#specs writes stuff

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A/N: I'm gonna need to write something explaining why I haven't been writing, don't I? In brief, I changed jobs (no more time to write at work) and I moved (big adjustment.)

---

The judges were speaking amongst themselves as I am escorted into the court. Standing exactly where they were this morning. “But if they can do that,” I hear Kota say, “the whole system could…”

Naleshekan hisses at him. “Silence! This is not for outsiders to hear!”

“Well, human,” Shelkar says, “you find yourself in a most difficult situation. The Hrakert Rift is the most precious resource on Manaan, and anything that threatens it or the kolto it produces threatens our entire species.”

Duula slams his hands down on the bench. “We will not tolerate threats to our neutrality, our existence, and our way of life!”

“As much as we may admire your Republic and your Order in particular,” Jhosa says with a measured wisdom that tells me he and Vrook would get along like a house on fire, “I believe you will have a hard time explaining your role in this incident adequately.”

Naleshekan speaks, looking at evidence on a datapad. “We have determined that you are responsible for the detonations that occurred near the Hrakert Rift. We demand to know what occurred down there!”

“If the Republic has broken its neutrality treaty with us,” Duula half-shouts, “the repercussions shall be very grave indeed!”

Shelkar attempts to calm his hot-headed co-judge. “What have you done to the Rift?”

“I have not harmed the Rift,” I assure them. “The explosions were at the research station both our governments set up there.”

“Research station?” Naleshekan balks, “What are you talking about? Don’t try to lie to us, human!”

“We know of this,” Shelkar says simply, almost ashamed.

“What?!”

“It will be discussed later,” he insists.

“This cannot be kept silent!” Naleshekan shouts, “The Council will--”

“The Council will hear nothing of this!” Shelkar interjects, “And you will keep your silence or be ejected from the court!”

“But we cannot--!”

“Silence!” And Naleshekan stops.

“What has happened at the research station?” Jhosa asks calmly, “What caused the explosions?”

“The harvesting machinery caused a giant firaxan shark to emerge from its home in the Rift,” I say, “It began to attack the machinery and its cries caused the smaller firaxan sharks to frenzy and the Selkath at the station to turn on the other scientists. To bring peace, I destroyed the kolto harvesting machinery.”

“A giant… firaxan?” Naleshekan says, stunned, “Could it be…? No, impossible! It is only a legend!”

“But…” Jhosa says slowly, “she said she killed it… didn’t she?”

“You killed this shark, human?” Shelkar asks.

“No,” I say, “I destroyed the machinery to save it.”

“The Progenitor…” Jhosa says softly, “…it must have been!”

“Be quiet!” Duula hisses, “That is merely a myth, and not fit for outsiders to hear!”

“But if it was the life-bringer…” Kota says, “…the ancestor of our species… Think of what this could mean!”

“If it always laired there…” Jhosa contemplates, “…then perhaps the kolto…”

“Enough!” Shelkar interrupts, “Off-worlders are not to hear of such things!”

“But,” Kota says, “she said she saved it… She destroyed the harvesters to save it.”

“Indeed,” Shelkar says in a measured tone, “This casts your actions in a new light, human. This, I believe, will require more thought... both on your actions, and on what we must do in response. This court will adjourn while we deliberate.”

The judges file out, and I relax. God, I'm tired. If I wasn't unsure when the judges would come back, I would lay down on the floor and fall asleep. Even as it is… this floor looks very comfortable. I think I will sit down. And try not to fall asleep.

The judges are out of the room for about 10 minutes, and when they come back it is a lot harder to muster the will to stand up than I expected. The early evening sun streaks in through the windows, streaming in Judge Shelkar as he issues the ruling. “We have reviewed your actions and the situation, human,” he says, “We thank you for the destruction of the machinery and saving the giant firaxan which, we believe, is the source of our kolto… or at least its guardian. We will not detain you any longer. While we cannot show our gratitude overtly, know that you have earned our respect. This trial is now over.” And with that, the judges file back out.

“Well,” I say shortly to Carth and Juhani in the gallery, “that’s that, then.” I turn and walk out of the court room, and I hear the two of them file behind me. “The only thing left to do is head for the Star Forge. We should stock up on medpacs and power cells before we go. And we should make sure the ship’s shields and weapons are prepared for a dogfight as we approach the station. Juhani, I’m going to ask you to report back to the Council about our progress. Carth, could you contact the Republic? I’ll work with T3 to tackle the shields.”

“Rena, you should rest,” Juhani says, “Take the time to gather your strength before you confront Darth Malak.”

“You look like you’re ready to collapse,” Carth agrees.

“I’ll be fine,” I say, “I just want to get this over with.”

Carth stops me by grabbing my arm tightly, not letting me pull away. “Rena,” he says firmly, “one night isn’t going to make any difference. Take a break.”

“Carth, let me go,” I look into his eyes solemnly, “This is my job.”

“You’re not the only one who can look at the shields,” he insists.

“And yet I’m going to and you can’t stop me. Now let me go.” Reluctantly, he does. And I turn back to the ship and keep going. I will admit - as long as you don’t tell him - that he’s right. It has been an incredibly long day and I absolutely could use a break. But we all have incredibly long days ahead of us, and if I take a break, then it would feel like I didn't care about the fact that I started all this in the first place.

Jolee is the first person I run into on the ship. “Jolee,” I say to him, “we’ll be leaving for the Star Forge in the morning. Can I count on you to get us stocked up on medpacs and power cells?”

He scoffs. “Only if you’re on your way to bed - you look exhausted.”

I roll my eyes. “God, it’s like you’ve been talking to Carth. I’m fine.” I see HK next, standing idly in the loading back. “HK, come online.”

His eyes light up. “Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master.” He pauses, looking at me. “Query: Master, are you feeling alright.”

“I’m fine, why do you ask.”

“Observation: Your heart rate is elevated, as is your respiration. Your appearance seems to be more unkempt than usual, and there is an atypical slump to your posture.”

“Everything’s fine,” I say again, “We’ll be leaving for the Star Forge in the morning. Your task will be to defend the ship so we can get away when we’re done. Now, have you seen T3?”

I swear, if he could sneer. “Statement: The inferior droid was in the cockpit according to my previous record.”

“Thanks.” I move away. Mission next. “Kid, you ready for a fight?”

“You know it!” she says, but does a double-take. “Are you okay, Rena?”

“I wish everyone would stop asking me that.” I see Canderous on my way to the cockpit. “Canderous, could you make sure we're adequately armed and the ship’s weapons are top-notch? We'll be leaving for the Star Forge in the morning.” He opens his mouth. “I swear to God, if you ask if I'm okay…” 

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he says, moving past me to do as I asked, “I know you’re not.”

“I - oh, forget it.” T3 is still in the cockpit, running diagnostics. “T3, I need your help to tune up the shields.” He turns to face me and beeps his concern. “Oh, don't you start.” I enter the coordinates in my memory into the navicomputer before I forget. I'm not worried about forgetting the coordinates, but about not getting them into the computer.

Carth comes in behind me. “What are the coordinates for--?”

“Just entering them into the navicomputer now.”

“Good. Good.” He just nods idly. “I was worried about you earlier.”

“Just in general or at some specific point?”

“When you were on the ocean floor,” he says. I finish at the navicomputer and start towards the engine room with T3 following me. Carth follows me, too. “I remember how much you dislike envirosuits.”

“Not envirosuits, just space walks,” I correct.

“Still,” he says, like he’s looking for words, just to keep talking. “I was worried. And then there was the explosion - I thought something happened to you.”

“Juhani already said that, I know.” In the engine room. I pull off the shield access panel and input a diagnostic command. “Have you contacted the Republic yet? We’re going to need the support of the fleet.”

“I will.”

“So what are you waiting for?”

He gives a heavy sigh. “Gods, Rena, would you look at me?” Fine, God. Not like I’m not busy or anything. He’s standing in the engine room doorway, looking a little flustered. “Things are just getting a little real, and I’m worried about the end of this. What happens after.”

“What happens after is… we win. The war ends.” I shrug. “Not sure what you’re asking.”

“I’m asking about us.”

Oh. Right. That. “I would like that a lot,” I say softly. Then I clear my throat. “But at the moment I just want to take things one day at a time.”

He nods. “Just remember,” he says, “I’m giving you something to live for. A future. So you’ll come back to me.”

I grin. “You won’t be getting rid of me that easily, don’t worry.” He chuckles. “Now. Republic.”

“You got it.” And he leaves.

