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[ForceFusion]

A twinge of Aerec came over Aerec at the start of Darla's words. He felt himself flexing, wanting to lash out. He kept it within. Instead of outwardly exploding as Riftor might have, he simply spoke quietly, not looking up. "Darla," he started, his voice low, "I know Faust manipulated me." He then looked up and locked her gaze. "But I made the choice. Nothing can take away from that."

 

He took a deep breath in through his nose as he sat up straight. "It's not all I did. I--"

 

This he wished he could forget. This shame he was not sure he could live down. This sin...this sin was more than Faust had ever expected him to sin. "I killed a man...and I ruined a man. Innocent helpless men."

 

He paused, wondering if there would be any reaction. But then he knew they wouldn't understand just by those sentences. He knew Darex and Darla wouldn't feel the weight of what Aerec had done unless he told the story. Even if he told the story, they wouldn't understand.

 

"When Faust brought me to Coruscant, he was preparing me...for what would come, for my life as a Sith. He trained me in combat and was refining my rage. Just before Darex came he...put me to the test.

 

"He brought in a slave that was being kept in the dungeons of the Sith Temple, I suppose. He brought him in and told me to kill him. He told me to use everything I learned. Faust didn't expect the most powerful thing I'd learned had nothing to do with combat.

 

"The slave was bound." The memory was flooding Aerec now. Unstoppable. He could do nothing but speak the story, lest the tears crumple him into uselessness. "I came up to him and asked him if he'd like to be free. He said he did, of course. I cut his bonds and felt the hope resonate off of him. I was kind. I assured him that he would indeed be free. I asked about his family. He also had a brother in captivity. I called for the brother.

 

"The brother, too, was bound. When he arrived, killed him. I went from suddenly kind to a harsh torturer. I didn't just kill the brother, I drew it out. I battered him. I beat him. And I told the free man that this was the price of his freedom.

 

"I saw his anguish. I saw him offer his own life. I saw him...break.

 

"I did to that man exactly what Faust did to me."

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex honestly didn't know what to say. He wasn't surprised that that was the way Faust had turned Aerec to the dark side--the boy's urge for survival and self-preservation was great. It made up a large part of his past--something that Darex could certainly understand, having shared a similar childhood.

 

When Aerec told them even further of the horrors he had witnessed and committed, part of Darex was unsurprised. The Sith were known for doing things like that, and Aerec had no longer existed at that point. Riftor had been acting on his urges, something every Sith learned to do at the very beginning of their training.

 

He felt he had to say something, so, desperately hoping the Force would grant him wisdom, he spoke. "Aerec, can you see now that by choosing to save yourself then and kill the images of us and Dante, you destroyed yourself? Sometimes...sometimes it's better to die physically and retain a whole soul than to live with a maimed one. There are things worth dying for.

 

"Do you believe that?"

 

He let the question hang for a minute, then turned to Aerec's other revelation. "Why did you decide to destroy that man's brother? Was it just a mad urge from Riftor? Was it vengeance for something this man did to you? Or were you afraid that by refusing to follow Faust's commands, the Dark Lord would kill you instead?"

 

He felt that he was perhaps being insensitive, but he hoped Aerec understood that he had nothing but the padawan's welfare in mind. "If you can answer these questions, you can have a better understanding of why the dark side tempted you, and you can avoid letting Riftor take control of you again."

 

He knew he had spoken clumsily, and mentally cursed himself. He was glad that Darla was there--she, at least, was eloquent, and she certainly knew much better than Darex did what it was like to be consumed by the dark side and then turn away. Although, he amended, she had never turned fully away from it. Darex, too, had faced the dark side many times in his life, and knew what it was to taste the power it had to offer, but he had also experienced too much of the "side-effects" of that power to have any desire to follow it.

 

How could he explain this to Aerec, though? How could explain that there were things worth dying for? That death didn't really matter? How could he convince the young man that the light was just as powerful as the dark? He shook his head.

[ForceFusion]

"There are some things worth dying for. Do you believe that?"

 

Aerec choked on his lack of an answer. Shouldn't that be an easy question for a Jedi to answer? He wanted to say but...

 

"I don't know," he admitted. "I've never seen it." His words weren't much more than a mumble.

 

"I killed the man and ruined his brother because...it put me in control." Thinking back, remembering what he'd done, why he'd done it....it came alive. He wouldn't have cared if Faust had killed him at that moment. He'd hated himself as much as he did Faust. More than once he'd tried to kill Faust reckless abandon. And it wasn't just a whim of his anger. It was...

