Dark Seed

Darth Alezal sat behind his desk and looked at his officers. He slowly placed his lightsabers onto the top of the desk before leaning forward.

"Can someone please explain to me how I lost eight destroyers?"

One of the group stood slowly, nerves written clearly on his face. He looked at the officers who were still seated and opened his mouth to speak. Alezal stood suddenly, ignited his lightsaber and threw it before a word could escape from the man's lips. The look of shocked and surprised that was written on his face was clear to see; even and he sank to the floor. As Alezal sat back down he pulled at the hood of his cloak.

"Someone should get out the explanation faster than him. If I do not get an answer I am satisfied with I will kill all of you."

Three of the officers stood in unison.

"It was Jedi Master Tal Varsus's forces sir. They would upon us before we had a chance to raise our shields. He offered us a chance to surrender but we knew we had to fight to the last."

"And cost me eight ships!"

He stood and raised his hands. Force lightning flew from his hand to envelope the men. As they stood there writing and screaming Alezal could help but let a smile come to his face. He turned to the rest of his officers.

"Get out of this room or you will join these three."

Everyone ran from the room, leaving the three writing in pain. As soon as they dropped to the floor Alezal calmly walked over, picked up his lightsaber and hooked it onto his belt.

Without a single look back he walked from the room. As he did so his thoughts turned to the Jedi Master who had cost him his ships. He wanted to laugh but his thoughts continuously turned to rage and hatred. Why could his former friends not leave him be? He had made his choice and yet they could not accept it. Even when he killed one of them they still would not accept it. They thought he could be saved. They did not realized that he had found his true purpose in life, that for the first time in life he was complete.

He stopped when he realized something. They only was his friends would leave him alone; the only way they would accept he was where he was meant to be was to kill them all. They would have to accept it them; they would leave him be. That was it; he would kill them all.

He started to laugh which drew they attention of a fellow sith. She walked slowly towards him, the clothing she wore concealing nothing and flowing around her and she moved.
"It is rare to hear you laugh Alezal. Is there anything I should know?"
Alezal looked at her and knew should try to turn everything he said to her advantage. He smiled at that thought.
"Have you finished your interrogation yet?"
"Oh yes. She was most.... cooperative."
"Good. You are coming with me. We are going; hunting."

Several days later he stood on the bridge of Vengeance and looked out the transparent steel viewports to the stars beyond. He closed his eyes; he thoughts turned to his former friends. He thought about the time he had found his true calling and struck down his former master. He remembered the look on his face as she had fallen to the ground, the look of surprise on her face and how Alezal had simply walked away. Of course he had a different name them, one he cared not to remember.
Vika's voice interrupted his thoughts and forced him to look down at her, a quick stab of anger flowing through him.
"What is it you want?"
She was clearly taken aback but quickly composed herself, "I was just wondering how we are going to find these friends of yours?"
"Former. All I have to do is raise some havoc. They will find me. They want to try and save me."

One of the officers of the ship walked up then.
"Sorry to interrupt you my lord. A ship has come out of hyperspace in front of us. It demands we surrender."
Alezal looked at him, "Do I have to think of everything."
With a flick of his wrist he snapped the man's neck they turned to the captain.
"Before you ask a stupid question and end up like him fire on that ship."

Magenta closed her eyes. She felt safe in hyperspace. It was quieter there. Still the hum of the trillions of beings crying out in pain persisted; it didn't overwhelm her in hyperspace. It was quiet, she could think more clearly.

She had been assigned to assist a Jedi Master named Tal in a mission that she could care less about. The council thought her sensing would help Tal locate the Sith Lord Darth Alezal. She knew Tal was already gifted in that arena, so she thought the effort was duplicitous. But, sure enough a wave of suffering seemed suddenly to follow the Sith Lord like a wake of pain spreading behind him. From there calculating his trajectory seemed trivial.

So why not care? Honestly he's not the biggest source of suffering in the universe. Interplanetary genocides were happening right now; the Jedi ignore them.

"It makes me so angry" she whispered to herself in her modest quarters.

Magenta suspected there was another reason for her being assigned to Tal. They viewed Tal as trustworthy, and thought he'd make a good steward for her.
Magenta resented it. She understood their reasoning, and couldn't disagree, but she resented it none the less. She completed the Trials of Knighthood with ease, even the Trial of the Spirit was unmoving to her. That only seemed to increase other Jedi's suspicion of her more.

None the less. She liked Tal. He could relate to her in ways most Jedi couldn't, because directed he could usually feel the things she was feeling. He seemed to lack the distrust other Jedi had for her, seemed indifferent to her unconventional ways, and seem genuinely sympathetic to the torment her force powers caused her. His presence has a calming effect on her.

No, she didn't care about Darth Alezal. But Tal cared. Tal cared a lot, and when she tried to ask him why he cared so much... Tal didn't seem to want to talk about it. Something about this was clearly personal for Tal. He cared so much; so it wasn't so much the Jedi Council or the Order that brought her to hyperspace heading to one of the most dangerous being in the universe. It was that it was important to Tal, and so important to her.

Jedi Master Tal Varsus

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death, there is the Force.

Jedi Master Tal Varsus opened his eyes. The serenity of his quarters aboard the Republic assault cruiser was interrupted by the chirping of the intra-ship comlink. Tal reached over and touched the controls.

"Master Varsus," the voice was from Admiral Stirn, the commander of the assault fleet. "Our scout ships report no survivors from the recent encounter. It appears Alezal's forces denied your offer to withdraw and surrender. We have also just received a report that one of our scout ships has located a ship believed to be the Vengeance near Ord Mantel. We are preparing a series of hyperspace jumps to rendezvous now."

"Thank you, Admiral," Varsus replied,. He then closed the link. He sat once again, resuming his previous meditation posture.

Tal had warned the Jedi Council that there would be war. He had told them, even as he himself made plans to reclaim what had once been one of the Jedi's greatest asset.

They had argued with him, at first. And yet, they had listened. They knew, as he did, that whatever the cost, the Sith known as Darth Alezal must be stopped. It was their purpose as Jedi. It was their destiny. And, as the Council conceded, Master Varsus knew they did so not because they, like he, believed that Jerec Zen could be returned to the Force, to the Jedi, but because they wanted to clear a Fallen Jedi from their conscious.

Any Jedi who fell to the Dark Side was a stain on the arrogant and presumptuous minds of the Jedi Council, a group whom Varsus largely considered politicians. Yet, he did have friends there. He did have those whom he trusted. And they trusted him. Completely. He was wise, compassionate, powerful, and had once been tempted by the Dark Side himself. He was Knight of the Code, beyond reproach.

That, above all, his standing within the ranks of Jedi, was why he alone was chosen to lead to armada against Darth Alezal and his forces.

No. Not Darth Alezal. Jerec Zen.

Master Varsus had once called him the closest of friends. They had fought many battles together, trained together, and forged a deep bond as warriors, brothers, and Jedi. He knew Jerec. He had trusted Jerec. And, when Jerec took up the robes of a Sith Lord, Tal washed his hands of him. He vowed the new Darth Alezal an enemy.

Yet, there was a part of Tal that knew Jerec was still there, still in there somehow, and not totally consumed by the Dark Side of the Force. He had been given a taste of power, yes, and like others before him he discovered what the Force unleashed with rage and hatred could bequeath him.

Powerful was the lure of the Dark Side.

Quicker, easier, more seductive.

Master Varsus's thoughts drifted to Magenta, the Jedi who had been assigned by the council to him. He reached out and touched her through the Force. She was restless, her mind in motion. He sent calm and reassurance to her. He then turned his thoughts to the Sith Lord once called Jerec Zen.

