Jedi Expedition: Part 1 - The Hoth Adventure

Jedi Knight Truger Hollandro was eager to begin the voyage. For an entire year the team had been preparing for the mission, a bold multi-stage exploration trip to relatively, and completely, unexplored worlds on both the Outer Rim and the Unknown Regions.

As he placed his final luggage into the shuttle, Truger gazed up into the sky and saw the gleaming body of the Hammerhead-class cruiser they would all be taking on their trip. Around him there were other Jedi making their final preparations. Some were rummaging through their personal supplies, while others were in deep meditation. They still had three whole hours before they would be leaving Coruscant toward their first destination.

The ice world Hoth.

All Truger knew was that the planet was a cold, snow covered world, and supposedly no explorer had ever set foot upon it.

They would be the first.
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The shuttle was crowded with supplies, Jedi and a few of the crewers who would be helping to run and maintain the Hammerhead. As far as Will knew most of the Jedi and crew were already aboard conducting pre-launch checks and stowing the last bits of gear. He glanced down at the footlocker at his feet and using the Force opened it up again to check its contents one more time. He’d only found out a mere few hours ago that the first planet on the trip would be some ice ball called Hoth and that had barely given him enough time to get a winter-issue clothing from the Quartermaster at the Republic Military base they were departing from. Reassured that with that late addition to his equipment he was set for any weather this trip could throw at him he closed an locked his footlocker again.

Will closed his eyes trying to meditate and calm his mind. It’s always the same, no matter how short the trip or how little you carry there is always that nagging feeling of having left the one thing you will need behind. The intercom beeped jarring Will back to reality “Beginning finale approach. Stow all lose gear and strap in until docking procedures are complete.”
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Jayda strapped on her crash webbing for the shuttle's final approach to the cruiser that would be carrying them to the Unknown Regions and perhaps beyond. As the shuttle proceeded with its docking procedures, she mentally checked off the things she had brought with her. It wasn't as if she would be able to return to Coruscant for anything she'd forgotten, but she liked to know what she had and what she might need to still acquire from the inventory aboard the Hammerhead.

She patted the lightsabers hanging on her belt and the twin blasters resting in the holsters attached to her Mandalorian armor. In her lap she cradled her helmet, which she very much planned on wearing on their trip. They would be far from the watchful eyes of the Jedi Council, and she didn't intend on following their "no helmet" rule to the absolute letter. Besides, she'd heard they were travelling to some forsaken ice world, and her helmet would be essential to sealing her armor against the cold. Speaking of which, she wasn't worried about the freezing temperatures (her armor could keep her perfectly warm), but she'd need to be sure to pick up some cold weather clothing from the ship's Quartermaster once aboard, just in case.

She'd packed plenty of personal demolitions, as well as her slicing equipment and 'special' datapads, but she'd also taken the liberty to get to know those in charge of explosives on the cruiser. She certainly planned on acquiring more if and when her own supply ran low, and she didn't want to run into any "red tape" when time might be of the essence.

Jayda removed one gauntlet from her armor and began to absently trace her tatoo. As the shuttle finished up with the docking procedures, she pondered the upcoming trip. Where all, exactly, would they be visiting? What worlds would they discover, and what new species or technology might they encounter? When would she be returning to the Temple? Or what if...what if she didn't return? What if something happened to her, or even the entire party? She shook her head to clear the negative thoughts...no, it was just an exploration team. There shouldn't be too much excitement, much less any real danger. "Docking successful. Please make your way onto the cruiser, and remember to take any personal belongings with you. They will not be removed from the shuttle by the crew and will be returned to Coruscant on our return trip." She reattached the gauntlet and removed the webbing. As she stood from her seat, helmet in hand, she wondered what the Force had in store for the Hammerhead and its exploration team.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Lorn Ventor scowled at the luggage droid offering to carry his bag. The Chagrian Jedi Knight was not like most in this day and age- he despised new technology, particularly droids. He felt they would eventually take over all that is organic, a thought that had been forgotten about since the very first droids came off the assembly line. Except for him. After shooing away the droid, Lorn walked up the boarding ramp, where he would soon leave for Hoth. He knew vaguely about Hoth, it was covered completely in ice and snow, with very few inhabitants.
Which also means, Lorn thought to himself, very few droids.

He found a seat amongst other Jedi and flight personnel. All who did not have a job to do had their eyes glued to the newest electronic devices, cut off from the outside world.
Ventor snorted, I can play that game as well, he thought, opening an ancient tome of victories and adventures from time long passed, I'll just do it in my own way.
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Where sky and water meet,
Where the waves grow sweet,
Doubt not, Reepicheep,
To find all you seek,
There is the utter east.

The Saber's Hilt was a large vessel. Truger had just finished stowing his gear in his room, and now wandered the deck with nothing better to do. The sound of his steps echoing on the metal floor provided a sort of soothing, if not monotonous, beat.

