DISCLAIMER: all characters and locations in this story are property of George Lucas, except Jalid, Wock, Sorimonne, Galen, Darramoon, Jissilinia, Kromone, and Bollot
The Shattered Dream

Bith. A swamp planet populated by domed city spaceports. It is also the home world of the humanoid species called Bith.

Two young Bith sloshed through the swamp of their home planet in E-suits. "Perfect, just perfect," Ban grumbled. "Come, on," Triss urged his partner. "You know we lost that bet fair and square." "But I don't have to like it." Ban snapped back. "All we have to do is stay in the lake for 4 hours." Triss comforted. "Yah, four hours floating aimlessly in the biggest pile of-" Ban cut himself short. "Wait a minute." He said as he walked over to a moss covered rock. "What is it this time?" Triss said rolling his eyes.

"Hey come here!" Ban said excitedly. Triss walked over to were his friend was, and gave him a boring look. "There's writing on this rock!" Ban said nearly yelling. "It isn't even in basic." Triss pointed out. "Yes it is, it's just really poor," Ban said uncovering more of the moss-covered rock. "Hey! I think it's about the Marili!" Ban said excitedly.

"Who are the Marili?" Triss asked. Ban glanced at him sarcastically. "Don't you ever listen in history? The Marili were an ancient race with a dream of a perfectly peaceful galaxy," Ban said matter-of-factly. "They were legendary diplomats, known to bring warring nations to peace. They also had the best crime detection stuff ever invented, and never told anyone their secret." Ban continued.

"So, did their dream come true?" Triss asked, becoming very interested. "Look around, it obviously didn't," Ban said. "They were mysteriously killed off before they could accomplish their goal, and their technology disappeared," Ban's face brightened. "But this kind'a suggests that there could be some Marili alive!"

"Awesome!" Triss yelled. "What else does it say?!" Ban
Replied, "Down here where it gets to blurred to read, I think it's trying to say who-" he was cut off by a threatening grunt. They both turned around and found themselves looking down the barrels of two blaster carbines. Slowly they realized, that the grimy lake was the least of their worries.

******************
"Hey Jalid," Galen called out over the roar of the waterfall in the room of a thousand fountains. Jalid turned to see his friend walking briskly toward him, his dark hair hanging almost to his eyebrows.

"Where have you been all day?" Galen asked when he got to his friend. "Building my lightsaber, and it's going really well." Jalid replied. "Hiding, huh?" Galen asked.

"Yeah, I suppose you could say that," Jalid said. "After what happened last Month I've been doing a lot of thinking." "You know Wock and Sorimonne are still doing extra assignments for what happened last Month?" added said casually. Jalid shook his head.

"Well I'm supposed to meet with the Jedi council in about fifteen minutes, so I better get going," Jalid said. "Ok, I'll see you at dinner." Galen said as he walked off. "See ya'" Jalid called.

Jalid arrived at the door to the council room only a few minutes early. He took a seat until the comm next to the door invited him in.

He took a deep breath and walked inside the chamber. He saw the entire council sitting in their normal positions around the room. Yoda was the first to speak up. "Greetings, young Jalid." He said.

"We will get right to the point Jalid," Mace Windu said. "You have shown excellent control over the force in recent years, and many of your instructors have complimented on your success in using it."

Jalid tried to hide his surprise. He wasn't expecting anything like this. As if to read his thoughts, Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "this may be somewhat a surprise, but I would like you to accompany me on a mission to the planet Bith. There have been two large organizations there that are on the verge of starting a civil war on the planet. We want to prevent that at all costs."

**********************
Jalid pondered some of the current events as he put the last few parts on his new lightsaber. He was in a small workshop lit by a single glow panel on the ceiling. *So much has happened in a month* he thought. He finished screwing on the freshly charged power cell onto the hilt, and pressed they activator button. A violet blade shot out of the handle, at about a meter's length. Jalid smiled and made a couple figure eights with it before turning it off and clipping it to his belt. This mission would be an interesting experience, he thought. But he would be prepared. He would be ready.


TO BE CONTINUED...