I pull my tools out and unroll them as the diagnostic finishes. The shield grid is holding up, but needs to be realigned. Ugh, that takes hours. Better get started. I sit on the floor and open the interface panel. T3 beeps at me. “No, I can do it,” I tell him, laying on my side to better access the panel. My muscles ache. “Can you reroute the power to the auxiliary system so I don’t get zapped?” He sputters. “No, I do not need to be electrocuted into unconsciousness, I’ll sleep when I’m done!” I swear, this droid has “me” levels of sass and I don’t appreciate it. He beeps again. “T3,” I say, and I can’t help but smile, “please just reroute the power.” He whistles and sputters again, but does as I ask. I try to hold in a yawn to not prove him right. Pretend I'm not struggling to keep my eyes open. I paw at my tool wrap and pull out my aligner, to begin the slow, arduous process of realigning the grid. 

---

“We’ve received the coordinates, Commander Onasi,” Admiral Dodonna says, and turns to one of her bridge officers. “Contact the fleet, Ensign. Transmit the orders to proceed to these coordinates.” She turns back to me. “When will you be en route, Commander?”

“Ren - Master Visz has planned to leave in the morning,” I say, remembering to correct myself. Rena would not like it that I’ve called her “Master”, but that’s how the Admiral referred to her earlier, and it’s how I’d be expected to refer to her in any other scenario. “But I think I can persuade her to leave sooner.”

“Excellent,” she says, “Transmit another message when you embark. We will give you a few hours’ lead time in case the Sith have any tricks up their sleeve.”

“Understood. Ebon Hawk out.” End transmission. Well, with that out of the way, I think I want to help Rena with her task. Or at least sit with her. Oh! I just remembered - she mentioned this morning that she hadn't eaten, and I haven't eaten anything all day either. She needs to get her strength up for the fight, but she's also too stubborn to admit I'm right right now, she'll just say she's fine. But like I told Admiral Dodonna, I think I can persuade her otherwise.I get her a sandwich from the synthesizer. Start small. I take that to the engine room. “Rena, I brought you something to--”

She's lying down on the floor, on her side. Positioned by an open panel, but very clearly asleep. “--eat.” I shake my head at her inside. That didn't take long. “Teethree, you can finish with the shields, right?” He beeps, and I can’t understand him the way Rena can, but I can at least tell that it’s an affirmative. I crouch down and position my arms so I can pick her up, cradle her in my arms. 

Rena groans sleepily. “I wasn’t done yet,” she says, each word slurring into the next. 

I scoff. “Right, you were just resting your eyes, you weren’t sleeping.”

“I wasn’t!” she protests unconvincingly

“Sure you weren’t.”

“The shield grid needs to be realigned,” she mumbles, “And the frequency should…”

“Teethree’s got it handled,” I interrupt her, “Get some rest.” I use my elbow to open the door to the starboard quarters.

Mission turns when I open the door, raising her eyebrow at Rena. “Uh-huh, sure, she’s not tired.”

“Shut up,” Rena groans as I lay her on her bunk, and she curls back to sleep.

I turn back to Mission. “Once everyone’s back on board, we’ll take off.” She nods, and I head back to the cockpit.

@averruncusho @ceruleanrainblues @chubbsmomma @darthvendar-blog, thank you for reading, you get a tag. @skelelexiunderlord thank you for support, you get a tag.

—

My comm link buzzes, waking me up. I paw at my pillow, trying to find the comm link without opening my eyes. Found it. “I’m up, I’m up,” I say, not even convincing myself.

“We’ve dropped out of hyperspace -- thought you’d like to know we’re here,” Carth says.

“Yeah…” It takes me a second to realize what he said. “Yes! I’ll be right there!” I look on the floor for my boots before feeling them on my feet. Guess I really passed out. I stand and pull my hair tie out as I walk out of the starboard quarters, combing my hair with my fingers before tying it back up. Messy hair is not a new thing for me, but I don’t even have to see my reflection to know that I have some serious bed head. I also don’t need Mission’s stifled giggles to know that. I can feel it.

I step into the cockpit, and Carth briefly turns away from the controls to acknowledge me before focusing again on the controls. He slowly turns the ship, bringing the system into view. The planet is beautiful and blue, a large ocean dotted with large and small islands on the sunlit side. I can’t see any hint of larger continents. It’s a little hard to believe that a planet like this was the source of a massive empire - which it would have to be given the apparent extent of its reach. Where did the resources come from? Mining resources from the ocean is difficult, and perhaps they could make use of the Selkath - I remember the Guardian droid on Dantooine saying the Builders “employed” Selkath slaves - but they’d have to get to Manaan first. Maybe the ocean is a result of thousands of years of erosion, continental drift, and change, after the fall of the empire. I’d love to take a scout team down there and check it out. The ship continues to turn, and a massive space station comes into view. It looks like three great blades surrounding a sphere. Even from this distance, I can feel the Dark Side radiating off the Star Forge. I remember the first time I saw it. I remember feeling relieved that Malak and I had finally found it. And I remember landing on the planet’s surface. But I don’t remember why. I gently shake the thought away.

“The Star Forge…” Carth says softly, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“You transmitted the coordinates to the Republic?” I ask. 

“Yeah, Admiral Dodonna and I spoke the other day, “he says, “Now we just have to wait for the Republic to show up. “We should be safe here - we're outside their sensor range.” Guess we won’t be checking out the planet, then. Probably a good idea - if we checked it out, it would be hard to pull me away. Even the idea of seeing the ecology and environment on a planet that used to be home to an empire is extremely tantalizing. We should stay here in high orbit, so we’re still here when the Republic gets here.

A proximity alert goes off. “A small vanguard of Sith fighters, coming in hard! Take the second position!” I take the chair, despite any protests I could voice about my lack of piloting skills. “Mission!” he shouts, “Get on the turret! Take those fighters out before they report our position to the main fleet!” She shouts an acknowledgement as she runs for the turret and starts firing. “Rena, I need you to monitor our sensor output - keep an eye on their status and ours.”

“Now that I can do!” I know sensor displays like the back of my hand. “The forward shields are taking a hit already - rerouting power to reinforce them. Try to keep them behind us - I reinforced the aft shielding yesterday.”

“Acknowledged.”

I remember. 

God, Rena - Revan, I don’t care - this is not the time for this! Not that I have a choice. The Sith fighters have a red stripe on the underside. That means they’re a particular class of fighter - but what does it mean? The engines --

“Mission, concentrate your fire on the right-hand side of the fighters,” I say over the comm, “There’s a critical component there - a few good hits will take them out.”

“Got it!”

Carth glances at me. “New memory?”

“I don’t want to think about it,” I say quickly. Not like not thinking about it is going to change anything. Revan is going to have a lot to tell me here already. I will listen to her, but I don’t have to let her live in my head, do I? I’ll take her wisdom. But it will be me in charge here.

Mission gets off several good shots, taking out three of the ships as we scrape the atmosphere of the planet. A system failure crops up on my display. The synthesizer. Not a critical system, we can afford to ignore it for now. I feel another ship explode, the shockwave knocking us into the atmosphere again. My sensor field flickers and goes out. “Sensors are dead!”

“What?!” Carth exclaims, trying to get us out of the atmosphere.

“Let me check secondary,” I say, rerouting the feed. The secondary sensors are still partially online. I get a few intermittent readings, not enough to tell me anything. But what I see… is familiar.

I remember why we landed.

“Get away from the planet!” I shout, trying to get ahead of the system failures. If I can keep the engines and thrusters online, maybe we can just get out of this in one piece.

“What’s the--” he starts, but then he sees what I see. Gets the readings I’m getting. Power levels in the red. He tries to keep up as we fall further into the atmosphere, but doesn’t have any more luck than I do. “We’ve got problems!” he shouts so the rest of the ship can hear, “We've flown into some kind of disruptor field. All my instruments are jammed! We've got massive overloads in all systems!”

I look out the viewport, practically pleading with Revan for another nugget of memory. “See that big island?” I say, and Carth looks, “See if you can get us down there.”

“What’s there?”

“That’s where Malak and I crashed last time.” I remember. Carth has something to say about this, wants to know more about the memory, but it’s not the time and he knows it.

He angles the nose of the Hawk for the big island. “Hold on,” he calls out, “This may be a rough landing!”

