Hello everyone, Tarrus here back from the ether, at least temporarily.

This chapter has gone through a number of iterations as I best tried to address consensus of it moving too slowly.

Please keep the feedback rolling, this story has evolved very differently to my original ideas and I'm enjoying the challenge.

As always, thakyou to Eurospawn for their continued assistance/Beta work, please enjoy and I'll be back when I can.

Stirring the Pot Chapter 7

Orders

Recently promoted Sergeant Jaina Comarilla stood to attention as Commander Chertin addressed her through his breathing apparatus from his position on a medbay bed. It had been three hours since Harry and Sheowtulla had made the jump to hyperspace and only within the last few minutes had the commander ceased being hysterical. The mans normally grating voice was weak and if not for a constant supply of painkillers, would blessedly have been unuseable:

"Sergeant, am I to understand that Master Yoda has implemented a defence against whatever the, fugitive, did to you?"

Hiding a wince at the strangled hiss that had accompanied the word fugitive, Jaina kept her attention focused on the wall just above the Commanders head:

"Sir, Master Yoda, before taking his departure on Jedi matters has assured me that my mind is no longer compromised and that the same method should not work again. Sir."

She watched as Chertin grumbled quietly to himself over the state with which Yoda had left them. Yoda had deemed the recovery efforts sufficiently on-track and no longer requiring his presence. So, the Republic Security Forces where to proceed without any debriefing as to the days events, or even an assurance of assistance being requested from the senate by the Jedi. All they had been told was that one Knight and Padawan pair, plus a normal Jedi would be en-route to further investigate. Chertin, was understandably angry over Yoda's actions. Wheezing from the effort of speaking, even with the painkillers, Chertin pushed himself into a seated position and in a much more serious voice, delivered his orders.

"Sergeant, you are to assemble a team of five from the crew of the Resplendent and take the cruisers shuttle. I am giving you a provisional rank of Second Lieutenant for this mission. Your orders are to apprehend the fugitive Harry Potter and take into protective custody the Wookie known as Sheowtulla. You are to take, if practical, the fugitive alive, I would prefer the Wookie unharmed but trust to your discretion, Second Lieutenant. This mission is solely the purview of the Republic Security Forces, I would be immensely disappointed should you feel the need to involve outside agencies, am I understood?"

Swallowing the lump that had crawled up her throat at the wording of her orders, Jaina nevertheless managed a clear affirmitive. Since Yoda's departure, the immediate summons to Chertin had sent apprehension through her. Fears confirmed, provisional Second Lieutenant Jaina Comarilla acknowledged her orders, excecuted a crisp about face and exited the room as fast as protocol allowed. Equal parts excited and terrified at her new mission she began compiling a list, a fugitive with belief defying force powers and protected by a Wookie. She would need someone who could drop targets from afar, a pilot, someone to push the jurisdiction problems aside, a medic, and lastly someone who could trap a Wookie successfully.

As Jaina began the preparations for her mission, the formal orders of Commander Chertin where logged by the attending medical droid and transmitted to the officers logs aboard the Resplendant. From there the logs would be automatically transmitted in the regular twelve hour status update to Republic Security HQ on Coruscant on an encrypted channel. A channel, which whilst encrypted could not be considered secure.

Traveling

Sheowtulla stole nervous glances at his immobile friend as he monitored the hyperspace computers countdown. Harry, reclining in one of the shuttles berths was noticeably pale, and even after Sheowtulla had administered the limited medical supplies onboard, would still occasionaly press a hand to either his side or head and wince. They where on their way to Corellia, Wookies whilst far and above preferring natural surroundings had a tendency to congregate to places heavily involved in engineering. Sheowtulla himself had spent two decades working in the Correlian shipyards and still retained some contacts amongst the docks. Their best chance of getting a new, undamaged, ship would be there. Sheowtulla was broken from his musings at the sound of a pained grunt and feet hitting the floor. Not wanting to take his eyes from the hyperspace counter, Sheowtulla grumbled a greeting as Harry, accompanied by the Z-80, slowly made his way over and gingerly eased himself into the copilot chair, all the while staring in awe out at the streaming ribbons of blue light:

"Where are we going?"

Sheowtulla shot a concerned look over at Harry at the tiredness and strain evident in his voice, despite the droid taking over the translation:

"Corellia, I have some friends who will help us get a new ship, lend us some money and maybe even some information."

