Old ways are never forgotten

By Blackcat

((A/N- NO infringement is implied or intended by this story. Star Wars is property of George Lucus.

Mira Conte and Jayce Noi're ar property of Alex Reese, and used with her permission. Merak and B.C. Orion are my own creations.

Emperor Scopious is property of my friend Rob.

This story takes place after a role play story on a role play board.

After the Vong invasion, Emperor Scorpious has taken over the rebuilt empire. What is left of the Jedi after the second great war, headed by Luke Skywalker, have been exiled to the outer rim worlds. The empire has full control of the core worlds. Ten years have passed since the end of the great war. ))

Luke Skywalker sat in a dark room meditating. Ten Years had passed since the Great War with Scorpious and the Jedi were still exiled to the outer rim. No closer to the peace they wanted then they were before. Some planets from the outer rim had joined in their version of peace, but only a few. Others wanted nothing more to do with the Jedi, fearing retribution from the Empire itself. Some planets were still loyal to the anti-force army. What was left of this army after the war was assimilated into the empire. The Jedi weren't the only ones banished.

The old Jedi master sighed heavily and opened his eyes. Another Jedi master had entered the room. Her long blond hair glinted a bit in the little light there was in the room.

"You sense it too don't you master Skywalker. By now you realize the force doesn't lie."

"Mira, I know what I sense. But that does not take away the feeling of hope."

"Four Jedi Knights sent to that planet, none returned. The first two we lost contact with two weeks ago, the search party we sent also lost, the only thing we heard from them was a scrambled radio transmission, and all we could make out was a name." Her voice was calculated and didn't have any emotion behind it. Mira had learned long ago to control her emotions and not to let them betray her. It was the ways of the old Jedi, something her master had taught her early on as a padawan.

Luke shook his head and stood up to look at Mira Conte, Jedi master and one of the few on the new Jedi council who survived the war. Luke respected her view of things, though different from his own. Mira wasn't one who sat on the council talking about views and the ways of the Jedi. She was more comfortable putting in her views and then leaving. Debating never sat well with her way of things. She was also one of the only Jedi left that were fully trained in the old ways. The new Jedi had learned from what Master Skywalker had taught. Gone were the days of children growing up and mastering the ranks of Jedi. These days anyone that had a mild ability in the force could be trained to use it for peace. These new students made up the new generation of Jedi.

"Mira, if she is involved, then we have to figure out a way to find out how and why."

"Master Skywalker, it's believed she is dead. If she isn't, I doubt she'd go this far."

"She was on our side at the end of the war" Luke said " But we all know that she could have swung both ways. Normally there is only a good side and bad side of the force. She however was on the line. And if she is dead, what would make two Jedi, who had never heard of her say her name into a com link before it went dead?"

"I don't know master. I've been searching thru the force myself for an answer and haven't come across one." Mira said as she kept her eyes on Luke.

"Well we have a mystery on our hands we need to solve it. I want you to assist in this search mission." Luke looked at Mira seriously.

"Who will I be assisting Master Skywalker?" She asked.

"I do believe Jedi Knight Merak Cassidy is ready for his first major mission."

"Are you sure he is ready?" Mira asked once again.

"He needs this chance to prove himself. Remember Mira you will only be assisting, Let him do most of the work. He has a lot of confidence, but I also fear he has a lot of arrogance too. I think paring him up with one who's been thru as much as you will help put him on the right track to becoming a great Jedi."

"Alright Master. I will find him and we will try to solve this mystery, but it seems more like a needle in a haystack. Trying to find someone who is thought dead in a galaxy as big as this."

"Well may the force be with you both on this one."

Mira nodded and walked out of the room.

In another part of the Jedi temple a young Jedi Knight was going over the new archives. After the war every survivor put in their story of what they experienced into the new archives. Droid information, ship databases and anything that could be used was put into the system make a record of the war for generations to look upon and not forget.

He was searching for a name, the one heard come over the com link of the two Jedi they had make contact with before loosing contact again. He typed in the name and searched, the same information was appearing over and over. Her name, B.C. Orion, her affiliation bounty hunter, and a date of disappearance. He continued to concentrate at the screen as the hits of the name popped here and there. Then just before he was ready to stop for the day a line appeared. He looked at it with curiosity, it was attached to a ships log that he had went over before but didn't notice this link. Selecting it he read the ships name "Commenor's Dream". There were hundreds of ships that downloaded logs into the system, he figured this one couldn't be much different. Then as the computer loaded the information a scratchy video clip loaded and began to play, though the image was hard to see, the audio was still in good condition. It was the voice of a woman who was talking.

"Hunter I swear, when this war is over and if I live, I'm heading to Tattooine. Maybe setting up a small repair shop for droids or ships or something. I've got the credits now, and I could disappear if I wanted to."

"Orion." a female voice said behind the young Jedi.

He jumped at the sound and spun around as the video clip ended.

"Master Conte, I didn't realize you were there."

"It's alright, you look like you've come upon something Merak." Mira said as she walked up.

"I think so," Merak said, " a small video clip attached to a ships log. I didn't see it in my research before. I swear it wasn't there before and now it is. Was that B.C. Orion?"

"Yes it was, a voice I haven't heard in a very long time, but one I won't forget." Mira said as she laid one of her hands on the light saber hanging from her belt. It was a reflex Mira had, subconsciously holding her saber for comfort. She did it to tell herself that her saber was still there and she was safe.

"Is there something you wish to speak about?" Merak asked, seeing Mira had come to look over his shoulder and not anyone else in the archives.

"Master Skywalker has decided to send you on a mission to find out if in fact B.C. Orion is truly dead or in hiding. I will be assisting you."

A smile crossed Merak's face. This would be his first mission and one he wouldn't soon forget. He didn't want to let anyone down. He wanted only to prove himself as a talented Jedi.

"I think our first stop should be the planet of Tattooine. If she did survive, and since you said that was her on the video, maybe she did as she said and went to live out her days there." Merak said with a joyful tone.

"You may be onto something. The least we can do is check out your theory. My ship is waiting in bay three."

Jumping up Merak nodded and ran off. Mira rose and eyebrow at his sudden bolt out o the archives. She then headed off herself toward bay three. In only a few moments she appeared thru the sliding doors only to find Merak there holding a large black traveling bag.

"I didn't know what I would need on my first mission so I packed everything. I also didn't know what ship was yours." Merak said a bit nervously. Mira could tell this would certainly be an interesting mission.

"My ship is this way." Mira said leading the way.