Endeavor [Complete]

XXVII

Both being core worlds, it wasn't a long trip back to Tython. Ava found herself yet again in the familiar Tython Orbital station. She climbed aboard the shuttle leading to the Jedi Temple hangar, and a short flight later, she disembarked. She was greeted by Forro Nok as he recorded the arrival of the shuttle and sent it on its way again with more passengers. Ava walked through the halls of the temple on her way to the archive when she ran into Master Jiron.

"Ava! How wonderful to see you! Has your mission had any success?" he asked.

"Master! I'm glad to see you too! I expected you to be off on some mission," Ava said.

"Was just assigned one, and I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Ah. Oh right, my mission. I came back to give my report. Turned out to be criminals masquerading as Imperials."

"You'll have to give me full details of the riveting adventures you have no doubt experienced at a later date my former apprentice. I have to get the Syzygy prepared for its journey tomorrow."

"Say hi to T2-42 for me!" Ava said.

"Will do, goodbye." Ava waved at him as he walked off. Then, she continued on her path to the Council, where she gave her full report of the mission on Balmorra. But the entire time, the words Liria Pelennor echoed through her head, over and over. She was desperate to type that name into the holonet search.

Finally, she was done with her report. Her first mission had been a success. But she was far too preoccupied to think too much about that.

She entered the archives, where Bara S'uk was serving a shift as supervisor. Unsurprisingly, he was distracted reading a datapad when Ava walked in.

"Oh! Ava! Hi!" the Twi'lek said, waving at her.

"Hey Bara!"

"You just get back?" he inquired.

"Yes, I did. What have you been up to?"

"Me? Who wants to hear about me monitoring the archives? You've been out there flying around the galaxy! How did that go?"

Ava laughed. "Well, I was sent to investigate rumors of Imperial involvement on Balmorra, and- "

"Isn't that where you grew up?" Bara was already typing rapidly into a holonet server. Ava suspected he was looking up Balmorra.

"Will ya let me tell the story? Yes, that's where I grew up. Anyway, turns out it was just criminals who were..." Ava trailed off, as Bara was now scrolling rapidly through a display of information on the planet, and was completely oblivious to what she was saying. Ava shook her head with a smile. Classic. She proceeded to the computer, and she heard Bara absentmindedly mutter "Uh, yeah that's cool."

Ava entered the name into the database, eager for the results. But there weren't many. The only mention of the name was in a list of Jedi Knights promoted in a certain year and of Younglings brought to the temple. Liria was a Jedi, she knew that much. Ava scrolled through both lists, and a few familiar names leaped out at her. Hyri Kalasst and Tyra Squire.

Deciding it would be too painful to approach Tyra Squire after what had happened to Kyra, Ava set off to find Hyri Kalasst. Maybe him and Liria Pelennor had known each other.

She found him at the new training center at the ruins, completed during Ava's last years as a Padawan. The Togruta Master was directing a group of younglings in a training saber drill.

Ava walked up behind him and go his attention.

"Master, I need to speak with you," she said.

"Yes, of course. Take a break everyone, we'll pick this up later!" he said to the class, and turned to Ava. They stood by one of the crumbling stone walls, which had been preserved when the training center was built.

"Master, I came to ask you about someone you might have known. Liria Pelennor. Can you tell me anything about her?"

"Yes! Liria, I remember her fondly! Haven't thought about her in years." Ava's heart jumped in her chest.

"What, um, do you know what happened to her?"

"Why do you ask?" he said curiously.

"Uh, it's complicated," Ava stammered. She wasn't sure what the Jedi would think of her wanting to search for what happened to her mother.

"Complicated doesn't mean something that wouldn't be approved of, does it?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no. Not exactly. Actually, I don't know. She, she was the one who brought me to the orphanage on Balmorra, so, uh, I want to find out if she was my mother," Ava said, her voice tiny.

"It seems unusual for a Jedi to leave a baby at an orphanage, especially since you were Force sensitive. Doesn't seem like she was just a random Jedi dropping you off. But, Jedi don't have families, it would mean she broke the code," he said, looking thoughtfully off into the distance.

"Do you think she abandoned me because she didn't want the Council to know about me?" Ava said, an uneasy feeling settling inside her.

"It might not be easy for you to hear, but she died on a mission. Ship explosion. It seemed like a malfunction, but there was evidence of foul play."

"How long ago?"

"About twenty years ago, perhaps right after leaving you on Balmorra."

There was a silence. She had found out who her mother was, or most likely was, only to discover she had been killed, probably right after she had left Ava. Ava buried her head in her hands, overwhelmed.

"You knew her, can, can you tell me about her? Anything you can remember," Ava said, barely keeping her voice from shaking.

"Liria was very strong in the Force, best of the bunch. Always cheerful. She came from a good family on Alderaan, brought to the temple as a toddler."

Alderaan. Her mother was from Alderaan. She smiled, knowing she would have to tell Master Jiron that they shared a home planet.

"She was always hanging around with another boy, they were best of friends. Samlif Tonsan, but everyone called him Sam. In fact, you and Michael always reminded me of those two." The mention of Michael's name sent a jolt through her.

"Is Sam Tonsan still around? Do you think I could talk to him?" Ava asked.

"He'd definitely know more of Liria than I would, and could tell you plenty. He's on a mission now, in the outer rim."

"Where?" Ava asked.

"Rodia, I think. I don't know the details. You can find out I suppose."

"Do you think I'd be allowed to go find him? If he was a close friend of hers, he might know more," she said.

"Hard to say. Perhaps if you had some other important assignment taking you to Rodia or nearby. I don't know if you could run off just to find out about Liria, considering most Jedi aren't permitted to know anything about their parents."

"If she's already dead, there's no danger of attachment. I just want to know more about how I got to Balmorra, and why."

"I suppose you have a point. Go ask a Council member about it. Perhaps you could find out something interesting to add to the archives, who knows?"

"Thank you Master," Ava said.