Barn Owl: Night Owl - Part 2

Just like most solar systems this one had an oort cloud of ice rocks where the spaceship hid to avoid detection in case advanced deep space observation units were in place. Without contact with Hoot for more than 200-years they couldn’t be sure exactly what they’d been able to develop, with the added chance of contact with other nearby solar systems, who could be monitoring this one.

The Jedi Master didn’t want to take chances. This planet the primary mission with the Baby Great Grey Owl onboard. If the evil Owl Emperor could be overthrown, then the next star map the Jedi Master needed could also be found. This would allow him to continue with a new safe haven in the galaxy more than halfway through the Unknown Regions that he would continue to explore so that the entire Milky Way Galaxy could be traveled using hyperspace drives for future generations.

“There’s no threats that the ship’s sensors can register. It looks like we should be able to travel safely to your home planet, the fourth planet in this system from the sun, and the middle planet of three that reside in the habitable zone.” The Jedi Master relayed his thoughts.

“My species used the third planet for humanoid mind mechanics. Much like the previous system we visited Earth, they had a civilization that advanced to about a 100-years later, they made it to Hoot instead of Mars. They thought of our planet as a Super Earth that could be used for new untapped natural resources. Only they met the Owls, and we soon took possession of their thoughts with our preservation the driving force of their leaders.” The Baby Great Grey Owl shared his knowledge of his species legends.

“And what about the fifth planet?” Coaxed the Jedi Master already knowing, yet always training the next generation of the Jedi Order knowingly or not.

“A mysterious world of high priests who settled there after we’d mastered near space travel. It’s where the Owl Emperor gained his power before returning to Hoot to conquer the world.” Answered Baby Great Grey Owl.

“Then we must be careful as we pass the fifth planet. We’ll use its moons as cover, and they can help us gain speed to jump the planetary space gap to Hoot. The faster we can get to the dark side of Hoot's moon the better.” The Jedi Master said as he began to enter coordinates.

“On the dark side of the moon we should hopefully find leaders of the rebel alliance hidden there by my Great Grandfather before he took the first and only deep space flight leaving this region of the galaxy forever.” Baby Great Grey Owl’s thoughts filled the control cabin retracing the plans made before they’d left Coruscant.

“That’s what the Republic is counting on. Hold on as we make the jump.”

The ships thrusters kicked in with a jolt in gravity shaking them for a second. Suddenly planets would enlarge before them before being left behind in an arching motion as they used its gravity for a slingshot maneuver. Again and again, until they closed in on the fifth planet. Here they chose a trajectory for the outside moons of the planetary system. As they got closer the ships sensors alerted them to a small mining fleet of ships that we’re no doubt filled with humanoids working for the Owls of Hoot.

The Jedi Master sent the ship into a tailspin so that it would look more like a passing space rock than the visitation of an advanced space civilization from more than 100-thousand-lightyears away. Once they’d gotten on the other side of the fifth planet's orbit the Jedi Master straightened the ship again and hit the thrusters blasting them to the safety of the dark side of the moon orbiting Hoot.

Now drifting in the darkness of space again near the south pole of the planet’s moon, the Jedi Master looked up to see a glowing green and blue planet cut like a crescent, by the moon’s horizon. He began to realize that he felt more at home in the void of space than he did on the surface of planets and moons.

Baby Great Grey Owl closed his yellow orb like eyes to send telepathic communication to the surface of the moon. Next the hologram plate on the navigation counsel turned on as two twin owls perched in the moon’s station below looked at them adding to the feeling that this mission could be successful.

“Greetings Baby Great Grey Owl, we’ve been expecting you, and while it’s not the return of the royal family that the citizens of Hoot would have wanted, we can assure you that you’ve returned at the right time. We are now in position to return this planet and all its property here and through this solar system back into the Royal Family’s control.” The twin owls both thought these messages at the same time and finished with a blink of the eyes.

“Remember, on Hoot we all live at night.” Baby Great Grey Owl remembered the saying of Hoot’s Kings for millennia out loud.

To be continued...