Jedi Cool Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 chapter 1: Outside the Jedi Academy, Anakin and Tahiri wait with their friend Uldir who is wearing new brown Jedi robes. Tionne’s ship should be arriving soon, but they’ve waited a long time already. Uldir is worried that he won’t have time to practice with them before he has to work in the kitchen. Learning to use the Force is hard work for him. Anakin doesn’t think about it because it’s so fun. Tahiri says she knew nothing about using it until Tionne found her on Tatooone. She makes everything so interesting that Tahiri really doesn’t have a problem learning. In fact, Tahiri has been promised she will be allowed to accompany Tionne on an upcoming research mission. When the strange ship lands, Tionne appears and explains she bought the ship – the Lore Seeker - for a literal song from a Randoni merchant. Tionne had learned a song about the earliest of the merchants and the trader offered her the ship in return. She’s also brought back some artifacts that she thinks will be very interesting to Master Skywalker. She also has learned where to find an artifact that she feels will bring him much happiness. She’s not sure she will be allowed to bring any of the students because of the danger that could be involved. However, she’s learned that a fortress on the planet Vjun harbors Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The planet Vjun is a world steeped in the Force. We’ve read about the world in many other books, most notably in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous. The Malreaux family lived there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 chapter 2: Though his niece, Jaina, usually cleans R2, Luke Skywalker doesn’t mind doing it himself from time to time. He installs some upgrades in the droid while Master Ikrit sits in the study. When Tionne appears at the door with the three students, he lets them in and listens to what she has to say. The last time he saw the lightsaber, it was on the floor of the Death Star after Obi-Wan had been struck down by Darth Vader. Vader likely had it with him when he escaped the Death Star before it exploded. Luke explains that the fortress in question is Bast Castle and it belonged to Vader. Tionne bought the information about the saber from a Hutt information broker. She doesn’t think the news will keep for long and wants to go there herself to retrieve it for Luke. Luke cannot go with her as he’s been summoned to Coruscant by his sister. He does give permission for Tionne and Ikrit to take Anakin and Tahiri with them. Uldir asks for permission to go, too. Tionne warns him that Uldir will probably find a way and she doesn’t think the Lore Seeker’s hold is that comfortable. Luke will clear the trip with Uldir and Anakin’s parents first.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Would I trust anything I bought from a Hutt information broker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 chapter 3: Anakin and Tahiri are exicted to jump to hyperspace, but Uldir doesn’t think it’s anything impressive. He’s seen it many times before. While he’s mildly interested to find out that Luke was a fighter pilot, he insists that anyone can be a pilot. A Jedi is something special. Tionne interjects to say that it’s more special to find what one’s own talents are and practice until becoming the best one can be. They ask about lightsabers. She explains how the Jedi often spend months building one. She searched for a year to find the right components for hers. There are occasions in which a gift of a lightsaber is made. On rare occasions, one is found or captured. Luke Skywalker inherited his first lightsaber from his father, then was forced to build his own when the first was lost. Now, most Jedi carry one. She is surprised when Ikrit interrupts her to say he does not. It takes some exposition by Anakin and Tahiri to explain that what Tionne thought was Anakin’s pet is actually an aged Jedi Master who was trained by Yoda. He explains his mission is so small, he doesn’t want the honors due a Jedi Master. He used to carry a lightsaber. For several hundred years, he did until he nearly killed a friend with it. Aftewards, he chose to bury it and never use it again. He didn’t need one while he was hibernating around the golden globe. As for now, he feels it’s his job to watch over Anakin and Tahiri. Uldir comments that he’s obviously not important enough, but Ikrit considers that he might watch over him, too. Tionne makes sure to arrange time for him to tell her stories about the Jedi of his time.