Fateful Encounter

(12 BBY)

Well, here we go again! Serina thought as she started to strap in for the drop back to realspace. She could only hope that soon there would be an opportunity to find some other transport back toward the Core. She had been so close already. But somehow, she had missed her chance and now the freighter she was on was taking her further away with each new assignment.

But that was actually the least of her problems. Not that the Ayers' Nest itself gave her cause to worry, no, even to the contrary. She had been quite surprised when she had taken a good look at the engines. Though the ship looked from the outside as if it would fall apart shortly, the actual machinery was well kept and much faster than she had expected. As a matter of fact, had she seen the engines before signing on, she would have never ended up in this undesirable situation. It would have gotten her suspicious right away. But on the other hand, they hadn't had much choice either. Unlike Hera, who had found a new engagement quickly, she and Merik had been stranded for close to a month on Formos, where they had landed - well, more of a crash than a controlled landing, she reminded herself - with the malfunctioning small vessel that had belonged to the smugglers. So, both of them had just been happy to get hired onto any outbound ship and she hadn't looked too closely at the vessel Merik had procured. But should they be unlucky enough to get caught, the Imperials would certainly not care to make a difference. Cling together, swing together, as the old saying went.

"What planet will it be this time?" Serina turned to the young man who had strapped in on the seat beside her.

"I believe the sun is called Circarpous Major. If I understood the captain correctly, then we are heading for the fourth planet."

"And what are we trading this time?" The sarcasm in her voice was palpable.

Merik gave her a hurt look. "Hey, I'm really sorry I got us into this mess. How should I have known that these people were smugglers? You know, it's not like I had many dealings with this kind of people before! And we needed a ship, badly!"

Serina knew that he was right. It was unfair to blame him for their current circumstances. Actually, it was her own fault for not taking a better look at their new employer.

At least, the current situation had given her a good excuse to lose interest in the young man. Not that she had intended to keep up her little feint much longer anyway. For the past few months since they had escaped the fate of Jared and the rest of his group, Merik had been an acceptable companion and perhaps even a friend, but the time had come to get rid of him before he started to develop an even stronger attachment to her. When they had gotten stranded on Formos, she had considered it advisable to intensify his existing interest in her into what he considered "love", applying the Force in ways Tantra had taught her. Not necessarily the kind of use her old teacher would have approved of, but she had considered it necessary at the time. And she was still amazed at how well and how quickly it had worked. But now the time had come to put an end to those induced feelings.

"Has Captain Ayer told you at least what part we are supposed to play this time?" she resumed her original line of thought.

"I guess we are to go to some place in the town and meet some kind of contact. That's all I know." He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Perhaps we can sneak away and find us another ship before he even notices that we are gone?"

Serina looked at him skeptically. "And where do you think we'll find another ship this quickly? And, above all, one, that's not another smuggler? On that out-of-the-way planet down there perhaps?" Again, her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Merik shook his head and turned away from her. It was of no use. Perhaps it was better if their ways parted as soon as possible. Should Serina see to herself, he had no intention of returning to the Ayers' Nest no matter what happened on the planet, even if it would cause him to get stuck there for some weeks or months.

Six ominous shapes appeared just beyond Circarpous XIV and started their travel toward its sun. Several squadrons of TIE fighters emerged like bees from their hive and began to spread throughout the system.

Inside the Exactor, the foremost of the three Imperial Star Destroyers flanked by three smaller Victory Class vessels, Darth Vader sat motionless in his raised meditation chamber. As Captain Cords approached, the sphere opened slowly, the upper lid lifting like a jagged-toothed mechanical jaw. Swallowing hard at the lump in his throat, Cords took another step forward.

"What is it, Captain?" The mechanical breathing from within the chamber sent a chill down Cords' spine.

"We have entered the Circarpous system," the officer replied. "Our arrival at the fourth planet will be in approximately thirty minutes. Since the survey team on Mimban has failed to respond to our calls, Admiral Serfs has detached a shuttle to check up on the situation there. A report is expected before we reach our destination."