Soon, old friend.

Soon.

As Alezal looked out at the wreckage of the ship floating before him he knew that it was part of Tal's forces. He didn't think that his former friend would be so reckless. Was it that fact that Tal knew who he was facing; that he wanted nothing more than to bring him back to the light and call him friend once more causing him to make mistakes? He wanted to smile at that thought but he also knew that Tal was still out there, that he was still looking for him.

He clenched his hand into a fist then and wanted nothing more than to find someone to torture and kill. He wished then that people on that ship that still floating around him hadn't died such a pitiful death. He turned away from the window and walked to where the captain stood.

"Were there any survivors from that ship?"

"No my Lord. We blasted it before they could raise there shields. If there were any survivors they would have to be Jedi."

Alezal raised his hand and looked at the captain. It would be so easy. He stopped though; captains were too hard to find, especially of this man's calibre. He walked from the officer, only to hear a sigh of relief come from the man. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at the captain.

"Take this ship back into hyperspace. I don't care where we go. Just as long as it is somewhere we can cause some destruction and chaos."

He stopped and closed his eyes, automatically sensing Tal as he got closer. As much as he wanted to stay and fight he had a feeling Tal would not be alone and he did not want to lose another ship, especially this one.
Not yet. But soon; I will come to you soon and I will kill you.

He walked from the deck only to find Vika waiting for him. He let out a sigh. He didn't want to deal with her yet. Before she could say a word he raised a hand and sent her flying down the hallway.

"I am busy. Now is not a good time," he said as he strode away from her. "Next time you annoy me. I will not be so lenient."

"A Jedi's ideals are responsible for shaping his grasp of the Force. Those that fight to protect others will find that the Force will provide them the means to do so. Those that wish to heal will find the gentler side of the Force and those that wish to harm will find only the Dark Side."

Lalena paused and looked over the heads of the students she currently lectured. They swam out of focus for a mere second as she contemplated her own words within her own heart. Suppressing a sigh, her Lekku twitched and she returned to the present and those younglings which were hanging onto her every word.

"The Force is Life. It is Consequence. It is Peace. It is that which gives meaning to the universe. It shapes us, even as we ourselves shape It." She raised her hand and the entire class began to chant the Code and Lalena closed her eyes to let the words wash over her.

"There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death, there is the Force. "

As they finished, the Great Chime sounded, signalling the end of afternoon lessons. Instantly the room filled with laughter and chatter as the young future Jedi forgot the solemness of their lessons and remembered the brightness of youth and future. She sat quietly and allowed each of her ten students file through the arch doors and finally leave her in peace. Smiling, she allowed herself a moment to breath deeply and give thanks for the many students she now had. With memories of the war still deep in people's hearts and the reminders in old jedi ruins around the galaxy, it was good to see that those attuned to the Force were now able to train properly. The Jedi Order was seeing much success at re-creating themselves and finally beginning to fill the ranks. Lalena could feel deep in her heart that the shaky truce with the Imperials would end soon. Skirmishes and raids within each other's territories were not uncommon any longer and anxiety was rippling through the galaxy. Many worlds were even beginning to take sides - they too sensing the coming ending to Peace.

Shaking her head as such thoughts milled through her mind, she stood and exited the room herself. A smile returning to her features as she finally allowed her own excitement to grow at the prospect of spending the evening with Tal Varsus.

Because they were both Jedi; and Masters at that, their passion for each other was tempered by their teachings and the belief in the Jedi Order. Though they skirted the real possibility of being ejected from the Order, they could not contain what they felt. It was true that passion flared bright between them, when allowed, but Lalena also felt that it was true that Varsus was the peace in her life. He was the one that brought her tranquility amongst the storms everpresent in her heart. And the thought of seeing him again tonight made her steps lighter and her heart begin to sing.

In her private quarters, she changed from her robes into a flowing dress the colour of the moon. She masssaged oils and scents into her Lekku and encircled her arms with bands of solid gold and silver. On her finger, she put on the one thing Varsus had allowed himself to give her; a small circlet of copper. It was plain, unadorned and not even a precious metal - but it had been a gift from him and she treasured it, for no other gifts had come. Removing herself from her rooms, she strode down the halls and exited the Great Temple from a side entrance used by servants and civil staff. Her bare feet padded on the pavement as the delicate golden chains circling her ankles clinked together to make soft music.

Her heart began to thunder as she approached their meeting place. A small restaurant that had become a favourite of theirs whenever Varsus came to Tython. She knew he had been locked in meetings with the Council all day, though she did not know why. She presumed it was to do with his current mission, though she didn't even know the details of that either. Being a Jedi Master as powerful as he was came with more responsibility every day and she tried hard not to interfere with his coming and goings, choosing instead to cherish those moments when he could be with just her and no-one or nothing else. Besides, she trusted that he would tell her anything of import anyway.

Their usual table was empty. Glancing at a timepiece in the hallway, she ventured to the desk. "Excuse me, is Francis Didet here yet?". She herself had chosen the name. Though Tal had looked vaguely disgusted, she had loved it. It sounded... exotic. The clerk at the desk blinked at her and smiled warmly when he recognised her, "I"m sorry, I have not seen him yet. Perhaps he is late?"
Lalena irked an eyebrow. Tal Varsus, late? No, he wasn't here because he wasn't coming. It seems that something had come up at the Council meeting and he had had to act on it immediately. The copper ring clanked as it met with one of her arm bands as she gave it a twist. "Never mind. Thank you."

With a nod, she turned on her heel and headed straight back to her rooms. During the walk, she tried to think of reasons why Varsus would have to leave her without a moment's notice, nor a word from him. But as she flung herself into her rooms, she noticed the light emitting from her personal communicator. She had left it on purpose, not wishing to be disturbed on her one night with Tal.

Switching it on, she beheld the face of her love. His features softened her own and she felt her growing irritation begin to receede. Only to rise again as he explained where he was going. Her grip on the communicator tightened and her teeth clenched.

Jerec Zen.

Again the man stood between her and Tal. She closed her eyes and sought peace, steadying her breathing and loosening her grip on the recording. He had had time to come to her rooms, to make the recording and then leave. He had known when she would be here, and when she would have left to make their appointment. He had avoided her on purpose.

"Coward!" The communicator was hurled across the room and thudded into the far wall, sliding down and landing on the floor. Her breathing became erratic. He knew! He knew what Zen had become. They all did! Did none of them see that there was no redemption for a man who had become a monster?! Would they finally see it when he managed to wipe all Jedi from existance? Would Varsus finally see the futality of his quest to save his friend when Darth Alezal's Saber was buried in his chest?!

Taking reign of her rage, she quivered and flung off her jewellery. She wiped the oils from her Lekku and toweled off the stardust on her skin. Throwing on her Jedi robes, she clipped her two sabers to her side and was soon striding from the room. Composed once more, she made her way to the space dock and started the long process of initiating travel. It was not hard to find out where Tal's forces were headed - nor was it hard to calculate the best route in order to reach him within a few days.

What was hard though, was recognising the small spark of jealousy that had given seed in her heart...

"Commander." I heard, whipping around I saw the person addressing me. "Our men are dying faster then ever before what should we do?" The scene was chaos. Men fell left and right, off in the distance the Jedi stood and watched. They would not involved themselves in this petty battle.

Kit ignited his home built lightsaber and jumped into the fray. A new Darth had sprung from the darkness and his campaign was in destroying all the Jedi, and causing, pure unrivalled chaos.

Commander Zen was the name that Kit knew him by. The greatest military strategist that Kit had ever knew and one of the few who saw Kit as a full fledged Jedi.

