Hi Admiral. I am so tired, I can barely move. Remember the old saying - be careful what you wish for, it just might come true. Yesterday, I had a long talk with Val about becoming a Jedi. It was one of those long, serious, thought-provoking, soul searching talks. It's good to have one of those conversations at least once in your adult lifetime.

In the end, Val agreed to teach me what he knew. He cautioned me that he wasn't a Jedi Master. All he could do is pass on his knowledge. We agreed to the next day... today.

Oh my... I had no idea. Val was there in the Commons, waiting for me. Then, for the next four hours, he put me through the most torture I've had since ballet. Push ups and squats and running... and learning how to fall! I didn't know learning how to fall would hurt so much. Val let me have a break and then we spent the next few hours learning katas. Those were almost as hard as all the other stuff put together.

I was too tired to eat but Val made me. He said we had another big day tomorrow. I have a feeling that all days are big days for training.

End Log: 78135.139.22:09

Open Log: 78135.141.21:32

Hey Admiral. It's day five of hyperspace and day four of my training. Val is a slave driver. I hurt in places I didn't know I had places. Just as one set of muscles starts to get used to the torture, he starts on the next set. Today, we added the bow stick to start learning sword play that will eventually... someday... become lightsaber training.

So, now, we are doing figure warm-ups, then running, then strength training, then balance training. Then, a break for lunch. Usually I am starved and exhausted. But I'm doing better than I was just a couple days ago. In the afternoon, it's katas, hand to hand, climbing and bow exercises.

I have to say, I'm amazed. Val does just as much as I do as he trains me. Now, I'm going to sleep.

End Log: 78135.141.21:43

Open Log: 78135.142.21:54

Gods, Admiral, I can't believe what a slave drive Val is! I swear, if I have to do one more push-up, I'm gonna scream!

*Beep*Beep*Beep*

Just a sec. Someone's at the door.

*noises of things being set down and a door opening*

Val? What...?

Hello Duvessa. I want you to stop what you're doing and do five push-ups.

What?! But training's over for today.

I could hear your thoughts from my quarters. Negative thoughts. Negativity leads to the Dark Side. Now. Do five push-ups.

But...

No buts.

*soft sounds of movement and groans of exertion* One... ugh... Two... Three...*gah* Four... *uggghhhh* Five. *more sounds of movement*

Very good Duvessa. You must remember to keep a reign on your emotions. Especially the negative ones. It's very important. The Dark Side -will- use your emotions against you.

Yes, Val. I'll remember. Thank you.

Sleep well.

*Sounds of the door closing and scraping*

Oh. This thing was still on. I guess you heard that. It's OK for you know. Val is infinitely patient. I try not to get too frustrated or tired. It's hard for me. I've never been treated like this before. I've always had people catering to me. Now, I'm on my own, doing for myself. I don't like it as much but now... I have a purpose. That's worth a lot.

End Log: 78135.141.21:57

Open Log: 78135.150.22:15

Heya Admiral. I've been training with Val for almost two weeks now. I'm not hurting as much and I'm feeling better every day. I can see measurable improvements. It makes me proud. Hey! I have biceps!

But, I have to admit, I miss home. I miss my own bed. I miss cuddling with you, your warm body next to mine. I really miss my wardrobe. I do. All I have is my black jumpsuit, two pairs of leggings and three shirts. I spent most of my time in my leggings and shirts, training. I took the synthgems off my jumpsuit. At home, it fit in just fine. I am expected to be the height of fashion. Here... well, let's just say they don't fit in.

I wonder if anyone misses me.

End Log: 78135.150.22:22

Open Log: 78135.158.23:43

I've survived three weeks! I even managed to surprise Val in bow training today. Almost got him! He's pleased with my progress. Aren't you proud of me, Admiral? I can't believe we've been in hyperspace for over three weeks now. I'm used to little five hour jaunts to get from point A to point B.

Also, I'm doing a lot to keep my emotions in check. It's interesting to me to constantly be aware of my emotional state. When I get back to the Senate, I'm sure this training is going to help me a lot. The only thing is, I'll have to be careful not to show my training. That will get people looking at me too deeply. If I show what they think they should see, that's all they'll see.

End Log: 78135.158.23:55

Open Log: 78135.160.21:18

Heya Admiral! Just a quick note to let you know that Val's giving me a couple days off! Thank goodness! Even Jedi trainees need a break to step back and unwind. Don't you agree?

End Log: 78135. 160.21:22

Open Log: 78135.161.10:32

Well Admiral... it's been a break in training... sorta. I don't have that much time, so, I'll tell you what I can as quickly as I can.

Yesterday, I met up with Yahnna in the Commons, we were talking about the crew starting to go stir crazy from being together in hyperspace for so long in relatively small quarters. Strange. I haven't been feeling it, but then again, the only person I've seen is Val and I've been too busy to be stir crazy.

In any case, a hyperdrive shadow not only pulled us out of hyperspace, and, of course, made the Iridium Rose vomit it's hyperdrive. That's three for three. I'm not liking the odds. In any case, we came out of hyperdrive into an asteroid field. Thanks to Yahnna's quick flying, we landed on an asteroid. She's even better than I thought.

