Disclaimer: Star Wars was created by George Lucas and built on by a great number of exceptional people.

Belaya set her jaw. "Come inside. We have to figure out how to rescue Vaner, and we have little time." The group gathered in Bastila's living room, trying not to look at the empty crib in the corner.

Dustil paced by the door. "The sliced nav system means we can't track the shuttle, so what do we do?"

Yun was in pain but alert and awake, with a kolto dressing on his wound. "We wait. We should be getting a call soon."

Yuthura looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Bastila hugged herself sadly. "One ordinary child is of little use to anyone. Vaner was taken as leverage, to force me to obey that Dark Jedi, or his master." She turned to Belaya. "These people don't want me dead. They want me alive, for my Battle Meditation."

Yun nodded. "I worked kidnappings with the hostage team on Corulag. They will likely call here, soon, with instructions for Bastila. If she's right, they'll want her to meet them somewhere, to take her off-world." He faced Bastila. "You will insist that Vaner be present at the meet, when you hand yourself over to them, and demand proof he is still alive and safe. Once we know where the meet is, we can plan."

Bastila nodded and sank down on the sofa. Juhani sat down face to face with Bastila and held her hands. "We will get him back, Bastila."

Bastila smiled bravely. "I know I can count on you."

The group was quiet for perhaps an hour. Belaya tended to Yun's injuries. He was still in pain, but back in fighting shape. Sarna's SAU carbine was gone, fallen down somewhere in the lower levels of Coruscant. She had kept the repeating carbine she took from one of the kidnappers. It wasn't cortosis-plated, of course, but it was compact, accurate, and had a ferocious rate of fire.

The comm terminal buzzed. Bastila moved to answer it; the others got out of the camera's line of sight. The CSF impostor wore a dark grey flight suit without any emblem; he was smiling cruelly. "Bastila Shan, I'm glad you have the time to take my call."

Bastila glared at him. "There's no need to mock me, sir. You have taken my son. He is all I have, and I won't risk him being hurt. I want proof of life, now, and then we can get to your demands."

The Dark Jedi nodded evenly. "Right to the point, I like that. I have a use for your talents, Battle Maiden. Since I need you to use the Force, I can't restrain you with a neural disruptor. That being the case, I've taken your son to ensure your compliance. Bring him out." The woman Yun had hit carried Vaner into view. The toddler was squirming in the seat, but seemed unhurt. The lead kidnapper waved her away, and the woman took Vaner out of the camera's field of view.

"Vaner is not important to me, Bastila," said the Dark Jedi, "you are. As long as you do what you are told and make no attempt to escape, I have no reason to harm him. You will meet me in the Jedi Temple, in the rock garden of the Room of a Thousand Fountains, at midnight tomorrow. You will then be escorted to my ship." The Dark Jedi arched an eyebrow. "Do I need to bother telling you to come alone, and unarmed? I know the CSF are listening, and you know that I have them infiltrated, and any rescue plan will reach my ears. There are no Jedi left to come to your aid, Bastila-don't try anything foolish. If you do, Vaner will die." The communication cut off.

Bastila wilted as soon as the hologram vanished. She took a moment or two to pull herself together, then stood. "I need to get some food and rest," she said quietly. "I'd like a couple of you to stay with me tonight. We'll plan in the morning." Juhani nodded and pointed to herself and Yuthura. The others hopped into the speeders and returned to the Shadow. They all turned in; tomorrow morning would be busy.

Bastila arrived at the ship shortly after breakfast. She had braided her hair to keep it tidy, and wore a set of brown Jedi robes. Shortly after waking up, Bastila 'knocked out' Juhani and Yuthura in the apartment, and left in her own speeder. The last two members of the crew returned to a CSF building in one of the unmarked cruisers, then ducked out another door, changing vehicles to throw off any tails. As far as the kidnappers knew, Bastila was giving herself up against orders from the CSF.

Belaya clasped her hands. "I see one thing in our favor. He thinks there are no Jedi left. He wants to meet in the Temple-the Force is so strong there, he won't be able to pick us out against the background. We won't be able to locate him through the Force either, but he'll have no idea that there are Jedi against him, other than Bastila herself."

Yuthura smiled. "It is even better than that. He wants to meet in the Room of a Thousand Fountains." Dak and Belaya nodded understanding.

Xaart was puzzled. "What difference does it make where in the Temple the meet happens?"

"The Fountain Room is a large conservatory," said Bastila. "It takes up one entire corner of the bottom level of the Temple. There are more than two hundred varieties of plants, all covering an area of several square kilometers. It is broken up into many small spaces, including pathways, meditation areas, and gardens. A network of streams irrigates the plantings. There are, as you might have deduced, a thousand fountains for decoration, and to provide a soothing sound for meditation. The Dark Jedi wants to use the dense foliage and abundant cover. The CSF would have a nightmare in there against those troopers' carbines, but we're not CSF."