"Contact Governor Baslers concerning our arrival and ensure that no ships leave the system without the proper authorization."

"Yes, Lord Vader." Captain Cords turned and left the room, glad to escape the evil presence of their much-dreaded leader.

As the mechanical jaw closed again slowly, Vader resumed his interrupted meditation. Leaning back in his comfortable chair, he concentrated on the Force engulfing him and reached out with his mind to scan the region of space around them. This mission had several goals in mind, but only one of them really mattered to the Sith Lord. The great purge had eliminated most of the Jedi already some years ago, but some of them had gone into hiding. To find these last remnants who had even managed to evade his inquisitors during the past seven years and to exterminate them with his own hands would be a great pleasure indeed. If a show of power for the Empire and a crackdown on the smuggling trade could be accomplished at the same time, so much the better.

Suddenly, his attention was riveted as a slight ripple passed through the Force. But even as he tried to reach for the source of the sensation, it stopped as suddenly as it had started. Was there a Jedi in the vicinity? It was possible, but not certain. Though he had not been able to clearly locate the source, the sensation had originated somewhere ahead of them, probably even from their destination, Circarpous IV. Whoever had caused it would not get a chance to escape.

The central spaceport on Circarpous IV didn't differ much from any of the others Serina had visited in the year since hitching her first ride out of Taanab. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the clientele was always the same no matter where she went. The dingy taverns and hotels belonged there just as much as the small garrison of stormtroopers guarding the Imperial governor's residence just outside of the spaceport.

Customs procedures were not as stringent as on some of the other planets they had visited recently and it had been easy for Serina to divert any attention from the strange device she was carrying with the help of the Force. She had not been willing to leave the lightsaber, one of the few personal items she had been able to save during their escape from the Coresac, behind on the ship since she had the distinct feeling she would not be returning there again. Besides, even with all the gadgets that made it look like some kind of holocam and despite the fact, that she had not so much as switched it on yet, it gave her a strange feeling of security.

Slowly, Merik and Serina strolled down the main thoroughfare toward the arranged meeting place. The captain had sent them to a small cafe located directly along the main street. There they were to wait until their contact showed up, supposedly shortly after noon.

The winter season of Circarpous IV had ended recently and the weather was already warm enough to use the tables and chairs outside of the cafe. Merik and Serina put down their small satchels, sat down and ordered some caf. It was still two hours until noon and they would have enough time to consider their further plans until the contact showed up.

For long moments, they just sat there quietly, each contemplating their options when suddenly a loud roar erupted out of the direction they had just come from. People all around them jumped to their feet and pointed toward the sky above the spaceport.

"Hey, isn't that our ship?!" Merik shouted his eyes fixed upon a dark shape among several others that quickly vanished out of sight.

Serina's gaze followed his outstretched arm. "Yeah, that's the Ayers' Nest alright. I guess we won't have to worry about getting away from our employer anymore, now will we?" The sarcastic tone had again crept into her voice, now however mingled with the relief she felt at the unexpected development. "I just wonder what happened. If I'm not totally mistaken, all those ships that left were of the same kind as ours." She didn't have to get more specific. Even Merik had learned to discern potential smugglers during the months that had passed.

"Perhaps there was some sort of crack-down by the authorities?" he ventured.

"Yeah, that would be an explanation. Yet somehow, I don't think it's quite that simple." But, Serina reminded herself, she had ways of finding out what had really happened that Merik knew nothing of. The commotion around them gradually calmed down as everybody returned to their seats. Serina took another sip from her cup and leaned back in her chair.

