Star Wars 1. Chapter 1

STAR WARS: A JEDI'S TALE.

Chapter I::: There is no emotion.

He stepped in to his apartment. Door closed behind him in the dark. Silence inside. He sighed. The lights were programmed to his genetic trace. They turned a second later.

With the lights on, this dump only feels even more empty, he thought as he left his blaster pistol holstered over the small metal table next to the door. He surveyed the apartment with a quick but insightful glance. all looked in order; there was no reason to believe they had followed him here, or knew where he had been living for the past weeks, after he got this assignment.

Lights dimmed a bit to adjust to his preferences. The pink - orange glow of the setting bright jewel sun bathed the small apartment in stripped shadows made by the window shutters. He took the first steps in to his place in to his living room consisting on two couches and a small table. He removed his cloaked brown robe and walked over to the kitchen, he opened his ice box and took out a bottle filled with a crystal transparent liquor. His mind was racing, needed to calm down, breathe. Drink. The tall Nautolan poured the liquor in to a small glass and after finishing it up in one long gulp, he poured again and took the glass with him to a big old looking chair next to his window.

He still could not figure out what went wrong. He sipped from his drink and concentrated on his inner mind's eye in to recreating the events of the day.

He is standing on the platform indicated by the council. Ord Mantell; just another dusty landing platform in the midst of a spacer's city. He feels the Bright Jewel bathing his greenish skin. He misses the depths of the oceans of Glee Anselm, and the way his thick head tresses float about when swimming home. He is sensing some emotional disturbance from the woman standing beside him.

He turns around and sees her there, with her long jet black flowing hair dancing in the first rays of the coming morning. A beautiful woman, though he can't name her race. He has always thought humans to be fascinating, weak, unimportant and yet vast and dominant as is their presence in the Galaxy. But no, she is not human, her pale blue skin and violet-purple eyes mark her as near-human. He wonders what childhood must this woman have had to become so rugged and scarred at so young an age. She is not sensitive. If she were sensitive, the order might have spotted her early on her life to bring her in to training. Being non sensitive, she must be one hell of a fighter.

Now she is speaking. "Here they come" she says and points a slender finger upwards. He lifts his gaze to the clear blue sky following her hand. The landing platform is on the centre of the city, air lanes are packed with speeders going back and forth on their own business. The dusty atmosphere creates strange and beautiful light effects with the coming rays of the Bright Jewel sun rising. The galaxy is an unfathomable large place, and putting one self in perspective might induce a certain amount of depression, for one can one being do in such a huge place? Even being a Jedi does not help to minimize the... smallness of it all, and that's just the galaxy. He had talked with his master about this sense of perspective. And after long hours of reflecting and meditating, even being part of the Will of the Force feels somewhat, useless... helpless.

The ship lands a few meters from them, the sound of the ship's landing cycle yanks him out of his reflections. Their clothes flap with the repulsorlift backwash. He raises his arm to cover some of it off his face. "I hope your efforts lead us in to a good outcome, master Jedi, I did not requested your help, but I appreciate it", the girl says turning towards him. Her violet eyes on her blue skin are... pools to drown in, like a breath of too much surface air when suddenly being out of the water after days of being in the dark depths. He has been in the dark depths, and surface now seems farther than ever, looking at those eyes.

"Well, yes", he manages to answer, "I am not a jedi... yet, lady, the council assigned me as one of my trials and certainly to put a dent on a rising threat from the Black Sun with this endeavour, that is why we must succeed. The Black Sun are creating events that sends waves of dread and disturbance in the force to my masters. And I suspect they did not tell me everything." He shifts uncomfortably, he knows there is something more behind the order's assignment, he can feel something lurking in the shadows, small ripples of disturbance sent through the clear crisp water that is the Force. He can not help himself but to feel as a sacrificial lamb, on the altar of The Will of the Force. He gathers his thoughts and repeats, "We will succeed, I assure you". He feels inadequate, awkward, looking at her makes him so. As he was about to add another word, his words were drowned by the sound of the ship repulsorlifts finishing their cycles. The metal structure of the ship groans for a second or two before going silent. Hisses of white steam come out of the exhaust ports. The freighter, a YT-1150, finally settles down. A small platform descends from the bottom of the freighter; two of its occupants descend. They meet a few feet from the ship. His inner eye forces him to see more of that meeting, enhancing his field of vision. He is not aware at the moment, but through his recollection he realizes that are being watched. Black, flowing robes disappear behind a window in a nearby tall building.

A black figure, disturbance in the force. His feelings of being sacrificed on the altar of The will of The Force. How could he not see? and yet, he still does not know what event might have happened differently to avoid their pending doom, awaiting them that very same day.

Sitting by his window, he raised his glass to his lips; his mind's eye became overwhelmed with emotion. Darkness crept in through the shutters, the eons outside could not held the coming night at bay. He glanced at his hands while sipping the liquor. A dark stain covered part of his right hand. Panic stroke him. He stood up almost immediately. He rushed to the cleaning facility and started obsessively to wash his hands over and over again, to completely wash her blood off.

Her blood.

Looking in to the mirror, he remembered her broken body.  
>Her still face.<br>In the mirror, his large unblinking brown eyes teared up.

He had never cried before. Today, he had reason; he had been expelled from the jedi order.

He had run, and did not wait to be taken in to the presence of the council's representative.

He had not given up his lightsaber, he would not. He needed it.

Now, looking in that mirror, he knew; There was no peace, there was only emotion. There was no knowledge, there was only vengeance...

But there is always, The Force.