"We were brought up on Dantooine," said Juhani, "but every youngling in the Order spends some time on Coruscant." The Cathar's face broke into a clever grin. "And every last one has played hide-and-seek in the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

Dak crossed his arms. "When the Jedi left the Temple, the decorative water sprays that give the room its name were shut off, as a memorial to the fallen. But the streams running through the room are fed by the rain, and the plants have grown wild." Dak chuckled to himself. "It's a jungle in there! There are several levels of terraced gardens, and the overall effect is of a mountain slope in a tropical rainforest. The rock garden is near the bottom, and is the only truly open space in the room." He stroked his chin while he thought. "Jolee taught me some of his knowledge of woodcraft. I'm nowhere near as skilled as Juhani, of course, but she can't take out the sentries alone."

Griff cleared his throat. "We will have to sneak in, take out the kidnappers near Vaner, and then either get the rest or get clear. Bastila will be searched for weapons. The trick we used to rescue Yuthura should work well here. I can sneak in behind Bastila, carrying her lightsaber."

Juhani nodded. "Dak and I can move through the trees, eliminating guards. Yun and Marks should find shooting positions near the top of the room for overwatch. Once they are in place, Griff, Dak, and I will surprise the hostage-takers near Vaner, and get Bastila her lightsaber."

Belaya nodded. "That leaves me assaulting downhill with Dustil, Yuthura, and Sarna, hitting the troopers before they can counterattack the others at the base of the hill." She turned to Xaart. "You coordinate the CSF support. I don't want them involved in the assault, but keeping people away from the site would be good."

Xaart nodded. "I can handle that. We'll also need to get you to the Temple quietly." He thought for a moment. "I hope none of you are afraid of heights…"

The black and grey shuttle slid through a bank of low clouds above the spires of Coruscant. The Republic Intelligence insertion craft was sensor-stealthed and quiet, and its dark paintjob made it nearly invisible at night. To ensure that they wouldn't be seen approaching the Temple, Xaart had arranged for several billboards to be placed along their route, where the bright holograms would ruin a sentry's night vision and wash out any scanner optics. A thick rope lay coiled at each of the shuttle's side doors. They settled to a hover above the flat top of the Temple ziggurat. The kidnappers' shuttle sat on the Temple pad, with a few troopers patrolling the perimeter. The crew chief shoved the ropes out the doors; they uncoiled to a stop a meter or so above the Temple roof. Sarna and Yun were the first ones to fast-rope down to the rooftop, with the others following close behind. Several members of the crew carried bags of equipment. Sarna pulled out a small glow rod and blinked it twice: all down safe. The crew chief waved, and the shuttle moved silently away from the Temple, disappearing into the city lights.

The group walked across the rooftop. There was a fire escape hatch in the roof, leading to a stairway at the top of the Fountain Room, but it was almost certainly guarded. Instead, Dustil and Juhani moved to the edge of the transparisteel ceiling of the conservatory. Dustil pulled a small fusion cutter from one of the equipment bags and cut an entry hole in one of the window panels. Juhani lifted it out with the Force and set it down quietly on the roof. She looked through the hole. The moons were waning crescent, and the Fountain Room was dark, save for a single portable lamp in the rock garden itself. Troopers walked back and forth on the shadowy pathways through the plant beds. Beneath the hole, a guard patrolled the top-level terrace next to the waterfall which fed the streams running through the room.

The Dark Jedi and his second waited for Bastila at the edge of the circle of light. "Do you think she will come, Major?" the woman asked.

The Dark Jedi nodded slowly. "Yes, Captain, I do. Bastila was a Jedi, but she is also a mother. By holding her only son, we hold her by the throat. I think she is weak enough to be willing to serve my uncle in exchange for the boy's safety. Even if she is not, she will at least come to try and save her son. If she does not bend, we will have to kill her-she is a threat if she stands against us." He smiled. "We can ensure our success tonight. After all, Bastila Shan is the last Jedi in the Republic."

Juhani smiled, then removed her boots and socks. The Cathar grabbed the edge of the hole and lowered herself until she was hanging by her hands. She swung back and forth, then let go and landed on a large tree branch above the terrace. Juhani dug her clawed feet into the branch and bent her knees to hang head downward. She grabbed the guard by the throat and hauled him into the air, choking him out. She let the dead man drop to the ground. A second guard was watching the stairway door. Juhani pounced, landing on his back and driving the trooper's head into the ground. With the nearby sentries eliminated, Juhani waved the rest of the group down the stairs.

Marks was first through the door, rifle up and tracking. He paused to look around, then took up a position on the terrace. Belaya came next, pointing the others to their positions. Dak and Juhani began moving down the slope toward the next set of guards. Yun dropped behind a stone bench along the path down from the waterfall. Sarna led the way down the path, carbine slung, combat knife at the ready. Belaya, Yuthura, and Dustil stayed behind her. Juhani made it across the next path without being spotted. Dak watched a guard go by, headed in Sarna's direction. He stepped out onto the path and clicked his tongue. The guard spun and brought up his carbine, and Sarna slammed her knife into the base of his skull. Belaya's comm vibrated, two short clicks. Bastila was thirty seconds out.

