Modules

Star Wars

Rebellion Era

Lords of the Expanse Campaign

WEG D6 (GM: Dave)

The Message

"Good, good!", said Kell Burgess to his pupil. "Keep concentrating and feel the Force flowing through you, aiding you in moving the objects." "Soon you will be moving on to more advanced studies."

The beeping continued coming from the comlink panel in the other room. "I will be right back, young Padawan. Keep practicing!", said Kell as he got up to move to the door. 'Just like his mother, Lisl.', Kell mused to himself as he went to answer the communication panel.

Meanwhile, Walsh Savoy, kept up his practice as instructed by Kell Burgess. The Duros Jedi Master had instructed Walsh to practice moving various objects about in the room as a way of testing just how strong the 10 year old boy was with his Force skills. Presently, Walsh was trying to move some Jedi message tubes around a table. So far, Walsh, was not having much problem with various small objects like glasses, writing stylus', and flimsiplast. Occassionally, Walsh could even nudge a movement out of a datapad or a very small box. The boy was obviously still a novice with this skill as he could only move one of the objects at a time.

Kell had already tested Walsh on other Force skills and experimented some with Walsh's own natural affinities with various Force powers. Walsh had only been training for a few weeks with Kell, but already he knew that his mother, Lisl, had made the right choice in sending him here. Walsh was apprehensive about leaving his home at such a young age to strike out on his own to meet Kell Burgess and begin his formal Jedi training. Lisl had taught him as far as she dared, not being a formal Jedi teacher, and knew that someone skilled in the matter of training a Jedi should finish his instruction. Kell Burgess, a personal friend and mentor, was whom she chose. She had also chosen well, in Walsh's estimation, in sending Walsh on an Ithorian herdship to meet with Kell. Walsh had made many friends among the Ithorians and he found them to be a very peaceful people with a love of life. He was even working on understanding their complicated language. Even more, the herdship, Oasis, was still in orbit around the planet as the Ithorians conducted trade with the locals.

Kell Burgess returned to the room and when Walsh saw him he knew something was terribly wrong.

"What is wrong, Master?", asked Walsh, dropping the Force and accidentally letting a message tube roll off the table to the floor.

"Nothing for you to worry about, young one.", replied Kell, sitting down. With his head down he began to absently stroke his forehead with his left hand. He seemed to be in deep thought or concentration.

Walsh, did and said nothing, letting his Master concentrate. Finally, Kell appeared to reach a decision and looking up directly at Walsh he said, "Walsh, I'm afraid you'll have to go home to Lisl."

The words stunned Walsh and he timidly asked, "But why, Master? Have I failed you?"

"No, not at all, my young Padawan.", reassured Kell.

"Then why?", Walsh persisted.

"You do not need to know right now.", replied Kell, "Suffice to say that something urgent has come up and I must go and meet another Jedi Master immediately. I do not know how soon I'll be able to return so it is best if you go home to your mother."

"How will mother know I am coming?", asked Walsh.

"I will send a message to your mother.", said Kell.

Walsh was a little afraid to ask the next question, "Will I come back to continue my training?"

Kell paused a long time before he answered. "I do not know. The future is so cloudy on this and a great many other things. Come, let us prepare you for your journey."

* * *

It all happened so fast after that. Walsh took the next available shuttle to the Oasis, which happened to be the last one leaving to the herdship. Walsh waved goodbye to a smiling and waving Kell Burgess. Still, Walsh had an uneasy feeling about the whole situation involving his Master. He wondered if somehow, this would be the last time he would see Burgess.

Soon the herdship was traveling through the stars and Walsh met back up with many of his earlier acquired Ithorian friends. They tried to cheer him up and make the best of all of the confusing happenings. At various ports of call for the herdship, Walsh began to hear tales from spacers and traders about attacks on the various planets of the Republic. The attacks seemed to be mostly against peaceful people. Walsh also gleemed enough information from the accounts that he determined the new leadership of the new Empire seemed to want to eliminate the Jedi Knights. This made him afraid for himself, his family, and for his Master.

It had been several weeks since Walsh had boarded the herdship, still far from his home on Mitral, when the Bithian trader/smuggler found him. The Bith had tracked down the Oasis in order to give something to Walsh. The Bith had said he was doing this as a favor to someone and that when Walsh saw the item that he would know how to open it. The Bith handed Walsh a smooth, oblong, metallic cylinder. It was surprisingly light! There was no external markings or mechanisims visible. Walsh knew what is was. This was a Jedi message tube, just like the ones he had been practicing with back when he was with Kell Burgess. Walsh, went to his own personal suite and began to study the tube more closely. Kell had not given him much instruction with these tubes other than to say that to break open one or to damage the surface in any way would destroy the contents.

As Walsh held the cylinder, he began to concentrate on the Force. He could not sense any dangers to himself from the object. By concentrating his feelings in the Force, Walsh slowly began to sense the insides of the cylinder for what he knew he would find. He had only seen the inside of a message tube once but he knew where to look for the locking mechanism. There! He found it and with a nudge of the Force, there was a soft "click" and the tube split open revealing its' contents. Walsh looked inside and found a holorecording disk. He took it and inserted it into the player and then he stood next to the table to watch. The bluish image that appeared was of his Duros Master Kell Burgess.

It began, "Congratulations my young Padawan! If you are viewing this then I know that my teaching was not done in vain and that you truly are an attentive pupil. Unfortunately,", the voice turned serious and sad, "I don't have any better news to share than what I am about to tell you. Walsh, your family is gone!", Walsh's mouth dropped open and he stood in shocked disbelief. "All of them were wiped out in an Imperial. . ."

"NO!!!", Walsh screamed in anger and fear, interrupting the recording. He reached out his hands to sweep everthing off the table in utter frustration and anger. "NO,NO, NO!!", he yelled out, pounding his cleanched fists on the table. "That's impossible!!!", he yelled out in anger, tears streaming down his face. He suddenly reached out with the Force to pull the pictures from the wall and fling them across the room. For some reason they didn't move so he got even angrier and focused his attention and energy on the ceramic Ithorian artwork on the table with the intention of raising it off the table and smashing it to the floor. When it didn't move, Walsh stormed over to it and physically picked it up and threw it at a nearby wall, smashing it to pieces. Walsh angrily tried several more times to push or pull objects with the Force but seemed strangely blocked with each try. Having released some of his anger, Walsh started to calm down, realizing that the image was still speaking.

". . . so if you are viewing this then I too am gone." Walsh was stunned again. The image relentlessly continued, "I'm sorry, Walsh, that I am not there to deliver this message in person." The tone of Kell's voice suddenly got very quiet and in a hushed voice said, "Walsh, you must stay hidden! There is a great dark evil reaching out into the Galaxy to devour the Jedi. Stay hidden for the great Jedi Master's of the council have a plan in place which remains our only hope. Walsh, look for a sign that will tell you when to reemerge to the light of day to begin a quest which will bring honor to the Jedi Knights. I do not know what that sign will be, but you will know your destiny when you sense it. May the Force be with you." The image faded and the room fell to darkness, mimicking Walsh's feelings.