Not so long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS:

TAINTED TIES

ACT ONE:

DARK SHROUD

IT HAS BEEN A TIME OF RELATIVE PEACE FOR THE REPUBLIC. THE JEDI, NOW TOTALLING OVER ONE MILLION, ARE DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY, SHARING A SEAT IN THE GALACTIC SENATE BUT OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE BLESSINGS OF BOTH THE SENATE AND THE PEOPLE.

THE SITH HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN OR HEARD FROM IN MILLENNIA. YET THE JEDI REMAIN WATCHFUL.

IN AN EVER-EXPANDING REPUBLIC, EVEN THE JEDI SOMETIMES REQUIRE ASSISTANCE IN KEEPING CORRUPTION IN CHECK. WITH ORGANIZED CRIME STILL RUNNING RAMPANT, THE REPUBLIC HAS SET UP ITS OWN HIGHLY TRAINED TASK FORCE, KNOWN AS THE GALACTIC PEACEKEEPERS, TO AID THE JEDI SO THEY MAY FOCUS ON THE LARGER ISSUES.

THE SYSTEM APPEARS TO WORK, BUT RECENT EVENTS HAVE BROUGHT MUCH BAD PUBLICITY TO THE GALACTIC PEACEKEEPERS, INCLUDING ONE EXPENSIVE, HIGH-PROFILE LAWSUIT INVOLVING EXCESSIVE FORCE. TO ADD TO THIS, SOME PEACEKEEPERS HAVE BEEN COMMITTING PUBLIC ACTS OF VIOLENCE, EVOKING A SENSE OF FEAR IN SOME CITIZENS FOR THE VERY FORCE THAT WAS SWORN TO PROTECT THEM.

DUE TO INCREASED LEGAL EXPENSES AND DECLINING PUBLIC OPINION, THE REPUBLIC HAS ALREADY REDUCED FUNDING TO THE PROGRAM, LEADING TO MASS LAYOFFS. MORE BOUNTY HUNTERS HAVE EMERGED DUE TO THE INCREASE IN DEMAND.

THOUGH THE JEDI STAND BEHIND THE PEACEKEEPERS IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, THEY FEEL THE SITUATION WILL GROW WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER…


-1-


The small ship touched down on the rocky surface of what looked to be a ghost planet, a world not found on any chart. Though there were no signs of vegetation or life of any kind, a lone water source was visible not far from where the ship had come to rest, slightly askew on the jagged surface.

The ship itself was a light freighter barely large enough for the three passengers it contained; a human male, perhaps in his early forties, with dark hair and pale skin, a female Dresselian and a male Gotal, both younger than the human. As the cargo hatch opened they emerged, each with a large hover crate in tow. One was larger than the other. As the planet had an atmosphere, they were able to breathe with no assistance. The Dresselian and the Gotal immediately powered down the crates, setting foot on the surface and began unloading the equipment inside: two each of what looked to be some type of jet pack and breath masks.

The human, who towed the larger of the crates, left it in air as he began examining the equipment.

"Tenks, we need a good clear patch of solid ground for the anchor," the Dresselian said as she removed a series of flexisteel straps and hooks from her crate.

"Coming right up, m'lady." The Gotal removed a blaster-shaped tool with a fine metal point protruding from the muzzle and began kicking rocks around and tapping at the ground, stopping at a spot about three meters from the water source, a small pond branching off into several thin streams that quickly disappeared in the near distance.

He brought the point of the tool directly to the ground, looked away and pulled the trigger, sending up a few pebbles and tiny plumes of dust. It was no louder than the sound of a hammer and a chisel hitting rock. The metal projectile was gone, and a flexi-steel line led out of the ground and back into the barrel of the gun. He pushed a button on the side, and a THNK THNK THNK THNK could be heard coming from underground. He gave the line a couple of good tugs, nodding in satisfaction.

The human and Dresselian donned jet packs and breath masks, brought the larger crate, nearly large enough to hold the three of them lying down, and began fastening the straps into a makeshift harness around it, which they attached to the line.

"You're sure this is the place, Mr. Tratzel?" the Dresselian regarded the human in a mechanical voice emitted from the filter of the mask.

"I couldn't be more. And rest assured, I guarantee this will be a worthwhile investment of your time and abilities," the human replied.