He stood long in the cleaning facility, with his apartment around him in silence and darkness. He could barely see his silhouette in the mirror; all he could see were her eyes as she was dying, the red stains of blood rage dancing in front of his eyes, becoming larger, engulfing him until nothing around him existed. Pure blind rage. It had all been his fault, he had killed her. If only he had been better trained, or if the council had not sent him, he had told them! His fury was a fire within him, a fire he could tap on. He could get them, all of them, specially the assassin, the dark figure, he could wave one hand and the force would be there with him, ready to crush them all. He felt it more likely with each passing second. Her death was to become the fuel that would make him unstoppable. He had it in his hands. He hade never been so ready until now.

Why didn't his master taught him this power? Why were padawans being shun from this potential? They could master it, they would not succumb to the dark side if their intentions remained noble. What is the importance of tapping in to this source when done for the right of the republic, or in the name of the people that they cared about... Why deny a base emotions that all sentient life forms share? Is it not denying strong emotions also denying the very essence of what make them being with soul and awareness?

No, he had to remain calm, but he was losing that battle. He had to focus, remember the way he started. Let out resentment of what was not taught to him aside. Remember what he did learn. Where he came from. He was never meant to be a Jedi anyway, he was part of the AgriCorps, not a padawan to be knighted. Still, if he had receive better teachings... If only...

He breathed, trying to focus all of his being in to breathing, in and out. He walked out of the cleaning room and in to his couch by the window. He finished his drink, collecting his thoughts. There must be something he can do. He thought about going back to the spaceport hangar where the representative of the council would surely still be, he may not have taken off yet. He definitely would need to get out of his apartment, they would be coming here for him, in time, and in force. He sighed and looked around his place. He was growing fond of it. Life was so much simpler before; before his master found him and took him from the AgriCorps.

Dantooine had been peaceful, meaningful.

It is morning on another world, another time. A peaceful world. He is young, a young Nautolan out of his environment. He is standing outside the jedi enclave in a low hill overlooking the fields of crops on the northern agricultural sector of Dantooine. He has been there for over a year, working all over the planet in using his force sensitive talents. He had focused his better work inside the enclave, allowing beautiful plants to grow out of their normal sizes, bringing species from other worlds to enhance the beauty and peace of the Jedi's inner sanctum in Dantooine. The place was old, rebuilt, and the plants he was helping with made it even more beautiful.

He had not been chosen as an apprentice by the age of thirteen, so he had limited options. So, in spirit of his affinity for nature and things that grow, he volunteered for the Agricultural Corps assignment. He had been brought from Coruscant to Dantooine under the authority of the Council of Reassignment, working in conjunction with the Republic Agricultural Administration to provide healthy crops to those under-privileged star systems suffering from natural disasters or blight.

Dantooine had been in rebuilding ever since the days of the old sith wars. the Jedi enclave was now in full splendour, its inner courtyards, and hallways finished with wooden walls, made any holo recording of the ages past pale in comparison. In these days, the AgriCorps also attract ranking members of the Order who wish to take a more hands on approach to helping the common people of the galaxy.

A few days before, he had met Alema Mon-Rahs, a human; full Jedi knight on a volunteer tour of the AgriCorps. The encounter had caused a huge stir in the young Nautolan's emotions. He wanted to talk to her for as long as she had patience for him. It had been a great few days; doing tours of the farms and farmlands, settling new ones to provide work for unemployed population, and treating seeds and plants for a better growth, while at the same time just drilling the Jedi knight with questions. Alema had been happy to oblige him with all manner of answers ranging from what sort of life a full knight leads, to the manners of training a new padawan learner goes through, and even to the current political tensions with the taxation of trade routes that, apparently, had caused some blockades in peaceful planets by the trade Federation. Every time you step on some one's purse, it is the peaceful planets with no armies that pay the price. Nevertheless he and Alema were confident that Jedi ambassadors would put an end to these blockades happening all over the Republic, acting under the orders of Chancellor Valorum.

He had learned a lot, and he only wanted to learn more.

As he stands in the outside of the enclave, the speeder that is to take him to the offices of The Council of AgriCorps Masters in Dantooine shows itself coming up the hill and stopping in front of him, he feels optimistic and light hearted. With the Force on his side, this meeting will change his life. He had been summoned for a reason, and he had strong feelings that he knew what that reason was.

The landspeeder stops in front of him. He quickly boards it and the driver pulls off, towards one of the largest enclaves of the northern sectors, which contains most of the civic and public offices of the Republic. As they speed through the olive, golden and tan fields, he remembers exploring this part of the planet for the first time, and being specially amazed by walking the corridors and admiring the ruins of an ancient Jedi Temple, its echoes and ripples through the force still palpable after the ages have passed.

Morning is not yet over when the vehicle speeds away after dropping him in the civic enclave. He directs his steps in to the offices of the Corps Masters. He is delighted to see the strong and elegant shape of Alema Mon-Rhas enveloped in her Jedi robes, standing just outside the Corps office. they greet each other with a peaceful sense of belongness, as if they both know where the events of the day are going. He steps in to the office with Alema on his side, and in doing so, his life changes.  
>Inside there are three more Jedi knights talking with the Agri Corps master on Dantooine. He can see a screen with his dossier displaying information on his life, they definitely had been discussing him. They reach a conclusion. They tell him he is to leave off back to Coruscant. They tell him the council has granted special permission for him to be trained as a padawan.<p>

They tell him he is to become a Jedi, knight of the Republic.

The galaxy has endless number of species, planets and sectors that had not been explored or brought in to the Republic. Destiny, fate or The Will of The Force is always in motion, however, and the energies that bind people together, that direct events seemingly in a random fashion; also tie the knots of pain, suffering, and the winds of the Force blow people's lives away to fulfil its will. The Will of the Force is unknown, even to the most learned Jedi Masters.

