Space

[Cadio Sikaot]

"Sir, the prisoner is awake."

 

Cadio nodded as he continued to stare through the forward viewport. He turned on his heel and headed towards the turbolift that would take him to the detention area. His ride was as uneventful as possible. He merely stared straight ahead at the metallic surface of the wall, contemplating what he would say when he reached the detention center.

 

It almost made him smile when he thought of his lack of preparation. He had been standing at the helm of the ship for hours thinking about nothing at all, knowing full well that soon he would be talking face to face with the galaxies most infamous criminal.

 

A slight ding alerted Cadio to the fact that he had arrived at his destination. The door slid into the crevice that was designed to hold it and he stepped through the portal. He already knew which cell Faust was captive in and he headed straight to it. Three guards from the control center for that particular level followed him, weapons drawn and ready. He pushed the button on the doorway that caused it to retract and stepped through the entrance.

 

He saw the battered and bloody man lying on the bench. His eyes were open, yet they were distant to an extent that normal humans rarely achieved.

 

"So Faust, enlighten me. What exactly was the drug that you injected yourself with?"

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's eyes roll over towards Cadio, a grimmace of a smile appearing on his face. "Ahh, so the great vice-admiral greets me with his presence. In hindsight I thought that was your shuttle on the battlefield. Really, it was a pity I did not destroy it sooner." Chuckling, Faust puts his effort into reaching a sitting position.

 

"I seem to have overdosed or your two-bit soldiers would not have taken me from behind. It was a custom blend I'd ordered made during my time as emperor of the galaxy using the Empire's resources. A few super-stimulants, pain killers and other fun stuff that was for soldiers in battle, coupled with Sith poison for kicks." The Hunter straightens himself, a faint gleam in his eyes and smile.

 

"Sadly, the making is a classified secret and I doubt the current Imperial administration remembered to budget its production in. Tit-for-tat, vice-admiral. Who were those soldiers who snuck up on me? A better question, is how many of your grunts did you feed into the meat grinder to take me down?"

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio's left eyebrow rose at Faust's rather blunt inquiry.

 

"Those soldiers were the men that you neglected to take care of on your way out of the ocean. Had you stood your ground instead of running like a coward there is a very large chance that we wouldn't have stopped you and that you would still be sowing terror to the rest of the galaxy."

 

Cadio turned and dismissed the three men that were guarding the still open door. Faust was still a huge threat but Cadio knew that if Faust wanted him dead the guards would do little to stop him. With the direction that the conversation was headed Cadio wasn't sure that he wanted his men present. He watched as they left and then turned back to Faust.

 

"You killed three hundred and fifty-seven of my troops today. That's three hundred and fifty-seven letters that I will have to write to three hundred and fifty-seven families to inform them that their son or daughter is dead. When I first read the numbers I was pretty distraught and questioned my ability to lead these men, then I remembered the disasters at Coruscant and the other worlds that you have terrorized and I knew that I had made the correct choice."

 

Cadio leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms.

 

"You know, I'm curious. What exactly do you gain through all the death and destruction that you cause? I've never quite understood."

 

((Terribly sorry about the wait.))

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust shakes his head after listening to the whole of Cadio's speech. "A rather blunt, if incorrect assessment, Admiral." With minimal effort, the hunter turns Cadio's rather exalted title into a slur and insult, clearly implying what he thought Cadio knew of ground to ground warfare. His voice rings hard, projected to carry out past Cadio and to his men.

 

"If I had stood my ground I could have easily butchered those troops, but I'm still on a hostile world. I've fought guerilla style warfare since I was four. In that situation the troops keep coming. I was exposed on the beach and easily victim to aerial strike and snipers with no cover. In a situation like that you need to keep moving and keep cover about you. The fact I killed so many men shows your strategy was lacking." Faust gives a derisive snort. "You threw your men into a meat grinder, so the fault is yours. I take pleasure in my kills, but the guilt, the blame is yours for being careless. You should be distraught."

