Jedi Academy

Having blown off some steam with a Snowball fight earlier that morning, Zizzy had requested an audience with the Masters. The events of the last few weeks had finally come to a resolution of sorts and it was time to report in. A certain someone needed their name clearing with the authorities. She held Camlen's holocron as she approached the meeting room.

"I hope you're ready for this Holo lad? Although to be fair, you aren't the one who'll be walking up all those stairs again to show them the evidence."

Camlen chuckled. "Why can't they put in a lift or something? Slip it in behind one of the statues. I'd be like he was giving you a boost."

There were plenty of usable rooms in the Jedi temple; many of them were empty. Zizzy would find both Chriala and Orgus waiting for her in the one she'd requested.

"I think it would be considered cheating. I should just enjoy the opportunity to become as buff as you did." She winked and then took him into the waiting room.

"Master Chriala, Master Orgus, thank you so much for coming. This is Camlen." She gestured to the holo image of Camlen and then wondered out loud. "Wait, you can see him right? It's not just me? Anyway, we've been working hard and finally solved the Mysterious Death of Master Xho!"

"Maybe almost as buff." Camlen flashed her a grin.

His expression grew more serious as he was introduced. "Masters." He said, bowing.

Chriala nodded, while Orgus raised an eyebrow. "Mysterious death. Did you know anything about this?" He glanced at Chriala who nodded again, smirking.

Chriala turned to Zizzy. "Please, go on, child. Share with us what you have learned."

Zizzy switched to business mode and placed the holocron on the table. She nodded to Chriala and turned slightly to face Orgus.

"A quick background for you Master. Byron, Zanja, Silas and I found this holocron in the Works. We had followed the directions on a Gree device that came into our possession." She gestured to Chriala. "With Master Chriala's permission of course, we checked with her first."

Pointing to the holocron she continued. "Anyway, he, that is the holocron was being guarded by a Gree droid and during the recovery I somehow became force bonded to him. Camlen that is. He was finally able to project when we got to Auratera."

Orgus waved a casual hand, acknowledging the explanation. Camlen remained standing more or less at attention, in his translucent way.

"It was that Force bond that convinced me you were on the right path." Chriala said. "Such bonds are rare, especially with a holocron. I suspected that destiny was involved. It seems that may have been right."

Zizzy nodded and resumed the story. "It was all very mysterious. Camlen was a Padawan when he was recorded into the holocron. But he was recorded 6 years ago, and the holocron looked really old." She managed not to say 'Even older than you Master Orgus', but she was definitely thinking it.

"Camlen was able to tell me that his master had recorded him over a previous holocron, which seemed really odd. There were things he couldn't tell me yet, but he was studying under a Cerean Master called Xho."

She looked at Camlen standing there at attention and it removed her of some of her classmates. "Master Xho was an Astrophysicist who studied interstellar and planetary phenomena. So I used the archives to start looking into his activities. I thought maybe I could find him."

Camlen smiled encouragingly up at her.

"I looked into this a little as well." Chriala said. "I... would be interested to hear what new discoveries you made." She gave Camlen a curious glance.

Her tendrils drifted around a little as she spoke, continuing the story. "Master Xho's lab is here in the Temple. When I looked into the archives I discovered that he had been murdered a few years ago. A Jedi investigation team came to look into the matter and Master Chriala was able to get me a copy of their case notes."

She turned to look at Camlen. "I didn't tell you this part Camlen, but you probably guessed. With Master Xho dead and you missing they put out an alert saying that other Camlen should be arrested and brought in for questioning."

Looking back at the Masters she added. "But we discovered the truth yesterday."

Camlen's mouth opened, then shut. "I... hadn't guessed. But I think I should have. I just... didn't want to think about it."

"The truth?" Chriala smiled. "How remarkable. Please, continue."

"It's okay Camlen, it was a lot to take in and I didn't want to overwhelm you." She looked back at Master Chriala.

"Master Xho seemed incredibly paranoid, but it turns out it was for good reason. There was this Sith, Lord Zash, who wanted to steal his work. He had visions of the future, like me, and must have seen he was going to die. We discovered that he had built a fake wall on the end of his lab, with the help of the other Camlen. The room had a full security cam set up, we were able to see what happened the day he died. A Sith assassin murdered him, maybe Lord Zash? We don't know that for sure but it's all on holo."

Camlen nodded silently. The masters, too, were silent. Master Orgus looked stunned.

"This is quite extraordinary." Chriala said. "You have the holo, I take it. Did you find anything else?"

She felt calm. Calm with a slight tinge of pride. Her tendrils made the universal gesture of satisfaction.

"Yes, the holo and something more. We discovered what Master Xho was working on, and what the Camlen's were helping him to protect." It seemed like a good place for a dramatic pause.

"He found a path to Ossus."

Camlen had a similar sense of the dramatic. He turned to the masters, lips pressed tightly together as he fought to maintain a composed expression.

The masters looked at each other. "Ossus?" Master Orgus said. "The way to Ossus has been lost since the last great war against the Sith. Was that information still in his lab?"

Zizzy turned her hand in the Galactic symbol for 50:50. "Well, yes and no. You see he only really trusted himself and Camlen with that information. He kept an encrypted datapad in his desk with a key to it around his neck. That is what the Sith assassin took, but it wasn't the real information."

She looked at Camlen with a smile. "Master Xho had encoded the key to the real coordinates into the holocron. It had to be inserted into the Galactic map he kept hidden in the secret chamber in his lab. Then it revealed the path to Ossus."

Orgus shook his head, as if to clear it. "Well. That's quite a find. We'll have to turn this data over to Jedi researchers, make sure it checks out."

He smiled at Zizzy. "You can be involved in that, of course. We're quite impressed with the work you've done."

Camlen grinned. Leaning over, he made as if to playfully nudge her with his elbow. He couldn't, of course, but it was the thought that counted.

"I'd be honoured Master." She bowed her head a little, in truth she was relieved not to be left out after all that had happened. Glancing over at Camlen she gave him a smile.

"I'd really like to get the recording sent back to the Temple so that Camlen's name can be cleared. I think he probably went in search of Ossus himself, but he's a hero and he's probably out there somewhere on his own."

"Aw, shucks." Camlen said, grinning. Surely at least some of the praise for the older him reflected back on his holocron self, right?

Chriala frowned. "His name will certainly be cleared. But the..." Her frown deepened, "-there have been no reports of the other Camlen for some time. He may not be easy to find. We can only hope that the Force will guide your path."

"Yes, you're both heroes Camlen." She nodded at Chriala's point. "I know Master, there would have been a record of it if he'd been found. I just have this feeling that he's out there. Maybe with the right training the Force will help me find him?"

She cast a look back at holo Camlen then to the Masters. "Do you think it would be okay for us to keep working together? I mean, I think we make a good team." She wasn't sure what the rules were about Holocrons. Maybe he was supposed to go back to the temple after all of this.

Chriala nodded. "In ordinary circumstances, I would suggest that Camlen be given over to the archives for study. The existence of your Force bond makes me think that another path may be better." Camlen did his best to tamp down a grin at this, with limited success.

Chriala went on. "If that is the feeling you have, trust it. It is, after all, your destiny."