Prologue

Homo Catus. Most like to call them the Vomo Gatto. They are similar to the Cathars except for the fact that Vomo Gattos are slender and slim, more than usually short, and better for assassination and body guarding than heavy hand-to-hand combat. They're an unnatural hybrid between humans and felines made by an ancient dark Sith lord around the time of Darth Revan for his own personal assassins and body guards. For thousands of years until a powerful merchant who worked under Darth Vader, these Vomo Gattos had become independent and thrived on a planet that the Sith lord who created them had given them before he was killed. The merchant killed all of the adults and captured all the children. He put the children in training camps, and sold them to Vader and other powerful nobles who would keep them in use. He took the children of these Vomo Gattos and did the same thing with them. Other merchants got a hold of some Vomo Gattos and began selling them as well. Soon they became a large profit from their intelligence, ability to communicate, and extremely quick reflexes and stealth. They became slaves, doing their master's will and their master's will alone. They were taught in their training camps that if they disobey even once, it will be the last mistake they would ever, ever take.

But there were a few, very rare, Vomo Gattos that seemed...genetically advanced. They could tell what you wanted, when you wanted it. They could tell what would happen in the immediate future, even in the most unpredictable situations. These Vomo Gattos, however, sometimes killed their masters eventually, and had several bounty hunters on them until they were finally killed.

But no matter in what situation, master or not, Vomo Gattos are dangerous.

I

He sat at his desk, reviewing some papers. A Vomo Gatto stood by his side. She was tall and slender. Her eyes were green and veined with brown and flecked with white. She stood motionless, not speaking. She was taught to do this, for if she spoke without permission, the consequences could be grave.

A man came through the door. Her eyes immediately focused on him, her lips curled up enough to show her fangs.

Her master looked at the visitor and smiled. "Hello, Shaaben."

She let her lips relax, but she did not take her eyes from him.

Shaaben stared at her uncomfortably. "You know I can never feel comfortable with that thing around."

"Akari is good. She would not hurt you unless you had intentions to hurt me," her master simply said.

"Yeah, but...still...she never takes her eyes off of me. Can't you get something like a Nogri? Atleast we haven't heard any stories of Nogri killing their masters, Falon."

"Akari is not one like one of those Vomo Gattos. She is loyal and honest."

"But...I'm your most trusted man. Why doesn't she trust me?"

"She's just doing her job."

"Could you ask her to leave...this'll only take 5 minutes."

Falon sighed, and then nodded towards Akari. She reluctantly left the room, eying Shaaben before she closed the door behind her.

She couldn't see what was going on in there, but somehow she could sense it...maybe he wasn't anyone to be worried about. He was Falon's friend, so didn't that make him her friend, too?

She heard a gasp and could feel someone pointing at her. She turned to look at two people gaping at her. She tilted her head, wondering what they could want.

"Look! It's a Cathar!" one whispered to the other.

"No, no, that's a Vomo Gatto. I wonder who her master is," the other whispered.

"I heard they killed their masters...maybe she already killed hers..." he whispered back.

Akari stepped towards them. This surprised the two, and they jumped, afraid.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she told them. "I just want to know what about me is so fascinating."

"You don't know?" one spoke. "Your kind are one of the most dangerous there is."

"Lana..." the other tried to stop them.

"Not only are you guys dangerous, but you're rare. It's a wonder—"

Akari heard a blaster pistol shot from inside Falon's office. She ran through the door without any hesitation to find Falon dead in his chair. The window had been broken; Shaaben had jumped out. Akari's heart beat rapidly. Thoughts ran through her head. She shouldn't have left. She should have paid attention to what was going on in there. She turned around and looked at the two who still stood there, speechless.

It was their fault...they should pay...

The little green Jedi Master grunted in disapproval. His apprentice sensed it and broke his meditation.

"What is it Master Thorr?" he asked.

"Sense it too, can you?" Thorr asked.

"Yes, master. But...what does this mean?"

"Means, it does, that act, we must."

"Act on what?"

"This person...Special, she is. Get her, you must."

"I have to get her? What about you?"

"Strong enough, you are."

"Thank you master. But who am I looking for?"

"Find her through the Force, you will."

"Do I atleast have a heading?"

"A heading you do not need, my young apprentice."

He sighed as he stood. "I will leave tomorrow then." He left the room and ran into another Jedi. "Hello, Shii."

The Twi'Leck smiled. "Hello, Jace. Where are you headed?"

"I'm going to my quarters to meditate."

"Weren't you just in there meditating with Master Thorr?" he asked.

