A/N: This chapter has been re-posted in order to fix the chapter breaks. No other changes have been made.

Chapter Three: Fly Like An Eagle

The night was still thick when she left her Sensei, their meeting complete. While he had not been surprised by her description of Kenobi, just mentioning Skywalker had caught his attention. He hadn't really commented on him, saying that he'd have to refresh his memory first. She was to report back in a few nights to hear what he had.

On Lestath, she visualized the Crystal Ship, which wasn't a ship at all. It was actually a series of caverns on Zawdir, the otherwise barren moon that circled Omnyou. It had just enough atmosphere that she wouldn't need a protective suit or breather provided that she didn't stay long.

The trip took longer than normal, as the distance was much greater than from any two points on the planet. Taking a deeply enhanced breath, she gave the command to go between. After 45 numbingly cold seconds they emerged into the moon's twilight side over the barely lit caverns.

Setting down, she jumped off Lestath and hurried into the cavern. Greeting her was the magnificent sight of hundreds of gems in a rainbow of hues glowing in the light of the phosphorescent moss that covered the massive walls. Tonight the sight didn't stop her in wonder as it had the power to do; she was too preoccupied with her search. She opened herself up to the Energies and focused on her goal. Turning in a tight circle, she finally stopped and opened her eyes.

There it was, right in front of her. Absorbing all the light around it, only the silver veins glowed out of the black stone. The Oiche Onyx, sought for its connection to the night and ability to contain energy.

Leika walked over to it and gently cupped her right palm over it. Closing her eyes, she focused on pulling it from the wall without damaging it or anything near it. Seconds later she felt a soft pop as it came free and landed in her hand.

Holding it to her now open eyes, she looked closely at it. Now she could make out the tiny specks that comprised the silver veins, swirling the color throughout the purely black stone. The edges of the veins gave the appearance of a starry night, the veins themselves of the glow of the moons. Even at this stage, she could feel the Energy pulsing through it.

She ran back to Lestath and vaulted to her back. "Let's get back," she said as she pictured her destination.

Lestath, who didn't like the air on the moon, grumbled "About time," as she rose into the air and promptly vanished.

~shards~

He sat against his ryuus soft side as he waited for her. The earliest signs of dawn played on the horizon over the water, just a smudge of lighter sky against the darkness. The cliffs overlooking the ocean were deserted at this time of night, perfect for a secret meeting.

Mariuth stirred slightly behind him, lifting his head towards the sky. "They are coming."

"Good," the man replied, standing and stretching as he watched the sky for their arrival. It had been a few days since he'd last seen her, and he was anxious for her arrival. He loved the feelings he had when he was with her, the dangerous games they played. The power he felt at knowing who she was while she remained ignorant of his true self. How easy it had been to make her believe that he truly cared for her, while twisting her in the direction he desired. The feelings were intoxicating.

To him, her conquest would do more than add a valuable ally to their forces. It would be like capturing a rare, exotic animal that would be his forever.

And he owed it all to his master. If it wasn't for Sehch Shishio, he would have been nothing, not knowing his potential. He had been lucky that day, even if he'd not realized it at the time.

Within a moment the black and red ryuu appeared overhead, circling twice before landing near them. Leika jumped down and rushed into his arms. After a long kiss, they finally separated and stared at each other before he broke the silence.

"Does that mean you missed me?" he asked teasingly.

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "I could ask you the same thing Toril." Then she leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, I did, by the way."

He brushed her forehead with his lips. "I missed you as well miurnin. How long do you have?"

"Not long enough," she murmured. "I need to return by midmorning at the latest. There's some stuff I've got to be there for."

Yes, the game was delicious. And soon he would win. Soon, he would convince her that his path was the one she needed to tread. She was already so close, probably closer than even she realized. Her training assured that. For they knew the truth of her heritage and the secrets she kept, secrets that would give them the edge in the battles to come. Then there was the added bonus of Lestath being female, one of only three known.

That was why he had become her informant, the supposed spy. The rest was just fringe benefits.

He need only play his part for a short while longer. Then she would be his forever.

"How about we enjoy the time we have then?" His voice was full of suggestion, and she instantly agreed.

He handed her a datachip. "Before I forget," he said as they lay beside his ryuu. Kissing her with an urgency that was only half faked, he left his thoughts behind and lived solely for the moment.

~shards~

The Dining Hall was mostly deserted at the early hour appointed to their meeting. The two Jedi had arrived early and sat along the far wall, waiting for their hosts to arrive. Neither spoke much, having discussed everything of importance the night before.

Anakin was remembering their conversation from after the meeting. They were convinced that there was much more than the Rampive had revealed to them. Or Okubo for that matter. If he even knew anything, which they weren't convinced he did. In any case, this was far from the mission on which they had been sent.

They had been led to believe that they were to help the planet during the governmental transition. Which was true enough, from a certain point of view, he mused. Seeking out mutinous factions had not been part of the request, nor was working with a group of Force-Sensitive individuals that the Governor seemed to have no clue about.

Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, he felt his excitement growing. He kept it from showing though, so as to forgo another lecture. After hearing his master's opinion of the whole matter, he knew that he wouldn't be happy with the direction Anakin's curiosity was heading.

While Obi-Wan was busy worrying about a sense of darkness that seemed to hover over the group as a whole, and Leika in particular, Anakin was eager to discover how they had been trained, and how different it might be from his own training. Their swords had caught his interest, and he wondered if there was much difference between them and his lightsaber. He was hoping for a chance to spar with at least one of the members before this was done.

His thoughts were interrupted when their hosts walked in and joined them at the large table. It was Aoshi and Kenshin, but there was no sign of Leika

As if answering the unspoken question, Aoshi told them that Leika was on an errand and would be joining them at the site. They ate quickly in silence, and shortly they were following the pair through the quiet halls in an area of the Center they had not been in the day before. Soon they came to an ornate door that opened into a high walled garden.

