Submission

To yield oneself to the power or authority of another in deference to the dictates of a morality.

"Like armies and governments, the Jedi Order follows a hierarchy to aid in the flow of command. Though we are all equals in the Force, the more senior members offer an expertise that deserves respect by those who have not yet achieved such a station." –Jedi Librarian Restelly Quist, The Jedi Path

"Do as I say, we do not have much time."

"You're the boss." –Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to Padawan Ahsoka Tano, The Clone Wars, "The Ghosts of Mortis"

"The Council no longer exhibits tolerance towards heretics who believe they have found a superior path that runs counter to the Jedi Order's 24,000 years of accumulated wisdom." –Jedi Librarian Restelly Quist, The Jedi Path

"Who's the more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him? -Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to Han Solo, A New Hope

1

The Ardent streaks out of hyperspace. The ship enters formation with two other Venator-class cruisers circling above a large gas giant. Caught in helter-skelter orbit around this planet are six terrestrial moons. At one of these satellites the Republic fleet is aimed. Meanwhile, the task force's combat air patrol surrounds the new arrival. Security must be tight for an operation such as this. Moments later, a shuttle departs from the Ardent en-route to the Venator at the center of the task force. This is the scene of Faetōsa's arrival in the Pindaar system.

2

A clone soldier addresses Faetōsa: "Welcome aboard the Hunter, Commander." She looks up, startled. Her mind is blurry – ever since her mission to Drall she had struggled to keep track of her surroundings. Speaking of which, how exactly did she get from the Ardent to the flagship?, she wonders. She nods and murmurs her thanks to the solider, stepping uncertainly off the shuttle. She is the last one to disembark; Eschrik, Skywalker, and Ahsoka are walking towards a Kel Dor Jedi that she does not recognize. "Master Plo Koon," says Eschrik, bowing his head. "Mdlaren and Anakin. Good to see you. Ahsoka, are you well?" Ahsoka lifts her leg. "Almost good as new!" Koon looks to Eschrik. "And where is your Padawan, Mdlaren?" At her mention, Faetōsa jogs forward. "Hello," she says rather absentmindedly. Eschrik grimaces slightly, but his apprentice does not take notice. Plo Koon speaks warmly: "You must be Faetōsa Rei. Glad to meet you finally. I am Master Plo Koon, and I represent the Council here." Faetōsa bows, but scrutinizes Koon with her Force-sight. This is the first time she has met a Jedi Master and a member of the Council no less. He seems authoritative, but kind-hearted. What power he must then command!

3

"I have dispatches for all of you," says Master Koon. "However, we must not linger long." "Yes, Master, why are we here?" demands Skywalker. Koon crosses his arms. "I have gathered you here for an operation vital to this war. The Council has reason to believe that Count Dooku is using Antar Four, one of these nearby moons, as a base of operations for the Separatist war effort; it may even be his headquarters." Eschrik's complexion is suddenly animated by enthusiasm. "If that traitor is down there, Master Koon, I can best him in combat and end this war today." He moves to affix his sabers to his staff. "But we must go confront him now before he makes his escape." Koon shakes his head. "There will be a time for that, Mdlaren. We do not know if Dooku is present at his palace on Antar, and we do not want to tip our hand if Dooku is absent. Right now, the Council wishes for Anakin and Ahsoka to continue their pursuit of Ventress. Take the cruiser Vigilance and track her down. If you can find her, we might learn of Dooku's whereabouts." Skywalker nods and turns to a deck officer. "Get me and my Padawan a shuttle, quick!" Ahsoka looks to Faetōsa, and the two Padawans exchange a forlorn look. The Togruta nods in solidarity, and then the master and apprentice disappear among the crew of the Hunter. "And what are my orders, Master? When do we go to the surface?" Eschrik demands impatiently. Koon ignores him and turns to Faetōsa. "I have a mission for your Padawan alone."

