STAR WARS: An Ill Wind
Session 18.5 (Epilogue)

ESTABLISHING SHOT - SIEWA HOMEFLEET

Yellow-white dawn comes up over the limb of a great ringed gas giant, revealing a thousand shades of blue and aqua in its turbulent atmosphere and causing its two thin rings to shine like stardust highways. The same sunlight also illuminates the metal hulls of the varied vessels in high orbit around the gas planet.

From the foreground, a rather plain-looking grey saucer roars past the camera toward the assembled ships.

WIPE TO:
INT. SIEWA HOMESHIP - HANGAR

Ducking their heads low to avoid banging them against Lirpa's underside, the Captain and his companions make their way down the utility craft's ramp to the deck.

Avirida makes her way out of Tekkel's ship with an immense sense of personal satisfaction at simply having survived. The ship.

<OOC> Tekkel mumbles something about ungrateful guests. ;p
<OOC> Avirida fixed your hyperdrive. What are you complaining about? ;)
<OOC> Tekkel grins.

Day-Lin follows, rather more slowly than normal. He still looks a little under the weather -- no surprise, on a ship this cramped.

Harukuk might be smiling at the Dauntless, under all that fur its hard to tell.

At the other end of the hangar, the Republic courier - resplendent in its scarlet paint - sits on its landing gear just where Harukuk left it.

Avirida regards the Dauntless with unmitigated warmth.

Tekkel steps out, and pats the hull fondly before following the others down the ramp. He looks back up into the ship, waiting for Pira to follow.

Day-Lin says "Good to be home. Well, nearly."

Pira trails after Tekkel, looking relieved to have a ship sized for men rather than mice.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Or halflings, at least."

Harukuk stretches, his joints popping.

Pira says "Mmm. Back to face the Council."

Day-Lin observes, to Pira, "You know, I never thought I'd find myself looking forward to getting back to Coruscant."

Avirida does not smile. That would not be proper. She'll wait till she's in private.

Day-Lin says "First time for everything, I guess."

Pira says "Civilization."

Day-Lin says "There are a few things to be said for it."

Tekkel listens to the others, looking cheerful. Even he would have to admit the ship wasn't spacious, let alone by human and wookiee standards.

Pira says "Assuming she's still in working order."

Avirida gives Pira a startled glance.

Day-Lin says "That's what we have Avirida for."

<OOC> Kelly says, "Well, and the rest of the crew."
<OOC> Day-Lin says, "Yes, but they're not here to have their morale boosted by hearing it. :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Oh. I keep forgetting that Day-Lin, unlike his fellow Jedi Knight, actually knows something about leadership."
<OOC> Avirida laughs!
<OOC> Tekkel laughs. Zing.
<OOC> Pira blushes.
<OOC> Pira says, "She's feeling a little off kilter after the throne room :)"

Tekkel glances back at his ship, then at the Dauntless.

Pira pulls her cloak forward to half-hide her face, and strides across the hanger.

Day-Lin eyes the walk across to the ramp with vague annoyance. He takes a breath, exhales, and follows Pira, hood down.

Tekkel asks Avirida, "Are you going straight away?"

Avirida answers Tekkel, quieter, "If the Jedi want to, and we can." She glances up to the cloaked pair. "We're couriers for them, primarily."

The hangar is not empty, of course - many Siewa and a few members of larger races, most of them in the plain and durable clothes of techs and stevedores, are moving around, working on shuttles and light freighters of a dozen types.

There are also half-glimpsed 'helpers' zipping through the air and hovering around the ships like clouds of peculiar metal insects.

Avirida checks the air around the Dauntless warily for such a cloud.

Out of respect for the aliens and their strange customs, it seems that the Siewa have ordered their little maintenance droids to stay clear of the Corellian-built diplomatic courier.

Avirida relaxes visibly.

Tekkel looks around the hangar, and at the two Jedi heading for their ship. Matching Avirida's quiet tones, he asks, "Do you think they'd want an extra pair of hands?"