"Yeah, but...I'm supposed to be looking for someone."

"Oh really? Who?"

"I don't know...I can feel her, though. She's...angry, sad, and confused."

"She, eh?"

"That's what Master Thorr told me."

"Okay, well...if you need any help, tell me. When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Alright then. See you later."

"May the Force be with you."

"And you, too."

Jace went into one of the elevators and went up to the floor where his room was.

He sat down on his mat, taking a good look out the window at the Coruscant skyscrapers before he closed his eyes to search for this girl...

He saw the two Coruscant janitors dead on the floor; one had been gutted, the other's esophagus had been closed.

The woman who had discovered the two was being held by a security guard who was comforting her. A droid was trying to interview her. "Do you have any idea who did this?" it asked.

"Mr. Falon kept a Vomo Gatto," she sniffled. "I think she's the one who did this. She was kind to me but...I guess she'd had enough of dear...Mr. ." she couldn't take it anymore and started crying again.

"Where could this Vomo Gatto be?" the reporter tried again.

"I don't know. Maybe back at his house...I'm not sure."

"And where is that?"

"He switches from time to time...he has a lake house on Naboo, So she might have gone there. He lives a few floors down though."

Two police stepped through. "Excuse me, we'll take it from here. What was the Vomo Gatto's name?"

"Her name was Akari."

"Thank you. And what does she look like?"

"Black hair…green eyes with brown veins and white spots here and there. She was the sweetest thing I don't know how she could have done this…"

"It happens, ma'am. It happens."

Jace opened his eyes…Falon?

Falon! Falon Inc.! He owned a droid factory in orbit around Corellia. His office was on the other side of the planet.

Jace stood up and headed down to the transports and bought a ticket to head to a few blocks away from Falon's office.

The woman went to her room and sat on her bed, trying to take everything in. Her thoughts traveled to Akari, where she might be, how she was doing…how she could have done this…

She shook her head. "Better not think about it." She looked out the window at Coruscant's landscape. Speeders whizzed by, filled with busy people who had things to do, places to go.

She heard something; she stood. "Hello?"

Nothing.

"Is anyone there?"

Akari stepped from behind a corner.

The woman, afraid, stepped back slowly, and reached for the door.

Akari saw this. "Don't," she said.

The woman, caught, put her hand behind her back, but kept her eyes on Akari, still wary.

Akari sensed her fear and looked away, only giving quick glances, hoping that minimized her threat. "I'm not here to hurt you."

The woman blurted the question that burned in her mind. "How could you kill Mr. Falon?"

Akari sighed. "I didn't."

"You killed those two janitors."

"I didn't kill him. Shaaben did."

"Mr. Shaaben? He wouldn't do that."

"He did. I was out of the room when he shot Master."

There was a knock at the woman's door. "Ms. Grace? This is Mr. Shaaben. Will you open up?"

Akari's eyes focused on the door, burning with hate.

Grace saw Akari's intention. "Don't."

"I have to…" Akari ran and opened the door, pushing Shaaben on the ground.

"Why did you kill Falon!?" she asked, anger blinding her.

"Akari stop!" Grace yelled.

She didn't. He hands were at his throat.

"Falon wouldn't want you to."

Akari halted. Falon…Master…She stood up, leaving Shaaben gasping for breath with his hand to his throat.

"She's a monster…no wonder she killed Falon," Shaaben breathed.

Akari sensed someone coming and ran.

"Akari!" Grace yelled, trying to stop her, but Akari was long gone.

"Let her go—she's a monster."

Jace walked in to find a Calamarian investigator taking pictures and taking notes.

"Excuse me, but what happened here?" he asked.

"A Jedi? We could use your help. Two men were killed in here, and one in there. Most likely by a Vomo Gatto. Her name's Akari. We have a picture of her that her master, Mr. Falon, kept." The investigator handed it to him.

Jace cast his eyes upon her. She was looking suspiciously, probably because she didn't trust the camera. She was beautiful, though…very…

"Falon's assistant, Ms. Grace, said Akari was the nicest Vomo Gatto she had ever met. She was obedient, taking orders immediately and always looking out for Mr. Falon. Ms. Grace told me the first time Falon asked her to leave the room, she pace impatiently and nervously until Falon let her back in."

"I see…and how could you use my help?"

"Well Akari talked to Grace about two hours before you came. A man close to Falon knocked on the door and Akari attacked him, almost choking him to death. She ran away before they could catch her. She claimed Shaaben killed Falon, but…it sounds like a cover-up to me. Maybe you could help?"

"I'd love to."

