Padawan

by GatX

In the years following the exile's departure, the Jedi have been dominated by the Senate. Two rogue Jedi stop at Nar Shaddaa and make a discovery that will change the face of the galaxy... once they're done training him, that is.

Author's Note: While you don't necissarily HAVE to have played through KotOR or KotOR II to understand the story, it helps. I also would like to apologise for the poorer quality of some of the writing. I never really intended to publish this when I first wrote it, so I didn't really bother removing or editing sections that weren't the greatest. It still holds up pretty well though, I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, or any of the KotORs. Don't bother trying to sue me, I have no money.

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS

EPISODE I: PADAWAN

It has been over ten years since the exile left for parts unknown. The Republic Senate, fearful of more Fallen Jedi, has passed the Jedi Registration Act, forcing all Jedi to register and obey the orders of the Senate.

Rankling under this new law, several Jedi refuse to register and depart to the Outer Rim. Hunted by their former comrades, these Shadow Knights are forced to flee to avoid capture. Hiding in remote, desolate locations, they continue their teachings in secret, away from the rest of the galaxy.

And on Nar Shaddaa, the infamous Smuggler's Moon, two fleeing Jedi stop to regain their bearings, and discover where it is they wish to go now…

In the reeking depths of Nar Shaddaa, a cloaked figure moved through the sifting crowds. This was nothing new to the floating city. Over half the population was running from something, and the other half was chasing them. A good deal of people wore cloaks or some other form of disguise.

But the was something different about this man. He moved with the confident, predatory walk of a warrior, not the shifty, sulking movements of most of Nar Shaddaa's residents. As such, many gave him a wide birth, assuming him to be a bounty hunter. But not even a bounty hunter can go unchallenged for long on the Smuggler's Moon. Seeing that he had no visible weapons, a group of thugs roughly shoved the man out of their way. Or at least tried to.

At the last second, the man dodged, grabbed the offender's hand, and flipped him head over heels into a pile of trash. The crowd immediately split and formed a circle around the man and the thugs. The wiser ones quickly left, not wanting to be hit by a stray blaster bolt, but many still remained, shouting encouragement to either the gang or to the cloaked man. Bets were swiftly placed, with the odds stacked heavily against the gang. Bounty hunters knew what they were doing, or they didn't live very long.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" said a voice from above the crowd. A boy, no more than fifteen and dressed in rags, dropped into the circle and faced the gang, a long metal rod in one hand. "I happen to live here. And I don't remember inviting a bunch of unaffiliated Hutt slime like you. So beat it."

"These streets don't belong-" their leader started to say, but the boy kicked him in the gut, sending him sprawling.

"Maybe I should have explained that in terms you could understand," the boy said, striking a loose stance with his staff. "Leave now, or I'll make you leave."

The gang looked at each other, and all charged at once, brandishing vibroblades and blasters.

They didn't stand a chance. The boy leapt into the air and dropped one with a kick to the jaw, laying out another with a thrust of his staff. A thug attacked with his vibroblade, but the boy blocked easily and slammed his knee into the creature's gut, sending him to his knees. The boy slammed his staff down on the back on the kneeling thug's neck, dropping him to the floor.

The final thug had a blaster. He aimed and fired, grinning cockily as the ray of death lanced towards the boy's head. But at the last second, the boy interposed his staff. Had the blaster been of better quality or higher caliber, or had the shot been better aimed, the boy might still have been slain. As it was, the staff sizzled as the durosteel melted, but it remained more or less intact.

In one swipe, the boy knocked the blaster flying. He spun and thrust with the staff, catching the thug in the forehead. He went down like a load of bricks.

"Come on," the boy said to the cloaked man, who had just stood silently throughout the entire battle. "This fight probably drew some unwanted attention."

The man gave what looked like a tiny shrug and followed as the boy led him into the small alley. Like most alleys on Nar Shaddaa, it ended in a vertical plunge into space. But this didn't seem to bother the boy in the least as he leapt onto a ledge and casually walked out over the pit as if he was walking down the street. Glancing out to his right, he nodded and leapt off the ledge into thin air.

His leap carried him all the way to the other side of the alley, where he planted his feet on the wall and leapt off, bouncing his way up the alley until he reached a small window that had been left open.

"Well, are you coming?" the boy hollered down, hanging from the window ledge by one hand. The man shrugged again and leapt nimbly up onto the ledge. The boy smiled and grabbed the window ledge with his other hand. But instead of hauling himself up, he threw himself off again and began bouncing even further up. The cloaked man shook his head in wonder and followed, leaping into space and hopping up the wall with a grace that even the athletic boy could not match.

Eventually, the duo made it to the top of the structure, a staggering one hundred feet straight up. On top of the building was a collection of items. At first they seemed to be garbage, but closer inspection revealed them to be household items, cobbled together from spare parts and waste material.

The boy sat down in a ripped chair that looked like it had been taken from a crashed starship and gestured for his guest to sit.

"I'd offer you the chair, but I'm still not sure it doesn't have lice," The boy explained. "I only got it a few days ago."

"How did you get it up here?" the man asked, the first thing he had said to the boy since they met.

"I rigged up a system of pulleys," the boy answered. "I may be agile, but even I'm not good enough to jump up here carrying a chair on my back."

The man nodded solemnly, but said nothing.

"I suppose the real question is, what is a Jedi doing on Nar Shaddaa?" the boy asked, propping his staff up against his chair.

"What makes you think I'm a Jedi?" the man asked, smiling.

"Several things," the boy said. "One. You could have taken those thugs easily, even more easily than I did. Two. You followed me up here. I've never met anyone who could do that without help. Three. You have a lightsaber on your belt. Four. You are hiding the fact that you have a lightsaber, instead of flaunting it. Five. You're wearing the robes of a Jedi."

"How do you know they are Jedi robes?" the man asked.

"I enjoy looking a old records," the boy said. "I've seen the vids of when Revan came through here, and when that exile showed up as well. I've heard descriptions of Jedi from the smugglers and bounty hunters that run through here. Those are Jedi robes, and you are a Jedi."

"And what if I am a Sith?" the man asked.

"If you were a Sith, you would have killed that gang in seconds, and wouldn't have followed me up here," the boy replied. "You know, we'd get a lot more done if you stopped trying to find ways that I could be wrong, and just admitted that you are a Jedi."

"Very well. I am indeed a Jedi," the man admitted. "So what will you do about it?"

"Nothing," the boy replied, as if it were obvious. "I'm not stupid enough to cross a Jedi, and you obviously don't need my help with whatever you're doing. However, feel free to stay here as long as you like."

"And what do you get out of this?" the Jedi asked suspiciously.

"Two things," the boy answered. "First, I have nothing to lose. It's a big roof, and sharing it for a few days won't kill me. Second, as long as a Jedi is rooming with me, I don't have to worry about being attacked by a gang or smuggler with a grudge."

"Something of an insurance policy then?" the Jedi asked.

"I wouldn't say that," the boy replied. "Insurance picks up the pieces after you get fried. I want something that will kept me from getting fried in the first place."

"Very well," the Jedi said with a smile, pulling off his hood. The man was in his late thirties, and sported several days of stubble, as well as a good deal of grime. "You have a deal. I'll be back in about an hour."

"Later," the boy said, waving a hand in farewell as the Jedi leapt off the edge. He sat in silence for a bit, before smirking to himself. "A real Jedi…"

True to his word, the Jedi returned about an hour later, but he wasn't alone. As he landed on the edge of the roof, a second robed figure followed him.

"Two Jedi?" the boy asked, looking up from the datapad he had been sifting through. "Wow. I didn't think the Republic could spare that many."

"The Republic does not dictate the actions of the Jedi," the man replied, sitting down opposite the boy.

"Sure they do," the boy replied. "The Jedi Registration Act: All Jedi must register with the Republic and obey the orders of its governing body. Passed just last year."

"The Republic's laws hold little sway out here, I think," said the new Jedi. The boy looked up in surprise. The Jedi was female, and not only female, but a Twi'lek. "So is this the child?"

The man nodded, and the Twi'lek knelt down in front of the boy and looked him over carefully.

"Defiantly Force sensitive, but I'm not sure he's worth training," the Twi'lek said to her companion. "He's far too old, and we have no idea just how Force sensitive he is."

"Lendys, I watched him block a blaster bolt with a piece of durasteel pipe!" the man agued. "He lives on a rooftop that even a Jedi would think twice about trying to jump up to, and he's never had any training at all."

"Wait a minute, did you say Force sensitive?" the boy asked.

"We hardly know anything about him!" Lendys replied, ignoring the boy. "He's been living on Nar Shaddaa for all his life! You know what the people are like here!"

"Drawing an unfair conclusion based on a stereotype is not wisdom," the man argued. "We could at least try."

"I'll consider it," the Twi'lek said grudgingly, but looked unconvinced. "But I still say-"

"Hold it!" the boy practically shouted, drawing the eyes of both the Jedi. "Did either of you consider asking me if I wanted to be a Jedi?"

"The kid's got a point you know," the man said, flashing a grin at Lendys.

"I had to get the ex-smuggler for a partner…" Lendys said, rolling her eyes. "Alright. Do you want to come with us and learn the ways of the Force? The road will be long and difficult, and will require much mental discipline and strength of will. You may not even be accepted. Are you willing to try?"

