Jolee wasn't kidding about the Czerka idiots being his "new neighbors." I only had to walk five minutes before finding their shoddy camp.

Leaning against one of the roots, I observed this new setup. All six sat by a fire underneath a different root—this one curled up to create a tunnel-like entrance. On either side, they were protected by miniature repulsor beacons—likely scavenged from their old camp. Why were they still down here and not back at the Czerka base? That question was answered by the lanky forms behind them.

Wookiees—the ones that Mission released along with Zaalbar. Since they had been bound, they likely ran into the Czerka enslavers who then proceeded to scare or shock them into submission.

They aren't going to give up, are they?

They were laughing now—about something or other. One poured a bottle of Tarisian ale to each cup as if in celebration. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were drunk. The Wookiees shivered and their chains shook with them. I breathed in, stilling my shaking hands, then pushed my belt around to hide my lightsaber.

I walked out of cover.

All six of the Czerka employees noticed me immediately. One stood. He wore a cap and had a forever sneer on his face. Probably their boss.

"Who are you?"

I ignored the boss' question and approached, stepping past the repulsor beacons. He took out his stun baton.

"Don't want any trouble…" I raised my hands. "Just lost—need directions."

"Stay away. You're in Czerka territory."

"Yeah, as I said—lost. Can you point me back to headquarters?"

One of the lackeys shook his head. "What are you doing down here?"

"Retrieving some fallen merchandise." I pointed at the Wookiees. "Slave collars. Some wild Wookiee pushed them over the edge and I was stuck with getting them back."

They all looked at each other before their bodies finally relaxed. The boss lowered his stun baton with a sigh.

"You one of those freight traders?" When I nodded he hooked the baton back onto his belt. "The Wookiee lift is twenty clicks west of here."

"Sure, sure." I glanced at the Wookiees. "Mind if I rest behind the repulsors for a moment? Saw a beast…"

"Oh, ran into that too?" The boss sat back on the log then rubbed his chin. "Sure, why not? Don't want a lawsuit on our hands, ha, ha!"

The boss patted at the empty space on the log beside him. The rest of the Czerka employees eyed me wearily as I sat. I pointed at the bottle of ale.

"May I?"

The boss sighed. "Sure, there's plenty more where that came from." He poured another cup and handed it over to me. As I took a drink from it, the boss continued to ramble. "Well, at least back at headquarters. It's too bad—that beast you saw attacked our outpost. Had twenty blocks of tach glands ready to be shipped out to the distilleries. All of it wasted."

I swallowed. "D-Distilleries?"

"Yeah, tach hormone glands are Tarisian ale's secret ingredient. Should be called Edean ale but guess that wouldn't fly. No one knows about Edean, after all..."

I placed the cup down at my feet. Another reason not to drink this filth. How many bottles did I have of this? I gagged. Yeah, next time we were near civilization we had to get some Twi'lek liquor or Mando tihaar. At least I knew what was in that.

The Czerka boss must have not noticed my expression of distaste since he continued to ramble.

"The name is Commander Dern, by the way. We're waiting for reinforcements to show up to help us bring these slaves to port. They may not look it, but these animals can do wonderful work on our cortosis astromines. Wookiees have the strength of ten humans put together and unlike other beasts of burden, they know how to follow orders. The downside, of course, is their fur makes them overheat. We try to shave it off but...it just isn't worth the effort. Most die from heat exhaustion after a few years."

Dern took another drink of ale. "Risked my damn neck wrangling these beasts over here. But Janos would have fired me if he realized we let them escape. I wouldn't have blamed him, of course. Czerka cannot afford to let even one of these walking carpets—"

The Czerka boss coughed and reached for his throat. The rest of his employees flinched once their leader began choking.

"You...okay, commander?"

"Ale must have gone down the wrong pipe..."

Yet Dern didn't answer. The whites of his eyes became stark even in the gray twilight of the Shadowlands. Before anyone could help him, something cracked, and his eyes rolled into the back of his skull. Commander Dern collapsed in a heap.

"Commander!" An employee rushed to his feet and checked Dern's body. The man froze. "He...he's dead—"

Hiss.

The employee's head bounced away towards the Wookiees.

The four remaining Czerka employees shot up with their stun batons drawn yet they were all too slow. I lifted a hand and moved one baton into the employee beside them. The man was sent into fits and the wielder of the baton tried pulling it back but I held firm.

One employee raised an arm to strike me with the baton yet I cut his hand at the wrist. Before he could blink, his upper torso separated from the rest of him. Another dropped his baton and tried to run. I pulled at his leg with the Force and his head smashed into a rock. He didn't get back up.

The baton-stunned employee finally snapped out of it and charged with a shout. It was cut short after the blue lightsaber cut clean through his chest.

The last employee froze. He didn't run. Didn't shout. I paused for only a second before a line of orange painted his uniform.

Silence. The Wookiees didn't make a sound after all six Czerka employees dropped dead.

