Chapter 2: Kashyyyk

[Guardian_A]

Looking over the manifests, Vin is surprised to see just how closely the items in the cargo hold reflect the ship's manifest. While nothing is labeled as Sith or Jedi artifacts, the things in the cargo hold have a striking resemblance to the "Art objects" and "Rare Texts" listed on the manifest.

Closing the comm connection, its several seconds before he receives a burst of static, followed by a the same bored voice they had heard earlier, "Chainfire, please maintain your current heading, someone from space traffic control will guide you in. Valores out." The transmission ends abruptly.

Darwin watches as Vin opens a connection to the holonet, searching the keyword Almania in current events. Immages of garilla warfare flash across the screen, accompanied by headlines the freedom fighters in the system taking heavy losses against their Sith overlords.

Several minutes later an incoming transmission with a new heading and landing coordinates arrives from traffic control.

[Jedi Skyler]

Vin acknowledges the coordinates and thanks Control, then passes them on to the helm so they can land.

Looking at his partners in crime, Vin says, "We got through that one. Good thing the stuff in the hold really can fit the description on the manifest." Smiling, he looks at Artee to see how long the droid has left in its recharge cycle. "When Artee is charged up, I need him to help me get that security droid reprogrammed to obey me instead of my Master. Then, we'll not only have dedicated security, I'll also have a sparring partner to help me increase my skills."

Looking back toward the hold, Vin adds, "I'll be doing a lot of studying back there; Darth Malikus has amassed such a complete library that I'll be set for years. In the meantime, however, I need to find a med tech skilled with cybernetic implants." He taps the side of his head. "I have a knowledge implant that was damaged in the attack over Rusaan; I need to get it repaired, and soon."

[Kaloth Varsk]

"We'll need to restock provisions and power cells as well. What do we actually intend to trade once we get down there?"

[Jedi Skyler]

Vin shrugs. "I am going to go search my Master's cabin now. I figured I would just take it over anyway; perhaps he has left a stash of credits behind. I don't want to part with anything the hold until I have been able to do a more thorough inventory and see what items will be of use and which ones won't. Also," he says pointedly, "it's not like we can go down to a Republic-held world and start peddling Sith items. We'd get tagged for sure, probably questioned until the end of time, and we'd get buried so far under bureaucratic nonsense that we'd never get out of here. Let me go see what's been left behind; pray there are credits we can use."

Vin rises and leaves the cockpit, heading to check out the cabin.

((OOC: Concentration, then Search))

[Guardian_A]

Setting in at her comm station in the Republic Space Traffic Control centre, Dani fights back another yawn. Her eyes glance back at the chrono on the wall for the hundreth time today, her eyes begging the chrono to skip a head another twenty minutes so she could clock out for the day. Looking back at her display, she brings up the next ship requesting instruction, the Chainfire. Where do I know that name from? She wonders as she brings the ship's information up on her screen. For a long moment, her eyes take in the information before her, I know that ship!

Artee's dome rotates as the little droid moves away from the recharge port, a contented humm emitting from the droid's vocalizer. Rolling up to Dar, the droid turns its vid sensors towards its master expectantly.

Vin pauses at the door to his master's cabin, glancing at the hatch release before reaching out to touch it. As the door slides open, Vin is greeted by a sparcely decorated cabin. The bed is precicely made with a small metal chest at its foot. To the right is the cabin's clothset, inside is about half a dozen changes of clothes, all are simple outfits made of bantha leather. Black and red are the dominant colors. Beneath the clothes are two extra pairs of boots, the black material shines in the room's light. To the left is a small table and chair, on the table rests a half used candle and a black tusk from some unknown creature. The eight inch long tusk sets like a crescent around the candle. Becide the bed is a modest nightstand. An alarm chrono sets facing the bed and a neatly folded piece of flimsy is sticking out from under it.

[Wisconsin Wookie]

Caster carefully follows the flight-plan from control and quickly glances around the cockpit to see who is all still there. He will also glance at the space lanes nearby, keeping a wary eye out for republic fighters and/or warships.

[Jedi Skyler]

Knowing themselves behind enemy lines, Vin opens himself up to the Force, listening to it for hints of danger. As he does, he reaches out and picks up the flimsi and examines it.

