Castaway: Prelude

By Jon Silvon

Not for the first time in the last month, Jon Silvon wondered what he was doing here. His grandfather had talked about the old Rebellion, and the Jedi before them, as naive - a bunch of do-gooders, treating the galaxy as a place far kinder than it usually was, trying to be heroes in a universe that didn’t care about things like right or wrong. The weathered old man had drilled those facts into his grandson’s head more times than he could count, and like everything else his grandfather had taught him, Jon had taken it to heart.

Jon Silvon was no hero. He certainly wasn’t some kind of law man. So, how the hell did he wind up in the High Council Chambers of a group like Odan-Urr? Jon looked around at the sparkling spires of the Jedi Praxeum as he pulled the Carnival into one of the school’s landing pads. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the sight of the Jedi Academy, much less the idea that he didn’t need to sneak in to get there.

Compared to the areas Jon had frequented in his past, the dim and dirty cantinas or over glitzy red-light districts where he could easily ply his trade, the clean green fields and polished durasteel buildings of the Jedi Praxeum were simultaneously pleasing, and yet disorienting. It also had a sense of artistry that even conflicted with the militaristic utilitarianism he’d grown so accustomed too during his extended contract with Scholae Palatinae.

All of which served to make the smoking crater in the middle of campus, and the burning hull of a crashed u-wing lying within it, stand out all the more.

“What do you suppose the odds are that’s unrelated to why they called us in?” Jon asked Artemis. The astromech whistled lowly in response, and Jon sighed. “Yeah. Low.”

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Read the rest of the introductory fic here: Castaway!

That's right everyone, I'm announcing the new Tython Squadron Run-On, Castaway! Here's the summation:

• A Trandoshan pirate crash landed in the middle of the Jedi Praxeum on Kiast.

• Said pirate revealed two things: his captain is working for Rogue Inquisitorius operatives with a vendetta against Odan-Urr, and said pirate captain is looking for a legendary ship from Kiastian mythology - and he stole the map before running.

• Said ship would be a powerful symbol to the Kiast populace, capable of uniting the populace and bolstering Odan-Urr's reputation in the Vatali court - or letting the pirates gain massive support.

• Aura has tasked Tython Squadron with finding the ship first, and bringing it home in one piece. Taking the pirates out in the process wouldn't hurt either, though.

This is a major event for our little Battle Team, as it allows us to have a major impact on the Clan storyline. Not only would success mean having a better standing in the Vatali Empire, but it may even give us a bargaining tool to try and diffuse to Quohari Rebellion somewhat. Failure, on the other hand, would leave us with a burgeoning warlord in the Kiast system - and the Inquisitorius' pocket. So, yeah, failure's not an option here.

The Run-On kicks off this January, but to prepare, and to give everyone the chance for a few Crescents and Awars, however, I'm creating a series of small competitions as a lead up: see here!