4

Faetōsa cannot tell if it is she or Eschrik who is more taken aback. "Me?" she says, astonished Master Koon nods again. "Yes, Padawan Rei. Master Yoda has told me of your unusual perception of the Force. He believes that this ability of yours will prove most useful to us today. Additionally," Koon elaborates, "your master's physiology is not exactly conducive to blending in amongst the locals." Eschrik stands stiffly, silently acknowledging this point. Koon continues: "You see, in order to confront Dooku, we must first find him. We need you to go to the surface of Antar Four and access the compound that we suspect he is using as a headquarters. Once inside, we believe there is someone who will know Dooku's whereabouts – one of his personal servants." Faetōsa is trying to listen, but her head feels like it is suffused with cobwebs. "Master Koon, will this Dooku really have a personal servant? It seems like a security liability, doesn't it?" Koon tilts his head towards Faetōsa. "Very good, Padawan. Most perceptive indeed. You should be proud of your apprentice, Mdlaren. She is an adept student." Koon places a hand on her shoulder. "Dooku, you see, is of noble birth. Servants are a symbol of his station. He never travels without them, one in particular: a Twilek named Savath. Our intelligence tells us she is here in the Antar system and that she follows Dooku slavishly. If you can get to her, you will be able to find out where Dooku is." Amid the dimness of her mind, Faetōsa finds some clarity to ask: "But Master, how exactly will I do this?"

5

Faetōsa rubs her forehead as she tries to focus. "I'm sorry, Mind what?" Eschrik sits across from her in their shuttle, hands on his knees. His eyes are glued to the floor as the ship rumbles towards the surface of the Antarian moon. "Affect Mind," he says quietly. His voice sounds like he is struggling under a great weight, but Faetōsa is too befuddled to take notice. "You may know it as a Jedi mind trick." She shakes her head. "No, I don't think I've ever heard the term." She stares at her master. Had she been mad at him recently? She tries to summon her aqueous memories, but like trying to carry water with her hands, her recollection yields nothing. "The 'Jedi Mind Trick' is a crude name for an Alter ability. Alter abilities are difficult to hone, but they are powerful." Eschrik sighs and looks towards the cockpit of the shuttle. "Affect Mind allows a Force user to temporarily discern and control the impulses, thoughts, and actions of another sentient being's will." Featosa's eyes widen. "You mean, like mind-control?" Eschrik wrings his hands; Faetōsa cannot understand his apparent anxiety. "You might call it that. It only works on those who are ill-prepared, weak-willed, or..." Eschrik stops, as if something is caught in his throat. Faetōsa glances at him. "Or those who are what?" Her master finally looks her in the eye. "Those who are conflicted." Faetōsa says nothing, so Eschrik continues. "The mind is something like a lever. We Jedi can use the Force to push it one way or another. When we use Affect Mind, we manipulate this lever in the direction we wish, winning acquiescence over the target. However, the well-ordered and disciplined mind can resist this alteration. When this happens, the lever will fall against you, and your attempt will be repulsed." Faetōsa's head is swimming. "But Master Eschrik, how will I know how to do this?" Eschrik squints. "It is not so much unlike how you use the Force to see, I would image. You will know." Faetōsa moves to reply, but she has little time to contemplate the problem as the pilot of the shuttle calls over the intercom: "Touchdown in thirty seconds!"

6

The two Jedi step off the shuttle in a largely vacant spaceport. Rusted buildings sprawl across the city, creating a skyline that looks more like landfill than a proper town. Several bored-looking droids scan the ship, and move along without ceremony. No living beings are in sight. Eschrik hands his Padawan a cloak to disguise her Jedi apparel. "Make your way through town to the estate. I will await your return here," he says sullenly. Faetōsa looks back at her master. "Master Eschrick, you know I didn't ask for this solo mission. And I'm not sure I can complete this Affect Mind ability. Let's go back and talk to Master Koon. Maybe there's another way we can do this together." Eschrik shakes his head, scanning the horizon. "Nonsense, Padawan. You will complete this mission as Master Koon and the Council have ordered. I will play my part and wait here unquestioningly." Faetōsa feels rebuffed and a wave of abated animosity towards her master seems to wash over her. It almost feels familiar. But why? She takes several steps away, but looks back at Eschrik. "Master," she asks darkly, "what will happen to Savath if the mind trick is successful?" Eschrik recedes into the rear of the shuttle. "For the disciplined mind, there are none."

