Writer's notes: Aerin begins to misuse the Force for her own vanity and the Jedi attempt to address this, hoping it will go away.

The Map of Destiny – Part IV

The Enclave – Women's Quarters – Early Morning

After telling his story, Carth choked on his words. His face flushed red and he bit his lip hard, breaking skin. Blood trickled down his chin. He had not spoken of his wife or son in a long time and it reopened many old wounds.

Aerin gently wiped his face with a cloth.

"Enough for now," he said, his voice cracking. "I…I need to get some sleep."

Without another word, he stood and departed. Aerin watched the door close and sat quietly for a moment.

So much anguish…how does he bear it? Perhaps I misjudged him earlier.

With a sigh, she dragged herself back into bed. Mission was already asleep.

The Enclave – 1200L

Aerin awoke slowly, rubbing her face with her hands. Ugh, what Bantha sat on my head? She groaned, feeling awful and then rolled out of bed. She walked into the washroom and looked into the mirror. There were bags under her eyes and her hair hung in ragged clumps. She quickly washed and returned her sight to the mirror. Something about her image leapt out at her. Several gray hairs were immediately visible; the young Jedi was horrified.

With a grunt, Aerin summoned a tiny amount of power within herself and her beauty was restored. A little effort and voila! Ahhh, much better. Deep in her heart, she knew this was a misuse of her power, but it was such a minor thing.

Dismissing her guilt, Aerin returned to the bedroom and noticed that Mission had already left, most likely to do some exploring. The young Twi'lek could always be counted on to know everything about an area after a short time.

The Lieutenant carefully brushed her hair and put on fresh robes. She tied her belt and smoothed out some of the creases in her clothing. "These robes are most unflattering."

She walked out the door, hoping to spend some time in the garden. However, Belaya approached her.

"Padawan Dakar, your presence is requested in the Council Chamber."

Aerin nodded reluctantly and Belaya led her to the Council, where the Masters had gathered.

As the Council awaited the two Jedi, Bastila stood, seemingly calm. Her hands were folded in front of her and face was expressionless. "Masters, I apologize for my lack of faith earlier. I…I have refocused myself," she said.

Master Vandar spoke, "Bastila, you have nothing to apologize for. At times, we all feel fear. It is how we deal with it… that is what gives us character."

Bastila sighed with relief. "Thank you for your kind words, Master." Some of her old confidence was returning now. "I have given this much thought. I believe I was correct in my earlier thinking, Master Vrook, what greater strength is there then to turn the enemy's power to your own cause? I will join this quest and serve whoever leads it."

At that, the doors to the Chamber opened with a loud creak. Aerin and Belaya entered and approached the Masters. As they passed, Aerin gave Bastila a slight smile.

Master Vandar rose and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Padawan Dakar, thank you for coming. You have done some remarkable things for which we are most grateful. This morning, Bastila told us of your dream. The Council believes that the dream has revealed something of use to us. Revan's interest in this map was obvious. The Council does not normally act so quickly and without debate, but the Force has led us to believe that we must find this map as soon as possible."

Aerin glanced at each Master in turn. "What do you propose that we do?"

Master Dorak rose and looked directly at her. "We have read over the data pad left by Doctor Sandral and we believe that the ruins he died exploring may be the very ruins in your dream."

"After our meeting with Bastila this morning," informed Master Vandar, "we dispatched Master Nemo to secure the site. He is an experienced and powerful Jedi. Once he has reported in, we will analyze the data and we hope to determine the nature and location of Revan's facility."

Aerin nodded at Vandar's words. I should tell them…of my lack of control.

"Masters…I have something I should tell you…." she began to say nervously.

Vrook grimaced, obviously displeased. "We know of your outburst, Padawan Dakar." His dark eyes were fixed on her, boring into her soul.

A look of surprise came over her face. She glanced at Bastila a bit suspiciously, thinking that her mentor had tattled on her.

"Do not blame Padawan Shan," said Master Zhar. "She did the correct thing." The Twi'lek Master's lekku shifted over his shoulder.

"Of course. I am sorry," apologized Aerin. "I lost control of my emotions. Your faith in me was misguided."