Such a wind was blowing in deep space; in the unknown regions. A smuggler ship had indivertibly encountered a species of sentient beings not seen in the Republic for countless years, and now that past encounter had made the wheels of the Will o The Force turn once again.

In his apartment at Ord Mantell, the Jedi sat gathering his thoughts, calming his emotions, recollecting better days under the sun of Dantooine, and his inner eye did not show him a red and purple nebula, beautiful to behold, and what that nebula frames in the deep regions of space. A massive star cruiser, gleaming under the light of the nearest sun, its white metal body of incredible power sits still, silent, menacing not only by the sheer bulk of its size, but also because of its numerous emplacements of turbo laser artillery.

There is no space station, satellite or trade route in the vicinity that could pick up its menacing readings. Its interior hallways are red carpeted with bluish walls. The life support systems working in perfect condition by maintaining low levels of oxygen and a cold temperature, comfortable for the specific needs of the race that inhabits within its walls.

In the captain's quarters, the decoration is stoic, and Spartan, but not deprived of some small strategic luxuries, like the newly installed holographic display of every star system recorded in the Republic's databases. The room is darkened, only the glow of this beautiful technology lights the face of the man controlling it; A technology stolen for the captain of this ship from Coruscant by Viggo Alexi's operatives; The black Sun. The captain, a tall, blue skinned man surveys parts of the galactic map at will, changing star systems after the other, zooming in to planetary, continental, and city views, then zooming out to galactic view again.

He is interrupted by the sound of his hatch opening, and the sudden flood of hallway bluish lights. He walks in to a thin canter dais and removes a small glass marble from it; the image of the galaxy collapses and disappears. "What is it", he says to the also blue skinned man coming in to the room. "It's Daneela, she is here" the man says and leaves the room.

A moment later, a girl of about 15 years comes in to the room. She surveys the place with familiarity and the captain caught a glimpse of contempt in her eyes; he clears his throat as he approaches her; "Daneela, your training is concluded" The captain says, then continues after a brief pause. "Are you ready to leave your life behind? Are you ready to go live in the Republic, and forgo our people? Are you ready to start your mission?"

After a brief silence, the girl stands tall, looking the captain in to his red glowing eyes.  
>She never falters, her deep violet eyes, a bit different from the normal reddish one of her race, never leave the captain's face. "I am", it is the only thing she says. The captain nods silently and opens a communication channel, "Is everything ready?" he asks through a commlink. The answer is swift, "Yes sir, they are... waiting for her in the hangar". The tall man turns to the girl and walks her out of his room. "You know what must be done. Though I will not be with you through your difficult task ahead, I will be with you now, as you begin." The captain tells her, as he steps out of his room and walks with her through hallways and repulsorlifts until they reach the main hangar.<p>

Their way there is silent.

Upon exiting the last repulsorlift, they begin to walk though the hallway that will take them to the hangar. As they enter it, in an unexpected movement, the Captain turns to her and hugs her closely, stroking her black hair, and kisses her forehead. "Good bye, daughter". He says, though no emotion can be blatantly detected, right before five or six blue skinned soldiers begin, surgically and clinically, to beat her to a pulp.

They strike hard and without mercy, though sympathy is in their hearts; blow after blow, she takes it. She never falls until the end, until the butt of a rifle strikes her between her beautiful violet eyes; she falls only until she is unconscious.  
>Then, her bleeding body is placed on an escape capsule and shot in to the black space. Nothing in that capsule can give away her origin, her starting point; No connection whatsoever to what and who she really is.<p>

"I hope we are not sending her to die", one of the officials, aide to the captain, overseeing the beating of the girl says. The captain smiles with a melancholy that his aide has rarely seen in him. He remembers seeing that same smile on his wife's funeral. "Oh, but we are, old friend" answers the Captain, patting his aide on the shoulder, "We are."


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

The bright jewel disappeared behind the buildings of Ord Mantell's capital city just moments before he stood up from his place by the window. His glass was empty. Did not feel like pouring again. He walked to the door with long, strong steps. He picked up his brown Jedi robe. He would wear it proudly. There was not anything else in the apartment that could identify him or be used against him. He was nobody. He had been a Jedi. Being nobody served him best, for the moment.

He was smiling that charming Nautolan smile.

He was resolute as most Jedi are.

He took his 434 Death Hammer blaster pistol from the table next to the door. He looked at it. "This was hers" he thought. The fearsome gun had served her well, but to no avail against the power that brought her down in shreds. His teeth clenched. He stepped outside, in to the shadows of Ord Mantell's night. As he did, he felt Alema's touch on his gleaming skin. He would never stop being Jedi.

"You should not be in the balcony Padawan Oreth, but doing the exercises I charged you with"- He turns around, he is still a student now. He does not need eyes anymore to know it is her. Her presence is... overwhelming; deep like the oceans of his home, cool and comforting like them too. "I'm sorry master, but it is all still so unexpected. and I've always liked Coruscant's sunsets." He responds. Now he goes back in to their quarters. He sees her there, barely visible among the plays of light and shadow dancing on her white skin and brown robe. Their apartment's main room is empty but for two meditation seats facing the west window. Sunset were their favorite hours to mediate. Both had come from planets with big oceans in which the falling sun in to the water was almost ritualistic; beautiful and sad. He thinks then that is a strong connection between the two; the salty essence of ocean's breeze still clinging to them and joining them. A salty embrace.

