Chapter 36

The group filed out of the Hawk moving in twos and threes, predictably as with Tatooine there was a Czerka rep waiting there for them, no doubt wanting to be paid a hundred credits for the privilege of using their LZ. There was no way Revan was going to pay the slavers. This time it was Juhani that approached the human male. In this case she had no objections of using the Force to get past the fees. It was an unspoken agreement amongst the Jedi that the slavers gain no funding from them.

The dark-haired male had the face of someone so average-so non-descript that he would be easily forgotten by the time the companions entered the Czerka compound proper. He bore the look of a man who wanted to be anywhere but where he was once he saw the distinctive Zeison Sha blue armor on both the Nagai and Cathar and the red Jal Shey Mentor robes. While he didn't know enough about different the names of the schools of philosophy he did recognize them as Jedi armor. And one could not miss the lightsabers hanging from their belts.

He also didn't know enough about the philosophies of the Dark or Light sides of the Force to make a distinction between Sith or Jedi. But after the other day's encounters with Darth Malak's Right Hand, he was not about to test them as Janis or Otto had. Janis was still in the med-center being treated for a sever neck injury, which was no small matter for anyone- especially an Ithorian.

"Wel…welcome to Edean," he stuttered. "It is an unexpected pleasure to welcome such distinguished guests. Of…of…course your…docking fees have been suspended, your um… Lordships," he wiped the sweat from his brow. He could do nothing for the rivets trickling down his back or leaking out of his armpits. His bladder had a sudden yearning to be released—fortunately however, he maintained control over its functions.

Revan smelled prey… and she smiled.

"I believe this world is called Kashyyyk," the Nagai tested the waters of how well she could manipulate this man without actually using the Force.

"Ah yes. Um the shareholders decided they preferred Edean."

"Are you correcting me?" Revan took a step forward. The man took a step back, shaking his head profusely.

"No...Ma'am...my Lady...my Lord...Ma...ma...Master."

The smile got almost shark-like. "I see. So you are content with contradicting your superiors?"

"NO! Of course not!" the man blurted and all but clapped his hands over his mouth.

"Either you are correcting me... or you are contradicting your superiors. Which is it?"

Carth and Canderous gave a knowing look to one another. This was a trick any decent DI- no matter which military you served- pulled all the time on their cadets. Any answer a cadet gave in this situation was the wrong answer. Peon was idiotic if he didn't see it.

"I...I...I...both? No! I mean it is Kashyyyk and and and Edean! If...if you're not a shareholder um how are you supposed to know it was changed? Right?" much to his relief the Jedi Master-Sith Lord-whatever seemed to accept his answer.

"That at least is an honest reply, if not a vapid one."

Or not. His heart sank.

"Please don't kill me!" he blurted all the color drained out of his face. "I...I am no one."

"Then no one will miss you." Canderous said as cold as any Mandalorian raider during the war.

Revan turned to the Mandy and smirked then looked back towards the Czerka peon.

"Yes. Yes they will. I'm... I'm married. I have seven kids?!"

"Observation: Master, I believe this meatbag is trying to deceive you. Why else form a response in the manner of a question?"

Revan slipped her arm around the now trembling man. "I do believe you are correct HK. You wouldn't try to deceive me now would you?"

The man shook his head "Please...I'm just a grunt here. I just a little itty, bitty bug... No challenge to your power... please... don't Master, don't kill me," he was begging for his life.

"Pathetic. Grow a pair." Canderous chastised the other male. But he was too fear-struck to even move out form under the Jedi's arm. Not that she'd let him if he did. Even Carth looked decidedly uncomfortable in the other male's cowardice, as did Zaalbar.

"Tell me... Itty... no... I don't like that. You know what. I'm calling you Bug. Is that alright?"

The man... er... Bug nodded.

"Excellent so much shorter than 'Itty-bitty bug'. So tell me Bug. Who is he? And where is he?"