Zhar shook his head, but his expression was more of concern than disapproval. "We have brought you a long way in a short time. Such progress is not without its perils. The Jedi have trained worthy individuals for millennia and we are not without our corrective methods."

Aerin raised an eyebrow, initially defensive, but then she relaxed. She took a deep breath and focused herself to be calm. "I am ready to receive whatever punishment the Council deems necessary." She bowed low with both hands extended out in supplication.

Vandar raised a hand. "We do not deem it punishment. We prefer methods of introspection, focus, and even enlightenment."

Zhar motioned for Aerin to follow him and together, they departed the Chamber. They walked down a long, narrow path, flanked by tall bamboo and hanging white lights. Ahead, Aerin could hear the pounding of water into a pond. Entering a clearing, Aerin saw a waterfall emptying its icy load onto smooth rocks on the banks of a pond. Mist hung about the air, coating her skin.

"Padawan Dakar, we are here for the cleansing ritual. Here, you will contemplate the origins and power of the Force. Focus your being and purge excessive emotions."

Aerin nodded. Suddenly, a question struck her. "Master Zhar, are all emotions bad?"

Zhar smiled. "Of course not, my child. Emotion is part of the Force. It is the lack of control of emotion that brings about chaos. It is when emotion controls us that we fall to the Dark Side."

"What of love?"

Zhar's face went blank for a moment, seemingly taken aback by the question. "Love…. Love is innate to all known sentient species in some form and the Order does not consider it evil. Even physical union and procreation are part of the Force. It is when these things consume you and you lose balance that we become vulnerable."

Aerin smiled, satisfied with the answer. "Thank you. I am ready for the cleansing." With a bow to Master Zhar, Aerin disrobed and folded her clothing in a neat pile. She walked over the smooth, black rocks and knelt beneath the waterfall. Her breath left her as the icy water ran down her body into the pond.

I am clean…I control my emotions…There is no room for rage.

Time lost all meaning as the water roared around her. A warm feeling grew in her belly and spread throughout her body. The Force was with her. She was at peace.

Hours passed until the Cathar, Juhani approached Master Zhar. They spoke for a few minutes and then, his expression darkened.

"Padawan Dakar!" he yelled.

Aerin opened her eyes amid the splashing water and the roar of the crashing fluid returned to her ears. She stood and stepped out of the falls, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. She looked up and smiled at Juhani and the Cathar smiled back.

Zhar waved Aerin back to the overlook and she skipped back barefoot over the worn rocks. Aerin shook the water from her hair as droplets rolled down her body.

"We must return at once," informed Zhar. "The other masters have disturbing news."

Aerin quickly dressed and followed them back to the Enclave.

The Enclave Council Chambers – 1830L

Back within the Chamber, Aerin strode across the plush carpet. She bowed low before the Masters as Zhar took his seat. "You have summoned me, Masters?"

Master Vandar pursed his lips. His expression was grave as he pointed to a lowering view screen. "Padawan Dakar, we have reason to believe that something has happened to Master Nemo."

Bastila, who stood near the screen, activated a holo projector. "We received this transmission from Master Nemo about an hour ago. I'll play the last portion of it."

The screen flickered to life, showing a series of strange stone structures protruding from the ground. The images were shown from Nemo's perspective. The dark stones rose at odd angles, giving the area a sinister and foreboding appearance.

"I have no knowledge of these objects," Nemo said into his wristcomm. "They don't appear in any database, but they seem to be channeling me toward a mound of some sort…. Ah, yes, there is a portal."

The video panned to a massive stone door, ribbed in some alien metal, half buried in the earth.

"The power of the Dark Side is strong here. I can feel it…. Wait, the portal is opening…. It must sense my presence."

The camera view bounced as Nemo walked into the door. Darkness flooded over the video until Nemo's light came on. Eerie shadows played off of squat stone columns and tiled floors. Ancient dust particles floated in the beam of light before the camera eye. Hesitantly, Nemo pressed forward. Static played over the video as Nemo penetrated deeper into the complex.

"I can see…….up ahead. I th….must be incredib…..ient….wer of the Dark Si…"

Another portal could be seen in the gloom. The images bounced between Nemo's steps and the static. A buzzing noise began to distract the viewers. As Nemo's old hand touched the door, it slid slowly open with a grinding sound.