"I will either succeed or I will fail," the boy said, eyes narrowing. "But I will never just try."

The man burst out laughing, earning curious looks from both his partner and the boy.

"The kid's got you," the man said once his laughter subsided. "He even sounds like a Jedi."

"Regardless, the point is moot unless we can find what we came here for," Lendys reminded, blushing slightly.

"What are you looking for?" the boy asked.

The two Jedi traded a look and thoughts seemed to flash between them like electricity.

"Alright," the man said finally. "We are looking for a secluded, out of the way planet that has no major civilized life on it, and that no one knows about. Know anywhere like that?"

"Not me," the boy said, shaking his head. "I've never been off Nar Shaddaa. But I know someone who might be able to help."

"Where is he, and what will this cost?" the man asked.

"Well, it's less of a he, and more of an it," the boy confessed. "I have a friend who's a Celegian. They're a rather interesting race of squid people. They really don't have any ways for us humanoids to tell if they're male or female. I never got around to asking if my friend was a man or woman, but I usually think of him as male. Regardless, he's a galactic explorer and scholar of some renown in the Core. He stops by here every now and then to pick up rumors and hearsay."

"And he's here right now?" Lendys asked.

"He should still be here," the boy said. "His power systems needed a total overhaul. Ran into a swarm of mynocks in an asteroid belt near some ice ball called Hoth and they ripped the heck out of his ship."

"And what will he want for his help?" the man asked.

"Not much, if I know him. Celegians are rather nice folk, as I said, and usually don't object to helping out a traveler in need," the boy said. "Just act polite. He really doesn't need credits, so I doubt he'll charge you. If he does, I've got some money I've been saving, so I think I can cover you."

"You have money?" Lendys asked, looking around at his cobbled equipment. "Then why live on a roof with garbage?"

"I said I had money. I never said I had a lot," the boy corrected. "I was saving up to buy a ticket off this slag heap. But you need it more than me, so I'll let you have it."

"We can't-" Lendys began, but the boy cut her off.

"I don't need it," he said. "It's not like I've got a use for it anyways. Even if I did get off Nar Shaddaa, where would I go?"

"Regardless, the point is moot if he doesn't have the information we need," the man said, standing up. "Can you take us to him?"

"Sure," the boy said, standing up. "He's probably at the gas bar a few blocks from here. Come on, I'll take you there."

The boy stood up and ran to the edge of the building, leaping off into space. He grabbed onto a hanging sign, flipped off it, and dropped easily onto the street, much to the surprise of the Gran he landed in front of. The Jedi followed, taking a little more care not to be seen as they dropped to the street.

The group walked in silence to the gas bar, a popular stop for several of the more exotic aliens that frequented Nar Shaddaa. The gas bar was filled with gasses that were poisonous to humans, but that certain aliens needed to breathe. Celegians breathed cyanogen, and as such, gas bars were one of the few places that they could operate outside special suits.

The trio reached the bar, and without hesitating, the boy walked inside. Shrugging, the Jedi followed warily. The first room was an entrance chamber, filled with oxygen. A quarren manned a solitary desk in the corner.

"I'm here to see Xik'gros," the boy said to the quarren. It burbled something in its native language, and pressed a button. A small spherical droid floated out of the wall and began translating as the quarren burbled on.

"He says that Xik'gros is inside, and you cannot go see him without an oxygen suit. You may rent one for-"

"Just tell Xik that Ancile is here to see him, and I've brought some friends he might find interesting," the boy said, interrupting the droid.

"Very well," the droid said. "Please wait a moment."

It drifted back into the wall, and Ancile turned back to the two Jedi.

"Well, that's it," Ancile said. "Now we just wait until Xik shows up."

"I wish it was more private," Lendys said, glancing at the quarren.

"Don't worry about him," Ancile said. "Quarrens don't speak Basic. We'll be fine."

The Jedi shrugged and sat down on one of the couches set up on the wall. Both fell into a calming trance almost immediately, but Ancile just pulled out a datapad and began reading. Before too long, the door to the bar slid open, and a strange creature walked in. It looked like a mutated squid with a brain for a body, suspended in a vat of brine. The vat moved on its own, propelled by hundreds of tiny legs, like a centipede.

"Xik!" Ancile cried, standing up. The creature chuckled wetly.

"Ancile, my friend," Xik'gros said fondly. "So what brings you here today?"

"They do," Ancile said, jerking his thumb back at the Jedi, who were rising to greet the alien.

"Jedi!" Xik said in wonder. "And Jedi Masters, no less. It is an honor."

"The honor is ours," the man said, bowing. "I am Master Rhyvos, and this is Master Lendys. We require assistance, and were told you could help."

"What do you need?" Xik asked.

"We need an out of the way place that no one knows about, and that there isn't any major civilized life on," Rhyvos said. "We were hoping you would know of such a place."

"I believe I know just the system," Xik replied. "There is a planet called Wayland that was colonized, but seems to have been lost. Maybe it was a huge clerical error or something of that nature. Regardless, the Republic has no idea it exists, and neither does anyone else. There are two intelligent native species, but they are still using bows and such. The settlers are there too, but they've regressed so far that they're using bows too now."

"I think that's just the place," Lendys said, bowing. "Thank you very much for your assistance, Xik'gros."

"Anything to aid a Jedi," Xik said. "Be safe in your travels."

"You may wish to say that to your friend as well," Lendys replied. "He's coming with us, to train as a Jedi."

"Truly?" Xik asked, turning on Ancile. "This is wondrous! Once you become a Jedi, you must look me up some time."

"I won't forget you, Xik," Ancile said fondly. "I'll hunt you down sooner or later. Until then, try to stay away from mynocks, huh?"

"I'm installing a laser cannon while I'm here," Xik said. "That will teach those flying rats to eat my ship!"

"Shoot them down for me, Xik," Ancile said, waving farewell as he and the Jedi walked out the door.

"That's your ship?" Ancile asked in disbelief. The ship in question was a relic, covered in scorch marks and pitted by corrosion. It was cylindrical shaped, with a pointed nose cone and thrusters sticking out the back. Two other thrusters were mounted on the side, tucked up close to the ship's body. There were dorsal and ventral laser cannons, but for the most part, the ship seemed rather helpless.

"Hey, the Crane may not look like much, but she flies. If you don't want to go, we could always leave you here." Rhyvos said simply. Ancile promptly shut up and walked quietly up the boarding ramp. "Works every time…"

"Why don't you let Ancile pilot us out?" Lendys suggested as they strapped down in the cockpit. There were only two chairs, so Ancile stood behind them, studying everything with an expression close to rapture on his face.

"Has he even flown before?" Rhyvos asked, laying a questioning look on Ancile, who was sifting through the navigational computer at lightning speed.

"I doubt it, but he'll have to learn some time." Lendys said, shrugging. "Besides, this thing flies like a brick. What could go wrong?"

"I've got the coordinates for Wayland entered." Ancile said, walking up to join them. "Now what?"

"Now, you fly us out of here," Lendys said, standing up and offering her seat to Ancile.

"Oh no," Rhyvos protested. "I might let him fly, but I am not co-piloting with him."

"Fine, I'll do it, you big baby," Lendys said, rolling her eyes and sitting down in his chair. "Okay, sit down, Ancile."

"Um, just as a warning, I've never flown anything other than a power loader," Ancile admitted, sitting down. "And I crashed that."

"You what?" Rhyvos exclaimed, looking like was about to have a heart attack.

"Well, I was being chased by the Exchange at the time, so I think I have an excuse," Ancile said.

"Whatever," Lendys said, bringing them back to the subject at hand. "Just grab the controls with both hands, flip the ignition switch, and gently ease us out."

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Rhyvos said, closing his eyes tightly.

Ignoring Rhyvos, Ancile complied, flipping the ignition switch and grabbing the controls. But apparently part of the instructions hadn't registered. The ship rose into the air easily enough, the thrusters on its side folding out from the body of the ship to rest parallel to the main one. Then it roared out of the dock like a legion of Sith were behind it and shot into space, heading straight for a crowded space lane.

"Slow down!" Lendys cried, but Ancile paid no heed. Grabbing the controls, he jerked downward, missing the lane by meters. He looped and blasted off towards the jump point at maximum throttle.

"I thought you said you'd never flown before!" Rhyvos said, holding on for dear life as Ancile experimentally did a barrel roll.
"I said the only thing I had driven was a power loader," Ancile corrected. "And I did pretty well with that. I took out two bounty hunters before four of the rats hit me with rockets."

"Speaking of rats…" Lendys observed, pointing out three ships that had broken out of the space lane and were headed straight for them.

"I got ventral," Ancile said instantly, flying from his seat and dashing for the guns. Lendys lunged over and grabbed the controls, just in time to save them from a devastating nosedive into a bunch of buildings.

"Be careful, Ancile." Lendys instructed as Rhyvos took the controls. "Remember, they might not be hostile. The Jedi way is not combat."

Laser blasts roared past, and the ship shook as one of the beams connected.

"What about self defense?" Ancile asked, blasting away at one of the ships, which quickly darted away, out of Ancile's firing arc.

"Ancile!" Rhyvos instructed from the other turret. "Relax. Close your eyes. Stretch out with your feelings. Let the Force guide your shots."

