Chapter One: Assassin

A lone Twi'lek male climbed stealthily up the side of the Senate building, swift as a hawk bat in flight, his blue skin and his tentacles wrapped around his neck hidden by both a cloacking device and the darkness of the night. He bypassed security measures with the careful ease of a trained professional.

The Twi'lek reached the window to the sleeping quarters of supreme chancellor Palpatine. He raised his laser cutter, one hand cemented to the window with a specialized glove. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. One wrong move and it would all be over.

A perfect circle of reinforced glass fell away from the window. The twi'lek caught it before it hit the ground. He saw the Chancellor, sleeping in his bed, submerged in his sinth-cloth quilt. With a sinister smile the assassin pulled out a lightsaber from his cloak. A spear of blue light grew from the emitter and the assassin raised the blade over Palpatine. It would all be over, all his hardships in a few seconds. The blade burned a searing hole through the blanket. Smoke curled up as the smell of burning cloth filled the room. The assassin breathed a sigh of relief. He had succeeded.

A frail looking old man came from behind him. He looked like he had just gotten up from bed to get a glass of water. He stared open mouthed at the would-be assassin. It was the Chancellor. The Twi'lek had assassinated a pillow.

'GUARDS!'

His cry echoed through the entire building. The doors burst open, Red Guards rushing through with desperate speed. The assassin panicked and slashed wildly, blade slicing through one of the guards Force pike. But the other guard was already angling his pike towards the intruder's head. He dipped backwards, barely avoiding the tip of the deadly weapon. He back flipped out the window, into the Coruscanti night, before the guards could react again. The assassin disappeared.

He ran across the rooftops with desperate speed. His mission had failed. And among his clan, the punishment for failure was death. He ran knowing full well that he was being pursued. He jumped across to the next rooftop and looked over his shoulder to check if he was being followed. He turned his head back forwards and it collided with a fist. The assassin crashed to the hard rooftop, his tight grip on his lightsaber broke. The blade rolled off of the roof and down to the ground below.

Jedi Master Mace Windu stood over him, lightsaber pointed at his throat.

'You are under arrest for the attempted assassination of Chancellor Palpatine. You will accompany me to the Jedi Temple. Or else.'

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Aayla stood atop a mountain of ice, surrounded by nothingness, pure black and empty. The cold biting windwhisked around her, sending a chill crawling up her spine. The wind was whispering to her, in a quiet, cold, yet so persuasive voice. It whispered into her ear, tempting her with all of her deepest desires, some she didn't know she even had, couldn't have. Aayla tried to ignore the voices, tried to ignore the calling of the darkness that she knew would come if she gave in. But the more she shut it out, the louder the wind became. It grew in power, grew louder, until it was a howling blizzard of shadows. Around her, the shadows of nothingness began taking shape, the Jedi Temple, her lightsaber...Kit...If she just reached out she could have them all...discipline, power...love. All she had to do was reach out and take them...No. She couldn't. Temptation, lust, desire, they were all against the Jedi Code. Against everything she stood for. She had given in once, and it wuld not happen again. Sighing, Aayla shook her head and remained still. Then, one by one, the images shattered. A burst of wind and ice unsteadied Aayla and she slipped, losing her balance. She windmilled with her arms desperately, trying to stay on the precarious peak of the mountain of ice. Then...she fell.

Aayla Secura awoke gasping in a lungful of air. Sweat trickled down the Twi'lek jedi's smooth blue skin down onto her bed. She sat up shivering. She had had the dream once before, when she pushed her Uncle Pol off of the balcony.

A knock resounded from her door. 'Enter' sighed Aayla.

The door slid open with a hiss and her friend and Jedi Council member, Kit Fisto walked quietly in. The Nautolan Jedi Master lingered near the doorway slightly embarrassed for walking in on Aayla at such an early hour.

'I am sorry for the disturbance Aayla, but the Council has called for your presence, there has been an assassination attempt on the Chancellor'

Aayla's face mirrored horror.

'I understand Kit. Just let me get dressed and I'll be there,'

Kit nodded and walked out, the door closing behind him.

Aayla shook of the covers and slipped cat-like of her bed and landed on her feet onto the floor. Aayla like most Twi'lek females, was very attractive. But even for a Twi'lek, Aayla was considered extremely beautiful. She had a slender shapely figure with well toned muscles in her smooth blue skin and a sharp, intelligent face. Her head tentacles, lekku curved elegantly down her head and below her shoulders. But unlike most Twi'lek females, she carried a lightsaber, which usually put off most of her admirers.

She slipped off her white night dress and shuddered as the cold air bit at her naked skin. Aayla shrugged the unusually chilly air off and began to put on her usual brown top and brown leather tights. She bound her lekku and sucked in another deep breath before walking out the door. She felt as if a terrible series of events was about to take place. In short, she had 'a bad feeling'.

Aayla and Kit stood in front of the two senior members of the Jedi Council. Master Yoda and Master Windu. Yoda was an enigmatic old Jedi, over 900 years old in fact. He was barely three feet tall and his wrinkled skin and huge eyes and ears hardly made him an imposing sight. But his eyes showed you centuries of knowledge and a deep understanding of the Force. Mace Windu was a strange contrast to the frail old Yoda. The Korun Jedi master's skin was a deep brown and his scalp clean shaven. He was a tall imposing figure, with a deep frown on his face and an aura of resilience and strength that made him seem indestructible. Despite their differences, the pair seemed to go together.

'Master Secura, Master Fisto, these are dark times. Master Secura, I trust that Kit informed you of the circumstances?' said Mace. Aayla nodded, but a question escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

'With all due respect Masters, why did you call me? Judging by the absence of all other Council members, I would think that this is a secret matter not to be discussed by non-council members.'

'Always to the point you are, Aayla,' smiled Yoda. 'Caught the assassin we have. And the reason we have called you is that the assassin, is a Twi'ek. One of your species, I believe.'

'But Master, there are other Twi'lek jedi. Why specifically me?' There was a hint of distress in Aayla's voice. Normally, she would have accepted the mission without question, but she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. She felt in her gut that if she went back to Ryloth, she would meet her end their. 'Perhaps see the assassin you should. Question him we did. He says thathe will only answer toAayla Secura. You.' said Yoda.

'The assassin is in the meditation room, Guarded by two Knights. Perhaps you would like to meet him?' asked Mace. Aayla nodded, breathless. 'We will all go then.'

Aayla followed Mace along the hall ways, deep in thought. How could he know my name? she thought to herself. The doors to the meditation room slid open. What was inside drew a gasp from Aayla. The two knights lay unconscious. The window had been destroyed by what seemed to be an explosion of some sort and a sleek silver speeder hovered their. A twi'lek male stood atop it, holding one of the knights blue lightsabers. The twi'lek male inside bore a striking resemblance to Aayla's uncle, Pol Secura. Their eyes met for a second before the speeder flew off into the night.

Without thinking, Aayla leapt out the window after it.