"We lose the video here," advised Bastila. "We have audio only from this point."

"I hope you…..ing these images. Master Vandar…….not……overpow…. don't underst… NO!"

Immediately after that, the sound of a lightsaber powering up drowned the audio feed…and then, silence.

"Unfortunately, we have not heard from him since then," voiced Master Vandar. "We need your team to go and find Master Nemo and determine the nature of the ruins. We fear the worst and need to ask you to go as soon as possible."

Aerin bowed. "I shall depart immediately."

Bastila stepped forward. "We shall go together and discover what information the Star Map holds."

Aerin forced a smile and motioned to the door and together they departed for the speeders. Along the way, Aerin used her wristcomm to contact Carth and Canderous. "Hey guys, we have another outing. Meet us at the speeders in fifteen minutes. Make sure to pack appropriately."

Aerin and Bastila gathered and packed supplies into the speeders and very soon, the two men came sauntering up with a couple of Republic soldiers. "So, what's this new picnic?" asked Canderous with a smirk.

"It is Council business," answered Bastila. "We cannot tell you any specifics."

Carth shrugged indifferently. "Hrmpf…typical."

Mission and Zaalbar were not present and there was no time to call them: Master Nemo could be in grave danger and the journey would be several hours. The six piled into a single speeder with Carth at the controls. As they rose off the ground, Aerin scratched her head.

"Shoots, we have to drop by Elise Montagne's place. We need to tell her what happened to her droid. It's along the way."

Bastila frowned disapprovingly. "We really don't have time. Master Nemo may be in danger."

"Yes, you're right. Can we stop on the way back? I have a promise to keep."

"That would be fine. You should endeavor to keep your promise," said Bastila as the speeder accelerated into the setting sun.

Carth pushed the throttle forward to its maximum setting and the speeder rocketed ahead. "We're at three hundred kph! We should be there in four hours," advised Captain Onasi.

Dantooine - Near the Mysterious Ruins

Aerin became pensive during the long ride as twilight overtook them. She looked over at Canderous, admiring his powerful physique. His graying hair added to his already imposing look and a heavy scar on his cheek solidified his image as a warrior.

"Canderous, might I ask where you got that scar?" the young Jedi inquired.

He turned to face her, a smirk forming on his face, crinkling the wicked scar. "So, Aerin, you want to hear another war story? You want to hear about some other world getting wasted?"

"Ummm, sure."

The big merc chuckled. He spoke aloud, so everyone could hear. "Aerin, of all the people I've come across lately, you have my respect. I've seen some wild things out there…past the Outer Rim. Things your stagnant Republic has never seen…and never will…some of the strange creatures and races we fought."

"This scar…yes, it brings back memories. I led a force from my clan in hunting pirates and smugglers in the Crispin System. There was an asteroid field where the pirates successfully avoided our detection. Icy cold chunks of stone flitted and spun about while small rocks, covered in frozen methane gas shells, hung in place; perfect cover for the pirates."

Aerin listened to his every word. "How did you find them?"

"I came up with the idea to use a thermal generator. We employed it and vaporized the outer layer of a suspicious asteroid. As I had hoped, it shredded three pirate vessels. Unexpectedly, there was something inside the asteroid… something ancient and alien. Spots of light and heat appeared on the surface of the asteroid…now some kind of rocky growth. It began rotating faster and faster, spraying fire."

Aerin's mouth hung open. "W…what happened?"

Canderous chuckled. She's so young and impressionable. She definitely needs some seasoning.

"Thermal projectiles shot forth, melting our armor like wax. I was hit and badly wounded. Despite my injuries, I charged forward and the creature fled. We followed its hyperspace trail for days until it moved beyond the Outer Rim into the black void of space. If it wanted to die in the void, who were we to stop it?"

Aerin nodded, amazed by the merc's adventure. She was about to say something further, but Carth began to slow the speeder.

"I think we're close," announced the Captain.

Bastila nodded. "Yes, I can feel the power of the Dark Side growing." She looked up into the deepening clouds as a fierce wind howled.