The ship touched down with a shudder on Coruscant.

Klayton felt his pulse quicken with the jolt. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He was about to walk into enemy territory. He still wasn't sure how Ri had convinced him to go this far but she had told him his information was invaluable. Somehow, he was here despite his misgivings. His animosity towards the Jedi had not changed. His fingers clinched and unclenched at his sides.

"Master," Dag stood in the doorway barring his way. "I understand that you may feel the need to be here. But going out there is going to decrease your chances of survival drastically."

"Dag stay here." Klayton ordered firmly. "In this room. Power down if you are bored. But do not get off this ship."

He turned and walked out of his room and ran straight into Ri.

Ri held her hands up in front. "I came to see if you were ready."

His light saber was in Ri's belt. She had also managed to convince him to go without it.

"Understand something Ri," His fists clenched as he spoke and he was visibly tense "I'm here to avenge Dagelos. I always wanted to return and take back my world from the Republic. This," he gestured in a circle. "is our common enemy."

"I know but—"

"We were friends as children." He answered. "Children." He repeated. "This bond I created as a child, it was an accident. Nothing more. It doesn't mean anything beyond this."

Ri wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. Because his mind was open to hers she hear the echoing thought that came with the statement. Nothing more.

Then he slammed the bond closed so hard that Ri actually jumped. His eyes narrowed and she knew he'd caught her listening.

Vaffancula, better this way. Klayton thought to himself. Revenge and then leaving Ri behind forever.

He brushed past her and went outside alone taking a deep breath as he went. Outside a solemn gathering of thousands of Jedi stood in front of the platform greeted him with silence.

Seneschal came next to him. "Women," he said, "They seem to be able to get us to where we don't want to go don't they?"

Klayton just stared at him, not offering a reply. He still wasn't sure what to make of Ri's former master. The older man shrugged and walked out first. He was followed by Jaynor who bumped into Klayton from behind, knocking him off balance. Klayton's hand formed a fist. Ri came up next to him and slipped an arm through his. He relaxed but he glared at her.

She remained just as closed off as he was mentally.

Don't sink to his level. The words forced their way in. Klayton shot a look at her raising an eyebrow and then walked forward following Jaynor and Seneschal off the ship. Ri stayed beside him.

He heard her inhale deeply and felt anxiety pulsing out of her. Klayton realized that she was just as nervous as he was about his arrival. He promised himself to give her grief about it later.

If they made it back.

"Ri," He made one last appeal, "Are you sure I need to be here."

"It won't be as believable coming from me." She shrugged. She'd had a vision of him being here and here he was. It was odd, he contrasted with everything here completely. Her armed tightened on his. Jaynor looked back and saw the arm and his face tightened. Well that's worth it. Klayton decided, tolerating Ri's hold on him. There was something about the Jedi Knight that rubbed him the wrong way.

He shifted his attention back to Ri.

"You know I can sense how you really feel about this." He pointed a finger to her head and then his.

She looked away, "...and I thought we weren't going to look into each other's minds."

"Vaffanculo...I'm a Sith." La merda! Look at you, just as nervous as I am!

"Essere un coglione," Ri replied in return.

Klayton's eyebrows shot up. He smiled suddenly. "So you do remember your time in the orphanage."

She blushed, "sorry, I actually try to spend as much time off Coruscant as possible."

"La merda, but you bring me here?"

"Seemed like a necessary evil."

His eyebrow shot up. "Did you just crack a joke?"

"You're the Sith," She pulled his arm and forced them both to walk faster through the crowd behind Seneschal and Jaynor.

Klayton could hardly picture the pair they made. He was dressed completely in black with his red Mohawk parted to one side. There was no way to explain its meaning. Here, it looked extravagant. Ri was wearing her own brown Jedi robes, her face tattoos and blue streaked hair stood out among the other Jedi.

Their audience wore mostly white with the brown robes here and there. The silence was broken by a few whispers.

Deep down he knew Ri was right, even if he didn't want to have anything to do with the Jedi he still needed their help if they were going to defeat whoever or whatever had stolen the lives of everyone on Dagelos.

He still felt sick on the inside as he stepped off the ramp behind Seneschal. There was a quite the audience as a Sith had not been seen inside the Temple since it had been destroyed by one many millennia ago.

