CHAPTER FOUR
"A diplomatic mission to Bastion, you say?" Chief of State Via Eerin leaned forward in her seat and folded her webbed hands over each other. "What for?"
Jaden Korr shifted his feet before recounting to her about the Sith dreadnaught. "We believe the Imperial Remnant is behind the ship's destruction," he said as he finished up. "Another Jedi and I each brought a piece of the ship to two different psychometrists and they both confirmed it."
"I see. And why is this of concern to you?"
"It just strikes me as... odd that the Imperials just so happened to come across a solitary Sith ship way out in the Unknown Regions."
"True," Via murmured. "However, the Remnant is slowly expanding their territory towards that region of space. They have already made an alliance with the Chiss Ascendancy."
"Nevertheless, I would like to get some clarification on the incident."
The Mon Calamari was silent for a moment before saying, "Very well. I shall ask Senator Y'arn to accompany you to Bastion... but on one condition."
"Yes?"
"Keep things civil. The last thing we need is another war."
Jaden smirked. "On that we can agree on."
* * *
As the Sith Meditation Space went through space, lacking a hyperdrive to reach its destination quicker, Varon Krul passed the time by meditating within its chamber. He dwelt on subjects such as where the sphere was taking him, what fate befell the Omen and its crew, and how the sphere had achieved sentience.
Before he had went into meditation, he searched the sphere's logs and found that its last owner before himself had been a female Sith Lord named Riidik Kressh. Going by her name, Varon presumed that she was a relative of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord Ludo Kressh. However, the datalogs said nothing about the ship's sentience. Deciding that he did not want to bring up the matter with the sphere itself, he remained silent.
Minutes turned into hours and Varon did not become aware that they had reached their destination until a voice entered his head.
We are here.
Awaking from his meditation, Varon rose and climbed out of a hatch through the ship's lower hemisphere. With Sao right behind him, the Sith apprentice dropped down onto the barren land and looked up ahead. In the distance was a temple made of stone, situated on top of a mountain.
"The Omen is there?" Varon asked doubtfully.
Yes, the Meditation Sphere said. It is within the temple, heavily guarded by Sith.
"Sith?" Varon repeated. "How many dwell on this world?"
An entire society. They call themselves the Lost Tribe of Sith. They were formed here on Kesh over five thousand years ago after the Omen crashed and her crew made contact with the natives.
"How do you know so much about them?"
I made contact with them many decades ago. They saw me as a god and bestowed me the name of "Taral," which means "protector" in the Sith language.
Varon mused over this. An entire tribe of Sith. With their "god" at his side, he could easily sway them to his side.
With a sly smirk, he said, "Take me to them."
* * *
As the CR90 corvette transporting the diplomatic team to Bastion went through hyperspace, Jaden sat down in the ship's conference chamber. Across from him were Senator Keala Y'arn, Jedi Master Taana Di, and her apprentice Natia Dorn.
While Keala viewed notes on a datapad and Natia daydreamed, Taana focused her gaze on Jaden. The Jedi Knight shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Is there something wrong, Master?" he asked.
"Yes," Taana said. "You calling me 'Master.'" Why haven't you become one yourself, Jaden? Why have you yet to take an apprentice?"
Jaden shrugged. "Honestly, I'm just not sure I'd be that good teaching. And before you say it, yes, I know that's not true. Even so, I don't have the confidence to become a Master."
"Just out of curiosity," Senator Keala asked, "I have to ask: must all Jedi become Masters?"
"It's not a rule," Taana said. "But it's typically expected."
Jaden smiled. "I don't mind being atypical."
Taana glanced at him, mild disapproval twinkling in her eyes, but the Togruta Jedi Master said nothing.
An hour passed before an Alliance officer entered the room. "We have reached Bastion," he told the group of four. "We are landing now."
"Did Captain Yusan have any trouble with flight control?"
"No, actually. He said that they sounded... almost cheerful."
Jaden frowned. "That is not a good sign. We should proceed with caution."
"Agreed," Keala said as she rose from her seat. "Let us see what kind of welcoming they have in store for us."
Once the corvette had touched down, the boarding ramp lowered to allow the Bith senator, her three Jedi accomplices, and four armed guards to exit the ship. Awaiting them was a young Imperial officer, flanked by seven stormtroopers and two hooded beings clad in red armor.
"Welcome, Senator Y'arn," the officer said with a respectful nod. "I am Captain Zelmer. My men and I shall escort you to Imperial Headquarters. The Moffs are eager to speak with you."
Jaden did not like the sound of that. He knew the Moffs to be a bunch of irritable old men filled with greed and ambition. If it weren't for Grand Moff Verradun keeping them in line, they'd be declaring war on the Alliance without a second thought.
Keala clearly looked suspicious as well, though she kept her tone even as she said, "Thank you, captain. We would gladly appreciate it."
As they followed the Imperials through Bastion's capital city of Ravelin, Jaden kept a careful eye on the two red-armored beings. Underneath their hoods, he could tell that they were humans-- one male, the other female. He could sense that they were strong with the Force, but whether they were light sided or dark... he could not tell.
This was definitely a situation where caution was vital.
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