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yes, it’s true. The only person aboard that ship who didn’t know Ikrit is a real-life Jedi Master was Tionne. Doesn’t it seem rather rude to not warn her in advance, especially since Ikrit himself just up and decided to reveal himself during a lesson about lightsabers? I’m sure Ikrit can tell her that the Jedi generally built their own lightsabers as a type of test. Corran Horn certainly got the idea that it was a kind of final test. In fact, the whole choosing the crystal thing on Ilum was a right of passage for a padawan. That’s why I found it odd that Luke would make one for Leia…twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 25, 2017 Author Share Posted May 25, 2017 chapter 4: The violent storms on Vjun make for a bumpy ride. Ikrit leads the students in Jedi relaxation exercises and helps Tionne land the ship. Once on the planet, however, any excitement over seeing where his grandfather lived seems to fade in Anakin. Tionne explains that the castle is at the top of a mountain, but the high storms make landing a ship there very difficult. They will have to climb up there. The castle has not been in use since the Emperor’s clone was housed there. Tahiri spots an old cargo ship in a rocky outcropping. They decide to head up to the castle to find out more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Do any of the Jedi feel the strength of the Force here the way Anakin, Obi-Wan, Whie and, even, Scout did when they were here in Yoda: Dark Rendezvous?Why couldn’t they have landed on the landing pad by the castle on their way down? I can’t imagine it was any less dangerous going all the way down during the storm than partway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 26, 2017 Author Share Posted May 26, 2017 chapter 5: The rain continues to pour and Uldir mentions that it might not break up for days. Tionne decides they will take their rain gear and Tahiri admits it might be a good idea to don her footwear. Luke had warned her about automatic lasers that attacked the last time he was here. He advised of a rear entrance at the top of a stairway at the back of the castle. They prepare to make the climb. At the end of the day, cold and wet and bruised, they stand at the rear entrance. Tionne waves her hand in front of the motion sensors and nothing happens. She assumes the automatic lasers have been turned off. Artoo takes care of the cyberlock. They look inside the door and see a large statue of Vader lying on the stone floor. Uldir doesn’t see why they don’t get inside where it’s dry. He shoulders his way in as Ikrit yells for everyone to get down. Laserfire criss-crosses.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 27, 2017 Author Share Posted May 27, 2017 chapter 6: They’ve triggered some automated intruder device. Anakin notes a pattern in the laser beams and has Artoo use a mirror installed in his dome to deflect the beams. The droid does well before he’s hit in the dome. Anakin yells for Tionne to use her lightsaber, so she ignites it and deflects shots while Ikrit uses the Force to pull Artoo back. Anakin tosses himself to the floor and crawls toward the door. There must be some kind of control panel to turn the lasers off for whoever lived here. Tahiri and Uldir follow him. In the meantime, Tionne and Ikrit are using bits of the Vader statue to toss at the lasers. After Anakin finds it, Artoo plugs into the control panel and turns off the beams. Ikrit makes sure there are no other booby traps before letting them move on. Anakin looks around and sees the fortress that belonged to man his grandfather became. The man he was named for. He wonders how he can go in this place. Then he remembers his lesson in the cave on Dagobah. He comes from a mixed family and only he can choose who he will become.--------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------So, let me get this straight. They have the astromech droid take a mirror into the criss-crossing laser beams before having the Jedi Knight use her lightsaber on them? Really? And Tionne didn’t seem to have a problem doing it either. Still not getting why she’s not considered strong in the Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 28, 2017 Author Share Posted May 28, 2017 chapter 7: While they walk through the castle, Uldir makes some adjustments to Artoo until they return to Yavin IV. His parents taught him all about these droids. For now, Artoo’s legs won’t be in great shape, so there won’t be any climbing stairs for now. The mystery here is why the security system was turned on at the rear entrance. They had thought all the lasers had been deactivated. Someone may have forgotten to turn them off or someone may have come in and reactivated them. Tionne will not allow them to separate to take a look around. For right now, they need to stick together. After searching several small hallways to no avail, Tionne agrees to a temporary split up. They report back in five minutes. The search reveals storerooms with Imperial rations, a prison with manacles and working refresher stations. They split up again to look around more. In a hallway, Tahiri can feel the floor texture change beneath her bare feet. Uldir gets down on his knees and feels with his hands before it disappears. They toss a ration pack out to reveal that the hallway is a hologram. There is a huge pit with spikes coming out of the bottom. They decide to turn around and warn the others, but find themselves facing three snarling creatures.