“Rerouting everything I’ve got to the heat shields,” I say as we descend through the atmosphere, “We’re gonna need it if we want to keep the hull plating.” I can see the heat build up on the edges of the viewport. I vividly remember it doing the same on the small ship Malak and I brought here. Hearing our hull plating fly off as we fell through the atmosphere. The impact with the atmosphere knocked Malak out and away from the pilot controls. Leaving Revan - me - to pilot. And I wasn’t any better at it then than I am now. I knew enough to get us in one piece down to the island and not in the water. It wasn’t smooth at all, not that smooth is ever a word used to describe a crash landing. But even then, Carth is doing a hell of a lot better than I did. He manages to lower the landing struts and set us down on them - Malak and I got stuck with our nose in the sand.

He holds his hand out to help me stand up. I didn’t think I’d need it, but the crash sort of jellied my legs. He must have a sense of that when I put more weight on him than I meant to, because he chuckles a little. “Crash landings get easier the more you go through them, unfortunately,” he says.

“Maybe you’re not as good a pilot as I thought,” I joke.

“And maybe I should just let you hit the ground,” he jokes back. He and I walk into the main hold, where everyone else has gathered.

“Whew!” Mission exclaims, coming in from the turret, “Talk about your rough landings, Carth! What's the matter? You're flying like you've been on an all night Tarisian ale drinking binge!”

“That disruptor field fried our stabilizers,” Carth tells her and the others, “We're lucky we made it down in one piece! But if we can't find the salvage to make repairs I won't even be able to get the Ebon Hawk airborne again!”

“Maybe if we're lucky the crash will take care of our gizka problem,” Zaalbar says, “The rough landing might convince them to abandon the ship.” Aww, I’m gonna miss those little frogs.

“During our rather rapid descent,” Juhani says, “I noticed the hulls of many crashed ships scattered across the landscape. Perhaps the parts yo”u need can be found among their wreckage.”

“The Cathar's right,” Canderous says, “This planet's a technological graveyard. I saw dozens of downed ships out there. That disruptor field must have wiped them all out.”

“Even if we get the stabilizers fixed, we'll have to find and disable the source of that disruptor field before we can take off. Otherwise we'll just end up crashing again,” Carth says.

They all turn to me. All looking at me. “Why are you all looking at me?”

“You were here once before,” Canderous says.

“Do you remember anything about the field?” Carth asks, “You seemed to remember something before we crashed.”

He’s not wrong, but it’s not exactly a voluntary thing. I take a minute to think. To try to remember. I remember the crash. I remember our systems going down. “I know the source is on the planet, rather than the Star Forge. And I remember Malaka and I crashed on this island and turned it off.” Remember, remember… “Once we understood it better, we reactivated it and configured our vessels to resist the effects.”

“But the Republic fleet won't be able to,” Carth realizes, “If we don’t find a way to disable the field the Republic will be slaughtered!”

T3 beeps and rolls away from a sensor console, having managed to repair it. Mission’s standing closest to the console, so she reads off the display. “T3 picked up massive power fluctuations on the ship's sensors. They seem to be coming from some type of large stone structure to the east… it looks like some kind of ancient temple.”

“I can’t say it sounds familiar,” I say, “but it’s a good place to start. If an ancient temple is putting out that much power it probably has something to do with that disruptor field.”

“Don't forget about Bastila, guys!” Mission chimes, “We still have to rescue her, too!”

“I only hope we're not too late,” Juhani says, and Canderous bristles. “Bastila has been Malak's prisoner for a long time. If he can turn her to the dark side she will join him and the Sith will be invincible.”

“She wouldn’t turn,” Canderous says with certainty.

“I tend to agree,” I say.

Jolee shakes his head sadly. “I fear Bastila will find the lure of the Dark Side difficult to resist,” he says, “She is strong in the Force, but she is also impulsive, willful and proud - as you once were, Revan.”

It’s my turn to bristle. “Please don’t call me that, that’s not who I am.”

Jolee smiles softly. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Now that you know your true identity I was afraid you might slip back over to the Dark Side,” he says, “If Bastila feels as you do there may yet be hope for her.”

Carth is focused on the matter at hand, otherwise he would have reached out to me. “Well,” he says, “if Bastila is on the Star Forge like you think, Jolee, then we can't rescue her until we disable that disruptor field. The sooner we investigate that temple to the east the better. We can probably find the wreckage of a downed ship along the way. If we're lucky we can salvage some stabilizers from it to get off this planet.”

“I hope everything works out as smooth as you make it sound, Carth,” Mission says. 

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——–

In the morning I am escorted, alone, to the court in Ahto West. Everyone from the ship is already there, and so are Shaelas and Shasa. As glad as I am to see my friends, seeing Shaelas and Shasa causes me to breathe a huge sigh of relief. “Shaelas, I’m so glad you’re here,” I say to him.

“Of course, Min Rena!” he says gladly, “For returning my Shasa to me, and from what she’s told me of it, I am forever in your debt! And yet, my joy is tempered by the knowledge that the Sith still walk freely about Manaan. Hopefully the testimony of my daughter will be enough proof of their actions, to make the Ahto City authorities take action.”

“But, Father,” Shasa says, “If it is not… Rena, that datapad…”

“It’s in evidence, I just have to call for it,” I say. Shasa looks relieved. I’m relieved Bwa’lass did as I asked. He had every reason to be spiteful.

The judges start to file in and take their positions. There are five of them. The judge on the far left speaks first. “This court shall now come to order. Rena Visz, you  stand accused of the grievous murder of many Sith, and extensive property damage to their Embassy here.”

The one in the center speaks now. “How do you plead?”

“Not guilty,” I say calmly.

The one in the center speaks again. “Let the record show that this trial has commenced,” he says, and they all proceed to introduce themselves, starting with the one in the middle, then from right to left. “Presiding are judges Shelkar…

“Jhosa…”

“Naleshekan…”

“Kota…”

“...and Duula.”

Shelkar speaks again. “This trial is to determine the culpability and punishment of this individual in the recent assault on the Sith Embassy.”

Now Jhosa. “ Given the severity of this trial, we can dispense with the normal formalities of the court and proceed directly.”

Kota. “You have pleaded not guilty, yet there were reports of weapons fire and detonations from within the Sith Embassy.”

And finally, Shelkar again. “You were seen entering and leaving the Embassy,” he says, “The Sith have not conferred with the authorities about this matter, but from all available evidence, it would seem that you are the source of the disturbance.” He pauses. “What is your explanation for being in the Sith Embassy?”

“I was investigating the disappearances of young Selkath,” I say.

They straighten. “You believe that the Sith have had something to do with those disappearances?” Jhosa asks.

Duula reacts with scorn. “The off-worlder has probably been listening to Shaelas and his rumor-mongering,” he says.

“Most likely,” Shelkar says, before looking at me. ‘You have asked Shaelas and his daughter Shasa before this court today. Shaelas himself has been before this court numerous times calling for us to investigate the disappearances of his daughter and others, but with no evidence, we were forced to dismiss him. Do you have any proof to back up your assumption, human? Have the Sith been implicated?”

“Yes, your honors,” I say, “I would like to call Shasa to give testimony.”

“Does her father consent?” Naleshekan asks.

“Yes, your honors,” Shaelas says, and Shasa steps forward.

“Shasa,” Shelkar says, “what evidence do you have to present to the court?”

She takes a deep breath. “Several weeks ago, I and three of my friends were approached by an Iridonian. He spoke to us of the Sith, the good they could do for Manaan. I was skeptical of his claims at first, because of the things my father had told me about the Sith, but the more he told us, I became convinced. He said that the Sith were looking for Selkath to train in the ways of the Force, and if we went with him, we could meet with a Sith master. The master determined that myself and a number of others could be trained in the ways of the Force and began teaching us immediately. I felt proud and lucky to be a part of such an elite group. We were given rooms in the Embassy, and though I missed my father, I felt this was important to do for the well-being of Manaan. The Sith promised they had the best interests of our planet and people at heart, and I believed them. They told us we could return to our families whenever we wished, and shortly before Rena arrived, our friend Galas announced he would be returning home. I trusted the Sith, trusted their words. Even when Rena showed us Galas’ pin, I did not believe that he was dead, even though my friends did. It was not until she showed me a datapad from our Sith master that I believed her truth. The Sith were using us, lying to us. They planned to use us to take Manaan for their own.”

“Hold,” Shelkar says, “You mentioned a datapad.”

“Yes, your honors,” I say, “This datapad was among my belongings when I was taken into custody.”

Naleshekan looks at one of the court officers. “Please have this datapad brought before the court.” We wait as it (and my datapad, which is put back) is brought out.