She was far older than him, by both race's standards, but still every lesson learned, every duel held and every talk had were to him like swimming in the deep end of the abysses of his home world; exciting yet deadly. He sits by her now. Crosses his legs in meditative stance and concentrates. Yes he can feel it now. This is when he begins receiving visions. "The future is always in motion". She says. "But what about the past, master, can we see visions of the past?" "It is very wise of you to ask Oreth; from the past you can plan a better future. So it ell you now: Run, and do not look for the dark figure in the only place where you know it is not going to be!". She opens her eyes and turns to him. Her scream pierces his ears "Run!"

He ran. Didn't even had enough time to close his apartment door. Three blaster bolts impacted the wall where his head was a second ago. He did not turn to see how the grey metal of the frame twisted and charred. If he hadn't started running, he would be very much dead. Jedi could be a blur of speed when need arises, he decided not to at that moment, he needed a glance of his pursuers. The corridor he was in had burgundy carpeting, grey walls and metal door frames on left and right, and it curved slightly so it formed a massive cylinder of a tower complex. The lighting glimmers and dims at some places. His pace began to slow down, he looked around and saw doors left and right. A fight in such a place would be dangerous to the residents. He saw several emergency supply closets; he hid behind one and waited just where the hallway curved so much that allowed a bit of view on his door.

There were three men there. One dressed as local security forces. The other two were definitely senate guards on civilian outfit. One can never stop looking at those fellows for what they are no matter what were they wearing. Their neat, close crew cuts; the almost unconsciousness of their clothes' blue colouring, almost uniform like. They were talking. He needed to hear. Concentrated. For the Force, there are no distances, no secrets, nothing out of reach... "-inform the Jedi. His pupil is no longer here." One of them said as the Force gave him the words. "She is not the one who should be informed. Chairman Amedda and the council sent another. I think they sent a master; she stayed back at Coruscant after our meeting with her." The three men exchanged puzzled looks. The local security uniform shrugged and stepped inside. "A Rogue Jedi is out of our concern, but it is still my duy to check the apartment for any thing that may pose a danger to the peaceful Ord MAntell society." He said already from inside the apartment. "Peaceful?, Ord Mantell is as peaceful as Mos Eisley on a bad day".

He no longer required the Force to carry their words to him. He had heard enough. His master was not here; so who had they sent? Why had Alema not come? He ran. Found a window some ten meters after the slight curvature made his apartment disappear from view entirely. the window overlooked the arched entrance to the building, some forty stories below. He touched the glass, it cracked, slowly. IT shattered then, silently, little pieces of glass softly placed on the burgundy carpet of the hallway. He liked the colour. He'll miss it. He climbed he window. Night air stroked his face, his long tassels. Closed his eyes, extended his arms. Jumped. He went in to himself, calling upon the force to focus on his inner eye.

They are stepping inside the star ship they were supposed to meet. It is dawn. She is still alive and will be for the next ten to twelve hours. Now they are talking with the crew of the ship. _The Mortician's Wife_, it's called. Flyboys seemed proud of it. Pretty interior, black with white neon lighting; the passenger's lounge has the familiar round shape one always links to the YT's, regardless of their model. They sit down. One of the crew is talking now. "I am captain Aeric Montaigne," the tallest human with the full brown beard says with a slightly sardonic nod. The man points at another young human male next to him and continues "-this dumb nerf is Estonioum, and you cannot see her, but on the cockpit is Shadiss... from Dathomir." Captain Aeric seems expectant, as if either he or Daneela should react to the statement of the pilot's origin. They talk the deal, the mission. "We are to take you to Tansarii Point as part of our crew, we are unloading some... goods for the Car'das that the republic seemed worried about being stolen. We do not owe allegiance to either you or anyone, Jedi, so let's get that clear up front. The deal starts with the credits transferred in to my account last night and it ends with you leaving my ship later on, understood?". He nods then, silently, but Daneela seems restless. Focus is important here. Why is she anxious? He notices every crevice in her face, it is almost purely smooth polished light blue, but there, on the corner of her red lips, a twitch; her eyes dart to the opening platform. She is afraid of being followed.

"I should not tarry anymore" he thought as he landed from his forty stories jump. The force was with him, fuelling his power with unleashed emotion. There is emotion, and it is good. "I'll follow my master's old advice. Did not know what it meant then. Do not look for the dark figure where you know it is not, so there is no point in going to the landing platform again. But she was nervous even when we were discussing the short trip to Tansarii point Station, safely on board the ship". He ran.

He moved through the streets from one shadow to another. He knew how to mask his presence both in the force and to the senses. Around a corner. Down that ledge, through a balcony and in to a lower level platform. Under that walkway, the air was starting to pick up. He did not felt the chill. His inner heat would suffice. As he moved, thundering his way through streets and alleyways he foresaw what must be done. He tried to focus and concentrate on his movements. Every bit of a second counted.


	3. Chapter 3

III

He decided to try the bars first. As the night advanced he was getting nowhere. He went in to the third joint of the night. Different from the others, more "upper" class; there was even a weapons sensor that went off as soon as he crossed the threshold. A recorded voice went off near his head. "Welcome to _The White Pearl, _please deposit your weapons in the bin, they will be well cared for". Followed by a storage bin that opened up on a wall on his left. He placed his Death Hammer in it and got an electronic token in return. Good, the lightsaber was not scanned.

As he walked in to the place, he extended his senses, drawing from his emotions, he let himself go in to the myriad of emotions, thoughts and feelings. Almost every table was occupied, and he could sense thoughts of sadness, joy, celebration, concealment, deceit, and betrayal. Curiosly, in such a place, all emotions were somewhat dampened, slanted, and the patrons surely preented composed and calm faces to one another. He opened his eyes, dozens of beings moved about; the greatest concentration of species was around a sabacc table at the bak of the bar. The holographic dealer was explaining the house rules to about four players; and twenty odd onlookers. is gaze stopped there. He senses someone watching him intently from that area, and whoever it was, it was very shocked and surprised at his entrance. He had hit the jackpot.

