, Ava’s ears strained to hear the fragments of their conversation.


Impossible. The emergency was still new, and Hapes certainly had the means for its Comm Officers to mute out background chatter, but right then they were calling in all the personnel they had, and the result was that some of them had to make do with lesser equipment. Solomon had evidently reached one of these.

Did she recognize his name?

There was much associated with it.


Clearance was such a pesky, pesky little thing. His personal level of the damn thing was enough to get him in and around the palace but not so high enough that he was privy to delicate conversations. Unless...A glance went to Ava, “You’ll find my clearance as an ambassador for the Galactic Agricultural Alliance in your systems,” he told Miada, “undocumented, I am an envoy of an ambassador from the Jedi Order.” There he went on to list the serial number he’d been given from the GAA, as well as the clearance code that allowed him free and open shipments to and from Hapes outside of what Hapan law would normally require, “I know it is unusual, Officer Miada, but the Jedi believe my services could be required.”


On Hapes, in the chaotic chamber where she’d been given space, Miada Nor’s expression scrunched when she heard Galactic Agricultural Alliance. It sounded like erda shit to her. “Sir, these channels are prioritized for communications requiring specific clearances. Please confirm your clearance. Sir.”


Ava’s brows shot up at Solomon’s response. It was ballsy. Especially considering the aftermath of the Buffton’s War. Solomon Tekal was, most certainly, not of the Jedi Order. And yet now claimed himself to be a representative for the Jedi Order. It was known knowledge for those who needed to know and Ava wondered if the Comm Officer was one of that –

And it appeared the clearance code Solomon provided was not of that particular list.

Her throat cleared.

“Jedi Knight Ava Azalee.” She spoke clearly. “Diplomat of the Jedi Order and recent envoy for the Galactic Conference.” There, Ava gave the clearance code provided to her during the conference.


His doubt that that was going to work was proven very much correct. If she wasn’t going to accept that one, then how about this one? His weight shifted toward his right, Solomon grasping at the edge of the marble-like bench with the stiff fingers of his right hand. “Look,” He said, right after Ava finished, “If you need absolute clearance to talk to me, then put us on hold and go call Her Highness. Alright? Tell her you have me and Jedi Ava Azalee on hold, and that you are making us wait while you do your job. She’ll understand, just as we understand. Though, this would go a lot faster if we just cut to the chase and you accept the clearance that we just gave you.”


Miada Nor got out two words after Ava spoke (“Jedi” and “Knight”), and, cut off by Solomon, proceeded to get three words out in the wake of his interjection (“Sir,” “I,” and “need”) before she stopped talking.

The comm was not cut. If the signal itself was not proof enough of that, then perhaps the fact that the muffled, unintelligible chatter all around Miada Nor never abated would be.

Then Miada Nor was clearing her throat. In a far more formal tone, she said: “I’m transferring your connection to Lieutenant Milneira Hau.”

And that was that.

A tiny snap of silence (Miada Nor’s room left behind) was followed by Hau’s hoarse voice. She’d been badly burned in the final battle of the war, but most days it only made her voice sound raw. “Tekal. Azalee. I know who you both are. How much do you know?”

Sol was in an excellent position to hear the truth behind the erda shit. I know who you both are very likely meant that security had done some verifying on connection. Even if they could not from afar magically discern that he and Azalee were who they claimed to be, they could probably tell that the same comm code had been kicked up for a conversation with a Royal.


The change in Nor’s voice, and the sudden shift from an ear full of background noise that filtered in as hard jabs to his inner ear, to a more quiet atmosphere when the call switched to Hau was very welcome. His remedy for limited use of his right hand still had its bugs to be figured out, background noise being one of them. “Lieutenant, we know that your people are working on the situation, but we don’t know what the situation is.”


Ava remembered Milneira Hau from the final battle. She’d been a face among hundreds just before the final attack. She remembered seeing that face again at the med-ward where they both healed from their injuries. It was a name and a face she recognized.

“We know something has happened and we are here to offer aid.” Ava added.


... but we don’t know what the situation is.

“Well,” laughed Hau humorlessly, “that makes all of us.”

But her pause following that did not draw out. It lasted long enough for her to listen through Ava’s offer. “Where is ‘here’?” she asked the Jedi. “I’m looking at something that, to me, just looks like an impact plume. Bloody big one! But an impact plume all the same. So, if it were only me, the mystery just seems to be how the object got to the heart of the System without being seen. But I’ve got all these computers and a whole pack of specialists who tell me that this doesn’t have the right patterns to it, and beyond that everything they’re saying is Calamarian to me.”


He listened to what Hau was saying, eyes shut so he could focus on the words. An impact plume.... “Hau, if I send you a transponder signal to send to, would you transfer your data over to that code for me so I can take a look at it?” He didn’t have the right ship to pour over data like that. The Justicar wasn’t suited for scientific work, but it wasn’t what he was going to be working through anyway. If he had brought a different ship, then it would be possible.


Somewhere else in that room, Hau had more than one comm call happening... And he could hear this conversation as it went... After a long moment, debates going on internally, Kel’dan finally spoke. “Solomon.. It’s looking like an extinction level event... It’s almost dead centered on the Um-Shara Yaim. All the clan leaders are there... So is Sadhric.”


Hau had been about to answer when Kel’dan’s voice broke in. The Lieutenant stayed silent. She was no scientist, but she had seen the plume image. Extinction level event. When Kel’dan said “are” and “is,” she thought “were” and “was.” That desert could not be seen, but their experts on hand were already sure it no longer existed.