 

"It put me in control. For the first time in my life, when I was angry, I was in control!" His voice was rising here, he felt the anger coming back. And speaking harshly...gave him a grasp on things...even just a little. "I meant what I said in the Sith Temple. Life is shit, and it's thrown me nothing but a mess and destiny has complete control of me. But I felt like I had control over that pitiful little slave's life...and I liked it! I loved it! It made me sick afterwards, I hated myself more than anything after that, but while it was happening, it was perfect."

 

His voice echoed off the insides of the ship when he finally fell into silence. Anger bubbled in his chest, under his ribcage. He finally spoke, his voice slightly softer, his rage fading. "I wouldn't do it again...but...it still has a draw."

[James Krote]

James set course to Gala and was off in a second. He didn't know why but he felt he had to go to Gala.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex leaned back, his arms crossing and his right moving up to stroke his goatee. So it was control that had drawn Aerec deeper into the dark side. He had to admit, he hadn't expected that. He wondered why Aerec had never felt in control when he was following the light. Darex knew that if there was ever a time he himself had ever felt out of control, it had been deliberate so that he could gain the incredible freedom there was in that feeling.

 

Darex's mind was unshielded, his defenses all dropped. If Aerec or Darla concentrated, they would be able to clearly read the Jedi Master's thoughts and emotions. In a way, Darex wished they would. It was always hard to put complicated feelings into words.

 

"Well, I have to say that if you continue in the path of the Jedi, that feeling will fade. There is a certain amount of control a Jedi has over his life, but there are certain times where we relinquish that control to the Force because we have faith that the Force can work things out better than we could on our own."

 

He paused, and when he spoke, his voice was softer. "I'm sorry you feel like life is horrible. I've tried...I'm sorry I failed you, that I let you remain in Faust's hands so long. I'm sorry that it wasn't good enough..."

[ForceFusion]

"Well, I have to say that if you continue in the path of the Jedi, that feeling will fade," Darex said. That seemed...unlikely, but...well....a half smile crept up on Aerec's face.

 

"There is a certain amount of control a Jedi has over his life, but there are certain times where we relinquish that control to the Force because we have faith that the Force can work things out better than we could on our own." Aerec felt a twinge of hope. He wasn't sure why, but the half-smile stayed.

 

"I'm sorry you feel like life is horrible," Darex continued. "I've tried...I'm sorry I failed you, that I let you remain in Faust's hands so long. I'm sorry that it wasn't good enough..."

 

The half-smile disappeared. Aerec was hit with a wrecking ball of guilt. This was not the Jedi Master he knew. What had Aerec done to his Master...to his friend?

 

He looked down, curled his body into itself, while he remained in his sitting position. I can't do this to the people I care about. The visions of killing Darex and the others had been bad...but...feeling Darex's guilt was worse.

 

A lump came in his throat. He opened his mouth to only silence.

 

"Darex," he finally managed. "Master--I'm sorry. I--it wasn't...it was my fault. I'm sorry."

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex shook his head. "I think we're probably equally to blame, then. You made the choice to let your anger control you, and I failed to give you an idea of what the dark side was really like before that happened. I didn't give you the tools that would help you resist it. And I even knew Faust had an interest in you."

 

He shook his head again, and met Aerec's gaze. "Will you forgive me, Padawan?"

 

He had failed with so many of his students. Shy had turned, and now Aerec had turned and turned back. Fifty percent wasn't a very impressive success rate. Every time this happened, he began to doubt himself even more. Why should he be a teacher of Jedi if the Jedi he turned out simply turned to the dark side?

 

The logical part of him reminded him of his arguments, that it had been the padawans' choices that lead them down that path, that it had had little to do with his teachings, but his human heart told him otherwise. "I'm just glad you came back, Aerec. Nothing else matters to me. You've showed a strength of character by making that decision--one that I might not be able to make myself. You have chosen, at least in a little way, to fight for what is right instead of spreading Faust's chaos, and that makes you a great man."

[ForceFusion]

Darex was speaking. "I'm just glad you came back, Aerec. Nothing else matters to me. You've showed a strength of character by making that decision--one that I might not be able to make myself. You have chosen, at least in a little way, to fight for what is right instead of spreading Faust's chaos, and that makes you a great man."

 

The lump in Aerec's throat started to easy. He breathed out calmly, and felt his emotions begin to subside. He managed a smile. "Well, I suppose if you did any wrong, I can forgive you. You came after me...which is nuts. Because Faust is nuts."