Zen was something else. He wasn't afraid to jump into the fray, with or without the councils command. He was reprimanded many times for his wreckless, chaotic behavior, but you want to know something? He is the reason most of the wars of the ancient age, were won in the first place. He may have been chaos incarnate when fighting, but that's all wars is anyway. Chaos with a vague sense of who your friends were.

The Jedi would say that "There is no anger, there is peace" but that's bullshit. Anger is very real and very much apart of war. Zen saw this. Zen's only flaw was the fact that he delighted in it, but is that really such a flaw? If he were on the side of the Jedi they would praise his strategies. Especially if it helped them to win this war we found ourselves in. Kit believed there was still good in him and was fighting to get to him.

Kit sliced down a multitude of enemies, before seeing Zen running right at him. Kit felt the presence of the Force and fought it with all his might until Zen was on top of him. Glaring down at him with an insane smile on his face. His blade went up and I watched as the shimmering blade came crashing down towards me.





I awoke, panting, sweating, and with my ignited blade at the ready, staring into the darkness of my room. It took a long moment, but I finally managed to calm myself and take several deep, cleansing breaths.

I had been tracking my prey for a while, determined to bring him back to the Jedi. I was given only the name of my target. A Darth. Who went by the name "Alezal" I had heard if this Darth, but didn't know who he was at all. Only that the Jedi wanted him and were paying big money for someone, anyone to get him and I had my heart set on a new comm system for my ship.

I had been tracing his steps for a long time and it looked like he was coming back my way.

Alezal slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. The only furnishings that occupied the small room was the rug on which he sat and meditated and the table where his lightsabers sat within easy reach. He looked straight at them and wished he could forget the day he had just had but still the thoughts of his former colleagues plagued him. He knew they were out there hunting for him and he wished they would come out and face him.

He knew all too well the teachings of the Jedi Masters; the dottering old fools that taught nothing but peace and understanding. As if the galaxy was like that. He had seen his fair share of the corruption and violence that ran rampant throughout the galaxy. In truth he had caused some of it to happen. The notion of peace and understanding in the galaxy was a pathetic one, one he had to learn the hard way.

Very slowly he got to his feet and pulled his lightsabers to him. Once they were attached to his belt he moved to the door, pulling the hood of his cloak down to cover his eyes.

He felt the presence of the person on the other side of the door a second before he opened it and let out a sigh. As soon as the door opened he came face to face with one of the soldiers. He looked down at the woman and instantly felt the fear that flowed from her.

"What is it. I told everyone I did not want to be disturbed."

"I am sorry my lord but Captain Irteil received a message he thought you might like to hear. It seems that one of the masters you have been looking for was seen on Nar Shadda."

Alezal looked at the woman and contemplated whether or not to snap her neck. The moment passed quickly.

"Tell the flight crew to prepare my ship and remind me when I get back to kill the captain."

"At once my lord," the soldier said before she turned and ran off down the hallway.

Alezal watched her run off before he turned and walked back into the room. If he was going to face one of his friends he wanted them to know who they were facing. From a hidden compartment he pulled out his most sentimental possession. As he slid the mask on he couldn't help but smile. One of his former friends was going to die this day.

A cold chill ran through Tal Varsus. The malevolence it contained made him shudder. He was sure the disturbance in the Force had come from Jerec, and it's intent was clear.

The Jedi master took a few deep and calming breaths and returned his attention to the tendrils of the Force.

Another feeling assaulted him. This one was clear and its source very recognizable. Lalena Kar had discovered his recording.

She was angry.

Varsus nodded his head. He had expected her to be.

She knew him. All too well, she knew him. He considered this as he also thought about the reason he would succeed in his current task. And, he wondered if Lalena knew she was that reason.

To not come back to her, to not see her again, to not be able to hold her, touch her, hear her laugh....these things would see him prevail.

The Jedi forbid attachment.

Yet, this relationship with her was not attachment. He did not covet her, or hold her above his duties. She simply completed him. She was the fulfillment of everything he was. So much more than a Jedi, more than a master, with her he was alive in everything the Force was.

He smiled to himself. Love was a somewhat antiquated expression to describe what he and Lalena shared.

"I shall have to invent a new descriptor," he said aloud.

The navigational droid that had been quiet in the corner of his quarters tweetled at his speaking.

"Nothing, Zee," he told it, "just talking to myself."

The droid tweetled again, and satisfied with its master's response, went back to its dormant mode.

As soon as Alezal had landed on the moon he knew his formers friends weren't here. He sensed it all around him. This had caused his rage to build to almost epic proportions. He had gone to everyone who knew him and almost killed them until one of them had told him where this Jedi was. He had gone there almost immediately.

As he stood there looking at the young woman he wanted to laugh at her. She thought she would be the one to bring him in? He would show her the folly of her ways.

She pulled her lightsabers from her belt which caused Alezal to laugh then. Without a word he pulled his own lightsabers from his belt and ignited them. He felt an instant of calm as the glow from the blades flowed over him a second before he rushed forward. He could tell how powerful this Jedi was the instant he struck; he could feel it flowing from her. He knew that this would be no easy fight. To him this would make it all the more pleasurable. He struck with his lightsabers again, making her back away for a second. He watched her movements and wanted to ask who had trained her. He knew he didn't have the time though as he moved to block her blow.

Without a sound he kicked her in the stomach before throwing his lightsaber at her. She moved at the last second and Alezal found himself impressed. She was not going to be an easy opponent to defeat. She moved towards him and he knew she was hoping for an opening. At the last second however his other saber came back to him and he blocked both blows before cutting forward. The jedi had barely enough time to block one blow but not the other and Alezal watched as the end of her now useless saber fell to the floor. She looked at him, an astonished look on her face.

"This fight is over. Just throw down your lightsaber and admit defeat," Alezal said as he walked towards her.

"Never! You will not defeat me. I promised that I would defeat you and take you back to the council."

Alezal felt the anger flow from the Jedi then and let a smile come to her face. He rushed forward then and moved with a grace he knew she would not expect. He sliced and cut, moved and stabbed at her which caused her parry, move and block every blow she could. As he continued with his assault when he felt the exhaustion creep into her.

"You know you cannot win. Just give up and walk away. You can come back and try to fight me later."

The jedi looked at him, "You will not let me go. I know too well how you treat the Jedi that you face. You will kill me."

Alezal raised one hand and sent his will out to slam into the Jedi. At first she started to resist it but as he sent more of his will flying towards her he could see her faltering. A second later she lost her footing and went skidding across the ground, her lightsaber falling to the ground where she had been standing. Alezal clipped one of his sabers onto his belt, picked hers up off the floor and walked towards where she was trying to get to her feet.

"Give up. You have already lost."

She got to her feet and raised both hands then, her will flying towards him. He felt it slam into him and cause him to take a step back.

This has gone on far too long he thought as he ignited her saber and threw it at her, watching as it sliced through her arm. A scream of pain reverberated through the room as the Jedi's saber flew into the junk pile behind her. Alezal watched as she fell to her knees on the floor, her good hand now clutching her injured arm.

He walked towards her, clipping his other saber to his belt as he did and raised one hand. The jedi was raised to her feet slowly and Alezal revelled in the choking sounds she made.

"Now tell me who sent you on this fool errand?"

"I.... will.... tell... you nothing," the jedi said in between gasps.

Alezal flicked his hand and sent the Jedi flying into the junk pile.
"You are not going to amuse me for long. I suggest that you tell me what I wish to know or it will be most unpleasant for you."

