A/N: Sorry this took so long….Hope you enjoy this. I revamped this chapter slightly so it falls in line with the newest one.

.

Chapter 9

.

A lone figure sat on a stone-like throne, his cheek rested on his knuckles with hands gauntleted. He wore hard plated black armor on his entire body. His helmet rested on the floor near his feet.

Normally he would not have deigned to take it off, but it was proving to be bothersome and even he required sleep once in awhile. His body had taken a toll on him thanks to the combination of the disease he was suffering from and the accumulation of his years.

He was deep in meditation when suddenly he felt a spark in the Force. It was a familiar aura that he hadn't felt in awhile—and he was reeling with confusion and frustration as to its presence.

"It cannot be." He muttered. "I thought I had dealt with him long ago…he had been dealt with." He furrowed his brow and grasped his helmet. "How could this…have happened?"

Luke Skywalker.

His presence seemed to shine even brighter now.

"This makes no sense…" The man muttered once more. He'd planned this to the letter, the Sith were about to make their comeback. Now, an unexpected obstacle had popped up.

He bellowed in rage.

A handful of followers gathered closet to the man's inner chamber.

A red-skinned tattooed Twi'lek approached.

"You bellowed, my Lord." She said silkily.

"Yes, it seems there's going to be a hydrospanner thrown into our plans."

She looked frowned.

"A hydrospanner, Lord Krayt?" She cocked her head. "What obstacle do you speak of, my Lord?"

Krayt smiled tightly. "An unforeseen obstacle, Darth Talon." He gritted his teeth. "...that complete annoyance and thorn in my side. The bane to all Sith—Grand Master Luke Skywallker."

"But I thought he was dead."

"He is….at least I thought so. But it seems a foul joke is being played upon me." Just when I had this galaxy in my grasp.

"But surely, even if he is alive as you say, he is quite elderly and feeble?"

"Talon, do not be foolish. Many underestimated him and paid for it."

"Then why does he skulk and hide?"

"I do not think he is aware of our presence. That is why he has not made himself known."

Another Sith moved up to speak; this one with black hair and a gaunt and pale face. Darth Nihl looked upon his lord. "What would you have us do? I could get rid of him if you like?" He stroked the hilt of his saber.

"As tempting as that sounds, one cannot be too rash with a man like him."

Nihl scowled. "You do not believe me capable."

"I believe you capable of much, Nihl, but I meant what I said to Talon. We must be cautious…"

"What will you do until then?" A deep voice asked.

A large, red Chagrian, Darth Wyrrlok stepped closer to join the conversation. He had two sharp horns atop his head and his thick lethron hung across his shoulders. He was dressed in dark black robes, his body thick and bulky.

"We continue with the plan as intended." Krayt stated, drumming his fingers. "One more Jedi or a thousand. I have not waited as long as this to have any one being spoil my triumph.

"I thought we were to be cautious…" Darth Maladi said from the corner.

A Devaronian female, she was tall and thin with black hair drawn up into a high pony tail. Her skin was orange unlike the others red. She wore a metal headdress and black armor.

"With Skywalker. You will continue your mission, Darth Maladi. I want to pay a visit to Zenoc Quah on Wayland and deliver him what he seeks. Confirm with your eyes that his report is true. I will see Kol Skywalker's progress crumble before his eyes!" He rumbled satisfactorily. "Once his Ossus Project has fallen, the galaxy's look upon the Yuuzahn Vong will again turn, as will their faith in the Jedi."

"Of course, Lord Krayt," She brandished a jagged smile. "I shall do as you wish. The Sith will see triumph and reign in this galaxy as it was meant to be."

"Go then." Krayt rumbled. "I must meditate on this further. I will see how to best deal with the Jedi Grand Master."

.

.

Maladi stood in her lab staring at the vial in her hands and grinned. "Oh yes…you will help bring those foolish Jedi to their knees. As the Master said, we can't let one hindrance distract us from progress can we?"

"I don't like this." A voice said from the doorway.

Maladi whirled around and glared at Nihl. "What are you doing here?" She snarled.

"Must I have a motive?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You have intruded upon my lab."