"We're in a firefight, and you want to give me lessons?" Ancile asked, but did as he was ordered. A sudden impulse told him to yank the gun hard to the right and open fire. He obeyed, and was rewarded by a cheer from the cockpit.

"That's one slime ball that won't be bugging us anymore. Straight in the fuel tank! Nice shot Rhyvos!" Lendys called, pulling the ship in a tight arc to avoid a volley of laser fire.

"Wasn't me," Rhyvos said, sounding very pleased indeed. "Nice work, Padawan."

"Thanks, Master," Ancile said, not really sure why he was calling Rhyvos Master, but he was. "The other two are on your side."

"Not for long," Rhyvos said, and Ancile heard the sputter of laser cannon and two distinct blips. "All done."

"Wow," Lendys said from the cockpit. "Right in the cockpits. That's got to hurt. All right, I'm heading to the jump point. No sense in waiting around for them to send any more after us."

"So who do you think they were?" Lendys asked once they were safely in hyperspace.

"Probably just some ticked off smugglers with something to prove," Ancile said. "Everyone on Nar Shaddaa seems to want to solve their problems with blasters."

"Regardless, it makes no difference now." Rhyvos said. "We've lost them, and soon we'll be out of their reach permanently."

"Unless Xik told them about Wayland," Lendys said warningly.

"I didn't sense any deceit from him." Rhyvos answered. "I doubt he'd betray us. You're probably making too much of a little thing."

"True. The Force isn't sending me any warnings, so I think we're clear," Lendys said. "Although I think we should come clean with our Padawan here."

"I guess you're right," Rhyvos agreed. "The truth is, we aren't operating inside the Republic's sanction. We aren't registered, and are headed into the outer rim to avoid being forced to comply to their laws."

"I figured as much," Ancile said. "I had heard that a lot of Jedi were upset about the Jedi Registration Act, and your comment on the roof got me thinking. Also, why else would you be heading out to Wayland, instead of taking me to Coruscant? Why else would you even be interested in it?"

"Clever," Lendys said. "But we aren't actually headed to Wayland. At least, not yet."

"Then where are we going?" Ancile asked.

"An old friend called me," Rhyvos said. "He thinks he's found a child who happens to be Force Sensitive, and wanted me to check it out."

"You didn't answer my question," Ancile reminded. "I wanted to know where we're going, not why."

"You're rather insistent for an apprentice, aren't you?" Rhyvos asked wryly.

"I just want to know more about things." Ancile said shrugging. "I've never found anything wrong with questions. It's the answers you find that count."

"Wise words, Padawan," Lendys said. "We are currently headed to Helia, to see this child Master Rhyvos is supposed to take a look at."

"Helia?" Ancile asked, wracking his brain for information on the system. "Weren't they the ones who invented plasma weaponry?"

"Indeed, Padawan." Rhyvos confirmed. "The Helians are famous for their invention of plasma weaponry, as well as being one of the most peaceful races in the galaxy."

"They've also got big ears," Ancile added offhandedly. "Rumor on Nar Shaddaa was that the Helians are haughty, arrogant, and holier-than-thou. But then again, this is coming from smugglers, scoundrels, and gamblers, so I doubt that those rumors are very accurate."

"I think we'd better keep you on board for the duration of our stay." Lendys suggested. "I'm not sure how the Helians will receive someone from Nar Shaddaa, and you have duties here."

"Duties?" Ancile asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Getting set up in the dorm, learning the layout and operation of the ship, making your Jedi robes…" Lendys said, ticking them off on her fingers. She sniffed and made a face. "And taking a shower! By the Force, when did you last bathe?"

"A real shower?" Ancile asked. "Two standard years ago. Normally, I just try and find somewhere with water and wash what I can. And I've never had a real bath with hot water and stuff. The best I got was a dunk in a water tank."

"Well, go do that right now," Rhyvos suggested. "Once you get out, I'll get you started making your robes. By then we should be out of hyperspace and on the ground."

"Ancile!" Rhyvos called, walking up the boarding ramp. "We're back!"

Only silence greeted his call. Ancile's staff was still right where he left it, leaning up against the wall. Nothing seemed amiss, but the young apprentice was nowhere to be seen.

"Padawan?" Rhyvos called again, walking forward to check the cockpit, but he wasn't there either. "Blast it, Ancile, where are you?!"

"You called, Master?" Ancile said, dropping fluidly down from the dorsal cannon array. He had changed from his old rags, and now wore a tight fitting tunic, as well as a hooded robe of a dark gray hue.

"Don't do that!" Rhyvos said in exasperation. "What were you doing up there, anyway?"

"I was looking at the sky," Ancile said. "I've never seen real sky before."

"You've never seen the sky?" a new voice asked in disbelief from the boarding ramp. "Where did you live, Taris?"

"Nar Shaddaa," Ancile corrected, his voice going suddenly flat. He sat down and began leafing through a datapad, as was his becoming custom, completely ignoring the newcomer.

"Ancile, this is Vorel Iejir." Lendys said, trying to break the rapidly forming ice between the two.

Ancile glanced up for a moment. Vorel was a girl, apparently about his age, with long blond hair that reached all the way down to her waist. Like all Helians, her ears were incredibly pointed, sticking out like thin radar dishes. She wore a plain red dress, although it seemed to him that she wasn't very comfortable in it. Around her neck was a small necklace with a white feather on it. She wore a headdress with two white wings on it, shaped in such a way as to make the wings almost seem to be sprouting out of her head.

"Ancile Ensis," he said, returning to his datapad. "Nice hat."

"Nice attitude," Vorel shot back sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She walked angrily off to the dormitories, a large bag slung over her shoulder.

Vorel emerged some time later, her dress gone, replaced by a simple tunic of material that Ancile couldn't place.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Ancile began. "It was rude of me to expect you to understand so much about me even though we had just met."

"I wasn't exactly the paragon of diplomacy either," Vorel replied ruefully. "Let's just start over. I'm Vorel Iejir."

"Ancile Ensis," he said, extending his hand. Vorel looked at it in some confusion. "Um…You're supposed to shake it. It's a ritual greeting among smugglers and such."

"And were you a smuggler?" Vorel asked, staring down at his extended hand with slight revulsion.

"No," Ancile said, shaking his head. "If I was, I would have spat in my hand first."

"Ah," Vorel said, grabbing his hand tentatively and shaking it. "You humans have…interesting customs."

"Well, not all humans do it," Ancile replied, shrugging. "It's more formality. I'm not sure why they do it, but they do."

"I see," Vorel said in a tone that made it clear she did not. "Are there any more exotic human traditions I should know about?"

"Nothing that I can think of off hand." Ancile answered. "I'll fill you in if I remember anything. So what do you do in your spare time?"

"I'm a mechanic," Vorel replied. "I work on ships and repair droids. But sometimes I spar."

"You spar?" Ancile asked.

"I was trained in several forms of martial arts," Vorel explained. "It is a rough galaxy, and it never hurts to be prepared. I understand you are something of a warrior yourself, although you seem somewhat undisciplined."

"That's because I grew up on the streets and never had any formal training," Ancile answered. "I do what works and use my environment to my advantage. On Nar Shaddaa, it was called street fighting."

"A street fighter…" Vorel said, considering the term. "I have heard of such warriors. But I was always told that they cheated and used underhanded tactics to give themselves an advantage."

"On other planets, I expect they would," Ireul answered. "But there isn't much on Nar Shaddaa for you to use. So all we could do was make things up as we went along, and go for people's weak spots."

"Weak spots?" Vorel asked.

"An eight year old child doesn't stand much chance against a Gran in one on one combat," Ireul explained. "But if you kick them right between the legs, it distracts them enough for you to run away. On Nar Shaddaa, the battlefield was seldom level, so I had to level it myself."

"Show me," Vorel said, moving to the center of the room and assuming a guard stance.

"You asked for it," Ancile said, shrugging off his robes and moving to the center of the room.

Without warning, he rushed forward, punching at her face. She easily blocked, but he grabbed her blocking arm and yanked hard to the side. Ready for it, she rolled with the throw, coming up behind him in a crouch.

She kicked at his legs, but he leapt forward, landing on his hands and flipping forward to land on his feet again. He spun around, heel leading, but Vorel had anticipated the attack, staying out of range of his kick.

Watching the battle from the cockpit, Rhyvos noticed a pattern in their fighting. Ancile worked along a definite axis, moving to get her in front of him and hammering away. He was easily able to block attacks from his left, right or rear, and was even able to counterattack, even though he couldn't see his target.

Vorel was a different story. She jumped and twisted, attacking in all directions. She had trouble when her opponent was directly in line with her, but once she got him off center, she was devastating, sweeping around any defenses Ancile could put up. She rolled and leapt, moving easily around Ancile, trying to find a weak spot.

"They are quite skilled," Rhyvos realized with surprise.

"What do you mean?" Lendys asked, glancing over at him.

"Look at them," he said, gesturing toward the dueling apprentices.

"I can't," Lendys snapped irritably. "I'm flying, remember?"

"Ancile is at one with the physical world," Rhyvos explained to his companion. "He uses his surroundings to his advantage, and keeps trying to maneuver Vorel into a corner or passage where she can't use her mobility to her advantage," he said, stopping to study the battle for a second.