With a shout the Jedi flew out of the junk pile, her saber in her hand. Alezal watched her before he raised his hands, lightning flying from her to catch her in the chest. He watched as she flew back into the junk pile once more and started to laugh. Maybe he was going to have some fun with this after all. He watched as she started to get to her feet then before he moved forward, catching her off guard. His fist slammed into her abdomen with such a force it sent a gasp from her a second before he sent his other armored fist into her face. He watched the blood fly from her shattered nose as she fell back into the junk again.

"Now tell me who sent you. I am growing impatient and as you know when that happens this is not the best place to be."

She looked up at him, defiance still written clearly on her face.

With a sigh Alezal called forth the Jedi's saber and ignited it. The orange blade of her saber was in such contrast to the room that it practically lit up the room like a sun. He looked at it and then her before asking her the same question. Once more she refused to answer so her picked her up with the force. As she hung there he grabbed the hand of her injured arm and brought her lightsaber blade down, cutting slowly through it. Her screams sliced the quietness of the room before Alezal dropped the now useless arm to the floor. He looked at the shock written on the Jedi's face.

"Tell me what I want to know. Who sent you here and why?!"

She looked at him and he could tell that she was in such shock she could not answer him even it he wanted to. He knew there was only one thing he could do and brought his lightsaber down, slowly cutting through her leg. Once more her screams sliced through the quiet of the room. As her now useless leg fell to the floor he asked her once again and he could tell she was in such shock he knew she couldn't think of a thing. He dropped her to the floor and started to walk away. In the state she was in Alezal knew she would no longer be a threat to him. He stopped when he heard a gasp from her and turned to look at her.

"You will not win Sith. The Republic will crush you once more."

Alezal raised his hands, lightning spewing forth from his hands to envelope the Jedi. Once more she screamed and as she did it was music to his ears. He poured more of his will into the lightning and watched as it enveloped her and seemed to sink into her.

"All I want is a name. Give it to me and I will let you live."

"I will give you the name! Just give me your word you will leave me be!"

Alezal lowered his hands then and stepped forth.

"His name is Kitsune Cartaii. He was my master. I thought if I could defeat you I would be able to bring him back from the hell you have sent him to."

Alezal laughed. He leaned forward to look at her, his multi colored eyes studying her face.

"Tell me your name then so that I may tell him thank you when I meet him next."

She looked at him and he could tell she had the same strength of will back, she would not give him her name. He looked around and when he saw the right piece of metal raised it up off the pile. He brought it over to where the Jedi lay.
"Tell.... me.... your.... name."

He watched at the piece of metal sank slowly into her hand and heard her scream once more. He picked up another piece of metal and without warning sent it flying into her side. The look of shock and pain that was written on her face was priceless.

He knelt down beside her, "What is the point of all this. Just tell me your name so that I can leave you be."

She looked at him before she spat blood into his face. "My name is Alysa Talnerai. I am a Jedi Knight and I will be there when you fall."

"Thank you. That is all I wanted to know."

As he stood he watched the last piece of metal slam into the top of her head and saw the look of surprise fly onto her face a second before the light vanished from her eyes.

He turned then but before he walked away her called Alysa's lightsaber to him. He looked at it.

I hope you felt that Kitsune. Just know that it will be you next

Kit sat in his ship, toying with a small ring. He rubbed it slowly as he related in the comfortable captain's seat. He laid his head back and allowed his thoughts to drift to a Jedi. A very special Jedi. Alysa Talneri. He had met the young woman in the middle of a battle. She was hiding under rubble from a building that had crashed down on top of her. She was screaming, scared, young, but she was doing something miraculous. with no thought, no concentration, she was holding the building above her. The level of Force this girl was using would have put a strain on any JedI, and most likely if given to the Jedi she would strain if it ever happened again. The whole reason that she was able to hold up this building is because she molded the force with pure emotion. This was Kit's first clue. The girl was technically being pulled into the dark side, but she had control. She was holding a building up, WITH HER EMOTIONS as a fuel source.

Kit had thought hard in the mere seconds it had taken to realize all this. He saved her, took her under his wing and became her master. He taught her, trained her, loved her. He taught her how to mold the force, he taught her to use her emotions, to dip into the Dark side and he taught her how to make a lightsaber. Kit felt a tear run down his eye as he remembered the day she came to him and had him come with her to make her lightsaber. A deep orange, unstable blade that she poured all her emotion into. She built the beautiful blade and before even using it she looked at Kit and asked him to etch his name beside hers on the hilt. Her reasoning being that the two of them made it, so the two of them should own it. She made him swear that if something were to happen to her then he would take her blade. He would use it. He would never forget her. Kit swore on his life to do as she asked, but garaunteed her that with her power she would never know death's touch. Ever.

Kit was snapped out of his memories by a warning light, telling him a ship was comming into view. He saw the ship and powered up his weapons before haling them.

"This is Kitsune Cartaii, lower your shields and prepare to be bored." He said. He didn't know for sure if this was his target, but He figured at the very least He could make some money by killing several of them crew and selling the ship. It was after all an empirial ship.

That's when He felt it. The line that connected him to his apprentice snapped. Shattered more like it. He felt her death long before it rippled through the force. It shot through him, causing a shocked disbelief, followed by rage. He growled deep in his throat and glared at the ship on his monitor. Screw money. Now He was going to cause some damage. He fired. He fired everything at the ship. And He kept firing until the only thing left was space dust, floating around in space. If there had been a ship, none would know and none would ever find anything left from it.

Kit slumped back in his seat. "Computer. Land on the nearest planet." The machine chirped and obeyed his orders, flying to the planet, as Kit tried to hold his emotions in check, but was failing as every moment He got closer to the area of her demise. He didn't know what He would find, but He had a promise to keep. He swore on his life after all...

As he walked up the boarding ramp into his ship he held the lightsaber he had taken from Alysa in his hand. He relived the entire fight in his hand as he walked up the ramp, a smile coming to his face as he did so. She had tried so hard and fought so valiantly but Alezal had known it had all been in vain. She could not have beaten him but he still needed to know why she was there.

His ship droid's voices interrupted his thoughts which forced him to look at the shiny black face.

"What is it?"

"Sorry to disturb your master. Your ship is ready to depart. I trust your visit was successful."

Alezal held the lightsaber more firmly in his hand and with am smile looked at the droid, "Oh, very much so. It was a most enjoyable visit."

The droid walked off without a word, something he had a tendency of doing which left Alezal to walk to the bridge. As he walked the corridor to his ship he subconsciously passed the Jedi's lightsaber from one hand to the next. He wondered what Kit's reaction to his students death would be. That actually surprised Alezal. He had not expected Kit; who Alezal knew would have nothing to do with either side to take on a student. He remembered when Kit had been asked to join with the Jedi and his reaction. It always brought a smile to Alezal's face, the way he had almost slapped the Jedi in the face. At the time it had shocked Alezal, being the Jedi he had been but now he realized he would have done the same. That was wrong; he would have done far worse.

He walked onto the bridge then before starting up the engines. He then flicked the switch to the communicator and brought up the flight control.

"Nar Shadda control. This is the Made Whole. Requesting permission to leave the planet."

As soon as permission had been given he flicked the switch for the repulsors and felt the ship lift off the floor. He was amazed, as it rose just how so big a ship could rise so smoothly. Before too long he saw the sky and pushed at the controls, sending the Made Whole away from the planet and into the stars beyond.

The moment he flew out of the atmosphere of the planet Alezal sensed something; a deep, foreboding rage. He reached out with his senses to find which ship it was coming from but couldn't find the specific one. He knew who it must be however and smile as he punched the coordinates for his next jump into the computer. He reached out for the lever but before he pushed it forward he stopped himself and turned towards the communication system.