7

Faetōsa clings to the folds of her hood, drawing it closer. Her blue skin draws several stares from several mangy Gotals, natives to the Antar system, who ply the interior streets of the sun-baked city. But apart from this marginal recognition from a few shopkeepers and idlers, the inhabitants of the quiet town ignore her presence. Under her cloak, Faetōsa grips her lightsaber. If the Count is here and something goes awry, not even Eschrik can rescue her without blowing their cover. This is enemy territory and there are no reinforcements for her to call upon. The Pantoran presses on, passing through poor neighborhoods, rundown commercial zones, and rusting smelters. What had happened to the people of Antar to have been condemned to such crippling poverty? Through the winding and empty streets, the Padawan's head begins to clear. Come to think of it, what had happened to the people in the other village – the one on Drall, wasn't it? Faetōsa searches her feelings. Imagine trying to recall the faintest memory from your own childhood, only for the foray to provoke nothing but doubt that the memory had ever existed in the first place! This sensation is similar to Faetōsa's concerted efforts, and try though she might, she cannot remember anything about what had happened in Drall. Rebuffed from her own mind, Faetōsa shakes her head in frustration. Why could she not remember? Sensing how fruitless her inquiry is, she tries to focus on pacing clandestinely towards the looming industrial palace in the heart of town.

8

The palace stands in the center of the industrial district which is composed of a motley collection of ill-used factories and forgotten refineries. The palace might have well been from another world; glittering black steel walls with shimmering glass windows of many colors stretch into the sky, offering a commanding view over the town. High walls funnel visitors towards a gate where two IG-100 droids stand sentinel armed with electrostaffs. This is the only way inside the compound, and Faetōsa takes a deep albeit stuttering breath in preparation of her passage through it and into the gleaming stronghold. Stepping into a side alley, Faetōsa lifts her comlink to her arm. "Master, I'm in position. I will contact you from the inside." The channel is silent. Faetōsa pulls the sleeve of her cloak over the comlink and steps out of the alley and towards the gate. Her adrenaline burns away the last of the lingering fog in her head. The droids cross their electrostaffs, barring her entry. "State your business," they say simultaneously. The Pantoran tries to look timid. "I'm here to find my cousin, Savath. She got me a job as a servant in the palace. Today is my first day, and I am already late, so please let me pass." The droids pause for a moment before allowing her to enter the walled courtyard. Faetōsa holds her breath. Noticing the Pantoran eying the grand staircase leading to the palace, one of the droid points to a tiny rusted door in a shadowy corner. "The scullery. Proceed directly there." Faetōsa nods and scurries towards the door. It opens, and she ducks inside, exhaling.

9

The door leads to a small passage that opens into a grimy kitchen. Sinks, plates, and various appliances line the counters; food scraps and dust intermingle in the air. Several culinary droids prepare food and place it on a long table near an interior door. Leaning against the wall, Faetōsa watches as the door opens and what looks to be wait staff in simple but clean finery step inside to claim the various dishes before returning to what she assumes is the palace proper. The Pantoran watches from the shadows of the hall for several minutes as the food is delivered by Gotal, human, and Twilek servants, trying to discern a way to reach the door without notice. Her surveillance is cut short, however, when a voice splits through the bustle of activity: "And who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?" Faetōsa steps out of the shadow of the small passageway to face a thin irritable human man; he sports a pointed goatee and is wearing finery similar to the staff but with additional embellishment. "Speak, girl, I don't have all day!" he says. Faetōsa clears her throat. "I heard you needed extra help. I am here to, uh, join the wait staff." The man grins humorlessly behind beady brown eyes. "A blind girl as a page on my staff? How absurd! Be gone, girl, I've work to do." Faetōsa is not expecting such hostility, and she does not move. The man stares at her. "Did I stutter? Go. Now!"

10

Closing her blindfolded eyes, the Padawan reaches out with the Force. Threads of illumination materialize as if summoned from thin air and paint his silhouette with light. His form becomes vivid in her mind and the man stands out from the scene of the kitchen with greater fidelity. She can see him well, but how to enter his mind, exactly? Both Master Koon and Eschrik had told her that she would know the way once she tried but she was at a loss. Still, the Force seems to know the way, and with a short intake of breath, Faetōsa watches as the tendrils of light begin to penetrate him, forcing their way into his mouth, ears, and eyes. Then, suddenly, she feels connected to him, linked as if one. She feels him resisting. Like a bucking animal on the end of leash, Faetōsa feels the pull of a will not her own as if it were an extension of being. She shudders at this new appendage she has acquired and commands the threads of light to bury themselves deeper in him. She flinches in disgust as she struggles to hold down this man's will. Though he was exerting every inch of his power to resist the invasion, Faetōsa could slowly begin to feel that she was winning this contest. Indeed, the Jedi Mind Trick was taking control.