Ancile placed his hand on the arm of one of the seats, back flipping onto the chair. Vorel rolled back, realizing that as long as Ancile held the high ground, she could do little. Ancile leapt to a table near her and dropped into a low kick. But Vorel had predicted that very attack, and grabbed his leg, using it to throw him toward the wall.

"Vorel has a better understanding of Ancile, and her own body," Rhyvos said, watching the sparring match. "She predicts his moves, and knows exactly how to counter them. She has already seen his plan, and keeps moving to avoid being forced into a corner like Ancile wants. She is using the Force to predict his moves, even though she doesn't realize it."

Reaching out telepathically, Rhyvos gently touched Ancile's mind.

You cannot win the fight like this, he telepathically imparted. You must use the Force. Stretch out with your feelings, as you did in the turret. Feel the Force flowing through the room. Let it fill you and guide your actions.

"If you say so…" Ancile replied verbally, before being knocked sprawling by a kick from Vorel. Instead of getting up, he closed his eyes and stretched out.

It was like he could see the room, only more vividly than ever before. He felt energy flowing through the entire ship, hanging in the air, just waiting to be used. Off to his right, he felt a huge energy source, which he identified as Vorel, moving to finish him off. In the cockpit he felt two even bigger energy sources, so powerful it felt like two concussion grenades had gone off.

Acting purely on instinct, he reached out to his staff, which was still a good three feet away. He called on the innate energy of the staff, pulling it into his hand. Acting again on instinct, he swung one end of the staff over his chest, and then punched out with the other end.

Rhyvos thought his instruction had been too late as he watched Ancile get hit by a kick to the head and go down. But then he felt a fleeting touch from his apprentice, and a ripple in the Force. He watched as Ancile's staff flew from its resting position on the wall to fly into his hand. Ancile then blocked the ceremonial 'deathblow' that Vorel was about to deal to his chest with one end of the staff, and slammed her in the face with the other end, so fast that the weapon was nothing but a gray blur.

Vorel was painfully thrown to the ground. It felt like the whole side of her head was on fire. She fought to clear her vision and rearrange her thoughts, but she couldn't concentrate…

Let go, said Rhyvos's voice in her head. Use your feelings. Trust in the Force and allow it to guide you.

Having nothing else left, she relaxed and reached out. Nothing else mattered. There was only the Force. Suddenly, her mind cleared.

She could feel the Force flowing through Ancile and the two masters, connecting them to everything around them. She could feel the bonds that connected her to the world, and could almost sense the thoughts of the crew.

Rhyvos was apprehensive, she realized. He wanted to know what she could do. Lendys was privately fuming at being unable to watch what was going on. Both of their minds were clouded and murky. She was unable to make out anything more than their general mood. But Ancile's mind was crystal clear.

She could read Ancile like a book, peering straight into his thoughts as if he were speaking aloud. He was worried that she would be mad because he grabbed a weapon. Even now he was planning to drop his staff and forfeit. She was about to stop him, but she sensed something else from Lendys, a thought that bubbled up to the surface before she could cover it. They were about to jump into hyperspace.

The whole ship lurched as it jumped, and Ancile, not expecting the shift, was thrown off balance. In a flash, Vorel threw herself to her feet and slammed her heel into the side of his head, dropping him to the ground.

She tried to peer into his thoughts again, but his mind was a mass of pain, with almost no cognitive thought. Without realizing it, she reeled and almost fell.

The next moment, her feet were knocked out from under her by a sweep of Ancile's staff, and she fell heavily to the floor.

"Well done," Rhyvos said, standing up and walking back to the two prone Padawans. "That was quite the show."

"What happened?" Ancile asked. "One minute I couldn't even think, my head hurt so bad, the next I was fine!"

"Vorel hasn't learned to control her powers yet," Rhyvos explained. "When she touched your mind, she accidentally took some of the pain you were feeling into herself."

"So she can steal my emotions?" Ancile asked, glancing down nervously at his fellow Padawan.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Rhyvos said. "It's more like she can share sensations with you. She feels what you feel. Pain, happiness, etc."

"I wish I didn't…" Vorel said weakly from her position on the floor.

"Don't try to talk," Rhyvos commanded. "That's one heck of a bump on your head."

"Sorry about that," Ancile said guiltily. "I wasn't thinking."

"Does someone want to explain what happened?" Lendys asked, walking over.

"It would seem that our apprentices are more advanced than we had thought," Rhyvos explained with a smile. "Ancile has already learned to summon items with the Force, and to use it to augment his blows. Vorel can actually read minds, and established a partial mental link with Ancile."

"Already?" Lendys asked, shocked. "But it takes years for most Jedi to learn to do that!"

"Like I said, we have some very skilled Padawans," Rhyvos repeated. "The Order must have fallen far, if they have missed people who shine so brightly with the Force."

"The Order is weak, and weighted down by the Republic's laws," Lendys said, scowling. "They have to take what scraps the Republic throws them."

"The Republic has the good of the galaxy at heart," Vorel replied from her position on the floor. "Its laws were designed to protect us."

"All the Jedi Control Act did was give greedy politicians another weapon to use," Rhyvos said spitefully. "Jedi should not be controlled by people with no understanding of the Force."

"What about during the Mandalorian Wars?" Ancile asked. "The Jedi remained inactive for several years, allowing millions to die, and setting the stage for Jedi Civil War."

"It was Revan's rash intervention, against the will of the Council, that set the stage for the Jedi Civil War," Lendys reminded. "That was just the sort of thing the Council feared would happen, so they held back. And history vindicated their judgment."

"There were rumors on Nar Shaddaa…" Ancile said, mind far away. "They said that Revan had foreseen a great threat approaching the galaxy. Revan used the Mandalorian Wars as a forge, to weld the galaxy into a force ready to face this threat."

"That cannot be true," Vorel said. "Revan's Civil War crippled the Jedi, and nearly destroyed them. Why would Revan destroy the galaxy's most potent weapon?"

"The Jedi were nearly wiped out, but the Sith prospered," Ancile argued. "Perhaps Revan thought the Jedi were not strong enough to face the threat, and so he tried to forge them into a more suitable weapon."

"The dark side is not stronger," Rhyvos said, shaking his head. "Just easier. Never fall into that trap, Ancile."

"I never said they were stronger, just that they were a better weapon," Ancile replied. "Sith are far more willing to kill, and to do whatever is necessary to win. Regardless, Revan seems to have thought that, in the end, either the Jedi or the Sith would do, and left for parts unknown, so the point is moot."

"Indeed," Lendys said, standing up. "We can gain nothing by debating this, so I suggest you both get some rest. You look tired, and tomorrow your training begins in earnest."

"Stretch out with your feelings. Feel the Force flowing through the rock."

Both Ancile and Vorel knelt in meditative positions, levitating several rocks with the Force. Ancile was completely relaxed, lifting one rock after another and stacking them in a neat pile. But Vorel was having trouble. Her face was screwed up in concentration, but she was barely able to lift a rock more than a few feet off the ground.

A sensor beeped behind them, and Vorel's concentration was broken. Her stone crashed to the ground with a heavy thump. Ancile's rock just wavered, but he immediately went back to his task as if nothing had ever happened.

"Blast!" Vorel said in frustration. "I can't do it!"

"And because you thought that, you failed," Rhyvos replied calmly. "But fear not. Your progress is quick for a normal Padawan."

"And him?" Vorel asked, glancing at Ancile, who was still serenely stacking rocks.

"Ancile's progress…is astounding," Rhyvos said with a disbelieving shake of his head. "He is more in tune with his surroundings than any Jedi I have ever seen. I've never met anyone who was able levitate as well as he can with such little training."

"Is he really-" Vorel paused and stared up into the sky. "Lendys is back. I can sense her presence. And she's not alone."

"How do you know?" Ancile asked, standing up and walking over to them. "All I can sense is Lendys."

"Vorel is much more sensitive to such things than you are," Rhyvos replied. "Reach out with your feelings, both of you. Tell me what you see."

"I sense Lendys," Ancile answered, his face screwed up in concentration. "She just came out of hyperspace and should be touching down in less than a half hour. I can't sense anything else."

"Did the Force tell you that, or your head?" Rhyvos asked. "You are thinking, not feeling. Vorel, what can you see?"

"There are three people," Vorel answered, her eyes closed but a look of supreme calm on her face, as if she were reading something off the inside of her eyelids. "They are both Force sensitive. One of them is a human male, and is very excited. The other is a female Ithorian. She's…nervous. I think Lendys just sensed me."

"I can't feel her any more," Ancile said, eyes popping open.

"She's there," Vorel affirmed. "She's masking her presence some how. I can feel her, but just barely. If I didn't know what I was looking for, I'd never be able to sense her."

"You have progressed well Ancile," Rhyvos said, clapping a hand on his apprentice's back. "But Vorel outstrips you here just as you outstrip her in moving things with the Force."

"I have read that many Jedi specialize in different things by their very nature," Ancile said, nodding. "Many Dark Jedi specialize in hurling lighting, while others prefer to use the Force to physically crush their opponents. I even read of an Ithorian Jedi who could use the Force to increase the sound of his screams into a massive shockwave."

"Better get some earplugs," Vorel remarked flippantly walking back inside the group's makeshift lodging. It had a large hangar for their ship, and a kitchen/common room. There were several other rooms that branched off from the common room, used as dormitories. There were six rooms, so it appeared that even with the addition of two more apprentices, they wouldn't need to share, which was good. Vorel valued her privacy, Ancile valued his seclusion, and Master Rhyvos valued both.