He punched in the code for a very well known acquaintance, "Shadowfire. I have a proposition for you, if you will listen."

Shadowfire landed her ship the 'Chyrons Ferry' and called up the spaceport police. She got through straight away as she was a regular here and the bored looking face of Commander Tu'las appeared in her Holo viewer.
"Ah Shadow," he said brightening up considerably, "Don't tell me you lost that tricky spice running cyborg already."
Shadow glared at the man and he blanched as her red eyes glowed a deeper crimson. "Would I be back in this cesspool if I really didn't need to be Tu'las. The cyborg is in my hold. As soon as the bounty is paid your men can come and collect him."
"What," he yelled. "You have only been gone three days. My men have been looking for him for 6 months. That is impossible."
"That's why you should hire professionals in the first place. Now pay up and get this scum off my ship."

Two hours later Shadowfire was in a semi reputable bar. She had made a decent profit off of that bounty but it was boring work. She craved excitement and there was just not a lot of that going around at the moment. Checking out the Holo net she was looking for work and all she saw were the regular jobs. Bounty after bounty for this guy's or that girl's head. Most wanted alive, a few either way. Heck there wasn't even a decent assassination job on here. There were a few decent looking recovery item jobs that were paying big credits, normally code for theft but who cared. She was in the mood for some mayhem and strife. Her private number went off. Not many people had that number so she activated a privacy screen around her and quickly answered it. No vid but an unmistakeable voice called out to her."Shadowfire. I have a proposition for you, if you will listen."
Oh the force worked in mysterious ways as her brother would say.
"I am all ears your Lordship." Even with a privacy screen erected, there was no way she was going to say his name on any open channel.

Alezal smiled at Shadow's voice as he sat back in the chair. She had always been an interesting asset of his. It was usually because he paid better that she had taken out targets he could not without arousing any suspicion.

"How do you feel about hunting some Jedi for me. Three Masters in particular. I know it sounds like a hard job but I know those types of jobs are your specialty. I don't want the masters killed. Oh, anyone else around them you are free to kill just not them."

He brought up images of his former friends then and sent them to her as well as how much he was willing to pay. He hoped both the proposition and the amount of credits that were going to go her way were going to pique her interest.

Shadow grinned as the details of her mission came through. It seemed like his Lordship needed her to hunt down and harass, perhaps even capture some Jedi's. Anyone around them was fair game so she was not hampered that much but it would still be a hard hunt. It was just what she had been looking and of course the money he was offering was welcome too. It had to be of course, she was going to be going up against 3 Jedi's. There was never a doubt she was going to turn this job down. His Lordships jobs were always so much fun. She sent all the data to her ship's computer and then sent off a confirmation of her taking the job. She sent a small message asking for specifics of target details (last known locations, habits, associates etc), and what he wanted her to do with them, (Capture, delay or disable them).

Deactivating her privacy screen she grinned and finished her drink. Leaving the bar she headed back towards the spaceport and her waiting ship. This promised to be a more fun filled journey than she had been on in a rather long time. In fact she might get a chance to use some of the new toys she had gathered recently. With a smile on her face she stepped into a robo taxi and settled back.

“As you probably saw on your way in, Major, Naboo is a pristine world, pretty much untouched by civilization,” said the man walking next to Jodoh, the insignia on his uniform indicating a colonel. Even though the colonel was of a higher rank than Jodoh and the commander of this outpost, next to Jodoh he was outranked both in size and stature, and the colonel knew it. “There are only a few small settlements on this planet, and even though they don’t get along, I’m still confused as to why the Republic would invest so much into this outpost.”

“What about the native species, the Gungans?” asked Jodoh. As he walked through the outpost, escorted by the colonel in his casual uniform and a few lightly armored soldiers trailing behind, Jodoh was an imposing figure made all the more so by the heavy armor he wore. Jodoh could hear the conversations of the soldiers they passed pick up afterwards as they spotted his insignia and the emblem of Havoc Squad on his armor. He was sure that they were speculating on why a member of the elite Havoc Squad would be visiting their remote outpost, for Havoc Squad had a reputation of being where the action was, not where it wasn’t. And there certainly wasn’t any action on Naboo.

Little did they know that Jodoh was here on what was essentially a milk run; the odds of the Empire showing up were about the same as successfully navigating an asteroid field.

“Honestly, we’re not even sure they actually exist,” replied the colonel. “In the two years since this outpost was established, we’ve investigated maybe half a dozen possible sightings by the settlers, but only found animal tracks. We can’t find any trace of their settlements, which we’re told are somewhere in the swamps. Our squadron of star fighters fly over those swamps all the time and have yet to find any evidence.”

“So, tell me, Colonel, what were your orders when you established this base?”

“Oddly enough, I was given four main objectives. First, establish an outpost to observe and report any Imperial troop movements in the system. Second, provide security to the local settlers upon request. Third, attempt to recruit from the locals and provide basic training to the recruits and maintain the training standards of the soldiers that are stationed here. And finally, the fourth order was to facilitate a team of scientists that have come to study the planet,” said the colonel, his tone suggesting that he listed his orders by priority.

By this time, Jodoh and the colonel had arrived at the command post situated at the base of the lone mountain that dominated the center of the canyon that the base had been established in. As he removed his helmet, Jodoh noted that most of the personnel in the command post were busy watching various sensor readouts and paid little heed to the two men who had just entered. One person, though, did a double take when spotted Jodoh and called out quickly for everyone else to come to attention. Jodoh looked at the colonel with his one good eye, who offered an apologetic glance and let the men get back to work.

“So, Colonel, what’s the status of your objectives?” asked Jodoh, resuming the conversation. He noted more than a few of the dozen personnel in the command post were looking around as to the reason why they had been called to attention, as if it were not a normal occurrence. When they spotted Jodoh, they stared until Jodoh looked at them, hastily getting back to work when he did.

“Well, as you can see, we have done a fairly decent job of setting up a secure position,” said the colonel, walking over to a holo projector and bringing up a display of the outpost and the canyon it sits in. “Normally, this canyon would not be the best place to setup a base, but we were given a rather powerful shield generator as part of our starting supplies. We set it up on this mountain in the middle of the canyon, known as Devil’s Tower, and when it is turned on, as you saw, it forms a nearly impenetrable roof over the canyon, making attacks from above and the canyon walls nearly impossible. The engineers that came with the generator claim that it could even withstand a sustained orbital bombardment.”

The colonel fell silent as Jodoh looked at the hologram of the base. While the colonel didn’t have nearly the combat experience Jodoh did, he had enough to know that with the information provided about the shield generator, Jodoh would be able to piece together the rest of the base’s defense. With the shield up, an attacking enemy couldn’t come in from either the east or the west, and definitely not from above. The enemy would be forced to drop troops further down the canyon to the north or south, where the canyon was just wide enough for a shuttle to fly through without scrapping the sides.

With the bulk of the base’s defenses placed at the north and south ends of the canyon, right where it opens up to the base, any attacking forces will be going through a narrow killing field as they come up or down the canyon. This outpost was setup to be a stronghold, and a stronghold it was. In fact, from what Jodoh knew of the military’s current plan, this outpost was meant to be a stronghold for when the Republic pushed back against the Empire.

“As for the other objectives,” the colonel continued when Jodoh looked back at him. “We have a full battalion, nearly twelve hundred soldiers, stationed here including an armored platoon and starfighter squadron. We’re capable of providing security to the settlers if needed, but we’re so remote and isolated out here that the settlers didn’t even know we were here until we went and said hello six months after landing.