"He who?"

"You being coy?"

"I don't think I know how." Bug answered.

"The one that made you do that." The Jedi looked down between the man's legs.

Bug feared his bladder had gotten the better of him but he was dry... mostly.

"He...I...I..."

"Come come, Bug aren't we friends? I'd like to be friends." Revan slithered silk into each syllable.

"Yes Master. Friends. "

"Good boy. Now tell me who he is and where did he go."

"I don't really know his name. He's called the Right Hand of Darth Malak, Master."

"Darth Bandon." Bastila identified, speaking up for the first time since the whole charade began.

"Yes! Yes I think that was his name Master... Mistress." Bug said to Bastila.

"So now we have a name. Where is he?" Juhani picked up the ball, much to the Nagai's approval.

"He... I believe he went below to the Shadowlands. I don't know for certain. He spoke with my manager… then he left... he took one of them beasts...akkkk!" there was pressure around his neck like a snake coiling around his thoughts. But it was not the invisible fingers that nearly suffocated Kresh...it was an actual physical arm.

"You do no want to say 'slave' or 'beast' around me or my fiends. Understand?"

A meek nod.

Revan patted Bug's chest as she would a hound. "Good boy."

"You won't kill me?"

Here Revan leaned in, her ice blue eyes pinning Bug's watery browns. "Did you know the Force can do terrible things to a mind? So terrible that death would seem to be a blessing. Take for instance...your name…hum...bugs. I could..." she tapped his forehead with the tip of her index finger which earned her a fearful squeal, "implant an idea into your mind. You see an idea is more virile, more insidious than any disease and it's more contagious than any plague as it worms itself though out your mind taking root like an infection. And once there... it stays there. Even if you tried not thinking about it, you think about it. And it grows... and grows...

"If I were to implant the image of millions of tiny little bugs crawling all over your body. You'd completely believe it was true. There are these vicious little creatures on Tatooine... called "skin termites". See they live in the sand dunes and when the sandstorm rises up they are swept up by the wind and hurled about until they find a host. Then- ohh and this is the really nasty part- they are so tiny, smaller than the sand fleas, which are of course nearly as horrible blighters as the termites. So... these skin-termites they burrow under the skin and you scratch and scratch yourself raw trying to get rid of them."

Bug's flesh was already crawling by the sheer mention of insects. And he wasn't the only one. Mission felt her whole body shiver. She couldn't help herself but rub away at any non-existent creepy-crawlies she thought for sure were crawling over her skin.

"Now fleas are a real bitch, yes? But these things, well they just don't bite you and sup on your blood. Oh no! They burrow deep. And they eat you from the inside out. Oh! These goes your flesh... is that muscle? Not any more! Good gods would you look at that! Right down to the bone and into the marrow…" she gave a theatrical shudder. "Terrible—terrible way to go. And you're alive when they do it."

Bug screamed.

Mission whimpered: "EWW ewweewww! That is just nasty!"

Revan smirked, and held Bug firm around the neck. "Now, now... Bug, steady on. I'm not that cruel. But there are some Force users that could do that, and they'd have no issue doing it either. They may even take great delight in doing so."

"Exclamation: Master if you can, I would certainly like to witness such sorcery." HK-47 sounded practically giddy. "Observation: All it takes is a strong Force wielder and a weak mind. This meatbag has a very weak mind- you could crush it like the insectiod he is named for."

Bug clapped his hands over his head as if he meant to shield it from Jedi-Sith powers. He was trembling so badly now one might have believed him to be on an ice world like Hoth rather than the tropics of Kashyyyk.

"Now now HK, I already told my friend here I wasn't going to do such a thing… I was trying to offer some perspective. So you see Bug, death? Not that bad in retrospect."

Bug nodded vigorously.

"Relax. Relax…" purred Revan. "I have no intention of killing you or messing around with your mind like that. No, in fact I am going to let you go," the shark smile was back.