There was another kick to his chest. So. Is. Sadhric. He was pretty damn sure this one stopped his heart from beating. “Kel’dan,” his voice was dry, but he forced the volume. He pushed himself to speak past the duracrete that was settling onto his chest, “Have you had any contact from the Um-Shara Yaim? Any of the clan heads? At all?” The only thing that kept him seated right then was that he had no idea if his legs would support him should he stand.


Ava didn’t know Kel’dan.

Not personally.

And she strongly doubted he knew her.

She felt a chill at his words. Extinction level event. Horrific words that were not to be taken lightly. She went silent, letting Solomon do the talking since the conversation was directed with him as the focused reciprocator.


“No,” he answered. “And trust me, I’ve been trying... Sadhric’s comm is just not being answered. As per the norm... But nobody else’s call is even connecting”


“When you say ‘extinction level event’... what exactly are you talking about? What happened down there?” Ava asked in light of Kel’dan’s answer.


Hau kept silent as they spoke to one another. The only thing she did was formally join the calls as one.


“High impact at site of origin... Can’t tell if it’s an actual attack yet. I’ve gotten no reports of such.... But it looks like all communications within the red plume have been lost... As it spreads, its knocking out communications to outposts and way stations as it goes. There’s been no signals in or out from anywhere within a thousand miles of the Um-Shara Yaim. There are reports of vessels fleeing from the plume, but I haven’t been able to get into contact with any of them yet... Anything close to the plume is experiencing technical difficulties, but not full blackout yet... Our techs are saying they don’t know if it will hold.”


“Kel’dan, I want as much information as you can net me. Hau, I want yours as well. Whatever you both can send to us, we’ll take it. You said its spreading. How far do the estimates expect it to go?” Gears switched, his mind put to task. He could handle this better, he could process it and go from there for this. It was better than sitting idle, it was better than fearing the worst.


Lieutenant Hau did not argue. “What’s the frequency? And... I don’t need to tell you: our data is considered sensitive until we know more.”

She did not point out that the Consortium had experts on hand already, and were summoning more even as they spoke. She’d seen people in crisis before. Everyone wanted to believe they had something to contribute, even when in the end they were merely coping.


“Has anyone actually been inside or even near the plume yet?”

Ava’s eyes flickered briefly to Solomon to make sure he wasn’t about to almost topple over again.


Kel’dan said, “The Yelora Dowen sent a probe in ten minutes after impact and lost communications with it immediately... We’ve not heard anything from inside the plume since.”


The frequency he gave belonged to the Jedi Temple. Communications for the temple had been brought back on line in quick succession to him and Ava restoring power. “We understand the need for discretion, Lieutenant. Do your specialists expect this to be a global fall-out?” He rose as he spoke, the movement slow and careful. He gave a look toward Ava, telling her, “I need to get to comms.”


“That’s what they’re saying. Their projections indicate that the entire planet will be engulfed within the next eighteen to twenty standard hours.” Hau answered that automatically, but it was not where her interest was. Ava’s offer of help had never been buried. “What kind of assistance can the Jedi provide?”


“We have land, and shelter, for a portion of the populace available on Ossus for those who wish to evacuate. We have resources we can tap into, as well, for any food and water that may be needed, as well as medical supplies. You tell us what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”


“Ossus?” It was unclear whether the name meant much to Hau. It didn’t matter either way. “Send me the details of your available resources and I’ll get them into the right hands.”

It was the Lieutenant’s way of steering toward the greatest usefulness and courtesy, but she’d have been surprised if the Jedi, recently refugees themselves, had enough of anything to make a dent in what might be needed, or that would look like anything compared what the Consortium could bring to bear. Yet she was a realist and had enough exposure to diplomats to understand the incalculable value of making room for people to make generous gestures and to involve themselves in reaching out to help. Her realism snapped into play when she admitted to herself that aid to Mandalore by the Consortium was not a foregone conclusion. The Queen had an ally in the Mand’alor, but the Mand’alor had been vaporized along with that desert.


“Are evacuations underway for the rest of the planet?” Ava inquired as she began helping Solomon to his feet.


“I know we’re already in the process of evacuating some of our personnel,” Hau replied. “I don’t have further details, however.” Which meant, of course, that while there were probably plans being drawn up, this particular Lieutenant was not in on them. It had been less than an hour. She assumed evacuations would scale. She let Kel’dan speak for the situation with the Mandalorians themselves.


“I’ve ordered evacuations for all who are willing to go... I can’t force my people to go if they don’t want to, but I’ve made sure they know the risks. We’re still not sure what the plume is, exactly. We don’t have enough to go on. I have requested from the Yelora Dowen that clearance be given to any ship trying to leave and to deny clearance for anyone trying to land, but to keep close records of both.”

The way he said it, it sounded like... He intended to stay.


“Kel’dan, inform your people to reroute any evacuees without a destination to come to the Jedi Temple on Ossus. We’ll have them set down here and then we’ll organize from there. Ava,” a look went to the Jedi at his side. He was fully aware that in this very moment he was circumventing the authority of the Hapans, and this could all be squashed quicker than he could blink, “Would you start drafting up scenarios for the placement of temporary shelters around the temple? Lieutenant, you’ll have a list of currently available resources as soon as we can get them to you. In the meantime, we need to know how many may be heading our way so we can prepare for them. Jedis Darien Tekal and Azalee will do what they can to prepare the space needed.”


A few billion sentients called Mandalore their home, and Ossus was not the only potential place to divert them. Hau was not privy to what ships—if any—might be dispatched to attempt to evacuate citizens of Mandalore who lacked transport of their own, or who for whatever reasons could not group up with others. She also was not privy to what other offers, like Solomon’s, had been extended. So all she could do was say, “I’ll pass all of this to my superiors,” and then add, as if she was not sure how to be polite about it: “I’d be very careful about rerouting anyone before you know what you can handle. You could wind up starving thousands on your own doorstep.”