The master’s datapad is handed to Shelkar. “Let it be noted that the court has taken this new evidence into consideration,” he says. He takes several moments in silence to skim the last entry. “Hm…” he says neutrally, “This is... most disturbing. The court will adjourn for a brief period to verify this evidence and discuss its importance. This court stands in recess until that time. Please remain here until we resume.” And back the way they came, they all file back out of the courtroom. 

I feel a weight lift off my shoulders. Obviously it isn’t over until it’s over, but from Shelkar’s tone shift, I’m pretty sure this is working out in my favor. I’m just ready to get this over with.

“Guess you didn’t sleep too well.” Carth has taken the opportunity to come talk to me. And I’m glad of that.

“It doesn’t take a genius to know that,” I say, gently massaging my neck, “I haven’t eaten since yesterday, plus my nerves about this --”

“Yeah, what happened to Bwa’lass?” he asks, “You know what they say about people who represent themselves.”

“I would have been a fool if I’d let him defend me - a dead fool,” I say, “But I have to give him credit, he did get Shaelas and Shasa here. This would have been a lot harder without her.”

“Oh, that was your idea? I thought the court called them as witnesses automatically, since Shasa was there when they arrested you,” Carth says. 

“Nope,” I say, “I figured if anyone could say what the Sith did, and be believed, it would be one of their own. And Shasa’s charismatic, she could have convinced them with words alone. Though I’m glad she doesn’t have to.” God, I’m exhausted. “Hey, do me a favor, let me lean on you until the judges come back.” Not even waiting for him to say yes like I know he will. I lean my head against his arm.

“Wow, you are beat,” he says with a small chuckle.

“I feel like I could sleep for a week,” I say, “I know I won’t get to, but--”

“We should at least get the data core to the Republic before you fall off the face of the galaxy,” he says with a smirk.

“One thing at a time,” I say.

Carth wraps his arm around me, pulling me in tighter. I take a while to just… listen to the sound of his breathing. The slight movement of his shoulder with each inhale and exhale. Try to find some small peace before things start happening again. 

Then, all too soon, he nudges me. The door to the judges’ chambers has opened, and they begin to file back in. Judge Jhosa holds the datapad up. “We have verified that this is indeed a Sith datapad indicating their complicity in a plot to overthrow the lawful government of Manaan,” he says.

“In gratitude for having discovered this heinous offense,” Judge Kota says, “all charges against you regarding this incident will be dropped. Pending a suitable penalty against the Sith, their Embassy is considered off-limits to all Ahto City Security personnel. No calls or incidents from their base will be attended to until this matter is dealt with, as they are no longer subject to the protections of Selkath law.”

And finally, Shelkar speaks. “You have been found innocent, and may leave as you desire. Please see a court officer for the return of your belongings. This trial is now over.”

I breathe out the biggest sigh of relief, as the others pat my shoulders and congratulate me. (Why are they congratulating me? I guess that’s just the thing you do when someone wins a court case, not that I’d know. As far as I know I’ve never been on trial before.)

Carth rests his hand on my shoulder. Where the others patted, his hand stays. “We should get that information back to the Republic. Unless you want to take a minute.”

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——–

There is a door to another airlock visible just across the Rift from the airlock I just left. That must head back to the main station. Maybe if I tune the communicator just right I can find Carth’s communicator, let him and Juhani know what’s going on. I slowly turn the dial until I hear something other than static. “Come in,” I say, unsure if anyone’s even there, “Come in, anyone. This is Rena Visz. Is anyone on this frequency?” No static. Maybe it’s a one-way frequency? Nobody can transmit on it and talk back to me but they’re receiving? Then again, who would be on the other end? Except for us, the merc by the docking bay, and Kono and Sami, there’s nobody left alive in the Hrakert Station. I can’t help but hope. “If anyone’s receiving this transmission, I’m out in the Hrakert Rift, on my way to the kolto harvesting machinery at the edge of the Rift.

“I found two of the researchers here, a biologist and a biochemist, Sami and Kono Nolan. They informed me that a giant firaxan shark had risen up from the Rift. The current theory is that the installation disturbed the habitat of the giant firaxan, and destroying the machinery should calm it down." I turn away from the station, towards the Rift. “I’m heading there now. Sami and Kono also informed me of some ruins down here, like the giant firaxan was guarding them. I doubt that, but if I’m right about the source of the ruins, the two are related. I’ve seen ruins like these before. Whoever set up shop here were part of a race capable of terraforming on a massive scale. Maybe with this ocean they bit off more than they could chew, like the wroshyr forest on Kashyyyk. And the ruins have been steeped in the Dark Side. Wouldn’t be the first powerful creature I’ve seen in the vicinity of these ruins.”

God, I’m exhausted. To think, I was just on trial this morning. “I wonder how long I’ve been down here. Feels like an eternity.” Sand and rocks crunch beneath my boots, and the metal plating clunks with each step. “Of course I’ll probably end up back in jail at the end of it. If the Selkath aren’t aware of this already, they will be once I destroy the machinery.” A firaxan shark approaches. I activate the emitter and it swims away. “Kono told me they had managed to create a toxin that would kill the shark, but there was never any chance of me using it. Even as little as I know of this ecology, it’s clear that the kolto and the firaxa are linked. That’s why the Selkath researchers changed when the machinery was completed, started attacking the others here. Any damage to the firaxa could hurt the kolto, and anything that damages the kolto will harm the environment. They’re all parts of the same whole. And I think this war has done enough damage already.”

I step in front of the kolto machinery. Sami said four million sangen. Looks like I just need to shift the fuel so that one of the tanks holds four million. “If anyone’s listening,” I say again, making the transfers between tanks, “I’m loading up the Hydrolium fuel to four million sangen. It gets explosive at that point. Parts of the machinery will likely float to the surface. When the Selkath find it, there’s going to be some uncomfortable questions. I recommend the truth. Nobody takes well to being lied to. I should know.”

Four million sangen. The computer displays a warning message so I move back, bracing myself against the wall of the station. A massive bubble of air and kolto erupts as the machine bursts and breaks apart. Metal floats slowly to the surface. And that’s that. “I’m going to check out the ruins now.” There’s a metal bridge that spans across the Rift. I look out across the ocean floor. Through the fog of the display, I see the shark. The utterly massive firaxan shark. The ancient creature is scarred from its collisions with the machinery. But now that the machine is gone, its mechanical reach no longer penetrating its home in the depths of the Rift, the shark descends back down, down into the Rift, letting me pass peacefully. “That seems to have done it,” I say simply. And I continue crossing.

Even through the display, I can clearly make out the shape of the Star Map. I can’t help but wonder if this is just how I found it before. As Revan. If I approached it this way, from this bridge. Met the great shark. The station wasn’t here then, but surely Revan and Malak were able to take a submersible down here. Surely they… I… managed to convince a Selkath to let us see the ancient ruins below the surface, on the edge of the Hrakert Rift. Or maybe we contacted the Republic, or the Sith, or an independent faction. I don’t remember. Maybe the memory will come back some day. Maybe I’ll remember Revan’s entire quest for the Star Forge. Maybe I’ll remember why she… why I sought it out to begin with. Why Malak and I started another war when we’d only just finished one. Malak certainly wouldn’t tell me, even if I asked.

As I step closer, the Star Map activates, just as the others all did. I can’t get at my datapad to download the Star Map, but even as I look at it, I remember. A set of coordinates. Pointing at an area of the map, getting Malak’s attention. “There it is,” I’d said, “That grid there, a parsec from the edge of the Outer Rim.” Barely outside of known space. “The heart of the Infinite Empire.” Infinite Empire? Not so infinite, judging from the state of the Star Maps. But now that I’ve remembered the coordinates, the grid, the planet they lead to, there’s no forgetting them. “I’m heading back now,” I say aloud, “Nothing more for me here.” And I turn back to the main part of the station. No sharks bother me. The invader is gone.

The far airlock takes me to a different part of the station from where I left Carth and Juhani. Not far. But with the suit off I can access my comm unit. “Carth, Juhani, you out there?”

“Rena!” Carth’s voice comes through loud and clear.

“We felt a massive explosion - we were afraid you were caught in the blast,” Juhani says.

“No, that was me,” I say, ”I’ll explain when I see you.”

“Are you back in the station?” Juhani asks.

“Where are you?” Carth asks.

“There was another airlock, let me check my map really quick--”

“Map -” Carth interrupts, “Did you find the Star Map?”