Bug looked absolutely flabbergasted.

"Yes indeedy. In fact I guaran-fracking-tee you, you do not want to be here when my Jedi companions, my team-mates and I return from the Shadowlands after we've delt with Darth Bandon. Hum?

"It will become very messy very quickly. Very bad, and a lot of dead slavers. Jed and slavers- not a good match. Now since we're buddies Bug, I want you to do me a favour. You can do me a favour correct?"

Still in awe over the revelation of who he was now standing before, all Bug could do is offer a mute nod. His throat was so very thick it hurt to swallow. He had no saliva left in his mouth to form even a monosyllabic response.

"I want you to go to Coruscant—to the Czerka HQ- and tell them Ravensong …" in his mind Bug heard a very loud shout utter another name, 'REVAN' "…of the Jedi Order sends her regards. Tell them their slavery operations will be crushed as surely as the Revanchist crushed the Mandalorians," she leaned in and hissed. "Tell them I will hunt down every slaver who has ever put on a Czerka uniform…" she lifted her arm releasing her hold on the human.

Bug flew from their company so swiftly he tripped over his feet three times before he managed to catch control over his momentum.

Skye was smirking. Her look of smug satisfaction fell when she saw the deep disapproving scowl on Bastila's face. "Was that entirely necessary?"

"It got results didn't it?"

"There are gentler ways to gather information, my friend." Juhani echoed the older woman's disproval with her own.

"Sure there are, but not many methods as effective. And you both played a small part so you can't have been all that upset about it. Tell me, you both didn't feel Bug's fear when he saw the armor and lightsabers. I used the training I have," she looked pointedly as Bastila. "The scout training that is so deeply ingrained into my mind- and I capitalized on it."

Skye was right, there was no denying Bug's terror and strategically speaking it was a good move even if it edged on the tip of the Dark Side. Sometimes you had to lean into the shadows with one foot to bring Light back into the world. Skye / Revan seemed to have found a home there.

"Ha! I thought it was brilliant. Well up until that dig about Revan and my people." Canderous half-praised 'The Whelp'. Hell, he didn't know she had it in her. Or rather more, figuring all that time with the Jedi might have softened her sharp edge. Hell it was like being in Revan's presence once more before she fell to the Dark Side.

He had only been there once when she took Mandalore's head. But there was no denying her strength and prowess. There was no shame in falling to her and her superior might.

"Yeah, well Old Man it's true. Anyway now we know ol' Tin Jaw is on to us seeking out the Star Maps and he sent his best to take us down and no doubt to capture you Bas. Bandon had to have done something here to make these dock knuckle-draggers and pencil pushers become that terrified when they see a lightsaber."

Mission kept rubbing her arms "Skye… those things-those bugs you talked about the skin…"

"I made them up," Skye took pity on the girl. "Honestly, I think I nicked the idea off of some horror-vid I saw when I was a kid," she kept the truth about the parasitical insects quiet and with a look made sure the other adults kept mum about it as well.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." Skye touched Mission on the small of her back, allowing a bit of the Force to flow through her into the teenager's' mind to still the phobia brewing there. "Look kiddo, I know it was a mean trick but I had to get him completely off balanced and yet focused on me to tell me what I needed to know. When you see someone yawn or talk about a yawn you yawn too."

And there it was. Mission felt the urge to yawn boil around the edges of her mouth and warm breath fill her lungs wanting to be expelled.

"There see? You yawned. You couldn't help it. Talk about creepy things like bugs and what not to people who are not entomologists and they feel their skin crawl. They inadvertently shudder. You wouldn't know obviously, but talk about head-lice to anyone with hair and they will almost always automatically scratch their heads. Same concept with what I did with Bug and the skin-terminates. I didn't need the Force or drugs to plant the idea into his head; I just had to make him think about it really hard. It's all psychosomatic."