11

Then, the kitchen is gone; the palace evaporates. The walls disappear and the floor is replaced by blackness. Suddenly, out of the dark Faetōsa finds herself facing a giant brown eye. Larger than a sun in the sky, Faetōsa nearly gasps at the sight of the monstrous pupil. Blinking – was it her own eyes, or his? – Faetōsa finds herself in a flash standing on the eye – rather, in the eye itself. The convex shape of the lens slopes over her like a dome. Where was she? How did she get here? Bewildered, she scans her foreign surroundings with her Force-sight. She gasps. Standing on the other side of his own iris is the man whose mind she has entered, staring at her with listless blank white eyes. He stands without any of his finery or clothes of any kind. As Faetōsa blushes at the man's nudity, the eye-dome quakes. She is losing focus. Trying not to stare at the man, Faetōsa fights to decide what to do next. So this is what the interior of one's mind looked like. Faetōsa shivers.

12

Before she can act, the far side of the iris begins to rise underfoot. Faetōsa feels her feet slide out from beneath her. She glances behind her to see nothing but blackness waiting where she will inevitably fall. Reaching out her hands in fear, she tries to grasp some part of the flat surface upon which she stands but to no avail. The iris is inconvertibly tipping as if on an unseen fulcrum, raising the man above her on the high end of its slope. Then all at once, Faetōsa finds herself sliding down into the blackness. "No!" she yells, and reaches out in desperation toward the man with the Force. Suddenly, the iris ceases its movement, and rapidly begins to level. She feels a weight she hardly noticed prior begin to lift and she is able to get to her feet. Standing quickly, she raises both hands and extends them with the Force in the direction of the man. The iris begins to rise now, this time at the opposite angle, and the man that begins to sink. She recalls Eschrik's words: "The mind is like a lever, Faetōsa." She continues to push until the iris reaches such an slope that now it is the man's turn to fall; he slides off the inclined plane and vanishes into darkness. Relieved, Faetōsa knows she has won the contest for the man's mind. But now she loses her grip and her stance collapses. She begins to slide downward as well, following the man she had just dispatched from his perch into the furthest recess of his own mind. "No, wait, no, not this way!" she screams, unable to forestall her own descent into blackness.

13

She lands with splash in what seems like a subterranean lake. Standing chest-deep in the inky depths, Faetōsa breathes heavily, fighting for air. Spinning in the water, Faetōsa tries to get her bearings. Where she is now, she cannot say. Stranger still, upon the surface of the water float largely milky white bubbles, spherical globes several feet tall that emit a flickering light like a hologram screen does when it displays moving images. They sway and bobble like buoys on a receding tide. Faetōsa begins to wade around them, nervous to touch such bizarre objects, but she quickly becomes enmeshed. There are simply too many such globes floating on the surface of the black lake to avoid. As they close around her, she finds herself strangely drawn to them, her instinct to avoid them growing as futile as resisting the urge to read the title of just a single book on the shelves of a vast library. One such globe begins to bear down on her and she finds herself passing willingly through its membrane. Closing her eyes, the bubble sucks her inside. When she opens her eyes, the world is quite different. She is standing in a field, perhaps on Antar Four, with a human woman. The woman is shaking her head. "Qil, I cannot marry you," the woman says, looking directly at Faetōsa. The Pantoran looks behind her but sees no one. She stares at her arms, her blue skin replaced by pale white. Then, a feeling of sodden despair envelopes her. Cannot or will not marry? "You know I am already promised to Telath," the woman chides. Faetōsa then feels a boiling rage well from within herself. Promised to Telath? The intensity of the feeling sends Faetōsa staggering backwards, and the woman in the field disappears as Faetōsa finds herself again wading in the black lake of faintly glowing bubbles.