“Which brings us to the third objective, recruiting and training. We have tried doing some recruiting, but the settlers have shown very little interest, preferring to go about their own peaceful lives, ignoring us until they need our help. For training, we do have a Special Forces squad here that helps with training, but although they like to think they have the same reputation and skill of Havoc Squad, they don’t, so when you run into them, remind them of that, will you? That’ll make keeping them in line a bit easier,” said the colonel with a small smile on his face.

“As for the fourth objective, we do have a science team here, with a couple of Jedi tagging along. We gave them a couple of buildings to use - one as a bunk house, the other as a lab - and there is a squad assigned as security, but for the most part, they do their own thing. The two Jedi seem more like the academic type than the fighting type, so I’m not expecting much from them if it comes to a fight. In fact, most of that science team, along with the Jedi, isn’t even here at the moment. They spend weeks at a time out in the field doing whatever it is they do.

“So, there you have it Major, a complete run down of the situation here. We’re keeping an eye out for Imperials, but we haven’t seen any movement through the system is nearly a year. I doubt they even know we’re here, let alone care,” finished the colonel.

“You never know, Colonel,” replied Jodoh. “Sometimes those Imperials like picking on easy targets, sometimes they like a challenge. It could be that whatever Imp supposedly claims ownership of this area doesn’t know you’re here, or that he does and doesn’t care because he thinks he can crush you whenever he pleases.”

“Major, I’ve been meaning to ask, and I’m sure the men are wondering too, but what brings the commander of Havoc Squad here? Is the Republic expecting the Imperials to attack?” asked the colonel, now showing a little bit of nervousness.

“I’m just the honorary commander of Havoc Squad now, Colonel,” said Jodoh, smiling a bit. “As for why I’m here, it’s just a milk run. I’m checking on several other outposts like this one, making sure they’re ready to stop an overzealous Imp from crushing them, providing some training, and if I spot some worthy candidates, making some recommendations for Special Forces training.

“So, with that in mind, I’m going to be here for maybe a week or two to make sure I get at least a few of your companies trained up a bit. How about it, Colonel? Shall we get started?” asked Jodoh as he straightened up and put his helmet on. With the colonel beside him once again, he left the command post to start the task he had been sent here to do.

Lee watched as the skies over Coruscant filled with flaming javelins of Sith fury. He felt the tower landing platform shake from the near miss of one of the Empires ships passing by mere feet away, the whine of the laser cannons blasting down all incoming air and spacecraft. Fire streamed from the ship like vast wings. The ship crashed into the base of one of the giant corporate citadels, raising thunder all over the world city, as the multi-level structure collapsed slowly, wreckage and debris falling like metal rain.
“Sir! Captain, sir, we have to go, the transport is lifting off!” Lee turned to the trooper beside him, nodding quickly as they both leapt onto the rising gunship.

The transport flew out over the burning city, dodging laser fire and columns of black smoke. Captain Lee Grantley of the Republic Special Forces Sweeper Squadron, checked his helmet comm, and opened the command channel. Reports of heavy casualties began literally screaming over the comm, making him wince. No one seemed to be organized enough to give orders, so Lee switched to his squads channel and began relaying orders of his own.

“Listen up! We look for high priority targets of opportunity. That means, if we see a group of civilians being chased by Imperial troops, we attack and provide cover, but we keep our eyes peeled for officers…and Sith. You see a red lightsaber, you yell out. Maximum lethal force advised. Now isn’t the time to save ammo boys. This might be the last day of a free Republic, but we’re going out shooting!”

The next few hours, Sweeper Squadron flew a trio of gunships to the rescue of anyone they could find, shooting ground targets from midair, evading enemy fire, trying to rebuild lines of communication and the chain of command. The fighting was fierce, but his men were all highly trained veterans. Then, the call came out over the live emergency military channel. Lee was piloting the gunship, and turned the controls onto autopilot to listen to the panicked voice.

“The Jedi Temple has fallen! I repeat, the Jedi Temple has been destroyed! The Galactic Senate Building is under attack, we are being pushed back behind the blast barriers. We need reinforcements now! Now dammnit!” Lee swallowed a sudden rise of bile, but gripped the steering yoke determinedly. “This is G-47, Sweeper One, responding to Galactic Senate Guard. We are five kilometers out, inbound. ETA…3 minutes.” He pushed the throttle all the way forward and wove through the cluttered airspace.

Here, at last, Lee saw the red lightsabers he’d been expecting. Massive figures in dark armor, lithe forms in black robes, they danced all over the senate guards. Gritting his teeth, Lee dove at them, lasers stitching the permacrete below. One of the figures turned and watched the gunships diving. He spun his lightsaber and reached out a gauntleted hand, as if clutching at the sky.

Suddenly, the controls of the gunship were unresponsive. Lee glanced down at the flashing pilot board in confusion, pumping the pedals to no effect, the steering yoke trembling loose in his hands. The gunship tilted steeply, nose down to the ground, accelerating. Lee felt his gorge rise again, his breath catching as g-forces pushed at him in the crash couch. He frantically shouted into the comm;

“We’re going down! Bail out, bail out! Aaaahhhh!”

…Gasping, Lee lurched upright in his bunk, clutching at the sides for dear life. He sat in the darkness, his heart thudding in his chest, sucking down air as fast he could gulp it. After several minutes, his breathing and heartbeat settled down, memory of his whereabouts returning gradually. Slowly, he slid to the edge of his bunk, bare feet on the cold durasteel deck plating. He was safe, on board The Ditch. He sat perfectly still for a long moment, and then he bent over and vomited. The stench of greasy bar food and jet juice almost made him puke again, but he managed to choke it down. An empty flask of something strong rolled off the edge of the bunk and bounced a few times before coming to a rest against one of his discarded boots.

Pale, sweating, shaking, Lee Grantley lurched his way out of his quarters and to the refresher. He cupped his hands under the water dispenser and splashed his face with cold, recycled water. Suddenly parched, he put his face under the stream and drank his fill. Then he stood, holding himself up on the edge of the sink, looking blurrily into the mirror. As always, he was startled at the contrast in vision between his real eye and the artificial one. The scars he’d gotten used to. The gray in his hair was just a detail. But the eye…that he never quite got used to. Letting out a deep, tired breath, Lee hopped into the sanistream.

Later, he dressed himself in his customary clothing. Charcoal gray utility pants, black combat boots, laced high and tight. Crisp white shirt, top two buttons undone. His twin blasters belted at his hips, knives sheathed at the small of his back. He teased his dark hair into place and slid into his black synth leather jacket. The smell of it soothed him somehow, as well as completing his morning ritual.

An old astromech droid tweetled at him from his quarters as he passed by. “Oh. Yeah…sorry about that Bucket. I had kind of a rough night.” The droid beeped and blatted angrily. “Ok, ok, so most nights are rough lately, what’s your point? Just clean up the mess.” Lee stomped down the corridor.

By the time he got the gangway ramp lowered, his mood was already improving. Today was the day. He absolutely felt it in his bones. Today was the day he got a decent paying job and got off this rock. His smile only wilted slightly as he caught a whiff of the stale Nar Shada air.

It reminded him of his childhood a bit too much. For a kid who has grown up in the lower level slums of Coruscant, Nar Shada was like coming home, only slightly more shady. Lee stepped lively down the boarding ramp and hit the button on the strut that would raise it. Tucking his thumbs into his gunbelt, he set off to find some credits.

The site was beyond words. His padawan practically destroyed, something he hadn't seen since the great wars. He had cried for hours until memories became a blur.

Building a pyre.

Laying her broken body on it

Reaching for hours. Where was her Saber?

With tears in his eyes, lighting the pyre.