A quick glance at Merik assured her that he was too occupied with his own thoughts to disturb her during the next few moments. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind in the direction of the spaceport. If she could pick up on the emotions of the people there, it might tell her what had happened. Confusion, fear, utter despair. Those were the feelings that prevailed in those left at the docking facilities. But why? What could be so awful to put people into such a state of mind? And strangely enough, these emotions were somehow directed upward, as if they expected some sort of doom to fall from the sky. Perplexed, Serina extended her search in the same direction, toward space. And recoiled sharply at what she found there. Gasping, she opened her eyes and stared at Merik.

Startled by her surprised wheeze, her companion frowned at her. "What's the matter? Are you ok?" he voiced his concern.

"It's ..., ah, it's nothing, ah, I'm ok, don't worry. I just had a really strange feeling, as if something awful is going to happen soon. But it's gone now. Perhaps we should leave and try to find a place to spend the night."

"That's a good idea," the young man agreed. "I doubt that our contact will show up now anyway."

While they tried to get the attention of the waiterdroid to pay their bill, Serina considered what she had just felt. It had been like touching a dark, cold essence, evil and quite powerful. And yet, somehow, she felt a strange fascination for what she had encountered. Whatever it had been, it had struck a chord deep down inside of her.

Darth Vader loomed like a vengeful god of darkness as he stood on the main control deck of the leading Star Destroyer. Quietly, Admiral Serfs and his aide moved to stand behind their black-garbed leader. After a long moment, he turned to them. "Yes, Admiral?"

"Lord Vader, Governor Baslers sends you his greetings. Everything is prepared for your arrival. Several smaller ships have tried to escape the system. Two of them were destroyed, the others are currently held for investigation."

"Has the report concerning the survey team on Mimban come in yet?"

"Yes, Lord Vader, just moments ago. The shuttle has landed at the main campsite, but they have only found functional, yet deserted buildings. The troops have started a thorough search of the surrounding woods immediately, but so far without any results."

"Keep me updated, Admiral. Is my shuttle ready to launch?"

"It is, Lord Vader," the admiral confirmed as he stepped aside to let the Sith Lord pass. He had to hurry to keep up with Vader's strides as they made their way toward the shuttle bay.

The three shuttles carrying the Dark Lord as well as his accompanying troops emerged from the main hangar of the wedge-shaped Star Destroyer and headed for the major spaceport of Circarpous IV. The only sound to penetrate the silence in the leading shuttle was the unmistakable mechanical breathing coming from the passenger section, now under lights-out for the landing.

Suddenly, Vader grew absolutely motionless. He did not even allow his machine-regulated breathing to mar his concentration. There it had been again, a stirring in the Force, as if somebody had tried to touch him. Straining his every sense into the ether he tried to follow the sensation to its source, but before he could localize it, the ripple had passed as before. Yet the encounter had provided him with additional insight. First of all, the mind that had touched him was still young. It had received some training already, but by no means did it belong to an accomplished Jedi. However, it had certainly exhibited quite some potential. And secondly, whoever it belonged to was right down in the vicinity of the spaceport.

"Captain," Vader addressed the officer in command of the shuttle, "establish a connection to Governor Baslers. There will be a slight change in plans."

"I don't know where that stupid droid is. Perhaps we should just get up and leave." Merik was slowly starting to get restless. But before he could even think about putting his words into action, his attention was drawn to an armored troop transport that moved down the main street from the spaceport toward their location. A large loudspeaker array was mounted on top of the cockpit section, blaring out some official information.

As it drew closer, Merik started to make out some of the words.

"...to the Empire, therefore refusal to attend the parade will be considered high treason and will be punished immediately." For a moment, the loudspeaker fell silent, and then the message started over again. "Today, at noon, a parade in honor of a visiting high official from Imperial Center has been scheduled by Governor Baslers. All persons in the vicinity of the spaceport, locals as well as visitors, are invited to attend. Businesses will close down for the duration of the parade. This is a very unique occasion to show our loyalty to the Empire, therefore refusal to attend..."