He felt the contrasts between himself and his audience, but his senses also felt the pull of the light here. It was an alluring song that was singing to him in the background. It was compelling and repulsive at the same time. He couldn't make himself reach out for it. For him it was completely at odds with the faded Jedi. They seemed to have no life.

Klayton knew he must appear harmless before the Jedi. He had no intention of harming anyone here unless they made a move at him. He felt like the black sheep being led to the slaughter as all the pretty little white perfect lambs looked on, accusingly.

You don't belong with us.

Technically he was their guest. Although not a particularly welcome one.

An escort was waiting in front of the crowd. "We will take him from here." A white haired Jedi guard told Ri.

"No problem." Jaynor started while at the same time Ri said, "I got it." Moving in front of Klayton.

"You must appear before the council immediately." He indicated Seneschal as well. "All three of you."

"All four of us," Seneschal surprised Klayton and Ri coming back to stand next to Klayton. "This Sith is not a prisoner but a guest, a friend, I thought I made that clear."

"Yes...but-"

"But nothing." Seneschal, who was actually considered a master, had the authority and rank and used it now. "We shall escort Klayton to the council, what he has to say needs to be heard by them. He MUST tell us what he knows and he is here now. You may follow behind us, if you choose."

The guard stepped back and nodded. The audience who had been dead quiet began to whisper and mutter among themselves.

Klayton stopped suddenly. He nodded to the guard. "Could you return these please?" He pulled out a bag and handed it to the guard who's eyes narrowed for a moment.

When the guard reached into the bag he pulled out a light saber. He stared at Klayton.

"They were left behind by the last envoy." Klayton smiled.

Ri had to stifle a grin. Don't...

The guards faced reddened. Ri wondered if he was one of the ones who'd been sent to Klayton the first time.

Seneschal stared at the bag, then looked toward Klayton and shook his head.

Klayton shrugged and grinned. Couldn't resist.

Don't get us killed before we even get to the council.

I thought Jedi were calm, collected...peaceful.

Maybe...but lately...

Seneschal proceeded forward. "Follow me please."

They walked down a long hallway and Klayton glanced around at the white buildings. It seems just as the Sith had a fondness for black, the Jedi were all about keeping things white. He was honestly surprised they wore brown robes instead of white ones. Blood probably stands out too much on white, he decided.

Ri walked next to him instead of behind him. "If I'm next to you that tells everyone we are not enemies," she had explained. "Walking behind you will mean that I'm not your friend, and I must watch every move."

"Is everything so political here?" He asked feeling stuffed. His long black coat dragged slightly on the floor.

"They prefer that most people see everything as going well, your visit could mean that a truce with the Sith Empire is at hand, depending on how the council wishes to spin it."

Klayton almost stopped walking. "Spin it? We just saw a whole planet... OUR planet killed and you think they will spin it into a reconciliation?" He wasn't sure if she believed it, he hoped not. It was ridiculous. And it made him angry.

"THEY might..." Ri hesitated. "I'm just a Knight. Probably won't advance to the council."

"Only because you don't get along to go along." Seneschal's voice came from in front of them.

Jaynor raised his voice. "They aren't that bad."

Seneschal glanced back at them. "Honestly they could use a reality check. And we're about to give them one."

Jaynor subsided and sent Klayton a dirty look. Klayton understood. Jaynor was ambitious. He wanted that position of authority.

Seneschal's last sentence came back to him.

Klayton wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. He glanced at Ri.

"Just tell them what you know about...the ritual performed." Her face clouded over.

"Stop." He sighed. He just wanted a room he could hide in and be alone for a while. He missed his isolation. Worse he knew Ri couldn't help it. He had made the connection. They had loved it when they were kids. It wasn't so great now that they were grown and on opposite sides.

Ri put a hand on his arm. He was about to tell her to stop reading his mind again but simply stayed silent. Maybe she would leave her hand there for a while. It was steadying, and at least she didn't loathe him completely like everyone else here.

Behind them the Jedi guards following them exchanged glances.

Klayton wondered if the four Jedi he had sent back before were around somewhere. Now that would be ironic, since they had come after him the first time looking for his help.