Sensing her spirit

Talking to her.

Swearing to find her saber.

Crying again as she swore to be beside him.

Finding his way back to the ship.

Flying away from that planet.

Now he was randomly flying through space with her standing right behind him. "Remember that night?" She asked
"Which one?" He asked, his voice cracking, he knew which one.
"You know. The night when we broke the final Jedi law and tried to have our own child."
"You were amazing."
"I remember. You couldn't take it." She was giggling.
"Hey now. Even if I shot off prematurely I still made sure you had a good Time." He couldn't help but smile. She had been so beautiful. "Did...did it hurt."
She nodded sadly. Both now melancholy they stared at each other for hours. Saying Nothing, but both feeling the effect of her death.
"I'm sorry...I never should have left." She said to me.
"No I understand. You wanted to be a Jedi master and the only way to do that was to join their ranks." He sighed softly "but they did something to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember how powerful you were? You could form lightning into a hand and use it to attack your enemy. You could sense a move minutes before it happened and you used to come straight to me instead of going on a suicide run by yourself."
She nodded as he spoke. "I know....I was pretty badass...they took away that...I wasn't allowed to use my emotions at all..." She spoke sadly and her form moved closer to him. "I wish you could kiss me..." Kit reached out and She took his hand as best She could. He couldn't feel it and if he moved She would probably pass through him, but Even still it felt good. HE turned back to the console and put in some coordinates. Flying to the ship he destroyed.

The console bleeped and Lalena flicked her gaze to the sensor screen. Pressing a few buttons, she noted the port view and flew past a debris field. Such fields weren't uncommon. During the great war, there were many space battles. Not only had whole worlds burned, but the space was filled with the melancholy memories of battle. She could still hear the screams of those sucked into the void as lasers cut into their hulls. She could feel the panic that came along side adrenaline as she heard the shrill scream of metal tearing.

Turning her mind away from the echoes of the past, she glided silently past the graveyard and walled her heart away from the pain. Sighing, she stood, leaving the ship in control of the navigation droid that sat in the recess between the command chair and the console. Rolling her shoulders, she let out another breath. The trip was taking longer than expected.

Truth to tell, she was taking longer that she really needed to catch up with Varsus. After a few hours, her rage had quieted down and she had been left feeling slightly foolish. Her mad rush off the planet had been just that. A mad rush. She had no supplies, no clothes even. Just her robes she had thrown on in anger and the two sabers clipped to her belt.

She didn't even have any perfume!

Staring at herself in the reflective surface of the mirror in her quarters, she ran her fingers idly along her lekku. They twitched, responding to her light touch and a small smile curved her lips as she remembered Tal's fingers gliding across her skin. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she remembered Tal's breath whispering across her neck. She shivered and rubbed her arms. Her breathing quickened and her pupils dilated, her lips parting as she watched Tal's body sliding against hers in her mind's eye. His muscles glistening with sweet sweat as he panted against her. Her lekku twisted and a growing warmth in her belly started up as she remembered the last time they had been together.

Her fingers wandered low, skipping against her abdomen. Her breathing hitched as she remembered his lips against her skin. His strong fingers wrapped around her arms as he held her in place, her legs wrapped around him as she moved beneath him, staring into his beautiful, soulful gaze.

Her breathing soon became ragged as she remembered feeling his pulsing warmth, the ebb and flow of his movements inside her, the slowly building crescendo as they -

The navigation droid tweetled into the intercom, the whistling whir traveling through the com system and interrupting her reverie. She paused, her breathing slowing. They had arrived at their destination. Passcodes had been exchanged and she now had permission to board. In the back of her mind she felt Varsus' close presence blossom - her previous thoughts making her awareness of him intensify.

Sighing, she took a small cloth and wiped her fingers. Squaring her shoulders, she schooled her thoughts and walked through her small ship. Signaling her intent, she waited at the entry way for docking to complete before putting on a serene face and stepping aboard.

She was not welcomed by the captain. Nor Tal Varsus himself. A lieutenant had been dispatched to lead her to the bridge and she wasted no time on small pleasantries. The young man seemed slightly timid in her presence, his eyes darting around, trying not to stare at her lekku, or the two sabers under her cloak. She had not bothered with her hood but she felt comfortable in the presence of complete awe in the young man's heart. Jedi commanded respect and at times a little fear. It was something that she had just gotten used to over the years.

"Is there a way to summon Master Varsus to the bridge?" He nodded and said it would be done. She inclined her head and upon entering the room turned her attention to the captain of the ship.

"Master Lalena Kar. We were not expecting another Jedi on this mission, but your presence is most welcome." His smile did not reach his eyes, but his nod of respect was all Lalena needed.

"Thank you Captain. I assure you, I am only here at the request of Master Varsus. I will await him here."

She needed to see him. But she needed it to be public. Otherwise she would either launch at him in anger or lust. A public meeting would ensure a neutrality that she desperately needed to calm her racing heart.

Oh it had been so long!

Shadowfire had studied some of the files while she had flown away from the planet and into hyper drive. It seemed a pretty straight forward mission. Delay and niggle at the Jedi's forces until his lordship had time to deal with them himself. For this he was paying handsomely. She already had some ideas of how to do this. The way to hunt a Jedi was not to go straight at them. For someone like her, even with her advantage, she was still not powerful enough. Oh a Jedi died just like every other being in the galaxy. Hit their vital spot and it was all over, It was being able to do that that was the problem. Besides she was not being paid to kill, only delay. She would use another of their weak points, their honor.

Jedi's had to investigate and help all beings in trouble, it was part of their silly code. Shadow would use that against them. So far His Lordship only knew of one fleet pursuing him. Shadow was determined to get in front of it and leave some false tracer beacons emitting distress calls in their path. Some on planets and some in space. Of course she would attack a few small freighters if they presented themselves so they would never know if the distress call would be real or not and she had a little surprise planed for one of the worlds as well.

Grinning to herself, she went below to sort out her ordinance and check out her armory for a few little toys she was sure she had stashed away. It would be a fun hunt for her if nothing else.

Just beyond the shimmering radiance of the shield that protected the canyon, the light of the setting sun could be seen illuminating the top of the canyon walls. However, Jodoh wasn’t looking up at the shield or at the sunlight on the cliffs. No, he was looking at the base as he walked through it with the colonel next to him. A mix of prefab buildings interspersed with more sturdy, permanent ones, along with bunkers and gun emplacements, the base was working on shedding its hastily constructed appearance for a more entrenched look.

After spending a few hours touring the base and making plans with the colonel, Jodoh had posted himself a few rows away from the eastern edge of the base, his attention on a particular building. There really wasn’t anything noticeably different about this one from all the others except for the emblem of Hawkbat Squad, the Special Forces squad that is stationed at this base, painted on the door, and the sounds of a drunken party coming from inside. Even from a couple of buildings down, Jodoh could hear the six members of Hawkbat squad partying it up, and judging from the extra voices, so were a few other soldiers.

Normally, this party wouldn’t be a big deal, especially for the common soldiers, seeing as how they are all off-duty, but as far as Jodoh was concerned, there was no such thing as off-duty for the Special Forces until your Final Inspection. Thus, the party in the Hawkbat barracks was a problem for Jodoh, and it would soon be the Hawkbat’s problem too.

Jodoh was sitting on a couple of crates, a dark cloak that he had borrowed from the night patrol draped across his shoulders and his helmet beside him, as he waited for the soldiers inside to get to the right level of drunkenness. He didn’t want them so drunk that they would pass out, but drunk enough that they’ll regret it once Jodoh made his move.