Everything inside the ship had a half-in-half orange and cream colored theme to it. The walls and ceiling were a deep, rustic orange, while inset panels contrasted with a light beige color. It was a different, warmer style than he had seen on some ships. Most freighters simply had a dark metallic metallic atmosphere which felt gloomy, cold, and lifeless. The vibrant white interior ships always had that sterile, hospital feel to them. But this on the other hand, was a nice change. In the long months ahead, he felt he would be comfortable here.

As he looked up, he saw Jedi Knight Will Kelvar. As with all the Jedi on this mission, he and Will had become friends. Will was an interesting fellow who always had a good story. His recounts of stealthy commando missions always put Truger in awe. He himself had only been on a few missions and felt that he was largely untested in real combat.

"Hey Will, how's it going?"
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Will snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see Truger. Since Will had met him Truger had seemed eager to start the mission and now that the mission was finally commencing that excitement seemed to have become even more distinct. “Hey Truger. Just finished settling into my quarters and was listening to the ship through the Force. It truly is enlightening to listen to the ship, to the crew of the ship. I find it really helps put things in perspective and make you see how you are part of something much larger.”

Will looked around at the bulkheads of ship and ran his hand across one of the wall panels “It is remarkable though how something designed to destroy could at the same time be designed to be aesthetically pleasing. Of all the warships I’ve been on I really do think the Hammerhead is the most well designed in that regard.” Will then looked back at Truger “So how are you finding things?”
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Jayda flopped down on her bunk, gear successfully stowed away. She slipped her helmet over her head and lay back to catch up on the latest news. She intended to access the HoloNet as much as possible before it was out of reach for good. Where they were headed, it would probably be quite awhile before they were able to get signal again.

Logging in to her platinum high speed account, Jayda browsed the Net with blinks of the eye and clicks of the teeth. That was one of the perks of having a helmet complete with HUD, there were no hands necessary. However, she was an excellent multitasker, and she was busy browsing on her datapad at the same time.

While scrolling through the known information of Hoth and the latest HoloNet news on her HUD, she checked her new messages on the datapad. While managing to glance at and retain the information on both screens one after the other, back and forth, a message on her datapad caught her eye, abruptly pulling her attention away from the HUD. The demolitions QuarterMaster was requesting that she come view the supplies he had in stock as soon as possible. Apparently there had been a mistake made in ordering the explosives, and he needed to know if there was anything she was expecting to be present that had accidentally been left off the inventory due to the error.

Jumping up, datapad still in hand and helmet still in place, she quickly exited her quarters and made her way as quickly as possible, without all out running, toward the cargo area of the ship. She'd already memorized the basic layout of the ship, and knew the path to the demolitions storage area by heart. As she rounded a corner, she ran headlong into a couple of young Jedi chatting in the hallway. Neither wore the traditional robes of the Jedi. One was decked out in a smuggler type outfit, the other in some type of gray armor. In her brief glance, she assumed it to be Echani fiber, but she wasn't sure. Well, these seemed to be her kind of Jedi...no robes necessary. It was an unofficial motto she'd adopted ever since she acquired her Mandalorian armor. She'd have to get to know them when she could, but now was not the time. She needed to get down to see the QuarterMaster.

Offering a couple of hurried apologies, she resumed her brisk pace toward the storage area, this time feeling ahead with the Force for any other persons she might bump into. It was then that she realized she was still wearing her helmet. Those Jedi probably had no clue she was also a Jedi Knight, unless they'd checked in the Force, of course, and come to think of it, she'd probably seemed rather rude in her hurry to be on her way. She'd have to be sure to find them again soon and introduce herself properly. But first things first, she needed to see that inventory. She quickened her pace once again and continued on her way to the cargo bay.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Before Truger could answer a figure wearing full combat armor crashed into them. The armor clad figure quickly apologized to Will and Truger before hurrying off. It took Will a half second after that to recognize the armor as a Mandalorian design and instinctively he grabbed his lightsaber. Simultaneously Will stretched out with the Force preparing his mind and senses for combat and to try to get a quick read on his apparent foe's intentions. He then noticed that despite the apparent rush the Mandalorian was not giving off any emotions typical of a warrior expecting combat. In fact there weren't any emotions of hostility or anything that Will would have expected a Mandalorian to experience on a ship full of Jedi. Moreover apologizing to Jedi was one of the last things Will would have ever expected of a Mandalorian.

Puzzled as to why a Mandalorian would be acting so strangely Will closed his eyes stretched out with the Force, this time reorienting his senses from combat to getting a more in depth read of this peculiar Mandalorian. "That Mandalorian...She's a Jedi, one of us!" Will exclaimed, his eyes popping open. Still watching this apparent Mandalorian Jedi as she jogged down the corridor he reattached his lightsaber to his belt and let the tenseness in his muscles and senses dissipate as he relaxed from combat readiness. As soon as I get my hands on a datapad I'm going to go through the Jedi records to find out just who this person is. After all there can't be that many Jedi that wear Mandalorian armor. Will thought as he turned back to Truger.
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Truger laughed. "That's Jayda." He patted Will on the shoulder reassuringly, "Course normally she doesn't wear the helmet. From what I hear, the masters are a little edgy with her choice of armor. For good reason I guess."