 

Faust watches carefully, letting his words cut, made all the more venmous because he knew they were true. "Your best bet was to contain me on that beach and keep me there. Once I made it past there it was a race, pure and simple. If I'd double backed and moved underwater, I might have gotten away too since you delayed in deploying subs or native Mon Cals as I would have expected you to."

 

The Hunter throws back his head and laughs. "A shame you weren't as good as I thought. I failed to get ahead, and it turned into that meat grinder. I was stuck in a fortified position and had to take extraordinary means. You in turn, played by simple rules and failed, sending wave after wave of men to try and break the grinder by overstuffing it." A malicious gleam enters Faust's cold, cold blue eyes, a wolfish smile enters on his face. The Admiral captured him, bested him, but Cadio was his now.

 

"You ask why I kill, why I spread death and destruction? I could answer that, but I am curious to know first why you fed the meat grinder so callously. Why do you wish to stop me?"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin pulled the shuttle out of hyperspace only a few seconds into the jump--stars were far enough apart that it wasn't dangerous to go a few seconds, but every second beyond that was increasingly deadly. However, there hadn't really been that much danger, and considerably less than if they had stuck around to battle the Imperial forces that had pursued them.

 

"Well, Aira," he said to his padawan, "I'd guess there are quite a few Imperials at Ilum. Thankfully, there's another, safer place where we can find lightsaber crystals."

 

The Jedi Master plotted a couple of quick jumps to lose any Imperial pursuers, just in case it was possible for them to guess where he had gone, then laid the final course in for Dantooine, which was officially aligned with the Jedi Order.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio gave a slight shrug at the end of Faust's speech.

 

"The way I see it, the failure was on your part. You might have taken out a lot of my men but you are still here and you are still a prisoner of the Republic."

 

Cadio turned his back to Faust as his face beacme more solemn.

 

"As for why I wish to stop you, I guess you could call it something of a personal vendetta. You see, when I first joined the Republic's Armed Forces I was just another soldier. I was just married, cocky, and leading the ideal life. Then one day I recieved a letter, alerting me to the fact that my wife and two children had been killed in an attack. An attack that you happened to commit. From that day forward I made a vow to myself that I would see you brought to justice. It seems that today is the day that I see that happen."

 

Cadio turned back around, allowing the humor to return to his face.

 

"Now that I've answered your question I think that it's time that you answered mine."

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust's head tilts curiously, his eyes penetrating. "An attack you say. I am curious as to which particular event precipitated this. Playing the odds, I would guess my ah... famed incident on Coruscant?" Not waiting for a response, he laughs, and continues speaking.

 

"You say you wish to bring me to justice? What is justice, dear boy, hmmmm? It is a stronger man pronouncing judgment over a weaker one. That one truth you hold to, that one ideal you strive for is empty, hollow. There is no justice save by what we make with the power given to us, and even then, it is mere whim and desire, is it not? A desire for fairness, a desire for gain, and it really all comes down to the same in the end."

 

Faust rises up, stretching his aching muscles, still feeling clearly now the furious beating of his heart from the super stim.

 

"Let me tell you the real truth. Men are meat. Flesh, blood, bone, and little else. This was the rule I learned in the trenches as a child. It takes a bit of metal or energy to reduce man to those components. Want of power, fear, and all those other motivations ruled. There was no purity, no virtue, only survival. Then, I escaped into the galaxy at large. And you know what I discovered?"

 

The Hunter grins. "I became a bounty hunter because I learned men are the same worlds over. I learned that your virtue, your sheep and slave mentalities invited aggression- the same that caused my homeworld to burn itself out into the hellish cinder of battered souls that it was. I leaned to use my power to awaken others, to gain power, and to inspire terror as a great Hunter, able to slay anyone, to ruin worlds at will..." Faust trails off, his eyes cold and distant. "Then I tapped into my parent's gift- former Jedi on the run and in love, I inhereted their genetics and could bend the Force to my will. You know what the Dark side is? Chaos, cold, hollow, and a screaming tempest that can be harnessed by those bold and reckless enough to embrace it. I learned that while men are meat- grasping, snivling, and contemptable creatures doomed to fight, their souls divided into Light and Dark are the same.

