Goodwood

The ride was as smooth as her looks as Ben'a Solo put the Millennium Skyray through her paces, first in orbit above Corellia, and then through the hyperspace lanes on the way to Tatooine. The Jedi had never before felt this kind absolute freedom of control when flying a starship -- but this starship felt more like an extension of his own body and sphere of responsibility. Ben'a put the ship through maneuvers that would have been impossible in his X-wing, or even for an A-wing or a TIE fighter. Only the best of the best in the galaxy, both in pilot and craft, would be able to even match him in ship-to-ship combat. This time alone with his starship was some of the happiest times Ben'a had ever had in his life, and by the time the exercise was over the Jedi had fully melded with his vessel.

OOC: New name, haha... IC: Ben'a laughs merrily at the antics of this character, Kheldar vos Correlli. He really was a genius in the truest sense of the word; a brilliant designer, a healthy, energetic personality, and a love of being quite the maverick. As the Jedi sat next to Kheldar in the wildly maneuvering staff pod, he listened intently to what the capitalist was telling him; the man seemed to sense that he was on his way to Tatooine already. But when they landed at the CEC landing platform, Ben'a nearly lost his breath as the ship came into view. She was even more beautiful in actuality then she ever could have been on Kheldar's computerized, three-dimensional drawing board. Held up from the permacrete landing platform by a trio of slender, fluidly-shaped legs, the new vessel evoked a distinct sense of symmetry, offering a seamless blend of natural and artificial qualities that Ben'a had not thought possible. Truly, this was a beauty of a starship; her wings flowed gracefully from the main hull, and the tail stood out straight as a rod. But the elegance of her outer hull belied the deadly arsenal within. The cockpit was flush with the hull where the shoulders met the wings, and the three quad laser turrets blended flawlessly within the craft's shape as they sat dormant. The only sign of her potential were the three holes for the proton torpedo tubes: one in each shoulder, and another in the long, slender tail. She was designed to tackle the best of the galaxy's personal starships and starfighters, but the Jedi knew that she would also do well against most capital-class ships in a large space battle, particularly given his connection to the Force. But that wasn't all; for even as he looked upon his new ship, henceforth to be known as the Millennium Skyray, Ben'a knew that he must get his new implant installed. It would be this cybernetic connectivity that would truly cement the relationship between starship and pilot, to an extent that he would be able to call upon the Skyray remotely in an emergency. The operation was short and painless, and as Ben'a awoke from the anesthesia, a strange sensation began to manifest itself in the back of his brain. He soon realized that it was the Skyray ”“ the ship was literally speaking to him ”“ and he immediately surmised that a powerful bond had been forged. Somehow, the cybernetic implant had tapped into his Force-connection, in addition to his thought processes”¦ ”œTruly I say to you, this is a masterful work of art,”

It had been a while since Ben'a had popped into existance among the busy metropolis that was the Corellian System. He was here for one, singular purpose: to pay off and claim his new starship, custom designed by the great Kheldar vos Correlli. As he detached the Delta 7 starfighter from its hyperspace ring, the Jedi Knight was uncharactaristically quivering with anticipation; something wonderful would happen when he took that new ship for its first flight, though he was at a loss to explain exactly what. Gliding the craft gently into the busy Corellian skylanes, Ben'a brought the fighter down on a landing pad set close to the headquarters of KVC Enterprises. As Ayevit extracted himself from the fighter's droid socket, the robot issued a few last-minute commands. His rollers were barely on the permacrete surface when the ship began to rumble to life once again, and both droid and Jedi had to stand back several paces to avoid the heat blast. Within moments, the fighter was out of sight, heading back to its place of origin; Ben'a, for one, would not miss it. "Come, Ayevit," Ben'a called, patting his pocket, "we shall go and claim our new vessel." With that rather stale remark, the two entered the stark, yet eye-pleasing, KVC Enterprises lobby. The secretary this time was different; a human male, but that didn't faze Ben'a in the slightest. He simply flashed his customer card without a flurish of any kind, was instructed to wait, and did so quite patiently.

