Kandosii! (For those who are not Mando'a-savvy, Kandosii can be translated as "Wicked") Ready for a new chapter? When you're done, please...well, you probably know what I'm about to ask by now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, though nearly all the characters in this book (obviously not Grievous or any of the Jedi Council members) are mine.

Note: A Shi'Odo is distinct from a Shi'ido, being that a Shi'Odo has greater dexterity as a shapeshifter. For example, Klamin is only fifteen, but he can already shapeshift into, well...let's just say more creatures than is normal for a shapeshifter his age. The credit to creating the Shi'Odo species actually goes to one of my friends, who kindly let me use the alien in my book series. If anyone wants a more detailed explanation on the differences between the two types of changelings, tell me, and I will be happy to explain.

Chapter 6

Asteroid XO251B was a small world with just enough atmosphere to sustain lifeforms, but the climate was so incredibly windy and bitterly cold and unpleasant, many beings chose not to live there. It certainly was not a tourist attraction; in fact, Kay Lee could not see at all how it could possibly even be partially colonized. It was on the edge of Wild Space, close to Hypori, and that made Kay Lee worry that perhaps Adriaan had been right after all. She usually was, and that sort of drove Kay Lee and the older Apprentices nuts. After all, their Master was only seventeen.

Kay Lee drew her dark blue cape closer around her shoulders, bracing herself against the freezing cold as she stepped onto the ramp of the Republic's Hope. Adriaan was wearing a nontraditional Jedi tunic that had three-quarter length sleeves. She had red leather combat gloves, and clone armor covering her upper body. Kay Lee could tell her Master was trying hard not to shiver.

"Your cloak, General," Wolf shouted ––– he had to yell because the wind drowned out almost all noise ––– tossing her maroon cape to her. Adriaan caught it and threw it over her shoulders.

"Thanks, Wolf!" she yelled, her voice getting carried away in the wind.

"WICKED!" Aedan screamed, delighting in the sound of his voice as it rushed off in the gale. "Hey, WICKEDS, scream! It's WICKEDLY fun!"

The Wicked Club immediately began to yell, laughing hysterically as their chants of "wicked" floated upward and away. Only Minir did not join in the childish game.

"MOMMY!" Jahn Pal giggled.

"MY NAME IS JAHN PAL," Sai'wer shouted.

"MY NAME IS SAI'WER!" Jahn Pal screamed.

"BANTHA DROPPINGS ARE DELICIOUS!" Sai'wer shrieked.

"WE STINK!" the cousins shouted together.

"WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET?!" Minir yelled.

"Ooh, good one, Minir," Sai'wer said, clapping his hands with delight.

"He's good at this game," Jahn Pal agreed, sucking his thumb placidly.

"Game? What the GOOD makes screaming into the wind a game?" Minir demanded.

"Our voices get blown away," Jahn Pal said.

"It's cool," Sai'wer added. "Try it, Minir."

"MINIR IS A GOOD!" Andre and Nic screamed, capering around the raging boy.

"WICKED!" Terry and Heatrian shouted, giving each other a high five. Terry let out a yelp of pain and immediately stuck his hand in his mouth.

"Oops, sorry, ol' WICKED," Heatrian apologized, glaring at the hand that had burned Terry.

Suddenly, Minir's face brightened, and he put on a crafty look. "Hey, WICKEDS, did you ever wonder why this place is called 'Blowaway'?"

Kien stopped dancing. "But I thought it was WICKEDLY called Asteroid XO251B."

"Oh, that's what stupid GOODS call it," Minir said smoothly. "Well-informed WICKEDS call it 'blowaway' Do you know why?"

"Yeah," Aedan said. "It's because our WICKED voices are carried away by the wind, and it's a game that's WICKEDLY guaranteed to blow WICKEDS away."

"Yeah, WICKED King! WICKED!" the Wicked Club shouted.

"Well, that is true…but that is not the only GOOD reason," Minir said, lowering his voice.

Aedan's ears pricked up. He loved mysteries. "Why, WICKED?"

"They say that Asteroid Blowaway is a graveyard for many careless WICKEDS…"

"Hey, WICKEDS don't die!' Terry protested.

"Na'thin did!" Minir said sharply, and that silenced them all.

"How is it a graveyard?" Aedan asked finally.

"Because…" Minir let the word hang in the air to add suspense, "…because if the WICKEDS let their voices get carried away by the wind, the WICKEDS get sucked into a black hole, where they will never have WICKED hope of getting out!"

"NO!!!!" Jahn Pal and Sai'wer crumpled to the ground, terrified.

"Sai'wer, I'm too young to get sucked into a black hole!" Sai'wer wailed, clinging to his cousin.

"Jahn Pal, I'm too fat to get sucked into a black hole," Jahn Pal cried in the same tone of voice.

