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Republic Reckoning 4.8.87

We are en route to LaSalle from Boende. We are so deep in the Galactic Core that hyperspace is so risky as to be nearly impossible due to the relative concentration of mass shadows. Even between the stars, the stellar dust and electromagnetics are thick enough to prove a hazard to navigation and delicate instruments. Sensors are compromised, communication is spotty, and shields are much less effective. It will take us 24 hours to reach LaSalle, following a string of defense stations, communication relay satellites, and refuel depots.

Four hours from Boende, we encounter an Action style bulk freighter, the Antillion. They appear to be mostly empty, and claim to be escaping fighting in trans-LaSalle space. They tell us that Xabrak fleet elements have been engaging unidentified raiders. Worried that they may be transporting artifacts or Kast away from LaSalle, we contact the Republic Fleet at Boende and ask them to detain the Antillion. Quindo - "Please hold them until we return. If we don't return... uh... sucks to be them?"

As we pass the halfway point, a Xabrak Starbase, we are informed that hostiles landed on LaSalle a month ago and reinforced local insurgent groups. They've been raiding some cities and conducting guerilla raids against Xabrak forces. Meanwhile, the Republic Fleet back on Boende is being engaged by another Raider fleet. Not much we can do about it.

We do find out a little of the history while we're on our way. The Xabrak colonies never found any evidence of "advanced" cultures, but many ruins and evidence of degenerate primative cultures. They consider the locals little more than animals now, though they once had cities. Perhaps a slave culture.

Republic Reckoning 4.9.87

We finally reach LaSalle. There is one Xabrak cruiser in orbit, the Zarfus, which is in the process of orbitally bombarding an unremarkable section of jungle. Sensor focus: looks like the remains of a small village. There's a temple nearby. There's a lot of them. We ask Zarfus what exactly they're doing and they respond with "Ongoing anti-insurgent activity". No help there.

We contact the local military to let them know we're here and try to find out where Kast went. She'd come in in a Jedi courier vessel, but they have no records of any such vessel arriving officially. Perhaps she landed at one of her dig sites unofficially? We get information on her 3 dig sites. Scanning from orbit, we don't find any evidence of her ship. Several people want to visit the jungle temple near the bombardment for inexplicable reasons since we can't find any actual connection between it and our mission, but Elbram feels that since we located it first it must mean something. Quindo insists that it's coincidence and we should check out only Kast's dig sites.

Finally we decide to ocncentrate on what we know instead of random speculation. Two of Kast's dig sites are near cities, one is farther away. We chack that one first. We land as close to the site as we can without landing at it and trek through the jungle for awhile. It's really hot and humid. Fortunately, Jedi don't have to swaet if they don't want to. Unfortunately, comfort is a way to the Dark Side, so we all sweat.

We reach the ruins and find a locked "trailer", a couple sheds, and a generator. Dabai shoots the lock since Igashu isn't around to pick it. We ransack the trailer for Kast's notes, learning absolutely nothing of importance. There's a computer but no power and Dabai manages to destroy the generator trying to get it running. We make a cursory investigation of the site. The dig is flooded, but the ziggurat is in good shape. We climb the 1000 steps and find the "Star Chamber". It's just a representation of the night sky and the "River of Stars". This one is damaged.

We give up, steal the computer, and go back to the ship. We visit the next 2 dig sites with similar results (nothing). At one site, a guy in a pick up truck drives out and demands to know why we're landing a spaceship on his private property. We try to explain that the Fate of the Republic and millions of lives hang in the balance. He's skeptical at best and orders us off his land. We ignore him while we search then leave with appologies. We try to get into Kast's computer but it's encrypted. We decide to stay in a nearby hotel rather than on the cramped ship. We use the A.C. even though comfort leads to the Dark Side. Right now, we don't care.

Quindo - "Ok, so there's no mention of the Sith in any of the notes and we can't get into the computer because it wants a username and password and we're incompetent." Dabai - "Yeah." Brojen - "Can we hire a hacker?" Elbram - "Hiring a hacker on this planet would be like trying to find a dive team on Tatooine!"

Republic Reckoning 4.10.87

We wake up to find that the farmer filed a formal ocmplain with the local authorities. We instruct them to contact our lawyer, Mister Kobayashi. We decide to check out the serrindipitously located temple from the previous day. It's bigger than Kast's Ziggurat (we figure she'll have Ziggurat envy). Someone was here recently. There are sentients (locals?) nearby. The Star Chamber here is newer than the last one. It is missing a star nearest to the black hole.

Elbram - "It must have fallen into the black hole." Brojen - "Stars don't move... do they?" Quindo - "Maybe the black hole is getting closer."

Someone suggests going there, but since it's not there anymore (or is inside the black hole), it's not a good idea. So, we've got nothing. We contact the 3rd Fleet to find out what's going on. It's currently engaged by hostile forces and scattering into the region. A Jedi Courier went past Djole early yesterday. The only planet farther along the river is Isira. She must be going there. We leave immediately.

Republic Reckoning 4.11.87

At Djole. It's a heavy mining world, worked mostly by natives. Insurgents on the planet are making things difficult. We stop to refuel but raiders attack. The depot locks down while the Xabrak fleet fights them. We can't wait for them, but we need fuel, so Altair puts on a space suit and manually refuels our ship. Luckily nobody blows up the refueling station while we're attached to it.

Republic Reckoning 4.12.87

We arrive at Isira. Kast's ship is at the spaceport. She left yesterday to head "up country". It's too marchy to land on most of the planet, so we're forced to land at the spaceport and take local transportation (Marsh-buggy) into the marsh. Too slow.

There's Dark emanations from about 300 miles North. That's probably where we're going. Lots of insurgent activity in the area and Xabrak military is out in force. As we're leaving we are informed that a ship is in the area that sounds a lot like Master Laut's "Sith Lawn Dart" that we encountered off Nwarkal Point Beacon.

Kast has apparently been visiting here regularly, supporting the military against the native insurgents. This is not a happy place.