He reached out with his mind feeling mostly the light side of the Force...and there it was. Someone who was toeing the line to the dark side. He was so startled he almost stopped walking. If he could sense them, couldn't everyone?

Toeing the line wasn't the same as crossing it however. A wry grin split his face. Not necessarily as pure here as they wanted everyone to believe.

After what seemed to be an eternity of walking they came to the doors.

Tall white doors meant to show the importance of the members behind it. Klayton wondered if they understood how it separated them and put them up as superior to the rest of the Universe.

The doors opened and they were ushered inside.

Inside the room the walls were painted white, the floor was painted white. The chairs were white circular with brown cushions on them, but no backs. There were twelve council members, only two were there in person, with ten showing up as holograms in their chairs.

Klayton glanced around the room and was glad that Seneschal was standing directly in front of him. Jaynor was behind him. He was still the enemy here and he could feel the tension in the room as several members craned their necks to see behind Seneschal. His black outfit and bright red and black hair certainly set him apart from every other person in the room. He could feel Ri's amusement next to him through their bond. He wasn't sure what to make of that, she long ago dropped her hand off his arm before entering.

He missed the physical touch as soon as it was gone.

Was he really going to turn himself into a hermit?

"What is the meaning of this?" Dara Shen, stood. "I was very specific on where the Sith was supposed to go."

Ri tensed visibly, Klayton noticed. She kept herself closed off from him now but her frustration still flowed out. Even after his talk with her earlier. He wasn't sure what to make of her.

"He's a guest." Seneschal repeated firmly. "What he knows needs to be said. And only he can say it with any surety."

"He sent back a request before," another council member piped up. This was an Aleena, an extremely short squat creature, whose feet did not quite reach the floor. He was the only other council member physically present. He sat with his legs crossed on the cushion. Klayton imagined it was to protect his dignity. He was also fascinated, he'd never seen an Aleena before. Only heard about them, mostly as having a hardened warrior society. But seeing this creature before him he couldn't quite believe it.

The creature swung it's face towards Klayton and he felt the sensation of being probed mentally. But it only brushed the surface. Next to him he could feel Ri's anger which she managed to suppress. That surprised him as well. Jedi were supposed to be calm, cool, and collected.

Ri was suddenly a storm.

The council...he wondered what the Sith had been waiting for. This lax they could be easily taken. He was standing there with his eye brow raised listening to Seneschal show the images to the council as they'd moved past him.

Do not voice that out loud. Ri's voice filled his mind.

"Don't do that." He managed in a loud whisper. Several heads turned towards them

She didn't smile at all this time. That expression of disgust is stuck all over your face. Stop it. She sent mentally.

Klayton rubbed his face with his hands and listened again. He plastered a smile on his face, hoping it looked less threatening, because while disgust might have shown on his face he could feel it seeping from Ri, she was just as frustrated at the slowness of the chamber. I hate politics.

Don't we all.

"The planet is void of anything holding the force at all." Seneschal continued. "I don't know the reason for it, just that per Klayton, this was a ritual performed."

All eyes turned to Klayton. He glanced at Ri, who nodded encouragingly, appeased that he was getting to speak. He wanted his light-saber. He tried thinking of the reason he'd come here in the first place.

He glanced around the room and then looked toward the images still projecting in the middle of the room. Pointing to the closest one, which happened to be of the dead Sith arranged in a circle he began. "This is someone who wants to be immortal, to be a god." He paused glancing around the room.

"This ritual has two parts. One can be performed on a planet scale, the other is galactic." He paused again, he had everyone's attention now. "I've studied the records, even some that were deemed ancient. This Sith Lord lived for thousands of years expanding his knowledge. If he had ever performed the second part of the ritual, none of us would be standing here now." Klayton stopped and stepped back, believing he was done.

But the council was not finished him. "What do you mean Immortal?" The Aleena questioned him.

Klayton shrugged, "I thought that was obvious, he or she wants to live forever?"

Ri kicked him in the leg, and even Seneschal couldn't quite hide the grin.

The Aleena through his stubby arms up into the air. "Can you describe this ritual in more detail or not?"