Akari sat on top of a skyscraper, gazing down. She didn't know what to do now. Her mind was confused. She should've killed Shaaben. He killed Master. He must be destroyed…All thoughts of hate and destruction ran to her head. Pain clutched her heart at the knowledge that she had failed to save Master's life. He had been kind to her, and she repaid his kindness with his death, by not paying attention to what was going on in that room. She had never heard of a Vomo Gatto failing to protect their masters. Maybe she was the first? The first of few. She had to get revenge. It was the only way. Nothing else could quench her thirst.

But someone, far away, sensed her…A Dark Lord, named Darth Salvan. "Jonas, can you sense it?"

"Sense what, my master?"

"The hate, the anger…the seeking of revenge…"

"I sense it, master. What could it be?"

"A great asset, one who could destroy all the Jedi without even thinking…we must feed her anger soon…"

"Her, master?"

"Yes…I can sense everything about her…The Force is strong with her…that is why we need her…"

"Where is she?"

"Coruscant. From there you will be able to sense her out."

"So I am on a mission?"

"A great mission, one that if you fail will mean your death."

"So I should not fail?"

"You should not even come close to failure."

"The Force shall set me free."

Salvan chuckled.

By now Akari was ready to jump. The pain that tore at her heart in her failure was too much to bear. But…maybe when Shaaben was dead…Yes. When Shaaben was dead she would be freed of this pain. Shaaben was her enemy…

Jace sensed her. She was close, but she was still a ways away.

"Master Jedi, it is good to have you here," Grace walked in, holding out her hand in a friendly manner.

"I'm no Master Jedi yet. I'm still in training," Jace bowed to her before shaking her hand.

"All the same, your presence is surely soothing."

"Could you tell me a bit about this…Akari."

"Of course. She was the nicest thing…she knew who was the enemy, and who was the ally. Never did she so much as hurt a fly if they didn't show any threat. There was a man one time who tried to rob Mr. Falon, but…I don't know how Akari heard him, because they were in a crowd with millions of people. But she caught the man just before he pulled the trigger. And she was obedient, too. You could never tell she was there after five minutes of walking into the same room as her. She was quiet and still, never speaking unless she was told to. I still don't know how she did it…"

"Where did Mr. Falon get Akari?"

"Oh it was so long ago…He bought it from a man on…Corellia, I believe. The man was a friend of his. His name was J'aahn. Quite a friendly man, but when it came to Vomo Gattos he made sure they were as obedient as a clone soldier. He hand-picked the perfect one and trained it especially for Mr. Falon. He even gave her some of that stuff they give to the clone soldiers, to minimize her independence. Falon always told him, 'Not too much—I don't want a robot for a bodyguard.' J'aahn asked for some clothes of Falon's, so he could wear them and get Akari used to Falon's scent. Falon named Akari after his late wife, who, in fact, was killed by an assassin."

"I see…what can you tell me about Vomo Gattos?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. Maybe you could go to Corellia and seek out J'aahn. He's the one who practically raised Akari anyways."

"Is there any other way I could contact him?"

"Mr. Falon kept a list of contacts in his office. I'm very sure J'aahn is in there."

"Thank you, Ms. Grace."

"If you find Akari, are you going to kill her?"

Jace shook his head. "No. My master wanted to speak to her."

"Then will he kill her?"

"No."

Jonas stepped out of the space port. He could sense her…yes. She was not far. He would find her, and soon, too. If he didn't it would be the last mistake he ever made. He would find her, and he would turn her to the dark side.

Jace woke up the next day, tired as ever. He had spent all night trying to sense Akari out…maybe she had left? No, she was still here. Someone else was here, too…Maybe this was why he couldn't sense Akari as well anymore. Maybe someone else had sensed her, maybe a Sith Lord… This meant that he had to find Akari now.

She sat down on the floor, closed his eyes, and meditated…

She was lying, asleep, at the top of a skyscraper…

He got up. J'aahn would be here in a few hours, so he had time. He scanned the horizon as the sun began to peak over the skyscrapers. People were already in their speeders, the traffic speeding by.

He put on a shirt and grabbed his lightsaber before leaving. On his way out, he ran into a security guard. "Headed out, Master Jedi?"

"I'm not a Master yet, but, yes, I'm headed out."

"Well…watch out for that Vomo Gatto. Heard she's quite dangerous."

"Maybe she is." Jace took a speeder from the garage. He made sure it was a convertible before he sped off, searching for the skyscraper he had seen in his vision.

He hoped she would not take him as a threat. The last thing he wanted to do was kill her, even hurt her.