Ca' hal woke up this morning as he did every morning, the noise of his neighbours dragging him from his peace. Breakfast was never anything special, and the days wore thin after his 52 years. The force running through his veins gave him power, but patience he had been forced to build up over the years gave him the will not to use it. He needed patience in his line of work. The work he had devoted his life to. He could still remember what his mother had told him on the day he left.

"You're going to have to leave today, Ca' hal, and you'll be gone for some time. I wish you could stay, but it is your destiny, you have the force, and I can't keep you locked down here if you are to use it. So please, though I may not be there to help you, use it well."

And so, he used it well. He became one of the best in his group of younglings, and now had his own padawan, Rian. Rian was the most stubborn padawan he had ever come across, and he had seen many leave the academy out of not wanting to comply. Rian was, to coin the phrase, "along for the ride", which basically meant he was a Jedi on his own terms, and wouldn't take orders unless it was "fun" and he had a very wild sense of fun, enjoying the heat of battle more than the victory. He had a habit of going against orders for his own enjoyment, and never listened when given warnings. One thing he could compliment his padawan on. He was quiet. On one side of his house were a family. On the other was Rian. Rian never made a sound, and was always meditating when visited upon in the morning. Which was the only reason Ca' hal stayed as his master, was because he could see that no matter how much of a wild card Rian might be, he was a Jedi at heart. It was time by now to check up on him. He left his apartment, and walked barely ten metres before he reached the door. He raised his hand to knock. Then he stopped. Something was wrong. Something was happening inside, there was an incredible amount of force active behind the door. He tried to open the door but found that it was locked. He used the force, and beat the door down. He got a fleeting glimpse of Rian before the door raised itself back to its original position. He could feel the force fade away behind the door, and it fell away. Rian walked up to his confused master.

"Defensive usage of the force. Could come in useful."

Ca' hal was taken aback. Rian had never shown this kind of interest in the force before.

"Shouldn't I be the one to teach you these things? You're not actually allowed to experiment with the force in this manner."

Rian gave a smile that made him feel uncomfortable. He gave an air of coyness. Like he was planning something.

"We have a meeting with Ric'ia in ten minutes, why are you not ready?"

Ca' hal gave him one of his patronising looks, the one that said I am the Master here.

"I was waiting for you master," Rian said sarcastically.

Vi' ki stood guard outside the quarters of Ambassador Ric'ia. Ftuí himself had assigned her. It was a great achievement for someone as young as her to be chosen for an important mission by the head of the council.

Ric'ia was pinning her hair to the side of her head, she hated these Alderaanian senatorial hairstyles. It looked like she had cakes on her head. She had just finished putting in the last pin when her communicator beeped.

"Madam Ambassador, they are here."

"Ok, send them in."

She walked into her living room and saw Vi' ki entering the room with Ca' hal and Rian,

"Madam Ambassador," Ca' hal said nodding his head in greeting.

Rian just stood at ease, with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Master Ca' hal thank you so much for coming, I was so happy when Master Ftuí agreed to sending you and your padawan with me on this all important mission."

"So what is it that requires our assistance?" Ca' hal asked taking a seat next to the ambassador.

"I'm negotiating with the Selations, they've been refusing to sell certain precious items to the Zabrak's and the Zabrak's are getting ready to take the goods by force. And if this meeting doesn't go well then I must speak to the Zabrak's and try to stop a very bloody war."

Rian looked at Ric'ia and raised an eyebrow.

"The Selations? There not the most...trustworthy of people."

"They have a bad stereotype. I'm sure they're lovely people."

"They're Sith enthusiasts."

"Again just a bad stereotype." Rian returned to his state of silence. Ric'ia looked to Ca'hal.

"Anyway, if anything goes wrong it could cause the mass slaughter of over eighty-million innocent Selations. So we need the utmost caution."

"Couldn't the republic force them to stop?"

"Sadly we can't. There's a Zabrak law known as 'The protection of current state law' which the republic agreed to sign when the Zabrak's joined."

"And this law means what?"

"If anything threatens the current way of life to the Zabrak's then they use emergency power to fix the problem. And since they've been buying these goods from the Selations for the past eight hundred years then it's become a way of life."

"And what is this product?"

"A form of food I believe...some fruit that doesn't grow anywhere else for several billion light-years."

"That is a problem."

They started walking to where the meeting was to be held. It wasn't a very long walk and there was a very nice view. When they did arrive they sat down at a table in the room where they'd have the meeting. Rian stood behind Ric'ia in his usual at ease stance with his arms behind his back. They spoke amongst themselves for about half an hour before the Selation representative came with his consul who looked more like a Sith. He wore the usual Sith cloak and had hieroglyphics tattooed onto his face.

