The corridors of the ancient Sith temple had been hewed from the massive slabs of sandstone that had littered the planet for eons. This particular temple had once been the largest training facility for potential Sith during the age of Darths Malek and Revan. The structure had no use for nuance, but Dooku appreciated the pragmatic sensibilities of its sheer corners and jagged construction. Invaders would find a maze awaiting them inside, and besiegers would have issues breaking through the temple's exterior with the stone blocks' smooth surfaces dissipating a majority of energy-based projectile weapons.

He had memorized the temple's layout from a blueprint in one of Sidious' myriad documents, archived in a way that seemed to only make sense to the deceased Sith schemer. It had been a chore to assume the mantle of Lord of the Sith, as Dooku had assumed he'd have more time before inevitably turning on his master. It seemed that time and tide waited for no man, not even a master of the dark side.

Through those unforgiving stone walls he strode, the ever-confident Teselmar trailing two tail-lengths behind him. His time on Korriban had been relatively short, and he was still growing acquainted with its twists and turns, but he recognized where Dooku was taking him. This area was normally off-limits to students, being restricted only to Dooku and the various war generals, strategists and droids that often accompanied him. One plucky initiate had thought that "off-limits" was some kind of cute challenge, begging for them to prove their worth by invading it and proving their willingness to break the rules.

Upon catching the initiate, Dooku praised his bravery, but chided him for his foolishness at getting caught. This scolding was accompanied by the Sith making an example of the luckless acolyte, severing his head from his shoulders with a careless flick of his sword. There had been no further invasion of Dooku's privacy after that.

Teselmar recognized that he was being allowed a peek into something that the others would not have the opportunity to see. Dooku waved the battle droids away as they entered his private chambers. They were austere but elegant, an office complete with desk and data station as one walked inside, and tucked around the corner were sleeping and refreshing areas. Teselmar's ears pressed back against his skull out of nervous reflex, even as he kept a pleasant smile on his face, accepting the seat across from Dooku as the Sith lord rounded his desk.

Dooku steepled his fingers, taking a moment to study Teselmar's face. The Cathar was clearly an ex-Jedi, that he had gathered as much from the way he'd handled the Magnaguards. His motivations for receiving Sith training were muddier, and still not saying a word, Dooku opened his personnel files on the young man. Teselmar, for his part, sat in silence, knowing that Dooku would address him when he felt like it.

After a moment of scanning the document in front of him, Dooku spoke without taking his eyes off the screen. "Your skill at arms nearly matches your presumptuousness, my student. Tell me plainly, are you a spy, sent from the Jedi to infiltrate my new Sith order, or are you a genuine defector from their Order?"

His tone was conversational, but when he lifted his eyes to meet Teselmar's, the Cathar had no doubts that if he lied, the Count would know immediately. Teselmar's smile wavered, his visage becoming more serious. "…I was never a Jedi in full, my lord. My father was once a Corellian Jedi, and taught me what he knew before his untimely passing."

Dooku sensed the truth in his words. Corellian Jedi, or Green Jedi as they were sometimes known, were a branch of the Order that operated solely for Corellia and its interests, almost heretical in their lax adherence to Jedi discipline but not enough to cause a schism. Dooku had known several in his time as a Jedi, which now to him seemed like it had happened in a separate lifetime, and they were permitted to marry, have children, and raise entire bloodlines of Force users. He considered the humanoid before him. "So, your father gave you basic Jedi training, but you did not enter the Order as a Jedi Knight. Your file," He said gesturing to the screen in front of him, "mentions that you have no immediate family."

The question was implied, and Teselmar cleared his throat, leaning forward. "I am 19 standard years of age. I left my family at the age of 15 over a… difference in ideology, among other issues. I have been independent all of my adult life, and I have my reasons for not completing my apprenticeship."

At Dooku's expectant gaze, Teselmar elaborated, "I don't believe in the Jedi's view of the Force… that we shouldn't attempt to become as strong as possible, or that power is somehow evil. I believe it would be a waste of my abilities to restrain my emotions, pretending that my power is not greater when I'm tapping into them."

His practiced manner suggested that this was a topic he'd given much thought to, and Dooku considered his words. "It's true, you didn't have to become a Jedi. But you could have become a bounty hunter, a mercenary, or any other trade where you are unbound to an ideology. To be a Sith," he intoned, "is to accept the reality that the universe is not fair or balanced in its nature, and that the greatest good is for the powerful to rule and discipline the weak. The dark side requires a great deal of passion and willpower to use, and if used half-heartedly, will only weaken and atrophy its wielder."

