Post by flyingearbuds on Aug 16, 2019 17:18:06 GMT
“Shuttle Yirel, you are clear for landing.”
Senator Asyr Trey’ala closed her eyes and gripped the webbing of her crash restraints. Hyperspace jumps didn’t bother her, but atmospheric landings always made the Bothan sick to her stomach. The feeling would quickly pass, but as a senator of the New Republic she knew the importance of first impressions and wanted to make sure she had her wits about her the moment she stepped off her shuttle.
Interplanetary journeys had become an increasing part of Trey’ala’s responsibilities as a member of the Galactic Senate. As much as she disliked the element of traveling itself, she was glad to be away from Coruscant - now only a former shell of itself after the Yuuzhan Vong occupation. Even though the Senate had returned to Coruscant, Fey’lya found herself off-world more often than not.
The galaxy had managed to set aside its differences during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, but now that peace had been given a few years to settle in, all the old squabbling had come right back to the surface. But there was a limited number of Senators (and a limited number of Republic Star Destroyers, as well), so many of the smaller disputes fell to the Jedi to address. In theory, the Jedi could reduce the burden on the Republic’s limited peacekeepers. However, Trey’ala often felt that the inverse was true.
The atmospheric journey was rougher than usual; her shuttle had been sent to land on a high-altitude docking platform built onto the side of the settlement’s main spire. As soon as she felt her seat stop rocking beneath her, she opened her eyes and released the crash restraints, standing gently to her feet. The room seemed to spin, but only a little bit. “Good landing, Grusk,” she called up the hatch to her pilot.
Grusk, a rather dull-looking Bothan male wearing a baggy flight suit, leaned over the hatch and raised a clawed hand in a thumbs-up gesture. “It’s always an easy landing when there aren’t any Vong monsters to dodge,” he growled.
“You really do miss the war, don’t you,” Trey’ala said dryly. “Maybe next time we’ll visit a planet that’s still infested and you can let off some steam.” Crossing the shuttle’s small passenger quarters in a few strides, Trey’ala tapped the access panel to the landing ramp. As she waited for the ramp to deploy, she smoothed out her robes and ran her claws through her dark brown fur. When the ramp had lowered, Trey’ala was pleased to see that the landing pad was empty. She would be able to feign offense at being kept waiting.
Trey’ala walked carefully to the edge of the landing platform, being careful to secure her footing against the dangerous cross-winds rushing across the metal deck. From there, she could look down and see the settlement of Redemption.
The landing pad Trey’ala stood on protruded from the battered back end of a Super Star Destroyer, which rose at a 60 degree angle from the planet’s surface. The ship’s crash had left a large crater path, which had now been filled with water to become an elongated lake which the Star Destroyer wreckage leaned over. The western shore was a rocky cliff that towered above the water, while the eastern shore sloped gently into green farmlands. She estimated that the platform was close to two kilometers above the surface of the water; she could just barely make out settlements lining both shores. Directly beneath her (although she didn’t dare stand close enough to the edge to look!) was the edges of Redemption City, which sprawled outwards from the Star Destroyer’s base. Across the water, near the horizon, she could see the silhouettes of an old Victory-class Star Destroyer and smaller refugee transports creating an ever-growing settlement on the northern edge of the crater lake. The entire colony had grown noticeably larger in the year that had passed since Trey’ala had last visited the planet.
Trey’ala barely heard the creaking of a hatch door over the sound of the roaring wind. When she turned around, she saw a young Ortolan dressed in Jedi robes - probably female, although it was hard to tell with Ortolans. The young Jedi was clearly flustered, which Trey’ala could use to her advantage.
