The Wish of One Affected the Other

Master Oteg

I also found no news on the Oppressor, Darth Angral or Master Orgus. Between Satele and Var Suthra they had investigated the disappearance of the ship and determined that the evidence from our attack interfered with the ship's jump to hyperspace. The obvious route to Uphrades revealed no wreckage or sign of the ship. I remembered I needed to go back to Tatooine, but I was not sure when. I contacted my ship and ordered them to meet me on the fleet. As we were moving through the station, I noticed Cort was listening to an image being projected from a droid's holocom.

"Hello, my name is Oteg. I serve the Jedi Order and lead the Republic's First Expeditionary Fleet. I need your help."

"There is an interloper in this conversation. Please move along citizen this does not concern you."

"Knight T'aa Onasi is not an interloper." The droid scanned me as I shook my head.

"Identity confirmed, Hero of Tython. So, sorry for the interruption."

"Even better, you have done well MP77. Such beings are exactly what my mission requires. Come meet me on the Telos and I will discuss the mission I need your help on."

"We will, Master Oteg." His image faded as I turned to Cort.

"Barsen'thor, congratulations on saving your master and the others. I only wish my mission had become as final as yours."

"The disappearance of Darth Angral can be considered a victory as well. Come, I feel the need is great."

"Should we contact Sanusha and Ingo?"

"That would not be necessary at this time, but we should make sure they are available."

"Agreed." He pulled out his comlink and sent a message to them both. It was not too hard to find a shuttle over to the ship, Telos. This was a ship of the line and as empty as the ship was in the game it was not here. Like the fleet the corridors and passageways were smaller and had purpose. The bays just large enough for what they were designed for. Finding the commander's office took nearly an hour as check points and security clearances were run. Even for two Jedi like us, red tape and regulations is still red tape and regulations.

"Ah, you have arrived, my friends. Sorry about the security measures. They are useful given the circumstances. Oh, do forgive me for not shaking hands. My hospitality exceeds my reach." Oteg giggled at his own humor as he was barely taller than a toddler. Even on the raised command console he was barely as high as my belt line. Cort being much taller would have trouble even touching the top of his head.

"Before we begin, I'll need you to keep an open mind to what you are about to hear. The source of my information is unconventional."

"With the Force anything is possible."

"I take it this is not a normal mission?" I frowned as Cort just followed the script. Didn't I break it?

"Correct, as Jedi you are already attuned to the Force, but you must deepen your connection to see as I do. Concentrate with me. Focus your mind. Feel the Force around us. Hear its echoes." I felt out and connected to Kira and Cort feeling them reaching out as well. Through Cort, I was able to link with Ashara. As we expanded our senses, we felt Oteg, and he flinched a bit as we joined with him. The Force opened up and the room took on a view only seen with the Force as our auras mixed together to shine. One light appeared that did not belong. A being, a ghost in the Force.

"She is here."

"Meetra Surik." I could feel Master Oteg opening his mouth and closing it several times as I felt the questions running over the surface of Cort's mind. Kira and Ashara had their own questions as well, but as with Cort they remained silent.

"The darkness consumes all it touches. Stars will turn black, ashes raining on lifeless worlds. Everything ends. The prisoner holds the darkness at bay. Lost inside it for three hundred years. His strength will fail. Then he will become the darkness." Chills spread through us all as she was able to give a glimpse of the darkness with her words. Her presence faded slowly from view and mixed back in with the Force.

"She has told me many things. Revealed the existence of an Imperial prison inside the constantly shifting Maelstrom Nebula, and a way to get there."

"Good, but I think we need the rest of Balance to help you on this mission. One moment." I opened my mouth as Cort stepped away. I was thinking the same thing and heard him talking to Ingo and Elara. I signaled my ship and told my crew to move the Bendu's Way to the Telos before I talked to Sanusha. When I finished, I turned back to see Master Oteg was not pleased.

"I had hoped to keep this simple as the fortress we need to recover the Gree computer is difficult to assault. A small strike team would have no problem infiltrating the base."

"I realize this Master Oteg, but we do nothing without a full plan. Balance is the name of our group and that is what is needed on this mission. If we go as all Jedi we may not have the skills to succeed."

"Very well, then let us get started as your friends arrive." The Telos was a large ship, but even its bays could not handle the size of our ships. The light freighter Sanusha flew was the smallest compared to what they were said to be in game. However, the ship did have external mounting docks that could berth the ships just fine. We continued to plan, and I was truly impressed with the amount of data the SiS had gathered.

"Okay taking this shuttle down is our best bet, but what if our cover is blown?"

"With you all in stealth I doubt you will be discovered in time to do anything. Master Oteg I do know that an Imperial Fleet will interfere. What you have in this task force will not be enough to hold off Moff Kilran's fleet."

"Do you really think that he will interfere out of all the different fleets? His fleet is not even assigned to the sector and is reported to be hundreds of light years away?"

"Trust me when T'aa tells you something will happen it has never failed to." Cort's word gave me a chill at how right he felt. That I wondered if I had given away too many points in the past. I could be wrong, but I had not been so far. However, this was much different than in the game. Not that it had any reference now other than a plot point. Sanusha, Cort, Kira, Corso, Ashara, and Treek would take the stealth route while Ingo, Aric, Elara, Qyzen, Risha, and Bowdaar would be the distraction team. Theran Cedrex refused to even set foot on the planet, and he would join the SiS slicer team during the battle.

I would be sitting out this battle coordinating the fight right next to Master Oteg. That was what he thought. I had other plans and just the ship to use for it.

"T7 confused. Spy ship + Jedi = space walk?"

"Teeseven, the suit is not the spy ship. The spy ship is right there." I pointed at the ship and T7 sent a string of text declaring that the ship was not there, and there was no way it could be. I pushed off from the open airlock and pulled T7 with the Force. He fired his thrusters to return to the lock, but I twisted him around to go the direction I wanted him to go. He struggled until a hatch appeared letting us into the Phantom's airlock.

"Ship + stealth generator = disbelief."

"Yes it does." The outer hatch closed as we felt the Telos enter hyperspace. Seconds later the inner hatch opened and Flint was there on the other side.

"Let me help you get that suit off. Tansy will be here in a second."

"Thanks, but I got it, Flint."

"Master Jedi, I am sure you can dress yourself fine, but this is not a suit you can get off by yourself."

"I put it on myself."

"Impossible."

"The Force." Tansy came through the hatch and giggled. They did help me, but only to stow the separate pieces of the suit away.

"How is the ship?"

"This thing is the bomb. I have never seen such systems and the main computer is wicked fast." She went off on all the features the computer had and I had no clue what she was talking about after ten seconds. Slicing was not on my skills list and anything I knew about computers was filtered by T'aa's memories.