 

"The Dark is in us all- or why would it exist? The Jedi call to the Force as god. The Sith call to it to harness it, yet the Force is divided and at war with itself. War is our natural state, Admiral- the strong must purge the weak, and burn out those flames of what you call Light. The world I came from left me battered, but I survived and I am stronger for it. A cruel lesson, and one that requires dousing this galaxy in shadowfire- burning away everything that you think has meaning, burning those bonds of endearment, and burning those who would not see the truth." There is a manic tone in Faust's voice, but every neuron in his brain fires back with cold, pure reason.

 

"You ask me why I fight? Because that is what we are born to do. I am awake, Admiral, and would rest this galaxy from its slumber. I would purge it of all weakness. It will still burn in the end, but it will be pure. You ask me why I fight? I am. I am what was, and what will be. This galaxy is mine, Cadio. Conflict, strife, and loss... your so called justice cannot measure or comprehend it." Faust leans back against the wall, measuring his audience's reactions. "But... you are asleep still... You can see the abyss, you know it is here before you, but you cannot look inside, fearful of finding your own face staring back. Why else would I still be alive if I'd wronged you so?"

[Yoshiba]

Yoshibas space craft continued to float through the cold darkness of space, still searching for the wave in the force

[Wranorn]

Wranorn drifted through space, a lot was going through his mind.. the events that had passed over Gala, and the bit of training that he had completed with Rodya was still fresh in his mind. the only question that he had was who, or where was his nect target. He kept his ear on the Holonet for a good bounty that he could collect on.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio's face nearly turned to one of horror but he managed to mask it well enough.

 

"You have a very depressing outlook on life. The darkness may be in us all but I've found that those who choose light have a more enjoyable life. When was the last time you stopped and saw the simple beauty in a flower? Or the last time that you enjoyed an intimate conversation with a friend? You don't know what you're missing."

 

Cadio's face became softer as he continued to speak.

 

"If you are privy to all of this knowledge and lead the life you do because of it then I would rather be considered naive on this particular subject. I think that in this case ignorance may in fact be bliss."

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust gives a faint smirk at the last. "You're an adept student as recognizing necessity, dear boy, or else why would you have thrown so many men into the grinder? You're further along than you wish to admit. You might be a survivor- indeed survival is what this is all about. The flames will come- be it over centuries or months. The strong few will fan the flames, but we will also survive as well. That is satisfying, pleasurable even; bending the world to one's imaginings, shaping souls, and destroying what does not conform." He gives a sidelong glance, the smirk growing wider, "Though your wretches organization, you yourself do more of that than you would believe, Admiral, though the Republic fails to recognize its full potential." The smirk grows into a conspirtatorial grin. "If I had your resources and your manpower, I could deliver you this galaxy- give you the Empire, Coruscant, and bring a lifelong peace... perhaps... It would be interesting to see, would it not?"

[Cadio Sikaot]

The last statement drew a loud chuckle from Cadio.

 

"Perhaps if I hadn't seen what you can do I would be more inclined to take you up on that offer, but as it stands I have no reason to believe that you want anything even remotely close to peace in this galaxy."

 

Cadio's face returned to the more solemn look that had adorned his complexion for the past few minutes.

 

"What is the big draw of all this power? You claim that you can bend world's to do your bidding, but to what end? One day you will die and you will die in infamy, always remembered as a man who did nothing to help the galaxy. Why would anyone want that?"

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust snorts, almost laughing at the insinuation he wanted peace.

 

"I could allow peace, but it would be counter-productive. One may attain periods of stability where fighting between worlds cease, but true peace? Unheard of! The only true peace is that of the grave. A period of stability, where the Republic was let to rule, and sit, and fester in its own inequalities could prove interesting." He gives Cadio a sidelong look. "I have the grand picture in mind, Admiral. Do you think death discourages me? That I fear it? Death is a fickle thing- you get popped and come back cloned, fresh as new if you're one of the galaxy's elite. No, I don't hold for that, but I don't plan on dying either. When this galaxy burns, it will be survivors I made who sift through the ashes and live. In one form or another," he adds cryptically, "I will be there. I've laid claim to this galaxy, I've even saved it from outright destruction a few times... and yet... the grand picture is always missed. A shame really..." The Hunter shakes his head. "Ah well, more's the pity. I think our audience is done." He waves a hand dismissively at the Admiral, then lies back on his bunk, preparing to rest it seemed. He does however, give one last parting call.