"Well, he didn't wait up for me, did he?" Ben'a mused to himself as he hung up his comm. The Jedi knew that he must find another ride if he wanted to make it to Tatooine in time to help the Hutts, with both his former master and his new starship. After wadering about the perimiter of the newly-constructed base, Ben'a found what he needed -- an unused Delta 7 starfighter. Hopping into the craft's cockpit, he did a scan to see if there was a hyperspace ring for the fighter in orbit. Seeing that there was, he secured Ayevit (who had been busy stunning the jungle flies that were pestering him) into the astromech socket. Once he was ready, Ben'a lifted the fighter off the ground, taking it gently into orbit to meet up with the ring. "Ayevit, get a course reading on where we are, and prepare the ship for a drone return. Once we arrive at Corellia, we won't need this little bird anymore." The droid beeped compliantly, soon signaling the completion of his task. Not bothering to take a last look at the world he was leaving, Ben'a drew back the hyperspace ignition lever, and streaked off into space.

The jungles above the clouds here reminded Ben'a a lot of the dense swamps of Naboo, except that they weren't as damp. The Jedi Knight didn't fancy having to venture into the low-lying miasma, so rather then resort to the attitude of grousing that the others were favoring, he counted his blessings. And besides, he knew how to take care of the bug problem -- a little Force-trick does it, or so they say. And as he heard the eager voice of his former Master crackling over his personal comm unit, Ben'a hit the reply button. He was smiling to himself all the while, because he could feel the discomfort that Keiran felt at being here.. --comm to Keiran-- "Don't be so hasty about that little claim, friend. I'll be happy to accompany you to Tatooine, but I've got my own new ship to acquire. If I could hitch a ride to Corellia, we could go in together..." Inwardly, Ben'a wondered how the man would respond. Hopefully, his Hapan fighter could squeeze in both him and Ayevit -- he didn't fancy trying out the new ship without his trusty little trash can...

Understanding that he was wrong in his assertion that further investigation was needed, Ben'a relaxed somewhat in his seat behind the Steller Princess' Camaasi pilot. Inwardly, he turned over what they had learned: SEED claimed that the Death Strikers had destroyed their own planet, yet all the physical evidence pointed to an orbital bombardment -- an extremely well-co-ordinated bombardment... But as the small starship blasted off into hyperspace, the Jedi Knight let these concerns go, favoiring instead to dwell on his new ship, which was being fabricated at this very moment. He knew it would be well worth the wait. And his old friend Aryian was back...

Ben'a's face was a mask as he addressed Hou-Jo through the Jedis' communal link within the Force. "I object," he began. "We gan transmit what we have so far to Master Gantoris via encrypted comm, while he oversees the new base. We are here now, and we must do all we can to find this SEED organization and bring them to justice. We owe this to those who called Altyr V home." He turned to Camsie then, resting a comforting hand on the Camaasi's shoulder. "Don't head out just yet, my frend."

Ben'a left Armiena to sort out her angrush -- she was not his Padawan, and there were other things that needed to be addressed. The Jedi, upon hearing the comm from his old Master, thought briefly about what he was proposing. "Master Kerian, that would probably be for the best. It is likely that we'll find whomever did this on Coruscant, however, I must say that it would be prudent for us to split up first. We can each make our way to the capital via different space lanes, and then rondezvous on the surface. Your old apartment would do nicely, I think..."

With Camsie at the controls, the Steller Princess flickered into realspace alongside Hou-Jo's ship. Like the elder Jedi, Ben'a and the other two with him immediately realized the extent of the devestation. As they orbited the now aquatic world, Ben'a began to take some sensor readings, all the while conversing with Hou-Jo, Camsie, and Alemira through the Force. "According to the Holonet, the ice-caps were sabotaged. I'm taking sensor readings now, and I'm not liking what I see. I'm picking up evidence of an orbital bombardment at both poles -- craters in the seabed, pulverized rocks, and other indicators. We should report this to Master Gantoris..."

Ben'a was just leaving the offices of KVC Enterprises when Gantoris' message, sent through the Force across millions of light-years, reached him. He hadn't bothered to see if any other Jedi were on-world when he had arrived, but nonetheless, Ben'a was not surprised that some were here. He had never met the Padawan Armiena, but he did know Camsie from the breif time he had spent with the Order on Manaan before departing for Arbra. After seeing to the care of his mother and pledging his return, he made his way to where the two Jedi could be found, hoping that they would have transport off of this planet -- it would be another six days before his own new vessel would be ready. Expanding his sphere of awareness to the bounds of Coronet City, he soon found what he was looking for; two very distinct Force-signatures, pulsing brightly from being heavily drawn upon. "They must be having a training session," Ben'a mused to himself as he began to make his way to their location. Chartering an air taxi, he wasn't long in the journey before he had found their training field. After instructing the Rodian cabbie to let him off on a nearby rooftop, he tossed the man a generous tip in hard credit. The alien buzzed off happily, leaving the Jedi to watch the fight as it progressed. The Camaasi was holding himself well, despite his species' inherent abbhoration of violence.