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------So, Artoo can climb steps? I was under the impression they’d had to carry him up the mountain. Anakin certainly treated him like he couldn’t climb steps in the academy during The Golden Globe and Artoo had to stay behind when they found the hidden staircase inside the Palace of the Woolamander. It still doesn’t explain why Artoo doesn’t use his repulsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 29, 2017 Author Share Posted May 29, 2017 chapter 8: After waiting for Tahiri and Uldir, the rest decide to go look for them. Down the hallway they were sent, the group finds three drakka boars from Randon. Tahiri and Uldir are further down, but cannot go back because of a deep pit behind them. Anakin wishes he could touch their minds like Jacen could. Ikrit explains he has that gift, but the creatures’ minds are closed to him. This doesn’t make sense because drakka boars are mind-linked to their masters. When no one senses anything from them, Uldir suggests they are holograms, too. Tionne ignites her lightsaber, jumps up and disables the holographic projector. All of the holograms disappear. They discuss how important it is to trust the Force, rather than their eyes and ears. Ikrit also points out they must be getting closer to the treasure they seek because of how well-guarded it is. Anakin finds the outline of a door where the hologram was. He pushes but doesn’t open. Tahiri suggests it might be a password-protected door. Not knowing why, Anakin announces, “I am Anakin. Let me in”. In the small chamber, there is a crystal column. At the top of it is the lightsaber. Anakin reaches and takes it. He doesn’t ignite it, though, but hands it to Tionne. A puff of smoke appears and a man in purple robes stands in their midst. He identifies himself as the Mage of Exis Station. He thanks them for their help and takes the lightsaber.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I suppose Anakin could have stopped the heart of the drakka boars like he did the reel on Yavin 8, but he didn’t try it and, of course, it wouldn’t have worked because they weren’t real.I’m assuming that the words Anakin spoke were, indeed, a password of sorts. The only problem is that Vader really didn’t identify as Anakin. He’d pretty much buried Anakin Skywalker by this time. Of course, no one would have thought to use that name when trying to gain entrance, so I guess it served its purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 chapter 9: The Mighty Orloc as he calls himself is obviously not a Jedi. Tahiri points out that the lightsaber is useless since he cannot access the Force. He says his tricks are better than their puny Force. Tionne and Ikrit close their eyes as if to pull the weapon from his grasp, but he’s quickly hidden it away. Fire flickers from his hand, but it’s nothing like the electrical charges some are known to hurl. Orloc touches something on the wall and a stone underneath Tionne moves, opening a chute of some kind that sends her and Ikrit down before it returns to its place. Tahiri tries to rush Orloc, but he vanishes in white smoke. They can sense that their teachers are still alive. Uldir suggests they try to find the lightsaber. They are torn because they need to make sure Tionne and Ikrit are alright. Anakin finds the button on the wall and opens the chute again. Tossing another Imperial ration bar down the chute, he finds it’s too far a drop to be able to follow them. He decides they’ll go after Orloc first.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Why does hiding the lightsaber in his robes make it hard for Tionne and Ikrit to pull it to them? Remember Mara Jade levitating the lightsaber alongside the speeder in Allegiance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 chapter 10: Tionne and Ikrit find themselves in the dark, having used the Force to cushion their fall. She ignites her saber for light and they consider that the children might find Orloc and get the Kenobi lightsaber back first. Tionne is rather worried about that. Anakin doesn’t believe Orloc has any real magic, so he can’t have gone far. They follow footprints until those disappear, then hear running steps. After those vanish, Tahiri and Anakin take a staircase, while Uldir and R2 head another way. At the top of the staircase, there’s a door. If Orloc went this way, he can only be inside. They find that it opens easily with no traps or holograms. Inside is a low, dark chamber. There is a tube there with connector hoses attached that looks like those in which those who die in space are buried. The tube opens slowly. Tahiri and Anakin realize this was Vader’s bed. Anakin explains that Darth Vader was badly scarred and damaged. The machinery was needed to keep him alive. They find a small hologram nearby of a young Luke Skywalker. Knowing that his mother and father keep holos of himself and the twins, Anakin is glad to find this. Just as he’s glad he came here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Since Orloc disappeared after Tionne and Ikrit fell down the chute, how to they know the children have to find him?A hologram of Luke, eh? I find that hard to believe. Especially since there isn’t another hologram of a mysterious young woman spotted there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 chapter 11: Uldir runs the other way and finds himself in a docking bay with several ships. He calls out that he will find Orloc if he doesn’t show himself. The