Teselmar nodded, grinning with his fangs bared. "I have embraced the darkness in myself. I enjoy using the dark side of the Force, so why should I stop?"

Dooku permitted himself a small smile. "Why indeed. But my question is this: Do you know what you are asking for? To be trained as a Sith is not merely to utilize the dark side of the Force, it is to commit to a truth that many would find… distasteful."

The Cathar inhaled, the dark side rippling through the room like a closed circuit. "I want to see how powerful I can become. The Sith don't fear power, they embrace it. That's who I want to be, someone who can reach their full potential with no limits."

Teselmar's copper mane moved gently under the air current that gently whirred from ventilators above them. Dooku went silent a moment further, reflecting on just why he was grilling the acolyte so. Perhaps he saw something of himself in the Cathar's ambition, or something familiar in his mannerisms. For as vicious and ruthless as Teselmar could be in combat, his demeanor lacked the malice that accompanied most dark side users. He almost reminded him of- Dooku didn't usually allow himself to think of Qui-Gon. That was a different life, long ago. But the initiate had the same zest for life, the same easy connection to the Force that his former apprentice had possessed.

Perhaps it was sentiment clouding his judgment, but Dooku rationalized that Teselmar was, in fact, the most promising of his students so far, and the most worthy of becoming his first choice for a true successor. The Rule of Two had been put on hold temporarily, but someday the war would end, and the dark side would once again reside in 2 vessels alone. Perhaps this Cathar would prove worthy. If not, he would be discarded like all other tools of the Sith.

Dooku considered Teselmar for a beat further, then spoke. "Tell me, did you ever construct your own lightsaber while under your father's tutelage?"

Teselmar grinned ruefully as he answered. "Unfortunately not, my lord. I have had some practice with a training saber, mostly Form I and Form V, as he practiced those."

Count Dooku sniffed disdainfully. Form I was a tutorial style, designed to instill the basics of lightsaber combat into younglings. It was hardly meant to be a combat-ready style in the modern era, although some foolhardy spirits like Jedi Master Kit Fisto were able to produce results against groups of enemies, playing to the style's preference for wide, sweeping blows. Form V's Shien variant was similar, but focused more on blast deflection and the application of the reverse grip to confound groups of assailants. "Your education in swordsmanship is far from complete, acolyte. As we continue your tutelage, I will focus on taking advantage of your great agility and command of the Force in order to produce the best results. Have you studied Ataru or Makashi in the past?"

Teselmar shook his head. Dooku rose, straightening his cloak. "That is where we will begin. But first, you will need to construct your lightsaber."

The Cathar grinned brightly with excitement, unable to hide his anticipation. "Does this mean-"

Dooku held up a hand, cutting him off. "As a student of this Sith academy, you have shown the most promise, and therefore I am giving you the most opportunity. If you are able to serve me and learn well, only then will I consider you as my true apprentice. Your reckless enthusiasm must be tempered by obedience and commitment."

He stared down the bridge of his nose, no remorse in his voice. "Teselmar, you have gifts, make no mistake. But if you are unable to adapt to the training that I will put you through, or if you are unable to fulfill my commands, then you will cease to serve your purpose. Are we clear?"

The Cathar knew the risk of following the dark path before him, but he had counted the cost years ago. The power to protect his loved ones forever would soon be his, and nothing in this universe would stop his ambitions. "I'm ready to serve, my master."

Dooku nodded, sensing his resolve. "Good. Then follow me, I have something to show you before we begin."

They made their way towards what Teselmar recognized as the medical wing of the temple. While it didn't match what he'd heard about the Jedi's vaunted Halls of Healing, it was a modern facility set into the austere stone. Students were injured often, as was to be expected under Sith training, and Dooku had diverted enough funding to make sure that they were patched up... adequately.

Making their way past the sick beds, Teselmar got several dirty looks from acolytes who were recuperating there, medical droids attending to broken bones and torn muscles with no bedside manner to speak of. Dooku felt their eyes on them, and as they passed down a side corridor, he commented to Teselmar, "The other students will be envious of the attention that I am showing you. You must prepare for some of the more ambitious ones to try and usurp you."