He walked to the bar, and asked for mint liquor. Alema's favourite. The drink made him somewhat nostalgic. He picked it up after paying for it and moved between small black tables made of something resembling carved wood. There was a band playing some tune rag time. He looked over to the musicians and spotted a humanoid with four arms going at a wooden piano completely enthralled by his own playing. He smiled and came closer to the sabacc table. As he neared it, the sense of that someone's surprise and awe, turned in to terror and aggression, He could feel it directed at him. looking straight in to the holographic dealer, he scanned his front arc of vision for the face tht matched the feeling and could not make it out. The hatred directed at him became stronger.

"Yes Oreth, hate can be powerful, but also, love is equally strong" It's dawn. They cannot see the sun on their westward window. On Coruscant, the sun rises on the east, funny enough. This is when they came together for the first time. She lies in bed next to him, the top half of her body lies leisurely uncovered, the white sheets loosely slip down to her stomach. Her naked skin resembles the peaceful seas in the bluish light of the coming morning. He turns and caresses her. He is drinking mint liquor; but her words are a far more fulfilling and potent draught, and he drinks from her by long desperate gulps. "They are the same heavy coin, the metal from which they are crafted is unbreakable; one face of the coin caresses and kisses with powerful force and energy" She turns to him and strokes his head tresses, then kisses his cheeks, his lips. "the other face bites, barks and mauls with the same relentless energy" She turns from him, gets up and starts to don her Jedi outfit.

Her under tunic slides gracefully, then her outer tunic. He gets up and takes her sash, helps her place it around her waist, seizing the moment to hold her one last time. "But master... Alema..." He feels a tingling in his chest at using her fist name, "if they are the same energy, how can love conquer hate?" She smiles, "Now its not the time for that lesson, now focus Oreth" she continues as her face grows darker, "remember today. Today, life is good. Drink the mint liquor, and look at its bluish colour. Look for the bluish colour Oreth, behind the veiled faces, the bluish colour of a pair of eyes." He does not understand, he feels this is another of Alema's teachings. Even now, after the moment they shared, she cannot help but to fall in to her role as the master. She steps away from him and walks to the balcony, "Oreth, you will die under the bright jewel if you do not learn to use the visions of the past."

He raised his glass, the bluish colour of the liquor cast dancing figures in his eyes. The force was acting now, through her teachings through him and through their... love. A sudden commotion began in the bar, behind the sabacc table, at the far end from Oreth. He saw them then, a pair of ice blue eyes, looking at him intently, then those eyes were aware of his realization. Patrons started to move away. other ran. "No blasters!" some one shouted. But the warning came too late. In a desperately fast movement, faster than Oreth had seen on a non sensitive, the man with the ice coloured eyes drew and let off two bolts of red death. He was ready for him. He was unconsciously aware of him the whole time, and his lightsaber ignited in a green buzzing sound with the frenzy of battle at the hiss of the blade.

He stopped the first two bolts. The man began to run backwards and shot wildly at him. His lightsaber danced in wide arcs left and right, keeping the red blaster bolts from panicked patrons and sabacc players. The green blade then spun and moved forward; he ran after the man avoiding his very fast blaster shots. this man was definitely dangerous, fast and deadly. He had to get him away or put him down for good. A blaster bolt aimed at the front entrance activated a pair of security blaster emplacements that came down from the ceiling. This man definitely knew this place and its secrets. Oreth spun wildly, ducked and raised his green blade. He was a blur of brown flowing robes and green energy.

Drawing from the Force, He crushed the gun turrets by closing his hand in a fist. He caught a brief moment where the assailant was isolated from innocent standbys and drew his arm backwards, palm opened; he then thrust his hand forward and the Firce did the rest, it responded with an incredible energy that Oreth was not aware he possesed. He truly was being fuelled by Daneela's memory, Alema's love and his own betrayal to the order and what it stood for. The force push sent the man flying back in a blur of black clothes and wild blaster bolts. The guy kept firing his weapon as he flew to the nearest wall and smashed against it.

You don't get to die on me!. He thought as he ran to the still body lying by the entrance weapon storage bins. By now, all patrons were darting to the exit, crowding it, and the storage bins spilled their contents. Oreth stood over the downed man. He was face down, still holding his blaster. An Aratech. He force moved the weapon away from the inert hand, crouched by the body and turned him.

At first he thought he was seeing some force vision. Even though Alema had helped him master and control them, she also repeated constantly that his eyes could betray him, and not to trust them. Well, now he was sure he could not. Tehe face of the unconscious shooter was that of a boy, not more than seventeen years of age, human. The boy opened his eyes a little; Oreth stood there watching unbelieving, at a set of brown eyes. "Wha... what happened..." said the boy. Oreth stood up immediately and surveyed the place around him over and over, choking a cry of rage and frustration. What HAD happened?

Humans and Rodians for the most part, with some of the other domiant races sprinkled here and there, were crowding the entrance, some were arguing about ownership of the blasters and weapons spilled on the floor from the storage bins. The back of the bar was empty. The sabacc table was overturned, its holographic dealer still bidding the next player to either up the ante or fold. The Oreth turned to the bar; the attending barmaid, a human in her middle aged years lay dead over the counter. a blaster bolt burning the flesh on her face. Behind her, a door to a kitchen and storage room stood broken out of its hinges, its locked burned off.

No, not burned off; as Oreth came close to the bar counter, he could clearly see the door had been _sliced _open. Lightsaber work.