“I am Senator Trey’ala of the Galactic Senate, representative of Bothawui and Chairbothan of the Committee for Jedi Affairs,” she declared without giving the Ortolan an opportunity to greet her. “I’m here in Senate business; I’m sure you’re aware that as a member of the Committee for Jedi Affairs, I’m to be permitted free access to interview members of your Order.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” the Ortolan Jedi stammered. “Our apologies for the delay; we were not made aware of your visit, and I’m afraid that none of the Masters are on planet at the moment-”
“They’re not here?” Trey’ala chuckled, showing her long teeth in a sarcastic smile. “What unfortunate timing. I’m more than capable of handling things by myself, of course.” She snapped open a holodisplay and held it in front of the Ortolan’s round eyes - the quicker Trey’ala moved, the more likely it was for her to get an honest answer. “I’m looking for one of your Knights - Cameron Dentari. Is he on-planet?”
“I believe so.”
“Can you tell me where he is?” Trey’ala saw a glimmer of hesitation in the Ortolan’s face, so she added “I hope I don’t have to make this a formal request, since Committee members are entitled to such information.”
The Ortolan sighed, and Trey’ala could see that she’d convinced her. “Of course.” She pulled out a datapad - an old Imperial model, most likely salvaged from the Star Destroyer after the crash - and skimmed briefly through it. “It looks like Jedi Dentari is on peacekeeping patrol in the refugee colonies.” She pointed a pudgy blue finger out across the ocean, but Trey’ala already knew the area she was referring to.
A snarling laugh came from behind her; Grusk stood at the bottom of the ramp. “Ready for another flight, Senator?”
Trey’ala shook her head, staring daggers at her pilot. Then she turned to the Ortolan. “We’ll take a ground transport, if you have one we can use. What’s the fastest route to the northern shore?”
“The quickest route is to take a hoverskimmer across the lake. But there are still a few amphistaff nests in the water, so the more common way will be to-”
“Hoverskimmer will do,” Trey’ala said quickly. She’d seen Grusk’s ears perk up at the mention of evading the Yuuzhan Vong creatures, and she knew he’d enjoy the experience. “You can direct us to the hoverskimmers, and we’ll be on our way.”
The Ortolan tapped her datapad against Trey’ala’s, and the map appeared on the screen. As soon as it did, Trey’ala abruptly strode off to the turbolift, with Grusk right behind her. “Wipe that smile off your face,” she snapped at him as the door closed.
Senator Asyr Trey’ala closed her eyes and gripped the webbing of her crash restraints. Hyperspace jumps didn’t bother her, but atmospheric landings always made the Bothan sick to her stomach. The feeling would quickly pass, but as a senator of the New Republic she knew the importance of first impressions and wanted to make sure she had her wits about her the moment she stepped off her shuttle.
Interplanetary journeys had become an increasing part of Trey’ala’s responsibilities as a member of the Galactic Senate. As much as she disliked the element of traveling itself, she was glad to be away from Coruscant - now only a former shell of itself after the Yuuzhan Vong occupation. Even though the Senate had returned to Coruscant, Fey’lya found herself off-world more often than not.
The galaxy had managed to set aside its differences during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, but now that peace had been given a few years to settle in, all the old squabbling had come right back to the surface. But there was a limited number of Senators (and a limited number of Republic Star Destroyers, as well), so many of the smaller disputes fell to the Jedi to address. In theory, the Jedi could reduce the burden on the Republic’s limited peacekeepers. However, Trey’ala often felt that the inverse was true.
The atmospheric journey was rougher than usual; her shuttle had been sent to land on a high-altitude docking platform built onto the side of the settlement’s main spire. As soon as she felt her seat stop rocking beneath her, she opened her eyes and released the crash restraints, standing gently to her feet. The room seemed to spin, but only a little bit. “Good landing, Grusk,” she called up the hatch to her pilot.
Grusk, a rather dull-looking Bothan male wearing a baggy flight suit, leaned over the hatch and raised a clawed hand in a thumbs-up gesture. “It’s always an easy landing when there aren’t any Vong monsters to dodge,” he growled.
“You really do miss the war, don’t you,” Trey’ala said dryly. “Maybe next time we’ll visit a planet that’s still infested and you can let off some steam.” Crossing the shuttle’s small passenger quarters in a few strides, Trey’ala tapped the access panel to the landing ramp. As she waited for the ramp to deploy, she smoothed out her robes and ran her claws through her dark brown fur. When the ramp had lowered, Trey’ala was pleased to see that the landing pad was empty. She would be able to feign offense at being kept waiting.