"Okay." Mission still wasn't quite sure believed it. It felt more like Skye was trying to make her feel better... like a 'there are no monsters living in your closet or under your bed'-sort of lie. But at least the creepy-crawly feeling was gone. Sith's-blood Mission hated bugs! Of any kind. Just eww. "Do me a favor Skye. Next time you do something that mind-wammy-tricksy; warn me so I can not be around. Okay?"

"Deal." The Nagai smiled warmly. "Alright move out. We have to find a way below and be ready for this Darth Bandon character."

The crew moved out, and to the casual observer it appeared as if the crew of the Ebon Hawke were browsing the various kiosks. Skye found one run by a couple of human males. One had the look of a spacer, the other had the look of petulant disgust—the look of some upper-class merchant from one of the inner-rim worlds. Skye went to the more amenable of the pair.

"Greeting to you, Matton Dasol. Is there something I can get for you?"

Just before Skye opened her mouth, "Mr. Snob" interrupted: "Kindly direct your inquires to me, Matton is merely an indebted employee. His opinions don't amount to much."

Yep inner-rim world, Coruscant perhaps? Ravensong didn't care for fetcher; still he may have something of value in his wares, if not there is always gossip. She might get more of a sense of Bandon and Czerka's relationship out of him then one terrified dock-worker.

"So new spacers arrive in wild Kashyyyk," "Mr. Snob" drolled on. Skye mentally noted the man said the planet's true name rather then the shareholder's "Edean", interesting. "Please look well upon the wares of Eli Gand, I live to serve your needs."

"Just be sure to pay cash," Matton pointed out with equal measure of begrudging fact and flippantness. "The interests on his loans will drain you like a taluvian fat worm on a Hutt's backside."

"First off Hutts are all backside, secondly I don't much like comparison. No need to get personal. It's just business."

"Like the slave trade and brutality of the Wookiees here," Skye's words were delivered with less emotion then HK-47 could simulate.

"Exactly soo…" Gand must have noticed a second after he spoke the hands resting not on the fine shapely hips of the Knife, but on the hits of two lightsabers. "Not that I approve of course. But there is money to be hand by passing spacers like yourself. This poor fellow has been waiting for his friends to return with my money for a standard month, now. But you don't need to hear this Master Jedi, what can I get you?"

"Do you always enslave your debtors?"

He looked enslaved. "Enslaved? I resent that! Its simply fair business. This man's fellows left without settling their debts, so he must make up the difference."

"I know. I know" Matton came with a near robotic rebuttal. "It's standard trading rules. I just want to know where my crew went. I was only gone for two days. This isn't like them."

"Yes very sad that they would have abandoned you. Especially while you were doing me a favour and helping me repair one of my freighters. You think you know someone and then they turn out to be a cheat. Oh not you, Matton. You honor your deals. A word is a bond in trade."

The Jedi and Onasi gave a look to one another. Something wasn't right about this whole thing. They had no concrete proof of course, but Skye's teeth itched.

"Do your debtors have a habit of running off?" asked Bastila.

"Oh it happens from time to time. Credits scarce out here and not everyone is as honest as Mr. Dasol here."

"No, they're not," Carth commented. "An honest man is pretty scarce too, wouldn't you say?" His words were directed to the merchant. His teeth must have itched too.

Matton turned to Gand. "You'll get your money. My crew will be back."

Patronizing as ever, Gand replied with: "Of course they will. Until then however, I can make use of as a mechanic. Very rare to find skills of your kind out here."

The scout decided to bait a trap. "How much to debt buys a man's life?"

"Oh it isn't about the amount, after all as a skilled mechanic Matton is worth much more than what is owed. Especially on this remote planet."

Ah so that was it...

"Oh you flatter me Eli, I guess we're best buddies now."