 

"Tell me, Admiral, do you think the Republic is even capable of putting me on trial for my so-called crimes?"

[Wranorn]

Wranorn smirked. "Hmmm, wookie pelts, could be interesting i guess, i do need the credits"

 

He turned ship around, and aimed it toward a distant star, and shot off through hyperspace.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio had turned towards the exit when Faust made his final inquiry. He let out a heavy sigh and without turning back around, he answered.

 

"I think that the Republic is capable of many things Faust...many things."

 

He walked through the door and heard it slam shut behind him. The two guards that had been outside of the cell took their places once again and Cadio began to solemnly walk down the corridor back towards the bridge of the ship.

 

When he arrived one of his officers alerted him to the fact that the ship would be arriving at Gala in a few short hours. He thanked hte young man and resumed his place at the forward viewport. It was said that staring into the depths of hyperspace was enough to drive a being crazy, and perhaps it had...

[Vladimir Faust]

Faust settles back, smiling at the two guards. "Well, well, well, it looks like we have time to send together, boys." Chuckling, he meets their gaze. "Tell me, how does it feel knowing that after I escape, I will have your families hunted down and personally butchered?" With that, he breaks into a grin.

 

An hour on, Faust keeps talking, not having stopped once.

 

"... of course, until you've seen what a soldier looks like after you've force feed explosives down their throat, you can't really say, can you? The worst part is how their intestines fly everywhere. One can trip over that! Of course, I'm also a fan of using my lightsaber to rip their guts open and then strangle someone with those intestines... "

 

And a half hour after that...

 

"... then again, a child flayed alive and rolled in salt makes noise of which you wouldn't believe- and oh, I'm sorry, did you say you had a son? Well, anyhow, the screams take forever to die out' usually the shock of pain is what kills them..."

 

And even another hour after that...

 

"Coruscant after it collapsed was simply breath taking... The chaos, the fires, the screams- and oh, sorry were you stationed there? What did you think of my handiwork? It reminds me of the time I dropped a children's ward on some Jedi there to kill them. Priceless! Oh, do you have something you want to say? Really, if you're going to murder me, at least be a man and do it yourself. I told the fools you'd never take me alive, and yet..."

 

An hour after that...

 

"... So I'm having dinner with Geki in the Imperial Palace, and you know, meat just isn't fresh unless its sliced off section by section from a living, sentient being. They are right when they say the cheek is the best part..."

 

And an hour later, he still hasn't shut up once the whole time, still listing off jeers and atrocities to the guards...

 

"... so I killed the bounty head's wife, ripped their unborn child out of the womb, and used it to beat my target to death. Patricide.. even the unborn aren't above it these days. When I showed the holofeed of that to the Hutts they were most pleased and-"

 

At that, things turned ugly, the guard's snapping point reached. Faust remained calm, anticipating this turn of vigilante justice. The mind was something easy enough to ply, even without Mind Tricks...

 

"Remember, soldier-boy, I'm going to enjoy whatever you try to do to me, so you better enjoy it too."

 

*****

 

There is a nasty fight as the guard tries to shoot Faust at point black, who ducks aside and retaliates, literally grabbing him by the neck and punching his head at an angle suggesting the breaking of his neck. He grabs the guard's rifle and fires up at the ceiling, knocking out the security camera...

 

*****

 

About six minutes later a crackled voice beams over the comm...

 

Red alert! Red alert! This is... ooh ooh the pain..... Faust... Faust is down... He taunted the other guard into attacking him. He almost shot Faust in the face, trying to kill him, but Faust... he ripped him apart with his bare hands and teeth... then turned on me.... I shot him, but.. Oh! Oh! Oh god, I can't feel my face! I can't even move...