The Selations themselves were tall and thin as a specie, with a smooth skin that looked like leather. Rian bent down and whispered to Ric'ia

"Bad stereotype? More like Sith enthusiasts."

"The consul might not be a Sith."

Ric'ia got up and walked over to the Selation representative, Rian was at her side, with his mistrust for the Sith like figure he'd rather stay as close to the Alderaanian Ambassador just encase of an assassination attempt. As they approached the guests the Selation quickly moved his hand next to Ric'ia's face. Rian thought to himself as the hand rose.

He's attacking her, I knew it! The Scum.

Rian took his lightsaber and swung it upwards as quickly as he could slicing the Selations hand from his arm. Ric'ia fell backwards at the surprise of the lightsaber flashing in front of her. The Selation fell backwards and the Sith figure swung his own red lightsaber at Rian. Rian blocked and the two were locked in a fierce battle. Ca'hal's reaction was to use the force to push the Sith backwards in an attempt to break the two apart. The Sith hit the wall with enough force to knock the lightsaber from his hand. Rian stood over the Sith and swung downwards cutting the enemy down the back, killing him.

"That's one less Sith in the universe." Ryan turned around triumphantly. But Ca'hal was less than impressed.

"What have you done!?"

"Killed a Sith and foiled an assassination attempt!"

"That wasn't an assassination attempt! That's the Selation greeting! He was presenting the individual patterns on his hand!"

Vi' ki ran to the Ambassador's side and helped her up.

"Rian what are you thinking you may have just started a war, the Selations aren't the smartest species in the universe but if you kill one of their representatives or their aides they will strike back."

She walked over to the Selation representative to see if he was ok.

"Why? Why did you have your Jedi attack me?"

"He's not my Jedi, he didn't know that you were greeting me he was trying to protect me."

Ric'ia pulled at the hem of her skirt and ripped a piece of it off. She took the Selations arm and wrapped his wound.

Rian meanwhile was standing over the body of the dead Sith, 'I did the right thing, they should all be wiped out.'

He looked around to see if anyone was looking, they weren't. Quickly he bent down and took the unknown Sith's lightsaber hiding it in his cloak.

Vi' ki was helping Ca 'hal carry the Selation representative, Malakíshu, to the Medical Centre while Ric'ia and Rian waited for the Republic Guards to arrive to come and take away the dead mans body.

"I don't know if I can prevent a Selation attack, ignorance is a poor defence."

Rian just stood there and didn't respond.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Ric'ia said glaring at him.

"What is it you would like me to say?"

"How about I'm sorry I ruined your negotiations, I'll apologise to the Selations."

"I have no need to apologise to anyone."

With that he walked away, leaving a very angry Alderaanian Ambassador to deal with the Republic Guards.

The medical droid was attaching a new hand to Malakíshu, Vi' ki and Ca 'hal were waiting outside.

"Does he ever think? He may have just lost the Ambassador her position."

Ca 'hal left out a sigh, "His heart is in the right place, he just has a short temper."

"How could a person with such a short temper be allowed to become a padawan? Doesn't the council have rules against that sort of thing?"

"He wasn't always this angry, his hatred of the Siths only arose over the last few years, he just wants to help so much sometimes it clouds his judgement."

They sat in silence each thinking about the last few years and how life as a Jedi had changed. Ca 'hal remembered how the Jedi were once a highly respected organisation, now there numbers were dwindling and their foes were growing in number. He feared that soon the Jedi would have to use brute force to protect their way of life and in the same instant they would lose it.

Ca'hal had returned to where the meeting was supposed to be, he looked around the room.

Where is it? Here lightsaber!

He searched under the tables and behind plants and other things.

Its gone, someone must have got here before me.

Ca'hal walked home and felt a nasty chill run up his back. As he passed Rian's room he found the door open. He peered down through and saw all the way down to the balcony Rian was standing at, deep in meditation. Ca'hal walked right up next Rian without Rian noticing.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Today's events." Rian turned around causing his cloak to spin up and Ca'hal saw Rian's lightsaber on his right side as always. It was his usual lightsabor.

At least my padawan isn't after taking it.

Rian started to pour something into a cup. Rian held the cup to Ca'hal.

"Want some?"

"Eh...yes, yes okay." Ryan held out his left hand raising his cloak and this time Cathal noticed the lightsaber on Rian's left side.

"Rian might I ask why you have two lighsabers."

"I thought wielding a second might aid me in combat."