"I don't usually do this kind of work without any credits up front, but I've always been the adventurous type, and if this is half of what you say it is, it could be my last job."

"Oh, it will be, I promise."

"I could use a nice long vacation," Tenks added. "Maybe I'll even open a little cantina on some outer world." The three ventured to the edge of the water source with the crate and stopped shy of the edge. "I wouldn't mind taking a little dip, actually. The weather's not that bad here- if you happen to be a Tauntaun!"

"Mr. Gilspar, please be careful, this is not water as you would expect," Tratzel cautioned. Upon closer inspection, there was in fact something off about the water.

It looked thinner, almost airy, if this were possible.

"Rather than the normal balance of hydrogen and oxygen, it contains a helium-like compound in place of the oxygen, making it much lighter. A humanoid, or any creature, for that matter, has no buoyancy in it, and will immediately sink upon entering, almost as if in free fall. And it is no shallow drop, either."

"That explains the jet packs. But will they work in there, Eda?" Tenks asked the Dresselian.

"They're modified scuba propulsion devices. I've used them in real water before, and they lack nothing for power. The only real concern is whether they can handle these conditions." The Dresselian turned to Tratzel tentatively.

"Essentially they will perform as if submerged in water, for all intents and purposes, only with much higher gravity. You'll want to be hovering as you enter and slowly release the choke to let it guide you down."

"And you've never done this before?" she looked at him skeptically.

"No, not something I believe I'd want to repeat if I had. But I've done my research, so as long as your equipment is in order…"

"Never anything less. My equipment is my livelihood."

"Well then, ready when you are."

"Alright Tenks, when you get the signal, lower the crate."

They each activated their packs, hovering less than half a meter off the ground, and navigated over the strange liquid. As soon as they were over it, they began to descend rather quickly, which they compensated for by turning the repulsors up on their packs. The liquid was very cold, as expected from the climate, but grew warmer as they descended. It felt wet but did not seem to penetrate as normal water.

Though it was crystal clear, they could not yet see the bottom, and there was no flora or fauna to be found. Just as Eda began to wonder if they had brought enough oxygen, suddenly they were out of the liquid and in a dark, muggy cavern.

They had to light it to see, and when she looked up, she could see the liquid above them, suspended in mid-air. She reached to pull down her breath mask to allow her jaw to drop fully, but Tratzel put a hand on hers.

"You'll need that. The air is very thick down here. Oh and you may, ah, give the signal when ready."

"But where is this stockpile you're talking about?"

He motioned and there, lining the cavern wall, were an assortment of boxes of different styles, sizes and shapes. She hurried to them and pulled off one of the lids, and couldn't believe her eyes: Durindfire gems, Adegan crystals, and precious metals of every kind imaginable!

"By the Celestials! But how-?" she was speechless.

She opened another box, and more precious stones and metals, some types of which she'd never seen before. Even if every other box were empty, they would be set for ten lifetimes. She couldn't stop staring, touching the gems and crystals, to make sure they were really there, to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She dug in and let them fall through her fingers, entranced.

Still unable to take her eyes off them, she finally said, "Okay, you have to tell me how you knew about this place!"

Just then, she heard a SNAP-HISS VWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. She started to turn around, to see what the strange sound was, but it was too late. She was already dead.


Eulian Tratzel piloted the light freighter as if he were born in the cockpit, transporting the large crate now packed with the contents of the many boxes of metal and stones from the underwater cavern.

The bodies of Tenks Gilspar and Eda Lundrern lay on the cavern floor, along with the remainder of the supplies, including the crates they were stored in. There was no visible evidence that anyone had been on the planet Vildimar recently, or ever, for that matter.

Not that it was a concern, as the planet remained uncharted -he'd seen to this personally- but a smart businessman ties up all loose ends. And this was business.

He probably could have managed this particular deal on his own if he'd needed, but the convenience of having a trained two-person crew with a ship and supplies all in one package was worth the little extra liability. Not to mention he had not killed anyone in a very long time.

He had made sure not to reveal even the smallest clue regarding the location before setting off with the two, and during the trip he had made sure there was nothing said on com that could leave a trail of any kind. Eda had unwittingly answered an incoming transmission before he could politely terminate it, even after he had specifically warned her about that beforehand. She'd said nothing more than "This is Oh-Four-Oh-Nine-Three-" before he could cut it off.