 

Aerec sighed and straightened. "So, now we're all free for the first time in probably a year. I gotta say, it feels great. But before we go run rampant throughout the galaxy, I've still got a message to deliver to the grand master. Where do you think I can find her?"

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex grinned. "I am nuts. You should know that by now." He glanced rather pointedly at Darla. "And you don't know the half of it. Darla has seen me doing far crazier things than that."

 

He nodded at Aerec's last statement. "Yes, I'd like to see her too. I'm actually not sure where the current Jedi base is. Last time I was on Gala it seemed abandoned. I heard a rumor that Helix Station was being rebuilt, but I have no idea where it would be. I guess we can go to Gala and speak with Onderin, since you have to give him your message too, then see if he knows where the Grandmaster would be."

 

He excused himself to head to the cockpit. Once there, he dropped out of hyperspace, punched in the coordinates for Gala, then flicked the lever again, sending them into hyperspace on their new heading.

 

Rising again, he headed back to the mainroom. On the way, he ran into the new protocol droid he had purchased. I can't believe I forgot! He motioned for the droid to follow him, then returned back into the main room where Darla and Aerec were still relaxing.

 

"Darla, I..." he paused. This felt surprisingly awkward. Better just get it out. "I know you lost your ship and Aimee on Mon Calamari. I'm sorry about that. I know especially Aimee was a good companion for you. To try to make it up to you, I...well, I bought you this protocol droid."

 

The droid stepped out then, it's silver finish gleaming cheerfully in the ship's lights. "Hello, mistress. I am A-8DE. I am at your service." The droid's personality was feminine, but it's voice not too prissy. Darex hoped she'd be a good companion for Darla.

 

"I know she won't make up for losing Aimee on Mon Cal, but I..."

[SithAcolyte]

Darla was truly shocked by what Aerec confessed. She knew that he had turned to the Darkside, but she hadn't realised how much he had turned. She had never truly turned, not like that. Darla had never killed an innocent. She had maimed, but only to protect herself and others. She had only killed in combat or self defense.

 

Cruelty had never motivated Darla...

 

She had never dreamt that it would be something that would motivate Aerec either...

 

As she listened to him speak anger rose inside her. She wanted to shout at him. She wanted to ask how he could do such a thing, what was he thinking? Unnecessary cruelty sickened her. She couldn't deny that she'd taken perverse pleasure through inflicting pain on others in the past. But only people that she felt deserved it, killers, murderers. Even then, she had never killed one of the Sith, only fought against them.

 

Darla wanted to heave. She fought the feeling down and fought down her anger too. Getting angry at Aerec wouldn't help anyone. He'd been through enough. Darla knew that her support would mean something to him and she couldn't let him see the revulsion that she felt.

 

He had become one of the people that she had always fought against, the kind of person she hated. Faust had taken him, twisted him into that person. Darla understood the power of the Darkside, the draw of it. She even understood the pleasure of a kill. But she couldn't understand what Aerec had done and because of that as much as she wanted to help him, she was sure if she could. At least not through the idea of them having a shared experience.

 

Even after all that the Sith had put her through, Darla had never been broken.

 

I died before that could happen...

 

That was the lesson that Darex wanted Aerec to understand. Suddenly she felt closer to Darex than ever before. She let her feelings rule her, she gave into her anger and was prone to great sadness, but despite all that, what was at her core was the same as what was at Darex's...

 

There were things worth fighting for. There were things worth dying for.

 

"Aerec... You did a terrible thing..." She was struggling to find the right words. She wanted to reassure him, but wasn't sure if she could. "But... You understand how terrible it was and you're willing to change. That takes courage. You didn't harm me, but I can't condone what you did... It's difficult for me to understand. I never thought that you'd be capable of cruelty like that. I know they were your actions, but Faust was the Master pulling your strings, engineering the whole situation. It never would have happened if it wasn't for him. So all I can do is point my anger away from you aim it at Faust's wretched soul, wherever it may be."

 

After all the thing that she had forgive Kakuto Ryu for doing, the horrible atrocities he had committed, she would be hypocrite is she could not find it in her heart to forgive Aerec.

 

It may have been a cruel act, but it was only once and everybody, no matter how dark their deeds deserves the chance to find redemption.

 

Darla's dark mood was shattered when Darex came back into the room. The gift he offered her was heartfelt and thoughtful. She didn't know what to say. What did it mean? The intensity of their relationship had increased recently. Darla wasn't quite sure what to do about it. She found herself blushing.

 

A tear trickled down her face.