 

Rebooted security drones would show three horribly burned bodies sprawled on the floor- Each appearing to be a guard with his neck at a funny angle, a guard with a face torn up by what looks like fingernails, bleeding from cuts all over, and then some distance down, in the prisoner's uniform, a charred face, looking as if it were burned by laser fire- Faust- barely stirring.

 

Bastards.... won't.... take me.....

[Onderin Starlisk]

The shuttle Onderin had borrowed from Gala popped out of hyperspace in the middle of nowhere. The Admiral put in a few calls to Gala and other places, making sure he would immediately be notified if the dangerous criminal Teagaar and his terrorists showed up on another Republic world. He would be there himself to deal with it if and when that event occured.

 

In the meantime, he turned his his apprentice, Aira Cadan. "It looks like all we can do for a little while is wait," Onderin told her. "Since you still have so much to learn, we should be able to fill that time meaningfully.

 

"I have one or two things I need to teach you, but before I do so," the Jedi Master continued, "I wanted to know if there's anything specific you know Jedi can do that you want to learn. I don't want to miss something that you feel the Force is calling you to specialize in, and the sooner you begin to learn such abilities, the more competant you'll be later."

[Aira Cadan]

I nodded as Onderin told me we'd have to wait, although I didn't like it at all. It seemed wrong to just wait around until he attacked a world. I had thought that, as Jedi, we should be preventing attacks, which I supposed we would be by taking this terrorist, but it seemed wrong to have to wait until more people died at the man's hand. That, and it was vaguely distrubing that no one in the Republic could locate this guy. I guess there are still places you can go if you don't want to be found...by anyone.

 

I quickly turned my thoughts away from the terrorist problem and onto the question my master had asked me. Slowly, I shook my head. "I just want to help people, Master. I feel like I've been given power and responsibility, and I want to use that to help others."

[Onderin Starlisk]

It was about the kind of response Onderin had figured he would get from time to time with Aira, and it wasn't exactly what he had had in mind, but it was fine. It just meant he could continue with his lessons as planned and didn't have to take any detours. But he could at least flip around two of the things he had been planning and jump straight to Force healing, one of the best way in the galaxy to help people, especially in a military faction.

 

Of course, this lesson was a painful one if it was going to be real. Onderin took a deep breath. "Very well," he said. "It's time to learn how to heal people with the Force. There is only so much I can tell you--like many abilities, this is one that requires only Force awareness, imagination, and faith. Examining a wound through the Force will bring to mind what is wrong and thus how to heal it.

 

"The best way to learn this is to try it."

 

So saying, Onderin drew his lightsaber and flicked on the viridian blade. He tapped deeply into the Force and harnessed his abilities in energy absorption to make this much less of a wound, then bared his left arm and lowered the blade to it. A curl of smoke rose as the flesh on the surface charred, but he was careful to make the wound shallow. "Try it," he said, keeping his appearance calm but unable to hide the strain in his voice.

[Cadio Sikaot]

Cadio heard the alarm begin to sound and immediately reacted. Going against his own policy he began to yell across the bridge.

 

"Shut that damn thing off! I don't want anyone going near that containment wing without speaking to me directly."

 

Cadio began to walk briskly toward the turbolift, motioning for the captain serving on the ship to follow him.

 

"I want a medical team to meet on the level above Faust's cell block. I also want your best squad to meet me with the medical team. We're not taking any chances."

 

Cadio entered the turbolift and rode it down to the level where his men were waiting. As he stepped out he began to address them.

 

"Faust is on the level below us and according to reports he is heavily injured. I don't want to take any chances so do not assume anything about his condition. You are to stay completely alert."

 

Turning to the medical team he began to address them.

 

"As soon as the room is cleared I want Faust sedated and his wounds treated. We should be at Gala in a couple of hours and I don't want him concious until we get there. Is that understood?"