It was a conditioned response, he understood. But there was always the slightest chance the response had been traced. He was easily able to trace the transmission's origin. He would probably have to kill them, too. This was how smart businessmen tied up loose ends. With finality.

This was Eulian Tratzel.

He knew he would now have to visit the series of appraisers he had lined up for the various stones and metals, then take them in smaller lots to the even more extensive list of dealers he also had in the wait, finally depositing the newly acquired credits into the series of accounts he'd already opened under different identities with large banks and holding corporations.

He also knew that any being found with this amount of credits would likely turn up dead, or at the very least under serious investigation, even if that being happened to be the last remaining heir to one of the largest technological dynasties in the known galaxy. Though he was not worried about turning up dead, for many reasons, it would be very undesirable to have any kind of investigation launched against him.

Eulian Tratzel was a businessman. But that was only one side of him.

Darth Sceptaurus was, at least in his own mind, one of the most powerful and brilliant Sith Lords ever. He may not have been as strong in the dark side as Darth Sidious, or as wise as Darth Plagueius, but he used what he had. And what he had was the knowledge left behind by generations upon generations of great Sith lords; within holocrons, within documents, some within the Jedi temples themselves, some in hidden locations across the galaxy, whereabouts of which were known only to a very select few beings, ever.

He also had the benefit of being part of a Sith revival thousands of years in the making. After the Bane line had died out, it had taken awhile for the essence of the Sith to reintegrate itself into the known galaxy.

It was only a matter of sheer luck that Darth Sceptaurus had happened to be the first apprentice to gain access to certain Sith secrets who also possessed both the power and ability to unlock them plus the understanding of what this knowledge could turn into and how it could be used. This was why Darth Sceptaurus also had all the time in the galaxy to carry out his plan, once he knew what it was.

He had found most Sith lords to be too impatient to obtain the power coming to them. Once they felt they'd achieved a certain degree of mastery over the dark side of the Force, they needed an apprentice to lure it over.

When Darth Sceptaurus had killed his own master, however, he hadn't rushed to find an apprentice. This could have put the new Sith line in immediate jeopardy, but so could having more than one Sith lord anywhere together at one time.

With the remainder of his life to devote to study, he'd applied techniques believed to be discovered by Darth Plagueius for conceiving and prolonging life through manipulation of the Force, in conjunction with a rediscovered ancient ability of transferring consciousness from one body to another.

Many times he'd come dangerously close to losing himself in another dimension of space-time altogether, but finally he'd succeeded: he'd conceived life, in essence impregnating another being through the Force, while simultaneously transferring his essence to the unborn. This had allowed him a fresh, non-resistant, force-sensitive vessel to imbue with his thoughts and memories.

It had also given him the freedom to choose the particulars, like race, for instance; Trandoshan, Quarrren, Wookie, Devaronian, Bothan, human –he'd been all at least once, though he preferred the latter – and even social standing, so he could become, say, heir to one of the largest technological dynasties in the known galaxy. In that case it had been a simple task of making sure he was the last one surviving.

There were a few things to be wary of, however. He needed a strong, healthy carrier, to ensure the pregnancy would go full term. With every transition, there was an adjustment period in regaining his ability to manipulate the Force from this new body, so if something should go wrong in the early stages of a pregnancy, he may be powerless to find another shell before perishing with it. Being one so strong in the Force as himself had enhanced the survival rate significantly, in any case.

He also had to weigh the chances of the host choosing to carry the pregnancy full term.

In one case, with a Nikto, the mother had chosen to end the pregnancy after five months, and it was only through powerful force suggestion that he had willed her to carry him full term. He'd ended up killing her for the trouble years later.

Since a pregnancy with no father to speak of tends to draw a lot of attention, especially with those such as the Jedi, he'd always been careful to select a host with an active partner.

Another thing to consider was the chance of being sent to one of the Jedi temples for training once discovered as an individual strong in the Force. This had worked to his advantage in some cases, but had made leading his secret life rather difficult.

Overall, he'd preferred to mask his Force presence to avoid detection from those he'd rather avoid.

All things considered, it still would have been a terrifying experience for a normal being - living and growing helplessly in a womb while having the consciousness, memories and understanding of an adult. But Sith have no fear; only control.

