Crawl

In the time of the HIGH REPUBLIC, the Jedi Order has turned its attention

to more scholarly affairs and the peaceful expansion of the Republic. The

Sith are a distant memory, and large swathes of the galaxy know an

unprecedented peace.

Jedi diplomat LAM NKAI has traveled to the Mid-Rim space station known

to most as THE WHEEL to secure an ancient Jedi HOLOCRON discovered as

part of a shipment of smuggled goods passing through the station. He is

accompanied by his padawan VU LUMI, a talented young Jedi beset by a

distrusting disposition and an uncomfortable heritage.

On the way to their destination, they chanced upon a local community

suffering under strict rule by a local criminal gang. While facilitating

an agreement between the two parties, Lam and Vu were called away by

urgent news: The cargo they were interested in was on the move. Having

exited the negotiations rather abruptly, they proceed ahead to their

intended destination...

Part 1

Lam Nkai walked through the dimly lit hallway connecting the Wheel’s residential districts. His arms were folded behind his back, his eyes fixed on the transit hatch at the end of the hall. His posture exuded an easy confidence and contrasted sharply with the smaller form trailing just a few steps behind him. Vu Lumi followed her mentor with her hands tucked into opposing sleeves of her Jedi robes, linked in front her midsection. Her posture could not be more different: Her shoulders were just slightly hunched, her gaze skeptical and vigilant. Unusually for Vu, she had not raised the hood of her robes. As an Umbaran, Vu generally found direct sunlight uncomfortable, but was less bothered by dimmer artificial lighting inside the space station. However, she remained no less allergic to Lam’s radiating aura of self-importance and kept a bit of distance.

“Those people still needed our help. Without us there, they’ve got no real leverage, and whatever progress we made is going to evaporate,” Vu remarked.

Lam, without looking back, replied, “Diplomacy is a civic duty, Vu, not a spiritual one. We serve a higher purpose, and when it calls, we are bidden to listen.”

Vu shook her head. “We were helping a community establish a meaningful footing to sue for peace from their oppressors. How is that not a higher purpose? Do actions not bring us into better alignment with the Force?” she asked.

Lam continued, “Of course they do. But you will never understand the Force in its entirety by existing solely in the mundane. Anyone, regardless of their Force sensitivity, can feed the hungry, build houses, or even mediate disputes, provided they have the determination and temperament. Only a select few can study the Force as we do. That is our true purpose - to be stewards of the Jedi code.”

Skeptically, Vu remarked, “How self-serving.”

Lam walked silently for a few moments, but eventually replied with a question.

“Let me ask you something, Vu. If the galaxy attained everlasting peace and prosperity, would you disband the Jedi Order?”

Vu furrowed her brow. She cared little for Lam’s hypothetical questions, although they were occasionally instructive. They usually felt more like trick questions designed to make Lam feel smart. Still, Vu obliged her master.

“I suppose not,” she replied, still walking at a slight distance behind the Arcona.

“Why not?” Lam asked.

“The Force,” Vu replied. “The galaxy still needs a framework for understanding the Force. Without a disciplined approach, it’s easy to get it wrong.”

Lam nodded, pleased with his padawan’s response.

“I agree. The Jedi facilitate peace and equality because it serves our primary mission - balance in the Force. A chaotic galaxy is more easily swayed by the dark side. Oppressed people are more likely to resort to desperate measures.”

Vu challenged his abstract response. “Compassionate, deliberate actions define our path to the light. By acting selflessly, we deepen our connection to the Force.”

Lam replied, “Indeed, but being connected to the Force is not the same as understanding it. A prerequisite, perhaps.”

Before Vu had a chance to reply, the pair reached the end of the service tunnel connecting them to the residential district. Pneumatics hissed as the blast door opened in response to their presence, revealing a bustling courtyard enclosed on six sides by a hexagonal arrangement of apartments, the entire scene a durasteel reproduction of what one might find in a busy planetside city. Vu and Lam stepped through, their conversation delayed while they assessed their surroundings.

The courtyard was crowded enough that the other side of it wasn’t directly visible. The scene was chaotic, with most denizens seemingly en route to somewhere else - the lack of stationary people in the crowd verged on disorienting. Folks of all sorts pushed past one another, their only unifying thread a pressing need to be elsewhere. Vu and Lam inched forward cautiously, trying to spot the cargo they’d been told to look for. Evidently, a nondescript hover-chest roughly the size of a small human was being escorted by a bald man with a long vibroblade sheathed at his waist. Penetrating deeper into the courtyard only obscured their view as the pair became increasingly enveloped by the crowd. After a moment, Lam looked at Vu.

“We’d best pursue higher ground, I think,” he said.

Vu nodded and the two of them pushed eastward toward the nearest apartment building. Both Lam and Vu drew a few suspicious glances, albeit for different reasons. Jedi had visited the Wheel before, but Vu nevertheless stood out in her robes. Lam, who frequently forwent Jedi robes in favor of high-end civilian clothing, had chosen an outfit entirely too aristocratic for his present surroundings. The Arconan Jedi looked more like a visiting dignitary. While their mission was ostensibly peaceful, and they were not undercover, Vu still disliked the attention they drew. Eventually they reached the outdoor stairway adorning the front of the durasteel building and ascended it. After climbing a few stories, they attempted to enter a stretch of connected balconies to the side of the stairs, encountering a locked gate. Without missing a beat, Lam glanced in either direction before waving his hand slightly in front of the door’s simple locking mechanism. After listening for a click, Lam eased the door open. Opening a locked door with the Force was no mean feat - it required not only precise Force control but also enough lockpicking practice to work without tactile feedback.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you as the sort,” Vu said, smirking.

Lam opened the door just enough to step through it, and bid Vu do the same. As she turned sideways to slip through the opening, Lam responded, “You’ll find I’m full of surprises. Besides, I’m sure they won’t mind if we have a look.”

The two moved to the balcony and scanned the courtyard below for their mark. Moments passed without any obvious sign of their mark, but Vu eventually spotted him. She nodded slightly in the direction of a bald man pushing a hover chest in front of him. Lam acknowledged her find with an equally slight head gesture.

“Good,” he said. “Go and make contact with him - ideally we can peacefully secure the holocron and send him back about his business. I’ll keep my eyes on the big picture in case anything unexpected should occur.”

Vu looked at Lam, a little doubtful, although she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m sure you can handle it. You had the best teacher in the Order, after all.”

To be continued…