“I did - more than that I know exactly where we need to go.” I pull out my datapad and consult the facility map. “Head down the main hallway, back the way we came. Hang the last left, then the first right.”

“What if we encounter more Selkath?” Juhani asks, “You have the only sonic emitter”

“Shouldn’t be a problem. Like I said, I’ll explain when I see you.”

It isn’t long before they join me, and as we make our way back to the submersible, I explain everything. The mercenary, the sharks, the toxin. The explosion. The map. The memory. Juhani lays a comforting hand on my shoulder, but I shake it off. I’m not so fragile. I either have to live with this or collapse into a pile on the floor. Which, honestly doesn’t sound so bad at the moment. Carth begins the ascension in the submersible. And I sit in silence. Ready to go to jail. Again.

Roland Wann meets us when we surface, but skips over the niceties. “Master Jedi- “ Ugh. “- we received your transmission from the Hrakert Rift.” Oh! Guess that’s where it went. “Is it true? You blew up the machinery?”

“Everything I said was true,” I tell him, “The machinery has been destroyed and the giant firaxan shark is at peace.”

“No!” Roland curses, “That is terrible. That will set our work back years…” He sighs. “It may even cost us the war.” 

“It was either that or risk poisoning the kolto,” I say, “Trust me, this is the outcome you want.”

“While I am glad that you were able to solve our problems, the cost may have ended up being much too high,” he sighs, “But you have done your job and helped us in our time of need, and for that I thank you. Oh, and did you end up finding your Star Map?”

“Yes, I have what I came here for.”

“Good. Good,” he says. And I can tell he’s nervous.

“I assume the authorities are waiting outside the embassy for me?”

“How did you--?” he starts to ask, “Of course. Jedi. Yes, I am to turn you over to them. Of course, we could deliver you directly to your vessel--”

“No,” I interrupt him, “The Selkath need to know what’s happened here.”

“I do hope you’ll reconsider,” he says, “This could jeopardize our entire relationship with the Selkath.”

“Then you shouldn’t have done it.” Feels like a very Revan thing for me to say. “This was inevitable.”

I open the embassy door. The police. Again. “Stop, human!” says the one in charge, “We have detected a number of underwater detonations coming from the vicinity of the Hrakert Rift. You have been known to have asked questions about this, and our spy monitors in the Republic Embassy recorded you leaving in a submersible that descended to the Hrakert Rift. You will come with us immediately to answer for your actions, or we will be forced to take you by force!”

“I will come peacefully,” I say, “We’ve been through this before.”

@averruncusho @ceruleanrainblues @chubbsmomma @darthvendar-blog @80strashbag thank you for reading, you get a tag. @skelelexiunderlord thank you for support, you get a tag.

A/N - yes, I changed the impact of the sonic emitter on the firaxan sharks, but that's because I wanted to make my life easier later. Cope lmao

——–

“You can’t be serious,” Carth says, "You want to go out there with the sharks?”

“I mean, I’d love to not have to,” I say, “but you’re right, this almost definitely has something to do with the machinery, and that’s on the other side of the base. That’s only accessible through the flooded portion of the base. And there’s still two people alive over there, one of them has to know something. We can get environmental suits from storage.” I put out my datapad and consult the map. “And that’s… that way.” I point. “First door on the right.” I lead the way.

The door hangs open, trying to auto-close but the mechanism is impeded somehow. We squeeze through the narrow gap, and find the thing stopping it. One of the base scientists had his hand in the wall panel interrupting the signal and tripping a safety mechanism, and was killed there by one of the deactivated droids, based on the blast scarring. His other hand is wrapped around a round device. Must be important if he held onto it even while dying. The room is dark, but from around a corner I can see a bright flickering light. Something’s still on, then. I should have thought to get my flashlight from the ship. I activate my lightsaber instead, so I at least have something.

The flickering light is the display for a research station. It’s still displaying just fine, the brightness just keeps changing. And there’s a research log still active. Let’s see… Nothing about the current situation with the Selkath, but I see designs and mockups of the round device clutched in the dead man’s hand. A sonic emitter. “This device emits a powerful sonic pulse useful for scaring off or stunning various wildlife,” the notes read, “It normally has an extremely limited range, but in an underwater environment the signal would travel quite a distance. It has proven a useful repellent to several species of firaxan sharks.” Sounds like it could come in handy out on the ocean floor. I go back to the dead scientist and gently pry the device from his fingers. 

I consult my map again. There’s a series of pod-like rooms between here and the envirosuit storage. Four rooms, one with a little hallway room thing jutting off the side and entirely avoidable. And I smell fish. (God, that’s racist, I feel bad for even thinking it, but it… the Selkath have a distinct odor, there’s just no getting around it.) “There are still Selkath in the base, close by.” I pull out my second lightsaber. Carth readies his blaster. Juhani pulls her lightsaber from her belt. We move forward to the next door.

Selkath.

They don’t notice us at first. Three of them, all wandering aimlessly not interacting with each other. Not talking. I won’t strike first. Maybe they’ve recovered? One sees us and screams, and the other two look at us and rush us. Nope, not recovered! One fires a sonic blaster, the other two are unarmed. Striking with their claws. I duck just barely in time and strike with my saber. Meeting flesh. Through the torso, clean. Dead as the saber breaks through. Which feels terrible, he couldn’t even defend himself. I deactivate that lightsaber and the Selkath slumps onto the floor. The other clawed Selkath raises his arm to strike against me, and I slash again with the other lightsaber, cutting off the arm at the shoulder. Carth blasts him before he can strike again, and the force of the blaster bolt knocks him back. Juhani deflects a sonic bolt perfectly, and the third Selkath hits the ground.

I can’t recall fighting an unarmed opponent like this. Maybe with my swords, but this is different. A sword can’t do that kind of damage with such little effort. A sword can break. A sword can be defended against even by an unarmed opponent. Not a lightsaber. I feel sick. And the fish smell isn’t getting any better. I have to figure this out. No one deserves to die like this. “New goal,” I say, trying to catch my breath and at the same time not breathe in the smell, “Get to envirosuit storage without killing anyone else.” I can practically feel it as Carth and Juhani exchange a wary glance. I know, that’s usually out of our control. But there are ways to avoid it. I pull the sonic emitter back out. The report says it scares off wildlife. Maybe it’ll chase away Selkath.

I lay my hand on the next door. Only one Selkath. Makes it a good test. I open the door and immediately activate the sonic emitter. The Selkath stiffens, and when the emitter turns silent, he collapses. But I can still feel him through the Force. Still alive. “Wow,” Carth says, “That little thing packs quite a punch.”

“As long as that punch is non-lethal,” I say, turning it over in my hand. I open the door to the next room and hold out the emitter before I can even get a good look into the room. I hear two Selkath slump to the floor. None others. Double-check my map - just one more room. Envirosuit storage is through the next door. I open it. There are four Selkath, all huddled and clawing at a storage locker. I activate the emitter again, and they all faint. 

Carth and Juhani move past me into the storage room, both going to an envirosuit. Juhani lifts one, pushing her fingers through a massive tear. “This one is not usable,” she says, in awe of the massive tear. Understatement of the year.

“This one’s the same,” Carth says, grabbing another one, “And this one - it’s like they’ve destroyed all the suits.”

I look at the lockers. All in a line, from left to right, the lockers have been broken open, their contents torn apart and spilled onto the floor. All in a line, until you get to the one they were gathered around. After that point, the lockers are untouched. I open the largest locker. “This one’s intact,” I say. I kick the other lockers open - no suits in any of them. “Means there’s only one suit,” I say, “You guys will have to stay behind.” Carth opens his mouth to object. “There’s only the one sonic emitter anyway, it’ll probably work different underwater. You guys are safer here anyway.”

I hear a demented little laugh. Not from Carth. Definitely not from Juhani. Echoing in the locker all the Selkath were gathered around. I gently Force push them to the side and try to open the locker. It won’t budge. “Is somebody out there?” the locker says, “Fishy, fishy, fishy? Coming to eat me, too?” The demented cackle rings out again. “You can't get me, little fishy. Not in here. I'm safe behind my walls.”

“Are you… okay in there?” I say to the locker.

“Oh, yes, yes,” he cackles, “I've got a winning hand right here in this room! These walls and door are six centimeters - no… twelve centimeters! - of durasteel! I'm invulnerable behind my walls! Nobody's getting in here! No fishy, fishy for me!” He cackles again. Then his voice gets low. “When the Selkath went insane and started killing everybody, I locked myself in here! I'm safe in here. Nothing can hurt me in here! No fishy food for me!”

