STAR WARS JEDI: THE DARK TIMES

Chapter 4. The Encampment

   As they all arrive at the encampment, Clodd and the others come across a single human female guard with dark brown hair standing in front of a simple gate. "These guys are okay," says Merv. "They're with me." The guard however is skeptical as her dark brown eyes glare at Cann and R3.

   The guard asks Merv "And you're absolutely sure they're not spies working for the bandits?"

   "Seem trustworthy to me. Plus they're uh...they're Jedi, so...you know..." Merv shrugs. "...maybe they can help us."

   The guard is slightly surprised to hear this. "Jedi?" She quickly looks over and when she sees Clodd, the guard is even more surprised. She looks back at Merv. "They can go in. It's fine." R3 beeps with gratitude.

   "You have my thanks," says Cann with a nod.

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   As they make their way into the encampment, Clodd tells Merv "You still haven't told us what exactly you need help with. Care to explain that?"

   "Well we've been trying to build ourselves a new comm beacon for some time now," says Merv. "Trying to get off this rock, but the thieves are clever and move quickly. Everything we find gets picked clean before we can get to it half the time."

   "Then our goals are similar," Clodd points out. "You could've told us that earlier, you know?"

   Merv stops walking and crosses his arms. "Yea, but...as I said before, there are thieves roaming about. We can't take any chances with new people here, including Jedi. Not without Mirra's consent. She's the guard up front." Merv starts walking again.

   As they all continue walking Clodd notices survivors inside their quarters peering out at him.

   "Occasionally," Merv continues, "once we gathered a certain amount of raw materials, our town gets raided and we're back to square one again."

   Understandingly, Clodd remarks "Guessing that's why your friend at the gate was nervous when we got here?"

   "She's my twin, first of all," says Merv.

   Clodd is taken aback. "Oh...I see."

   "And yes. Absolutely. Mirra back there use to be local law enforcement before getting trapped here. Can't be too careful given her experience. Hell, I'm actually surprised she even let you guys in at all." Merv pauses to think. "Come to think of it...you guys didn't happen to...do that little mind trick thing, did you? Look, I understand why if you did. It's just-."

   Clodd and Cann both shake their heads. "I see," says Merv, lowering his head. "Well I...guess I'll have to speak to her about it real quick. You should go on ahead. I'll meet you all at the center. It's a cemetery." Clodd and Cann continue walking along with R3 as Merv heads in the other direction.

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   As they reach the center of the camp...Clodd, Cann, and R3 come across a burial site that appears recently dug in some places. "So this is where their loved ones are buried," says Clodd with a sad look on his face. He sits cross-legged in front of one of the graves with his uncle kneeling next to him. "They've had a lot of people to bury. Haven't they?"

   "So it seems," says Cann.

   "These people were sent here too, but they didn't make it, and we couldn't save them." Clodd starts to get emotional. "We should've stopped this, Uncle. If only we knew sooner what...had happened to them." A tear goes down his face.

   Suddenly, the voice of Mirra can be heard from behind. "You two paying respects, I take it?" Clodd and Cann quickly stand up and turn around as Mirra crosses her arms. As Clodd wipes a tear away, Mirra tells him "Merv offered to man my post so I can introduce myself."

   Clodd has a confused look on his face. "Hey. Do I know you from somewhere?" he asks.

   "We met before. Name is Mirra, and your name is Clodd, right? I was an officer on duty when we met at the crime scene. You were assigned to investigate the murder of a highborn."

   Clodd scratches the back of his head in realization. "Oh yea. I remember now."

   "If I remember correctly, I'd asked you what exactly a Jedi such as yourself would be doing there...getting himself involved in a murder investigation. You stonewalled me. Said it was 'Jedi Business'."

   "There was a reason for that. I assumed since you weren't aware of what was going on that I wasn't supposed to tell you."

   "A wise decision," says Cann. "Giving away too much could've compromised the mission." He then tells Mirra "If you must know, however, the highborn you are referring to had a familial connection to one of our own...a Jedi. We feared that the assailant may have been targeting him specifically, and possibly other Jedi or highborn. Too many lives were at stake for us to ignore it."

   Mirra is stunned to hear this. "That...is surprising actually. I didn't even consider that as a possibility. I mean...I-I kinda figured the Jedi Order had some sort of stake in the investigation. I just...didn't understand how or why."

   Clodd then asks Mirra "Take it we're the first Jedi you've seen since you arrived here?"

   "Actually yes," Mirra replies. "Haven't had any 'Fake Jedi' tryin to sneak in, but...I been paranoid about it. Things have been...hellish here without any 'Real Jedi' around to help." Mirra paces off to the side. "Now...with the two of you...plus your droid..."

   "We're all after the same thing here, build a comm beacon and get off this planet. That about sum it up?"

   Mirra is startled. "Uh...yeah. Pretty much. Guess Merv already spoke to you about it." She points off to the side. "There's an open quarters over that way. You can stay there if you want. Here. I'll show you." Clodd and Cann both nod.

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Later that Night...

   Clodd finds himself sitting on a worn out mattress in a darkened quarters. Speaking into a recorder, he says "Entry 1: To anyone who finds this, My Name is Clodd. I am a Jedi Knight of the Republic. My Uncle and I are trapped on an uncharted planet. We spent hours traveling across a barren wasteland before finding a community we can settle down in. I don't know if we'll survive, or make it off this planet, but...I'll record these entries regularly, if only for posterity."

   Clodd then stops the recording, and looks at the holo-frame beside him that's currently in landscape orientation. As he picks it up, he can see that the holographic image displays a picture of him and his classmates from during his time as a youngling towards the end.

   On the far right side of this image is Jedi Master Yoda as an instructor. In the middle of the image is Clodd himself as a youngling. Just next to him on the right is a youngling Bakkou, the sight of whom puts a resigned expression on the lad's face. Right next to Clodd on the opposite side is an orange skinned Togruta girl with a red tube top. The sight makes Clodd visibly sad.