Teselmar's ear flicked, as if shooing a fly away. "If they're able to kill me, they deserve to take my place. Not that I'm gonna let that happen, but I know the score, my lord."

Dooku allowed himself another small smile that Teselmar wouldn't see. The boy certainly understood what was expected of him; if he could live up to those expectations was another issue entirely. "Good. What I am about to show you is classified, and should serve you as an example of the cost of failure."

As he spoke, they entered a guarded chamber near the back of the facility, droids saluting their master as the durasteel doors -wooshed- open. Teselmar was not an easy person to shock, but even his breath caught and his heart skipped a beat at what he beheld. Suspended in a tank of what he could only assume was bacta, hanging listlessly and looking like an experiment gone wrong was the mangled form of the former General of the CIS, Grievous. Two of his arms appeared severed, the metal having been sheared through by what must have been a lightsaber. The rest of him was a mess of internal organs being maintained by a series of pumps and tubes, his skeletal mask's eye holes blank as they stared off into space.

Dooku explained as Teselmar circled the tube in gruesome fascination. "No doubt you're familiar with General Grievous, noted Jedi hunter and assassin of the late Chancellor Palpatine. He sustained major injuries engaging the Chancellor's Jedi bodyguards, and was forced to flee afterwards. His wounds are severe enough that he fell into a state of unconsciousness, and has not awoken since that day 3 years ago."

What Teselmar didn't know, and what Dooku would probably never tell him, was that the General had been in even worse shape when they'd found him. Numerous lightsaber wounds, as well as having sustained electrical damage to his systems that Dooku suspected came from Sidious' Force lightning. To the best of Dooku's knowledge, even though he'd been strictly ordered not to harm the Chancellor, Grievous had attempted to assassinate the Chancellor after dispatching his Jedi guards. Sidious must have pulled his lightsaber and blasted Grievous with lightning, but somehow, against all odds, one of Grievous' four blades pierced the dark lord's defenses.

There were still some unanswered questions with the story, as unfortunately Grievous was not conscious to answer them. The Jedi who were accompanying Palpatine were either killed or knocked unconscious during their engagement, and provided no details that he had gleaned from intercepting Jedi communication. They didn't suspect that Palpatine had been a Sith lord, which made Dooku wonder where Sidious' lightsaber had gone to if he'd severed Grievous' arms with it. It hadn't been on the General when they'd found him, so he didn't take it as a trophy. Such loose ends plagued him, but he had more pressing issues to attend to than minor discrepancies.

Dooku spoke to Teselmar. "Grievous was never supposed to kill the Chancellor, merely capture him to use as leverage, ending the war before hostilities moved further. His ambition outstripped his ability, and though he achieved his own goal, he sabotaged the Separatist agenda with his blind stupidity. Heed him as a warning, my young student. This is where the path of recklessness leads."

Teselmar nodded soberly, absorbing the lesson. Dooku turned to him, giving him his instructions. "If you're ready to serve, then listen well: A shipment of lightsaber parts and crystals will be arriving on Telos in 1 standard day. You are to receive the package and return it to me. Then, we may begin constructing your lightsaber."

Before Teselmar could say anything, he continued, "This may not be a simple task, for it is likely that the Jedi already have agents tracking the shipment, ready to waylay it. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to take those resources, do you understand?"

Teselmar bowed his head as he spoke. "Loud and clear, my master. I'll leave immediately."

Dooku nodded his approval, then wordlessly turned and lead him out. As both left the room, Grievous stayed where he had been for the last 3 years, neither dead nor alive, dreaming of secrets that the galaxy simply wasn't ready to hear.

On Telos...

The cantina they'd ducked into was a local spot, not far from where he'd left his speeder bike. It was somewhere he'd occasionally spent time in, as the legal drinking limit on Telos was whenever you could lift a full bottle to your lips. Lounge music piped in over crackling speakers covered the patrons' conversations, but weren't so loud as to prevent an enterprising eavesdropper if they wanted to overhear. Humans made up most the dive's clientele, with the occasional humanoid minority sprinkled in without discrimination. Speciesism was pointless when you were all equally broke.