It was interesting, at first, living with the mind of an adult, particularly one strong in the Force, yet the body of a youngling. It had given him every advantage over his peers, as well as anyone else he'd come into contact with, and complete and utter freedom to shape his life any way he saw fit.

Naturally, he had to take care not to make his influence too obvious, but he'd been practicing this skill since his first lifetime.

Having lived so many lifetimes over the course of nearly two millennia, one thing he'd managed to do was accumulate immeasurable wealth. Since he couldn't just open an account as one being and expect to easily gain access to it as the next, he'd learned how to invest in precious stones and metals, the best places to buy or obtain them, and the best places to hide them, so that he may come back one day to reclaim them.

It had required a significant investment to secure the ideal hiding spot, ensuring the "disappearance" of the uninhabited world Vildimar on all the space charts, but well worth the credits.

After all, Eulian Tratzel knew you have to spend credits to make credits. And he would need credits to carry out his plan, which had been many lifetimes in the making.

In addition to his 'legitimate' corporation, he had also wrested control of one of the emerging powers in organized crime, in its early stages, and created a presence within it that called all the shots, sight unseen, growing it into a vast empire on the verge of a total takeover, waiting for him to step forward as his true identity and give it the push it needed to be on top and eliminate the competition.

Either of these empires would be enough for any man. But he was Sith by heart, and had even grander plans, for which both played critical roles.

Being the sole Sith lord in the galaxy was his preferred way, for the most part. Having an apprentice during certain phases of his plan would have only been one more liability, rather than an asset. When you have an apprentice, you have to give that apprentice a sense of purpose, a mission, lest they become impatient and begin plotting against you, as is the way of the Sith.

There were a lot of details involved in setting his plan into motion that could be handled with the help of ordinary beings. When he needed an extraordinary being, he would find one - which had already been done.


Has Bin Trel owned a small café on Fi'ar'la, a medium-sized sentient world and site of one of the most recently built Jedi academies. He enjoyed business from a diverse set of customers, from the native Fi'ar'ii, a quadruped-humanoid race with large eyes and noses, covered with a dense fur, to the traveling business personnel from various worlds, and of course the occasional Jedi.

One such Jedi sat in a solitary booth near the corner and sipped on kle'stu'vas, a house variation of a native broth brewed from a mixture of herbs and spices commonly found on the planet, with a little added something that made it Trel's own, the name of which he refused to divulge to any party. It was his most popular item, not only with the natives but those who made it a point to stop on world whenever their travels took them within the vicinity.

The Jedi was a young human of only nineteen standard years, with his dirty blonde hair cropped short save for a long braid in back, the designation of the Jedi Padawan. Another human, a female about his age, approached his booth, and when he looked up to regard her, he couldn't help but notice that she was very attractive, made clear by the eyes of the other patrons that followed her as she passed.

"Do you mind if I share this booth, sir?" she asked. "All the tables are taken."

She had long, dark hair, bright green eyes and wore casual attire - probably a student, as she definitely wasn't a native or a Jedi Padawan.

"Uh, sure-," he rose from his seat and motioned to the one across from him, offering a slight bow of his head.

When the waiter came, she ordered the same thing as him, appearing pre-occupied with a reader she held. She saw him glancing over and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry, just trying to catch up on my studies. I didn't want to bother you…"

"Oh, it's no bother. So you're a student?"

"Yes, Forestry and Botany - boring stuff, I know. I'm Nea, by the way," she held out her hand, "and you're… a Jedi, right?"

He took her hand. "Padawan, actually. You can call me Vhinh, though. Vhinh Skywalker."

She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head forward, obviously interested. "Of theSkywalker lineage?"

"Yes, one of many."

"Many… lines…?" she inquired, unsure.

"No, sorry. Only one of those that I know of. I meant that there are many of us; many descendants."

"Oh, of course, my fault. So, are you all Jedi?"

"No, some are, though. Others just live normal lives like you. Well, try to, I guess. I guarantee they won't be allowed near any Sabaac table," he joked.

"Oh - ," she laughed out loud, catching the attention of a few of the other patrons. Now it was his turn to raise his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, but you're funny. I didn't think Jedi had a sense of humor."

"I think allowing all your senses to be enhanced would naturally improve that sense as well, wouldn't you think? In fact, if I truly used the Force I could probably have you rolling on the floor laughing," he said, grinning.