Harry lent back into the chair, tearing his eyes from the view to study the console. Remembering the events in his village, Sheowtulla clamped one hand on the, wizards, shoulder and growled warningly. Harry, smiling despite his aches, slowly raised his hands in defeat. Pre-empting the next train of thought Sheowtulla addressed the current concerns:

"Whatever you did that let you escape is going to mean people chasing us. We need to get somewhere safe and figure out a way to stop the manhunt. This ship is damaged and I won't risk another jump. You are in no condition to be doing anything besides recovering"

The hyperspace timer gave a warning that they where on approach. Sheowtulla busied himself with making as many checks as possible to ensure as smooth a landing as possible, ignoring the sour look on Harry's face as the droid finished translating. As shuttles went, this wasn't a poorly designed one, but the complete absence of shields, the missing back landing gear and the rather conspicuous indent next to his head would make landing a definite challenge. The only reassurance that Sheowtulla had as he fingered the hyperspace controller, was that Harry might be able to help ease the landing. However looking at his friends grey complexion, Sheowtulla was more comforted by his own flight experience with atmospheric craft.

Harry's eyes lit up as Sheowtulla eased back a lever on the centre of the console. The lights, which the droid had explained as passing stars, rapidly slowed. With a start, Harry realised that he was now looking at a glittering ball in a sea of black. Memories of the videos and images of astronauts from earth filled his mind and he could feel the anticipation building. Harry had just travelled from one planet to another, on a spaceship with an alien. As they closed on the planet, Harry noted what must be oceans and continents. Fascinated he missed the blinking red-lights on the console, he didn't however miss when Sheowtulla started to swear, dutifully translated in uncompromising detail by his new droid.

Fruition, complications

Sidous rubbed the bridge of his nose, a habit he was indulging more and more of recently. The Viceroy had blockaded Naboo, Maul was already on the planet, waiting. The Republic Security Forces had sent a diplomatic team, a thin disguise for the Jedi onboard. His power-base was solidifying here on Coruscant, he even had an ear in the Chancellors office. The next candidate, should Maul fail had been chosen. All was proceeding according to the original plan. Except of course, here the screen of the data slate containing the transmissions from the Republic Security HQ cracked, for the small matters of the thing he had unearthed, Harry Potter and the still breathing presence of Darth Plagueis. The cracked slate wobbled then snapped in two before the halves sped in different directions to shatter against the walls, unheeded by any in the Jedi temple, visible from his panoramic view .

Here in his senatorial suite, Sheev Palpatine had orchestrated the majority of his plan to see an end to the Jedi, and an end to Darth Plaguies. Carefully he had seen to the deaths of many Jedi, the infiltration of the senate by those with just the right influence and attitude for his purposes, the stage was nearly ready. The coming events on Naboo would tip the scales and he could move the course of history without interference and little risk. But now, because of his impatience, he was exposed.

The death of Plaguies would have removed the last true threat from the equation. As the Jedi would say, the force had been with him. But magic, magic had forced his hand. The force had led him to unearth this wizard, and he was scrambling to compensate for the new variable this presented. Reaching for his collection of communications equipment, security automatically snapping into place. Darth Sidious set about further advancing his schedule. Clones, droids, Jedi and Sith, the war he had planned would redefine everything, and create opportunities. But first, Darth Plaguies would fall and Harry Potter would break. He had the location of one, soon, he would have the other.

Arrival

Sheowtulla was busy, Harry's questions and frantic hand gestures where deftly ignored as the wookie wrenched the shuttle into the flight computers prescribed emergency landing flight path, peering through the flames as the shuttle sheared across the upper atmosphere. Re-entry without shields, or full landing gear and the retro thrusters attached would be difficult at the best of times. The dent in the cockpit however; Sheowtulla growled angrily as he was forced to yank the steering column hard to the left in response to the buffeting winds. Was making the hunk of metal even less aerodynamic than a normally shielded craft generally was.

Eyes wide, and heart racing, Harry watched the rapidly approaching mass of water helplessly. Fire, orange tongues streaked with red shimmered across the cockpits screen, rippling like a burning waterfall. The shuttle lurched then bucked crazily and Harry clamped both hands to his seat as the sudden inertia turned to weightlessness then back. The Z-80 had hooked itself into a riveted storage container by ramming both of its hands into the metal and clenching. From the occasional sound of tearing metal and the thumping that reverberated through the floor and up into his chair. The droid had not managed to secure the rest of itself. Beside him, he saw Sheowtulla growl at the computer screen, punch a few buttons and then yank the steering column, just as Harry noticed the water below start to fill the entirety of his vision.