“Moreover,” Kel’dan said gently. “They may not be willing to go to Ossus... Being homeless does not mean helpless. They may not want help from the Jedi.” His tone was neutral, quiet. It was an observation, not a jab. “But... I will list it in the possible places of rendezvous or refugee camp.”


Hau had enough authority to be having this conversation, but not enough authority to argue about anything. Everything would be passed upward to those who did, and they could deal with it. This was not a new situation for a ranking Lieutenant, and she said, “I’m sending you the data that I have,” to Tekal, which (like the rest) automatically meant the data that she had some authority to disperse.


The thought occurred to him that if he were on the right ship having this conversation he’d have swiped Kel’dan out of the conversation at that very moment, silencing the Mandalorian on his end of things. His resources what they were at the moment, Sol chose to ignore what Kel’dan had said in favor of answering Hau, “I’ll take whatever you can give me, Lieutenant Hau.”

They’d been in motion the moment he’d found his feet, his steps quick and nearly a run. Comms were his current key to getting an eye on what was going on for himself. But plans.... he was already working out some math in his head. Just how quickly could he get to his better resources?


“I’ll send what I have to you, too.” Kel’dan was already doing it... Solomon would be getting the reports of the plume impact and the wave of red that seemed to be engulfing the planet.. In that report was a ship called the Full Belly. A freighter that had left the atmosphere of the planet right at point of impact.

“I do not have the resources or time to look into that ship... It’s probably nothing, but I need to know... Also, maybe you can see something that my people can’t. They say there’s no signs of an attack, but that it doesn’t show the usual patterns of it being natural... I hope you can make better sense of it than I can.”


Through the better part of this conversation, Ava had fallen silent.

Not due to disinterest.

Not because she had nothing to contribute.

But because Solomon had taken lead, and liberty, to steamroll with promises and resources he had no authority to make. That ‘current list of resources’ came to mind.

Her throat cleared loudly that paired with a silent, pointed look at Solomon. The kind of look that said he needed to stop while he was ahead. And while he might have ignored Kel’dan's words that didn’t mean she had to.

“We understand some might not come here. However, the offer is there for those willing to take it. Pass the information to your superiors.” Ava repeated to Hau in agreement. “We will make preparations just in case while we await their decision.”

The conversation moved on....

“We will take a look at it and see what we can find.” A pause. “You mentioned that you lost communications with the probes sent down. Has anyone actually gone inside the plume?”


Ava’s pointed look was met with one of his own. It was flat, the mind behind his eyes calculating and already in motion. Coming into the comms room, he cut into the conversation with the frequencies that both Kel’dan and Hau could use to get their information to him. His personal unit he patched into the temple’s, and was soon to pull the ear piece from his ear. It would result in just a brief hang-up of sound, a loud audible click and some static when things transferred over. What came first was what Kel’dan was sending, and that was due only to the fact that Kel’dan had been on it while they’d been talking. He was walking around the array linked room, turning on screens, and bolstering the signal that would be receiving the data.


Kel’dan audibly sighed over the channel.. “Anything we send in probably won’t come back out. Any communications will be disrupted, even if the plume isn’t deadly. We’d have no way to know what’s actually inside.” he paused for a second. “As it stands, I’m contacting the closest thing to clan leaders we have at the moment to push their clans to evacuate... Entire families and all the clan leaders were there. I’m not sacrificing anyone else to do that if I can’t do it myself.” There was a heavy implication in there— Solomon Tekal probably knew why... There were advantages to being Force Sensitive and not having communications.


Distracted by an internal update on her datapad, Lieutenant Hau had been only half-listening while she caught herself up. “It looks like the images from that freighter have our experts suggesting the actual impact crater will be revealed to be somewhere between one hundred and twenty and one hundred and twenty-seven standard kilometers in diameter. —That’s their current estimate. Says here their guess is based on point-one-one seconds of a visual recording.”
“... for what that’s worth,” the woman scoffed. Then her tone changed: “Is there further assistance I can offer you?”


Seventy-five to seventy-eight miles. The distance was staggering.

Ava thought, not only of The Mechanic, but the Clan leaders. Of their families. Of those who followed them into this gathering. All those who were presumed to be dead. Then there were those who would be engulfed by the plume within the next twenty hours - give or take.

But it wasn’t just the people. This was an entire planet. A planet filled with natural vegetation. Indigenous creatures. A devastating loss of life.

Her brows furrowed just a hair. “Lieutenant Hau, you said that specialists are saying it doesn’t have the right patterns... right patterns to what?”


No one had gone in, and no one had come out. Communications were down and technology was spotty in the surrounding area. That meant there was no confirmation. Hopes were still alive, but dwindling with the new information that Hau had given them. He didn’t want to give that ghost up just yet, though he feared he may have to. “It doesn’t look like the impact from a natural space borne body — comet — meteor — it doesn’t fit the mold.” He was already looking at the data that Kel’dan had sent, “This wasn’t fashioned by the gods of any faith.”


Kel’dan was nodding on his end... His hands were busy. And he seemed to forget, this wasn’t a holo call. After a couple of seconds of silence, he said, “Sorry... Yes. That’s what I meant, Jedi Azalee... It doesn’t look like an attack, but it doesn’t look natural, either.”