As the message started to repeat itself, Merik cast a glance at Serina. Had she even listened to it? He was starting to wonder about her strange behavior. Though she had tried to disperse his worries, he was sure that something was bothering her. She hadn't spoken at all during the last moments, her gaze fixed upon the far distance.

Again, Merik turned to look toward the spaceport. Suddenly, he noticed white-clad figures starting to spread throughout the streets, advancing slowly toward their location. Stormtroopers! A growing sense of unease overcame him. What if they connected them to the smugglers of the Ayers' Nest? Most likely, the ships that had fled the spaceport in a hurry hadn't gotten very far. Despair threatened to overwhelm him as he thought of his diminishing options.

And Serina? She had heard the message, all right, but it didn't matter much to her at the moment. Whoever it was whom she had touched earlier, he was coming her way now. And she was certain, he was coming for her. There would be no escape. A wistful smile crept onto her face as another thought filled her mind. Escape had probably never been an option, anyways. After all, nobody could escape his or her destiny.

After giving his final instructions for the hurriedly arranged parade, Governor Baslers approached the dark-clad figure now emerging from the just landed shuttle. Trying to hide his trembling, he bowed in greeting.

"Welcome, Lord Vader. We are very pleased that you have found some time to visit our lowly outpost. We have tried everything to accommodate your orders, but you must admit that everything has been done on very short notice, therefore..." With a sharp motion of his hand, Vader swept the rest of the governor's excuses aside.

"You had enough time." Without any further explanation, the Sith Lord passed the cowering figure and headed toward the gates leading into the settlement. Soon he would confront whoever had drawn his attention.

The stormtroopers had herded everybody from the side streets and the stores toward the main thoroughfare and crowds of people, humans as well as aliens, were lining the street. The armored transport had returned and was leading the parade, the Imperial March resounding from its loudspeaker.

Vader carefully scanned the crowd as he followed behind the vehicle, flanked by Admiral Serfs on his right and the governor on his left. Several local officials together with leading officers from his ship brought up the rear together with another group of stormtroopers.

The Sith Lord knew well the effect he had on people. Even so they had been forced to line the street, nonetheless, those closest to him tried to push against those behind them in an effort to get away from his presence as far as possible. Under his hideous mask, Vader allowed himself a smile. The more they feared him, the better.

As the procession drew closer, Merik and Serina were forced to get up along with the other customers. Quickly they grabbed their meager belongings and stepped up to the curb. Everybody was gazing toward the spaceport, trying to discern who the high Imperial official might be, but the preceding vehicle was hiding whoever followed in its wake.

"We shouldn't stand this close to the front," Merik whispered into Serina's ear. But when he tried to pull her toward the back of the crowd she shook off his hand and stepped even closer to the curb.

Soon the vehicle had passed them allowing an unimpeded view of the black-garbed figure behind it. A wave of trepidation swept through the crowd as everybody took an involuntary step back, away from the looming personified evil, everyone - except for Serina. Suddenly she was standing all alone at the very front of the crowd, her gaze fixed upon the Sith Lord, who had stopped only meters away from her. It was as if time had come to a halt. Everything around her vanished from her perception, as her full attention centered itself on the masked figure in the middle of the road.

For an instant, the absurdity of her own reaction hit her. She should be scared stiff! Or at least follow the lead of those around her and get as far away from that personified evil as possible! But … she wasn't scared one bit and she didn't want to get away from him, either. Far from it! She felt drawn to him in a quite inexplicable way, wanted him to take notice of her and the only worry that crossed her mind was that he might ignore her.

One glance at the young woman had been enough to convince Vader that she was the one he had come looking for. She could not be any older than sixteen or seventeen, but the Force was already strong in her. The way she stood there, gazing intently at him, surprised him. There was no fear or dread in her eyes or her emotions, just a barely contained excitement about meeting him. And a strong desire to be taught in the ways of the Force. Had she been looking for him?

He motioned to one of his troopers. "Get me that girl over there."