Sheowtulla managed to get the shuttle back into a somewhat controlled descent by firing the front landing gears thrusters and again yanking the manual control back. The Corellian emergency responders where en-route to their projected crash site. They had medical and recovery teams already despatched. All that was left was for him to safely get them down, eyeing the escalating warnings on the computers display, Sheowtulla adjusted the flight path again. The water below was both a blessing and a potentially fatal problem. It made picking a spot to land considerably less difficult, no real potential collateral and if he got it right, an easy exit for them with the emergency crews chasing them. However, and this is what set his teeth on edge as he watched the flames die out and the water blur grey beneath them. If he couldn't slow them down, it would be like hitting a capital ships shields, with less chance to bounce. Swallowing the lump in his throat and hoping he was going to get the angle right, Sheowtulla allowed the nose of the shuttle to start to dip towards the water. Beside him, Harry, face now stark white stared wide eyed as he realised the meaning behind Sheowtulla's alteration. One way or another, they where about to land on Corellia.

Team

"At ease, men."

Provisional Second Lieutenant Comarilla surveyed her, troops. The huge man to the left of the line, wearing full field kit and heavy armour, cradling his very nearly illegal, heavily modified T-21 repeating blaster was Corporal Mystral Lasclong. Jaina had chosen him from the field personnel logs for the repeated commendations on his file for his cool head in live fire incidents and, on a more relevant note, his proficiency with regulation and improvised trapping equipment.

Second down the line, wearing a far lighter and more personalised ensemble was cathar long-range specialist Jy Rhut. The male cathar was the second best sniper in the sector that she had access to. Jaina had chosen Jy over his more skillful counterpart as Jy was known to harbour a great deal of distaste for Jedi and by extension other force users. Jy's personnel file had revealed that the reason for his distaste stemmed from an incident relating to his brother being force sensitive, the file had only listed the case as 'mishandled' all other files relating to the incident were Jedi access only . Jy at least would not hesitate to take a shot at a force user with his, stun dart enabled, IQA-11.

Occupying the middle of the single file gathering was Jaina's Pilot and personal friend, human female Istive Schedir. Istive and Jaina had entered the Security Forces together, Jaina had gone into the ground forces, Istive had followed her passion into the Navy. Istive was normally a transport or freighter pilot, but she had upon realising Jaina's new rank confided in Jaina to having run other missions, missions that had not necessarily followed protocol. Having flown with Istive before on leave, Jaina believed her friend.

Second last down the line was her medic, dressed in his dark blue dress uniform. Carven Trennack was the single most experienced field medic this side of the core worlds. The stern man had served in civil wars, toxic environments, even naval engagements with pirates and rogue elements. Jaina had jumped at the chance to collect the greying man from his bunk on the resplendent personally. With the rank of Warrant Officer, Trennack technically had superiority over Jaina's provisional rank and he certainly had the contacts to smooth any trouble in the event he decided to take field command. Despite that, the mans reputation for pulling people through, and at times employing 'creative' field medicine on reticent patients was already lending a sense of security to her small task force.

Lastly, Jaina came to her comms and liason officer, also on secondment from the naval arm of the Security Forces was Chief Petty Officer Beracon Chara. Dressed in an immaculate full dress uniform and standing so rigidly at attention despite Jaina's single order that veins stood out on his neck, the twenty three year old was less than two years out of training and highly ambitious. This was the only member of the team she had not handpicked. Despite Chertins, 'standing orders' somehow she had re-boarded the Resplendent only to be greeted by her new shadow. The data slate she had been handed by the smug little sycophant had both Chertins and the Resplendent's captains signature attached.

Turning to pace back to the middle of the line, Jaina addressed her men:

"Our assignment is the apprehension of the fugitive responsible for the chaos of the last few days, confirmed force user, Harry Potter."

The words force user made her eyes flick across to Jy, his furred hands had slid to rest on his hip, normally where he would have his sidearm and vibroknife holstered. Unfazed Jaina continued:

"Secondary orders are to also bring in a Wookie for questioning, known as Sheowtulla, his being in the company of our Primary target is confirmed."