Dev, who was in the back of ship, discovered a light on the other side of a rock hill. After we figured that the Rose wasn't going any where for a while, Merric dispatched me, Dev, Yahnna and C-13 to investigate the light source and the strange hollow hill.

Turns out, it's a landing pad and huge hanger... and about seven crashed ships on it. C-13 discovered that one of the crashed ships still had power and a stasis field. And a Lt. Colonel William Travers of the Old Republic Army. A meteoroid shower made us take shelter in the hanger.

In the hanger, C-13 wanted to check on the Colonel. Yahnna and Dev wanted no part of explaining to this Colonel that he had been asleep for 30 years, the Old Republic has fallen, the Empire has risen, the Jedi have been wiped out and a rebellion against the Empire has arisen. C-13 woke him up and I explained everything as best I could.

Admiral, that man is infuriating. He really is. I know he was looking at us like we were children. And I'm sure he didn't believe me. So, of course, he wanted to strike out on his own through this unknown station on an asteroid. Figures. Of course he would. He's a Lt. Colonel. A war veteran and used to getting his way. Only it's 30 years in the future for him. He opened one of the doors without taking any precautions to discover a Verpine arm. Just the arm. And I got a *bad* feeling about things. I felt it within. A disturbance in the Force, as Val would say.

After admonishing caution to the Colonel, we moved on. We finally got the power working, thanks to that intrepid, annoying Colonel. Then, I discovered that this place was the Cania Droid Research Facility on one of the Cania moons... but the Cania System is two sectors away from here.

As we went through the interior of the facility, we discovered the source of my bad feeling. Something murdered everyone... massacred them. That something turned out to be an experimental killer droid. I know, because it tried to kill me. Thank goodness for all the training that Val's been giving me. Otherwise, I would have gotten more than the one laser shot to the shoulder. That made me angry. I don't have much clothes here as it is. Now my black jumper has a hole in it.

I'm not sure how, but Dev managed to kill the droid. I'm thinking that we ought to start calling him "Dev, the Droid Killer."

I have to go now. I'll talk to you soon.

End Log: 78135. 161.11:09

Open Log: 78135.166.23:08

*Ugh* I'm back on the ship, Admiral. I've spent most of the last few days helping the crew salvage anything and everything of use from the facility and the crashed ships. I know more about starship engines and hyperdrives than I ever wanted to know.

We also seem to have picked up a new ship. A freighter, I think. Yahnna has laid a serious claim to it. I know I saw her mentally calculating the worth of the things in the facility and the crashed ships. I thought Dev was going to fight Yahnna for it but it seems that he has let it go for now.

Oh yes, Yahnna has a cute little new buddy. A2-D2 and Dev have built a new little A2 unit named R2-A2. It follows her around like a lost puppy. It's adorable. And I think that Yahnna has a soft spot for it. Not that she'd ever admit it.

We still haven't figured out what caused us to drop out of hyperspace in the first place.

End Log: 78135. 166.23:15

Open Log: 78135.168.08:23

I was up early, I'm not sure why but Yahnna pulled me aside and planted a very disturbing thought, Admiral. The Marquis is a dark Jedi... a Sith Lord... and yes, we'ar both sure that he's still alive... He wanted us to get to the Jedi Temple. He wanted that information for himself or to destroy it. Logically, he should not have been the one to inform the Empire of our meetings and to get Merric. He wanted us to make it to Ord Mantavi.

So, who sold us out, Admiral?

If all of the Marquis' crew were droids and he wanted us to get to Ord... that leaves only the members of the Iridium Rose. Could it be that we still have a traitor in our midst?

It is an extremely disturbing thought. One that I'm not sure what to do about.

End Log: 78135. 168.08:29

Open Log: 78135.170.14:00

We're on our way again. We'll make it to Ord Mantavi on day 204. It's a long time to be in hyperspace. I figure, it will go quickly under Val's training. Waith, Dev and Yahnna on her ship, the Broken Spanner. So, now, I'm taking a duty shift on the Rose. I was on the bridge, talking to Rran, the Trianii sensor guy. Since we never figured out what had pulled us out of hyperspace, and it really bothered me, Rran was explaining to me what would have caused a hyperdrive shadow.

Suddenly, Rran told us that the asteroid with the facility was creating a hyperspace shadow, centered on the facility. Suddenly, all of the clues came crashing down on me. That was the Cania moon. It was a research facility. Mostly droids but could have been something else, too. They must have been experimenting in creating either a hyperdrive gate... or more likely, a hyperdrive strong enough to move a moon into hyperspace. That was what destroyed the moon and moved it two sectors away! That explains all of the high acceleration damage. The moon must have broken up when it came out of hyperspace.

Then, the asteroid jumped back into hyperspace. We don't know where it's going.

Who would make a hyperdrive so strong and why? I can't imagine a ship the size of a moon.

Too many questions. Not enough answers. And we haven't even made it to our destination, yet.

End Log: 78135. 170.14:17

(c) 1999 - Eden Blackthorn