OOC: Holy moley, Kheldar... IC: Ben'a's eyes sparkled as he looked over the design specefications for his new ship. This "Millennium Manta" was, quite possibly, the most beautiful starship the Jedi had ever laid eyes on. It had everything he could dream of -- heavy armaments, remote summons -- even an anti-grav well engine. Remembering certain events in his past, this feature was specifically appealing to the Jedi. As he continued to drool over his new ship, Ben'a barely heard Correlli's offer of assistance in regards to his mother. But it was enough to break him from his reverie. "I thank you, Mr. Correlli, for the offer of assistancem, which I accept. I very much love this design that you have created, and I look forward to the finished product. The Jedi have long appreciated artistry with a purpose -- and I am no exception..." Ben'a also indicates that he is willing to hand over his old craft -- a barely-used XJ model X-wing -- to cover more of the production bill.

Ben'a took the blows, and they were heavy, without complaint or question. He knew he would pay a price for what he had done, that was for sure, and as he collapsed under John's backhand, he realized just who he was dealing with. But Ben'a was not afraid -- a Sith master he may be -- but Ben'a was not out of the fight yet. As John smirked down upon Ben'a's crumpled form, the Jedi once again gathered his strength. But instead of moving (there was no point, he had no weapon), Ben'a just sat there. With another lash of Force-energy that nearly tapped out his abilities, Ben'a grabbed hard upon the Sith master's hand that contained his chrome lightsaber. Harder and harder the grip became, until the man's hand was chalk-white under the presure. Ben'a looked up at what he was doing, his face was a grotesque mask of agonized concentration, as if his very existance depended on what he was trying to accomplish. As the master's bones began to crack under the pressure of the grip Ben'a had him in, the Jedi slowly lifted his opponent off of the arena floor. "There...is...no...chaos..." At this point, only the continued recitation of the Jedi Code was keeping Ben'a alive. He was literally putting everything he had into this last-ditch attempt at defending his existance; if he failed, if John somehow broke free, he would be no more. His body becoming more and more contorted, Ben'a kept up the pressure, until John was literally screaming in agony. But in one stark second, it all came to a head -- the lightsaber deactivated, the hilt was sent flying high into the arena stands, and both men collapsed. Barely consious, Ben'a was the first to get to his feet. He trudged slowly, but determinedly, across the battlefield, and slumped once again into a heap -- but his lightsaber was right next to him, waiting, humming, urging him to stay alive... It would be a long time until someone made a move, and when that happened, someone was going to die.

Ben'a allows himself to be lead by the two security humanoids. With the conspicuous lack of any Force-sensitive materials of any kind in this rather large lobby, it was easy for the Jedi to tell that his guides were not real humanoids. Though, he suspected, they were not to be trifled with regardless; but he wasn't here to think these thoughts, or feel these emotions. He was here to secure a place within the Jedi Order, and to do that, he needed just the right starship. After being ushered into Kheldar's office, Ben'a could appreciate the man's use of the side-table to conduct the business at hand. Ben'a had always thought that opulence often got in the way of creative thinking, and that the best ideas occur in the dingy backrooms of engineers' workshops. This Kheldar vos Correlli struck the Jedi as someone not unlike himself; full of ideas, and with a desire to see those ideas come to life. He was also quite friendly, something Ben'a also greatly appreciated. "Well, Mr Correlli, I promise this will be interesting..." And Ben'a proceeded to list what he would like to have in a starship... "Any opther suggestions?"

The words from this Sith were expected, so Ben'a paid them no heed. From studying records at the Temple, he knew of the bug invasion, and the alliance that had been forged, but to the Knight, they were only so much distractions at this point. No sooner had the Sith asked his questions, he was on the move; as he closed to spitting distance, the Sith brought out two lightsabers, aiming them together in an attempt to trisect the Jedi. Ben'a was not prepared for an opponent with two sabers, but he wasn't entirely without hope; seing just in time what was heading for him, Ben'a ignited his own emerald blade as he ducked into a low crouch. The two attacking blades were intercepted by the Jedi's own, pointing straight up...but Ben'a knew that he couldn't keep this up forever. "There is no death, there is only the Force..." These words not only kept him fighting, they gave him an idea. Crouching still lower, Ben'a continued to hold off the weight of the Sith master above him; when he felt that he could go no lower, he suddenly deactivated his saber and rolled forward through the Sith's legs. The Sith was unable to recover from this sudden reversal of momentum; he fell hard onto the arena floor and barely missed falling onto his own blades. "Gotta do something about that extra lightsaber..." As the two combatants regained their footing, Ben'a unleashed a blast of Force-energy, immediately followed by him hurling his own lightsaber after the flying Sith. His tactic worked, and the black lightsaber hilt in his left hand was cleaved in half. But there was a problem -- Ben'a was unable to call his blade back -- the weapon had wedged itself in a gap in the lower part of the arena wall.