14

Faetōsa escapes from this globe only to be immersed in second. This time she is in a dark alleyway. She holds a metal pipe, and with all her might, she brings it down on the bleeding head of a Gotal man. Without thinking, Faetōsa yells "Die, Telath!" She feels a bittersweet pleasure as she beats the whimpering man to a pulp. The blunt force of the pipe seems rather inefficient – perhaps a lightsaber would make shorter work of Telath. Reaching for her belt, she finds no Jedi weapon on her hip. Then, she remembers – she is not really in this alley, she is not really beating a man to death, she is not really Qil. Horrified, she closes her eyes and shakes off the memory. How was this happening to her? She takes two steps forward and escapes this globe, wading through the black lake in a different direction only to be sucked into yet another bubble. This time, she is in the kitchen of the palace, standing over a woman in servant's finery. Her fists burn as she beats the woman, repeatedly landing blows on her. With each fist fall, Faetōsa feels no pleasure, but pain, anguish, and embarrassment that is not her own, yet these emotions somehow seem to be grafting themselves into her own thoughts. Faetōsa is appalled. "This isn't me!" she yells. Surging forward, she escapes from this memory, finding herself once again amidst the black lake. Terrified and exhausted, she finds that the black fluid is dragging her down, less like water now and more like a quagmire. Faetōsa uses ever ounce of strength to stay afloat, to retain her identity, but her resistance is short. As the black oil pulls her down, she loses all sense of herself as she begins to drown in the black fluid. Her very being submerged, she is gone.

15

With a start, Faetōsa finds herself standing in the palace kitchen. She takes a surprised step backwards, falling into several boxes, sending them scattering into chaos. The head of the kitchen staff, Qil, stands mutely in front of her, a glazed expression in his eyes. The kitchen staff stares at Faetōsa in astonishment. All that has transpired in Qil's mind – the iris, the black lake, the memories – must have elapsed in mere seconds. Faetōsa looks at the man and feels all of his internal emotions – defeat, anger, suffering – overwhelm her. Imagine the burden of feeling the tumultuous emotions of not one but two people at once. So many of us can hardly process our own feelings, let alone those of another! "I can't do this!" she cries, getting to her feet. She dashes out of the kitchen and into the passageway, tears streaming down her face. As she flees into the courtyard, Faetōsa barely hears the man's stilted and monotone voice announce to no one in particular: "I can't do this."

16

Faetōsa slows herself as she walks sheepishly past the droid guards but then sprints away from the palace without remorse. She finds a hiding place in a nearby alley and crashes against the wall, overcome by sobs that are not entirely her own. One part of her own mind knows that the emotion that now overcomes her is the parasitic echo of the mind she had just invaded. At the same time, she can no longer discern which emotions belong to her. She can only relive overcoming the man's will, forcing herself inside him. A burning sensation overcomes her, and she vomits in the street. Her chest heaving, she hails Eschrik on her comlink. "Master, I-I've failed. I can't do this. I'm requesting extraction." Eschrik's voice replies in concerned: "What is wrong, Padawan? Did Dooku learn of your presence? Is the mission compromised?" Faetōsa says nothing, managing only to stifle a sob. Eschrik's tone hardens. "Faetōsa, are you injured?" "No," she murmurs. "Were you discovered?" "No." Eschrik's voice reverberates with authority as it fills the dingy alleyway: "Did the Affect mind fail?" The answer is no. "Then my answer to your question is the same: there will be no extraction. You must continue the mission. That's an order." Against the wall of the alley, Faetōsa slides to the ground.

17

"Please don't make me do this," Faetōsa pleads. " It's too much, please. I cannot bear all the pain." Eschrik pauses, as if not knowing what to say. Then: "Faetōsa, we all have varying sensitivity to the feelings of others. Now you see why the Jedi Code reminds us that 'There is no passion, there is serenity." Faetōsa now experiences a rising flood of frustration and futility that she knows with confidence actually belongs to her. "Master, there must be another way. I can just sneak in, perhaps deliver a fake message, or eavesdrop to get the information –" Anything that does not require her to overturn and experience another's mind, she thinks desperately. "This mind trick – its wrong," she says furiously. "Its manipulative. It's immoral. Its obscene." Eschrik is silent. The comlink is quiet. "Master?" Then, her imagecaster springs to life. An image of Master Koon appears in the hologram. He is clearly displeased. "Padawan Rei, from your perspective, Affect Mind may appear problematic. You must silence these feelings of doubt. Your superiors see the long view that you, in your youth, cannot. We need you to not substitute your vision for ours, but rather to accept it. You must do as the Council says." The image is replaced by Eschrik. "Padawan Rei! Be strong. Not only can you do this, but you will do it. Go now. Do not jeopardize our mission. The outcome of this war may hang in the balance."