Jaina had been expecting the interested look on Lasclong's face, but the near feral gleam in Chara's eyes set her on edge:

"Both Primary and Secondary targets are to be brought in alive. However lethal force is authorised on the Primary should I deem it necessary."

Jaina's unease grew as Chara's face seemed to fall before going carefully blank as she continued her briefing. She found a degree of reassurance in Carvin Trennacks steady gaze and Istives encouraging look.

"Our targets have been confirmed as entering Corellian space by our contempories there as of six standard hours ago. They have been advised to provide surveillance and take all non-invasive action to keep them on-planet. This is an off the record assignment, it will not appear in your service records until such time as the higher ups deem it no longer confidential."

Carvin looked resigned and somewhat bemused, Istive was expectedly excited, Jy was still fingering the empty spaces on his belt and Mystral, looked equally excited as Istive. Turning her full attention to Beracon Chara, she watched the muscles in his jaw twitch in his blank face as she relayed the final part of her briefing:

"We are operating without active input from other branches, only I have the authority to include other agencies, including Jedi assistance. My orders can only be countermand by Commander Chertin directly. In the field Warrant Officer Trennack is my second in command. We are after a particulary strong force user and a Wookie, study the data slates I have provided you, they contain the individual details you will need. Pilot Schedir, I will meet you in the hangar bay in one hour, we will be departing in three standard hours time. Dismissed."

Test tube Harry

Harry felt as if he was drifting. He was warm and also somewhat fuzzy as if he was currently wrapped in warm cotton wool, all of the aches that had been accumulating had eased, even his headache had receded to a dulled throb. His limbs felt as if they were weightless, he could feel his arms drifting up and down without effort despite the open sleeves of his robes trying to gently tug them downwards. His legs gently swayed beneath him, but he did not feel as if he was falling. A strange weight also seemed to cover his mouth and ears. Physical tiredness also weighed upon him even as his magic churned gently within him. He could hear the rushing of what sounded like bubbles in his ears, and as if far away, beeping noises mixed with voices. Finally mustering the energy Harry opened his eyes:

"Mmmmpphhh!"

Was all he was able to get out before he realised a mask blowing air was attached to his face. Taking further stock he calmed enough to register more of his immediate surroundings. Blue lit fluid surrounded him, he was suspended in a tank of see through glass by a harness clamped around his midrift. Bubbles escaped from the top of his mask in time with his breathes as murky figures seemed to appear on the other side of the glass. They were wearing what could only be labcoats. They had him suspended in a gigantic test tube. One was fiddling with a display facing away from Harry to his left outside the tank. A crackling in his ear heralded the arrival of a somewhat nasally voice, a voice that Harry had a hard time following with his limited vocabulary:

"...Potter...found...and wookie Sheowtulla...droid."

The last word was punctuated by the murky figure waving an arm at something he couldn't make out. A new voice, one causing the headset to crackle for an entirely different reason, belonging to what appeared to be a Z-80 unit through the glass addressed him:

"Master Potter, I see you have survived the crash intact. I have been asked to explain the situation to you, this conversation is being monitored. Please indicate if you are coherent."

The synthetic voice hissing over the sound of the bubbles was enough for Harry to nod his head, even as he processed the entirety of the message as the Z-80 continued:

"You are currently in the CorSec medical facility. You sustained significant injuries during the crash, your rapid recovery and immoveable possessions have been noted."

Eyeing the tube, Harry grimaced at the last comment as the droid continued:

"Master Sheowtulla was also injured in the crash and is currently undergoing treatment in the pod to your left, his recovery is estimated to take a week at minimum."

Flicking his eyes to the left, Harry could just make out the edge of another tube, though was unable to see anything within:

"The shuttle has been salvaged and the proceeds have gone towards the cost of your treatment. You are to be held here for observation until the medical team has cleared you, forcible removal of your mask will result in immediate sedation by the medical staff."