The Togruta had resumed her tipsy act when they'd entered, running a finger over the barkeep's hand and suggesting he give them a private booth near the rear of the restaurant. When he'd resisted, Shard could feel the power curl from her honeyed lips around his mind like a coil, suggesting again that he really wanted to give them the booth. He was surprised to see that this time the man agreed, parroting her, and showing them to the back. They didn't receive more than a few passing glances as they retreated towards the rear, the corner booth having high walls to keep prying eyes and ears away.

As the barkeep tottered back to his counter, the flirty smile on the Togruta's face vanished as she looked Shard over. He felt like a farm animal, being evaluated to see if it would take best in show at the fair. Or perhaps, if he was ready for the slaughter.

She stayed silent, waiting for him to speak. He realized awkwardly that he'd been the one to ask for her time, so he pressed ahead as best as he could. "Thanks for what you did. With the Krayts, I mean."

He half expected her to stoically remain silent, but she surprised him. "It is a Jedi's duty to help where they can. I knew that they had been following you, and I decided to intervene."

Shard looked puzzled. That implied she had been watching him. "How'd you know they were following me? How'd you know I was gonna be in trouble?"

The Togrutan woman leaned back slightly in her chair, then reached into her robe, drawing out a flask. "Just tea." She said with what almost looked like a ghost of a smile, but he could have been imagining it. She continued after taking a sip. "I felt your presence strongly in the Force very recently, and since my business here on Telos has not concluded yet, I decided to see who was causing the disturbance."

This was a bit over Shard's head, as he had no idea of the myriad ways that the Force could be felt and influenced. "Hold up," he said with a hand outstretched, "You… you could feel my presence? Like, my mind was broadcasting a comm signal?"

She raised a single pale brow. "That's certainly one way of describing it. You've never had anyone explain what the Force is, have you?" As he shook his head, she remembered what had been told to her as a youngling in the Temple. "The Force is like a still pond, a body of water that we all are swimming in. Most beings don't make ripples large enough to be felt. But others don't just make ripples, they can make waves, influencing tides and pushing the water where it wants to go. Does that make sense?"

Shard knew intellectually what she was saying, but a different metaphor came easier to his mind. "I think I get it… Sometimes, it feels like there's music, in the world around me. Everybody's got a little tune going on in the back of their heads, but it's usually quiet, muted. If I focus really hard, I can get a feel for what their song is, what they're feeling. Or, I can reach out and grab things that are on the same…" He struggled for a good analogy. "Frequency."

The Togrutan Jedi nodded. "Just so. Many beings who can touch the Force perceive it in different ways. It is like blind men, grasping at a speeder. One feels the exhaust pipe, and says that speeders are cylindrical and hot to the touch. Another grasps the steering wheel, saying that speeders are narrow, round, and have a horn to push at the center. Still another feels the windshield, and says that the speeder is smooth and flat, wide and angular. All three are correct, but only have a piece of the puzzle. Jedi spend their whole lives trying to see the whole speeder."

It was a profound statement. If anyone on Telos had said something like that to him, Shard would have thought they were trying to sell him something, or else were trying to sound important. But this Jedi, she really believed in it all, didn't she? The proof was probably still bouncing along the street, tied to a speeder bike, so who was he to argue?

He nodded, thinking about the concept. "So, if the Force is like… water, then you felt the ripples that I make, just by thinking? Can you feel everyone's emotions?"

She shook her head. "As I said, some make more waves than others. You said that you sometimes get impressions, visions of what others are feeling by attuning yourself to them; that is the Force, connecting you to them. With training, a Jedi may even learn to read the thoughts of others, though it is much easier to influence the simple-minded than to know their thoughts."

Shard realized what she was driving at. "That's what you did a minute ago, isn't it? With the barman, I felt you touch his mind."

The Jedi shrugged innocently, keeping her expression neutral. "Perhaps. Or perhaps he was simply feeling more gracious than usual."

He grinned, knowing that she was humoring him. "Right, gotcha. By the stars, I've got so many questions, this is incredible."

She checked her chronometer, then returned it to her belt. "I am needed elsewhere within the hour, so I am afraid that I don't have time to answer questions infinitely. I suggest you consider what your most pressing ones are, and ask those."

Shard knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask about his abilities and find out more about the universe than he had ever had in the past. He wasn't about to let the opportunity pass him by.

"Where to start?" He asked, fidgeting with nervous energy. "Okay, first thing's first, I have to know, what is a Jedi doing on Telos? I thought you'd be off leading a clone army to take over some backwater world out on the other side of the Rim."