“Yeah—Jedi Azalee, I’d be happy to help, but that’s over my head. The first updates I saw when I arrived, about twenty minutes after the event, were on that end almost complete conjecture as they are now. Apparently some of our experts want an impact plume to be agreeable and fit a mold. They said its shape was strange. Its speed was strange. Things like that. Inconclusive. When I came up here, they were arguing about the shockwave. I guess it hadn’t flattened enough forests to suit them.”


It doesn’t look like an attack, but it doesn’t look natural, either.

This wasn’t fashioned by the gods of any faith.

... our experts want an impact plume to be agreeable and fit a mold.

Ava breathed in a hard breath. She looked only once at Solomon and then spoke.

“I know you are calling for a planet wide evacuation. I am requesting clearance for a small team to enter into the plume at our own risk before it consumes the planet.”


Ava must have been reading his mind. The thought that was as swift as the Justicar’s engines when pushed to their limit was that they needed to get down there, feet on the ground, and see things for themselves. Data could only tell half of the tale. They had less than fifteen standard hours. “If we leave now, I can get us a ship that won’t shake apart on us in the middle of that storm.” He told Ava, having come in close to where the Jedi was standing, the volume of his voice low to keep it from being picked up by the comm systems that surrounded them.


“Wait—what?” If Hau had arrived twenty minutes after the impact, then she’d been on duty little more than half an hour. Already she sounded thready. Her rough voice and being startled made that worse. “What in the Queen’s name for?”


“Solomon. The Witchdoctor is on top of the Aud.”


Well. That was certainly getting an answer on both ends of the spectrum. Ava’s brows shot up by Kel’dan’s answer.

“Because we don’t know if they’re dead.” She replied to Hau. ”No matter what happens, what aid your superiors wish to accept is still extended. The Jedi Order will help however they can.”


At what Kel’dan said, Sol straightened and turned an eye to the place where the system was connected to his personal unit. The lieutenant was not in the know, nor was pretty much anyone else that may have been listening. Ava knew. Kel’dan knew. There was no need, even in that moment of possibility, to cut the strings of that promise and toss it into the wind. When he spoke, he did so in Mando’a, “Kel’dan, I will not be stealing the Mand’alor’s ship.”

And then, in basic, he was saying, “We can make it if we leave now. Do we have clearance?”


“I think if you’re using it to save him, he won’t mind,” he said in a perfectly neutral voice. “Give it to them, Hau. And I will tell the Yelora Dowen the same.”


Lieutenant Hau was about to say that she didn’t have the authority, but after Kel’dan spoke up she realized that, in fact, right then she didn’t have the authority to -stop- them. There were no orders whatsoever as-yet concerning non-Hapan personnel going down to Mandalore.

“Clearance is given. I strongly advise you to stay in touch.”


Ava’s eyes flickered to Solomon when he spoke Mando’a. There was a flash of understanding - almost as if she knew what he was speaking. And then her gaze went elsewhere.

“Send us anything new, please. We will be in transit shortly.”


“If I manage to get evacuations and everything underway, I *do* expect to join you,” he said.


“Acknowledged,” Hau said simply. Then, after the slightest hesitation, she ventured more quietly, with all her heart: “May the Force be with you.”


Sol was in motion, getting what he could of the data saved onto a device they could take with them. It was all transferred onto one of his secure datapads, one he’d left in the comms room while they had been bringing everything back on line. “And leave who in charge?” He spoke in Mando’a again, speaking as he worked quickly with his left hand, “I’m not going to argue with you, Kel’dan, but right now your people have only you to lead them. Keep a look out for the Wayfinder. We’ll be on board it, and entering atmosphere within the next handful of hours.” He was reaching to disconnect the call, “Lieutenant Hau, you as well,” he stated in quick basic, pausing then to look Ava’s way. He was done with the conversation, but was she? Every second spent now felt like it would be wasted for their near future.


While Solomon was done with the conversation, there were still promises to be upheld – promises that had been made on behalf of the Jedi by him. “Since we have no guarantees of communications… should your superiors accept our aid… I’m referring Darien Tekal and Kabel Tekla as envoys from the Jedi Order. I’ll have one of them, if not both, in contact with you within the hour for you to correspond what resources you need.”


“I’ll pass this information along.”


“Thank you.” Ava paused. “May the Force be with you as well, Lieutenant Hau.”


Hau’s name had barely left Ava’s mouth before Sol was ending the call and gathering his tech. That would take just a second before he was heading for the entrance of the comm room, leaving Ava to follow with if she chose to.


On exiting the temple Solomon had only this to say to Ava, “Five minutes and I’m dusting off. With or without you. If you aren’t with me, I’ll be back to pick you up. I need to get our ride.” He didn’t see the striking beauty of the world around him, the glowing light of day on Ossus, or hear the birds calling from the forest not too far away. The mental timer was ticking down in his head. It was a grim deadline. He wasn’t exactly sure how the Wayfinder would handle the conditions on Mandalore. He just knew that taking Ava’s ship, in its run down condition, was an even worse idea than taking the Justicar which was in far better condition but still not suited to the task. He needed the Wayfinder. They needed the Wayfinder. And with just under fifteen hours of a window, he needed to get to the Wayfinder as quickly as he could. Those five minutes he was giving Ava was a courtesy, and to him that courtesy was wasted time. Those words spoken, Sol took off, making a bee-line for his matte black angular ship. As he began going over the vessel, Darien was making his way off of the High Stakes which wasn’t too far away from the Justicar. Coming down the ramp of the Stakes, Darien caught sight of his brother just as Sol ducked under the ship and disappeared into its shadow. He got a funny little feeling in that moment and was easily closing the distance between himself and Ava, “No word on anything yet,” he’d say as he got closer, “what did you guys find out?”