He cast a glance around. "Does it not bother you that he dismisses us so easily?" Nihl asked, ignoring her outburst.

"Who?"

He shook his head. "Do not play dumb, Maladi. You know very well whom I speak of. Lord Krayt."

"It does not do well to speak of our lord."

"You do me discredit, Maladi. I am a loyal servant of Lord Krayt, but I cannot help but think he underestimates us."

"And what would you have us do? Disobey our lord?"

Nihl gave a sickly smile. "I just do not believe this Jedi is as infallible as Lord Krayt would have us believe. He died once..." His grin broadened. "Surely he is capable of death again."

Maladi smiled in return and nodded. "You may have a point, Darth Nihl."

.

.

Kol Skywalker made his way to his chambers; he decided it was best to inform the Council on the status of what was happening: Ben's awakening to be more specific.

He entered the ante-room and took his place at the head of the table as before. He flicked a different button under the table and a holo projection popped up. It was of a young female Knight. Knight Valor if he remembered correctly.

"Master Skywalker," She bowed her head in greeting. "It is good to see you. How may I help you?"

"I wish to talk to the rest of the Council."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but they are currently out of the Temple." She informed him.

"Are they?"

"Yes, Sir."

Kol thinned his lips, thinking. "Then give them this message; Master Skywalker requests the Council presence right away. This is an emergency matter. Is that clear, Jedi Valor?"

"Yes, Master Skywalker. Quite clear. I shall inform the Council as soon as I am able."

"Thank you."

He closed the channel and sighed.

He supposed it could wait. The boy was awake and convalescing; Master Staad reported that the boy was doing well and recovering nicely. Now, was the matter of his brother.

Kol and Nat rarely saw each other due to Nat's abandonment of the entire Jedi-way. He decided to give up that life and had taken to settling down with his wife Roo on her home planet.

Nat would stop by if one of his runs happened to be the Academy, but otherwise he remained far away from the Jedi as much as possible. He'd gotten this strange notion in his head that he'd had to be the perfect Jedi; the perfect Skywalker. Natr had become threatened by Kol's very existence, though he'd never held it against him.

When Kol was a child, Nat often doted on him. As an older brother, he should have resented him for taking the spotlight in his parents' hearts alone. But Nat had not. He had loved Kol deeply and protected him against all potential bullies.

The Skywalkers were said to be a gifted lot; hailing all back to their patriarch, Anakin Skywalker—and later carried on by his son, Luke Skywalker. Kol himself had been no exception. He had been naturally strong in the Force as a young child, a fact which astounded some and had his father beaming with pride.

He remembered Nat and he as children, playing in forests of Ossus: swimming in the creeks and rivers, climbing the tall trees, and scaling the mountain cliffs. His father had grown up far away from Ossus, but when he had come of age and married, he returned to their, saying it was the only place he could think to raise his family.

He supposed it was his father that had caused him to love the rural forests of Ossus. He never cared for the big cities with their noise and traffic. His brother, Nat had been the opposite. He had argued vehemently with Kol, outlining to attributes that the city had to give. He warned Kol often that Coruscant was not to be dismissed so easily, for it was the epicenter of the galaxy. A galaxy he believed the Jedi should be a part of. Kol had not ever been so sure. In the past, involving themselves the galactic center had never proved to be wise to him. Many years ago, it was the Jedi's place on Coruscant and in the galaxy that had led to them being besieged by Natassi Daala.

He still didn't believe the Jedi should be too involved with the government—but he had slowly grown to see that some minor involvement in government was necessary. There had to be representation of the Jedi on Coruscant or else the government would no doubt once again take advantage of the Jedi. Perhaps even go so far as to turn the citizens' perceptions against them, much more than it had.

So after years of ostracizement due to the debacle on Coruscant between the Jedi and the Lost Tribe, the Jedi returned to Coruscant. They rebuilt the Temple and resided there; keeping close eye on the goings-on on the planett and keeping wide-open ears to the whispers of the Galactic Alliance

In time, Kol was eventually able to learn a bit on the intricacies of politics and diplomacy. He cooperated with the government as much as possible, but still decided to remain separate from them. He claimed it was in the Jedi Order's best interest.