 

"Darex, you are a star." She grinned at him, smile that would surely remind Darex of the woman she had once been and was becoming more and more like with each day. "Thank you."

 

She walked over to him and put her arm around him tightly. She didn't hold on for too long, not wanting to make him feel any more awkward than he already looked.

 

"Hello A8, it's a pleasure to meet you."

 

This metallic droid was nothing like Aimee and that was something that Darla was glad for. She couldn't bear looking at the face of Aimee, the droid who for all intents and purposes she had killed.

 

Perhaps that was why she was having such a hard time dealing with what Aerec had done. In part she was angry at herself. For what she had done to Aimee and for not being able to protect Aerec from Faust's influence.

[Darex Trevelian]

Darex grinned, pleased that she liked the droid, and pleased that she seemed more like her old self every day. It had been a long time that she had wandered confused in the dark, and from outward appearances, it looked as if she was finally becoming herself again.

 

"We should be at Gala in a few hours," he announced. Going over to the kitchenette again, he grabbed some flight food and another round of caf for anyone who wanted it.

 

((To New Rep. base))

[Darex Trevelian]

((legal double post))

 

The ship carrying Darla, Aerec and Darex hurtled through hyperspace.

 

Darex had set a course for Ilum, although he hoped he would hear back from Armiena before they arrived. If he did, it would be a simple matter to drop out and change courses to wherever she was.

 

Rising from the pilot's chair, he glanced at Aerec and gave him a small smile. Turning his gaze to Darla, then, he felt again the strange twist their bond had recently taken. Knowing that he had time now, he rose. "I'm going to meditate. If either of you wish to talk, feel free to interrupt me," he added with another smile.

 

Turning, he headed out of the cockpit and into the main cabin. From there, he moved back into the bunkroom that contained three bunkbeds. He settled down on the floor and with an almost eager expectation, opened himself fully into the Force.

 

Elation filled him as the Force's intimate touch washed over him, relieving him of fatigue and the aches of everyday life. He breathed in deeply, then exhaled in twenty counts, letting his anxiety and worries flood out with the air. Slowly, the Force filled up every cranny of his mind and body.

 

It had often been said by Jedi Masters of every age that when a Jedi was fully immersed in the Force, not only could he gain wisdom about his actions, but also a better understanding of who he was as a living being. This held true for Darex. As he meditated, he recieved a confirmation from the Force that it was indeed time to travel to Ilum again. He recieved a stronger hope that things would turn out all right for Aerec in the end. He even recieved a warning that the current galactic peace was tense and liable to snap at any time.

 

The Force was darker than it had been for a long while, which told Darex that the Sith were on the rise again. He wasn't really surprised, since he had heard rumors of increased Sith action in the galaxy.

 

He accepted all of these bits of information and confirmation with a quiet easiness. It reminded him once again of how right his path felt to him. He loved being a Jedi, and knew of no other path he would desire to take.

 

As was his habit, he reached out to the Force to inquire on the state of those he held close. Skye was fine, he sensed, living still in isolation somewhere. Of his former padawans, he could glean very little. Seraphim was busy, and he sensed nothing out of the ordinary with Ulos. Aerec's mind was still in turmoil, trying to come to terms with what he had done.

 

Finally, he turned to Darla. As deep as he was in the Force, he felt the nub that was her Force-sensitivity, and he knew that with the right stimulus, it would burst forth over her for good. The shell that bound it was weakening, and he knew that something big would allow her to feel the Force constantly again. It gladdened him. He knew she missed being able to feel it's presence in her life. If only he knew what would shatter that thin shell, he would do it.

 

He turned to the Force for an answer or hint to what it would take as he continued to meditate.

[Kautra Nadio]

Two ships screamed through hyperspace, destination Dantooine

[SithAcolyte]

Darex had seemed happy that Darla had joined them. She wasn't sure why he had thought she might stay with the Alliance. Those days were far behind her. Darla wanted to find Skye and continue the therapy that her friend offered. However she knew that Skye was in seclusion for her own safety.

 

Darla wondered if there was still a bounty on the heads of Darex and Aerec...

 

Darex went to meditate leaving her alone with Aerec. The man scared her. Although she cared for him her was a dark reflection of what she could have become. Somehow she had managed the small element of control over the darkside. It had ravaged and tormented her, but never completely taken her. It had taken seeing Aerec's fall for her to realise that.

 

"You've been pretty quiet..." Darla said, knowing that she too hadn't spoken much. "Is there anything that you want to talk to me about?"