Ava let him go with a heavy sigh. If it had been any other person... but this was Solomon.

Solomon who did not a handle crisis with the best persona. For some, the worst of times brought out the best in a person. For Solomon, it brought out the very worst - especially when that crisis involved the one person he cared most about in the galaxy.

Glancing at Darien, she breathed out. “I have to be quick. I don’t have much time but... Solomon and I are heading into the Plume.”


“You’re what? What plume?”


“I will explain everything as soon as I can but right now I have to catch your brother before he leaves me here.” She sighed and reached out to lightly grasp his hand for just a small second before releasing. “I have to go.”


“Be careful, Ava.” Darien’s response came with a small nod. His other hand was lifted, his knuckles aimed to just barely brush across her cheek before the sound of footsteps to his left caught his attention and forced him to turn his head that way, hand dropping but only for a second. In the next he was reaching to catch a credit chit that Sol had tossed his way, “We’ll call with details once we’re underway. Hapan Control may be calling, so keep your ears open.”


Ava’s head turned at the sound of someone approaching at the exact moment Darien’s knuckles tried to brush across her cheek. Thus leaving him only to graze across cool air.

The cred chip was tossed and her eyes landed on Solomon.

“Let’s go.”


The cred chit was pouched, slid into a keeping place on his belt as Sol nodded to Ava and turned around to head back toward his ship. Darien was left with only a sinking feeling in his gut. Something wasn’t right, and it went further than just the disturbance that had kicked their afternoon off so roughly.



Some short time later: Solomon had waited until they were out of Ossus’ atmosphere to get his call connected through the Justicar’s systems. He was in the little ship’s cockpit, handling the controls as if he was well practiced at them, as if the ship was made to be at his control. Which, in fact, it was. And even if it hadn’t been rebuilt to his particular preferences, he’d flown the ship often enough, and through enough, that it wouldn’t have mattered. This was his ship, his mobile home. In the closet-like cockpit he was adjusting a headset and speaking into it quietly, “Gyp, how’s my girl doing?” In the headset there was a warbling noise and a sort of crow that denoted surprise from an unseen three headed alien who had suction-cup like mouths. The warbling continued quickly, causing him to adjust something on the console before him, and his headset before he cut in with, “I know it’s been a while, there was no helping it. But how is she? You didn’t let anyone in on her, did you?” More warbling and a long quiet before he replied with, “Good, I’m on my way to pick her up, and I have a drop off. Going to need some supplies for her, too. Dry rations, some enviro-suits, and water.” The warbling began again, but he cut in this time with, “And no questions, Gypsum. Just have everything there and ready, I’ll get her loaded up once we arrive. I’ll make sure your bonus is well worth the effort.” He grimaced at Gyp’s answer to that and stated, “Yes, I have someone with me. Remember what I said about no questions Gyp?” More warbling before he said, “I’ll triple it if it will get you to stop complaining. And don’t worry about who I’m bringing with me, just have my supplies ready, Gypsum Keh. I don’t have time to waste.” Their course was laid in as the comm call was on going. There was a small little cluster of planetoids they needed to head for. At the heart of it was a station that made its money off of the ore that was being mined from the surrounding planetoids. None were inhabitable, so the station was used as housing and base of operations. That’s where the Wayfinder had been tucked. Owned and operated by MOUNTLAW, it hadn’t taken much for him to get his ship housed there while he had been in control of the conglomerate. That had been a long time ago, now. The warbling that had taken over his headset quieted down enough for him to say “We’ll be there within three hours. Have it all ready, or I’m docking that bonus, you hear m—” Cut off, the line dead, Sol spared his left hand for a moment to remove the headset, tossing it onto the co-pilot’s seat aside of him.


With Solomon on the comms with... whatever creature that responded in warble... Ava moved out of the cockpit and found a quiet space to continue her conversation with the other Tekal.

“Something’s happened on Mandalore.” She began. “No one knows exactly what it is or what caused it but... Hapan experts are calling it an extinction level event. It happened at Um-Shara Yaim on Mandalore. There’s an impact plume that’s spreading across the planet.”

She paused for a breath.

“It’s predicted to consume the planet within 17 to 20 hours. Right now there’s no communication coming in or out of any survivors within the plume, or surrounding area. A probe was sent into the after impact and lost communications immediately. There’s been no contact with anyone inside and no one has been in or out of the plume. Solomon and I are heading to Mandalore to investigate the plume and hopefully locate any survivors.”

A pause. A moment to let Darien process what they discovered.


There was quiet returned to Ava over the comms that connected them. It lasted only for a moment, she’d then hear him take in a breath before he spoke, “Are they expecting there to be survivors? If the impact was bad enough to kick off an extinction level event why send anyone down to look?”


“Because we have to know for sure.” The answer was soft. “I don’t...” She paused. “I didn’t feel death. I didn’t feel that blow in the Force like when Coruscant was sacked. Something is wrong, yes. And their... pain.. their weight... I feel that. But not death. I could be wrong but... if there’s a chance that the people inside the plume are still alive... it’s one worth taking.” She paused. “Clan leaders are inside. Their families.” A breath. “Along with The Mechanic.”


“Are you doing alright, with knowing that?” A calm question, if a bit curious.


Her eyes looked towards the cockpit. “I’m doing a lot better than your brother.”

“Kel’dan is ordering a planet wide evacuation for areas that haven’t been consumed yet. Solomon, acting as an ambassador for the Jedi Order,” she’d pause, listening carefully to what Darien’s reaction might be to that before continuing. “has offered a portion of the populace land and shelter on Ossus at the Temple along with food, water, medical supplies, and whatever they need. Which probably explains the cred chip he tossed at you before we left. The Hapans have requested for us to send the details of our available resources and they’d moved it from there.”