She frowned, and he held his hands up. "I didn't mean that as an insult."

Shrugging, the Jedi answered him. "I don't command any armies, or lead any attacks. Not any longer. My mission to this world is one of secrecy, and requires me to maintain a low profile."

Shard leaned forward. "What's the big mission?" At her look of incredulity, he rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not gonna tell anybody, all right? Here on Telos, we don't particularly like the Separatists. Hell, we don't even like the Republic, but I wouldn't sabotage your secret mission."

The Togrutan female almost laughed at his fervor. "If you must know, I'm here to make sure that a certain package does not arrive at its destination. That is all I can reveal to you, though I must say you have a curious priority for your line of questions."

She sipped at her tea as Shard shrugged. "What can I say? Curiosity's always gotten me into trouble, but I have to know everything. This may be my only chance to ask you questions."

The Jedi pondered, gesturing towards the ceiling. "Other Jedi exist, and I'm sure that if you were meant to meet them, the Force would make your paths meet." She said so dryly, almost as if she took the statement for granted, or didn't really believe it. "The Force works in mysterious ways."

"Yeah, well, you're the only Jedi I've got right now, so I'll have to make do." Shard said, a note of frustration creeping into his voice.

The woman interrupted him with a question of her own. "I hate to keep you from your questions, but I am curious myself: Why is it so important that you ask a Jedi questions?"

Shard grappled with the answer for a moment before speaking. "I've been on Telos my whole life, never known anything else. Got no parents since I was young, they went off to the Core worlds and haven't come back. I've had these powers, these abilities since I was young, and I've never had anybody to teach me anything. Now finally, somebody who's like me, but 10 times stronger-"

"-A gross underestimation." She said under her breath as he didn't miss a beat.

"And able to do crazy stuff like trick people's minds or send their bikes flying like that. I'd heard stories about the Jedi, and I didn't believe them. Too fantastical, I thought. But you're real, and now I don't know what's possible and what's not. Which brings me to my second question," He said, barely pausing for breath, "What can you do? How strong are you, umm, in the Force? Can you fly, or deflect blaster bolts with your lightsaber?"

She was amused at that last one, a small smile finally making itself known as she responded. "Fly? No. Though some Jedi are able to levitate, this would require a great deal of concentration. We can deflect blaster fire quite simply, however. We can run incredibly fast, jump five stories in a single leap, move the world around us with our minds, and hold our breath for hours without dying."

Shard hung on her every word. "Okay, wow, didn't expect that. Umm, okay, deeper question, why are you a Jedi?" To her puzzled look he added, "Like, why serve the Republic? Why do you believe what you believe? For the powers?"

She paused long at this, staring at her flash of tea reflectively. She was silent for so many heartbeats that Shard almost felt like reaching across the table and shaking her when she answered. "I used to know a better answer to that question. Right now, I serve the Republic and the galaxy as a whole out of a sense of duty. I have a job to do, and I owe it to everyone who depends on the Jedi in order to serve them, and prevent people like Count Dooku from making the galaxy a darker place."

It sounded like an answer from a pamphlet, and the connection in the Force that sparked between them made her statement ring hollow. She sighed, shaking her head. "If we had more time, I'd say to ask me again another day, as I am still trying to find the answer that I should give, the right answer."

Shard grinned wryly, amused at having stumped the Jedi. "Sometimes there are no right answers."

She looked back at him with a sad smile on her face. "Unfortunately, sometimes there are."

The topic was now closed for debate, this they both felt. Shard knew that he had to ask now, or else he'd never have the chance again. "What you know, the abilities you have… I want you to teach me."

The Togrutan leaned back in her seat again, putting another inch of distance between them. "I had a feeling that you'd ask that. The answer is no, but I'm curious as to your motivations. Why would you want me to teach you how to use your abilities?"

Shard felt like there was a hole in his stomach. She hadn't even heard him out! "What do you mean, 'why'? Isn't it obvious? I want to see what I can be, what kind of man I can make of myself. I have no idea what my limits are, and my life here on Telos is a dead end. If I have to live another day on this world, knowing that I could be out in the galaxy, looking for my parents, with the powers of a Jedi at my hands, I'd drive myself crazy. Wouldn't you feel the same?"

She didn't seem flustered by his bewildered outburst. "I never knew my parents; as an infant, the Order became my family. But I sympathize with you. Many will only know a simple life on their own world, being born and dying under the same stars. Is this such a terrible destiny?"