 

It was obvious that he was still tormented by his deeds. Ignoring him because he made feel uneasy would help neither of them. Darla hoped that by talking she could get over her feelings and show Aerec that he still had her friendship.

 

"Fate does strange things to test us you know."

[Darex Trevelian]

((ForceFusion is on vacation...he told me he wasn't going to post unless necessary))

 

After a few hours, Darex was refreshed and rested. His comm had remained silent, and he hoped nothing had happened to the Grandmaster. And if she was ignoring him, he hoped she would have a good explanation. He smiled for a moment at that thought.

 

Rising, he stretched and headed to the 'fresher. He took a quick shower and trimmed his goatee, then put on fresh robes. He paused in the middle of hooking his lightsaber back on his belt and looked at the weapon. He remembered very clearly when he had made it; it had been part of his master trials, and he had a strong connection to the blade.

 

It would be good, he reflected hopefully, for Aerec to visit Ilum. The planet had reappeared in the galaxy after the Arach'tar war, and Darex was glad of it.

 

Thinking of his master trials reminded him of the other part of it--rescuing Nivana from Trowa. He shook his head, his smile gone. It had been quite a rescue...he remembered speaking with the Hive Mother and his play of words allowing her to release Darla and Niv. He never had been proud of his role there. He grimaced as he remembered Darla's reaction when he had told her they had some eggs on board. She certainly had not been happy.

 

At the same time, the trip had given Darex some last bit of closure. He remembered the dinner with Trowa, Shy, and the twins. It had been good to finally get the chance to say goodbye to Shy, and it had done his conscience good to see her happy and at peace with her decision.

 

Shrugging and pulling his mind from the past, he felt the engines change and the hum get louder as the ship exited hyperspace. He had wanted to visit Armiena before heading to Ilum, but she hadn't responded and he had no way to know where she was. The Grandmaster of the Order shouldn't be in hiding...

 

He would keep his comlink on him, and if she responded to his message, he would get it. For now, he grabbed a few coats and headed to the cockpit.

 

((To Ilum))

[Malin Kyrell]

Disembarking a freighter from Coruscant at a popular and neutrally aligned waystop for travelers heading around the galactic core, Malin finds his ship where he left it docked under an pseudonymn. Paying the docking fees, he fires up the Atropos and heads off into hyperspace, following a series of random jumps towards his destination.

[Durose Roshan]

A Link freighter traverses the galaxy through the alternate dimension of hyperspace, only occasionally entering realspace momentarily for a course change.

 

Aboard, Victoria paces as she stands in the cockpit area. With her arm currently in a sling, she meditates on their next move. She can't help but worry about Slicer's condition. It was likely that he could make a full recovery, but at the moment there was a good chance that they might lose him. That wasn't a terrible option by any stretch of the imagination, but it would leave them with much fewer options. What's more, it definitely wouldn't help completely solve their current dilemma.

 

All the same, there was little she could do at this point. The Casino might likely move to meet them halfway and cut down on some of the travel time but the necessity of travel time itself was unavoidable. The Medevac team would just need to do the best they could to keep him stabilized until they could move him to the facilities on the Link.

[Zed]

Zed piloted the Brisk up and out of atmosphere of Coruscant then he entered space. Zed wasn't sure where to go and decided to check if there was anything on holonet. Zed banged his fist against a control panel to turn it on and checked the holonet. Zed made sure to double check to see if any work was advertised.

[Haphaestus]

The galaxy was very old. Some knew this better than others, and there were levels of truth behind this knowledge. Some knew that the galaxy was old because they were scientists or historians. They knew from studying the passage of time that it had taken a long time for the galaxy to get to be as old as it is. Scientists knew that the galaxy was old because of how stars were formed and how they die, and the evidence that both have transpired billions of times. Historians knew that time was old because they perceived the volume of recorded actions that have taken place and realized that it took a long time for so many things to transpire.

 

Haphaestus knew that the galaxy was old because he had been in it for a very long time. In this way, his knowledge of the galaxy's age was much more substantial. Things had taken place thousands of years ago and he had been there, or been in his erstwhile prison on Vjun. His infinite patience had been his entire existence, self-maintaining and logging information from each day of those thousands of years. The days were approaching 1.5 million, and he remembered them all.

 

Everyone knew that the galaxy was filled with space. Space was full of stars and planets, but the distance between them was incredible. Some knew this better than others. Scientists knew how far this distance was because of their studies. They looked through telescopes and calculated distances and designed hyperdrives to make that distance seem shorter. Now the common citizen had no idea how much distance was really between stars, and couldn't come close to fully comprehending it.