There was no audible reaction for Ava to hear regarding Solomon’s actions. What he did react to was news that Sol wasn’t taking things so well, and that was just a small thoughtful sound. “I’ll work on getting them the details, unless you disagree.”


The lack of reaction was almost expected disappointment but not a surprise.

Either way...

“I don’t. I referred both you and Kabel as leads on this. But... Darien we don’t have the people to help set up and run a refugee site - even if it’s temporary. Solomon may have all the money in the world to fund this but we still need hands to do the work.” She paused. “Contact Kabel please. Bring her up to speed and see how many of the older ones can travel to Ossus. And...” She almost grimaced.

“Get in touch with Ripley Tanner on Bespin if you can. See if there’s any aid she can lend.”


“Ripley? I can contact Kabel and get her on board no problem. I don’t know Tanner well enough, but yeah. I’ll see what I can do.”


“Tell her I sent you.” She replied. “Tell her I’m calling in my favor. She’ll help us.”


“Favor. Got it.” His voice huffed slightly as if he’d plopped himself down somewhere to sit, “You sure you’re okay with heading into this with Sol?”


“It’s The Mechanic.” She spoke as her eyes roamed across the walls of the spacecraft; looking but not really seeing.

“I don’t think his own children could compete against his relationship with Tlin. They’re telling us there are no survivors. That no one could have survived such a blast so...” She trailed off for a second. “What Solomon is feeling... all his spines and claws out... it’s normal, in a way. He has to take the lead and call all the shots because he needs to feel like he has the control in an uncontrollable situation. “


“Yeah, he’ll be alright,” he was putting his trust in The Force with that statement. There were very few things in the galaxy that could turn Solomon’s head the way Sadhric Tlin could. He could very likely count all those things on one hand, “If things are as bad as we’re being told — if Sadhric is gone, stay close to Sol for me, at least until you guys can get back here.

“And you didn’t really answer my question, Ava. Are you okay to be doing this? Right now. In light of it being Tlin?”


“I’ll do what I can.” It was the closest thing to a promise she could make.

“Yeah.” She blinked despite the fact that it wasn’t seen.


In the cockpit of the Justicar, Solomon was beginning his research silently, tapping into databanks and pulling up what information he could and loading it to his datapad via his ship. It was only small bits of information, just the beginnings of what he would be able to better do once on board the Wayfinder. It wasn’t much, this little bit of research, but it was -something-. It was a good enough start when he could otherwise be sitting idle, his thoughts getting the better of him. Researching celestial phenomena such as what might have occurred on Mandalore was his best option, and he carried it out in silence. On the comm, Darien’s voice whispering through the connection as time ticked away for their launch into hyperspace, he was saying “Alright. You know where I am, and where I’ll be if you need re-enforcements of any sort. I’m just a comm call away.”


“I know...” she paused. “If they accept our help.... look after them.”


“You know I will.” There he smiled just a little, the sound of it carrying through his voice.


“May the Force be with you.” Ava whispered before cutting the call. For a moment, she sat there with her eyes closed.

Just for a minute.

And then she was up to find Solomon.


“You, too,” was spoken after the click of a call going dead on his end. From there, Darien was going to work getting things together for Hapan Command, and the possible evacuees. In the small ship, Solomon was just beginning to read over what little he’d pulled up. He was right where Ava had left him, sitting in the pilot’s seat. Only now, he had a datapad balanced on his right knee, his right hand bracing the edge of it to keep it from sliding while he scrolled with his left.


“Find out anything new?” Ava asked as she entered and took a seat in the copilot’s chair.


His left hand laid for a moment against the side of the datapad’s screen while he looked up at Ava’s darkened reflection as it shown against the backdrop of stars, “Not really. There is a lot more statistical data working against us than there is for us.” He paused to turn his head and actually look her way, the pilot’s seat swiveling just a fraction as his weight shifted, “We’ve beat the odds before. Sadhric—” that went unfinished as he changed that thought around in his head, “Let’s just hope The Force is with him, and the Mandals that are down there with him.”


She nodded in agreement to his words and let a moment of heavy silence pass between them. Solomon with his thoughts. And Ava to her own.

When the moment passed, she spoke. “It might not hurt for us to call in some backup as well. Maybe Geraint or Jeryndi Trander?”


“Trander has his kids to worry about. He’s the only family they have now.” He swung back around and returned to looking down at his datapad, but he wasn’t reading. “I won’t call him in, or ask him to put himself at risk when he is all they have. Besides, he’d probably be elated to hear the news.” He frowned and shook his head, “Geraint, -maybe-. If we can reach him. Force knows where he’s gone with Cato.”


“Solomon...” Ava said quietly. “That’s not your call to make for Jeryndi. It’s his decision. You wouldn’t want someone using that excuse on you, would you?”


“I might, actually,” he muttered, and then a little louder he was saying, “And it is my call to make. The well-being of his family, of what he’s just gained back into his life — a life he’s just figuring out for himself — you want me to ask him to tear himself away from that for a man he can’t stand to breathe around? You want me to ask him to choose? Helping us and Sadhric, us and the Mandals, or taking care of the kids he’s just gained back? That’s a hard place to be put into, Ava. As a friend to both he and Sadhric — I can’t ask that of him. I can’t ask him to choose.”


“Then don’t call on him. I will.” Ava replied. “We can’t go into this alone... not if we can help it. And if he makes the decision to go... then whatever happens to him after that is on him. Just like our own choices are on us.”

She sighed.

“As for Geraint... I think I can reach him.”


