A/N: This story is based during the time after the Phantom Menace movie. This story is based on an OC of my own creation but does include known Star Wars icons. Please Enjoy.

-Chapter One-

The Force. It connects all living things. It surrounds us, penetrated us. It is what binds the galaxy together. However, there are individuals who are more sensitive to the Force than others, and as there are two sides of the force, there are two types of people. The Light and the Dark. A Light Side user of the Force is known as a Jedi. The Jedi use the force for knowledge, order, justice and peace. Whereas, a Dark Side user of the Force, also known as the Sith, use the force for power, anger, hatred and revenge. Many people believe, that these two paths are the only paths that you can take. Well, history has shown of one Rogue that has walked the grey line between the Light and the Dark side. The most famous Gray Jedi of all. Daken Ka'Taraamas.

His story begins on a planet in the Outer Rims Territories called Akiva. A jungle dominated planet. Daken Ka'Taraamas was orphaned at the age of six and had kept himself alive, alone, until age ten. That is when he was found, by a Jedi.

Keep Running. Breath. Breath, but also Keep Running! Daken's head rang as he barreled through the jungle. Vaulting downed trees, dodging laser fire and trying not to fall. One slip would cost him everything, his life included. His legs began to sting and burn as if hundreds of hornets were stinging them unrelenting. His chest felt like it was about to cave in and his lungs throbbed and whined, desperate to catch an unhindered moments breath of air. Even with his strength fading, he still clutched desperately to the gem in his hand. He knew if he could escape, and could sell this gem, he would be able to feed his friends and himself for a long while. This needed to happen. He stole it with ease, but made the mistake of being to arrogant. Now two guards with blasters were firing at him and chasing him into the thick jungle on the outskirts of Myyra.

Okay Daken, this whole "running" thing we got going on isnt working. Think of something.Daken looked around him as he ran but saw nothing but trees and vines. Then it clicked. Trees! He was in beggars clothing and the guards were in bulky armored uniforms. Daken continued running until he saw a tree with branches that started low enough for him to grab onto, and with a running leap, he grabbed onto a low hanging branch and scaled the massive tree like a monkey. He didn't stop there, he began to leap from tree to tree, even occasionally swinging on a vine to get to the next tree. When he finally stopped, he took a moment to enjoy the air rushing quickly, and almost painfully, back into his lungs. He crouched low on a high branch he was perched on, as the two guards were running around, confused and yelling at each other, looking for him.

In the jungle, everything was always wet, and Daken didn't keep his focus, and his foot slipped out in front of him. He barely managed to catch himself, and scrambled back onto the branch, breathing heavily from the sudden near plunge. He then noticed he was no longer being very silent. He noticed the guards stop and start walking toward the tree he was in!

"Hey, I think I see him!" One guard yelled as he started jogging over.

You don't see me. You don't see me. YOU DON'T SEE ME! Daken plead and begged in his head. Suddenly the guard got very stiff and stopped in his tracks. He turned back to the other guard, who struggled to keep up with his partners sudden burst.

"I don't see him." He said in a monotonous tone. His partner, trying to catch his breath simply nodded in agreement. Daken's eyes were wide in shock.

Did I do that? He thought to himself. So, Daken decided to test it out.

You should go back. You lost me. GO BACK. YOU LOST ME! Daken closed his eyes and thought these words as hard as he could. Screaming inside his own head. Then something amazing, and slightly creepy happened.

"We should go back. We lost him." Both the guards said simultaneously and began to walk back towards the city.

Daken sat down on his branch, feet dangling, in complete and utter shock. How did that just even happen? Was he a superhero? Did he have super powers? Daken slowly climbed down from the huge, damp tree he had taken refuge in and began the long walk back to Myyra. He open up his hand to reveal a thick, jet black gem that was about the size of a baseball. He smiled to himself and clenched his fist around it and kept walking.

"Ben and Ro'thar are going to love me!" Daken said to himself.

Qui-Gon Jinn stepped out of the cruiser and into the deep humidity of the Myrra space port. A Republic officer followed him out as well, Qui-Gon turned to the man.