 

He recieved the affirmitive nods and they all entered the lift and rode it down. When the doors opened the sight that greeted them was anything but pleasant. The smell of charred flesh immediately penetrated their nostrils inducing a gag reflex. They entered the room and began to go about their various assignments.

 

The medical team cautiously approached Faust's almost indistinguishable form and gently picked him up, placing his body on the gurney. They attached an IV and began to pump sedatives into his bloodstream. Now all they had to do was wait.

[Vladimir Faust]

The remaining guard, badly wounded as he was, barely let his eyes flit open as he watched Rebel soldiers pick up the charred and barely distinguishable form of Vladimir Faust in his prison array, letting blood drop down the oozy mess of his face, also an indistinguishable wreck.

 

That same guard relaxes as he lets himself get taken to the medical bay, breathing shallowly, his eyes still quietly watching, knowing that Faust would be under guard, secured, sedated, and all but under wraps by the dear Admiral until they reached their final location.

 

Alone in the medical bay with a physician, he relaxes, letting the doctor begin to treat him. Slowly, the guard's eyes open- and they are startlingly blue.

 

"I'm fine, doctor," his voice rasps, his mechanical voicebox working just as it did when he set out the distress call. "All I need is a bacta patch and I can be on my way. You can write that in your report."

 

The physican blinks, as if trying to clear his head, then gives a satisfactory nod, handing the guard a bacta patch. "You're fine. All you need is a bacta patch and you can be on your way. I'll write that in my report."

 

The guard smiles, taking the patch with him, leaving. "You're too kind," he murmurs under his breath. "Thank you for your concern." His face turned away from the doctor, he waits until he starts writing his report, then drops something down a bio-hazard disposal chute for immediate incineration- a clothlike piece of flesh- the face of the char blasted guard Faust dressed in his prison uniform- and used his own cybernetically sharpened nails to literally deface.

 

Of course, "Faust" was now sedated, harmless, and under heavy guard, his fleshless face too char blasted to be recongizable. His vitals would be monitored, but as long as he didn't stir- unlikely due ot the sediatives- well, "Faust" wouldn't cause Faust any trouble.

 

Chuckling alone to himself in the empty halls, head down with a bacta patch covering his face, Faust admits he stole his idea from that cannibal doctor fellow he'd heard about, but sometimes, the old tricks were the best for tricking sheep... or rather lambs... like the Rebels.

 

A short tlme later with a half hour left before reaching Gala, a rebel pilot with a couple heavy knap-sack waits inside an X-Wing in the main hangar, watching maintenance crews at work. Despite his helmet and posture, they ignore him, again in part because of his unassuming character, in part because of another subtle Force suggestion, an aura brushing suggesting a they pay attention to other matters. He spent the past hour and a half wisely, keeping out of sight, using a few judiciously and strongly executed mind tricks to get his affects back- and then take care of one more all too important detail...

 

He would wait until they reached Gala. He estimated a brief window of opportunity while they communicated with the surface, prepared for bringing "Faust" down- and then... well, he could give the dear Admiral- and all of Gala a nasty, nasty surprise...

[Aira Cadan]

Before I could stop him, Onderin had hit himself with his lightsaber. On purpose. As the smell of charred flesh filled the hold with a sickening sweet scent, I tried not to gag. My earlier doubts on my master's sanity were reawakened by this act.

 

But I knew I had to do something. Onderin was clearly in pain, and he had tasked me with healing him. I glanced at the wound, and immediately had to fight the gag reflex again. The skin was badly burned, shiny and moist in some places and a crispy dry red in others. I closed my eyes and probed the wouund with the Force. Almost immediately I could tell that if I focused the Force on certain nerves, I could deaden or at least lessen the pain greatly. I did so at once, and hoped that Onderin was now in much less pain.

 

As I probed deeper with the Force, I quieted my mind. I forced the nasty mental images of the wound out of my head and focused on trying to listen for hints from the Force. Eventually I heard a faint push to encourage the cells in his skin to regenerate, multiply, and come together. I tried to communicate that hint through the Force to Onderin's arm. No luck. I kept trying, however, and after a long moment, I felt success. It seemed like the skin was regrowing, renewing itself and closing the wound.