"The force and the lightsaber you have will defend you all you need."

"I am not invincible, a stray shot could kill me."

"I see, and is that lightsaber..."

"The Siths...yes it is."

"And is the combat advantage the only reason you took it?"

"It's faster than making another and I like the colour."

Ca'hal felt a sudden tiredness fall over him.

"I shall leave you now, I'm very tired, I'll see you tomorrow. I have a meeting with Ric'ia and it's very early so I'll be gone for some time."

"That's not a problem for me."

Ca'hal awoke very early the next day, before the dawn had even begun to show it's first rays. He arrived before Ric'ia and sat down waiting for barely a minute.

"Ah senator how are you?"

"I'm very good a little tired but very good."

They were speaking for hours and were interrupted rarely. Towards the end of the conversation Ric'ia said that if she and her guard go to the Selation planet of Crontiuos 7 then the Selations are willing to discuss matters again.

"That's excellent news."

"Yes but your presence is required somewhere else!"

"Where is this?"

"The Zabrak home world."

"I'll be going there to do what?"

"You will be trying to convince them to either not attack or hold off for a few months."

"Fine, when am I leaving?"

"You and Vi' ki will leave tomorrow."

"Me and Vi' ki?"

"Yes, I want to take Rian."

"You...want...to take Rian?"

"Yes, I think spending some time with me might have a positive effect on him."

"Your choice is your choice."

"I think you'll see what I mean when you meet him after spending sometime with me."

Ca'hal was very busy preparing things before the flight but it was rather uneventful until his ship got into view of the Zabrak world, named...Iridonia.

There where four huge ships orbiting the planet, each one was about as large as a Star Destroyer. There were smaller ships flying around those, these looked like a heavy artillery air ship, each one had various side weapons, from twin-linked heavy blasters to cannons. Vi' Ki swallowed hard.

"Even the republic would have a run for there money against those."

"We have the force on our side."

"Yes and the force will protect us from a cannon the size of a small building."

"It could...if you're very strong in the force."

Suddenly a very soft voiced woman came through on the ships communicator.

"You are approaching the world of Iridonia, Identify yourself or we will shoot you down."

"I am Ca'hal, a Jedi sent by the republic to discuss the assault your preparing."

"Yes we were expecting you, you have access." They flew down and were greeted by a huge hulking figure dressed in fine garments.

"I am Telstaitcius, This is my province."

"I am Ca'hal and this is a friend Vi' Ki." A giant hand was extended to Ca'hal and then Vi' Ki.

"You must be the one who killed the Sith and cut off the hand of that Selation." Vi' Ki replied.

"No...no that was someone else."

"Eck...he would have been welcome here." Ca'hal looked at Vi' Ki and gave a

This is going to be hard look.

Meanwhile Ric'ia was just touching down on Crontiuos 7. The sun was extremely hot; Ric'ia had a hood up to keep her cool. A speeder that would bring her and Rian to the palace where they would discuss the Zabrak problem approached her. They drove there silently, although the driver was trying to make conversation constantly. When they finally got there Rian was very alert, constantly looking from one place to another. They were escorted from hall to hall until they arrived in a brilliantly designed room of marble. As they approached the King and Queen Ric'ia said to Rian.

"Remember, I'm telling you what to do on this little trip, I have your interests at heart, and I think seeing these people will help you understand that they're neither Sith followers nor bad people."

"I understand. And you remember I'm legally your protection and I can take any precaution to keep you safe."

"Don't cut off any hands." Ric'ia said before Rian growled.

The King sat on his throne, he seemed very wise. Experience was on his side, he seemed very old. The queen was similar but seemed very thoughtful.

And as Rian expected, a Sith stood behind the two thrones.

The King said in an old, wise voice.

"Promatius why don't you show the young Jedi something that will entertain him, I have a feeling he won't enjoy a long conversation about food distribution."

The Sith answered in a slow, cold voice.

"Hmmm yes sir." He moved with a certain precision around the Thrones and as he came closer Rian opened his mouth to refuse the offer but Ric'ia saw this and said quickly.

"You'd enjoy that wouldn't you Rian?" Rian faked a smile.

"Yes...of course." The Sith, Promatius placed hand on Rian's shoulder and he led them outside. The Queen started talking.

"He seems like a lovely boy." Ric'ia answered.

"He's the one who cut off your representatives hand."

"Accidents happen I can see the mistake he made, I hate that stupid gesture. But it's tradition and our gods couldn't change that if they tried."

"You seem understanding, so you must realise the Zabrak's problem?"

"We do see the negative of what we are doing, but we hope the Zabrak's attack."

