The Old Republic: Untold Stories
Despite its huge population, you could always find somewhere more or less deserted on Coruscant. An abandoned warehouse with a single docking bay was ignored by hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals night after night.
Which is why it would have been so surprising for the Gizka which made their home in this place to see two figures entering the warehouse in the dead of night (assuming they possessed higher levels of cognitive function. Which they do not). One was a young human, barely in her twenties, and the other was a Zabrak, taller than the girl and heavier built. They were both wearing brown robes and seemed intent on making as little noise as possible as they headed through the warehouse and towards the docking bay, where a lone ship was docked. It was an old, battered ship that looked as if it had been abandoned a while back.
The air was still; the only sound was the faint noise from the city-planet outside the walls of this old building. The pair seemed uneasy; the Zabrak had a clenched jaw, his eyes darting about the room, furiously trying to find something or someone while the girl wrapped her cloak around herself despite the air being quite warm. Both were so focussed on what was ahead that they didn't notice the figure that dropped like a cat from the rafters behind them.
Not until they heard the sound of a lightsaber igniting. Immediately they spun around, their own weapons leaping into their hands from within their Jedi robes, to face a young man – of a similar age to the girl – with white hair, and a black expression. Both sides were absolutely still, as though waiting for the other to make their move. Then the Zabrak spoke:
'In the name of the Galactic Senate,' he intoned with authority, 'You're under arrest, Winters.'
The young man's expression went from angry to wry. 'Nice to see you again too, Master Zar.'
One week earlier
The war was over.
It had been years of horror for many in the Galactic Republic; for Kia Loske, it had been a lifetime. Every day she had been alive, new reports came in of death and destruction wrought across the galaxy at the hands of the Sith Empire, on worlds both foreign and familiar to her. Now it was over. And they had lost.
The Jedi Order had relocated to Tython, thanks to the outcry against them on Coruscant. Much as Kia liked it, she missed her home on the Capital city of the Republic. She wouldn't tell anyone; she knew that many of the masters would see it as an attachment she needed to let go of – and in truth, she didn't want to let go of it. That was often the way with her; she had never really been the closest follower of the Jedi Code – which was probably why she was still a Padawan at the age of twenty-two. The Council needed devout Jedi right now, not loose cannons.
Now they needed to see her and her master, Bowden-Zar. Kia would have liked to think it would be about her facing the trials at last, but she had gotten her hopes up too many times over that to expect she'd be that lucky.
She and her master arrived in the council chamber, and presented themselves to the council members.
'Master Zar, we have a task for you and your Padawan,' Grandmaster Satele informed them.
'Master,' Bowden-Zar responded with a respectful bow, 'you know my Padawan and I would normally be happy to perform any task the council sets us, but on this occassion I would ask something of the council, if I may.'
'You may ask.'
'Send another, if you would.' Kia was surprised by this – normally her master was prepared to go along with most things the Council asked, even though she herself was sometimes against it. 'Kia is nearing her twenty-third birthday, and she has been fully capable of taking the trials for many years; in truth, I'm running out of things to teach her.'
Satele Shan gazed at the pair levelly. 'I'm afraid this task requires the both of you – particularly your Padawan. When you return, we may discuss your Padawan taking her trials.'
Bowden-Zar didn't seem too pleased with this response, but he buried whatever frustrations he may have had, as a Jedi must. 'Very well. May I inquire as to such a specific task that requires my apprentice?'
'We need you to bring someone in for questioning.'
'That's all?' Kia blurted, very disappointed.
'No. That is not all. I'm sure you remember Marik Winters?'
A chill had gone through Kia when the Grandmaster said that name. She most certainly did remember Marik – her closest friend in her teenage years. The two had been almost inseparable. Then he had passed his trials, and been sent on his first solo assignment.
The next they heard from him was a report made by Republic intelligence that had sighted him on Korriban. As a Sith apprentice.