18

Faetōsa walks languidly towards the palace. Something inside her feels broken. She is resigned to her fate; there is no use fighting Eschrik or Koon. There is no way to escape their will. On returning to gate, Faetōsa seizes a bundle of fruit from a nearby shuttered stall. As she approaches the gate unable to halt the rivulets of tears involuntarily welling from under the blindfold, the droids espies her. "I see that you now work for Qil, girl," says one in what seems like a humored tone. "Carry on." She passes through the gate and opens the small door to the kitchen. Taking a breath in the passageway, she steps into the kitchen to confront Qil. The overseer swivels to look at her. He looks as if he has just awoken from a long sleep. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he says as if he has never seen Faetōsa. With a wave of her trembling hand, Faetōsa commands the Force to open his mind for a second time. "You will call Savath here." The man mindlessly repeats, "I will call Savath here." Faetōsa slumps forward, the burden of the invasion weighing heavily on her. Qil bellows: "Savath! Come here at once!" Moments pass. A Twilek girl in servant's finery appears and stares at Qil in trepidation, a slight bruise above her eye bright green eyes. Faetōsa's heart pangs in sympathy at her piteous appearance, but she does not pause; instead, she beckons Savath into Qil's office, using the Force to compel him like a marionette to await their return outside. Savath acquiesces, and Faetōsa closes the door behind her.

19

"W-w-who are you? What do you want with me? Please, I must get back to work," The Twilek girl implores tremulously. Faetōsa speaks hurriedly. "Listen, Savath. I need to know whether Count Dooku is here. Can you tell me?" The Twilek shakes her head vigorously. " If my His Excellency finds out I've been talking about his whereabouts behind his back, Qil will punish me...No, I will not speak with you." Now it is Faetōsa's turn for exasperation. "Savath, I'm trying to help you!" But it is too late; the moment for cooperation has passed, and the girl turns to leave the office. Faetōsa reaches to grab her arm but Savath shirks away. The girl moves for the door but she stops in mid-stride. Faetōsa fills her mouth, ears, and eyes with threads of light, arresting her movement and opening the servant's mind. With a flash, Faetōsa finds herself standing on an emerald iris across from an unclad Savath, but unlike her experience with Qil, this plane is already inclined in her favor. Faetōsa knows what to expect now, and she reaches out with the Force, expecting a distasteful battle of wills. But the plane of the iris immediately responds to the Jedi's manipulation, and Faetōsa can sense that Savath's will is already weakened. It is as if someone has already broken her spirit. She wins the battle for the balance of Savath's mind quickly, immediately sending the mental figure of Savath sliding off into darkness. Faetōsa tries to forestall her own falling down the inclined iris, but she cannot resist her inevitable sliding descent into Savath's sea of memories. Faetōsa steels herself for the plummeting, and splashes her way into a now familiar black lake cradling globular spheres of tragedy.

20

Faetōsa is in an wet alleyway, three shadowy men hovering over her. Faetōsa looks down; she is standing several feet off the ground. Rain is pouring into the street, but it does nothing to dampen the pyre of burning dread welling within her. One of the men moves forward and pulls a blaster on her. The fire within crackles. Then, another figure intercedes from behind. "Father!" Faetōsa calls out. The blaster reports, and her father falls dead. "No!" she screams, a curtain of despair falling upon her. She feels the men advancing toward her, picking her up off the street. Faetōsa has no time to resist before she is plunged into a different scene, this time inside a discolored club washed with pulsating neon light. Other Twilek girls dance nearby, and a dour woman with a sharp nose prods her with a strap. "You'll dance like the rest of 'em, I promise. Now, show me or else!" she menaces. Faetōsa feels pure humiliation as she begins to gyrate on a raised platform, which is met by cheers and jeers. "Please stop," Faetōsa begs, falling forward into a new kind of hell. She finds herself on her back now, wearing the finery of the palace. The image of a man comes into sharp relief, a man straddling her. Her pulse quickens. "Get off of me!" she tries to yell, but no words come out of her mouth. The man reaches a calloused hand into her blouse, causing Faetōsa's face to flush, her insides to boil, and her skin crawl. She is frozen in terror as the man presses himself against her, a crazed look in his brown eyes – it is Qil, sneering in sick pleasure. Faetōsa shuts her eyes, falling backwards from the memory into the water of the black lake, this time seeking out rather than avoiding the inky depths to drown her sorrow.