The variety of plants was astounding, but that wasn't what captured the Jedi's immediate attention.

Anakin literally lost his ability to breathe as his eyes struggled to take in the creatures that sat a short ways ahead of them. They were large enough to carry at least three people across their broad shoulders, which even lying down still rose as tall as he. The front legs were smaller than the hind legs; all equipped with sharp looking talons and were currently folded underneath the large bodies. Unless he was mistaken, those were wings lying folded against their sides. Ridges started on the heads and followed the spine down the length of their bodies ending at the tip of their arrow-shaped tails. The one on the left was a bluish green color, while the one on the right was a dark red.

*Beautiful!* he thought as the one on the left lazily opened it's eyes to reveal what looked like a multi-faceted, whirling green-blue jewel. He inadvertently took a step back as the wedge-shaped head that was nearly as long as he was tall swiveled towards him on its long, sinewy neck. As he continued to look into its eyes, he felt as though the creature were examining him, glimmers of intelligence sparkling in the jeweled orbs.

Beside him, Kenshin smiled knowingly. "They can be bit overwhelming at first, but they are really gentle." He reached out to rub the nose, then the eye ridge of the head in front of him. "This one's Louith. I'm his rider."

Anakin looked over at his mentor, hoping for a clue as to what to do. But Obi-Wan looked just as bedazzled as he gazed in wonder at the other huge creature.

Turning back to Kenshin, he saw that Louith's eyes had begun to whirl faster with the scratching on his eye ridge. "Does he like that then?"

"Yes, they all do actually." It was Aoshi who answered, his voice taking a tone that the young Jedi would not have thought possible with the icy leader. It was almost gentle.

He walked over to the red one. "They are known as ryuu, and their numbers here are very small." Reaching to scratch the offered eye ridge, he continued. "This is Armanth."

It didn't take long for the two Jedi to approach the ryuu, and soon they too were scratching the eye ridges along with other areas pointed out by the riders as being itchy points. As soon as they were more comfortable with the ryuu, Aoshi declared that it was time to leave.

"What about supplies? Don't we need to take some?" Obi-Wan asked, noting that there was nothing of the sort in the gardens.

"They have already been transported," Kenshin replied. "Except for your bags, but those we can strap on behind us."

"Come," Aoshi said. "Our time is slipping into the future."

Even with Jedi skills, they still took a few minutes to arrange themselves comfortably on the broad shoulders and fasten the leg restraints. Sitting ahead of Kenshin, Anakin felt a thrill as the powerful hind legs propelled them into the air, and the wings carried them away from the Center.

They flew away from the city, over land resplendent with crops of all colors. After a few moments, Kenshin leaned forward to speak into Anakin's ear so that he could be heard over the air rushing around them.

"Hold your breath and the straps tightly. You won't be able to feel anything but the most numbing cold you've ever felt, but it will only last three seconds. Just count to three and you'll be ok."

"What?" The instructions caught him by total surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later. Just do it. We're going between. Now."

He had barely taken the breath when everything disappeared. The scenery, the sense of touch, everything except the cold that seemed to penetrate through to his very bones. Luckily, his training allowed him to keep some sense of calm, and he began counting. One, two, thr-…

Before he could complete his count, they emerged over a dense forest, the sun again warming his body. "What in the thirteen acres of hell was that?" he demanded as soon as he could breathe properly again.

"That is our method of traveling a long distance in a short time. It's called going between. And you took it rather well, all things considering."

Anakin thought he heard a bit of a laugh in the voice, but decided to ignore it and focus on the landscape. The mountains were coming up, a long range stretching from horizon to horizon. Though they were still a good distance away judging by the expanse of trees that still lay ahead, they rose into mighty, jagged peaks before them.

The two ryuu soared effortlessly towards their goal, and Anakin decided that except for the trip between, he enjoyed flying. He glanced over to see how well his master was faring, and saw that his face was more pale than usual. Well, he never had been one for adventurous flying.

"How much further?" he leaned back to ask.

"Not far." He pointed to the peaks rising to their right. "It's on the other side of that ridge."

Soon enough they reached the mountains and Kenshin pointed out the nondescript cave that would be their base. The ryuus made a graceful landing and the riders quickly dismounted.

"This looks homey," Anakin joked as Aoshi led them inside. Kenshin grinned as he followed them in.

There was a tunnel at the back of the cave that they followed, steadily losing light as they descended. Anakin was about to reach for his glowrod before the light suddenly began to increase again. It took him a moment to realize that it was artificial light that now illuminated their way.

Then they stood in a vast underground chamber that was fully furnished for their needs. Looking around, Anakin saw that there were three computer terminals, complete with what looked like Holonet transmitters lining the left wall. To the right was an eating setup, including heating and cooling units and a large table lined with comfortable looking chairs. Off a ways was another sitting area. Straight ahead was another wide tunnel with what appeared to be more chambers branching off from it. Sleeping rooms and refreshers, he figured. Next to the arch hung a sign that read:

Who Wills, Can

Who Tries, Does

Who Loves, Lives

The moving picture taking up most of the far wall behind the sitting area was the next thing to catch his attention. It was of the ocean, with waves crashing against an empty beach. He was about to comment on both when his attention was pulled to his master.

Looking over to his left, he saw that Obi-Wan was not amused. He stood still, arms crossed and eyes half closed, in what Anakin recognized as his pre-lecture mode. During their talk last night, he had said that he was going to get answers, and the day's surprises had already worn away at him. Just as he was about to speak, Aoshi beat him to it.

"Welcome to our Headquarters. Now that we are secure, you may ask the questions that I am sure are bursting to get out."