KOTOR III: TRET'YE SRAZHENIE: THIRD BATTLE
Chapter VI: Introductions and Partings
The Ebon Hawk was like no ship that Padawans Becca Solis, Galon Klivian, and Zakal had ever seen. It was innocuous, nondescript, battered-looking, and old! Surely Master Mira had made a mistake. She was a Sentinel, after all, and not an expert on space vessels like Master Bao-Dur.
"You have got to be kidding me," Zakal mumbled, raising an eyebrow in disgusted curiosity. "We're all going on this mission in that thing?"
"Maybe it's some kind of temporary transport vessel," suggested Galon hopefully, "to get us to our first destination without anyone noticing."
"I sure hope you're right, Galon," said Becca, putting a hand on her left hip. "Otherwise, we could end up stranded on Nal Hutta, selling ourselves as slaves for a year or two because our ship broke down and we can't afford parts!" She giggled, but neither of the other two Padawans seemed to find her joke funny. As for Sentinel Mira, she was smirking, but not at Becca's feeble attempt at humor. She strode toward the vessel and explained:
"We here at the Jedi Enclave always select the finest ships for our best and brightest," she explained, "and you three are it! The Ebon Hawk is one of the most famous freighters in the entire galaxy, though you wouldn't know it by looking at her." Mira's gaze grew serious. "This ship once carried Revan aboard, as he sought to find the Star Forge and ultimately destroy it."
"Wait a minute," interrupted Galon. "You mean the Revan? Darth Revan?"
"The former Darth Revan," corrected Becca. "We learned from Master Mical in Jedi History class that Revan was redeemed upon his journey, seeing as how his memories of being Sith had been pretty much erased. His own apprentice, Darth Malak, had tried to kill Revan, but ended up almost destroying his mind instead. The Jedi helped to restore it, and instead of turning back to his old ways once he found out his identity, Revan chose to side with the Jedi and obliterate the Star Forge instead of utilizing it."
"That is true," replied Mira, a tinge of cold bitterness to her voice, "but that's old news now. We Jedi have a saying: It is not where you begin that determines your destiny, but where you choose to go afterward. As I told you before, Becca, I suspect that Revan has been enslaved by the very same Force presence we're trying to find. He can't help us now, even if we do find him, unless we find some way to break the presence's hold." The Sentinel sighed. "Revan was on this ship, and even though she's an inanimate metal object, I think the Hawk still remembers." She closed her eyes.
"Has the ship carried any other famous passengers?" asked Zakal.
"There was one I knew personally," said Mira, but before she could elaborate further, a sudden tweedle-dwooo sound was heard from the inside of the Ebon Hawk. Whatever had made the sound seemed to know how to activate the mechanism for the ship's exit ramp. It wasn't long before a small utility droid, as old and careworn as the ship, skidded down the ramp to meet the Jedi! It made a chortling, high-pitched sound of greeting, and the three Padawans stared. If this was the utility droid that the Masters had chosen to safeguard them and their mission, all was lost before it began!
Mira smiled. "T3-M4, meet our new Padawans. They're going to go on the ship with you, on an important mission. Zakal? Becca? Galon? Meet T3." She gestured toward the utility droid. "This little guy was with Revan on his mission, and he was with...my former friend...on hers. He'll serve us well on this mission, too. He just needs a little work." T3 beeped and twiddled tenderly. Master Mira had not been the one to tend to him on his various journeys, but he liked her just the same. He also had the feeling (that is, as much as utility droids have feelings) that he'd like these Padawans, too.
"A little work?" Zakal was highly skeptical. "As soon as we're in hyperspace, I'll start right away." She could tell that T3 had suffered extensive damage.
Another set of sounds was suddenly heard from the inside of the Ebon Hawk-- this time a series of angry crashes, metallic bumps, and blaster bolts being fired! A rusty protocol droid thumped down the exit ramp of the ship, pointing his very large rifle at the diminutive (and quivering) T3-M4.
"Perturbed Exclamation: You bucket of bolts! Why interrupt my hibernation?"
Mira groaned. "Oh, Sith! Who in space rebuilt and activated you?! If this is Bao-Dur's idea of a practical joke, I'm going to have a lot to say to him once we get back from this mission. That is, if we get back," she said quickly. "Padawans, this is HK-47, a protocol droid with--shall we say--assassination protocols at the ready. He's been with me on a previous mission, the one with my former friend, and so I know how he behaves. He's not going to kill us. He'll only target our enemies, not our friends. Right, HK?"