“I can’t control what you do, but I don’t agree with it. If you want to call him, go ahead. I just think it's wrong to put him into the position you want to put him in.” His eyes began moving over the datapad as if he were reading, but he wasn’t seeing the words.


“If he decides to do it, then he puts himself there.” She answered while straightening back up.

“What’s our arrival time to Mandalore?”


He stopped “reading” and glanced toward her over his shoulder, “A preacher once told an old man from the godless star cluster of Mo-ha about his god, and of his hell. The godless man from Mo-ha sat and listened to the story, intrigued until the very end when the preacher said to him that his soul would be damned to hell if he did not revere god. The man asked a simple question. He said ‘Would I be damned if I did not know of your god?’ The preacher laughed and said ‘Certainly not. Your ignorance would save you.’ The old man smiled and said, ‘Then why did you tell me?’ If you tell him, if you ask him to come, then it is -you- who are responsible. Jeryndi controls his own actions, yes, but you will not be without fault should something happen to him and his children are robbed, once more, of knowing their father.”


Stone faced, Ava repeated in her usual soft tone. “I still need our arrival time to Mandalore.”


A look went, his left hand lifting from the datapad, a flex of his arm given to draw his chrono out from under his sleeve. Within a second or two, she had his best estimate.


Rising to her seat, Ava began moving out of the cockpit. “I’ll make the calls.” She paused at the doorway, glancing at Solomon over her shoulder. “Speaking of... you might want to call Trinity while we have time.”


She’d see his head bob once in a nod, his focus not on her reflection against the view port, or his chrono, or the controls of the ship. He was looking at the datapad once more. Just unfocused but looking.


Ava returned to her small corner of the ship. Her fingertips pressed against her eyes as of to rub away the strain of just the past hour. She breathed once, sniffled, and leaned against the wall. The first call went to Geraint and after three attempts, it was clear he was unreachable.

The second... Ava swallowed and ‘dialed’ for Jeryndi Trander.


Jeryndi didn’t answer, but his son did... On the third ring, he said, “Lickity Split, Ren speaking. How may I direct your call?”


“My name is Jedi Ava Azalee. I’m looking for Jeryndi Trander.” Ava replied in a calm voice. The fact that this was a child, most likely Trander’s child, didn’t cause her resolve to waver.


“Jedi, huh? Okay. One moment.” There was a click that silenced the call. It’d take about two minutes of silence before that click sounded again. “Trander here. I think I know why you’re calling.”


“Jedi Azalee.” She introduced. “Is that so?” Her brows were raised in surprise.


He sighed softly. “I’m en route. Not sure what happened, but I felt it... Big disturbance.”


“I’m sorry.” She blinked this time. “En route to where?”


He blinked, too. “Aren’t you calling about Mandalore?” he asked.


“I’m calling for your assistance but your assumptions are making it a little difficult.” Ava replied. “Perhaps we should start at the beginning and work from there?”


“I don’t know what happened, but I feel a sense of urgency to go... I wasn’t sure where, but Ren was. Do you know what’s happened on Mandalore?”


“I do.” She replied. “Please note that the information I have is highly sensitive and extremely confidential - no one else is to know. Understood?”


“Yes,” he said. There was a nod, though she couldn’t see it.


“Something has happened on Mandalore.” She explained, much like when she spoke to Darien. “No one knows exactly what caused it or what it is but experts are labeling it as an extinction level event. The center of impact is a seventy-five to seventy-eight mile radius on Um-Shara Yaim with an impact plume that’s spreading across the planet.”

She paused for a breath - much like before.

“It’s predicted to consume the planet within 17 to 20 hours. Right now, there are no communications coming in or out of the plum or surrounding areas. Kel’dan has ordered a planet wide evacuation to the remaining areas that have yet to be consumed. Solomon and I are heading to investigate the plume and search for any survivors.”


He made a thoughtful noise... “Do they need help with evacuation?” he asked. “Is the Mandalore okay?”


“I’m sure the Hapans would appreciate the extra hand for evacuations.” She replied. “The Mandalore was at the impact site along with Clan leaders and their families.”


“Oh shit.” he muttered. “Well... May I make a suggestion?”


“Um... sure.” She blinked.


“I’m only one ship, but I’m more than willing to help... It may be fruitless, but just so you know... The Network are friends to the Jedi. Or are meant to be... Call Asher. Or Jin Yoni. They may well have resources in the area that can help.”


“For that you’d have to pass this onto the Hapan government or the Jedi Order - Darien or Kabel Tekal, specifically. They’re spearheading the evacuations and any refugee sites. I know the Jedi are setting one up on Ossus.”


“I’ll call Darien, then. But it probably needs to come from the Mandals in terms of the request for aid. Pass it along, please? It’s just an idea. Asher isn’t me and I don’t know what he’ll say... But I don’t think he’d refuse a request for aid.”


“Darien would be your best option.” She replied. “You said that you were heading to Mandalore?”


“Yes... I made a promise not to contact friends there, but there’s not much getting around it.”


“And you’re planning on helping with evacuations?” She wanted to clarify.


“I’ll do what I can to help. If that’s evacuations, yes.”


“Right.” She said. “Solomon and I are expecting to be planet side in thirteen to fourteen hours. Maybe less if we can manage. There’s a Hapan ship near the planet called the Yelora Dowen. Go there and see what you can do to help with evacuations. I’ll send word to alert them of your arrival.”


“Thank you... I’ll talk to the kids about what’s going on. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you, okay? And tell Sol to keep his head on his shoulders.”


Ava was certain she had visibly paled. “Your kids? You’ve traveled with your kids?”