Suspicions confirmed, Harry trawled his memory for the bubble head charm as he sought to determine what the room past the tube looked like. The droids following, and last comment before it shuffled away, cleared the tiredness from his body entirely as the bubble head charm dislodged the mask from his mouth and apparated:

"A team from Kashyyk is enroute to retrieve you pending your recovery. This unit is to be reassigned immediately pending a memory bank wipe"

Disquiet

Yoda felt truly ill at ease as he surveyed the surface of Dathomir around him. He had followed the strongest force trail above Kashyyk to here, following the ribbon of agony resultant from the maelstrom that had broken with the escape of the anomaly, Harry Potter. He had wanted to stay on Kashyyk to lend what aid he could, but he could not ignore whatever had caused this, even the demands from the temple and senate would wait until whatever this was had been concluded.

Dathomir was for the most part sparsely vegetated, the red light of the systems sun bathed his otherwise grey surroundings in a deep crimson as he considered his options. Many amongst the Jedi who were aware of the primary two indigenous societies. Considered them to be somewhat barbaric and backwards in their approach to the force and lacking in civilisation in general. His green painted Delta 6 starfighter rested on the top of the hillock he was standing upon as he contemplated the disposition of the native populace as he sensed a group headed his way.

The unique manner in which they wielded the force, and the more martial aspects of said societies would normally have Yoda giving the planet a wide berth without a diplomatic invitation. But the agony that resonated in the force had brought him here. He was sure that Harry Potter would not be found down here, but whatever had caused the force to scream in his mind needed to be found, and destroyed.

Fortifying himself against the conflicting sensations that wafted as if from the planets surface mixing with the lingering feelings of pain, Yoda bade his time, allowing the encroaching group to set up its encirclement. Dispatching a message for the temple he took note of the heavy mantle of dark side force on the groups leader as they picked their way up from the base of the hill. Red robes, and a tall figure enhanced the overall sensation of intimidation and the insidious twisting of force energy about her frame gave Yoda all the necessary information to understand just who had come to meet him:

"Mother Talzin, expect did I not to be met by you personally."

Cresting the hill and dwarfing the stoic Jedi master, the white and gray painted leader of the Night Sisters sect addressed him cooly, hostility promised in the mocking but guarded tone:

"Alone you have come, oh great Jedi, to what does Dathomir owe this honour?"

Yoda sighed internally as he began the arduous process of attempting to remain diplomatic against the only publicly, tolerated, master of dark side energies before him.

Signature Chaos

"Fools, the utter fools"

Was Jaina's exclamation upon entering the destroyed medical bay. Her instructions had been specific. Non-invasive, she had told them. The results of the heavy handed approach surrounded her. Cables sparked, the metal walls had been warped in places to resemble grasping hands and the bacta pods, empty of their original contents now housed the medical and security staff. Central to the room however, as if formed from the metal flooring was a simple circular podium with a data slate resting on its smooth surface. Turning her attention back to the room, Jaina took a better look at her surrounding.

A hole, large enough for her and her team to enter the room single file had been cut next to the inoperable, and strangely resilient door. Several blasting charges had already been applied to no tangible result. Jaina noted Carvin inspecting the tanks and their occupants. Each of the gently bobbing, unconscious incumbents sported, alterations. Large horns sprouted from the lead medical officers head. A fish tail had taken the place of the security sergeants legs, the rest, four other medical and security personnel bore similar evidence of their encounter. Carvin had, thankfully she supposed, already assured her that everyone was fine, other than the physical changes.

Beracon was eyeing the data slate impatiently, he had, after bullying the flight control tower into allowing them priority landing demanded all of the information they had on their quarry. Jaina had noted his diligence, but his annoying adherence to protocol at all times had left a negative impression on her. However, she could deal with that, it was his views on non-human species that were problematic, he had already earned himself several predatory looks from Jy. Carvin had also been noticeably less than pleased with him. She did not want to have to step in, but at the current rate something drastic may be called for, and soon.

Turning to the only other present member of her team, Lasclong and Istive on a different assignment, Jaina addressed Jy as he inspected a section of floor that looked as if it had been eaten away by acid:

"What do you think it is?"

The Cathar straightened and turned, his nearly glowing eyes in the darkness of the room met hers:

"Acid, that smells alot like blood. From the information in the files, I assume this is Potter's blood, sir."

Jaina internally noted the tacked on sir and caught the look of indignation on Beracons face and addressed him before he could take the chance to censure the Cathar:

"Petty Officer Chara, you are to acquire a chemical analysis of this acid and match it to the records from Kashyyk. Then you are to return to the ship and assist Pilot Schedir with the surveillance of the public security grid."