At first, Serina didn't even notice the white armored figure that had stepped up to her side. Finally, she turned her head. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

"Lord Vader wants to see you!" he shouted at her above the din of the blaring loudspeaker. "Come with me!"

A pleased smile spread across Serina's face. "Gladly!" she exclaimed and followed the trooper toward the dark figure in the middle of the road.

"My Lord," she addressed him bowing down her head. Then she gazed up expectantly into the hideous mask covering the face of the Sith Lord.

"You are looking for a teacher in the ways of the Force." It was not a question. "I will be your teacher. You will not disappoint me."

The realization of what she had just been offered slowly dawned on the young woman. Vader her teacher? But, of course! The vision from eight years prior came rushing back to her mind and a deep conviction settled within her: this had been her destiny all along. Bowing her head deferentially, Serina replied, "Yes, my Lord, I will not disappoint you!"

Vader turned to the trooper who had brought her to him. "Take her to the Exactor and arrange accommodations for her close to mine." After a last glance at the young woman, who, after a slight bow toward him, turned and followed the trooper toward the spaceport, the Dark Lord resumed his march toward the governor's residence.

He had sensed no aversion to the dark side in the girl. It definitely hadn't been a Jedi who had given her the very rudimentary training she had displayed in her attempt of scanning him earlier. It would be easy to guide her into the teachings of the Sith. The Force was strong in her and within a short time, she would turn into a useful tool for him. A sudden reluctance overcame him as he thought of the Emperor. What would his master's reaction be should he find out about his newest apprentice? No, he decided, he would not inform him about her just yet. The Emperor had a habit of claiming those with the greatest potential for his own personal service. But Vader had discovered her and she would be his student first. He could always tell his master about her once her training was completed; unless, of course, he found out about her ahead of that moment.

The sight of the huge Star Destroyer ahead of them was breathtaking. Serina had never seen a ship this size before. How many persons were needed to keep this monster of a vessel moving, she wondered briefly? Had she been able to visit a training academy and afterward one of the main service academies as she had intended, she might have even gotten stationed on one just like it.

A wistful smile crossed her face. Perhaps it was not at all too late to accomplish those dreams. If she could convince Lord Vader that it would be important for her service for him to have some military training, he might even send her there himself.

Despite all her excitement about the offer she had just received, she had no delusions about what it entailed. Sure, Vader would be her teacher, but it wouldn't be for her own benefit. She was too well aware of the kind of person the Dark Lord was. The ruthlessness he employed to achieve his goals was well known across the Empire. He would expect her to serve him in whatever capacity he saw fit. As long as she served him well and helped him further his own goals she would be fine. But she already dreaded the moment when she failed him in one form or another. No, she called herself to order, failure was not an option she would allow herself. And she would not give in to this dread like all the others who had to deal with Lord Vader: she would not allow herself to fear him.

After the shuttle had set down in the huge landing bay, the trooper led her deep into the bowels of the ship to the quartermaster's office. She felt the stares of the crewmembers they passed, becoming only too aware of her worn-out clothing. She would have to do something about it as soon as possible.

"Quartermaster," the trooper addressed the older man behind the desk in the middle of the small office they had stepped into. "Lord Vader has ordered to assign this young woman some quarters, as close to his own as possible. He expects her to be settled in by the time he returns to the ship."

The older man let his fingers play across his terminal. "I have assigned her room 405, level 95. That's the closest I can give her to Lord Vader's rooms. Droids are already dispatched to prepare the room for her." After a glance at Serina, he added, "And perhaps you should pass the supplies-office on your way there to get her something appropriate to wear."

The trooper was already directing Serina back out of the office when the quartermaster called out to her, "Wait just a moment, Miss. This might be helpful to you." He handed her a small pad and quickly explained its functions to her. "This should help you to not get lost. When you are comfortable enough with finding your way around, you can return it to me." Serina smiled warmly at him, thanking him for his help. Then she turned and followed the trooper toward the turbolift shaft.