"Humph... as I was saying." Gand ignored the mechanic, "It's a matter of principle. I am nothing if not honest in my dealings and I demand the same. He will be free to go when his friends turn up with the specified amount and his debt is paid. I honor my deals. Let no one say otherwise. No use in trying to off to pay of his debt Jedi. He's a hard worker and I prefer to keep him. "

Eli Gand all but hung himself. Ravensong was positive there was more going on here. Either Matton's buddies took off like Eli said and had no plans in returning effectively selling Matton to Gand, or they left to honor the debt but Eli had them shot down. Either way Eli knew the truth of it Gand knew the truth.

"You know Gand there is absolutely nothing I want to purchase from you. However I'll put a feeler out for your crew Matton. The Jedi are well connected. You never know, something might turn up." Skye said staring at Gand the whole time.

"Thanks but no thanks, that just seems to be another kind of debt."

"Quite so." Gand brushed the sweat beading on his upper lip.

"It is no bother." Bastila said, "we're looking for another ship as it is. Adding one more will not make that much of a difference one way or the other." The sentinel looked at Gand, "Unless you believe there is a valid reason why the Jedi shouldn't enquire about a lost vessel?"

"Ah...no. Of course not. But I assure you it is well beneath the lofty duties of such an Order such as the Jedi."

Sky smirked. "Nonsense. It's what we do. It's what we live for. To help the poor unfortunate souls of the lost and bedraggled, like Matton here. Uplift the weak, protect those that can not protect themselves. Face darkness and evil and bring it asunder."

"Yes...of course..." Gand wiped his forehead this time. "You may want to know about um ... the Dark lord of the Sith that was here earlier."

"Him? I wouldn't worry about him." Skye said almost arrogantly "He will be brought to justice in short order- as will many others. Come, we have no business here." She didn't look behind her as she walked on. She could almost feel Gand relaxing. "So...how did you turn-on Matton's crew to enslave him? If something can't be found before we leave that merchant may suffer one minor casualty... So sad...truly to be caught in the crossfire of freedom fighters and slavers... and he was in the prime of his life too."

"You think we'll find anything about Gand? He was clearly lying." Carth asked. "Honest my ass."

"Probably why he's here on Czerka. They won't care one way or the other. And even if we don't find evidence of Matton's crew, Gand thinks we will. "

"You can always do that mind-wammy thing you did on Bug," suggested Onasi which earned him a sheepish chuckle from the Nagai.

"Carth!" a voice rang out from somewhere past the Czerka pavilion causing the companions to turn. "Carth Onasi, is that you?"

"Jordo?" surprise then a smile.

"It is you, isn't it?" The man now identified as Jordo gave a back slapping hug to his old friend. "I knew it when I laid eyes on you," he was smiling as was Carth. "You old space dog!" another back-slapping hug. They parted. "How you been? I thought for sure you'd be out fighting on some sip out there."

"I was. I crashed."

They could have been in a tavern talking about old times rather than on the wooden walkways of a forest world. Jordo let out a belly laugh. "That's pretty rich. I can't imagine what it would take to keep you on the ground."

Onasi gave a small look two the two Jedi women.

"Must be something to do with your pretty companions here, ehe?" he winked and pushed the side of his nose with his index finger- the overly-used hush-hush sign used in all the campy spy-vids. "How do you do, ladies?"

"Can we hurry this up?" Bastila muttered, bristling at being categorized as a mere pretty little lady.

"You're a friend of Carth's I take it." Skye said slightly louder.

"Indeed. I am."

Carth stepped in. "So what are you doing here Jordo? I can't imagine you being in with slavers. The last time I saw you were on...um...well Telos, actually."

"Yeah it's a shame about home," the over-exuberance wafted right out of the man. "Telos still hasn't recovered," he let out a deep sigh. "The family and I moved on and I'm working for Czerka now. I didn't see you after ah...what I mean is...my condolences on your wife," his tone was consolatory. "I heard what happened. At least your boy made it through alright."

The Jedi turned their heads to Carth. Shocked.

"My boy? You mean Dustil?"