21

The Pantoran collapses on the ground in the office, breathing as if she has just endured a long race. Her own anxiety mixes with the reverberations of the Tile's undeserved shame. Savath stands still, blinking. "What happened? Who are you?" the girl asks plaintively. Compulsively, Faetōsa springs to her feet and embraces her in her arms. "Someone who wants to help you." The girl cautiously wraps her arms around the Pantoran girl. With unexpected determination, the Padawan announces, "I'm going to get you out of here." Savath looks unsurely at Faetōsa, but nods. Faetōsa casts off her cloak and retrieves her lightsaber from her belt, the searing pain and crippling sorrow that she has tasted from her foray into Savath's mind now replaced by an indefatigable resolve that is tinged with a biting anger. Instantly, the girl recoils. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Will you come with me?" Savath shakes her head, crying now. "Qil will find out! Then Dooku will come for me!" she sobs. "No, I won't let that happen," growls Faetōsa. "I can get you out of here, maybe even get you to Coruscant." The girl's eye light up, and she nods enthusiastically. "My sister lives there!" Faetōsa nods in return and places both hands on Savath's shoulders. "But before we go, I need to know something," Faetōsa whispers. "Is Count Dooku here, in the palace, right now?" The Twilek nods. "He is," she mumbles. "Good!" Faetōsa says acerbically. Taking Savath's hand, the two young women steal from the office. As they pass Qil standing dumbly outside the door, Faetōsa cocks back her arm and smashes the face of the petty tyrant of the palace kitchen with a Force-assisted blow in some pittance of retaliation for his trespasses. Qil's head strikes the wall with great force and a streak of blood marks his fall and as Savath turns to watch her one-time assailant crumple to the ground.

22

The two young women run for the gate. When the droid guards turn to stop the two fleeing servants, Faetōsa ignites her lightsaber and, with a violet blur, cuts them down before they can activate their electrostaves. "Follow my lead," Faetōsa tells Savath firmly, her former wavering dispelled by her sense of justice. Together Faetōsa and Savath run through the streets of the crippled city at full tilt, through empty streets, away from the palace, racing to the shuttle where Eschrik awaits. As they approach, Faetōsa sees that the cargo doors are open, and her Herglic master is sitting in a meditative pose as he had done in the crater on Garos. The sound of their footfall ends his reverie. "Dooku! Did you find him?" Eschrik says, his eyes flying open. Faetōsa looks him up and down; he seems distracted, pained even. "Is Dooku at the palace?" he asks, seizing his lightsabers. "No," she says instantly. "He is off-world right now, travelling with the Separatist fleet. Savath says he is not likely to not return here." Eschrik absorbs this information, and then punches the wall of the shuttle with a rattle. "Then this mission was for naught," he seethes. As Eschrik leans an arm against the hull of the shuttle, Faetōsa detects on his shoulder a scar from an injury she has never recognized. "Let us return to the Ardent," Eschrik finally says, unable to conceal his disappointment.