"Resignation: All right, Master Mira. I shall not harm any of the meatbags."
"Ahem," said the Sentinel. "Their names are Becca, Galon, and Zakal, and they are 'organics'. You'll have plenty of others to shoot on our mission."
"Exclamation: Oh, joy! My behavior core is glowing with utmost satisfaction!"
Zakal had her doubts about this protocol droid with more 'protocols' than most of them had. "If he gets to be a menace," she said, stepping closer to Mira and whispering, "I could deactivate him for you. Something tells me that this droid is not in his right frame of mind, even for a protocol synthetic, and secondly, his wisecracks could end up annoying the living daylights out of us."
"True and true," sighed Mira, "but for now, leave him alone." Zakal nodded.
"Excuse me," said Padawan Galon Klivian, looking from one droid to the other with an expression of perplexed amusement. "We'd best be going on our mission. The more we dawdle here, the bigger this Force presence grows, and it's best not to waste any more time." The others agreed, and so they went to say goodbye to the remaining Masters at the Jedi Enclave.
Mical, formerly known as the Disciple, had cautious words for them: "Be wary of anything you see and hear out in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, even if it seems benign. You never know what could pose a threat, especially as this Force presence seems to rely on stealth and cunning to spread. Look, listen, and observe, and I know that you shall find what you seek."
"Thank you, Master," said Galon Klivian, bowing at the waist to his teacher.
Brianna had a harsher warning: "Keep an eye on your training. Your bodies must be primed for this mission, as well as your minds. Whether Jedi or Sith, the most powerful ones are always in top form. Remember that. While you're searching the galaxy, you might encounter beings whose abilities far surpass yours. Take this as a challenge, not an opportunity to succumb to jealousy or anger. Learn from them, and perhaps these words shall not be wasted."
The Padawans nodded somberly. Becca especially took this advice to heart.
Zakal paid more heed to the words of her own Master, Bao-Dur. "Missions are not completely solved through physical and mental prowess," he said, "or even completely through the Force. As you know well, mechanical devices can save lives, and they have saved mine on more than one occasion. Zakal? You are my most skilled Padawan, and I know you have a genuine gift for repairing and creating anything related to machines and ships. Take good care of the Ebon Hawk and any droids and tools you might find aboard it, for I am entrusting her to your care." Zakal was honored, and she shook her Iridonian Jedi Master's hand humbly. She'd help the ship to fly again!
Sucking in their breaths, the four went to find Master Atton Rand, who was putting another group of Padawans through a round of grueling calisthenics. What kind of wisdom, or in his case, admonishment, would he have for them?
"Do you want to know why I didn't change my mind about the training?" he asked Mira and the Padawans. "Why I haven't let up, even though I have duly meditated on what makes us Jedi different from the Sith? Do you?"
Becca, Galon, and Zakal nodded. Mira folded her hands in front of her, fearing what her friend and colleague's answer would be. As for Atton, he sighed:
"We can't let Visas die in vain. May...may the Force be with you." He closed his eyes, letting peace and detachment flood his body. "Rest!", he called out to his Padawans after a moment, giving them a well-deserved respite. "Be careful out there, and I want to see that ship return with all of you in it."
"We'll try," promised Mira, and she and the three younger Jedi went to board the Ebon Hawk. Where would their first destination be in their journey?
"I hear that at long last, the water in the Room of a Thousand Fountains is running again," said the soft and sly voice of one Jedi Sentinel. "Who better to assist us in tracking down this Force presence than our brothers and sisters in the refurbished Jedi Temple on Coruscant? We can't do this alone."
"We agree," replied Becca, and the others helped punch in the coordinates.
I'm just wondering something... are there three separate KOTOR III in progress, or are these interconnected among three threads?
You're not overrun by KOTOR characters, but have a good balance that concentrates on OC's like Zakal and Becca. I suppose that I really like OC's better than the game's, but I am not one to read something without at least one character I already know. If you're sharing OC's over three threads, that would be impressive.
Each "thread" has a single installment, plus comments. That's so machievelli can review them all, one installment each week! Look for older "KOTOR III: Tret'ye Srazhenie" posts if you want to read more and get more backstory. :) Thank you for doing so, Yuthura! :)