A/N: It was pointed out that I changed Zen's name. The correct spelling is Zentiira (zen tear ah). I'm in the process of fixing that.

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Now playing Sith Archive security video #36B987ER287-0630...

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The video shows a bird's eye view of a market place. It is unremarkable, appearing as any other on any number of planets. The view is centered on a water fountain. On its edge sat a Zebrak female. Playing nearby is a young male that she watches as a mother watches her child. A human male approaches them. He is dressed in an Imperial uniform, the camera can just make out a medical research badge. The woman looks at him with a mixture of fear and dread. She stands as he nears her. The boy stops playing and watches the two. The woman begins crying. She shakes her head in denial. Two Imperial Troopers approach the boy from behind; he does not appear to notice them. The human backhands the woman and turns to face the Troopers. He points to the boy and then some place off camera. The Troopers grab the boy, and drag him in the direction indicated. The boy begins screaming and struggling to break free. His struggles are of no use. The human does not notice the woman leap out at him. She manages to rake her nails across his face before he strikes back. There is a brief struggle in which she is winning. There is a bright flash of light, followed by the woman falling to the ground clutching her chest. The man walks over to her and uses his foot to roll her onto her back. He shoots her twice more in the face, laughing. As he begins walking off, he looks up at the camera and waves.

Kennayil pauses the video and zooms in on the man's face.

"Who is that my lord?"

Kennayil looks up from the screen to see his apprentice, Zentiira, standing in the door way. "A part of my past that I will have to resolve soon. The woman is … was, my mother."

Zentiira says nothing more. She simply nods and walks away, knowing that it is best to leave him alone right now.

Kennayil watches her leave. She is new to his crew, but already he can sense the force-bond between them. Like him, she was trained in the Force; although, her master had been a Jedi. His mind drifted back to their first meeting.

[Two years ago…]

While on a mission for the Dark Council, Kennayil had nearly been killed. He was being hunted my several Jedi masters when he came upon her camp. He knew that if he was to survive, he would need help. So he used a trick taught to him by his own master, the ability to hide his Force sensitivity. Kennayil began looking through the camp for medical supplies. Although a healer himself, he had drained himself getting away from the Jedi and would need several days to recover. He never heard her return to the campsite. Her voice was soft, almost as if she were trying to keep from startling him, "Who are you? What do you think you are doing going through my equipment?"

When Kennayil had turned to face her she could see his wounds. Her expression had changed from one of combat readiness to concern instantly. "Hold still, my medical supplies are in the tent. I'm supposed to be meditating on the nature of the Force out here, so I don't have my communicator with me." Her voice was filled with concern and her words were rushed together. Zentiira rushed into her tent, by the time she came out with the supplies, Kennayil had already passed out.

He awoke several days later in her tent to find her sleeping next to him. Dropping the barriers that shielded his sensitivity a bit, he confirmed what he suspected. A Jedi, more than likely a padawan. Checking himself he realized that he was almost up to full strength. He started to sneak out when an idea come to mind. He could use this opportunity. He would try to turn her to the dark side. When she awoke later, Kennayil had prepared breakfast. The meal passed in companionable silence, and afterward, she helped him clean up.

"I have to return to my meditations now. Feel free to stick around until your health has returned." Her tone was kind, but some part of her wanted him to take this opportunity to leave.

"Thank you. I am… unused to kindness. If you don't mind, I would like to stick around for a while. Perhaps hunt up some fresh meat to repay you for your assistance."

Zentiira smiled ruefully, "That would not be such a good idea Sith."

"I am…"

Zentiira interrupts him by holding her right hand up, "Please do not lie to me. Your uniform is a dead giveaway. I may be a padawan, but I am not stupid. Your uniform and aura are dead give-aways."

Kennayi chuckled soflty, "I never thought you to be stupid. You would not be a part of your Order if you were. I was simply going to tell you that I am not here for a fight. My mission is over. I was sent here to find and silence a traitor to the Empire. But it would seem that I was betrayed by my own Dark Council. This was to be a suicide mission, and yet I live."

Zentiira thought for a moment before issuing the standard Jedi response, "Perhaps the Force brought us together so that you could become a Jedi."

Kennayil laughed at this. It was not a cruel laugh, but one filled with humor. "No. I firmly believe in the ideals of my Empire. It is simply my Order that I am having trouble with. I guess I never really did believe in the Sith Code as they did. Some of my beliefs run counter to theirs."

She nodded in understanding as she responded, "Hmm, perhaps we should discuss this more later, I really do need to do as my master bid me."

With that she walked off into the woods. Over the next several days they would converse on the differences between their Orders and the way they felt about the individual codes. By unspoken agreement, they avoided politics outside of their individual Orders. They felt at peace with one another, a sensation that was unusual for Kennayil. He had always been taught, "Peace is a lie." Yet, here he was, at peace, and his power did not feel diminished in any way. Upon her return one evening he mentioned this.

"That is because you do not need emotion to fuel your powers. Hatred is a fire that must be fed or it will die."

Kennayil laughed at this. I seem to do that a lot around her, most interesting. He shook his head in bewilderment as he countered, "Typical Jedi propaganda. Hatred and anger are not the only emotions that we use. They are simply the easiest to produce at a moment's notice. Any form of passion or emotion will work. It is not the source of our power, it simply provides a boost. The stronger the emotion is, the bigger the boost we have. Our training even teaches us how to set our emotions aside for use later."

He could see from her expression that she took his words seriously. His instincts told him that now was the time.

"The Jedi Order teaches that Jedi are not allowed to fall in love. That love leads to jealousy, jealousy to anger, and anger to hatred. And once you reach that point, you are lost to the Order and belong to the Dark Side. But why does it have to be that way? It is my belief, after all our discussions that a balance can be found between both Orders. That we do NOT have to be one or the other. It is possible to combine the teachings of both into a new, stronger way of using the Force.

Zentiira was silent for several minutes while she thought about what he said. His announcement holds a slippery slope, though. One false step and down the Dark Path a Jedi could fall. "What you say seems valid, but I need some more time to think about this."

"Of course." He stand up as he hands her a data chip. "You can reach me at this Holo-address. It is a forum designed for anonymous communications. Simply insert the chip into your 'comm and you will automatically connect. I will leave you now. Think on what I have said, just as I will meditate on you – I mean, on what you said."

Zentiira tries unsuccessfully to hide her grin, which Kennayil gives her a mock glare for.

"Be safe young padawan. Learn all you can from your master. Perhaps you can, one day, teach me."

Kennayil walks off into the forest. It would be many months before they see one another again; in the meantime, they would leave many messages for one another.

[To be continued…]