Ben'a reentered the arena where he had earlier dispatched the dark serpent. To his horror, he saw the dead body of Keiran, his former master, lying near the edge of the south wall. Another Sith was present also; a powerful one to be sure, but by peering close to the man's heart with the Force, Ben'a could tell that this was not the one who had committed the murder. "It doesn't matter, though...a Sith is a Sith..." The thought was expunged as soon as it had formed itself in Ben'a's mind; he had more work to do. Again, he placed himself fully into the guidence of the Force, letting it flow through his arms and legs and lekku. The expertise he had acquired with the use of his lightsaber would be pushed to its limits, Ben'a could sense, but he was ready for whatever this one could throw at him, including powers of mind and body manipulation -- though Ben'a had a trick or two at his disposal in this area as well. With his cloak off, his saber close at hand, and within the full embrace of the Force, Ben'a Solo was ready for the trial that awaited him...

The beeping of his comm unit stirred Ben'a from his meditative slumber. As he had dwelled in his state of Force-awareness, he had been able to delve into his mother's mind to find out just how she had come to be in the state she was. Apparently, a swoop-gang war had erupted in the old neighborhood, and by the time CorSec had arrived to quell the violence, the olf house had been burned to the ground, and Mom had ended up in the hospital. But upon being released, she had nothing, and no one to go to. But Ben'a was now a Jedi Knight, and he was determined to provide for her. But first, he had to attend to the meeting with Lord Correlli. Moving his mother to better quarters closer to the city center, Ben'a made his way back to the offices of KVC Enterprises, this time much more sure of what it was that he wanted. The Twi'lek at the front desk seemed to notice this; she gave him an appreciative smile as he presented his identification and meeting notice to her. As Ben'a waited for the security escort to arrive, he dwelled further on what kind of ship he wanted.

OOC: You can't "freeze" yourself in midair, and vibroswords don't burn. Oh, well... IC: This character was fast, this much Ben'a could see. But he was still making the mistake of charging straight into a prepared defense. As the man froze before striking, in order to taunt the Jedi, Ben'a simply sidestepped, leaving an illusion of himself behind in the blurring of his motion. It was time to go onto the offensive with this "serpent", and Ben'a knew just how to do it...but Raven had cleaved a good portion off of Ben'a's cape with that slash, but far from rattling the Jedi, the blow simply amused him. "You are fast, my friend, that much is clear," Ben'a said, slightly amused. "But you are still committing a vital error..." Ben'a lowered his hood then, revealing his half-human heritage. As Raven prepared for another charge, the Jedi lunged forward, sprinting with his body very close to the ground. As Raven prepared to block the upcoming threat, Ben'a drew his lightsaber, igniting it mid-slash as he sprang to the side. The blade went high, though, but that was his intention; twirling on his foot, Ben'a brought his head around full circle, whereupon his single lekku slapped Raven across the face, drawing blood and causing significant pain. But Ben'a was still turning, using his momentum and the Force to enable him to speed up his spin. Held out at arms length, the vorpal blade went snicker-snack, and in a flash, the serpent's head was rolling upon the floor, along with the twelve other neatly-carved pieces of his body. "Thirteen pieces, that's bad luck," Ben'a mumbled to the sickening mass of flesh before him. But it was only as he was walking away that he noticed the pain in his back...looking inward through the Foce, he could feel the S-curve cut in the small of his back.

Ben'a knew that this man would charge. Though his alligence was different, his darkened brand of chaos kept the same principle that drove the Sith style of combat; rage, and taunts. But the words and actions of this "serpent" had the same effect on the Jedi as a feather against a towering redwood. In the blink of an eye before Raven's vibrosword swung downward against his shoulder, Ben'a had his emerald lightsaber out, activated, and slashing in riposte. He held the man's attack off, all the while projecting calm confidence through the Force. "Tell me, friend," Ben'a asked, still holding the man's blade at bay, "What happens when an immovable object meets an irresistable force?" Ben'a began to push the blade back until, with a flash of green fire, he swung his lightsaber clear over his head and whacked the sword right out of Raven'a hand in a wicked reverse stroke. And with a burst of Force-energy, he sent the man flying a full twenty meters over the sandy arena floor, filling his clothing with its coarse grit. "It is simple," Ben'a continued, still quite calm, "Nothing happens, because neither can exist at the same time and point in space." As he looks on, Ben'a extinguishes his lightsaber, and holds it under his cloak and behind his back, giving the outward appearance of having put it away. The Jedi is still serenely calm, and again ready for anything.