"Yes! Of course. I saw him at my last stop on Korriban. Though he didn't recognize me," taking stock of the stunned expression on his friends face, Jordo backtracked. "You didn't know he was there?"

"No!" Carth took hold of the other man's arms, desperate. "Jordo, Dustil's been missing since the attack on Telos. Are you...are you absolutely certain it was him?" he let go of his friend.

"Yeah..." a grave shift of voice. "I'd recognize Dustil anywhere. I'm positive." he swallowed hard. "He's ah...he's jointed the Sith, Carth."

"What do you mean he's joined the Sith?"

"There's an academy for the Sith on Korriban." Jordo explained, mindful to keep his voice neutral and informative. "He's a student's there. I saw them suited up in their outfits and everything. Sorry, I thought you knew."

Carth shook his head. "No, no I had no idea. Thanks for telling me Jordo."

Things had grown awkward between the two friends. "Sure. No problem Carth. Good to see you again Carth. I hope everything works out with you and Dustil."

Carth nodded. He did too. "Dustil...Dustil is alive! We have to go to the Korriban academy and find him!"

"The Korriban academy is for Sith Force-users. There was no indication the Force runs in your family, Carth." Bastila said.

"His mother's side. He never showed any sign of it when he was younger. Nothing big and showy. But...then I wasn't around much I was always on tour, first with the Mandalorian wars then war with Revan and Malak."

"That is one of the places we have to go," Skye said.

Carth nodded. "I just have to see him. I have to know what happened to him. All this time I thought he died alongside his mother. He ...he must be a man by now."

"I would prepare yourself, Carth." Skye warned. "He joined the Sith, not the Jedi, to train him in the ways of the Force. That means he has resentment for you and everything that has ever held meaning to you. The Republic-her military, even the Jedi... it will not be a warm greeting of father and son."

"Even still, I have to see him. I realize we can't right now. If we could it'd be a huge load off my mind."

The Nagai nodded. "I know but Carth... it will have to wait until after Manaan. Korriban will be crawling with Sith and we can't take Bastila there." She stopped before saying she may even have a problem infiltrating the Sith Academy. Thought Bastila seemed to know what was on the edge of her unspoken tongue.

"I should get going Carth..."Jordo brought attention back to him.

Onasi grabbed the man's arm as he passed. "Jordo, leave Kashyyyk, now if you can. You don't want to be here much longer. Trust me. I don't know why you joined leagues with slavers, right now I don't care. Just go. Don't tell anyone."

Jordo looked to the women and only now noticed the armor and lightsabers.

"Right..." again with the finger brushing the side of his nose in his mock-covert countersign. "We'll have to catch up soon, Carth." he dipped his head to the Jedi. "Ladies."

Bastila waited until the other male passed before she turned to Onasi. "Carth..."

"Noting to say Bastila," he stopped her before the questions were asked. "We've got a Star Map to find, a Sith Lord to kill and apparently a slave rebellion to inspire. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we go to the ocean world, and the sooner I get to my son."

KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR

The crew of the Ebon Hawk approached a massive wooden gate guarded by two of Czerka's patrol officers. One seemed to be a junior officer, probably a rookie there to stand guard along side an grizzled white-haired vet.

"Hold it right there spacer, Czerka doesn't recommend travelling wild Edean. Katarren attacks are especially bad right now. Wookiee hunters usually keep their numbers down. But I think they leave the certain areas infested just hoping a Czerka guard will get killed."

"I go where I will human," the Nagai snapped. "I will not kowtow to Czerka, now move aside."

"Oh a wookiee lover. I sure you're real close friends."

Zaalbar snarled something not even Skye would translate.

"Keep your pet on a leash or you will be wearing him." White Hair ordered. "I have no love for these animals. I've seen too many of my people ripped shreds by the beasts."

