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Chapter 1
Myrathia's heart leapt into her throat and she suppressed a squeak of fear as the hull of Twilight's Tear shook with turbulence on its plunge into the atmosphere of Queldon Prime. She had not rode in a space ship since she was first brought to the Jedi temple nine years before, and the girl still wasn't very comfortable with space travel. Across the cabin Master Russ was reviewing a data slate; the mild mannered Jedi masters face as tranquil and emotionless as ever. Other than a quick motion to resettle a few strands of hair back over his ears, it didn't even appear as if the elderly master had noticed they were landing.
Deep clouds of soot and ash streamed by the view port, and then at long last the ship broke free of their cover and the planet below burst into view. What little light managed its way past the thick cloud cover was weak at best, casting the otherwise gray world in shades of ochre and scarlet. Endless factories covered the world's surface, countless angry furnaces belching forth pestilent clouds of cinders and smoke. Rising from the infinite metal-works of the planets surface were great tiered cites so vast their summits were lost in the haze. To the young Jedi it looked much like a soiled poignant version of Coruscant.
"Master Jedi, were fifteen minutes out of Hive XVI, and have been granted a platform." A voice squawked over the ships comms. If Master Russ heard it, he gave no sign, and continued to study his slate. The voice had belonged to Gereo Varr, the ships pilot. Myrathia was sure that he had some of the dreamiest indigo eyes she had ever seen, complimented nicely by a strapping frame and a square jaw. His wavy auburn hair was just the icing on the cake. The padawan was sure a Jedi wasn't supposed to have those sorts of feelings, so she buried them deep inside, and contented herself with sneaking glances at the striking young officer over her plate in the ships mess when they ate.
Myrathia started to say something to Master Russ, but stopped herself when she realized she didn't really have anything to ask him that she hadn't already asked twenty times on the long trip to the Outer Rim. Instead she spent the rest of their flight gazing out the window and absently day dreaming about adventures she would love to have with Gereo. All too quick the ship was gently landing and soon Master Russ rose, sliding the slate into one of the many pockets on his robes.
"Come Padawan, its time we go meet your new master." He said, gesturing for her to follow.
After a moment, Myrathia realized he was leading her directly off the ship and the young girl stopped with a start. "Master, um… well shouldn't I, we, shouldn't we say good bye to the crew?"
Master Russ's great bushy white eyebrows furrowed together as he gave her one of his famous looks that said for all his great knowledge and understanding, he had no idea what went on in the minds of young girls. "Well if you feel you must, you may say your good byes, but be quick about it Padawan, Little Feather is waiting for us." and after a moment, "I will wait for you on the platform."
Myrathia dropped her bag and rushed to the cockpit, bursting through the door and realizing she didn't know what to say. Gereo stood up; a confused look on the young mans well sculpted face.
"Uh, thanks for, um, you know. Flying us here and stuff. You're great." With that Myrathia hugged the surprised pilot and run off before he could respond. She scooped up her bag and dashed to meet Master Russ on the platform below.
If Queldon Prime had looked soiled when they were landing, it looked positively filthy close up. Cooped up on the Twilight's Tear, Myrathia couldn't wait to breathe fresh air again, but the first mouthful of what passed for air on Queldon Prime had her lungs crying for the crisp recycled air of the space ship. Dark clouds stretched from horizon to horizon, a light rain of ash fell from them, flakes drifting about like some sickly form of apocalyptic snow. Here and there squat little droids moved about the platforms sucking the ash up, but still it was everywhere, on everything.
Recovering from her first breath of Queldon's atmosphere, Myrathia hurried over to Master Russ, trying to fight off her disappointment with the world. The platform was one of many on their tier, and led directly to a walkway crowed with people going every which direction. If any of them even noticed the ship or the Jedi, they didn't show it.
"Who is Little Feather?" Myrathia asked as they made their way down the platform and into the bustling crowd below.
"I shouldn't have called her that. I was referring to Zoë, the Jedi who will be conducting your training as a Padawan." Master Russ stifled a cough and shook his head. "Be mindful of your pockets child, places like these are rife with cut-purses and it would be a travesty to loose your lightsaber to a common sneak-thief."
The young Padawan chose to ignore his attempt to change the subject and charged on. "I was so excited when I heard I had been selected for training. I'm thirteen this year, and I was afraid I wouldn't be selected by a master and would have to join the Jedi Service Corps." Myrathia noted the master face and hastily added "Not that there is anything wrong with the Service Corps, but I want to be a Jedi Knight one day. Master."
"There is nothing wrong with having high aspirations young Padawan, but the road before you is a hard one to walk, and perhaps before thinking about what you shall be in the future, you should contemplate what the Force can teach you today. Have patience, for all things shall come in time."
"What is she like Master? Do you know her? How old was she when she was selected to be a Padawan?" Myrathia asked, drawing a chuckle from the old master at her bombardment of questions.
"I did not train apprentices at the temple as I do now when I met Zoë. I was in the Outer Rims then. There was a criminal organization called the Ver'k Thar, or Brilliant Sons in Basic. They had been around in the Outer Rims for years, but other then the occasional acts of Piracy and some extortion here and there they were common criminals, not the sort who attract the attention of the Jedi. About twenty five years ago they discovered a new drug, or maybe it was an old drug and they just found a new use for it, I don't know.
Anyway, the drug was called "Perfect Dream", it was a costly powder made primarily from the toxins created when the onyx lotus flower decomposes. In most species it creates a sense of mild euphoria that can be easily found from many cheaper and less addicting substances. But the effects it had on the Ben'ath, a race that had colonized several systems in the outer rim, were profoundly different. From what I understand it put them in a comma that lasted several hours, but to them it seemed like several hours in paradise."