OOC: Wow, it's been too quiet here... IC: The sandy expanse, surrounded as it always had been by rings of spectator stands, was remarkably still this day. The duel ring had sat in peacefullness for far too long, at least to those who would draw entertainment from the goings on here. But as Ben'a Solo returned, once again striving to hone his training, a presence of darkness awaited. A Sith, he could tell, was here for the same reason the Jedi Knight was; to become more profficient in his combat techniques. "Sith," Ben'a said in a carrying whisper that conveyed no emotion. "I can sense that you wish to prove yourself..." As Ben'a waited for a response, he felt himself falling deeply into the embrace of the Force. He was becoming more and more adept at letting the Force flow through him, to the point that he was almost floating as he stood, awaiting what may come next. The Jedi was keenly aware of the stirring of Force-energy that was eminating from his potential opponent; this Sith was gathering up his anger and his fear, but Ben'a was prepared...

Ben'a smiled as he put the hood of his cloak back up, and then took the card handed to him. With a nod, he spoke one last time before turning to leave the rather vast lobby. "The tour won't be necessary, Madam, as I was born and raised here." Doing as he is instructed, Ben'a makes his way to the hotel, with Ayevit behind him as usual. With his X-wing on lockdown and resting atop a skyscraper, he didn't bother checking up on the starfighter. Rather, he preferred to get the scenic tour of his old city. And rather then draw up Lord Correlli's hotel tab by taking up the offer of superb accomodations, Ben'a preferred to seek cheap lodgings. Everything was going smoothly, as the Jedi hoped, until he ran (literally) into an elderly-looking Twi'lek wrapped in filthy duracloth rags. "Oh, pardon me, Ma'am," Ben'a began in muttered apology. But before he could get any further, a sudden shock rent its way through his mind. Turning about, a wave of recognition came over him. "I'm sorry," was all the woman could say before Ben'a had her in his arms. He was certain who this was, but this couldn't be right... "Mother, is it truly you?" he asked, his voice distant, yet certain. As their eyes met, the two beings knew at once that what they felt was true. There were many places in the galaxy to obtain a ship, but something had tugged at him to come back to Corellia, back to his homeworld and city. And as he thought about it, Ben'a made the only conclusion he could given his nature. The Force had wanted him to see his mother again. As if to bring the man back to reality, Ben'a's lightsaber suddenly dropped from its place on his belt. "My son, my son," was all that she could say. With a gentle prodding of the Force, Ben'a deftly called back his lightsaber; after hooking it back, he helped Ter'aco'no off of the streets and into a place of rest. Once they had gotten a room on hard credit, Ben'a let her rest, while he himself began to meditate on this unexpected development.

OOC: Well, technically speaking, she doesn't "know" that I used the Force... IC: "My apologies then, my dear, for the rather hasty introduction..." Ben'a paused for a moment before lowering his hood -- and revealing his true half-human, half-Twi'lek heritage. His single lekku unfurled itself and fell across his shoulder, twitching slightly at finally being free of the black cloak. He looked ccongenially back at the receptionist, running his fingers through his short, reddish-brown bristles. "I would, of course, be willing to wait however long it is necessary to see Lord Correlli. His reputation speaks for itself, and I am glad that he is willing to take the time needed to see to my requests." Ben'a paused again... "And, he can rest assured that I will have all necessary payment, as he may desire for the service he provides." Ben'a shifts himself slightly to the side, his eyes focused out for anyone else that might be approaching. His Force-sense was somewhat dulled in this atmosphere -- ysalmari must be about -- but he didn't think there was need for concern just yet. And so, he waited...