Klayton took a deep breath, this was why he had come here. Not to join them but to convince them of the danger. He was still a Sith in manner and thinking. And sitting in this room with the leaders of the enemy made him queasy. But he knew that the Sith alone could not hold back a leader who chose to wipe out his own soldiers for more power. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, he thought, swallowing some pride. Although he had abandoned the Sith cause, mostly because of Ri, the Jedi still brought out a feeling of disgust in him.

But he still had to convince them.

"I can't describe it in it's entirety, only the first part has been performed. Those Sith you see here, they used the Dark Side to draw out the life force of the planet, and put it into...someone. I don't know who... But what they probably didn't now was that the force doesn't stop flowing until everyone participating in the ritual, willing or not is dead. It's for the one individual, not the many. The first time it was performed was by a Lord Vitiate. Those participating were not told the outcome. Only fed on their hopes. It probably happened the same way this time." Klayton paused for a breath.

"He destroyed his own world and thousands of loyal followers, but used their life forces to give himself immortality. There were tons of things he could do that have not been done since he disappeared."

"But he did eventually die..." The Aleena spoke again.

"I honestly don't know," Klayton scrambled his own mind trying to recall any mention of the death of this particular Lord. He'd had many names, but his death wasn't recorded. "He reigned for thousands of years. Letting this one live isn't an option. You don't know what the end game is here. If they are willing to destroy their own followers then this sets everything I've ever known about Sith on it's head. I didn't believe this was possible until I saw the planet in Ri's memories-"

There was a collective gasp from the room. "He didn't force me." Ri interjected. "I showed him because I wanted him to see it. It was his home world too." Jaynor stared at Ri with a mixture of pity and disgust.

"Yes, yes," Dara Shen spoke again. "I'm sorry for you both. But what can be done to stop this, this madness?"

"You'll have to kill him." Klayton said. To him the answer was obvious. There was no reasoning with such an individual. They would simply keep trying until they succeeded.

The room exploded with noise. Most of the Council was on its feet talking at once. Klayton stepped back surprised. But no one was paying him any attention anymore.

Jaynor was behind him. "Don't go anywhere Sith."

Dara Shen the Grand Master stood up holding his arms for quiet. Order was restored but the tension had not eased.

"Seneschal if you would stay and take council with us." Dara Shen paused. "Please take, er, Klayton to the prison block for now."

"BUT-" Ri exploded. Again, Klayton was shocked at the tempest inside of her.

"Young lady, he cannot roam the Temple. He will be treated with respect, but he must also be protected from those here that would do him harm. You know they exist."

Klayton put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't, I'll be fine, just check on Dag? And maybe bring my gitar? Please?" He turned to follow the guards out. He was more relieved than anything. A prison he could endure for a while. Political bickering was enough to make even the craziest Alien want to hang itself.

Ri subsided and said nothing over the insult. Calling her young lady in front of the council was a way of telling her she was out of line and behaving improperly. Public shaming at its finest. Klayton removed his hand after noticing the shared looks of disapproval between the council members. He hadn't done her any favors here by being so familiar with her.

When Ri turned to follow him, Dara Shen called out to her. "You are not dismissed yet Ri. A moment if for you and Jaynor also, if you would."

Seneschal looked at Klayton, sorrow exuded from him. "I'll stop by and talk later with you." He said.

Klayton nodded. He followed the guards to his cell, once again feeling like a black sheep in a perfect society that he would never fit into. Not that he wanted to, he reminded himself. He began to understand Ri's temper a little better. How constrained she must feel here.

The guards put him into a cell, which was comfortable but boring. He took off his long coat and laid on the bed. In the silence he let his mind go over everything he had seen so far.

It was Ri who showed up outside the door a few hours later. A guard opened the door. She came in tentatively with his bag carrying his gitar.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't want you trapped in here like this."

"I expected it," Klayton replied sitting up. "How's Dag?"

"The ship is spotless." She smiled. "He wants to know when he is able to come out."

Klayton chuckled. The Droid was probably bored. He could contact him via commlink but the Holodroid would need to stay where he was. At least in Klayton's mind. He did not want the Jedi picking Dag apart.

"Can't I have that?" He held his hand out for the instrument in Ri's hands.