"For the Ithorian, or the human?" Ancile asked, following her inside.

"Hey!" Rhyvos called after them. "You both need to work on your lightsabers, remember?"

"I can't get any further without the crystals," Vorel answered.

"Lendys left to get us those crystals," Ancile replied dryly. "I doubt she'd forget to bring them back. Besides, I still haven't got my high-energy flux apertures set up, or my activation plate calibrated. Plus I haven't even gotten started on my second focusing core."

"You were the one who wanted to build a saber staff," Vorel pointed out. "You knew that building one would be hard."

"We aren't all natural mechanics, Miss I-was-rebuilding-droids-when-I-was-five," Ancile shot back. "Besides, you're not much further than I am."

"That's because I'm trying to build two," Vorel replied, rolling her eyes. "It's harder than it looks."

"So don't talk then!" Ancile joked, walking up beside his friend. "You're only building two to try and outdo me. Admit it."

"You wish!" Vorel replied, playfully shoving him into a wall.

"You shouldn't have done that…" Ancile said, making a sweeping motion with his hand. An invisible force swept Vorel's feet out from under her, and she crashed heavily to the floor.

"Why you…" Vorel said, fuming from her position of the ground while Ancile snickered over her. "Krea'ech Nieth!"

Ancile was bodily picked up and thrown down the hall as if thrown by a massive invisible hand, colliding into the wall with a sickening thump.

"How did you do that?" Ancile asked incredulously from the floor. "You can't even lift rocks!"

"I'm not sure how I did it," Vorel replied nervously, picking herself up. "I was just mad. I didn't even know I did anything."

"You used the Dark Side," Ancile said grimly, standing up and walking over to her with a wince of pain. "I've read about it. When we get emotional, we sometimes use the Force without realizing it. You accidentally used the Dark Side to throw me into the wall."

"But…" Vorel stammered, her eyes growing wide with horror. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't," Ancile said kindly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We need to stay in control. As our training progresses, our powers will increase. Before too long, you'll be able to really hurt me, not just bang me up a little."

"Oh Ancile, I'm sorry!" Vorel cried, gripping him in a tight hug. "Please forgive me!"

"Just learn from this," Ancile replied, smiling down at her. "The Dark Side is a quick and easy path to power, and as you've seen, it can take over and control your actions before you even realize it. We must be wary in the future."

"Thank you," Vorel murmured softly into his shoulder.

"Don't mention it," Ancile said, a smile returning to his face. "But…what exactly did you call me, right before you threw me into the wall?"

"Um…" Vorel replied, nervously drawing away. "Hey! Lendys just landed!"

She dashed away a top speed, and Ancile just rolled his eyes and followed at a calmer pace. As soon as they departed, another figure walked out into the hallway, chuckling to himself. He had thrown Ancile harder than he probably should have, but it worked regardless. Both his apprentices had gotten a good scare, and now they were on their guard against the Dark Side.

"I wonder if Lendys and I were that transparent when we were their age…" Rhyvos mused as he walked after his Padawans.

He never even made it to the hanger before Vorel came dashing back past him with a huge grin on her face, clutching a small bag. In the hangar, Ancile, once again cloaked and hooded, as was his custom, greeted a slightly bewildered looking Lendys.

"Have a nice flight?" Ancile asked, walking forward.

"It was okay," Lendys replied. "You'll need to hunt down Vorel for your crystals though. Yours were in that bag too."

"It's okay," Ancile said dismissively. "I'm not in a rush. And since Vorel's gone all lightsaber happy, someone has to greet the new apprentices."

"I felt your mind touch," Lendys said. "Not bad, for a beginner."

"Actually, that was probably Vorel's," Ancile confessed. "She's much better at it than me."

"No, it was defiantly yours," Lendys affirmed. "Vorel's was more like a mind slap. She still hasn't gotten the hang of masking her presence."

"She was still able to find you even after you masked yours though," Ancile replied, coming to her defense.

"I know," Lendys said. "She's very skilled."

"Wow!" said an excited voice from behind the Twi'lek. A boy, slightly younger than Ancile, walked out of the ship and looked around.

"First time off world?" Ancile asked, turning to regard the new arrival.

"You bet!" the boy said excitedly. "I'm Kani Plensra."

"Ancile Ensis," Ancile replied, sticking out a hand. Kani looked at it curiously. Ancile sighed and withdrew it. "So where are you from?"

"Dantooine," Kani replied eagerly. "What about you?"

"Nar Shaddaa," Ancile answered evenly.

"Wow! Really?" Kani asked in disbelief. "Is it really a city floating in space, just like they say? With tons of aliens and bounty hunters?"

"Yes, and yes," Ancile said, putting up a hand to stem the flow of questions from the boy. "Trust me, if you've been there, you never want to go back. It's the biggest slime pit the galaxy."

"But still!" Kani insisted. "So did you see any Hutts?"

"You really don't get out much, do you?" Ancile asked shrewdly.

"I was a farmer," Kani said dejectedly.

"Excuse me," said a new, peculiar voice. It almost echoed, as if two people with the exactly same voice were speaking. "Where do you want me to put my stuff?"

"Oh, follow me," Ancile said, nodding to the Ithorian. He remembered reading somewhere that Ithorians had two mouths, which created the strange stereo effect when she spoke. "I'm Ancile, by the way."

"I am called Dar'leah Hoor'angh," the Ithorian said, falling in behind Ancile. Kani also followed.

"I am pleased to meet you, Darleah Horangh," Ancile replied formally, trying his best to pronounce the alien name, but not quite managing it. Ithorian was designed to be spoken with two mouths, but Ancile had to make do with just one.

"Just call me Dar," she said quietly.

"You seem somewhat nervous," Ancile said to her. "Try not to be. If you believe you will fail, you will. Watch."

On an impulse, Ancile reached out a hand and began levitating the bags Dar and Kani were carrying. Closing his eyes, he sat down in midair and called on the energy in the air to support him, folding his legs onto a meditative position. The bags began to slowly orbit the floating Padawan as he sat serenely in midair, hovering a few feet off the ground.

"Cool!" Kani said, eyes riveted to the spectacle. Ancile immediately dropped, but managed to catch himself and the bags before they hit the floor.

"Please don't distract me when I'm doing that," Ancile said, handing the bags back to their owners. "Size doesn't matter. Lifting a chair or a boulder, it's all the same. But I don't have the self-control yet to do it while I'm distracted."

"Sorry," Kani said meekly. "But there is a limit, right?"

"Well, I can't pick up a mountain, or pull down a moon," Ancile said. "Theoretically, there is no limit for the Force, but we can't channel enough of it to do stuff like that."

"So you can't pick up a starship or anything, right?" Kani asked. "Just small stuff?"

"Let's see," Ancile said, reaching out to the docked ship. He knew that he was nowhere near this level yet, and that picking up something as big as the Crane was just ridiculous. But he pushed such things out of his mind and concentrated only on the energy inside it. He narrowed all of his senses down to only the ship. There was nothing else.

Summoning up all his will, he called on the energy in the ship to lift it upward. It started to move, and his senses immediately recoiled. Ancile relaxed and pushed his thoughts aside. There was only the ship. He would lift the ship. There was no other alternative. He would do it.

Ancile wasn't sure how long he stood there, willing the ship to rise, but the next thing he knew, a familiar voice was calling from behind him.

"Ancile? I've got your-By the Force!"

Immediately, Ancile's eyes shot open, and he saw what he had done. The massive starship, over twenty-five meters long, was floating almost four meters in the air. But as soon as Ancile registered what he was doing, the ship plunged toward the ground. Ancile reached out, but couldn't do anything more than slow the massive ship. It stopped just before it would have slammed into the ground, hovering inches above the stone floor.

"Ancile, warn us before you let go next time," Rhyvos said, standing next to Lendys. Both hand their hands outstretched, holding up the ship.

"You were helping him?" Kani asked.

"No, he did it all on his own," Rhyvos replied. "I'd just rather not destroy the hanger. We barely caught it in time."

The two masters easily slid the ship back into place and turned to Ancile with knowing grins on their faces.

"Okay, now I'm depressed," said the voice that had broken his concentration. Ancile turned around to find Vorel looking wistfully at him. "I have to struggle just to lift rocks, and you spend your spare time benching starships! I can't believe it!"

"That is why you fail," Ancile said, shrugging. "It isn't about size and effort. It is about relaxing and letting the Force work for you. The Sith always try to use the Force as a tool or weapon, and never work with it. That's why Light Jedi always have an advantage, even if they can't throw lighting bolts or stuff like that."

Vorel seemed about to answer, but then she stopped, as if listening to something only she could hear. "Someone's coming," she said finally, closing her eyes and holding up a hand for silence. "A large group…warriors…they aren't human…I think they're Myneyrshi…there are some others with them…I think they're prisoners…feels like three humans and two Psadans," Vorel said finally.

"What are Myneyrshi warriors doing here?" Ancile asked.

"Who are the Myneyrshi?" Kani asked.

"Shh!" Ancile hissed as Vorel closed her eyes again. The two Masters looked on in mild amusement as the Helian reached out for the group, probably almost a mile away still.