"What that's insanity, why?"

"You mightn't realise this but...the Sith are very present on this planet, and as soon as the Zabrak's get here we are going to explain the problem and hope they help us, if not...I'd rather the entire 820,058 Sith on this planet be killed by the Zabrak's too, even if it means sacrificing our people."

"That's more Sith than I've ever heard of!"

"The man who left with your Jedi...he's a Sith."

"I couldn't tell." Ric'ia was very sarcastic with this,

"If we try and tell them to leave, they'll slaughter us anyway."

Rian and the Sith walked into a large generator room.

"I can feel the anger you possess."

"What?"

"You reset my presence, you'd rather that I wasn't human so you could fuel your prejudice for aliens."

"Who do you think you are?"

"See, that's anger, now Jedi show me what you can do with my apprentice's lightsaber." A large red beam glowed before the Sith.

Rian didn't brandish the Sith lightsaber, he used his own. Promatius swiped at the side of Rian, Rian blocked. Promatius swiped from below, Rian Blocked. Promatius swiped faster and harder from the top and from both sides, but Rian blocked each with grace and skill.

"Hmmm you know how to use a lightsaber. How about the force." The Sith extended a hand. Rian felt a tickle at the back of his throat, but the tickle changed to being choked. Rian was lifted into the air, and throw across the room. Rian slowly got to his feet, trying to get his breath. Rian saw a red beam come down towards his face, his reflex's allowed him to raise the other lightsaber from his cloak to his aid.

"Yes...that's more like it, now, it has a second side, activate it." Rian looked at the extra-long handle. He found he could use two sides on this lightsaber. He attacked the Sith and with many quick and well aimed blows forced Promatius into defensive stances.

"You're...better than I foresaw." Rian saw the lightsaber he dropped a while ago and pulled it to his side with the force, his deactivated one side of his new blade and chose two use two individual Lighsabers instead.

"This should be a monumental battle."

"You Sith talk too much."

"Come young padawan learner." Rian ran at Promatius and started swiping with the two lightsabers; he spun from side to side trying to swipe in different places forcing Promatius to back away. Rian felt the force choke him again. He dropped his lighsabers and went at his neck scratching desperately to try and do something, he didn't know what, just something.

"Now Padawan if you want to save your life, use the force...the dark side of it."

Ryan didn't do anything except scowl.

"Yes, your angry, give in to your anger. Use the force to stop me! Save your life boy!"

Ryan felt a strange tingling in his hand; he felt the force flowing through his hand,

I can't give in...don't give this dog what he wants.

Rian had to if he wanted to live, but he'd rather die than give this Sith his sick pleasure.

"What do I have to do to turn this dark soul? Will I continue to choke you? Or will I kill the senator your protecting?"

The Sith got what he wanted, Rian used the dark side of the force. A red blast of force electricity shot from Rian's hand and knocked the Sith off his feet. Rian ran to his lightsabers and picked them up. Rian looked for the Sith but saw him disappear at the last second.

"Come back! Get back here and finish this." He stood for a moment but there was no sign of Promatius.

Rian made his way back to the throne room where the meeting was still on.

Ca'hal was speaking to Telstaitcius while Vi' Ki sat rather silently watching and learning the method of negotiation that Ca' hal used, Ric'ia used a lot of agreement and flattery but always tried to get to the point straightaway but Ca'hal was very...long with his discussions. He listened to stories or told stories and had very long points that had nothing to do with the topic.

Rian was in a bar that night; he couldn't stand being in that palace any longer. He had followed two guards who said they new a great underground joint, with quality music, a joy of Rian's. He now overheard the guards speaking.

"I wouldn't mind guarding that senator, you what I mean."

"Yea boi."

Rian tapped the guard on the back and when he turned around Rian punched him in the face, the guard fell to the floor and his friend looked at Rian. Rian brushed his cloak aside revealing his lightsaber.

"Hey...you're a Jedi, you can't punch someone."

"Who said I was a Jedi?" The large fat guard took the hint and walked away.

The other guard got off his fat ass and looked at Rian. Rian waved a hand in his face.

You will apologise for the statement you made.

"I'm really sorry about what I said."

You'll go home and find a nice hobby.

"I'm going home to start a hobby."

"Good boy." Rian turned to the bartender.

"Hey Jedi...could you do me a favour."

"That depends. What is it?"

"See that guy in the corner, the one playing cards."

Rian turned to see a small Selation white greyish skin.

"I see him."

"He's a loan shark, could you go over there and em..."

"I know what you mean. Have a drink waiting for me when I get back."