"Stop!" she said, trying to control her giggling. He didn't think it was that funny, but enjoyed the sentiment, and he had to admit he liked her smile. It made him smile back. Okay, don't let your thoughts wander in that direction. You're on the verge of your trials, he reminded himself.

Before he could attempt to excuse himself gracefully, she engaged him again. "So why did you decide to become a Jedi, then? Or did you have a say in it?"

"No, I wanted to. Some don't get a choice if they're really young, and that used to be the only way, but now the parents have more say in it, and the child in some cases, it just depends. I guess I heard stories from the time I could remember, and just had this feeling, you know, like I belonged to it."

"Wow, maybe it was really meant to be, then. So how old were you?" she probed.

"I was six. My parents wanted to wait until I decided for myself rather than pushing me into it. I don't regret it, though."

"You had to give up a lot, though, didn't you? Like having a normal childhood?"

"I don't know, I mean, I lived in a mixed sector with younglings of different ages. I remember wanting to play with toy lightsabers while the others were organizing flakball teams," he rolled his eyes slightly. "I bet none of them could catch me now!"

She smiled a closed-mouth smile. "You have a little streak of arrogance, don't you, Jedi - sorry, Padawan. You better watch out!" she teased, smiling playfully.

"No, seriously, though, I try to keep all that in check. I mean, I'm aware of my feelings, but it's my training that has always taught me how to handle them… I think to be a truly great Jedi you have to allow yourself to accept your faults; otherwise you won't strive to improve on them."

"Well, I'm impressed. So is that what you hope to be, a great Jedi like your ancestors?"

"You know, I've thought about that, and I realize that as great as, say, Luke Skywalker was, possibly still unsurpassed, he had flaws, too, and he never would have been the Jedi he became had it not been for those who influenced him, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, even his father in the end,"

A brief wave of something flashed on her face just then, but only for a split second, and he wasn't sure what it was. "What I mean is, there are lessons to be learned everywhere, so short answer, no, I wouldn't want to emulate any of my ancestors, but would take what I could learn from them, as well as many other great Jedi throughout the ages."

"I think you're going to be an amazing Jedi someday, and I just met you!"

"Well, thanks, I guess. Hey, you know I could even learn some things from you," he smirked. That's enough!

"Oh..." she smiled mischievously. "Like what?"

"Well, like about Forestry and Botany. What made you decide to get into those?" We're just talking.

She almost seemed disappointed to change the subject. "Well, my mother was an environmentalist, lobbying to save exotic forests and jungles in various outer rim worlds. You know, there's still corruption in the Republic, there probably always will be. So many times she gained supporters, but these big corporations always got their way, with their spaceports, factories and office plazas. Whenever you have credits, there's always a means.

"Anyway, I thought if I could learn about all these flora and ecosystems I could recreate them somewhere else, somewhere safe… if there is such a place, but in essence preserving them so they're not lost to the ages. Kind of a lost cause maybe, but I'm halfway through school and I have to at least try to see it through."

"Wow. I think it's great what you're trying to do. You know, maybe if there were more politicians who thought that way, it would help. In any case-" his eyes passed upon the wall chrono. "Uh oh, I need to get back." He wasn't lying. "Master Ytalha will never let me hear the end-"

"Oh-" she started, a plain look of disappointment on her face. "Well, um, will I see you again? I mean, just to talk, you know, we were having such a nice conversation!"

No, you won't. Now say goodbye and return to your duty. "Uh, yeah, probably, I come here a lot," he tilted his head with a pondering look. "Hey, why haven't I seen you before? You said you were a student here."

"Yeah, I just transferred. It's part of the curriculum, studying different ecosystems up close. I'll be here for awhile, though, hopefully," she gave a friendly smile.

"Okay, well, I'll, uh, see you later then. It was nice meeting you, Nea."

"You too, Vhinh. Good luck with your training."

"And you with your studies"

He rushed out of the café, passing a Luktorrian couple that argued with the owner over an insect they had allegedly found in their broth.

"We don't even have those on this world!" he could hear Has Bin protest as he exited.


It was night over Bitris, a city on the Outer Rim world known as Hastaar. A sparsely populated, mostly industrial city, its main exports were duracrete mix and other raw building materials. It was a quiet night, the large machinery powered down and the workers gone back to their homes. In fact, the only industrial building with any activity at this hour was a factory that made prefabricated durasteel components.