"This was their temple…I think it was to their god of death…they are worried…I think they are expecting a war," Vorel said, breaking out of her trance.

"That would explain why they're coming here," Ancile agreed. "What are we going to do? We can't leave, and we have a ship parked right in their temple."

"Master?" Vorel asked, turning to Rhyvos.

"Get your weapons," he said heavily. "We'll try to talk them out of it, but if they attack, we'll have no choice but to kill them."

"Wait," Kani said. "Just who are the Myneyrshi, anyway?"

"The Myneyrshi are one of the two races indigenous to this planet," Ancile answered quickly. "They know about humans, and don't like them. When we came to Wayland, we figured this temple was abandoned, so we set up here. But it seems we were wrong."

"What are we going to do?" Kani asked, worried.

"What Master Rhyvos just said," Ancile answered. "I'll try and talk them down, and if that doesn't work, we'll probably have to fight them."

"Wait, you're going to try and talk them down?" Kani said, a look of confusion on his face. "Why isn't Master Rhyvos or Master Lendys doing it?"

"Because I'm the only one who speaks Myneyrshi," Ancile replied simply. "I translated the hieroglyphs here in my spare time, and since I lived on Nar Shaddaa, I'm pretty good with languages."

Ancile then departed, dashing to his room and grabbing his staff. At her request, Ancile had given it to Vorel to look over, and when she returned it, it was a whole new weapon. The dents and burns from Nar Shaddaa were gone, replaced by gleaming metal. An ornate handgrip was located in the center, and Helian runes ran up and down the length of the staff. Ancile had never actually asked what they meant, though he had been meaning to do so for some time.

He walked out of the temple and joined the rest of the group. Rhyvos and Lendys were both dressed in their Jedi robes, lightsabers hanging from their belts. Surprisingly, Vorel also nervously held a lightsaber in her hand.

"You finished yours?" Ancile asked, looking down at her saber.

"It's finished, but I'm not sure it works," Vorel confessed. "Well, here goes nothing…" She held her hand far out to the side, as if she feared the saber would explode, and thumbed the switch. Immediately, a purple blade of energy sprang from the hilt with a familiar snap-hiss.

"Looks like it works," Rhyvos said, smiling. "Let's hope you don't have to use it."

Vorel nodded gravely and switched the blade off, clipping it to her belt. "I knew it was going to work," she said quietly to Ancile.

"Sure. That's why you were holding like it was a thermal detonator," Ancile joked.

"I was not!" Vorel denied, but Ancile merely laughed. Vorel's next biting comment was cut off by the arrival of Kani and Dar, both holding blaster pistols. Rhyvos nodded a greeting and pulled out a pair of electrobinoculars, scanning the horizon for the Myneyrshi.

"I see them," he said, zooming in on one spot. "Vorel was right. They're Myneyrshi, and mostly warriors too. I think I see a few priests, and someone that looks like a chieftain. I see the prisoners. Two human women, a little girl, and two female Psadans."

"Sacrifices," Ancile said darkly. "They are here to see their god of death, after all. The hieroglyphs mentioned virgin sacrifices. This is obviously what they meant."

"But why a little girl?" Dar asked.

"She must be important," Ancile said. "Maybe the daughter of a human chieftain."

"We have to save them," Lendys said. "There has to be a way to get them to hand over the sacrifices."

"I'll see what I can do, but it won't be easy," Ancile said. "We should get ready. It won't take long before they will be able to see us."

"Kani and Dar, get up onto the roof and hide. No matter what, don't shoot until they attack us first," Rhyvos commanded. "Lendys, they won't recognize you since you're a Twi'lek. Stay close to Ancile and keep him covered. Vorel and I will hide off to the right and wait."

They nodded and did as they were told. Ancile moved into the middle of the path and pulled his hood down, shadowing his face.

"Put your hood up," Ancile said to Lendys. "A little intimidation will go a long way here."

She nodded and pulled her hood up, just as the first of the Myneyrshi walked up the path. The appeared much as all Myneyrshi appear. They were humanoid, but their skin appeared to be a shimmering crystal. They had no ears, and it was anyone's guess as to how they heard things. Even their lips and the inside of their mouths were coated in the strange crystal.

Upon seeing the intruders, one of the warriors screamed in outrage and charged with a spear. The priest leading the group attempted to stop him, but was too late as the warrior ran forward, spear pointed to impale Ancile.

Ancile calmly raised a hand and with a contemptuous flick, flung the warrior off the cliff using the Force. The rest of the Myneyrshi gasped in awe and began murmuring amongst themselves. Then the leading priest walked forward and prostrated himself before Ancile. The rest of the group did the same.

Hiding over the edge of the cliff, Vorel's eyes widened in shock as she felt what was happening though the Force, nearly causing her to let go of the climbing cables that held her.

"What is it?" Rhyvos asked.

"They think he's a god!" Vorel replied in shock. "They think he's the god of death!"

Hail, Letum! the priest cried in his own language. Ancile was glad his face was covered in a shadow that hid his shock. They were calling him their god of death!

What are you doing here? he asked in a low menacing tone.

Great One, we have come to beg a favor! the priest said reverently.

Rise, and ask, Ancile said coldly, playing the part of a god of death. He knew enough about Letum to be able to impersonate the god with some measure of realism, and right about now that looked to be their only chance of getting out of this without further bloodshed.

The priest got shakily to his feet. We may be going to war with the Aduro tribe. We wish for your aid in this conflict.

Death takes no sides. Petition Admonitu for aid if you desire it, Ancile said, naming their god of war.

We wished to know if the time was right to go to war, the priest clarified. We would not dare act without your sanction.

You were right in coming to me, Ancile said emotionlessly. When your time comes, I will be merciful.

Thank you! The priest said, falling to the ground again. Great One, we have brought sacrifices in your honor!

Ancile scowled. You dare insult me so?

Great One?

I am the only one who has the power to declare when a mortal is to die. When their time comes, I will come for them. To seek out death or bring it without my sanction is forbidden.

But we have always- the priest said, confused.

Indeed, and great was your ancestor's suffering because of it, Ancile interrupted. I have grown tired of your insults. Why do you believe I appeared to you now? What makes this plea different from the thousands of others your people have offered me over the centuries?

Forgive us, Great One! the priest wailed.

Enough, Ancile said waving a hand. I will forgive you if you repent. Release your sacrifices, and never slay a living creature again, in my name or in the name of any other deity, without my sanction. If you do this, you will have my forgiveness. If you do not, then you will die. You and your entire tribe will be crushed and cast aside like dust in the wind.

We will not fail you!

See that you do not, Ancile replied coldly. As to your request, I will think on it for a time. When I am willing to sanction your war, I will appear to you. Until then, take no action. Now go and leave me to my duties.

The priest hurriedly turned around and began leading the group down the slope again. Ancile turned grandly and walked back inside the temple, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"That went better than I expected," Ancile said to Lendys, who followed him inside. "I've never pretended to be a god before."

"You were great," Lendys said, smiling.

"It was weird. I could feel their emotions and almost hear their thoughts," Ancile said. "I've never been able to do that before."

"That's because you didn't do it," Rhyvos said, walking inside. "She did."

Behind him, Vorel blushed a deep red. "Well, I couldn't let him do it alone," she said, embarrassed.

"Show off," Ancile said fondly, smiling at her.

"Hey, I'm not the one picking up ships in their spare time," Vorel shot back, shoving him playfully.

"I'm going to need some time off from my training," Ancile said, his voice turning serious. "I need to investigate this Anduro tribe and see if I really should sanction that war."

"Are you sure this whole god thing isn't going to your head, Padawan?" Rhyvos asked. "It's not our problem.

"It is," Ancile said darkly. "What if the Anduro tribe is preparing to wipe out the tribe that was just here? They won't be ready to defend themselves, because without my sanction, there can be no war. I'm not meddling. I'm just trying to make sure that I don't screw things up."

"You have a great sense of responsibility, Padawan," Rhyvos said. "Very well. There's a swoop in the cargo hold. Take it. But be careful.

"I'm going with you," Vorel said instantly.

"Not my decision," Ancile said calmly. "Can she come, Master?"

"Why not?" Rhyvos said. "She's finished her lightsaber. A little field training might do you two some good."

"Thank you, Master," Ancile said calmly, walking out of the room with Vorel. But the instant they were out of earshot, both sprouted identical grins.

"Road trip!"

Two years passed in a flash. Ancile and Vorel had long since returned to their regular studies. Ancile finished his saber shortly on returning to the temple; about the same time Vorel finished her second saber. They swiftly became sparring partners, and proved they were both equally skilled with a lightsaber. Kani and Dar were progressing well in their training, though they still lacked the skill and aptitude showed by Ancile and Vorel.

Ancile and Vorel were meditating outside the temple, as was their custom after sparring. It allowed them to reflect and learn from the battle, as well as helping relax them. Vorel felt it first, and turned from her contemplation of their sparring match to whatever it was on the horizon.

Ancile felt it a few seconds later, and instead of turning his contemplations on the nature of the source, he began feeling for its location. It was like a call though the Force, but not a plea for help, merely a simple tug. Pinning down the location to a canyon a few clicks away, he stood up and walked to the door. Vorel followed suit.

"You felt it too?" Ancile asked.