Nat had agreed with him at least on that front. History had proven far too much, and Kol would have been a fool not to learn from his great-grandfather's mistakes and the Jedi Order's follies.

He and Kol were proud of their heritage—but not enough so that they could be delusioned by it.

Sadly, that was where the lines were drawn. Nat and Kol's devotion to the Order was equal. His brother and he, however, couldn't have been in complete opposites. Nat was loud and boisterous; he favored the drink and loved a good time.

Yet, at the same time he could be downright serious when it came to matters of the safety galaxy and the Jedi Order itself. He favored action over talk. As a warrior, he was fierce and precise. His ability with the sword was renowned.

His skill with the Force was great and he seemed highly favored by the Masters. When Kol was born the situation seemed to become vastly different in Nat's eyes. The elder Skywalker brother had always encouraged his younger brother. He was proud of Kol's achievements just as his father and mother were. But it was soon becoming obvious that Kol's power was growing exponentially and in a few years, he would easily surpass Nat as far as Force affinity went.

Still, Nat had pretended indifference to this change in scale. He shrugged it off, saying he did not mind that his brother was more talented, that iy was Kol's given gift. He'd obviously been graced with Luke Skywalker's great ability with the Force, who was Nat to oppose its grand Will. No resentment was had from him.

Nat was always encouraging Kol to push himself to his full-potential and Kol would likewise support his older brother. It was true he had ascended to the rank of Master quicker than Nat had—for the Council had seen promise in the youngest Skywalker brother—but Nat had eventually become a Jedi Master in his own right. Nat had been respected by the Knights and apprentices alike, but in a different way than his younger brother. Kol, he had said, was a natural leader, so it was natural his path lay on a much different course than his.

So, Nat had begged off one day and announced he was leaving the Jedi Order. Stunned Kol questioned why. He shouldn't have had to ask. He should have known. In fact, he was sure he had known for a long time thinking back. Nat felt that as a human being his life was complete, as a Jedi however, it was far from adequate.

He had felt he had not been able to live up to the name of Skywalker as his younger brother had. He would never be able to live up to his great-grandfather's legacy.

So, he had left.

Kol remembered the day his elder brother had decided. He had found the man packing away his thing.

"Where in Sith are you going?" He had demanded to know.

Nat had snorted. "Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving."

"Ossus?"

"The Order." He clarified.

"Why?" Kol was astounded.

"Why you ask?" Nat sighed. "Surely you've seen the signs, Kol. I know you are not a moron."

"You don't have to do this. Each Jedi is necessary in his own way." He reasoned.

"Yes, they are—and you are necessary to this Order, Kol. You were meant to lead it." Nat had smiled. "Your Council will do well."

Kol frowned. "It's not my Council. I do not control the Jedi Order. I lead it, along with the other Masters."

"Just like our great-grandsire." Nat countered. "He didn't fancy himself a leader either if I recall correctly, but the Jedi looked to him anyway. This was much before he assumed the title of Grand Master."

"I know that."

At his unhappy expression, Nat had sighed. "Don't think I'm abandoning you entirely, Little Brother. I will always be there for counsel should you need my ear."

"I can't help but feel that you are. You are denying your heritage."

"No, Kol. I am accepting the truth." He closed his satchel and threw the bag over his shoulder. "May you accept it too one day." As he had passed Kol, he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "And don't blame yourself for this; I know it's what you always do. This is my decision."

Then, Nat was out of his life, for a long time. It wasn't till Cade was three that Nat had shown up. This was around the time he had wed Morrigan Corde. His elder brother had been surprised by the sight of the boy and had knowingly looked up at Kol.

"So this is why you married." He had said.

"No, I married because I love Morrigan." Kol had corrected. "Cade is a blessing nonetheless..."

The memory reverberated in his head. Kol sighed and got to his feet. Such terrible remembrances. He wagered the Council would not be coming back anytime soon.

He looked to the bedroom door where Luke slept. Perhaps, Luke had the right frame of mind. Perhaps he needed a rest. The events had taxed him—though he wasn't about to let on to that.