The mans chest seemed to visibly deflate as he threw a dirty look at Jy, a textbook salute at Jaina, and with a very quiet 'sir' marched out of the room. The surprise on Jy's face and contemplative look on Carvin's became businesslike as she decided on her next course of action:

"Jy, I want you on the ground with Lasclong, find the Wookie, and we will find Potter. Do not engage without calling in first. Srictly non-lethal measures unless I say so. Carvin, I want you to study that chemical analysis and advise Jy of any tranquillisers you think may work. Istive and, Petty Officer Chara will advise of any sightings and I will coordinate with CorSec security. Questions?"

Carvin was the one to address her, his unsettled demeanour as he leaned against an outstretched metal claw from the wall had her fighting the urge to smile:

"Lieutenant Comarilla, how do you expect us to find them much less capture Potter? No disrespect intended but with his apparent ability to teleport I do not see how this can be achieved once he is aware of us."

Acknowledging the point, Jaina nodded at Carvin's logic as Jy turned scrutinising eyes back to her:

"Carvin, you are correct. His apparent teleportation ability makes it impossible to contain him by traditional means. We can knock him out for awhile, but he has already demonstrated an absurd level of drug adaptation."

Jy and Carvin, their attention wholly on her both looked grim at her confirmation of the enormity of the task before them. Forcing herself to smile, in a hopefully reassuring way, Jaina outlined her plan as her commlink began to vibrate:

"It's the Wookie we need to capture and contain. Potter has been attached at the hip to Sheowtulla almost since he appeared, Potter even broke him out in order to get here. I'm positive that Potter did not go to all of that effort to simply leave him behind when things get difficult. If we can secure Sheowtulla, we've got Potter."

Extracting the commlink from her belt, Jaina opened it, only to be met by a cacophony of animal noise and Lasclongs franticly panting voice:

"Sir, CorSec found him and tried to corner him."

A roar accompanied by chittering, unlike anything she had heard before forced her to yank the link from her ear. The noise was soon followed by Lasclong swearing and the whine of his T-21 opening up. Startled by the noises emanating from the device, Jaina tried to get Lasclong back:

"Report! Corporal, what is going on?"

Scuffling noises followed by heavy breathing heralded the return of Lasclongs harried voice:

"Sorry sir, it's bedlam down here. I followed a CorSec heavy response team to the shipyards. They found the Wookie. I was about to contact you to sort out jurisdiction when a bloody stampede of animals came out of the warehouses. I've never seen anything like this Sir."

A low growl came over the link, quickly followed by a quiet but strangely calm 'shit' was the last thing Jaina heard before the link shut off to the sounds of several meaty thuds. Wheeling on her present subordinates Jaina yelled her instructions as she sprinted for the hangar:

"Carvin, requisition us the fastest speeder you can. Jy, tell Istive to get to Lasclong's location. NOW!"

Behind her, the slate blinked into life, catching Jy Rhut's eye.

Patience

Harry had been reasonable, thus far. He had not permanently disfigured anyone, much less killed anyone who had tried to capture him. He knew that he was powerful, even by the standards of people who knew about magic. But as he surveyed the chaos surrounding him, he couldn't help the temptation to erase the memory of everyone in a 10km radius, get Sheowtulla and simply take the most heavily armed ship that took his fancy and hunt down everyone who knew he was alive and similarly alter their memories..

Animals, namely wolves, lions and bears with a few monkey's and perhaps some unnecessarily aggressive chickens were currently in the process of rendering the gun wielding interlopers unable to move. Harry viewed the sole remaining small circle of intruders with curiosity. The initial rush of conjured animals had quickly overwhelmed the majority of the uniformed grunts. But the huge man in what seemed to be heavy armour had rallied a few of them into a defensive circle. The man was currently mowing down a pair of grizzly bears, his large machine-gun type weapon spitting a veritable stream of blue bolts. Harry could smell the sizzling flesh from across the length of the warehouse. Sheowtulla, standing next to Harry after he had been summoned from his position at the warehouse doors was cradling his huge crossbow like weapon anxiously. Harry addressed him, the Z-80 floating behind him as it was otherwise immobile, having been fitted with something called a restraining bolt:

"Sheowtulla, your sure your friend will come through with a ship?"

The Wookie managed to tear his eyes from the sight of the two downed bears dispersing into smoke to respond:

"Vuunkin will not fail. He will bring the ship he promised us as soon as he is able."