Master Russ paused, looking around the crowded street with a flustered expression. It looked like every other street they had been on, packed with dreary looking men and women in bland clothing drifting about like leaves on a pond. The Master stopped one of the travelers and asked directions, and then started off once more." We missed a turn a block back, follow me, I believe we are almost there."
The padawan followed him, waiting for the story to continue. Finally when he didn't give any indication of starting it up again she spoke. "Master, you were telling me about how you knew Zoë."
"Yes, I suppose I was. So where was I. The Brilliant Sons. Well, when they figured out how addicting the drug was to the Ben'ath they began to sell it in mass on all the worlds the Ben'ath had colonized. Within a few years, the Ver'k Thar had become very rich, though the effect the drug was having on the Ben'ath was finally starting to show. After a few years of using the drug, some Ben'ath would slip into the coma and just never wake up."
"Why didn't they just stop using the drug Master?"
"Its not so easy Padawan, the drug had a hold on many of the Ben'ath, a large amount of the population had become addicted to it before anyone realized its effects, and by then, they couldn't quit any more than you quit breathing. But the deaths weren't the worst of it. Addicts would do anything to pay for their fix, and crime rates all over those worlds rose steeply as theft and murder became more and more common place. When the government finally reacted, they tried to force the Brilliant Sons from their worlds. But with vast wealth they had acquired, the Ver'k Thar were able to purchase warships and powerful weapons. The Ben'ath fleet was eventually out numbered and destroyed.
."
Master Russ stopped for a moment to get his bearings, and after a moment continued onward, Myrathia in tow.
"By the time the Jedi were alerted to the matter, the Ver'k Thar had the majority of the Ben'ath population addicted. The Ben'ath worlds were some of the most important agricultural worlds in the sector, and food from them was sold to many worlds through that area of Republic space. What the Brilliant Sons did was sell the Perfect Dream to the Ben'ath, and use the money to purchase the food they produced, and sell that at inflated prices, which worlds through the sector had to pay, because there were no other options. All of this served to make Ver'k Thar very rich."
"Yea, but like, why didn't the Republic just send in a few battleships and stop them? Even with the credits of a dozen worlds, they wouldn't be a match for the Republic, Master." Myrathia said, a little disappointed, it seemed like such an obvious and easy solution.
"Well, there are a lot of costs involved with the logistics and such to move a fleet this far into the Outer Rim, but there were other things to take into consideration. First, the Ver'k Thar had to be growing a lot of onyx lotus to make the drug, but no one knew were. Blowing up their ships would only stop them for so long. Also, the Brilliant Sons had bought the loyalty of tens of thousands of Ben'ath with their drug, and had a sizable force station on each world to ensure their control was maintained. While the Republic Army is more than a match for any forces they could have put forward, a war would have likely disrupted the production of crops on the primary agricultural worlds of an entire sector, millions if not billions would have starved to death if the Ver'k Thar had dug in for a protracted siege."
"Instead, the Jedi moved to infiltrate the Brilliant Sons so as to learn the inner workings of the organization. We would strike at their head and their heart, leaving the rest to wither without leadership and support. The Jedi Wryn Krel, and his Padawan Zoë, as well as the Jedi Eul Maru and his two Padawan's Qin Uth and Davrik Brightsun were chosen to infiltrate the organization. And over a course of six years, that's what they did."
"So how did you meet her, Master?" Myrathia replied.
"Well, when they finally had the information we needed to strike, we assembled teams of elite Republic Commando's, each strike force lead by a Jedi. I was a Knight back then, and was to lead of one of the teams. That is how I came to know Zoë."
Myrathia's forehead wrinkled in concentration as she looked at Master Russ. It was hard to picture the old Master fighting anyone, much less leading soldiers in battle. "Weren't there already five Jedi there though Master? Why didn't they just lead the strike teams? So many Jedi to take down a criminal organization seems excessive."
"Excessive… Yes. I suppose. There were…complications." Master Russ replied, his voice somewhat distant. Looking at him, it seemed like his eyes were seeing events from long ago, but the look faded as soon as it had arrived, and soon his face was once more an emotionless mask.
"What, well what kinda, uh I mean sort of complications Master?"
"The sort of complications you need not worry yourself with young Padawan. Besides, that is not my story to tell. Perhaps you can ask Zoë about it one day, though perhaps not right away."
"So, what did she do after all that?"
"You that know you ask a lot of questions, Padawan?" Master Russ replied, chuckling to himself.
"I thought a healthy thirst for knowledge was a good trait in a Jedi, Master."
"It is it is." Master Russ sighed. "Afterwards everything that happened, I went to the Temple to teach younglings, and Zoë stayed out here, tying up loose ends. She, Zoë that is might not be what you expect young Padawan. She is very… unconventional. But Zoë is a great champion of the light and a very skilled Jedi, a better teacher you would be hard pressed to find."
"Has she ever trained any other Padawan's, Master?" Myrathia asked. It wasn't the question she wanted to ask, but the young Jedi could sense the Master did not want to continue that tale any further.
"No, no you will be her first. But we have arrived, and perhaps your new master would serve to better answer any further questions." A few moments later they were heading into a grimy building that smelled strongly of stale urine and potent alcohol, though Myrathia was sure she detected the subtle undertones of throw up and unwashed bodies mixed in there as well. With a little trepidation, she followed her master into the building to meet the Jedi who would be her teacher.