“What made the Selkath insane?” I ask.

“Don't know. Go ask them!” Cackles again. “When the demon screamed it shook every mind in the station. We fell to the ground, but survived. Fishy, fishies, though, they just got hungry!”

Demon? What does that mean? Whatever. “I have this sonic emitter - you can come out and we’ll protect you from the Selkath.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” he whimpers, “That's what the others said. Mercenaries like you. But they're dead. The Selkath ate them! Lunchie-munchie!” Cackles again. “Only the ones left in the south part of the base might still be alive, where the kolto is. Few fishies there! But many, many fishy in between in the water!”

“We’re two Jedi and a Republic soldier. I’d say we can do a fair sight better than mercenaries,” I say.

Cackles again. “Jedi? You're just like the others - fodder for the Selkath. Walking fish snacks. Chomp, chomp, chomp - if you can run you might be fast food!”

Carth lays a hand on my shoulder before I can say anything else. “You’re not going to get through to him,” he says, “The Republic will help him once we restore safe access to the base. We need to move on.”

“Bye-bye!” the locker agrees, “Go look for fishy people. They'll chomp and bite and chomp and bite. Food for fishy - that's you.”

The isolation and trauma have clearly gotten to him, and I’d rather not leave him like this. But Carth is right. We need to move on. We move through the next two rooms, Carth carrying the good envirosuit while I take the lead with the sonic emitter.

At the airlock door, Carth helps me put on the environmental suit and affixes the sonic emitter to my hand so all I have to do is clench my gloved hand to activate it. “Juhani and I will stay here,” he says, “We can defend this area well enough.” I can’t be heard through the helmet, so I just nod my now-massive head. He secures all the seals. Then says, so only I can hear, “Come back to me, okay?” I nod again, because that’s the only way I can communicate, but I wish I could touch his hand more tenderly than the suit would allow. 

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——–

Roland Wann takes a moment before he looks up from his desk, I stand there for a moment before he looks up. “Ah, you’re back,” he say, “I was glad to hear your trial went well.” No thanks to you, buddy. “Have you managed to retrieve the data from our droid in the Sith base?”

“Yes,” I say, pulling the module from my pack, “here it is.”

“Excellent!” He takes the module and looks it over. “It does not appear to have been tampered with, so the Sith did not manage to copy its contents yet. And now for your information…” He looks around, then gestures and brings us into the Enclave. “We are not supposed to speak of this, but since you are a Jedi, and we have exhausted all the other options, I think I can entrust you with this. 

“As you know, the Republic is fighting for its very existence against the evil of the Sith Empire. As you also undoubtedly know, we are doing very poorly. We need much in the way of supplies and material to stem the tide of battle and bring us victory.” I’m not sure I like where this is going. “Manaan is the sole source of kolto, the most powerful medical substance in the galaxy. Frankly, we need as much of it as we can get.”

“What has the Republic done?” Carth asks.

“The Selkath conservatives with their neutrality treaties seek to treat the Sith and the Republic equally. This includes kolto exports. But a few more far-sighted Selkath see that if the Sith are ever allowed to win, the galaxy will be plunged into darkness and there would be nothing to stop them from taking Manaan anyway. So we made a deal…”

“You violated the treaty?!?” explodes out of my mouth.

“Shh!” Wann urges, “Not so loud! Yes, it is a technical violation of the treaty, but it is sanctioned by elements of the Selkath government. We need only keep it hidden from the Sith.”

“This is incredibly dangerous,” I say, “If the Sith found out or the rest of the government got wind of this…”

“I know,” Wann says with a heavy sigh, “but to the senators, it seemed to outweigh the risks. We recently began construction of a secret underground facility to harvest kolto directly at its source. We also hope to one day be able to synthesize it effectively. Current techniques are insufficient for the task, so we must mine it for now. The amount we take would hardly be noticed, since most is lost naturally before it reaches the surface anyway. We were nearing completion of the base when the digging teams reported some sort of obstruction... an ancient building or artifact. Possibly your 'Star Map.'” Sounds like it to me. “Transmissions from the base were cut off abruptly after that, and we haven't heard from the station since.”

That’s odd - construction crews, especially underwater, would have to keep near-constant contact with the surface for safety. “What happened down there?”

He sighs a heavy sigh. “We don’t know. We just don’t know.”

“And you haven’t investigated?” Carth asks.

“As you may have noticed, we are hiring a lot of mercenaries around here. Ostensibly they're to be shipped off-world to aid in our fight against the Sith, but they are really for another purpose. When we lost contact with the station in the Hrakert Rift, we sent our contingent of Republic soldiers down to investigate. None returned.” Yikes. “We have tried hiring mercenaries and sending them down as well” - well, that answers that question - “but none of those expeditions have returned either. The reason we really sent that droid underwater - and the reason we needed its data back so badly - was to find out what had happened to the Hrakert Rift station. But now that we have the data back, our operation is in no danger of exposure to the Sith. And now I must live up to my end of the bargain.”

Well, gee, so I have to go into a place that no one has returned from to get this thing? That’s… actually par for the course, I don’t know why I’m pissed. “How will we get down there?”

“I took the liberty of having a submarine prepared for your departure. Merely use this card” - which he hands me - “to get past the door behind our kolto packing room and enter the sub therein. It has been programmed to take you down to the station, and also to take you back up should you need something. I would send soldiers to assist you, but we have lost many of ours, and nearly exhausted the mercenary population of this planet. The soldiers we have are barely enough to keep this base secure! The Sith have also noted our interest and begun to bribe mercenaries away from us, as you noticed. Please, find out what happened to the facility. There may be some survivors left down there, perhaps even the head scientist - Kono Nolan.” He reaches out to shake my hand. I politely take it. “Good luck in your efforts.”

The three of us walk to the submersible bay and climb in. With the push of a button, the sub closes and begins to descend. My nerves all but vanish as the water rises up above us. This is the perfect chance to observe the ecosystem here, up close. Selkath culture views this ocean as the birthplace of all life on the planet. They’re still semi-aquatic themselves - everything about the species is clearly designed to be as aerodynamic as possible through the water, rather than on dry land. And a planet that’s entirely oceanic is rare - the adaptations in the aquatic animals and plants are sure to be unique. And to add the kolto on top of that - kolto is unique to Manaan. Its potential effects on the evolution of life on this planet hasn’t been thoroughly studied, certainly not in the field. Despite the voice in my head that constantly reminds me that none of my experiences as a scout, none of what I know, is real, all I feel right now is the sense that this is what I was meant to do, where I was meant to be.

But tragically, and too soon, the voyage is over, and we emerge inside the underwater facility. The hatch pops open. While the design clearly matches the base we just left, none of the activity or idle noise is present. The only sound is the occasional drip of water. It’s dark, a little spooky. I really don’t like that drip, it makes me think the walls aren’t watertight. The other side of the submersible bay has a wrecked craft over there. What down here is strong enough to destroy a submersible and can breathe the oxygen atmosphere? A firaxan shark could do it, at least in a group. Even just one could do a lot of damage. But the damage I see came from the top, from within the facility, not from the water. Whatever it is that did this damage came from inside the base. It’s probably the same thing that stopped anyone from contacting the surface. The air is salty, but there’s still the unmistakable smell of fresh death. And it’s not a fishy smell. These aren’t dead Selkath.

There’s only so much I can learn standing here and honestly I’m just scaring myself. I start towards the closest door. It opens to a hallway, and at the end of that hall is a chamber with a Twi’lek in it. Someone alive! The closer we get, I can hear him muttering to himself, crazed. He’s pacing back and forth in the round chamber. Just before the chamber, he hears us, and draws his blaster. Then, “You’re not Selkath!” He lowers it and rushes towards us, grabbing my shoulders. “How-- how did you get in? Did they send another submersible? Quick, we have to get out of here, we have to get away!”

“Whoa, calm down!” I push his arms away. “Get away from what?”

“No! No!” he shakes his head, “We have no time, we have to leave now! I managed to close the door after they killed everyone else, but I don't know how long it will hold.”

“Who’s ‘they’? What happened?”

“The Selkath, they went crazy!” he says, “They started killing anything that moved. Someone must have triggered the defense systems too, 'cause all the droids activated as well.” No wonder this place looks so demolished. “I was one of the mercs the Republic sent down here to find out what happened. We came down and secured the first couple rooms…” He starts to lose his breath. Like he wants to cry but doesn’t have enough water. “...there were bodies everywhere… And the Selkath came out… screaming and croaking their fishy little war-cries.”