"Of course," she replied. "I can't figure out what it is though. I can feel it, but I don't know what it is. I've never felt an aura quite like this one."

"Well, lets go see what it is," Ancile said, walking to where they had park their swoop, then stopping. "You get the swoop revved up. I'll tell Master Rhyvos."

Vorel nodded, and Ancile dashed back inside, cloak flapping behind him. He skidded into the hall and knocked on Rhyvos's door, but there was no reply. Shrugging, he tried Lendys door, but it also produced no results. After a few minutes, he grabbed a datapad and entered a short message.

Felt something weird in the canyon. Vorel and I are going to check it out. Should be back in a few hours. We're taking our sabers, just in case.

-Ancile

Satisfied, he left the datapad next to Rhyvos's door and dashed out to the waiting swoop. Vorel tossed him a pair of goggles, which he hastily donned. At the speeds that Vorel drove, a bug could put out an eye.

"I couldn't find them, so I left a note!" Ancile shouted over the roar of the engines.

"They probably took Kani and Dar out into the forest to meditate!" she shouted back before gunning the engine.

Like most swoops, it was V-shaped, with two powerful thrusters on the back. It had originally been equipped with a glass canopy, but Vorel had removed it to make room for a second seat. She made several other modifications as well, ripping out most of the cockpit and replacing it with the seat of a bike. Ancile didn't even want to know where she found it. Regardless, it was undoubtedly the fastest (and only) ground vehicle in the system, and could easily seat them both, plus their equipment. In one of Vorel's more mischievous moments, she had named the swoop Dreamcatcher.

"Hang on!" Vorel shouted as she kicked out the brake and punched the throttle. Ancile rapidly wrapped his arms around her waist and held on for dear life as the swoop shot forward at almost a hundred kilometers an hour. And Vorel hadn't even gotten out of first gear yet.

High above them on the roof, Rhyvos and Lendys watched as the swoop raced out of sight.

"You felt it," Lendys said, holding on to Rhyvos's hand tightly. "You know what awaits them out there."

"They must be tested," Rhyvos replied calmly, although the pain was evident to Lendys' practiced ears. "The Force has called them. I will not intervene."

"You could have warned them," Lendys said at length.

"It would not have helped," Rhyvos replied hopelessly. "Now all we can do is wait, and try to pick up the pieces when they return."

Lendys sighed heavily, and Rhyvos enfolded her into a tight hug. Both their thoughts followed a thin trail of dust on the horizon, headed straight for disaster.

"Slow down, you're going to get us killed!" Ancile shouted into her ear as they roared through the forest, dodging trees left and right.

"Don't be such a wimp!" Vorel yelled back over the engine. "There's no way I'd-Yikes!"

A huge tree loomed out of nowhere, and Vorel twisted the handlebars to the right, grazing the bark as they passed.

"You're going to kill me…" Ancile whimpered, clinging onto Vorel as she laughed wildly and increased their speed. But it was a joke and they knew it. Vorel was well aware of her limits, and wouldn't push farther than she could handle. She was the better pilot of the two, and Ancile trusted her completely. But there were moments…

"We should be there in just a minute!" Vorel shouted as they shot though the forest. Ancile didn't doubt it. The canyon wasn't that far away, and at they speeds they were going, they could probably jump the damn thing. He actually feared that Vorel would try.

"Slow down, I want to try to get a fix on it before we get there," Ancile shouted, and Vorel obligingly eased up on the throttle. Loosening his grip on Vorel, he reached out with the Force again. "It's in the canyon!" he shouted, tightening his grip again. Vorel took this as a signal to speed up, almost throwing Ancile of as they shot forward. "Watch it! I still can't tell what-Tree!-the thing is though. Duck!"

A thick tree limb angled out right at chest level, too low for them to duck under. Rather than slow or turn, Vorel pulled a saber off her belt and thumbed the switch, easily loping off the tree limb.

"Show off!" Ancile shouted, and she laughed, slowing to put away her saber. Ancile could see the light from were the forest ended, and remembered an interesting fact from when he last visited: the forest ended in a straight drop into the gorge. "Vorel, stop!"

"Why?" she asked, unconcerned.

"If there really is a Dark Jedi out there, I don't want to leave the swoop where he can find it!" Ancile lied. Vorel would have just taken the sudden stop as a challenge, and he didn't think he could take any more scares.

Vorel shot him a suspicious look, but slowed down. "You know, if you're afraid of a fiery death, you could just ask that I slow down!" she remarked offhandedly.

"I tried that, remember?" Ancile replied. "And I'm not worried! I just don't want to came back and find that some over happy Sith hacked Dreamcatcher into bits!"

"You liar," Vorel said, bringing Dreamcatcher to a halt behind the tree line. "Ever been here before?"

"Yeah, I come here to meditate some times," Ancile answered, dismounting and walking to the edge. "The view is quite nice up here."

"Oh?" Vorel said, following. She stopped, looking at how close the edge was. "Whoa. Now I know why you wanted me to stop."

"Bingo," Ancile said, crouching down at the edge and peering in.

"Bingo?" Vorel asked, confused.

"Smuggler expression," Ancile replied shortly, examining the gorge. "There's something not right here."

"I can feel it too," Vorel said, cautiously drawing her saber. "It's like I'm being suffocated. I can't sense anything through the Force."

"I wasn't using the Force," Ancile replied. "There's mist in the canyon. There's never mist down there at this time of day."

"Looks like we'll have to head down and check it out," Vorel said, walking over to the edge and looking for something to hook a climbing rope onto.

"Don't bother," Ancile said, walking further down the edge. "There's a path. Follow me."

Vorel nodded and walked close behind him. The mist seemed to have billowed up out of the canyon, surrounding them, and she didn't want to lose Ancile. With their Force senses blocked, it might take hours to find each other in this mess.

"Watch your step," Ancile called, walking easily down onto a steep rock path on the edge of the canyon. Vorel nodded and carefully stepped down, glancing down swiftly to make she knew where to put her feet. When she glanced up, Ancile was gone.

Ancile walked on, not realizing he had lost his companion until a sharp turn in the path caused him to glance over his shoulder to see how Vorel was doing.

"Oh Sith," Ancile swore, listening for the sound of Vorel's footsteps. But the fog muffled any sound, leaving him alone on the mountain path. "Vorel!" he shouted, but only the echoes of his own voice greeted him. "VOREL!" he shouted again, with similar results.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Vorel muttered to herself as she cautiously walked along the ledge, making certain not to fall. It had widened out so she could walk normally and not inch along, pressed against the wall, but with the mist, she wasn't taking any chances. A single misstep and she would be headed for a headlong plunge into oblivion.

"Beth'anon eia!" she cursed under her breath as she continued along the narrow path. She had heard strange noises echoing though the mist earlier, but had been unable to determine their source. But it had sounded like…battle.

The path turned left sharply, and having no alternative, Vorel followed. Around the corner was a sight that stole the air from her lungs and gave credence to the nervous feelings fluttering around in her stomach.

A dark, cloaked figure walked out of the mist, face covered by a low hood. Vorel was suddenly incredibly thankful that she had finished her second lightsaber. Both flew into her hands in an instant, lighting the mist around her in a purple and yellow glow. While her first saber had been purple, she disliked doing anything the same way twice, so she had made her second blade yellow.

"Sith spit…" Ancile swore as he rounded a corner, backtracking to where Vorel must be. He hoped she hadn't fallen off. In this choking mist, she could die and he'd never feel it…His morbid thoughts were thrown out of his head as he saw a figure emerge from the fog. It was a woman with long white hair, dressed unmistakably in the slitted robes of a Sith assassin. In a flash, two sabers shot from her belt into her hands, surrounding her with an eerie red glow.

Ancile calmly pulled his saber staff from inside his robes, keeping his face even. Sith assassins relied heavily on fear and surprise. In her arrogance, she had given away the element of surprise, and Ancile was determined to show her that he was not afraid. The twin blades of his saber flashed into being, and he assumed a defensive stance, throwing off his hood and holding the saber out horizontal in front of him. There would be no time to parley, and he doubted the Sith would ever agree to it anyway.

The cloaked figure in front of Vorel pulled out a saber staff with sinister calm, igniting it and assuming a guard stance that she had seen Ancile use several times. The air around him glowed a sinister red, just like the blades of his saber staff, and as he took off his hood, his black hair and empty white eyes glared sinisterly at the Helian.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Vorel shouted, leaping forward to attack. Jedi were usually calm, controlled combatants. She hoped to confuse him with an aggressive attack, her two sabers scissoring towards his head.

The assassin leapt at him, snarling something Ancile couldn't quite catch, her sabers knifing in a V towards his neck. He swiftly ducked, swinging his blades in a spin designed to gut the rushing assassin.

She saw it coming at the last minute and back flipped, the glowing blade missing her chin by inches. The assassin pressed her attack, hammering down with her blades at precise angles, designed to exploit the saber staff's ridged blocking capabilities. It was evident, Ancile thought as he frantically rose and back up under the onslaught, that she was a veteran against staff wielders, as she saw every weak point, every opening, and went for it immediately.

Realizing that he was nearing the edge, Ancile fell into the Force, swiftly examining his surroundings. The path was narrow and prevented any maneuvering, which suited his style of combat perfectly. All he needed was an opening, a break in her relentless attacks, and he could regain the advantage.