His voice was neutral. “Jedi Azalee,” he said softly. Patiently. “I will not take risks with my children, but they will want to help, too.”


His children.

His choice.

Ava moved on.

“Right. I’ll make sure the Dowen is expecting them as well. Travel safe.”


“Thank you. I wish you luck in your search. May the Force be with you.”


“May the Force be with you.”

She ended the call and moved to head back to the cockpit.

Her host was right where she had left him. In a small ship like the Justicar there was nowhere to hide. There was nowhere to go. Solomon spared a look up toward Ava as she came back in, though. The headset for his comms had been moved, tossed onto the top of the ship’s control console within reach should he need it again. The datapad was still on his lap, still lit like he had been reading.

“So.” She breathed while taking her seat. “I couldn’t reach Geraint. And… Jeryndi Trander was already heading towards Mandalore… I told him about our investigation along with the evacuations.” She glanced over at him.

“And he’s offered to help evacuate the people. He’s heading to Yelora Dowen to see what he can do to help.”


“Alright. At least he won’t be with us on the ground.” That was something, and he’d take it.


“Yeah.” She paused and released a disbelief chuckle. “He’s brought his kids with him.”


“Tell me that was a joke. Please.” He was looking at her directly now, head turned her way and resting back against the flight chair.


“I wish it was.”


Shutting his eyes, Sol sat very still for a moment. When he next exhaled it was almost a sigh, “I knew he had his head on backwards, but this....” he opened his eyes to look her away again. For a moment there was a tiredness to his eyes, but that was swallowed by the burden of their task at hand a moment later, “I sure as hells hope he knows what he’s doing.”


“Yeah…” She trailed off. It was the kind of thing where one didn’t really know what to say. And so she said nothing. Clearing her throat, Ava went for a change of topic. “Did you get ahold of Trinity?”


“I did.” He nodded and paused to adjust where his datapad was sitting, balancing it a bit better against his leg, “She’s not happy. She wants me home. But I won’t go home without him. I won’t go home until I know what’s happened to the clan heads. I can’t.”


“And the kids? Are they doing okay?”


“Yeah,” another small and brief nod, “They miss me. Trin’s having a hard time with them because of it, but they’re alright otherwise.”


“What about you?” It was a quiet question. “There’s a good chance when we get there… we might not be coming back. Are you prepared for that? For your children and wife to go through that?”


“I know,” he stated quietly, his eyes turning toward the star streaks beyond the viewport, “I don’t want them to hurt for me. But I -need- to do this. I’d hate myself forever if I didn’t go after him.”


She took a moment. “Solomon, my children literally don’t know who I am. I could die today and they’d never know I existed. Going into this… I don’t have the weight that you’re carrying. If things go south down there… you best believe I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure Zachory and Ureala see their father again. The only thing I ask is that, if the time comes, you don’t fight me on it.”


His gaze shifted from the stars to his own reflection. He blinked hard, grasping so tightly at the casing of the datapad on his lap with both hands that they were shaking slightly, “I’m not leaving there until I know what’s happened to my brother, Ava.”


She said nothing at that but slowly began to rise. All she did was gently rest a hand on his shoulder. It stayed there for a second before giving a gentle squeeze and letting go.

“I’ll be back here meditating. Let me know if anything new happens or when we reach the Wayfinder.”


In the reflection of themselves off the view port Sol gave a soundless nod. His right shoulder under her hand would be just as tight in tension as his right hand, holding the datapad in a death grip as he was.



The Wayfinder was not at all what it had first appeared to be. In the bowels of the mining station the ship had looked like an old worn down ship, a junker not much better than Ava’s ship had been. Rusty panels and shielding, pieces that looked like they might fall off if breathed on wrong, and a view port that looked frosted over with some sort of sticky grime. The supplies he’d requested were left for him and Ava, and loaded by Solomon onto the ship in quick fashion. The Justicar was left where the Wayfinder had sat when they’d taken off, locked and hunkered down for the rest, as secure as he could make the ship. That was a hard moment among hard moments. Leaving the Justicar behind felt like cutting off a limb. The last time the ship had been left out of his sight, in the care of someone else, it would up spattered with an awful paint job. But it was a needed thing. The Wayfinder was just better for this trip, and Ava was soon to find out why. As soon as they were away from the mining station the ship had begun to change. The worn insides shifted, rippling into a more familiar look — a more familiar form. The liquid-like movements brought something cleaner to the surface. Ava had seen effects like this before, on board both Origin and the Witchdoctor. This ship was unique, a gift given and held so close and secret that it had survived the ravages Solomon had gone through during the Little War. Outside, if one were to see it in space, it would have looked streamlined and silver, all slopes and gentle curves. Controlling this ship was far different, and yet he still relied on good old fashioned consoles. It was just something to do with his hands, to keep himself busy and occupied while doing further digging. Connections were made, the ship responding as if it had never been asleep. Information in the form of dozens of holos were his companions. Many of them showed the images sent by both Hapan Command, and Kel’dan. Some were scrolling by with strings of numbers and various bits of code. Others, still, showed averages and other statistics regarding such planetary happenings as what was happening on Mandalore. Hours passed like that for him. He kept himself busy and distracted. He worked to keep the depths of space at bay, the cold shadows of doubt and fear that took a great deal to battle away the closer they got to reversion. Just shy of the Mandalore system they’d revert and the Wayfinder would get another make-over, controlled from where Solomon was within. Outwardly the ship took on the look of a mid-sized yacht that carried the markings of something made in the Mandal Motors ship yards. “Ava,” where ever she was on board, she’d hear his voice as if it came from inter ship comms, “We’re here.”