	4. Chapter 4

III

He stepped in to the night. The bar had certainly been a step in the right direction. He remembered how he got there, just running trough the streets, scavenging for what ever traces of emotion he felt at different places. Emotions broken, like shards of a mirror. He could feel them before, he could still feel them then. Just stepping in in to _The White Pearl had felt good, proper, like another shard of the mirror staring up at him._

_Breathing. In and out._

_He was losing the battle. Just before, pushing that blue eyed boy in to the wall and smashing his head in had been… rewarding, in its own sense. He started running while recreating the fast and furious battle that had left a bar owner and some patrons dead in the ground. Had not that blue eyed boy deserved to die with his skull in bits and brains leaking out?_

_The blue eyed boy._

_But the eyes were brown just before he died._

_He ran, he did not stop. His steps, long furious strides. Brown eyes._

_He followed the scent of the broken mirror trough the streets of the spacer's city. As time went by he could feel the trace getting stronger and stronger. Emotions were taking shape, images were getting clearer. The blue eyes of an olive skinned woman. A boy and a girl with broken bonds. Jealousy and heartache. A dark figure stepping out of the shadows. Death, pain, stronger, getting stronger, until he stopped._

_The mirror became clear and almost complete as he stood there, gazing upwards, to a stratospheric tower that almost reminded him of one of the tallest buildings in the abandoned parts of Coruscant. He knew those empty buildings abound in major cities. Normally become strongholds for pirates, smugglers and all assorted criminals. Looking up at the black tower with the orange-pink glow of the bright jewel as a background made him feel a surge of energy, dark energy. Young padawans are taught how to recognize the presence of the dark side, they are taught about the mythical and extinct figure of the Sith, though their more close reference are rogue or fallen Jedi. Dark Jedi._

_His mind racing, could not get a grasp on all of it at once. He tried to remember some of Alema´s teachings, another vision of the past to get him trough this and helped him gather the courage to go in to the enormous dark tower, and could not._

_Breathe in and out. In and out. Streets around in shadows. Glancing about, he discovered a nearby tree lined park some hundred meters off the enormous dark structure, across a wide gap between different platforms of the city levels. The park offered him a cover point from where to observe the tower, and let in the waves of energy and emotion coming from it._

_Without much thought and letting himself go in the force, he cleared the distance with a run and an effortless force jump._

_Under the trees, he tried to grasp some of Alema´s teachings, or another vision o the past that she might have had for him, to no avail. Padawans are mostly taught on dark side users as a means to control and bring to justice renegade, rogue or dark Jedi. He had a feeling this was neither._

_Padawans were only historically taught about the mythical figure of the Sith and its followers. Not much was known about the extinct order. Only some extracts of their code remained. Oreth was held in awe by part of it… ¨Trough the force I break my chains…¨ or something near that._

_He sat with his back to a cool tree trunk. Knowledge, he was taught also, was the best weapon. And he had knowledge, he had been receiving the waves of emotion that made up the shards of the broken mirror he had been following. A broken mirror of tears, pain and suffering. He embraced it as he reconstructed the shards piece by piece, and the pieces tied up to him in ways that shocked him._

_The sun shines. It is morning on the landing platform on which "The Mortician Wife" sits. Clouds are dark and overcast. The captain is not worried, flight conditions are still good, and had stated in several occasions the trust he has in his Dathomiri pilot, Saris. Aeric is telling them that they will depart soon, and the atmosphere will be broken imminently. Oreth, from his seat in the passenger's hold, watches every facial expression on Daneela as he talks to her. The woman is now more inclined towards believing no foul play or double intentions on the part of the JedI by approaching her to offer his assistance that day at the bar they had first met. And she is now accepting the enormous coincidence of them both looking for Aeric Montaigne in that same place. Though for Oreth, it has never been a coincidence, but that wind that blows and direct its will. The Force._

_Oreth feels the ship as it leaves the atmosphere behind. He could always feel life staying behind. The life of a whole planet weighs on him like the presence of the deep darkness in the abysses of his home. Little by little, the clouds dissipate. The gravitation devices of the ship kick in to maximum. Sublight engines start their characteristic humming and the whole structure shivers at their awakening for a split second. Saris is a good pilot, no passenger experiences any discomfort upon leaving the planet. Moments go by, moments of reflection and observation. Daneela seems relaxed, his own memory of the dark figure he glimpsed on the platform seem to die away as a mirage. He finds himself chatting endlessly to Daneela. The woman does not talk back all that much, however, her intentions of joining up with black sun are pretty clear. Oreth wonders who would some one as young and capable would want to join the most blatantly open and shameless criminal organization in the galaxy. It does not add up for him at that moment, since he cannot sense any criminal intentions, evil orientations or madness in her while staring at those deep wells of violet eyes. No, only a deep sense of duty and honor, and a sort of grief mingled with love towards… her father?_

_Daneela stirs in her seat. "I know what you do, jedI, and I would like for you to stop, now. Remove yourself from here" she says as she taps her forehead with her slender blueish fingers. "I do not mean to pry, Daneela. I need to be as helpful as I can with both my assignments and my pledge to you, to help you, won't you tell me more? I feel you have not been earnest and…" The girl takes her data pad and starts keying in some information, ignoring the jedI. "look, our deal is simple enough. You help me get in the good side of Black Sun, possibly put in a good word with your ambassadorial rights, then go do whatever it is you need doing and leave me there. Me, from the inside, can help you with whatever it is you must do, which by the sloppy and very infuriatingly transparent way you carry about I'm willing to bet it has something to do with the Bota shipment that Capt. Aeric and the infamous crew of "The Mortician's Wife" are carrying right now. The jedI feels at a loss of words. He could love her, from that very moment un until the end of his days, he could love her for that. "Am I that transparent? Look, Bota is very dangerous, and in the wrong hands…" The sound of heavy boots on steel cuts his words short. Daneela, for a moment, seemed actually interested and concerned about what he was going to say before Aeric came in to the passenger's hold with that bearded big smile of him. "Well, awkward bedmates, we are about to part ways. Have the credit transference ready, Jedi, I am expecting those credits in my account as soon as Estonious and I finish working out the unloading of my shipment up in tansarii station. No delays, period._