bluff works and Orloc steps out. Orloc points out the very clear point that he has a lightsaber and Uldir doesn’t. Uldir can feel the pull of the weapon, wishing he could be the one to return it to the Jedi so they will be impressed. If he could just hold it, it may awaken the Jedi powers that he needs. He asks Orloc what it’s like. The Mage realizes that Uldir isn’t a Jedi at all. He swings it around and explains its true power. He can teach Uldir how to use one, as well as levitation and sensing the thoughts of others. Uldir knows Orloc could be exaggerating, but he can do many things. He might know some shortcuts. Orloc reveals his power got him into the castle and he found a schematic in the maintence bay. He used its defenses to defeat his enemies. He can teach Uldir many things once he has the holocron. He explains it’s in Vader’s private quarters. A box that contains lessons from a Jedi Master. Uldir tells him that two living Jedi couldn’t teach him anything, so he doubts a recording in a box will. Since Orloc has no Jedi powers, he doesn’t need the lightsaber. He suggests Orloc give it to him so he can give it to a real Jedi. Orloc tells him that he has a choice to come and learn from him at Exis Station or become Orloc’s enemy. Those who want what he has generally don’t live long.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 chapter 12: Having not found what they needed in Vader’s chambers, Anakin and Tahiri go down the corridor that looks like the one Uldir took. They find themselves at the top of some mesh steps and Anakin calls down to taunt Orloc. It works. While Anakin distracts him, Tahiri slides down one of the metal poles holding the steps up and lands softly. She closes her eyes and tries to use the Force to pull the lightsaber to her. She’s not able to do that and, fearing he will feel the tug, she decides to talk instead. She tells him that he doesn’t have any need for a lightsaber without the Force. He says, in fact, he does have use of one. Since he has this one, why not keep it? He swings it around, demonstrating a lack of control. Uldir steps back. Anakin slides down and uses the Force to send a crate at Orloc’s arm. He swings to avoid it. Tahiri tells him they don’t want to hurt him. He knows that, but he has no qualms about hurting them. Tionne appears with her lightsaber and tells him that he will not hurt anyone here. Orloc takes her up on that, ready to fight her. Anakin tells R2 to give a high-frequency blast that so startles the Mage that he disappears as the lightsaber floats away from him. Ikrit grabs it and looks over the ships in the bay. Uldir thanks them for coming to his rescue but mentions that he doesn’t think Orloc is gone for good. He was looking for a holocron that is supposed to be in Vader’s quarters. Anakin and Tahiri reveal that they can take everyone there if the holocron is really wanted.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Did Anakin not trust Tahiri to battle this guy? What if R2’s shrill blast distracted her enough to get her killed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 chapter 13: Uldir has to admit that Darth Vader did well for himself. He may have been the scourge of the galaxy, but he got wealth and fame in exchange. He even turned at the end so now he’s honored by his family and has a grandson named after him. In a safe, the Jedi find the holocron and are going to hide it in R2 for safekeeping until Uldir asks how they know it works. Tionne decides to test it and the hologram of a female Jedi named Asli Krimsan appears, revealing it’s her job to teach the young what they need to know. Uldir is unhappy to see these are lessons for little kids. White smoke fills the area and Orloc’s voice announces that he wouldn’t give up the prize so easily. He vanishes along with the holocron. Anakin and Tahiri hear a door lock and they chase Orloc through the castle as he tries to toss booby-traps at them. They finally get him near an open chute where he falls and the holocron flies in the air. Uldir catches it. Ikrit and Tionne appear. Tionne mentions that she and Ikrit were fine when they fell. Orloc probably is, too.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Asli Krimsan was mentioned in Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Cool Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 chapter 14: Ikrit suggests they take one of the ships in the landing bay down to Lore Seeker. Anakin says the ships here belong to his grandfather and, with no one here to claim them, he offers one to Ikrit. The Master chooses an old one that he is able to fly. Uldir offers to help him co-pilot. They land on Yavin IV where Tionne reveals that Ikrit has the lightsaber and that they also found a holocron. Ikrit lands his ancient ship which he has named the Sunrider, after Nomi Sunrider. Anakin is glad to have visited Vader’s fortress. They learned a great many things there.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------There didn’t seem to be any defenses in the landing bay. I wonder why the ships were still there?End of Book 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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