Trey’ala walked carefully to the edge of the landing platform, being careful to secure her footing against the dangerous cross-winds rushing across the metal deck. From there, she could look down and see the settlement of Redemption.
The landing pad Trey’ala stood on protruded from the battered back end of a Super Star Destroyer, which rose at a 60 degree angle from the planet’s surface. The ship’s crash had left a large crater path, which had now been filled with water to become an elongated lake which the Star Destroyer wreckage leaned over. The western shore was a rocky cliff that towered above the water, while the eastern shore sloped gently into green farmlands. She estimated that the platform was close to two kilometers above the surface of the water; she could just barely make out settlements lining both shores. Directly beneath her (although she didn’t dare stand close enough to the edge to look!) was the edges of Redemption City, which sprawled outwards from the Star Destroyer’s base. Across the water, near the horizon, she could see the silhouettes of an old Victory-class Star Destroyer and smaller refugee transports creating an ever-growing settlement on the northern edge of the crater lake. The entire colony had grown noticeably larger in the year that had passed since Trey’ala had last visited the planet.
Trey’ala barely heard the creaking of a hatch door over the sound of the roaring wind. When she turned around, she saw a young Ortolan dressed in Jedi robes - probably female, although it was hard to tell with Ortolans. The young Jedi was clearly flustered, which Trey’ala could use to her advantage.
“I am Senator Trey’ala of the Galactic Senate, representative of Bothawui and Chairbothan of the Committee for Jedi Affairs,” she declared without giving the Ortolan an opportunity to greet her. “I’m here in Senate business; I’m sure you’re aware that as a member of the Committee for Jedi Affairs, I’m to be permitted free access to interview members of your Order.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” the Ortolan Jedi stammered. “Our apologies for the delay; we were not made aware of your visit, and I’m afraid that none of the Masters are on planet at the moment-”
“They’re not here?” Trey’ala chuckled, showing her long teeth in a sarcastic smile. “What unfortunate timing. I’m more than capable of handling things by myself, of course.” She snapped open a holodisplay and held it in front of the Ortolan’s round eyes - the quicker Trey’ala moved, the more likely it was for her to get an honest answer. “I’m looking for one of your Knights - Cameron Dentari. Is he on-planet?”
“I believe so.”
“Can you tell me where he is?” Trey’ala saw a glimmer of hesitation in the Ortolan’s face, so she added “I hope I don’t have to make this a formal request, since Committee members are entitled to such information.”
The Ortolan sighed, and Trey’ala could see that she’d convinced her. “Of course.” She pulled out a datapad - an old Imperial model, most likely salvaged from the Star Destroyer after the crash - and skimmed briefly through it. “It looks like Jedi Dentari is on peacekeeping patrol in the refugee colonies.” She pointed a pudgy blue finger out across the ocean, but Trey’ala already knew the area she was referring to.
A snarling laugh came from behind her; Grusk stood at the bottom of the ramp. “Ready for another flight, Senator?”
Trey’ala shook her head, staring daggers at her pilot. Then she turned to the Ortolan. “We’ll take a ground transport, if you have one we can use. What’s the fastest route to the northern shore?”
“The quickest route is to take a hoverskimmer across the lake. But there are still a few amphistaff nests in the water, so the more common way will be to-”
“Hoverskimmer will do,” Trey’ala said quickly. She’d seen Grusk’s ears perk up at the mention of evading the Yuuzhan Vong creatures, and she knew he’d enjoy the experience. “You can direct us to the hoverskimmers, and we’ll be on our way.”
The Ortolan tapped her datapad against Trey’ala’s, and the map appeared on the screen. As soon as it did, Trey’ala abruptly strode off to the turbolift, with Grusk right behind her. “Wipe that smile off your face,” she snapped at him as the door closed.