"I can handle this." He said. The Republic man nodded and got back into the ship. Qui-Gon walked down the ramp, and handed five Wupiupi, a currency only used in the Outer Rim Territories, to the docking droid.

"Thank you." The droid said in a mechanized voice. Qui-Gon crossed his arms inside his tan Jedi cloak as he stepped into the main center of the capital city of Myrra. The capital was very busy. Aliens and Humans of all shapes and sizes were buzzing around. Banthas, Wookies and even some Hutts sliding around the city. The Outer Rim Territories were a profitable, but very dangerous place. Qui-Gon felt safe, however, with his training and his lightsaber at his hip. He made sure to cover it up. He also had the hood of his cloak covering his face up, also shielding him from the bastard sun.

Qui-Gon continued to walk through the city, ignoring all of the store clerks shouting and beckoning for him and all other passerby's to come shop from them. Qui-Gon had come for one single reason.

The Holocron.

It was an ancient artifact of the Jedi Order with important secrets imprinted in it. In the hands of the wrong people, it could be dangerous to the whole balance of the galaxy itself. The Council trusted only a Jedi Master to go and retrieve it.

He pulled out the hand held sensor that would help him locate it. He activated the sensor and a radar like screen lit up. The pulsing picked up a small red dot on the green and orange screen. Qui-Gon Jinn now had his direction.

Daken Ka'Taraamas looked into the mirror in his back alley home. He had made his own shelter in the hollowed out shell of a speeder. It was flipped upside down and he had fashioned out a bed and his very few belongings were in it. In the mirror, he was saddened by how he looked. Daken was, by no means, a vain person, but he felt that this was all to life that he was going to get. Screwed over from the start, he would tell himself. His face was dirty, and his bright violet eyes popped out against the dirt. His black swept back hair that draped down to the back of his neck. He pulled his necklace out from under his shirt and held it in his fingers. It was a simple fabric necklace, but had a remarkable crystal on the end of it. It was a dark purple. It was all he had on him when he was orphaned. He tucked the crystal back into his shirt, put his satchel over his head and draped down to his side, with the black gem inside, and left his makeshift home.

Daken half ran, out of excitement, to where his friends Ben and Ro'thar always hung out at. The back alley playground that no one else went to anymore because everything was broken. They went there to play Rebels and Stormtroopers. Ben was a human like himself, but Ro'thar was a Twi'lek. He had light green skin and had two head tentacles, or lekku, that draped down from his head down to his shoulder blades. They were both orphans, like himself, and grew up and survived together. They live together, but Daken always preferred to have his own little place.

"Daken!" The two said in unison as Daken walked up to the playground.

"We missed you yesterday. We were looking for you, but you weren't home." Ben said. Daken smiled.

"Nope, I was busy running away from guards." Both of their faces dropped.

"And why do you look so happy about that?" It was Ro'thars turn to speak up.

"Because, I got away" Daken said as he opened his satchel and began to fish the gem out. "And I got this!" He said as he pulled it out and showed them. Their jaws dropped and their eyes widened.

"What is that?!" Ben asked, yelling. Daken put it back, safely, in the satchel.

"That's our meal ticket boys!" Daken cheered and bounced slightly.

"Where'd you get it? Ro'thar asked.

"Stole it from Mooney's."

"Big Rancor Mooney?!" They said in unison again.

"The one and only."

"You gotta give it back!" Ben yelled.

"Yeah, you gotta give it back!" Ro'thar followed suit.

"Yeah right! I stole this fair and square!" Daken said with a laugh.

Big Rancor Mooney was the nightmare for orphans in Myrra. He was a big Anzati, a near humanoid with grey skin, black long hair, vicious scars on his face and two thin tentacles protruding from his cheeks, but on was half missing. Nobody knows what his real first name is. He is called Big Rancor Mooney because he killed a Bull Rancor with just a knife and a sidearm blaster. He has a hand in every black market or illegal handling in all of Myrra, but he terrorizes the orphans especially. Just for fun.

"I'm not just gonna give it back." Daken said with a scoff.

"Oh yeah?" Asked a deep gruff voice. All three orphans turned their head.

It was Big Rancor Mooney.