“The Selkath?” Carth repeats in disbelief.

The Twi’lek mercenary nods. “They swarmed out and over us,” he says, “There was no way we could stop them. So we ran... But hardly any of us made it. I locked the door behind us, bu... but the others had already left in the submersible!” And left you? That’s cold. “The sharks... the firaxa out there and... worse... I heard an explosion shortly after the submersible left. They didn't make it. Just food for the sharks and the Selkath... like us.”

“Come with us,” Juhani says, “We will take you back to the surface in our submersible.” Right, get this guy somewhere safe.

He relaxes a bit. “Back to the surface, yes,” he says, “Yes… No!” He stops. “There's something out there... it got the other submersible already.”

“Then how are we supposed to get you out of here?” Carth asks.

The Twi’lek shakes her head forcefully. His lekku shake. “We can't leave until you do something. Blow up the entire station maybe.” No. “That might distract whatever it is long enough for us to escape to the surface. But all the machinery and stuff is in the southern half, and that's been flooded! There might still be environmental suits around but... but... the Selkath might have laid their eggs in them!”

“That’s not how fish eggs work,” I find myself saying before I’m even aware of it, “They lack a hard shell so eggs laid on dry land would suffer immediate desiccation.”

“What are you talking about?!” he shouts.

“Forget it,” I say, “I have to get into the station.” I move to step around him.

“No!” He steps back in front of me. “I locked the door so that the Selkath won't get in. If you open it, we're all done for!”

“I’m sorry,” I say, “I have to.”

“If you go in there, you're dead! You're all dead!” We don’t budge. Neither does he. Finally he grumbles, “Fine! If you want to die, then go! You won't hear me mourning for you! I'll stay here and be safe until some sort of REAL rescue comes! But if you're going to go in there, do it quickly! I'll shut the door behind you... but don't expect me to open it again!”

True to his word, he shoves us through the door into the base and locks the door behind us. I’m not particularly worried about a locked door. Anything he can lock, I can figure out how to unlock, and worst case scenario I’ll just destroy the door. There’s only one way to go, forward, to a single door at the end of a long hallway.

Through the door at the end of the hall, there’s a security panel. “Let me see if I can get anything off that,” I say, “hang on.” The card from Roland Wann gives me access and I download a map onto my datapad.

‘That mercenary said there was still staff in the south part of the base,” Juhani says, “Are you able to locate them?”

“Let me see…” A quick security scan for life signs should be easy enough, even at reduced power. That’s… that’s a lot more life signs than I expected. Based on these readings, the base is teeming with life. But that can’t be the case because this place is quiet. I wonder - can I filter these results to only endotherms? Let’s see… there we go.

Holy shit.

Including us, there are seven endotherms, seven non-Selkath in the entire base. Several sensors are offline, but that mercenary said that part of the base was flooded. So where I see offline sensors, that’s probably ocean, and if anyone’s there, they’re Selkath. And the Selkath went insane. “Not including us, there are two non-Selkath on this side of the base,” I say, “One of them is that mercenary, the other is staff.” That’s all I can get - there’s too many damaged systems. “There’s two more on the other side of the base, but there’s an ocean between us and them.”

“That’s where all the machinery is,” Carth says.

“I’m not blowing up the base,” I say.

“I know, but that can’t be the only option,” he says, “Something happened here and maybe the machinery had something to do with it.”

‘We’re not going to find out here, at any rate,” I say, ‘There’s too much damage to find any archived sensor information. Whatever happened, the main computer doesn’t have any record of it.”

“Let’s keep moving, then.”

“One last thing,” I say, “The merc said the defense system was activated. I want to switch them off before we run into anything.” Sentry droids, quite a few of them. I send a remote deactivation command, and they all tick offline. “Okay, we’re good to go.” Sign off. To the next door.

The other door opens to an even longer hallway, lined on one side floor to ceiling with windows. Light filters in from the windows, tinted green by the water. It’s not bright, but it supplements the already-dim station lighting. The view through them is unobstructed - good, I can get a sense of the damage, our surroundings.

And everything makes sense.

We’re in the reef… The kolto must… This habitat is so… The sharks probably… But the Republic…

“You’re mumbling,” Carth says suddenly. Was I saying all that out loud? “What do you see?”

“You don’t see that?” I say. No, I guess not. I run my finger along the glass, tracing the reef and its ridges. “This is prime marine habitat, look at all the firaxan sharks. This reef and its caves and crannies have probably been formed by centuries of erosion and sharks looking for creches to lay their eggs. This isn’t just a home, it’s a nursery. And the kolto is part of that. It’s healing for us, but as a part of their ecosystem, it must have a growth impact here in the ocean as well. Everything here has been shaped by millenia of this delicate balance. The rocks and minerals erode, releasing the kolto into the water, which helps the sharks grow, and they create more crevices, more erosion. And that’s not even considering the other species that call this reef home.”

Carth and Juhani look, but they don’t see it. Can’t see it, not quite. Aren’t used to thinking that way. “I am sure Selkath scientists already understood this,” Juhani says slowly, not quite understanding, ‘Sure they know where the kolto…”

“It’s not about the kolto, it’s about the eggs!” I say, “The construction impacts the nursery sites, you can see the change. The sharks reacted to the construction in defense of their home, their eggs. The vibrations through the water may have affected their communication, too, so not only were they being attacked, the world suddenly got so… loud.” I understand that. The confusion, the mixed signals, the uncertainty. The fear. The lashing out.

“That explains the sharks,” Carth says, “but what about the Selkath?”

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——–

A thin layer of dust rests on the bench in my holding cell. It probably hasn’t been used in some time. I dust it off with my sleeve before sitting down and watching court officers catalog the contents of my pack and pockets. “One wrap of tools,” one says, picking  up my droid toolkit and holding it for a camera to see.

“Please take good care of that,” I say, “It means a lot to me.”

“All cataloged evidence will be held in stasis until trial, and if it is deemed non-relevant it will be released to next of kin upon verdict.”

“Or… to the accused upon acquittal,” I say, “Right?” They both look at me, not answering, before turning back to their work. How reassuring.

“Two long swords,” the other says, unsheathing my swords gently, “With blood.”

“Hold for analysis,” says the first, before reaching to the next item, “Ten medpacs.”

“One length of rope, approximately three meters.”

“One datapad, mild damage, retrieved from the back pocket.”

“Assorted droid parts.”

“Encoded access pass, keyed for the Sith Embassy.”

“Hold or analysis. Two Jedi-type lightsabers.”

“Be careful with those,” I interrupt, but I’m not acknowledged.

One of them reaches for the final item. “One metal…” He stops. Scrutinizes it. “…something.”

“It’s an encrypted data core,” I say.

They turn back to me. “What’s on it?”

“I don’t know,” I say honestly, “I don’t know the encryption sequence. I could probably figure it out, if I had a week. But for all I know, it could be just environmental data. Or nothing at all.”

“Not relevant to this case,” the other says, and it gets placed in the bin with the other, I assume, non-relevant items. At least if the worth happens, Carth can return it to the Republic. Even though it for sure is relevant, but even if I did tell them that, experience tells me they wouldn’t listen.

“I suppose it would be a waste of my time to ask what my rights are?” I ask.

“As an off-worlder, your rights are the same as those of any native,” one of them says, “You are entitled to a fair trial, carried out in a timely manner. You are entitled to visitors. You are entitled to a competent defense. An arbiter has been summoned for you.”

I nod. “Cool.”

A haggard-looking Selkath, juggling datapads, comes into the holding area and walks to the desk. “I have been summoned as arbiter for a human?” The desk attendant points at me. I wave. “Ah, Min Rena. Or Min Visz? I have little experience with off-worlders, I am uncertain which is correct.”

“Uh, either is- is fine,” I say, “But what is ‘Min?’”

“I - forgive me, I am unfamiliar with human genders as well, so I opted for a neutral title. If you would prefer a different —“

“No,” I interrupt, “no, ‘min’ is fine.”

He looks relieved. “Good. Good. I am called Bwa’lass, and I have been selected as your Arbiter for the duration of your trial. I will endeavor to prove to them that you are not guilty of the heinous crimes that you are accused of, namely…” He searches through his collection of datapads, and drops several before he finds the one he’s looking for. “Ah, here it is. Namely, initiating violence within the Sith Embassy, murdering members of the Ambassadorial  Commission of the Sith Empire, and disregarding our own laws regarding violence in Ahto City, as well as numerous counts of property damage.”