 

After a long time, I opened my eyes. Onderin's arm looked almost as good as new; it was a little pink and raw in the area where he had burned himself, but certainly no where near as bad as it had been. I felt extremely drained and shaky, and I sank to a chair, trying to get some semblance of energy back.

[Onderin Starlisk]

As Onderin's arm rebuilt itself, the Jedi Master felt the pain ease and the glorious warmth of the Force bathe his limb in its healing light. He also felt how unsure Aira was at first until she opened herself to the limitless possibilities that the Force brought her and put her faith in it to find a solution to the problem before her. She was getting much better at rolling with the unusual tasks he threw at her and setting her mind towards their resolution.

 

When she was finished and she opened her eyes, he met her gaze and smiled. "See? You can do it," he said. "You probably think I'm crazy to do some of these things, but you must realize that real experience is hard to come by. I don't want to short-change you by giving you meaningless exercises when you can learn so much better through the real thing. The fact that I'm willing to risk much for it simply means that I have faith that you'll pull through."

 

Just then, the Jedi Master's comm beeped with a message from Gala. "Hm," he said when he listened to it. "It sounds like we found Teagaar... when he was brought to Gala by an unmarked shuttle presumably from Black Sun." His voice lifted at the end, showing how unusual he thought the circumstances were. "I guess it's back to the capital, then."

 

Stepping back to the shuttle's cockpit, the Admiral noted that his arm was still a little sore and tight where he had sabered himself, but it really was in amazing shape considering that he had had a third-degree burn only minutes earlier. He laid in the coordinates for Gala and soon the shuttle was on its way.

[Jhoren Zeur]

The Lost Soul soared through hyperspace at an astonishing speed. Inside of the craft's cockpit sat Jhoren and Kira. The former turned his lightsaber over in his hands, studying it absent-mindedly.

 

"Do you know who she was?" he asked his master. "The Clawdite, I mean."

[Kirana Sunrider]

Kirana glanced over towards Jhoren, relaxing the tension from her shoulders now that they were in hyperspace on the first of their random jumps. "Yes, she was the padawan of another Master at the enclave. Nayèla learnt a lesson the hard way. She thought she had killed her Master when they were duelling. In actual fact, her Master took only a glancing blow. It was the smell of burnt flesh that added to Nayèla's worst fears. That coupled with the duel having been conducted within a crystal cave... she believed she had failed and therefore fell towards the dark side, angry at herself and hurting emotionally from having harmed her beloved Master." Kira smiled at Jhoren, "She will be fine. I sensed her redemption. Well done my padawan."

 

A few moments later the proximity alarm alerted them to prepare to emerge from hyperspace. Streaks reverted to stars and blackness, the Jedi Master letting her senses stretch out to make sure they were alone and had no one following their vector. Kirana sent off a comm message to Kheldar Vos Corelli regarding what had happened on Dantooine before she programmed the next set of random co-ordinates for the next jump. Once back in hyperspace she turned back towards Jhoren, "Since this jump is a longer one, how about we have a meal. You can tell me how you felt you handled the situation in the grove, and what we've covered so far with your training."

[Jhoren Zeur]

A sense of relief and comfort washed over Jhoren as he sat there, watching the star-streaked void return to its normal self once more. He leniently leaned back in his chair, taking the time he had to reflect upon the incident in the grove. The Clawdite had been distressed. Saddened by what she had done to her master. Did anger play a role in her preceding emotional state? Perhaps. Her sadness and frustration, Jhoren conjectured, could have contributed or even evolved into acrimony. It was interesting; he'd never thought of one's emotions that way.

 

A pleasant contortion enlightened his expression as Kira praised him. He couldn't help it, nor would he have been able to even if he tried. The feeling of accomplishment he felt after Nayèla agreed to go back to the Jedi enclave was gratifying enough. But, to be recognized for making the acquirement doubled the appeasement. When he spoke, his voice was audible but quite tacit.

 

”œThank you, Kira.”