Avirida grins, just a little. "Why don't you ask the captain?" she murmurs back.

Tekkel smiles, bobs his head, and looks around for Harukuk.

Pira says to Day-Lin "What do you think the council is going to say?"

Day-Lin says "I think that predicting the council's reaction is a sucker's game."

Day-Lin says "If we convince ourselves they're going to react one way, they might react the opposite just to test us. They'll say what they say."

Pira gives Day-Lin a look and a startled bit of a laugh.

Day-Lin shrugs. His expression doesn't change.

Pira slows her pace to stay with Day-Lin's, and paces thoughtfully towards their courier.

Harukuk is standing by the ship, looking over it. He may be smiling.

Tekkel thanks Avirida, and walks over to Harukuk.

Harukuk looks down at the Seiwa, and cocks his head to the side.

Tekkel gathers up a small bundle of courage to ask the towering Wookiee, ["Avirida says you might be going straight away. Back to Coruscant. Would it be possible for me to continue working with you?"]

Harukuk cocks his head to the side, "Aroo?"

Avirida follows over, casual, on the chance that translation might be needed.

<OOC> Kelly says, "And the Jedi are, I imagine, already up in Dauntless taking advantage of the familiar surroundings offscreen."
<OOC> Day-Lin says, "For which read 'collapsing'."
<OOC> Kelly says, "If I need to say it, both of you have had troubled sleep and meditations, and not just because of the cramped quarters or Day-Lin's burns."

Tekkel gestures hesitantly, in a trying-to-be-helpful sort of way. ["I can help around the ship, and maybe I could document the missions for the Council?"]

Harukuk nods to Tekkel thoughtfully, ["Possible. You seemed to be a halfway good pilot, what else can you do?"]

Tekkel chirps hopefully. ["I've experience working on and repairing various starship systems, from small craft to capital ships, I've done some astrogation plotting, and I can program the more common computers and droids."]

Harukuk nods, and asks curiously, ["Why do you want to come with us?"]

<OOC> Tekkel feels like he's at a job interview. It is one, more or less. :)
<OOC> Kelly says, "Well, see, you might say I'm kind of... clumsy."
<OOC> Kelly ducks, fast.
<OOC> Tekkel groans.
<OOC> Kelly edits the log to "yousa" and "mesa", of course.
<OOC> Harukuk will kill you if you do. ;)
<OOC> Avirida laughs!

Tekkel says, ["I grew up interested in what the Jedi did, and all the places they go to - and now I've scented that for myself, and while it wasn't quite what I thought it would be I still want to see more of the galaxy, and I'd like to do that with you and Avirida and the Jedi. Rather than do so on my own."] He continues looking up at Harukuk.

Harukuk strokes his fuzzy chin thoughtfully, ["Getting around the fact that you aren't a member of the Navy will be tricky, but you've done a good turn for us so I'd like to help you. So long as you're sure that's really what you want."]

<OOC> Tekkel grins. Tekkel would rather go with the folks who can survive ancient Siths of Doom than go it alone in the big wide galaxy.
<OOC> Avirida says, "What a surprise ;)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "For lo, they are big and mighty and draw most of the fire."
<OOC> Tekkel laughs.
<OOC> Pira giggles.

Tekkel bobs his head. ["I was planning to use Lirpa to leave the homefleet for a time anyway. This would be - has been - just sooner than I had planned, is all. And I would much prefer to leave with people I know."]

Harukuk nods, ["All right, I think the crew will like you, and I'll make sure noone in the Navy minds."] He grins toothily.

<OOC> Kelly says, "The Captain takes care of his people. Even if they are small and rodentoid."
<OOC> Tekkel says, "Tekkel doesn't eat much. :)"

Tekkel smiles happily, and looks back at Avirida with a grin and another bob of his head.

Avirida winks ahead at him, grinning back. Just this once.