 

Haphaestus knew how much distance was between stars because he had been cruising at a little over the speed of light for a long time now, and he hadn't reached another system. Or, at least, hadn't until recently, and now he was on the outskirts of civilization once again.

 

One final truth about the space in which he had wandered was that it was cold. Cold was a relative term, and some species were capable of surviving the vacuum, and thus wouldn't necessarily think it cold. Haphaestus felt the cold of space, which was really just the natural state of things when heat was not present. He had felt it and drew a conclusion from it””it was nothing compared to the coldness in his soul, at the center of his being.

 

The blackness of space resided within him, and he carried it with him wherever he went. Cold, black, nothingness was ultimate. It was the place from whence everything came and to whence everything would return. As its agent, he would speed the process along whenever he could. His travels had taught him, and now he was back.

[Ulan]

His short, stubby, green legs couldn't even reach the edge of his seat, more or less the floor, but inside the green man lurked great power. Ulan could feel the lingering energy of the Force that he had felt on Sullust. Only a few times before had he felt a surge of Force energy like he had today. The first time was on Wayland when he first met Skye Organa, and the second was the horrible twisted taint he had felt on Gala. This time the energy had nearly overwhelmed him, but had also seemed within the realm of his control. Through the waves of the Force, Ulan had felt the presence of every living thing nearby on Sullust, and more than that, things beyond Sullust, or so he thought.

 

Oddly, he fiddled with the small training saber that hung at his side, rolling and twisting it through his fingers. The longer he sat and thought, the less his fingers moved, yet the lightsaber held pace. Ulan's green eyes peered off into the distance, lost in the hum of the hyperdrive. What the short fellow was thinking will remain a mystery, but he stayed in the trance until it was broken by Gavin, his master...

[Neruu]

Neruu looked out window of spaceship as it came to stop then went back into hyperspace continuing its way to helix station. Neruu just hoped his R5 droid wouldn't break on trip there. Neruu thought of what he would do first when getting back to helix station. After a few minutes of thought he determined he would make lightsaber right away.. well after reading up on information.

[Gavin Ryaro]

After setting the couse of the ship and prepping everything for their arrival Gavin turned to his apprientice who was sitting in the co-pilots chair and found the small green alien meditating. This caused him to smile inwardly. His student was learning quickly and there was little left for him to teach. Soon Ulan would be taking his trials and then he would be off saving the world, training a student of his own.

 

With a slight twinge of regret Gavin slipped into the flow of the Force to find his padawan, prompting him to take himself out of the current that he had been swept away in. As both of their eyes fluttered open Gavin smiled.

 

"I have found another task for you. For the Jedi Naturalist a strong connection with the Living Force."

 

Reaching behind his back he dug into his knapsack, digging out a small pouch full of soil, a small container, and a seed that he had taken from Sullust. He dumped the soil into the container and placed the seed in the middle of the soil.

 

"Normally, this seed would take weeks, maybe even months, to become the plant that it was meant to be. Since you are supposed to seek harmony with nature, one of the things you will need to know how to do is to influence the aspects of nature that are found all around you. What I want you to do is influence this seed and coax it into growing into the plant that it was meant to be."

[Ulan]

Ulan took the container and held it in his lap. His big green eyes peered down into the soil looking upon the container as a child looks upon a new toy. Several times during their journey Ulan had displayed similarities to a child. The green dwarf was nearly five hundred years old, yet he had never lost that childlike inquisitiveness that looks upon each part of the universe as if he is looking upon it for the first time.

 

This time it was a pot of dirt, but to Ulan it was so much more. In his hands he held life, new life. Resting in his lap was a life as new and fresh as an unfertilized human egg. The potential that lurked in the seed was limitless. As the plant would grow it would slowly and majestically reveal its powers. Living on Wayland in the dense forest, Ulan had learned a lot about the mysteries of plant life, and resting in his lap was a new being for him to study and know.

 

His lightsaber had quit twitching as soon as Gavin had begun speaking, but Ulan's connection with the Force had not diminished. He had finally locked into the mystical energy, solidifying his connection. It took no time at all for Ulan to focus his thoughts on the dormant seed resting inside the warm soil. Gavin's words, Living Force, echoed in Ulan's mind. He did not understand the full complexity of what the Living Force was, but the two words together provided the perfect mental image needed for completing his task. From that phrase he understood that the Force was something flowing through all things, and from the Force, Ulan could draw upon the power of all things to aid him in his endeavors. In this case, he needed to draw on the small traces of water vapor present in the soil and surrounding air.