Gingerly bypassing the usual congested traffic lanes around the world of Corellia, Ben'a guides his ship into the atmosphere over Coronet City. The sun is setting on his homeworld, and the Jedi Knight is filled with the peace of one returning to a familiar place after a long time away. And though he was here on business, it was not urgent, and thus Ben'a could afford to appreciate the niceties of returning home. Setting the craft upon an open rooftop, Ben'a once again withdraws from the cockpit; but this time, Ayevit will accompany him. He knew he could get a good price for the Incom; the thing had hardly been scratched in all the time he had had it. The credits from its sale, in addition to those he could draw upon from other sources, shoudl net him a good ship for his purposes. But first, he had to find a special buyer... "Ayevit, activate your repulsors and your rockets...we're going for a walk..." As his faithful astromech begins to float behind him, Ben'a runs for the edge of the roof; at the last second, he leaps high and long, landing squarely on the ajacent structure. Ayevit struggles to keep up as Ben'a continues to hop from rooftop to rooftop, his coat billowing out behind him like some sort of black phantom in the rays of the dying day. Eventually, as twilight falls, he reaches his destination: the house of KVC Enterprises. Leaping effortlessly from a neighboring roof, Ben'a composes himself as Ayevit lands at his side. With an air of supreme unconcern, the Jedi enters the building, and meets the receptionist, a cream-skinned Twi'lek woman in a simple uniform. "I would like to inquire as to the whereabouts of the person in charge," Ben'a asks, with a hint of the Force behind his words. "If he is in, tell him...that I need a new ship..." "Yes, sir," the woman answers without hesitation. Without really realizing it, she is pushing the call button to another secretary, who, hopefully, knows the whereabouts of the man Ben'a is looking for. He had heard things abouit this Kheldar vos Corelli...

Once again in the cold vacum between worlds, Ben'a guides his nondescript starfighter through the hyperspatial routes, this time headed for Corellia. Something in the back of his mind told him that he needed a new ship, but not just any ordnary ship...

The nameless XJ model X-wing fighter flashes into realspace close above the nightward hemisphere of Naboo. As Ben'a looks out of the cockpit and eyes the sensor readouts, a look of horror flits briefly across his face. Quickly remastering himself, he analyzes the readouts, piecing together in his mind what had happened here. The Imperials were the only faction in the known universe capable of this kind of useless barbarism. Gritting his teeth in a successful attempt to keep his emotions in check, Ben'a manually takes the starfighter into the atmosphere, reaching out with the Force to find a spot where he can do the most good. As he nears the terminator, he finds it; a shared Gungan and Naboo settlement that had suffered large casualties. Though there were many other aid ships and their crews already on the surface, this village had none to help it. His jaw set, Ben'a landed his craft in the small village square; jumping from his craft, he extends his Force-sense to find the hamlet's leader. "I am Ben'a Solo," he says to the mayor, an elder Naboo woman who was nursing a broken arm. "I am a Jedi Knight -- I am here to help." Without waiting for a response from the woman, Ben'a extends his hand onto her arm, and within a minute, the wound is healed. Walking back to his X-wing, Ben'a empties the craft of all the emergancy equipment he had. Laying it out into neat piles, he and the mayor begin the distribution; but unfortunately, there isn't nearly enough food to last. After attending to the most gravely injured as best he could, Ben'a, along with two of the surviving Gungan men, enters what remains of the nearby forest. Using his Force-sense, he is able to track several game beasts, which the Gungans dispatch with the skill of practiced hunters. As the Gungans drag the carcasses along, Ben'a further uses his Force-sense to gather what remained of the local vegetable crop. Once they have arrived back at the village, Ben'a stays to make sure that the aid workers in other areas are aware of this village. The task has taken a week, but Ben'a leaves Naboo sure that he has done all that he can; this village, he knew, would not have survived had he not intervened. However, Ben'a had not done this for glory or for power; he did what he knew he had to do -- he had to repay Naboo for how it had helped him before. "And the Empire will be made to answer for their crimes here," Ben'a pledged to himself as he reentered his X-wing, confident that he had done all he could here on Naboo. But what was next, even he didn't know as he took the small craft into hyperspace, going over the usual check for bugs and trackers as he did so.

Through the vast, star-crossed blackness of space, a lone Jedi Knight lay, entranced in the Force, in the cockpit of his Incom T-65XJ X-wing Starfighter; his faithful droid Ayevit keeping the ship on course. As he awoke from his sleep, Ben'a Solo had no idea what had transpired to bring him to this point in the universe; though that didn't seem to matter to him. An inner peace told him that what he had set out to do had been accomplished, but he felt the distinct gap that came from not being there when he may have been needed. Ben'a knew that he must soon report to where the Jedi Order had taken up station, but there was something he had to do first. "Ayevit, set course for Naboo," he said into the comlink. The droid beeped and whistled obediantly, and after a short reversion into realspace, the Incom was soon on course for the planet of his Knighting.