Nodding absent-mindedly and trusting to Sheowtulla's word, Harry watched as the last few of their hunters, minus the armoured man succumbed to the animals around them. The man, whoever he was did not seem to notice the loss of his comrades. He simply continued to fire his weapon in a sweeping arc, keeping the encroaching animals at bay, one hand pressed against his helmet. Several baboons disappeared under the streaks of light, obliterated before they could fade into smoke. One managed to leap for the man's face and it scrabbled at the helmet, but it was quickly torn off and he stomped heavily on it before resuming his fusillade. Interest piqued Harry watched as a lioness used the cover of several cargo boxes to circle around behind the man:

"Sheowtulla, why is that one dressed differently?"

The Wookie, half his attention on the open roof and half on the two dozen wolves that rested at their feet hitched his weapon slightly higher before answering:

"The white one belongs to the Republic Security forces, the ones in green belong to CorSec."

Harry was unsurprised when the man went down under the lioness, he was however impressed when instead of going limp, he reached for a knife and began stabbing furiously upwards. One armoured arm prevented the animal from grasping his throat as the knife went in, again and again. As the lioness began to disperse, Harry, one hand raised, reinforced the conjuration and increased its weight, trapping the man beneath it:

The man struggled, despite the weight. The hand holding the knife desperately flailed as the lioness went limp. The rest of the animals, the majority holding the former combatants to the floor by virtue of simple weight went immobile as Harry ceased animating them. They were as good as statues now. With an idle flick of his hand, Harry directed the three dozen chickens he had summoned into the adjacent buildings, he needed to delay pursuit for now. A powerful thrumming from above, and Sheowtulla's gleeful exclamation caught his attention:

"Vuunkin pulled through, a Gozanti-cruiser, I should have paid him more."

Looking up at the gun-metal gray vessel, it just brushed the warehouses roof as it descended, a projection from beneath the front of the ship opened to reveal an insectoide like figure waving down at them. Sheowtulla happily waved back as he began to ascend the stacked packing crates that Harry had levitated before they had been interrupted. Floating the droid, himself and a surprised Sheowtulla up, Harry cast one last look at the downed figures below and relayed an instruction to the droid as it protested its inability to move under its own power.

"Z-80, transmit the message."

If they ignored the message, Harry would take the kids gloves off. He had a rather more important agenda than playing tag with an ill-equipped government, even if its soldiers appeared formidable. As he neared the vessels open door, Harry allowed the conjuration to slip from his control, for now he still held onto his patience.

A life's labour

Plagueis was, cautiously happy as he hovered over the simple metal bench that was his current work station and once more suffusing the eddies of the force with a miasma of dark side energy. Yet another piece of the puzzle that was magic was ready to fall into place. It had taken his defeat above Kashyyk to come by the knowledge. The resonance of pain had sharpened his curiosity as his mind returned to his body. He had yet to understand just what he had seen in Potter's mind, but he was determined to unravel this new enigma. A pale hand gently caressed his forehead as he briefly recalled the sensation of passing through the force in panic, beset upon all sides by the voices and grasping hands of the dead.

It had been a strong image, standing out in intensity amongst the others he had gleaned, the sensations associated were crisp, if aged. Sadness, long endured grief and an undercurrent of righteous anger, that had the circumstances been different, Plagueisagius would have sought to exploit. Green light, laughter and a woman. A scenario that ended in the woman's pleas being cut short. Death, perhaps, or simply something to render another unconscious? Plagueisagius would discover this truth, as he would all others.

He had not the means, or true understanding to attempt pursuing such a hypothesis with any degree of certainty. But that would not prevent him trying, trial and error, the cornerstones of enlightenment. Once more, as he had done innumerable times in the past, Plagueisagius allowed his overwhelming curiosity dictate his actions. Slowly he turned to the terrified form chained to the wall behind him, as close an example of the woman in the memory as he could find. His right hand came to rest on the kneeling woman's red hair as terrified green eyes stared up at him, pleading. Plagueisagius, discarding the pleasurable rush such control over another granted him, pushed all thoughts aside as he concentrated on the stolen, tantalising images. He simply needed to know. Green light suffused the room as Plagueisagius intoned the piece of magic he had stolen from Potters mind, the syllables spat with tangible excitement:

"Avada Kedavra."