The cousins looked at each other. "Boo-hoo!"

The other members of the Wicked Club stared silently at Minir for several moments.

"COOL! WICKED!" Aedan yelled, pounding his chest. "Everyone! Scream as WICKEDLY loud as you can!"

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-K-K-K-K-K-K-K-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-D-D-D-D-D-D-D!!!"

"Silence, bumptious striplings," Andora commanded, appearing at the top of the ramp majestically. "This is a precarious situation that must by all means be monitored by proficient life forms."

"Speaking of which, Shakir, activate sensors at highest sensitivity from incoming signals from power units," Adriaan said over the noise of the wind and the Wicked Club howling in their ears. "Storm, set your scanners for lifeforms. Whatever is living here should know if Grievous came by."

* * * * *

Adriaan seriously did not get it. After two weeks of searching through Wild Space, they had not found a single trace of the cyborg general. A bio-droid like Grievous should be easier to track, Adriaan reasoned. So why hadn't they found him yet?

A pinprick of doubt shivered down her spine. What if Kay Lee had been right? What if Adriaan really had been wrong about Grievous being too scared to travel through the Nebula? It was possible, of course, for an Apprentice to occasionally guess correctly where a Master had failed. But it was unusual. Kay would be sure to never let it go.

Adriaan did not want to give up so easily. Wild Space formed a large piece of the galaxy. She couldn't possibly search every single inhabitable location in the region in just two weeks. It could very well take her years.

But the Republic didn't have years to find the droid General. By that time, the war would probably be over…and most likely with the Republic being the losers.

Adriaan did have over ten cruisers to command. She also had fifteen Padawans, six of whom she could trust to operate alone. Well, maybe five; she definitely couldn't see Klamin commanding a mission on his own. The thought made her shudder. But perhaps she wasn't putting enough faith in the abilities of Klamin or the Wicked Club; after all, they had handled solo missions before. But if they happened to be the ones to find General Grievous, could she count on them to stand back and wait for her to come with reinforcements? Adriaan didn't think so. They would no doubt rush headlong in hand-to-hand combat with the General, and die swiftly.

So that left Andora, Kay Lee, Kan, Marya, Jordin, and herself. Six teams searching Wild Space instead of just one. That would help them cover area much, much faster. Yes, that was the way to go about it.

But just to make sure, maybe she'd better ask the Council for advice.

Ember and Kay, her assistant officers, awaited her orders patiently. That is, the clone was waiting patiently, while the Padawan was beginning to get antsy. Kay Lee had never been the passive type.

"Set coordinates for Cloak of the Sith?" the assistant trainer asked.

The girl seriously wasn't going to give up on that floating graveyard, was she? Adriaan still couldn't quite believe that the Grievous that she knew would be brave or stupid enough to hide in that nebulosity; it was too risky. Even Aedan would think twice about traveling through a nebula…if he ever bothered to think at all.

Adriaan shook her head. Kay raised her eyebrows and shrugged, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Adriaan had a sneaking suspicion that Kay was enjoying the fruitless search as much as Adriaan hated it.

"We're done for today," she said abruptly. "You may all retire for the night."

Kay nodded. "Shall we save a place for you at the mess hall?" she asked.

"No," Adriaan said. "I don't know when I'll be done, so don't bother saving a place. I'll see you later."

The Padawan's brows furrowed with concern. "What are you going to do?'

"Something I haven't done in over a year," Adriaan answered, striding off to her quarters, "ask the Council for guidance."

"Really? Well, good luck."

Adriaan was not scared; sure, the Council could be grave and formidable, but she had long since gotten over her fear of them. It was just going to be awkward, asking them for help. Adriaan had never been very good at that sort of thing.

She opened the door to her quarters and walked over to her desk, switching on the internal comlink. To her surprise, she found a text communication from Coruscant. Curious, she accessed it and scanned the message.

Contact the Jedi Council immediately.

They were perhaps going to request a report. Adriaan shrugged and, probably for the first time in her life, did what the message requested.

Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu shimmered into view.

Adriaan bowed. "I was just on my way to contact you when you sent the message. There has been no trace of General Grievous, and I am considering splitting up the fleet and covering a wider area."

"This failure was not unexpected," Mace Windu began.

"Failure? I have not failed…I promise you that I will find him soon," Adriaan protested.

Windu held up a hand. "As I said, this failure was not unexpected, not because of your inability as a tracker, but because of Grievous' ability to disappear. He is a Master at hiding. He is a coward."

"I agree with that description of him," Adriaan conceded. "So, I suppose that since you have already anticipated my failure, you have formulated a brilliant strategy to aid in my success in a second search?"

"Very perceptive, General ell Talaan," Kenobi said, speaking for the first time. "However, this tactic does not involve separating your fleet or dispersing your Padawans across the galaxy."