_He feels the movement of approach and correcting maneuvers the freighter conducts in order to dock at Tansarii point station. If half of the things rumored and whispered in dark corners of dark cantinas on darker cities were true, a new sith empire might spring from there with all manners of horrors as its arsenal. Leaning in the viewport. The jedI can now see the complete vastness of the metal structure. It could house an entire city and then some. And the council had briefed him thoroughly of its fame and data as main base of operations of the Black Sun in the Ord Mantell Star System. There might even be true that a Viggo is currently there, waiting for him, waiting to negotiate with an ambassador from the republic. Oreth was certain that made the villainous character all the more arrogant and self satisfied._

_The ship settles in. The jedI can feel the humming of the engines as he steps down, with Aeric in front of him, and Daneela at his back. The docking bay is dark and silent. Aeric seems relaxed, but ready; he unfastens the brooch on one of his holsters, the left one, Oreth observes, left handed shooter. On the commlink, they can hear Saris´ voice. "Aeric, come back up, there are no docking officials and no one is around, I have a bad feeling about this one". the captain walks completely off the landing ramp and turns back towards the ship, looking for the view port of the ship's cockpit. Sardonically, he makes some hand gestures, "Relax old lady, trust me, these black sun guys are always looking for the dramatic…" _

_He did not get a chance to finish his sentence. The lights on the hangar went completely dark, and from the back of the docking bay, some forty to fifty meters in front of the ship, a hell of red death rained upon them._

_Oreth got up from his sitting position under the dark trees. The strong emotions he followed to the tower complex were showing him his own memories. E did not want to go there again, not again. But he knew at some point the had to. He had t relive the slaughter, the dark presence, the sacrificial lamb feeling he had been having. "She died up there, why are you reminding me that she died up there, in the cold dark"._

"_Because part of you died there too, like part of me died, here, not once but twice. And it was by your hand, Jedi." That took the air out of him._

_The voice._

_A woman's voice. No, not a woman yet, a girl's voice._

_Her voice was a flat kick to the stomach. All the pain, all the emotion. The shattered mirror was hers. The shards of emotions he had been trailing were hers. The pain and suffering was her. And she was here. Oreth stood up. From among and under the trees he tried to glimpse at the top level of the dark tower complex. Up there, at the top, a landing platform, two silhouettes. One is her, the voice. The other, cold and ruthless; a shadow hunter, a demon maybe, and Oreth was sure that demon was the owner a double bladed red light saber. He had seen it before, at Tansarii point, in the cold, in the dark._

_Rage fueled him, in two strides and a force jump he was back at the base of the tower. He could hear the girl's laughter in his head. He smashed trough the front entrance. "I have found you, now you die" he thought with every stride. He came to the turbo lift in the center of the abandoned lobby. The place reminded him of a corporate complex like those found on Coruscant. "ARATECH" read a half torn down sign above the lobby security station. He ran past towards the lift. Energy in the whole building seemed non existent. That would not stop him. Fueled by the shrill laughter of the girl's voice in his head, he summoned the force to activate circuitry. The lobby rumbled and a deep humming like war drums blasted trough the place. Lights flickered on. The lift's doors slid open and Oreth stepped inside. Turning his face up, without pressing any button, the lift made its rocket way speeding up, towards the laughter and the girl's voice._

_The girl's voice spoke to him as he came up to meet her._

_I saw you Jedi, first getting off your civilian passenger freight all those weeks ago. You were so pleased with yourself as you thought you had come incognito, as you selected your run down apartment in one of the middleclass places in the city. I was there you know. It amazed me how a jedI could have only intoxicating beverages in its ice box. I saw you come in and out for some days, strutting the bars and the bad places. Looking for wings that would take you there, to the center of a black sun. but my master had plans before, my master needed the black sun himself, and you would not stand in his path. So very slowly, you destroyed all I love, and I managed to destroy the one thing I foresaw you'll love._

"_No" The Jedi sped up the lift with The Force, he could feel the pressure of G forces pulling him down, if he could not restrain himself he was going to kill himself by launching the lift as a rocket trough the roof. Breathe in, breathe out… No, breathe fire. "Fire breath is what I need now, I will burn you to the ground for this". The lift sped its way towards the stratospheric top level._

_You are weak, Jedi. Two women when you have already taken your vows? Jedii should not expose so many weakness. The jedii order is rotting from the inside. You, are worthless. And in a single stroke I took them both away from you as you took all from me. Do you know of what I speak, yes? I will show you._

_The girl´s laughter pierced him as he rocketed his way up. He tried to avoid it, avoid thinking on her voice, on the images of death and carnage she was sending out. Concentrate on energy, The Energy fueling the turbo lift coming straight from The Force, he could feel it, he could take them, both, he could be powerful enough for that. And humble enough to come back to Alema, on his own, and atone what needed be, or not. He could teach her now. Harness the power without the selfish intent, but iwh noble purpose.. It could b…. The images the girl was sending out pierced trough his mind like a lightsaber trough flesh. His flesh._

_A woman, holding her two children, a girl and a boy. It is a red sun outside. Fog of War covers the entire city. Fog of war that sand blasts the skin of all who step outside._