 

Making a seed germinate is a difficult and complex task that Ulan had perfected on Wayland, but now with the Force to guide his hand the procedure quickened. No longer did he have to wait for the perfect amount of water to saturate the seed. Now he could encourage the water to penetrate the seed's outer covering and promote the seed's progress towards forming a root.

 

Ulan's eyes closed as he focused harder on the small seed. Eventually, Ulan would be able to perform this task with the wave of his hand, but this being his first time the task would take hard concentration and determination. He communicated with the seed, learning about its structure, history, and plant type. Asking the seed questions comforted the new infant life, encouraging growth. Ulan could feel the new root bulging inside the hard outer shell of the seed, and he knew it would be only a matter of time before the covering burst open.

 

One final element was needed. Someday, the plant would feed off of carbon dioxide, but in its earliest fragile state it needed the life giving gas, oxygen. Ulan pulled the element from the air and forced it through the soil surrounding and penetrating the seed with the precious gas. As the two elements, water and oxygen, bombarded the seed's defenses, the inside of the seed morphed from a precious embryo into a long stem. Finally, the white fragile root bulged and pushed until the hard covering cracked, split, and ripped open providing an escape for the new root.

 

Ulan's eyes opened with a sense of peace filling them. He had just witnessed the birth of a new life, and even though he had spent years working with plants he had never experienced their lives as he just did.

 

He looked up at Gavin, "For this gift, thank you." Ulan knew his master would understand his gratitude was for more than just the seed and pot, but for the opportunity to experience the wonders of the Force as Gavin had shown him. Every master and apprentice relationship contained an element of the feelings Ulan now felt for Gavin. A master opens the padawan's eyes and helps him see the world in a completely original and unique way. Gavin had just done this for Ulan, and Ulan now longed to do it for someone else. It was the passing of the torch, the transfer of knowledge from teacher to pupil. Gavin had provided Ulan with an unforgettable experience, but more than that the Jedi Knight had cultivated the need for Ulan to pass on the skills he had learned. Relationships such as these were why the Jedi had survived for millennia, and would continue to do so in the future.

[Rodya]

Once in space, Rodya made a quick dash to his medical supply closet. Luckily, Dunya had amassed an extreme supply of medical equipment while Rodya had been imprisoned by his droid.

 

"Wranon, get out here. We've got a visitor," said Rodya via the ship's comm.

 

Rodya, supplied with some burn ointments and pain relievers entered the cabin where Quintus was still tied up laying on a bed.

 

"I'm leaving you tied up for my safety until I can be sure you will cooperate. Just know, you're on my ship now. Try anything and I will kill you."

 

Rodya wanted to make the rules very clear, but he wasn't truly concerned. Quintus should have still been severely suffering from his wounds and would need Rodya's care. Plus, as soon as Wranon came into the room he would have back up.

[BLACK1]

Aboard the Imperial Executor-class star destroyer Solemn Harbinger, the Emperor stood gazing as the brilliant hues of blue fly past the bridge view port. There was no going back now, not with the fleet battle ready and in transit. He had waited so long for the Rebels to screw up, and screw up they did. This would be their own fault, really. All they had to do was keep their religious in line. The self proclaimed peacekeepers of the galaxy had twice now brought the war to his Empire, and the same would be visited upon them in turn. Not once, but twice.

 

"Captain Nagi, Inquisitor Haphaestus. Report for your orders."

[Haphaestus]

Haphaestus was pleased with how smoothly the process had gone in meeting the Emperor. He had merely to announce his intentions and he had been granted permission to land, however briefly, before being summoned to accompany the Emperor himself. That is how he preferred it, for he was by nature a being of efficiency not only in action but in contemplation.

 

Perhaps the Empire knew what was good for them, for defying him or making him tarry too long without acknowledgement, even in his infinite patience, would have been a mistake of the most dire nature. While he was patient, there were certain essential differences between the meaning of that word and 'longsuffering', differences that were exemplified in his imperious character. The Dark Side was Haphaestus' servant, and he was invincible even without it. The moment that that was overlooked would be the moment such a foolish beholder would cease to exist in the mortal world.

 

His identification algorithms quickly noted that the Emperor was one man known by the moniker 'Black'. It wasn't his real name any more than Haphaestus was his, but it adequately represented him, as far as Haphaestus knew, in demeanor and, often, attire. Black's reputation was not lost on the Sith either, and he had internalized and analyzed tales of what this Emperor had accomplished.