"Then you have, indeed, received new reports on Grievous that can help us pinpoint his current location?" Adriaan asked eagerly.

The Jedi looked at each other.

"Not exactly," Kenobi admitted. "But we have been contacted by a civilian Republic commander that has been operating in the Hypori vicinity…"

"Wait a second…a civilian commander? I have never heard of such a thing."

"A non-Jedi officer," Obi-wan explained patiently.

"Oh. A clone. Probably from the five oh first…Skywalker's legion. They're supposed to be the most effective legion in the Galactic Republic, so it would not surprise me if one of his clones became a general…"

"Oh, clones couldn't possibly be described as civilians," Obi-wan said. "In fact, General Chun-be hasn't had clone reinforcements for over six months now. He has recruited beings from all corners of the Outer Rim…especially those from the Goba Shag system, since he is a good friend with the ruler of Goba Shag, Queen Naa-ja…"

Adriaan stiffened as the familiar names rolled from Kenobi's tongue.

"Sir," she said hoarsely, struggling with the emotions that bubbled up inside her. "Are you referring to Darc Chun-be, the former Padawan of Twyla Arelan?"

"We are," Mace Windu said, watching her closely.

Adriaan opened her mouth to speak, found her mouth too dry, swallowed, and tried again. "Are you aware," she said finally, "of my current relations to the said Chun-be?"

"To purge grief with hatred, the Jedi way, it is not," Yoda told her gently.

"It is also not the way of the Jedi to dwell on the past," Adriaan said as politely as she could. She didn't want to start another fight. "How can you expect me to say that I am Master ell Talaan when you force me to remember that I am also Ree, the dark Apprentice of an even darker Master?"

"What choices we made in the past shapes us into what we are now," Obi-wan told her. "Master Adriaan would not exist without her being Apprentice Ree first. The Jedi do not dwell in the past…but neither do they forget it."

"If ones choices were not honorable in the past, perhaps it is better that they forget, lest regret force them to walk darker ways."

"Well, you obviously made some right choices, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now," Windu pointed out. It was probably the closest thing to a compliment she had ever gotten from him.

"You would probably now be dead, because you would have been our enemy, and we would have had to kill you," Obi-wan added.

"Or vice versa," Adriaan said with a grim smile. "Now, benevolent Masters, I fear that I have taken your minds off the subject. Suppose we turn back to this business about the failed Apprentice…"

"General ell Talaan, you know perfectly well that Darc Chun-be left the Order of his own free will, not because he was expelled," Windu said sternly.

Adriaan waved a hand dismissively. "But isn't that the worst failure of all, to give up of your own free will instead of dying in the process of trying to succeed?"

"A matter of small importance, that is," Yoda said.

"The only thing you must worry about is how to cooperate with Darc Chun-be once he joins you in your quest," Obi-wan said. "The galaxy is counting on your willingness to put aside your prejudices and work with him to achieve success."

"I admit that he is superior in the art of tracking those who cannot be found," Adriaan admitted. "But since he is no longer experienced in the ways of the Force, he may hinder instead of help us."

"Darc Chun-be was once considered to be the Chosen One, before his parentage was revealed and Skywalker discovered," Obi-wan said. "I have my doubts that someone as connected to the Force as he was lapsing into forgetfulness of it."

They were getting into an argument now, and even though Adriaan knew she needed to back down now before it got out of hand, her pride prompted her to protest further.

"I fear I must correct your esteemed opinion, Kenobi, but I alone out of everyone that exists in this galaxy can truly say that I know Darc Chun-be. He is too proud of his nobility to pursue dishonorable causes, and there cannot be any honorable reason for him to keep his Force skills sharp. Besides, it has been nearly three years since his retirement, so it is highly likely that he has changed since leaving the strict regulations of the Order."

"If that is the case, you cannot possibly say that you are close to him, since he has no doubt changed since your last meeting with him," Obi-wan remarked.

Adriaan winced at how her words had trapped her. Her shoulders dropped in defeat. "Then I have nothing else to object."

"Well, that is a first," Obi-wan said, which wasn't very polite of him. Adriaan did not see what gave him the authority to say that, since he didn't really know her that well.

"Chance, it was, that considered Chun-be for your benefit, we did," Yoda assured her. "When discussing your progress in the search, we were, contact us, he did, to tell us of his victory against the CIS."

"Knowing of his abilities, we requested that he join you in the search," Windu continued. "He ––– unlike you ––– was eager to begin, and now waits your arrival on Naboo."

"Look forward to reports of your success with Chun-be, we do," Yoda said, and the hologram faded.

Adriaan hit the desk with her fist so hard the comm system shattered. Ignoring the smoking rubble now strewn on the floor, she crushed the debris with her boots as she stormed out of her room and stomped out to the mess hall to get some refreshment.