EXT. PLANET - VOLCANO - AERIAL VIEW

The mountain has quieted again, emitting only the occasional fitful belch from its summit. One face has slumped in slightly and lava flows outward from the base on that side, completely covering the former site of the Sith temple. No trace remains of its tall spires and dark center.

The camera follows the path of the flow, spreading out like a fan into the swampland. Smoky forest fires still burn around the edges and the lava crust itself steams from a thousand fissures in its rolling, uneven surface.

Lower still, as the camera approaches the furthest reach of the molten rock before it began to cool and solidify. Here the crust is wrinkled and piled upon itself like frozen syrup - a planet-sized scab. Lower.

Grey steam, grey clouds, grey swamp, grey lava ... and near the edge of the flow, a single spot of purple-red, glowing softly to itself like a banked ember. Twinkling like a lone star. Beating like a heart.

FADE TO BLACK.

<OOC> Pira says, "SEE! Master Mace was RIGHT, I shouldn't have thrown it away :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Uh huh. <snicker>"

INT. JEDI TEMPLE - COUNCIL SPIRE

Blackness slides upward, in the form of a door, revealing the two young Jedi Knights standing in the antechamber.

"Come," the familiar and somewhat querulous voice of Master Yoda beckons.

Pira glides in, her hood hiding her face. She bows deeply to the little Master.

Day-Lin follows, mimicking Pira's motion. He has his hood down, still, and he looks remarkably calm.

Some of the seats are empty, with about half of the Jedi Council having assembled at this hour - as Coruscant's sun appears over the horizon to begin a new day on the world that never sleeps - to hear the report of Pira and Day-Lin on their mission.

Pira squares her shoulders, facing Yoda as she speaks. "Honored Masters, I fear we do not return with the Crystal."

As well as Master Yoda, Master Windu is present, as are the long-necked Master Poof, the Zabrak Master Koth, and scarred Master Piell.

Yoda's response is a simple, "Why?"

Pira says "Because I did not believe that I was strong enough to return with it without succumbing to Darkness.

Yoda mms briefly. "Then well it is that you did not."

Pira's gaze slides involuntarily to Yoda's right, to Mace's dark face. "I am sorry for failing you."

<OOC> Pira pokes Day-Lin. She's dyin' here :)
<OOC> Day-Lin says, "Hey, I think she's doing great. :)"

Windu's eyebrows, the only hair on his smooth visage, go up. "You returned to us with new knowledge. You were tempted and did not fall. How have you failed me?"

Windu does not smile - such informality is not for council chambers - but neither does he scowl in disapproval.

Pira says "There could have been more knowledge."

"Perhaps," croaks Master Piell from over Pira's left shoulder. "But some knowledge carries with it too dear a price."

Pira says doubtfully "Perhaps." She tucks her hands inside her sleeves again and stands silent.

<OOC> Pira says, "Probably good to assume we filed a preliminary report while on the ship?"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Yeah, that's fair."

"A risk we took, sending two so young on this mission. Untested." Yoda holds up a hand in anticipation of protest. "The Trials you have both passed... but different this was. The Dark Side in all its power, confronted you have. Faced it within yourselves." His wise gaze moves from Pira to Day-Lin and back.

Pira says "I do not feel very victorious."

<OOC> Kelly says, "Day-Lin going to say anything to that, or should I go on?"
<OOC> Day-Lin says, "He's keeping his mouth shut. :)"
<OOC> Pira says, "Damn him :)"
<OOC> Kelly chuckles.

"To be always vigilant against the Dark, in all its forms and guises... that is the path of the Jedi." Yoda shifts and settles in his seat, sounding even more solemn as he intones, "A battle that can never be won - but must be fought nonetheless."

Pira bows again. "Yes, Master."

"But today," Master Windu continues, "I think that you have both earned some rest from that battle. You may stay here at the Temple for a time, until you are needed again. Time to heal... and reflect on what you have learned."

Day-Lin bows slightly this time, still silent.

Pira bows as well.

FADE OUT