"No problem, it's on the house. Thanks buddy!"

Rian approached the loan shark.

"I heard you're the guy to talk to for a loan."

"Maybe how much do you want?"

"A lot."

"There's very high interest."

"Not a problem."

"Sure."

"Okay come with me." Rian grabbed the loan sharks arm.

"Hey get off me space trash!"

Rian brushed his cloak aside again to show who he was.

"Okay I'll come quietly."

As he got up he pulled a blaster at Rian but the shot was deflected by Rian's lightsaber. Rian kicked the loan shark in the face.

"You prick you made me bleed. Get him you idiots!" Two wookies came to Rian at either side.

Rian now brandished his second lightsaber.

"Sit down. No, leave and if my friend the bartender ever tells me you've been in here or been giving loans...I'll kill you."

"I understand...boys lets go." The group left. Rian went back to the bartender and had a chat about this world's underground. By the time he left he was both very knowledgeable about the underground and very popular for getting rid off the loan shark.

When he approached the room he was staying in next to Ric'ia's he felt a disturbance in her room. He rushed in and found Promatius standing at the foot of her bed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your senator murdered the queen, as did you, do you forget so quickly?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's all over the news, now die padawan."

Ric'ia woke up at the sound off the lightsabers clashing.

"What's going on?"

Rian blasted the Sith with the same force blast he used in there last encounter, this time the Promatius was knocked through the window and down many flights, he hit the ground hard and died.

Ric'ia looked at Rian.

"Do you mind?" Ric'ia was holding the sheets over herself; Rian took the hint and waited outside. When she came out Rian looked at her.

"You have some explaining to do!"

"What? Why should I explain anything to you?" Rian brought her back into the room and started flicked through the channels on the monitor, he eventually found a news bulletin with.

Disturbing images of the queen being killed by an Alderaanian senator and her sith bodyguard. The images showed very clearly Ric'ia sitting down on the throne holding a sceptre, she pointed at the queen who was on the floor and Rian sliced the queen in half.

A royal guard has already attempted to apprehend her,

"Must be the sith you just killed."

"We might want to leave."

"I definitely agree." They started sneaking down the halls until they reached the exit; they snuck out pretty easily but eventually were spotted by an angry mob wielding various dodgy looking weapons.

"Run!" Rian grabbed Ric'ia by the arm and pulled her along. They ran very far and often-tried hiding in alleys and various places but the mob found them every time. At one point only a handful found them and Rian was able to dispatch them, Ric'ia picked up an assault rifle blaster and started lugging it around. They were chased down a huge road, which led to what seemed to be an old industrial area, long abandoned and with huge gates locking it.

Ric'ia looked at the huge mob, there was over three hundred angry Selations coming after them.

"We're stuck."

"I'm never stuck." Rian grabbed onto Ric'ia again and forced jumped his way up to the top of the gates, he then forced jumped down. Ric'ia looked through a large crack and saw all the citizens stopping at the sight of black rusted gates. She heard a few people shouting.

"They've entered the graveyard-there finished!" Ric'ia looked at Rian who was looking behind her, she looked at his face, his eyes were wide open, she looked in the same direction as him, they were, to be described easily...robot zombies, crawling at them, hopping at them and generally walking to them.

"Can't you force them to deactivate or anything?"

"Just start shooting." Ric'ia lifted the heavy blaster and started shooting, the droids started falling if they were hit but the rest kept coming.

"Stop shooting." Ric'ia stopped straightaway. Rian held up his two active lightsabers. He ran at the droids and started swiping and slashing. They fell in tens but were quickly coming around him and, Rian used the force to push them back then very quickly concentrated his every being to the force, the two lightsabers started floating and started swiping at the droids, they spun all around Rian, swiping the droids. Ric'ia was shooting the droids that came at her. She looked over to the crowd that had put Rian out of view, all she could see were droid limbs flying into the air and every now ant then a lightsaber came and left view.

A large hum could be heard and all the droids, who's numbers were growing thin, retreated. Ric'ia shot at any she could as they scampered away. And Rian pursued a few that moved very slowly. Ric'ia came up behind Rian as he swiped off a droids head.

"Aren't you the skilled Jedi!"

"I do a lot of meditating, it helps a lot, clears my mind, helps the force move freely through my body."

"Lets explore this place for some kind of communications."

They wandered for two hours before finding a large thin building; it had lights shining on it, like a sky show, Rian looked in aw. Ric'ia had to ask.

"What's that?"

"An old Jedi temple."

That's Chap 1, I'd like any possible mistakes pointed out as to correct/ avoid next time. Hope you review.