 

Black was, he noted, a reasonable man, contrary in many aspects to those before him to hold his title, such as Palpatine, Phillep, and Geki. Many of Haphaestus' quasi-religious likeness would think him weak for making the compromises of peace with the fledgling now-Republic. But Haphaestus understood his motives and respected that he would treat with even his opponents in such a way.

 

All these musings took approximately .730778 seconds, and the Inquisitor was not tardy in his response to the Emperor's comm. "Immediately, my lord," he said in his dark voice, filtered through his helmet to give it a slight but definite mechanical tint. He landed his ship aboard the Solemn Harbinger swiftly and in the same manner deported himself from its confines and into those of the prodigious Star Destroyer's bridge.

 

Heads turned when he entered, then quickly snapped back in place. Yes, the Imperials knew how to show their respect to the Sith. In turn, Haphaestus showed his respect for the Emperor with a silent bow, his tall, black-armored likeness shifting into the motion with the same natural grace as accompanied all his actions.

[Zed]

Zed blinks a few times and yawns after falling asleep after looking at holonet for anything interesting. But then something caught his eye as it came on. Zed rubbed his hands together as idea of seeing if he could shift through rubble of sith temple to get some stuff he could sell. Zed then blinked noticing he didn't know where sith temple was. Zed though attention was caught by holonet as talk of straining tensions and what not. Zed thought of profit there was in scavenging off battlefields or using freighter to ferry supply's like weapons but keep some. Zed so hoped for war so he could make some money. Zed then noticed article about a gunshop owner being killed. Zed thought sneaking in and robbing the place might be easier then trying to look for junk in rubble. Zed kicked the ship and holonet turned off and Zed jumped into chair punching in the coordinates of gunshop. Zed would make some money or be maimed in process. Zed shrugged and his ship jumped into hyperspace. As ship made its way through hyperspace Zed tried to make himself seem not so conspicuous and put on clean clothes and washed hair to try and get hair dye out of it. Zed then did his best work to try and fake a ID of a guy meant to take stuff in custody as evidence and there would probably be a lot of evidence. Zed though knew his plan was full of holes and would probably end up badly even if it worked. The Brisk exited hyperspace and Zed put his attention to piloting even though he wasn't that ready.

[Wranorn]

Wranorn lost concentration when Rodya called for him, he had kept to himself while they were at the Gunshop, and fell asleep. He didnt even notice that they had taken off from there.

 

Visitor, what the hell he thought to himself as he picked up his new blaster, and some of his vibro-blades.

 

He walked over to where Rodyas voice had come and some some one laying on a bed. The man seemed pretty out of it, and rather messed up.

 

"What the hell happened in that gun shop?" he asked Rodya, they hadnt been in there long, and somehow people were getting blown up, and now that he thought about it, had he heard sirens when they were leaving...

 

It didnt matter now though, the man was here, and Wranorn had an idea as to why he was requested. He drew out his blaster, and kept it ready, there was no telling if this man was going to go nuts, and try to kill anyone, so he was there as reassurance that if such a thing would happen, that he would be there to dispatch of their new friend.

[Gavin Ryaro]

The moment that Gavin and Ulan were sharing could cause Gavin to do only one thing; smile warmly. The two were finally becoming the true team of the master and the apprentice, and for some reason Gavin couldn't get it out of his head that the bond between the two would soon be tested. Yet he wasn't frightened at all by this prospect. He had come to trust his apprentice fully and hoped that the feeling was reciprocated.

 

In many ways the plant represented Ulan's padawan journey. He had started out as a seedling, but with some prodding and some work on his own he had flourished into a well rounded Jedi-to-be, and Gavin knew that soon he would take his trials. Seeing as how he was about to take one of the biggest steps into a larger world it wouldn't be too long until the small green alien was taking an apprentice of his own. But for now the pair needed to focus on the present.

 

An alarm signaling that the ship was about to arrive at its destination broke Gavin's concentration. He turned, still smiling, to the controls and preparred the ship for the reversion into realspace.

[Zed]

Zed blinked as his comm blinked on his ship. Zed listened to the comm before turning ship around. Zed flipped a few switches, pressed some buttons and zoom the Brisk went into hyperspace. Zed decided to clean his sword during trip in hyperspace towards destination. Zed stood up and went back to activate Uno. Zed thought it would be safe for Uno to be active and not get into any trouble. Zed then made his way back to his seat just in time to see ship exit hyperspace with Uno right behind him.