"Goddamn it, Jim, get your ass over here now!" The harsh southern drawl wasn't the kind of voice one would expect to come from a Jedi Knight, but that was the very person who had shouted. Standing with his arms crossed, feet apart and a prominent glare on his face was Master Leonard H. McCoy, glaring up at his apprentice, James T. Kirk, known to most as Jim. Jim looked down at his master, and with a quick look down, used the force to slow his fall as he dropped the twenty some feet onto the ground, rolling to a halt in front of his master.

"You called, oh Master mine?" The seventeen year old asked, padawan braid askew and tan robes dusty and disheveled from the maneuver. The brown-haired man rolled his hazel eyes; it didn't matter how many years they trained that kid for; he still wouldn't show proper respect. It was part of the reason he was stuck with McCoy. The both of them were on the fringe of the Jedi Order. Respected, definitely respected, but still on the fringe; they were too unorthodox to be anyplace else.

"Yeah, I did call, ya moron; we're late. We were supposed to get to the temple five minutes ago."

"Oh shit!" Jim shouted out, running off.

"Language," McCoy snapped, taking off after him. Jim swung around and gave him an apologetic half shrug at the reminder that was tempered by a 'are you really one to talk' expression, only to run faster when he turned around. Leonard gave a huff, and continued his race after his young apprentice through the crowded, underworld city streets of Coruscant. Most of the people they encountered got out of their way. They recognized the Jedi and his apprentice tearing down the street, and none of them were interested in getting in their way. They had heard stories of what happened to people who got in their way, and, although most of them were likely exaggerated, it was always better to make sure.

McCoy was a healer as well as a Jedi; that much they knew, it was the reason he spent so much time in the underworld city streets. It came with an insanely horrible bedside manner, but he was someone most of them respected. His apprentice was another matter entirely, but most of them enjoyed him immensely.

They made it to the transporters in record time, skidding to a halt as they came into view, eyes flicking over the large group of people there and sighed. "Make that fifteen minutes late…"

"Master Mace Windu is gonna be pissed…"

"We're Jedi, none of us get pissed."

"Tell that to my impressionable little mind that you infected years ago."

"Shut up, Jim."
…..

The two of them ran up the stairs of the Jedi Temple. Tearing past the organic shapes and various works of art, that on any ordinary day would be examined extensively, their only focus on getting to the main area, and the Jedi Masters waiting for them there. They slid past various Jedi and apprentices, gaining a few amused expressions and a couple shouts of protest.

The sight of the wide double doors at the end of the corridor made them skid to a stop, bent over and panting as they tried to make themselves presentable, straightening robes and hair and trying to catch their breath. "Well, here we go."

That said, they entered quietly. "Apologies, masters; we were otherwise occupied," McCoy stated, the both of them bowing to the circle of men that sat calmly, amusement reflected on a few faces, but otherwise showing no emotion.

"I am sure you were," one of the men said; this one's voice was reflecting his amusement. Jedi Master Christopher Pike; he gave a glance at Jim, and a small wink. Jim gave him an answering smile. He was the one who had brought him into the ranks of training Jedi, and helped him get used to the fact that he was among the same people who his father had worked with before he had died.

"Busy, you often are," another of the masters said, this one was alien, completely and totally alien. Barely standing over two feet tall, he was old, much older than most of the Jedi, but he was also the one that was counted as being the strongest in the Force. Master Yoda looked at them, large eyes reflecting quiet amusement.

"Apologies, Masters, we should have moved faster."

"Unimportant," the current master of the Jedi Order said quietly, leaning forward. "We have new information regarding that ship."

Jim tensed at those words, and McCoy spared him a quick glance.

"Understand we do, your wish to know. Granted, we have, your request to be informed," Yoda stated quietly.

The two of them straightened at that, realizing exactly the kind of trust they were placing in them.

"You will take a ship to the outer rim. Master Yoda and Master Pike will be accompanying you; once there you will be met with another ship. You must be wary of what you find there, and remember to trust your instincts, trust the force. Not everything will be as it seems."

With those cryptic words, they were dismissed, Yoda and Pike standing up, leading the two out.
…..

They had managed to transfer from one ship to the other, the one they had been on continuing its trip to its destination.

They were traveling at warp speed; McCoy was as far away from any windows as possible, and still he was given a reason to detest flying. At the moment it was in the form of his seventeen year old apprentice who was cheekily reminding him of the fact that they still had seven hours to go until they reached their destination, and kept asking him if he felt the ship shaking. Master Pike was watching them with a small amused smile.

"Will you shut up?"

"Sorry Master, I thought you'd like to know…"

"James T. Kirk, I swear on my sisters' grave that if you don't shut up, I will personally shove you out an airlock."

"You don't have a sister…"

"Go, meditate, NOW."

"Awwwwwwww!"

"MOVE!"

"Yes Master…six and a half hours left!" Jim sang out, running away as fast as possible before Bones could respond.

"Sometimes I almost want to hate him…"

"Anger?" Pike asked softly, amusement trickling into his voice.

"It's impossible to be around him for long periods of time and not feel it," McCoy answered stiffly.

"Do you regret deciding to train him?"

"Never. Jim's a good kid, he's a good apprentice, and he'll make a better Jedi. I suppose I should thank you for finding him."

"Don't. I couldn't save his father."

"It wasn't your fault, Chris; that ship came out of nowhere. Speaking of, where exactly in the outer rim are we going?"

"Tatooine. We will be meeting someone there."

"Your elusive apprentice?"

"Possibly," Pike answered with a slight smile.

"Kid got a name?"

"Yes," Pike answered, once again a hint of amusement coloring his voice.

"Will you at least tell me if the kid is male or female?"

"Male."

"Age?"

"One year older than your own."

"Eighteen then, where does he hail from?"

At that Pike's face clouded slightly. "That I can't tell you."

"Find out when we get there?"

"If you see him."

"He's really that elusive?"

"He's really that good."

McCoy looked at him and gave a nod. "I'm gonna check on Jim. Kid can't be left alone for too long or he starts chaffing. Doesn't appreciate the 'soothing benefits of meditation'."

When he was gone, Pike stood alone, turning his head to the figure that entered soon after. "Master Yoda… I fear I may be becoming prejudiced."

At that Yoda made a soft sound. "Proud of him, you have a right to be. A dangerous path it is."

Pike made a move to reply when his communicator indicated an incoming transmission. He tapped it, a small holographic figure coming into view. It was fully hooded and cloaked, its posture straight and its hands were neatly placed behind its back. As soon as they came into view it bowed. "Masters."

"Apprentice."

"I do not have much time, but I have found what he is after."

"What is it?"

"A ship. I have charted it as entering the Hoth system, but have managed to make him believe it is going to appear near Tatooine. I do not know how long I can continue to do this. His followers have simple minds, but they are many."

"You did not tell him the information yourself, did you?"

"No, Master, I made one of his followers tell him. I am as anonymous as it is possible to be in my situation. Master, we must send some of our order to Hoth; someone must be there to greet the reason he is so angry."

"You have done well, my apprentice."

"Thank you, Master," a second later, and the figure straightened further. "I must go; he is summoning me."

With that the figure bowed once more, and the transmission ended.

"So, we need to go to Hoth, in order to intercept a ship."

"An interesting development this is."

"Why does one ship, likely one man, cause enough anger to destroy a world?"

Yoda was silent for a moment. "See we will, in time."