Vorel supposed she should have known better than to charge a Sith. At the last possible second, he dropped into a crouch and whirled his saber in a vicious circle, nearly cutting her face in half. But the Force was with her. She flipped back out of the way, and began slicing at the crouched Sith.

Her experiences sparring with Ancile had shown her several weak points of the saber staff, and she went for all of them now, forcing him back in a flurry of attacks. One nearly got through, scorching his robes, but he jumped back at the last minute. But behind him she could see were the path took a sharp turn. If she could just keep forcing him back, she might win!

It all turned so suddenly. Not realizing it, she stepped on a loose rock in her relentless advance forward. In an instant, the Sith gestured, and the rock shot out from under her, spilling her hard onto the stone. She looked up, just as the Sith dove down with a lethal stab, straight for her chest.

Ancile finally saw his opportunity. The assassin stepped on a long, loose piece of rock, and he swiftly blasted it out from under her, throwing it into the chasm and knocking her to the ground.

Spinning his saber over his head, he lunged downward, determined to make her death quick and painless. But she saw it coming and rolled out of the way, his saber cutting only stone.

Not releasing his advantage, Ancile lunged forward just as the assassin leapt to her feet, forcing her into an awkward parry. Then he spun, slashing with his other blade, and she leapt back, dodging the attack and hammering downward with both sabers.

Vorel rolled at the last second, coming up just as the Sith lunged forward with another attack. She interposed her saber, but wasn't quite quick enough, she had to leap a little to the side to avoid being scorched. He spun, just as she had seen Ancile do many times in their sparring matches, and she dodged back out of the way.

Hoping to catch him with his back turned, she chopped downward with her sabers, but he was too quick, catching them on one blade and spinning again, second blade knifing straight for her ribs.

She leapt back again, and soon found herself giving ground before the Sith's relentless, spinning onslaught. The terrain was all wrong for her fighting style, she realized. While Ancile fought easily in, and even preferred, straight lines, she had always liked places where she could circle and attack where her enemy was weakest, from the sides or at an angle, but not directly centered.

She also realized, as she dodged to the side to avoid a saber spin, that she could not survive these conditions for long. If she could lure him out of the canyon, then she would have a chance. But if she turned and ran, he would cut her down long before she reached the top. She would need a head start.

The Sith assassin was good, Ancile had to give her credit for that. But the terrain favored him, and no matter how experienced she was against saber staves, Ancile could simply overwhelm her with the number and ferocity of his attacks.

His saber carved glowing lines in the solid canyon wall as he methodically advanced, hammering away with spins and thrusts. The woman couldn't dodge well, there wasn't room, and if she blocked one of his attacks, he would simply reverse directions and attack from a different angle. It seemed that victory was within Ancile's grasp.

But Ancile had been trained to look past appearances and to see the truth. No Sith assassin could be this easily beaten. He was not surprised when the look of overwhelmed fear on the face of the assassin turned into one of cold determination. But even with this hint, he still was not completely prepared when the woman charged forward and flipped straight over his head.

The Sith hesitated for a second, and it was all the opening Vorel needed. Rushing forward, she called on the Force and leapt into the air, easily soaring over the cloaked man's head.

Then she was on the ground again, behind him, and off running for the open exit. A small mischievous portion of her mind was laughing its head off at the expression that was sure to be on the Sith's face.

Vorel allowed herself a small smirk. The Sith was almost certainly hot on her heels, but with the head start she had gained, she would probably be able to make it to the forest floor, and then the tables would be turned.

Such was her confidence, that she almost didn't hear the distinct rumbling in time, and couldn't stop as a huge pile of rock and dirt smashed down onto the path in front of her.

Ancile was not completely taken off guard by the Sith's unexpected move. He spun around, and by the time the assassin touched the ground, he was facing her again, saber staff at the ready.

He was surprised that she hadn't tried to attack him while his back was turned. It would have failed miserably, of course, he was already turning and was extremely skilled at blocking blows from behind or on either of his sides, but it still seemed like the course of action an assassin would have taken. But when he saw her running off, he understood.

Ancile wasn't stupid enough to chase after her. It would be hard to keep up with so agile an opponent on the open ground above, and the narrow passages leading there were no place to have a duel. She was probably leading him into a trap.

But he was still reluctant to let an assassin get away. An idea came to him. Reaching out with the Force, he pulled on the rocks of the cliff ahead of her, and triggered a landslide, covering the path with a huge pile of rock and dirt.

She never even slowed. She ran straight up the pile, reversed direction, and leapt down towards him, sabers raised to decapitate him.

Vorel nearly was crushed, but it seemed the Sith had overestimated the speed she'd been running. The rocks crashed down right in front of her, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Slightly hidden by the cloud, the Helian walked straight up the near vertical side of a rock and pushed off with the Force.

She aimed directly for her opponent, pulling her sabers back for a deathblow. Hopefully, hidden as she was by the fog and dust, her opponent wouldn't know what hit him.

By the time she realized her mistake, it was too late. The Sith plucked her out of thin air, holding her by the neck with the Force. He wasn't choking her, but she knew from Ancile's stories that he easily could strangle her from that distance.

On impulse, Vorel threw one of her sabers towards the Sith, who was standing calmly, one hand raised in a loose gripping gesture. Ancile had mentioned that a Jedi holding something in the air, especially a person, was very vulnerable, and even a light push with the Force was usually enough to get them to drop their hold.

The Sith wasn't so easily beaten. Instead of trying to block, he extended his other hand and effortlessly pulled Vorel's whirling saber into his grasp, while simultaneously slamming her into the stone wall.

Her vision exploded into red blotches of pain, and when she could see clearly again, she was hovering over the edge of the cliff. The only thing between her and a long, fatal fall was the chilling Force grip of her Sith opponent.

Ancile reacted instinctively. He and Vorel would often toss objects to each other with the Force, sometimes with little or no warning. While he'd never tried stopping something this large or angry before, it seemed he didn't have a choice. He hastily flung out a hand, and the assassin jerked to a stop, writhing like a hooked fish.

The panic lasted only for a minute, and then she flung one of her sabers, perfectly aimed to sever the head from his body. Again without thinking, Ancile pulled the weapon into his hand, and promptly slammed the Sith into the wall of the canyon before moving her out over the yawning chasm. Now if she tried to break his grip, all that awaited her was a plunge to her doom.

He flipped her saber off and pocketed inside his robes, before turning to his captive. "Hand over your other saber," Ancile commanded coldly. "Hilt first, please. If I die, you do too."

The assassin looked confused, and angrily hissed something he couldn't understand. He didn't know enough about the Sith to tell if this was a language they used, or if this assassin was just from a backwater planet that didn't use Basic.

Forgoing language, Ancile pointed at her blazing saber and held out a hand, indicating that she was to hand it over. She snarled and defiantly tightened her grip on the saber.

Ancile slammed her hard against the rock, and a groan of pain slipped past the woman's clenched teeth. He mentally winced at the desperate measures that he had been forced to resort to, but when he thought of the fact that this assassin might have hurt or killed Vorel, his eyes narrowed.

He gestured for the saber again. She spat at him, falling far short of her target, but still getting the message across. Ancile threw her against the wall, pulled her off, and slammed her back again, pushing her into the stone with brutal force.

He returned her to her position over the chasm, and grimly held out his hand for the saber. The assassin, whose face had been formerly filled with pain and a small amount of fear, suddenly assumed a visage of resigned calm. Ancile knew that look: the look of a warrior who knows he is about to die, and intends to go down fighting.

Without warning, the woman made a swift sweeping gesture with her free arm, and Ancile felt himself picked up and thrown off the ledge by an invisible force. His concentration broken, the woman plunged after him.

The illusion fell away. Just before he hit the ground, Ancile looked up at the face of the Sith assassin, and found himself staring up at Vorel, who looked equally horrified. And then the ground rushed up at him, and he knew no more.

When Vorel awoke, she was laying beside Dreamcatcher on the edge of the canyon. The fog had gone, as if it had never been, and Vorel doubted it had. The Force had sent them both a deadly message, but she couldn't sort out what it was. Was Ancile going to turn into a Sith? And where was Ancile, anyway?

She stood up, and the lack of bruises on her side where she'd been thrown into the wall further reinforced her idea that it was just a vision. Both her sabers still hung on her belt, as if she had never drawn them. Beside her in the grass was the vague outline of where another form had lain and crushed the grass, but its occupant was long gone. She walked over to Dreamcatcher and found a small note, written on a crumpled piece of paper.

Went for a walk. Don't wait up.

-Ancile

Sighing, she mounted the swoop and revved the engine. It wasn't too far to the temple, only about five miles, and Ancile obviously wanted to be alone. She thought she could use some alone time as well to figure out what had just happened. She roared off towards home, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake.

---

And there's part one. Read and review as you desire, but please don't start picking on me because I missed some minor detail about the Star Wars universe, 'cause I don't care. This is fan fiction, which means that George Lucas's universe is MINE NOW. All MINE! MUHAHAHAHA! Execpt for that thing about the copy right. He's got that still.

NEXT TIME:

WITNESS! the reintroduction of one of KotOR's most famous characters!

SEE! Vorel go through a startling makeover!

EXPERIANCE! more fight scenes than you can shake a lightsaber at!