23

Aboard the cruiser, Master Koon greets the Padawan. "You have done well. You've proven to be a strong and capable Jedi, Padawan Rei. I am sorry that you were unable to find Dooku here." The Pantoran is not listening. "This is Savath," she says. "She needs asylum. She needs to go to Coruscant as soon as possible." Koon stands erect. "Sadly I cannot take the Hunter back to the capital yet; we must be going on our war patrol." Prepared for this answer, Faetōsa sums up her compassion for Savath, her anger at Qil, and her long-neglected affection for Ty (who she needed now more than ever) and projects these feelings on the Twilek girl standing at her side. In her Force-sight, she sees the girl begin to softly glow. Faetōsa is exhausted; this light, dim though it may be, will have to suffice for this bluff to work. "Master Koon, I think Savath may be Force-sensitive." Master Koon reaches out a hand toward the girl as if feeling the heat thrown off by a fire, and Savath flinches. "My, my, your perception is very keen indeed, Faetōsa. She very well may be. I may be able to find my way to the Temple sooner rather than later. As for you, Savath, can you tell me where Dooku is now?" Savath looks to Faetōsa, who says nothing. "I think – I think I overheard that the Count may be with the Separatist fleet, heading toward...toward Fondor." Master Koon turns to Eschrik. "Then you and your Padawan must go there and track him down. Prepare yourselves well – you may be gone for some time. May the Force be with you." Faetōsa approaches Savath. "Savath, when you get to Coruscant, can you deliver a message to a Pantoran Jedi named Tynaki? Tell her that Faetōsa is well and is looking for her." Savath's look of bewilderment turns to excitement. "I'm going to Coruscant? My sister lives there!" Faetōsa's eyes narrow. How had Savath forgotten their arrangement so soon? But Savath hardly notices; she excitedly takes Faetōsa's hand. "When I find my sister, I promise to deliver your message. Thank you for all you've done for me, Jedi."

24

Eschrik and Faetōsa head towards a gunship that will take them back to the Ardent. Yet Eschrik stops well before it. "Padawan, I know that this mission was difficult for you, but –" Faetōsa cuts off her master's lecture. "But I let my feelings unjustly cloud my judgment. 'There is no emotion, there is peace,' I know. I know the Code. And I know that the authority of you and the Council is absolute. I apologize for my moment of weakness when I challenged you. Won't happen again," she recites the lesson that she believes he wants to hear. "I see now the wisdom of following orders, especially in moments of doubt. Forgive me." She finishes. Eschrik smiles, clearly relieved. "You see, I knew you could do it." Master and apprentice take their seats on the gun deck, and watch Master Koon talking to Savath as the doors to the gun deck begin to close. The Twilek seems bewildered and unresponsive, overwhelmed by her surroundings. "A symptom of the Affect Mind," gestures Eschrik. "She will gradually remember what happened, do not worry. For now, she will be fine in the care of Master Koon." Without warning, Faetōsa feels her skin begin to crawl. Blood drains from her face. She remembers now.

25

With a start, she leaps out of the gunship. Eschrik calls after her, but she does not stop. She races to the Twilek girl. As Master Koon turns away to talk to an officer, Faetōsa pulls Savath away. "Savath, listen to me very carefully. Forget my message. Do not go to the Temple. Find your sister. Do you hear me?" she whispers hurriedly, glancing at Koon. Savath stares fearfully at the Pantoran. "As soon as you get to Coruscant, run. Run as fast as you can. Promise me!" She nods incoherently. "I promise." Koon beckons for Savath, and the Twilek glances nervously back at the Pantoran. Faetōsa slowly paces towards gunship where Eschrik awaits. "Padawan, come now! You and I have a Sith Lord to track!" he says triumphantly, his cloudy mood now lifted. As his Padawan approaches, Eschrik cracks a grin and reaches out his hand. She has seen this sight before. With a flash, all of the details of their mission on Drall flood into her mind. Her face pales. Eschrik had used the Affect Mind ability on her. That meant he had been inside her mind, had battled her will embodied as her naked spirit, seen everything in the black sea of her memories. Her stomach turns to stone. If Eschrik had similarly reached into her mind, did that mean that he knew about Ty? If the Jedi learned of her true feelings for Ty, what would they do? Would they banish her from the Order? Attachment, passion, commitment - all of these forbidden sentiments are what drove her to become a Jedi and to be with Ty in the first place. Mortified, she stares at Eschrik. He frowns. "Padawan, what is the matter?" "Nothing," she lies, climbing aboard quickly and sitting nervously next to the man who had overthrown her will and seen into her mind. Eschrik puts his hand on Faetōsa's tensed shoulder, and she cringes. "When we find Dooku, I will be proud to have you standing at my side. I already am." The young Pantoran woman quivers at the thought.