He took a moment to look up at the night sky and marveled at the colonel’s clever tactic to keep the base from being noticed by any wandering Imperials up in space: the shield was off. Most base commanders wouldn’t risk turning off the only thing protecting their base from a bombardment, but most commanders weren’t trying to keep their bases hidden from the Imperials. During the day light hours on this part of the planet, most observers from space would probably mistake the light from the shield covering the base as sunlight reflecting off a lake, a mistake that wouldn’t be made at night, hence why the shield was off and the base was under blackout conditions.

It was a gamble, surely, but it seemed to be working considering the Imperials haven’t attacked in the two years the base had been here. The colonel had assured Jodoh that in the event the base was spotted, and attack began, the shield could be brought back up before the first shell hit.

“Sir, the squad is ready and awaiting orders, sir,” said a soldier who stepped up from behind Jodoh. It was fortunate for the man that he had made some noise prior to coming up behind Jodoh; if he hadn’t, Jodoh would likely have dropped him like a rock, a fact the man apparently knew from having dealt with Special Forces before.

“Thank you Sergeant,” replied Jodoh, standing up and turning around to face the assembled squad behind him. “Okay gentlemen, here’s the plan: I’m going into the Hawkbat barracks and busting up the party. After I enter, you will secure the road out here and keep anyone who comes out of there from getting away. Non-lethal only, so make sure your weapons are set for stun. Anyone I throw out of there is probably not going to be too eager to get up right away, but just in case, keep an eye on them. Are we clear?

“Alright then, let’s get moving,” Jodoh said, the synchronized salute that he got in return all the answer he needed.

With his helmet hanging from a belt clip at his side, Jodoh made his way to the Hawkbat barracks, the night patrol squad hanging back until he was inside. Sitting outside the door was a common soldier who was probably either the most trustworthy or the least popular at the party to have gotten stuck acting as a bouncer. The man perked up a bit as he noticed Jodoh’s approach, but apparently he wasn’t concerned enough to put down his drink.

“Hey there! I’m new to the post and I hear the Hawkbats aw, crap,” said Jodoh, noticing a look of dawning recognition come upon the man’s face. The man jumped out of his chair and turned for the door, tossing aside his drink as he rushed to warn the party inside. Thankfully, Jodoh had gotten close enough that he was able to rush the guy, grab him by the neck and pull him away before he could touch the door controls.

As Jodoh pulled the would-be party crasher – only Jodoh would have that honor – backwards, he laid a heavy, armored punch into the guy’s gut, causing him to double over as he was tossed out into the road for the patrol to watch over.

Once inside, the noise that was being passed off as music was deafening, which was good because none of the dozen soldiers inside heard Jodoh enter, nor did they notice him as a group until he got to the stereo and turned it off. A couple of the soldiers did stop and stare at the mountain of a man as he made his way to the stereo, but the alcohol in their system didn’t allow them to do much more.

“Gentlemen! Gentlemen!” said Jodoh over the sound of the soldiers complaining about their sudden lack of music.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing buddy?” said one of the soldiers, attempting to stand up and confront the party crasher, but his “confrontation” was made less so by his failure to get a solid footing even on the third try, not to mention his slightly slurred speech.

“By order of the colonel, Hawbat Squad is to return to duty effective immediately! This party is over gentlemen,” replied Jodoh. He was getting the feeling that these soldiers weren’t going to be smart and simply leave, but that could have just been wishful thinking on Jodoh’s part. What fun would it be if they just rolled over and did as they were told? “You are all hereby ordered to exit the building and form up outside.”

“What the hell for?” asked the same man who had spoken earlier, possibly the squad sergeant.

“Training. You have fifteen seconds to comply,” Jodoh replied, putting his helmet back on.

“Yeah? And who’s gonna make us?” the sergeant said, regaining some of his confrontational composure.

Underneath his helmet, Jodoh smiled. It was the type of smile that if seen, would have been of the evil sort that said “I’m so glad you asked.” He removed the cloak that covered his shoulders and upper torso, to reveal the insignia and emblem that adorned his armor, while at the same time, removing something from his belt that just fit inside his fist.

The eyes of some of the more astute and less drunken soldiers grew wide at what they saw, followed quickly by a mad dash for the door. The others weren’t so lucky.

“Havoc Squad.”

Alezal sat back into his chair with a smile. He could feel the anger, the hate and other emotions that flowed around the galaxy. He knew that it wasn't coming just from his former friends but he hoped that some of it was.

Very slowly he opened his eyes and wondered what everyone was doing right at this moment. He hoped that Shadow's mission was going well and that she was having fun antagonising his former friends. He closed his eyes again and reached out towards them.

In an instant he felt the pain and anger that flowed from Kit and relived almost instantly the fight he had with the padawan. It made him wish that he had been there personally to see Kit's reaction. He reached out and found Tal almost instantly. It was like looking at a shining beacon of light; something Alezal hated more than anything.

It was then he felt something, someone near him. He didn't know who it was but he could feel the anger that flowed from them. He hoped that whoever this person would use their anger towards Tal and wondered if he could use them.

He heard his the sound from his comm then and with a sigh slowly opened his eyes. Turning to it he turned it on only to come face to face with the captain of the Vengeance.
"Sorry to disturb you my lord. There have been reports that..... that."

Alezal watched as the man slowly sank to the floor and heard his breathing becoming shallower and shallower. He had promised himself he would kill the man the next time he saw him. This was as good a time as any.

As the man lay dying, his first officer walked into view, her flowing red hair covering one side of his face.

"As the captain-"

"Former," Alezal said calmly, still watching the man die.

"Sorry my lord, former captain began to say. There have been reports that a cruiser was destroyed earlier. Some say it was done by one small ship. We were going to investigate."

"Do not do anything of the sort. You will wait for me. There is more to this than meets the eye."

As the former captain of the Vengeance slowly slipped away Alezal turned off the comm and turned his chair with a large smile. It seemed that he had gotten to Kit who had retaliated in a rather large way.

Shadow read up on the file of the Jedi called Tal Varsus. His was the first fleet she would toy with. Supposedly he still believed that his Lordship was Redeemable. She laughed as she read that and then quickly glanced all around her. He did have his was of knowing just what a person was thinking. Getting back to the report she had his last known co-ordinates, heading and speed. It would be easy to get ahead of them and delay them for him, but she had to also whittle them down a little. Oh she had some ideas about that as well. Reading his report she saw he was a very determined man and that he would follow the code, but when hunting his Lordship that became strained and although he still followed it, he often delegated small tasks to his subordinates. Shadow would teach him the error of his ways.

Gunning her engines she shifted into warp drive and began her task.

Several days later her space traps had been set for now. Several false distress beacons, followed by an attack on a small freighter she had crippled and left floating in space. Now she had found a small debris field, perfect for what she wanted. Suiting up she proceeded to her airlock where she had placed an old one person stasis pod. She had jury rigged it to emit a larger life sign than the small rodent she had placed in it along with the small Pressure Bomb she had set to blow when the lid was removed. It would not destroy a whole ship but it would certainly cripple it and do a lot of damage to it's crew and that was what she was after.

Opening up the outer doors she jetted out into the middle of the field then activated the pods emergency signal making sure it looked like it had been going for several months. Grinning to herself she made her way back to her ship. After shrugging off her suit she made her way back to her bridge grinning and chuckling all the way. Ah she would love to be here to watch the carnage when that bomb went off but she needed to set up her next little trap. Unlike the other ones this was going to be planet side and needed a lot of work on her part. Still she was going to be able to kill something and she had been looking forward to this. Once it was in place maybe she would finally be able to kill some troopers as well. She licked her lips and sped off before warping out.