FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER FIVE

"They call themselves the Haxion Brood." Virra sat with the rest in the living room of Syrran's flat under Moonrunners. She had dug out information about them through her underworld contacts. "They used to be a small-time crime syndicate that rose to prominence in the last few years."

"You said they were sent by Maul," Jarriss said.

"He wanted us to know he intends to make our lives a living Chaos," Theleema said. "Unless I return to be his Apprentice and bring you all to him."

"When Chaos finds balance," Addia said. "That scughole, Ran, sold us out."

"He left Kijimi city right after he spoke to Sister Vi," said Gorin, having checked with the spaceport authorities.

"Which means Kijimi is no longer safe for us," Syrran said.

"Then, what are we going to do?" Elynn said.

"We can take the fight to Maul," Ilum said.

"Easier said than done," Theleema said. "He's not going to be in Dathomir."

"True." Elynn picked up from the table the imagecaster coupled with the comlink the cyborgs had used for Maul to communicate with Theleema. She had hooked it to her datapad to slice its program. "He broadcasted from somewhere in the Atravis sector. So, he was travelling."

"What's in that system?" Jarriss said.

"Mustafar," Syrran said. "The headquarters of Black Sun."

"And Nur," Virra said. "The site of the new secret underwater Fortress Inquisitorius. Sidious moved them there after Skywalker killed a senator when he was chasing two rogue Inquisitors last year."

"What could Maul be doing in that system?" Ilum said.

"Last time he went to Mustafar was to recruit Black Sun into the Shadow Collective," Syrran said.

"The criminal alliance he assembled toward the end of the war?" Elynn said.

"Yeah," Jarriss said. "He took over Mandalore with it."

"I was undercover at their fortress, when Maul and his brother took out the heads of the syndicate—literally," Syrran said. Though he didn't show it, the memory of his last mission for the Jedi Order saddened him, since it prevented him from being in Felucia with his original Master, Aayla Secura, when she was killed by her own clones under Order 66.

"Ouch! Talk about downsizing," Addia said.

"If Maul puts another Shadow Collective together, we're not going to be able to touch him," Jarriss said.

"Didn't he try to do this a bunch of times before?" Elynn said.

"Twice," Theleema said. "Maul always wanted to form his own empire to oppose Sidious."

"What makes him think it is going to work now when Darth Sidious rules an actual Empire?" Ilum said.

"Because he's a stubborn mudlicker, that's why," Theleema said. "Those aren't horns, but rocks, sticking out his head."

"Who's going to be stupid enough to join him?" Addia said.

"From what Brother Sy said, I don't think it's open to negotiation," Gorin said.

"Which brings us back to our original quandary, what are we going to do?" Ilum said. "We came to Kijimi to lay low until things settled down after Coruscant, but things have become unsettled."

"We search for your Master, right?" Elynn looked at Syrran.

"Quinlan wouldn't have trusted anyone with the Jedi Star Compass if he wasn't in trouble," Syrran said. "I'd like to find out if he needs help."

"Then, it's settled, we're going to Tatooine," Jarriss said. "That's the last place we know he visited."

"We should go to Lah'mu first," Virra said. "In case we can't find Quinlan, we need to know what he was after when he disappeared."

"I'll find him, don't worry," Syrran said. "But I agree, we need to know what the Empire is doing."

"Well, the Outcast is ready go," Gorin said.

"After living three months in this place, I can't wait to get back onboard," Elynn said.

The group adjourned to pack their things, all but Theleema and Elynn who both lived in Syrran's apartments. Syrran didn't have many worldly possessions; mostly weapons. The things he really valued were an alusteel seven-string hallikset with inlaid jabor ivory wood Elynn had gifted him in Corellia; another one, with a greel wood body and osmiridium neck, given to him by Quinlan Vos; and a small uneti tree in an in incubator—a sapling from the original Great Tree at the Jedi Temple. There were a handful of holobooks he collected throughout his travels: The Jedi Path by Grand Master Fae Coven; the Bounty Hunter Handbook; Words of Truth by Count Dooku of Serenno; Meditations on the Living Force by Qui-Gon Jinn; Conquering the Inner Divide by San'sii the Kuskr; The Art of Inner Peace by Koro Ziil; and The Force Delusion by Kreia. Inside a wooden case, Syrran kept the shotos he had built before his current ones, along with his original Master's lightsaber and her leather headdress.

At the cockpit, Elynn was sitting in the pilot's seat. "Can I fly?" She beamed.

"We all have to join the Force someday." Syrran turned her seat to face the controls. "Take her up, nice and easy."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Elynn readied the ship for takeoff.

"If anything, Go will welcome the extra work," Theleema said next to her, making sure Elynn followed proper procedure.

"Way to boost my confidence, Leema."

"I'm teasing you. Just relax and do the same thing you've been practicing."

Elynn powered the repulsorlift engines, making the Outcast hover off the ground.

"The Force is with me and I'm one with the Force..." Virra prayed from the navigator station.

"Not funny," Elynn said.

Slowly, she had the ship clear the landing bay, yawed her northwest, and pitched her up, switching to the main engines to fly up to the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you have just experienced Eels first takeoff." Syrran rubbed Elynn's tense shoulders with pride. Theleema touched her arm with warmth.

The crew of the Outcast exploded in cheers and compliments. Elynn smiled as they left Kijimi's atmosphere behind, entering the visual marvel of outer space.

"Ready to jump into hyperspace whenever you want, captain," Virra said when the navigation computer signaled the route had been plotted.

"Can you say it?" said Elynn, looking up at Syrran.

"Punch it," Syrran said.

Elynn activated the hyperdrive and the Outcast was gone.