He walked over to his own door, suddenly weary.

A few minutes of rest; that's all I need.

.

.

Ben had set about to resting, his body had felt so tired; his mind still muddled from awakening and the startling news he'd been given. Somewhere in his brain though, activity stirred and the most he could do was doze. It was a state where he was half-way between sleep and awake. At times, he could be completely submerged in his dream-state. Others he would be slightly conscious, aware of every nuisance and everything taking place around him.

He listened to the beeping of the monitors and could almost hear the drip of the IV bag.

Weird. It was like his senses were amplified, but perhaps that was because of the acute pain in his abdomen. It had made everything all the more clear—and very irritating.

What's more, he realized he had the oxygen masked snugged neatly back over his mouth and nose. The piece was kriffin' annoying and cumbersome! He could breathe just fine on his own! He reached up and attempted to pull the offensive piece of equipment off.

"Don't do that!" a sharp voice reprimanded him.

Ben turned his head to her, his eyes still bleary. It was the same woman from before: the one with brown hair. She glared at him, but her face softened.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to hurt yourself." She briskly approached him.

He had managed to slide the mask off a bit. The woman readjusted it and fitted it snuggly over his face once more.

"You…" He started.

"Say nothing. You need your rest."

The youth turned trying to see her better. "I can't see from here."

"Don't!" Shion was too late

He cried out in pain, "Argh!" and collapsed back down onto his bed.

"Now, you've done it." She muttered and began to strip down his sheets to gauge his wound.

"What're you doing?" Ben said, trying to focus on her face.

"Checking to make sure you have not injured yourself."

He blinked a few more times. "Oh."

"Be silent now." She opened up his shirt to examine his bandaged middle. Shion could see a small blossom of red staining it. "See. You've pulled open your wound." She sighed heavily distressed.

"Sorry…" He shifted slightly. "Hurts."

"No doubt it does."

Ben watched her fuss over him, her fingers moving skillfully. Her single braid hung over her shoulder. He watched her interestedly.

"Are you in pain?" She inquired.

"A bit."

She closed his shirt and took a device into her hand. She pushed the button with her thumb, releasing more pain killer. "There, that should help." Shion turned him. "You should feel it shortly."

He nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She paused. "I think perhaps I should changed those bandages, Master Staad won't be happy if I let them get soaked."

Shion then went about doing the same as the Mon Cal had before. She opened his tunic once more and got rid of the dirty bandages. She then reapplied clean bandages along with some extra salve. As she was finishing up wrapping him, he watched her through half-lidded eyes.

She could feel his gaze upon her.

"You…come here often?" He finally said.

She straightened up, surprise on her face.

"What?"

"What?" He gave her a silly smile.

Shion mused, "I think, perhaps the dosage is too strong."

Ben gave a shrug of his shoulders. "Could be."

"Definitely." She sighed and stepped back, "That should hold you up. Please get some rest," She picked up the disposal bin with the dirty bandages. "I'll be by to check on you later."

A hand grasped at her sleeve.

"Wait."

Shion turned to look at him. He stared at her through clouded eyes. "I….didn't catch your name."

She frowned. "But I gave it, do you not remember?"

He shook his head. "Not really. My brains a little bit muddled."

How odd. "You need your rest." She insisted.

The look on his face was utterly heart-breaking. "Please. It's just your name."

It's just your name. What a perfect line. Or at least it would have been hadn't Shion been so sure the drugs were officially running through the boy's system. Still it was quite troubling he couldn't recall her name. She would have to take this up with Master Staad.

Ben was looking at her pleadingly.

She sighed, conceding, "It's Shion. Shion Matavia"

"Pretty name."

She turned slightly pink, averting her eyes. "Thank you." The comment was so innocent, but alarming at the same time because of its innocence. What are you blushing for, you ridiculous woman? He's just a boy—and he's doped up anyway.

Shion turned her gaze back to him.

"Now. Go to sleep." She urged and left just as quickly as she'd come.

Ben watched after her, frowning.

"What was that about?" He muttered before unconsciounesss claimed him.

.

.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please review!