He checked his wrist chrono. Soon they'd be lifting off for orbit.
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"I must really be out of touch to have missed hearing about her. It must have been quite a scene at the Temple the first time she entered wearing that armor. I would have liked to have seen how the masters handled that." Will laughed at the thought of the masters spontaneously going bonkers. "I take it though that you've met her before?"
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Skidding into the cargo bay, datapad still in hand, Jayda looked around for the Quarter Master. She spotted him almost immediately and hurried toward him. "What's this about a mistake in the inventory?"

The Quarter Master glanced up at her arrival, "Jedi Kha'dar! Wow, you got here fast. But then I guess I expected you to. Anyway, yeah, the last two pages of the inventory were accidentally missed when the supplies were acquired, and we're a couple hundred or so pounds short of explosives. That's not so bad for us, but I was wondering if there might be anything you were counting on that was left out."

"It's Jayda, please. And which list are we talking? The regular supply list? Or a modified version?"

"The one I gave you."

Jayda nodded and quickly accessed the list via her datapad. Once again remembering that she was still wearing her helmet, she quickly took it off and tucked it under her arm. "Sorry," she said, glancing at Dirik, the demolitions Quarter Master, with a sheepish grin. "I tend to forget I'm wearing it."

Scanning the last two pages of the supply list as quickly as possible, Jayda started to relax, noting that nothing of importance to her had been left off. But as she neared the bottom of the second page, she stopped to stare more closely at a particular item in hopes that she had read it wrong. "Dirik...the seismic charges? Please tell me there were seismic charges elsewhere on the list." Dirik shook his head.

"Sorry, Jayda. They were a last minute addition, anyway. We weren't really expecting to use them."

Jayda sighed in frustration. "Those were some of the most important extras I was waiting for! I'm not blaming it on you, of course. I just...is there any way we could get some more before we get too far out?"

"I would if I could, but there's just nowhere we're stopping that's going to have such a thing. Sorry."

She gave a little huff of exasperation. "No, it's okay. Not your fault. Thanks for letting me know, though."

"Sure thing."

Slipping her helmet back on, Jayda gave a little absent-minded wave as she headed back to her quarters. Her seismic charges weren't going to make it. It wasn't the end of the galaxy, of course, but she had been really looking forward to using those if need be. They were some of the bad boys of the demolitions world. Ah, well...she supposed she'd have to live without them, or figure out some way to get her hands on some before the expedition got too far from the civilized galaxy. She started to type a note to herself in her datapad when she suddenly remembered the two Jedi she'd run into earlier. She'd better go find them before she forgot again.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

"I've never talked with her or anything, but I have gone over the roster of individuals on board." Truger looked out a viewport at the skyline below. He noticed that the ship was moving. With a vessel this size, he hadn't even noticed the transition. "It's going to be a long trip. They'll be lots of people to get to know...Jedi and non-Jedi alike."
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Will nodded in silent agreement and moved to get a better view out of the viewport. As they crept further away the glow from the lights of the ships traveling to and from Coruscant were slowly getting lost among the brighter lights of the planet. Soon only the engine glow from the largest ships would be distinguishable, and eventually only the star of Coruscant's star system would be visible. Will stood there silently for a few minutes watching the planet slowly shrink, trying to remember just how many times he had watched Coruscant fade into the distance from the viewport of a ship.

In truth except for the first time he had left Coruscant after being knighted they all seemed to blend together. Realizing he was engaged in a futile effort he turned to Truger. "I'm going to go to the rec room to get a cup of caf, assuming of course they didn't make a last minute change and convert it into extra bunk space. Your welcome to come too if you like"
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Jayda came upon the hallway where she'd run into the two Jedi, but they were gone. Quickly she consulted the roster on her HUD to see if she could figure out who they were. Ah, here they were. Truger Hollandro and Will Kelvar. She'd first check their respective rooms, and if that failed, she'd move on to the next best options: The mess deck and the rec room. With the blink of an eye she closed the roster on her HUD and continued on her way.
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"It's not about the legacy you leave, it's about the life you live." ~Mara Jade Skywalker

Truger didn't much care for caf, so he settled for a warm glass of tea. Taking a seat, he picked up a holonews flimsi that was lying on the table, and began scanning the headlines.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Mando armored Jedi entering the rec room. He nudged Will.

"Here's your chance Will." Truger flashed a mischievous grin before turning back to his flimsi.

He waited to see if Jayda when join them.
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