This does not bode well. “Cool,” I say nervously, “Cool. Uh, Bwa’lass, I don’t mean to be rude, but, uh… I understood I had the right to a competent defense… and you seem…”

He sighs. “I know.” That definitely doesn’t bode well! “but I assure you, my lack of understanding of off-worlders does not impact my understanding of Selkath law!”

“I’m not doubting you there,” I say, “You know definitely more about Selkath law than I do. but sitting here, watching you juggle datapads… I won’t lie, I feel doomed.” He doesn’t say anything. “I have to wonder if I wouldn’t be better off defending myself.”

“While it is true that you do have that right,” Bwa’lass says, “I would recommend against it. Due to your confinement, you will not have much of a chance to build up evidence to pursue your case. Also, I do not believe you off-worlders truly understand the minds of us Selkath. It would be best if you left your defense up to me.”

The door opens again, and Carth walks in, flanked by a Selkath officer on either side. “Rena, this is unbelievable,” he says animatedly, “You haven’t done anything wrong. I can’t believe the Republic embassy hasn’t sent someone to defend you.”

“And admit they know me?” I say with a scoff, “Open themselves up to scrutiny, questions they don’t want asked?” He opens his mouth to say something else, but I stop him by speaking again. “Carth, this is my arbiter, Bwa’lass.” The haggard Selkath gives a small wave, dropping two more datapads in the process.

Carth looks from Bwa’lass, to me, back to Bwa’lass, and to me again. “You’re not serious.”

“Court appointed,” I confirm.

He shakes his head, looking petrified. “I’m going to the embassy -- Roland Wann has to assign someone to your defense.”

“Carth, don’t,” I say, “Don’t involve yourself in this any more than you have to be. The Star Map is more important than me.”

I can see the words on the edge of his tongue - “No, it’s not” - but he doesn’t say it. “We can’t get that without the data core. Which you had.”

“Non-relevant evidence will be released to next of kin upon verdict,” I say, repeating the Selkath officer.

He nods a bit, thinking. Then stops. “Or…released to you when they find you not guilty, right?”

“They wouldn’t tell me.”

The door opens again, and Jolee comes in. By himself. “What are you doing here?” Carth asks, “And how did you get here without any guards?”

“Well, I certainly didn’t use a Jedi mind trick,” Jolee says sarcastically, “That would be unethical.”

One of the guards with Carth scoffs. “A Jedi mind trick would not work on one of my officers,” he says confidently.

“Of course it wouldn’t,” Jolee says, then he raises his hand, “But the old man doesn’t need guards, does he?”

The officer’s eyes glaze over for a moment. “Uh…” he says, “no… the old man doesn’t need guards.” Unbelievable.

“I think you’ll both agree Rena’s defense is the more important matter at hand than my being here,” Jolee says.

“That’s an even better idea,” Carth says, “Contact the Jedi, they’ll send someone to defend Rena.”

“No, they won’t,” Jolee and I say at the same time. “This us all Master Vrook needs to have to be convinced of my ‘evil core,’” I say, “Not to mention the fact that they don’t have enough Jedi to spare. You know, the war? The destruction of Dantooine?”

“The Council also wouldn’t interfere in the legal system of a non-Republic world,” Jolee says, “Sending anyone here to Rena’s defense would draw unnecessary attention to the matter.”

“Malak already knows more about this mission than they’d like,” I say.

“We can’t just stand around and do nothing,” Carth says, “We have to do something!”

“No, you don’t,” I say firmly, “Neither of you have to do anything except testify if you’re asked. And in fact it’s better if you don’t do anything. If anything happens to me, it’s up to all of you to find the last Star Map and stop Malak.”

“Indeed,” Bwa’lass says, finally saying something, “It would be in all of your best interests to let me do my job as arbiter. To that end, I would like to interview my client alone so that we may adequately prepare for the trial tomorrow.”

“We have to do this right, guys,” I say, “Please trust me, I don’t want to spend time in a Selkath jail anymore than you do.”

“In fact,” Bwa’lass chimes again, “the punishment for the crime is death, by immediate execution.”

“DEATH?” Carth exclaims, causing his escorts to tense up. Bad time to say that, Bwa’lass.

Jolee holds Carth back. “Calm down, lad, before you get yourself arrested,” he says, “If Rena says to trust her, that’s exactly what we must do.”

“Jolee, I can’t just --” he shouts. But as he looks Jolee in the eyes… I don’t know what level they’re communicating on, what they say, but Carth relaxes. He looks back at me, like he’s trying to take me in. “Okay,” he says finally, “... Okay.” And nothing more.

“Please escort them back to their vessel,” Bwa’lass says to the officers, who nod and turn to leave with Jolee and Carth. But Carth doesn’t stop looking at me. His eyes are set on mine until they round the corner, out of sight. “Now,” Bwa’lass says, taking a deep breath, “I would first like to ask you a few questions regarding the events that led up to your arrest. I have already been given all relevant data on you and your companions, so that can be disregarded. For what reason did you enter the Sith Embassy?”

“I had been hired as a mercenary,” I say, “The court officers found a pass card with my belongings, I heard them catalog it.”

“Yes, I have record of that,” he says, “I find it unlikely that you are a mercenary, but perhaps the judges will be more sympathetic to your view.” Good to know my lawyer has no faith in me. “What is your prior association with the Sith?”

I scoff. “How much time do you have?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Actually… best not. At best, I’ll be told I’m making a mockery of the court if I say I was Revan. At worst I’ll be believed and executed for war crimes. “Forget it,” I say, “Before I joined the Jedi Order, I was a scout. I’d encounter other scout patrols who were hired by the Sith, and I was amicable with them, but beyond that my interactions have been nearly non-existent.”

“I am skeptical of that,” Bwa’lass says, “as will be the judges. You off-worlders tend to congregate much amongst yourself. I see no inherent differences between your two groups.”

“They’re philosophical differences, for the most part,” I say, “Political views, moral stances.”

“I see,” Bwa’lass says neutrally, “There is no need to elaborate further. That should be all the information I require of you, for now.”

Wait, that’s it? “Um… don’t you need to ask more questions?”

“I have all the information I need.”

“How can you expect to defend me without getting more information?”

“I think this trial is relatively straightforward,” he says with a shrug, “It should be obvious to the judges what has transpired.”

Obvious? “Uh… why don’t you tell me what you plan on telling them? Just… so we’re both on the same page.”

He looks a tad insulted, but with a small sigh, he says, “Very well. You were there by circumstance, not involved in the disturbance. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time on legitimate business, the business of the Jedi Order. The Jedi are above reproach, and none of their Order would have murdered so many out of spite.” 

Oh, boy. “You don’t know much about the Jedi, do you?”

“I have no first-hand knowledge, but the reputation of the Order is well-known. Jedi are peacekeepers, not killers.” Yeah, this little war thing is just an effort to keep the peace, not a major struggle between good and evil.

Evil. That’s… oh, that’s good. “I tell you what, Bwa’lass. There was a Selkath present when I was arrested, her name is Shasa.”

“Yes, I know the name. Her father, Shaelas, has been before the judges numerous times, demanding action against the Sith for kidnapping Selkath youth. However, he has never been able to produce evidence to his claims, and has been summarily dismissed each time.”

“Could it be managed for Shasa to give testimony? She’s a part of the story the judges will want to hear,” I say.

“As a youth, her father must be consulted on the matter. I will make the necessary inquiries prior to the start of the trial tomorrow.” I get the feeling he’s just humoring me, but he doesn’t have to believe me. He just has to do it.

“Thank you. After that your services are no longer needed. I think it’s best if I defend myself.”

He sighs again. ‘While that is your right, I strongly recommend against that,” he says again, “I am versed in all the necessary particulars of this case and Selkath law, off-worlder. You would do well to heed my advice.”

“Bwa’lass, I respect you and your knowledge,” I say, “But to put it bluntly, I think that if I rely on you for my entire defense, I’m not going to survive the trial. You’ve been a huge help, but once you’ve arranged for Shasa to testify, I can take it from there.”

“And if her father refuses?”

“I will cross that bridge when I get there.” The Sith master’s datapad should still be with my belongings. I know I heard the court officers record mine, but they were going through stuff before I got brought to this cell.

“Very well,” Bwa’lass says reluctantly, “You off-worlders are not known for your mental prowess. I shall leave your demise up to you.” He bows his head slightly and leaves.