"Of course," she passed the gitar gently and their fingers brushed. It sent a thrill up Klayton's fingertips but he did his best not to show it and fumbled open the bag for a moment without looking at her. He certainly did not want her to see THAT on his face. He was having a hard enough time shielding his emotions through the bond.

"Can I listen?" Guilt was radiating off her in waves. Klayton wanted to tell her not to feel that way, but he closed his mouth. He still felt guilty for Yavin 4. He would never stop feeling guilty about that.

Besides he was here just for revenge. Wasn't he?

He nodded and pulled out the gitar placing it across his lap. The strings he tightened and experimented with the keys stretched out across the bottom. He pushed his hair out to the right again as it had fallen in his face when he leaned over.

Ri had settled on the floor and closed her eyes as he started playing a few notes to tune it. Then he launched into melody using chords he'd already programmed into the instrument. The chords played on their own and he simply added to them. He forgot his cell, forgot the Jedi, the Sith, even Ri and simply kept playing. He tried to add as much sadness into the music as he could. It was one of the first he'd made, although it was years before he ever got to play it. Before the Sith came he had aspired to make music, but now he did it to sooth himself.

He glanced up and noticed that Ri had fallen asleep where she was sitting, her head leaning against the wall. He stopped playing for a moment and stared at her. He wanted to run his fingers in her hair and... Unsettled, he shut those thoughts down immediately.

She really does trust me, he thought. He moved from his chair and picked her up gently and was struck again with how small she was. She didn't weigh much as he laid her on the cot in the room and pulled the blanket over her.

He reached down to brush her hair out of her face.

As he did so he was assailed again suddenly with the memory of his hands around her throat. He could feel it as if it was happening again. He broke into a cold sweat and backed away from her breathing heavily until he was against the wall. He slid down to the floor and covered his face in his hands. Of all the things in his life that one memory was enough to reduce him to shame. It was stupid, he'd killed many without a single drop of guilt.

They could never be close. They were on opposite sides, even now. Once the real enemy they both shared was defeated where would that leave them?

A knock on the door startled him and he stood up quickly smoothing his emotions over and getting control of himself.

It was Seneschal. He glanced over at Ri and lifted an eyebrow. Klayton only shrugged.

"The council has decided to upgrade your accommodations." He whispered, glancing at Ri's sleeping form. "Although I think it had better wait until tomorrow."

"Is she in trouble?" Klayton whispered. He meant for just being in his cell but Seneschal shook his head.

"No," said Seneschal. "As her former master, I can tell you this. She's always in trouble, but mostly with herself. She feels guilt at you being taken instead of her-"

"But-"

Seneschal held up a hand. "Save the explanation. Maybe you two can help each other."

"Help each other?" He glanced over at Ri again.

"The council is slow on making decisions," Seneschal went on. "But they will go after this person. They have to, there is no other choice."

Klayton felt a sense of relief, he had been convincing enough. He should probably go back to Telos.

"But they won't be able to find him."

Klayton's head snapped towards Seneschal. "What do you mean?"

"You two are going to escape from here, flush him out, find allies."

"Oh no, this isn't my problem... I plan on getting revenge."

"She will want that too." Seneschal nodded at Ri, "if anything she will want revenge." When Klayton started to protest Seneschal held up a hand. "Oh she'll call it justice, but she'll want it just the same."

Klayton clenched a fist. It was true.

Seneschal rose up to leave. "Thank you for coming. I'm thinking you should play a little more. It makes the guards confused."

Klayton wasn't sure how to respond at first. "Why?" He settled with.

"Because they don't know whether to kill you or become your number one fans. Good night Klayton." Seneschal saw himself out of the cell, which Klayton noticed was no longer locked.

Klayton sat on the floor again next to the bed playing his gitar for a while longer. His song wasn't sad, but for the moment he still felt trapped. Fear washed through him. Mostly because he knew that Seneschal was right.

Ri was tenacious and would go after the one who had destroyed her home planet. And he would never be able to stop her.

He knew he would be going with her before Seneschal ever left the room. Before she woke up and knew to ask him.

He felt the dark side force energy, it was familiar to him. But also so deep and wide he could have drunk it in. He drew on it and made a small bolt of lightning dance cross his fingers. He let his anger saturate him for the moment. Someone would pay for Dagelos.

He could bide his time too.