Shard coolly looked her in the eye. "Would you be content with that kind of life? If you had tasted what the galaxy had to offer, came a hair's width from knowing a truth that you were never even aware existed, and then were consigned to never look for that truth again?"

He gestured with his hands like a blind man gripping a steering wheel. "I'm looking for the whole speeder, and I don't even have a handle on a single part yet. You're the best bet I have of making it off this world, and leaving this life behind. Please… Help me."

The young man spoke without stuttering, without the halting, nervous tone that had plagued him previously. She stared at him right back, meeting his eyes, then averted her gaze. "It's not up to me. Only the Jedi Council approves initiates for training."

Shard felt like a drowning man whose fingers had just brushed up against a life raft. "Look, I… I get it, if you don't personally want to teach me anything. But when you leave this planet and go back to the Core worlds, just… please, will you take me with you? Drop me somewhere and let me find somebody else who can teach me?"

The woman looked at him questioningly. "Why haven't you left this world already if you're so disillusioned with it?"

Shard grimaced, then looked around out of instinct to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. "They keep us basically as debt slaves here, where we can't afford anything other than the bare essentials. Everything else, some company owns and will keep you on the hook for. My wages go straight to my prefab, and my food and clothes are even bought from the company store.

"I'd never be able to save enough for passage on any merchant vessel, and nobody on Telos lets anybody ride for free. Docking fees are insane too. You're my only hope for getting off this world. Please don't let me spend my life on this rock, I don't want to spend another day here let alone years."

The Togrutan was still, contemplating his statement as she had done with his previous plea. She looked like she was about to say no again when Shard had a thought. He interjected, "Look, you're here undercover, right? Trying to blend in? Where do you sleep at night?"

This caught her off guard. "I… usually make camp in an alley, or under a bridge. The Force would warn me if I were in any danger."

Shard shook his head incredulously. "That's gotta be awful with how cold it gets at night here. I want to trade with you: You give me a day's worth of passage on your ship, and you can spend the night indoors at my place."

She frowned, and Shard cut her off again before she could decline. "No rodents sneaking up on you, no cold air, hot food, hot shower, and guaranteed rest. You can take the bed, I've got a couch. No funny business, you just rest. Hell, I'll even sleep outside if it makes you feel better."

The Togrutan Jedi let another small smile cross her features. Where was her self-control today? She sighed, straightening an imaginary wrinkle on her robe as she spoke. "You've pleaded your case well enough. Very well then, we have an arrangement. I'll allow you to leave the planet with me, and drop you at a planet of your choosing if it's on the way to Coruscant. In return, I will lodge at your dwelling place tonight. No need to sleep outside, I'm sure the couch will be just fine."

Shard's smile could have brightened a black hole. He stuck out a hand, and after a moment of confusion, the Togrutan woman remembered the human custom, and shook it. "Deal."

As he said this, he could hear some angry chatter from the front of the restaurant. Peeking around the corner of the booth, Shard could see a pair of very battered thugs, their cloaks ripped from their shoulders in tatters as they talked to the bartender. "Aaaaand that's our cue to leave."

They stood, quietly making their way out the back door before they could be spotted by the Togrutan's victims. Jogging back over to where his speeder bike idled, Shard aske, "Do you have a locator?"

She nodded, handing the universal positioning device to him. Keying in his coordinates, he handed it back. "I'm sure you have your thing to get to, and I'm reeeally late on my deliveries now, but I want to thank you again."

The woman nodded, pocketing the locator. "No trouble."

As she turned to leave, the obvious question struck Shard and he called out to her. "Hey wait, I didn't catch your name!"

She didn't slow down, but turned so she was walking backwards for a moment to address him. "You may call me Shaak Ti."

He called back, "Thank you Shaak Ti. I'm Shard! Shard Avellar!"

She didn't turn back this time as she shouted over her shoulder, "I know." Then she rounded the corner, and was gone.

Shard shook his head, almost in disbelief that this day had happened. The sun was getting lower in the sky as he hurried to make his deliveries in the golden hour. Freedom was so close he could taste it.

Across the stars, a transport carrying a Cathar was on its way to Telos, its passenger barely able to contain his anticipation either. Both would have trouble sleeping due to excitement tonight. Finally, things were looking up.