Griff sat cloaked in the speeder's passenger seat. Bastila was flying, looking ahead at the approaching Temple. She spoke without turning her head. "Griff, you will have to jump out of the speeder before we land. You may be cloaked, but they could still see the depression in the seat cushion. I'll come in low and slow so you can get out safely. Once I land and step out, you must get close behind me." Bastila set her jaw. "Once you pass me my lightsaber, get to Vaner and get him out of danger. What happens to me doesn't matter, as long as he is safe."

Griff swallowed hard. "I won't let you down, ma'am." She clicked her comm twice. Belaya sent three in response. The crew was in place.

The speeder flared to a landing in the exterior gardens. Bastila stepped out, holding her hands wide away from her body. The door slid open and she walked through, along a path she remembered well and into the circle of light in the rock garden. The Dark Jedi was waiting at the far edge of the circle, holding Vaner in his arms. The captain was further back, covering Bastila with a drawn blaster. Several troopers were immediately visible, and there were doubtless more in the trees up the slope.

"Hello, Bastila," said the Dark Jedi pleasantly. "My men saw you take out your CSF watchdogs. I'm glad you see things my way."

Bastila dropped her arms loosely to her sides. "You're wrong. I can't serve you. I used my Battle Meditation for an evil purpose once before, and more than a hundred thousand people died at Lehon. It can never happen again. I would die first."

The Dark Jedi smiled. "Who said anything about evil? I want you to help me end the chaos that is plaguing the galaxy. The Republic has failed to maintain order, and provide peace and security for its people. I mean to bring that order." He turned, walked over to the captain, and handed her the toddler. The woman accepted Vaner and stepped back. The Dark Jedi returned to the circle of light to face Bastila. "This is your last chance. Come quietly, or Vaner dies."

Bastila bared her teeth. "No, this is your last chance." She gestured to indicate her robes. "I am one of the most powerful Jedi of the Order, and the most dangerous place in the galaxy is between a mother and her child." She fixed the Dark Jedi with a baleful stare. "If you release Vaner, immediately and unharmed, you will be allowed to leave this world in peace. If you continue on the path you now walk, you will fall, as do all who follow the dark side."

"It's a pity." The Dark Jedi shook his head sadly. "You've thrown away your son's life, and of course I can't let you live to interfere with me." He drew his pistol and began to point it towards the child.

Griff decloaked, tossed Bastila her lightsaber, and drew his blaster to stun the captain. The Dark Jedi shot out a hand and blew Griff into a boulder. The troopers opened fire, but Marks and Yun began picking them off as Belaya's group readied themselves to attack the troopers from behind. The captain raised Vaner over her head, ready to hurl him against the rocks. Dustil fired from up above. The Dark Jedi drew his short saber to deflect the bolt, but Dustil curved his shot around the bronze blade and hit the captain in the head. She was still for one long moment, then she dropped Vaner and began to fall. Griff dove to catch the boy before he hit the ground, then turned to run for the speeder.

The Dark Jedi roared with anger, drew his blaster, and fired at the fleeing Twi'lek. Bastila stepped between them, saber drawn. She stopped a dozen bolts, but three got through. Griff was hit twice in the back, burning through his armor. He staggered but kept moving. The third shot caught him in the back of the knee. Griff fell, but spun to cushion Vaner. Griff scrambled up and began limping the last few meters to the speeder. Bastila advanced on the Dark Jedi to keep him from shooting Griff again. Belaya thumbed her comm. "Go now, Bastila. Get Griff and Vaner out of here!"

Bastila nodded and fell back to the speeder. Griff was losing consciousness, so Bastila lifted him into the passenger seat and set Vaner on the floor in the back. The Dark Jedi ran after them, but Dustil fired in front of him. The pilot leapt from one terrace down to the next until he reached the rock garden, then he moved to cut off the Dark Jedi's pursuit.

"You were wrong, Major," Dustil said, igniting his lightsaber. "Bastila isn't the last Jedi in the Republic."

The other Jedi drew their sabers and charged downhill as Sarna cut loose with her new carbine. The Dark Jedi snarled and fired at Dustil, who blocked the shot and counterattacked. The two men locked sabers; Dustil was thrown backwards. Belaya broke through the battle on the terraces and ran up alongside Dustil. The rest of the troopers were being wiped out by the Shadow's crew.

Belaya fixed the Dark Jedi with a stern glance. "It's over, Major. Drop your weapons; you are under arrest in the name of the Jedi Order."

The Dark Jedi spat. "It has barely begun, Jedi. The heirs of Nadd will rule the galaxy, and you cannot stop us." He turned and ran up the terrace; Juhani moved to cut him off. The Dark Jedi turned sharply to the right, blasted a section of windows with Force push, and dove out the hole. Juhani reached the window and looked out to see him standing atop the shuttle. The top hatch opened and the Dark Jedi dropped down inside. The shuttle banked and raced away. Dustil began firing, slamming bolt after bolt into the shuttle's shields.

Belaya grabbed his arm and forced the pistol down. "He's gone, Dustil. We've won, at least for today." She turned to look at the crew as they gathered in the rock garden. "Let's get back to the ship. We'll deal with this new threat another day."

A/N: Those of you who follow the TOR canon closely will likely have guessed where this is headed. The rest of you will have to wait and see... As always, please leave a review.