_The woman cowers in fear. Her house is torn apart. Holes in parts of the walls and ceiling made from turbo laser cannons. From which side? She did not know, she only knew to hide her children. They went to the basement. They could still hear the battle upside and all around in the city._

_She was never in to local politics and knew not what was this new excuse for beings to kill each other. Her father had been a faith minister. Some Force based religion. The Force. What use is that of that woman now._

_News were An Ambassador was sent to negotiate peace terms between warring colonies of Ord Mantell Star System. A Jedii. Apparently the arrogant monk had decided to take sides and was actually helping them blasting each other apart. _

_Footsteps outside and avobe. Shouting, violence on the ruins of her house. blaster bolts, and another sound, a humming and a ripping sound like flesh being seared. Silence. Steps coming in. The basement door opens and there he stands. A Human. His grayish hair and full beard lit up in red and purple tones as his light saber lights up the small underground room. He comes closer. "I need him" the jedii states without so much as looking at the woman who holds close to his chest the two children. "She might be talented, but he is powerful, I can feel it, he must come with me". The woman screams, pleads, and begs. When that does not stop the gray haired man from taking his son, she strikes him, hard. She is not weak, never have been. Twice she strikes him, and once he even lost some footing. Holding the small boy by the neck in one hand, the jedii ignites his light saber. Red and purplish tones colour the death of her mother. The girl´s mother. _

_The girls voice, her laughter ar now screams and tears. Oreth knows she is waiting for him, fueled and ready._

_He too, is ready. _

_The lif stops. The doors open…_


	5. Chapter 5

V

In to darkness. He could see a hall. A wide and very empty great hall, almost cathedral like, big pillars of stone and metal lined the walls at his left and right and met in dramatic archways dozens of meters above his head. The stone was polished black. The metal gleamed and threw back reflections of diffuse points of light. As he moved, the metal on the walls reflected the movement of the green bar of energy that hummed at the end of his arm. His light saber was ready. In his head, the girl's screams had become soft sorrowful cries and sighs.

Oreth stepped further in to the darkness. Ahead, an enormous arched threshold revealed a landing platform under the city might sky. He started towards it fastening his pace. After a step or two, he could hear the familiar sound of twin ion engines revving up. Trough the force, he pierced the darkness and saw shadows within shadows: a flowing black robe that disappeared inside the dreaded shape of an almost mythical ship: A Sith infiltrator.

The greenish light of the twin ion engines flared as the ship gained altitude. Oreth reached the platform on the huge balcony of the building, just as the ship that was there moments ago got lost among the stars, and had hardly the time to reflect on it when the attack came.

It was as sudden as it was brutal, the only warning the aggressive buzz and hum of a red light saber that illuminated the darkness behind him. The Jedi had barely the time to raise his weapon in defense to block the two handed strike that would have decapitated him. For a split second, the afterglow of the sightseers collision blinded him. And then, little by little, a face took shape inches away from his own. A girl, olive skin, ivory black hair cascading in silky threads framing her features. Oreth sensed something very wrong with that face but could not put his finger on it until a heartbeat later. "The eyes, the blood, the streaks of blood, and.. The eyes". The girl would have been quite lovely if there were eyes where they were supposed to be. Instead, only a pair of gaping, enormous black pits on eye sockets stood in their place. From each empty socket, three straight streaks of blood flowed endlessly. He could feel the heat of her raw power, her hatred.

The girl withdrew her blade and moved to strike again, this time in a series of fast jabs and cuts aimed all over his body. Oreth skillfully parried every single thrust and retaliated with a powerful one handed swing aimed at disarming her. With a quick wrist adjustment, the girl avoided his maneuver and danced back in a guarding stance. Her voice was echoing again trough his skull. "You took him and killed her… Jedi did. Corrupt, degenerate Jedi. He took him. He took him!" Her screams were maddening. He was beginning to struggle for every blow she punished him with, and she was only getting faster. Oreeth closed his eyes. He trusted the Force, and eyes could deceive him. Instead he channel trough the energy to let his body do the motions he knew so well, and focused on attacking her mind. With a sigh, he went inside her.

And he knows, instantly, he know. She is standing on a balcony looking down, it is dusk. Training has just finished. It was a good session. Her newly found acquaintance had fount that untapped potential in her. Her newly found guide, her newly found life and master. She assumed he was some sort of dark Jedi. And at first, the red markings and horns on his head had scared her and she had run. She had tried to run and hide. Bt he had been like a bloodhound, sniffing her out of whatever dump and hole whe crawled in to. He had found her, and she had taken her for himself, he had claimed her and she owed him much now. It had been painful, but it had been worthy at last, when he had spoken words that had been engraved in her mind: "At last you will reveal yourself to the Jedi, for he is coming, at last you will have revenge".

That had been months before, and the Jedi had come. She had learned, she had followed while she was not training with her master. And now time to act is close. She stands on that balcony, waiting on her first move. Below her, among the street urchins, the night strollers and the drunkards coming out of a nearby pub; a very thin brown eyed boy is speaking to a beautiful creature, an older girl than her, blueish skin, violet eyes. She knows what is being said. He is supposed to put her on alert about a Jedi looking for her, and looking for a pilot to get him to Tansarii point. From her balcony, she could see that the words of the skinny boy cause an impact on the blue skinned hag. Tansarii point must not be reached, or at the least, Black Sun must not get in contact with this Jedi, she is to kill him first. Or else her life is forfeited. Moving away from the balcony, she uncovers her face by pulling back the dark hood she is wearing. Her very bright blue eyes smile as she makes her plans. Her eyes, her ice colored eyes, almost like the color of mint liquor…


End file.