[Kirana Sunrider]

Getting Jhoren's answer, she let her droid take the controls as she led the way to the galley. Kira quickly set to preparing a meal for the two of them, soon having two steaming plates of protein and vegies on the table. "Okay Jhoren. I'd like to hear your version now." She ended her words with a wink before taking a mouthful of food.

 

 

==

Later

==

 

Between the next set of jumps, Kirana ran through some of the security checks, making sure that there was no possible way of tracking them, or following them to their next location.

 

Receiving the comm back from Kheldar, Kirana sighed. She wished it would have been easier than this. Shaking her head, she forewarded the comm to the Alliance, hoping they would finish what she had tried to start. That done, she turned back to her padawan. "One more random jump and we'll be at our destination."

[Cathair Breslin]

The silence that filled his quarters was very welcome after the visions and dreams that had plagued him for nights. Dozens of times he had woken in a cold sweat, his hair matted to his head, and his eyes wide with terror. Each time he awoke, he wondered when what he saw would not be a vision, but would in fact be reality. As he recalled the visions, he saw himself making choices that even among his wildest ambitions, he would never make. He saw himself sending thousands of his fellow soldiers to their deaths in battles that had no hope of being won. He watched as countless bodies fell in pursuit of a victory that would only come through the focusing of his will. He witnessed himself using powers that only a god could wield. He saw himself gliding across the battlefield, striking down his enemies with a sword of crimson energy, lighting pouring from his fingertips. His eyes had become yellow, ringed with crimson as the Dark side of the Force coursed through his body, pouring power through him, bringing him to new heights, corrupting his soul, and his body with each moment.

 

Rising to a sitting position, Major Breslin felt the sweat pouring down his body, his arms shaking as they supported him. His eyes darted around the room, taking in every shadow, watching for any movement. His breath came in gasps, and for some strange reason, he could see his breath escaping him. He watched as the steam left his mouth and rose to the ceiling. Rising shakily to his feet, Cathair slowly paced the confines of his quarters aboard his new Star Destroyer. Reaching deep within himself, Breslin felt the heat of the Force giving him more strength. Burying his fear of the future deep within the river of molten lead, the Imperial Major began to don the armor given to him by Admiral Nokrt. Just like the first time he had put the armor on, each piece fit his body perfectly. It allowed for maximum protection without hindering his movement during combat. Since it had been given to him, he had never felt vulnerable. Since buckling each piece of armor to his body, his power had only increased with his instruction in the Force under the Admiral.

 

As the young Force-user turned his thoughts to his Force mentor, his wondered why he had not heard from Nokrt. Since finding the crystals on Ilum, he had seen his master once, and spoken with him even less. Since departing from Ilum, his progress with the Force had stunted. The only new ability has been the visions that have plagued him for weeks now. And they only seemed to be getting worse. Each vision seemed to bring a new unexpected horror into his life. He needed to figure out how to keep these visions from happening. He needed to keep these visions from coming true. Standing at a military rest, Breslin opened himself to the Force. He could feel the heat from within coursing through his veins. Reaching out with the Force, Cathair searched for his master.

[Jhoren Zeur]

Jhoren began on his meal, eating the food on his plate counter-clockwise. First the meat, then the two other different kinds of vegetables. He speared a small portion of each food item onto his fork, and once he made his round, popped it all into his mouth and chewed on it. Having gone for almost an entire day without eating, it wasn't until now when he realized just how hungry he was.

 

He swallowed his bite, then went into depth by explaining to Kira exactly what had happened back on Dantooine.

 

”œNayèla attacked first,”

[Sgt. Slaughter]

As it turned out, Corellia was not to be Bruce's destination. A few hours before he expected to arrive at the planet, Bruce's pilot reverted the shuttle from hyperspace in the middle of nowhere.

 

Correction, there was a single YT-2400 freighter within a few kilometers of their Lambda-class shuttle. With no explanation, Commander Slaughter and Lieutenant Speirs were transferred over to the Corellian freighter via umbilical, where they met an intelligence operative that informed them of their mission.

 

And then they were off again.