((OOC: Concentration, then Danger Sense))

[Guardian_A]

Vin unfolds the flimsi, revealing a short message in his master's eloquent scrawl.

Vin Darkmauler,

As late, I have seen you often in my dreams and visions. I have seen you standing over my defeated security droid. And more importantly, I have seen you standing in my personal cabin, reading this very message.

If you have slain me, bravo! You have surpassed my expectations. But I consider it much more likely that I have met my fate on Russan. If the battle has gone poorly, I fear for the fate of the Sith Order. If we are broken, then the Republic & Jedi will fall on the pieces like rancors.

Cloak yourself in shadow, and choose your allies carefully. Seek out the secrets of the Chainfire, and use them to ensure your own survival.

Enjoy your stay on Kashyyyk.

Vin feels uneasy as he reads the message, but the last line makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There is no signature, but Vin has no doubt that the message is from his master.




Caster spends the next few minutes following the flight path from control. As the Chainfire nears the atmosphere, Ar-tee lets out an excited whistle before blurting out a harsh raspberry as the droid tries to draw its master's attention to the long range scanners. Looking at the scanners, he sees a new ship has entered the system. The friend or foe indicator labels the ship as the Sith destroyer DarkStar. With a closer look at the scanner, it shows the destroyer to be heavily damaged. A couple of seconds later, the incoming message light flashes as a signal broadcasts on all channels.

[Wisconsin Wookie]

Hearing the excited outburst from the droid, Caster glances at the sensors and pulls up any information on the Darkstar that he can. As he does so, he will try to recall if he had spent any time on that ship in his service with the Sith Army.

Caster will then say to anyone within earshot: "Everyone listen up, you may want to hear this." Caster then hits the button to play the message and turns up the volume.

[Guardian_A]

A grainy immage appears on the viewscreen before Caster even as the messages broadcast through the ships internal speakers, "This is Captain Din Subel of the Sith Destroyer DarkStar," The ragged looking Duros commander says, "We have suffered heavy casualties, and our life support is failing," His hand wipes at the soot near his eyes a moment before he flinches away from a spray of sparks. The immage degrades into static, even as the audio remains, his voice sounds exausted as he contines, "I wish to negotiate our peaceful surrender." In another burst of static, the immage of the captain returns, the quality much poorer than it was before, but its still enough to see the haunted experssion on the man's face, "We are in desperate need of-" The message cuts out suddenly as the local Republic forces jam the signal on civilian channels.

Leaning back in his seat, Caster spends a few moments thinking about the DarkStar. He quickly determines that he dosnt recognize either the ship's name, or its captain.

[Jedi Skyler]

Vin leaves the cabin dumbfounded, clutching the flimsi. He returns to the bridge in time to hear the communique from the failing Sith vessel. Slumping into a seat, he says, "Darth Malikus foresaw this. ALL of this." He encompasses the bridge in a huge sweep of his arms. "He left me a message in his cabin. He wasn't sure if his vision was the result of my having killed him, or because of the battle at Russan. He thought that more likely."

Looking at each of them, he adds, "He was fearful for the future of the Sith Order. He instructed me to seek out the secrets of this vessel, a very great part of which I have already done...or at least begun. I will continue to search the ship and study what Malikus has bequeathed me. But..." he adds, his voice taking on a chill, "the last bit is what really shook me. He said, 'Enjoy your stay on Kashyyyk.' He knew we would be coming here."

[Wisconsin Wookie]

Caster casts a suspicious glance at Vin and says, "I don't like this." Caster then focuses the sensors on the Darkstar, tracking it's every move and watching to see what will happen, ready to head for space at the first sign of trouble.

[Jedi Skyler]

Vin shrugs and replies, "Such is the way of the Force; obviously Malikus was trained in the art of Foresight."

[Wisconsin Wookie]

Keeping his eyes on what is happening with the Darkstar, Caster replies to Vin, "Do you have such foresight?"

[Jedi Skyler]

"Not as of yet. It is quite possible I will be able to learn that from the materials in the private hold. It would certainly come in handy now."