"And I have no love for humans like you." Raven song said. She had just about had it with Czerka arrogance. In a moment of darkness she motioned with two fingers summon the power of the Force. It wrapped around the man like a fist and hoisted him up into the air.

He screamed in rage then in shock then fear and finally all consuming terror as Skye hoisted him up over the ballistae. To the other guard she said, "Hit me with a blaster or a stunner and I lose focus. He falls."

"What if I hit your rug instead? Let him go or I shoot, your fracking knife-eared cunt."

"As you wish." Skye pulled back the Force. The man was let go. And he fell. And fell... his screams vanished form earshot as he continued to fall to the planet far below.

"Gods," the boy squeaked. "I...I didn't...mean... You Jedi bitch! " he opened fire, but the Jedi was faster her twin blades deflected the bots easily enough; she spun around and decapitated the rookie.

Bastila made a disgusted noise. "Was that truly necessary?" she accused when the aftermath was over.

"I found that it was. They were going to die in the uprising anyway, what's the difference?"

"The deference is we would have a lot of back up." Carth said as more guards came there way lead by a man in an officer's uniform, his label gave the name: Kresh.

"Bold Delectation: I believe it is they that are outnumbered. We have the superior firepower. Observation: they have only five more than our number, Master. We can obliterate the meatbags"

"You! What have you done to my men? I can have you shot for this! Czerka is well within..." he paused and saw the distinctive Jedi armour and weapons. Lordship Darth That-Kriffing-Mother-Fracking-Bastard rambled into his mind. These were the Jedi he was waiting for. "Jedi Knights." He paused and held up his hand singling for his men to stand down. They hesitated but relented when Kresh whipped his head around. His glare spoke volumes. Their blasters were lowered at once.

"Wise move." Skye said coolly. "We wouldn't want any more misunderstandings."

"Certainly not." Kresh said.

"Your man threatened to skin my crewmate. That is something I do not tolerate well."

"As I can see," he looked at the decapitated kid. He was no more then twenty if that.

"Kashyyyk belongs to the Wookiees." Skye proclaimed. "I have come to investigate illicit activies on the behest of a Wookiee representative and to render judgment if further action is necessary form the Jedi Order.

Kresh opened his mouth to debate that Edean was now the sole property of Czerka shareholders... but shut his mouth with a snap. "Kashyyyk is not part of the Republic. However we will not interfere with your proceedings. "He gave a scathing look to Zaalbar. "Your 'representative' maybe out of touch with the dealings between Czerka Corporation and the Wookiees. I suggest you take it up with their Chief. If your investigations take you to the Shadowlands, we can make arrangements."

"After the death of your men you're awfully accommodating." Juhani said.

"Of course he is. We heard it from Bug... Darth Bandon is here waiting for us down there. Isn't he?" Revan smiled staring into the eyes of the man in front of her.

"Dar...Darth..." Kresh paled. Who in blazes was Bug? How much did the Jedi know? Weren't the Jedi supposed to be pacifists?

"Please spare us the 'I don't know what you're taking about' shtick. We know he came here before us, wants us down there in the Shadowlands and you are to get us down there, yes?" The smile became predatorily. "Bug told us all about it. Oh...you're shaking." a causal shrug. "It's okay really. But ask yourself this... who would you rather come back up?" She tilted her head owl-like. "I mean if Czerka left their slaving hold on Kashyyyk when we were down there, the Jedi would see no need of any further action. I'm not so certain the Sith will be as generous. Oh, granted they'd want you to keep operations going but...only for their profit. Never yours. Just look what happened to Taris when they couldn't get what they wanted."

"To be truthful I not so certain which is the better deal." Kresh muttered under his breath. "The shareholders won't like either outcome."

"No I rather think they won't. But which are you and your men likely to survive? Leave now and it will be all the better for you."

"You don't know Czerka." Kresh said matter-of-factly. "Nevertheless my men will not impede your 'investigation, Master Jedi."

"How very fortunate." Revan said.