Outer Rim
Unidentified planet

Ashen sat cross-legged in the damp cave and sipped the tea he had been offered out of a crude wooden cup. Night had fallen outside, and the place was lit only by the feeble glow of a single lantern. The rich odorous jungle air was still warm, and the noise did not lessen with nightfall. The sounds of animals chirping and moaning in the wild filled the cave entrance. Ashen tried his best to relax and think about what was happening to him. He had so many questions for this man...

The Jedi Master stepped through the chamber opening out of a small corridor.

"Forgive me, but my Padawan has many questions to ask. So must you."

Ashen opened his mouth to reply but didn't have time.

"However I must warn you" The Master sat down swiftly in front of Ashen on a small moss cushion. "I do not possess many complete answers, and those that I do have may bring you more pain than relief. I will however answer any questions you ask me truthfully and to the best of my abilities."

Ashen swallowed and wet his lips. His head was burning with so many questions he felt feverish, but one came to the forefront before he was able to set his mind in order:

"The Force is no longer speaking to me." The sentence came out by itself.

The Master cocked his head sideways and Ashen knew that hadn't come out right.

"I mean... I can still sense the Force and its currents but I... I can't feel any Jedi anymore. There's such a void. It's like a pounding silence in my soul. I don't know what's wrong with me!"

The Master averted his eyes as a tremor shook Ashen, and hung his head. He took several deep breaths before speaking again.

"Your first question hits the most painful mark, as I expected it would. Yet I promised to answer you truthfully. The Jedi's presence has faded to my senses as well. Had you not picked up on my signal and come to me, I would have believed to be the last one."

"But how is this possible?" Ashen almost whimpered "What could have caused such a disruption in the Force? How could our senses have become so clouded?" He struggled to keep himself under control.

The Master looked at him sadly.

"Your senses are not clouded, I'm afraid. Feel out around you, young Jedi. Feel out to the jungle. You can feel the throb of life as vibrantly as ever. The Force cannot be unmade, and you can sense it as well as ever; as well as I can. There has been no alteration of your faculties." The Master sighed and paused. "You do not feel the presence of Jedi, because there are no more Jedi to be felt."

As the words worked their way through his ears and into his brain, Ashen felt himself go cold. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his limbs became twitchy. He felt deep nausea. He swooned and put out a hand to steady himself against the cave wall, breathing rapidly.

"No, that's... how?"

The Master took another moment to reply, in a heavy voice.

"I was on Eridis III six months ago, leading a small force of clones. It was a light operation, we were only there to mop up a disbanded separatist army that had fled from a neighboring system and was attempting to reorganize. The risk factor was low, and my Padawan was with me." He paused and his eyes unfocussed. Ashen brought his arms in to hug himself as he watched the old man recollect.

"We were just about finished with the whole operation, and were getting ready to pack up when they turned on me. My own troops. I didn't understand what was happening at first; didn't see where the outburst of violence was coming from. That moment's slip nearly cost Eril – that's my Padawan – his life. I was able to destroy the clones that were attacking us and we escaped on board my ship. Amid the chaos that still reigned in the skies, we managed to punch through the clones' lines and jump into hyperspace. The experience left me scarred, both physically and emotionally." The Master touched his face absently where the ugly mark marred his flesh. "Eril and I stayed in hiding for several weeks in Hutt Space as I tried to understand what was happening. The Force was silent to me, as it is to you now. The Order answered none of my crypted messages. I felt abandoned."

"But why did your troops attack you?" Ashen urged. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"None of it did at the time. I had only my suppositions for what felt like the longest time, until I made an unexpected friend." The Master's eyes focussed on Ashen again, and his gaze was intent. "As the Force would have it, I came into contact with the elected senatorial representative of this very planet."

"You mean of Belsavis?"

The Master nodded and shifted position. "Senator Langut Quarn is his title and name. He was very agitated when we met, yet he offered Eril and myself refuge on this world. It is through him that I received many of the answers I am about to pass on to you."

Ashen leaned forward, listening intently, with his mouth slightly open. The Master rolled his tongue around in his mouth, as if pondering how to put things. His eyes shifted around restlessly before focussing on Ashen once more.

"It seems there has been a cataclysmic change of power in the Core. The Republic as you and I knew it has ceased to exist. It its place, a new Galactic Empire has been proclaimed."

Ashen's nausea deepened but he said nothing, unable to utter the slightest word. The Master, gazing at him and seeing his plight, carried on.

"I do not know how this dreadful turn of events came to pass, but according to my friend, the former Supreme Chancellor of the Republic successfully proclaimed himself Emperor."

"The Sith..." Ashen managed.

"I do not know. But I do perceive the dark side at play here. Some hidden foe has struck us a deadly blow, without us even seeing it approach."

"But what of the other Jedi then?"

Master Trenn hung his head again in sadness. There was a long silence before he answered in a softer, almost subdued voice: "We have been declared enemies of this new regime. I cannot be sure, but my assumption is that they were ambushed as Eril and I were, and destroyed. The dust has settled, and I can feel no other friendly presence anywhere. The silence is unnerving. The unseen grip of the dark side has descended upon the Republic and strangled it."

There was silence for a moment in the cave. Ashen's mug lay on its side by his feet, the cooling tea seeping into the humid ground.

"As I said, I am afraid I cannot offer you much comfort" Trenn said sadly, setting his eyes on the shaken young Jedi once more. "What I have learned has shaken me like nothing before, and I can only imagine the effect it must have on a younger Jedi such as yourself. Yet you must find refuge and solace deep inside yourself. You live, and I live, and Eril lives. Within us, the Order still lives. We have not been defeated." There was a note of steel in his voice, but it was lost upon Ashen, who stared almost absently through Trenn to the cavern wall beyond.

"This senator" He slurred "How can you trust him? How can you be sure he isn't a Sith agent?"

Trenn smiled sadly. "I sometimes surprise myself by wishing I could convince myself of that. But you can feel the truth as well as I can, I believe. If Quarn were a liar I would have felt it. He is not."

"And where is this man?"

"Very near as a matter of fact. He and I have agreed to some sort of mutual assistance pact. He has been an outspoken opponent of this newly formed Imperial regime since its very beginning, and he is fearful for his own security. I must admit I myself cannot yet fathom the full extent to which the balance of power has been changed throughout the galaxy. I do not believe the Empire would dare go after its own senators, but Langut is a prudent man. He provides Eril and myself with shelter, and I provide him with counsel."

"Is this place safe?" Ashen couldn't even tell if he cared. He felt numb.

"I cannot say for certain. It appears to be as safe as we may find without having to reveal ourselves to any authorities. Stealth is of the essence now. The jungle helps me hide Eril's trace as well as my own. Langut has so far managed to keep orbital coverage and traffic over this area to a minimum. If you decide to remain here with us, I will teach you how to dissimulate your trace as well."

"Stay..." Ashen began "But I... well I suppose so. I don't know where else to go." He ended lamely.

"I understand your distress" Trenn said softly "and rest assured you are most welcome here. In fact" he added "I would urge you to remain here with us for at least a time, until you recover your composure. Such a blow will take a toll on any individual, be he Jedi or no. You would be safest here with us while you recover from your initial shock."

Ashen tried to gather his wits again. The Order, gone. "No, not gone!" Some part of him rebelled. Ashen shook his head and waved his hand around vaguely as a drunk man, trying to clear the thought from the air in front of him. He felt the most extreme level of exhaustion descend upon him. He couldn't sort it out now. He needed to meditate... no, he needed to sleep. Under the Master's sad but benevolent eye, he curled up on the mossy floor and fell instantly asleep.