Lewdo Rexil was the owner of the factory, and tonight he had a very important meeting. So important that he had brought all of his most trusted associates. They were meeting with a rival company to discuss unsavory business practices. Rexil, a Muun, led a group of fifteen beings, some Duros, some human, and a few Rhodian. The other group, composed mostly of Devaronians and a few Barabel, approached. As the two groups drew together, the tension grew thick. Finally, Rexil broke the silence.

"Greetings, Beltrus, and thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."

The leader of the Devaronian group, also a Devaronian, bowed his head. "It is my honor, Lewdo. So why did you call this meeting?"

"I'll not waste more of your time than necessary. My nephew, Antos, has been murdered, and we found this near the body." He held out a small coin to Beltrus, which he took and examined. It was a credit chip from the Captain Claw casino on Barabel, owned and operated by Beltrus himself and known to be frequented by that particular Devaronian group.

Beltrus slowly turned his gaze back to Lewdo. "So I see. Are you implying Ilbringii involvement?" His eyes widened and his brow furrowed ever so slightly.

"I'm not implying anything, Beltrus. We're reasonable beings; so let us forego the pretense. Are you denying responsibility?"

"Clearly I am, Lewdo. I'm sorry for your loss; truly I am. But if I had wished you harm, you would probably not be here right now."

Just then, over a dozen blasters were drawn on each side.

Without so much as blinking, Beltrus continued, "I only mean that I prefer the direct approach over these games, Lewdo."

Lewdo glowered. "The death of my beloved nephew is not my idea of a game. And I know you've had your eye on my hotels on Gamorr, but I keep refusing to sell. They would compliment your casino perfectly, wouldn't they? Within an hour's jump away, and the Barab 1 landowners have denied you the construction permits, I hear."

"Which I'm sure you had nothing to do with, Lewdo."

"And so we've established a motive… ," Lewdo cocked his head back and made an open-hand gesture.

"Spare me," Beltrus narrowed his eyes. "Ylesia will do just fine for my purposes."

"Ha!" Lewdo scoffed. "No one wants to stay on Ylesia!"

"You taunt me, Lewdo. Perhaps your nephew was an inside job."

"As you said, if I wished you harm, you'd be dead already. And I don't need to come up with a reason - I already have plenty."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Beltrus challenged.

Lewdo eyed Beltrus for a long moment, and the tension grew thick. Finally, he waved his hand in dismissal. "Perhaps another time. I'm walking away intact from this one, unlike my nephew, may he join the Force. But I would watch my back if I were you, Beltrus."

"You mean like your nephew did?" Beltrus gave a sly grin with this provocation.

Lewdo raised a finger to stress his next point. "If you ever so much as mention him again, on my honor, you are dead where you stand, with or without your gang."

Beltrus nodded, regarding Lewdo with a small degree of respect. "Fair enough. But watch your back as well, Lewdo. I don't take threats lightly."

Just as the two groups prepared to diverge, there was a metallic clink of something hitting the floor between them. "What the frag?!" One of the heavies exclaimed.

Several sets of eyes turned to see a thermal detonator, warbling to a rest at the spot of the sound. Following the path of trajectory up to the ceiling, a void where a transparisteel skylight was missing revealed a dark-garbed figure, looking down on them.

But before any of them could even guess as to the figure's identity, much less try to run, there was a massive explosion, engulfing the high-ceilinged room in a firestorm, sending bodies and body parts flying away from the epicenter of the blast.

Heavy smoke filled the room, and when it finally began to clear it was evident there may not be survivors. Those not completely ripped apart were charred black and lay motionless on the floor, some still burning and emitting thick, dark smoke.

Lewdo Rexil, blackened and missing his lower half, somehow managed to look up enough to get another glimpse of the figure. He recognized it now as one of Kitzelii's hands, a Trandoshan. The Trandoshan held a blaster, and upon seeing him shift slightly, directed it at Lewdo.

There was no need, though, and as Lewdo was thinking about how futile this whole meeting had been, his eyes grew heavy and he faded away.


A/N: Revised 04/19/15.

Star Wars characters and concepts are the property of Lucasfilm and used for creative purposes only. Original characters created by Tony Mancosu. Cover art by Tony Mancosu.