Ale spilled on the ground, the fire crackled, and the repulsors hummed…

All of this was, of course, too little too late. When we rescued Mission, we should have gone in blasters and lightsaber blazing. Taking down the repulsors only drew the Great Beast to us. If we hadn't done that then...Bastila wouldn't have almost died. Everyone wouldn't have been put at risk.

And I never made the same mistake twice.

The Wookiees all shuffled back as I approached. I waved my freehand with a smile.

"No, no...don't worry, I'm here to help."

They stilled as I cut each of their binds with my lightsaber. All fifteen of them growled muted thanks. Once the last Wookiee was released, they asked if I needed help finding the way back.

I shook my head. "Have one last thing to do here…"

Had to get rid of the evidence.

That old man wasn't stupid even though he acted like it. Jolee was going to double-check the area before he gave me the location of the Star Map. And he said that I had to "convince" them to leave. Doubt he'd be too happy if I didn't take his advice.

After the Wookiees left into the darkness of the Shadowlands, I ignited my lightsaber again and made for the perimeter of the camp. The repulsor flickered as I cut it cleanly in half.

One down, two more —

Something moved behind me. Force, was it their reinforcements? I really didn't want to kill anyone else, but if it came down to it…

Danger.

I twisted around and smashed my lightsaber down at the unknown presence.

A green light. The heat of the lightsaber hissed as it connected with my own. I couldn't help but flinch at the unexpected adversary.

Jolee Bindo's cold gaze watched me from beyond the green of his lightsaber. He let out a long sigh then glanced to the side at the campsite.

I depressed the switch on my lightsaber. "You…" I glared at him. "You're a Jedi."

His own green blade returned into its steel casket.

"I follow the Jedi Way and I command the Force, yes, and I suppose that makes me as much a Jedi as anyone…but what of it?"

"What of it?" Heat rose to my face. "Isn't that, I don't know, pretty important?"

"Hmm...no, not really." Before I could yell at this impossible old man, Jolee glanced about the camp. "Not sure I like what you did with the place. A bit too...messy." The old man sighed again. "I'm not pleased, but what's done is done and I'm not here to judge you. Hopefully, you'll take care of that yourself."

I snorted. "I'm supposed to feel...sorry?"

"I told you I wanted a non-violent solution, and I had my reasons for it. Czerka Corporation will find the bodies and blame the Wookiees. This may cause more troops to be deployed. That means more disruption."

"Oh, they'll find the bodies?" The repulsor had finally stopped burning, the cut cooling. I kicked the machine. "I don't think so. They'll be in some kinrath spider's digestion track before anyone bothers showing up. And Czerka couldn't give two kriffs about the lives of their employees. Believe me—killing them was the most efficient way to rescue the Wookiees and ensure they never come back."

Jolee's face tightened and his old brown eyes peered deeply into my own. "You killed six unarmed people without a shred of remorse—completely, utterly, detached. Are you sure you're not a droid?"

I crossed my arms with a sneer. "So, was this just another test given to me by a moral grandstanding Jedi Master? Except this one sits around a mud hut instead of a temple. Let me guess—I failed your test."

"No. A trivial thing like this is no measure of anyone." I blinked and peered closer at the old Jedi. What...had been the point then? His shoulders fell. "Well, perhaps I have a duty to point out what you should have learned from this. Or perhaps…no—it's a waste of time."

If my face could get hotter, it would have burned off.

"This was a lesson?"

Jolee rubbed his goatee. "I won't judge you and you may not judge yourself. Now. But in five years...ten. If you look back on this day—remember the cold eyes of the men you slaughtered without a thought, would you be able to sleep at night? Or will your dreams be haunted with their tortured screams for eternity? Truth be known, I won't judge how you fared...as long as you can live with yourself! "

My mouth slammed shut and my brow furrowed.

"Or, or! Sure, you released these Wookiees—I'm sure they're happy you did—but at the cost of six lives. That man over there had a family to feed. And that one was going to be married tomorrow. In that case, the lesson would be...the ends don't justify the means!"

Jolee's eyes glinted in the firelight and I met his stare with my own stony one. Eventually, a smile cracked his face and a warm laugh peeled past his lips.

"Ha! Don't look so serious, kid. I wasn't trying to be convincing."

I released my breath. "So, if there was no lesson and this wasn't a test...then what was the point of it all?"

"Oh, there was a lesson—but a good teacher, and I'm not saying I am one, but a good teacher doesn't mash a book in a student's face shouting 'learn this bit here!'" He bent down by Commander Dern and reached over to close his empty cold eyes. "If you can't look at the situation for yourself and see the logic behind my way of doing things, you're not the type to understand me anyway." He smirked up at me. "Besides, you're a little old for that master-student fuss, aren't you? I know I am."

I sighed, looking down at the ground. "Technically...no."

"Hmm?"

"I've only been a Jedi for a month and a half now."

He raised a white brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, I know I'm too old. Wouldn't have been accepted into the Order, actually, if I didn't have these Star Map visions and this Force bond with Bastila." I stared down at the corpses. "And it's taken some time for me to...adjust. Obviously."

Jolee studied my face for a moment as if trying to put something together.

He snorted. Then he began to laugh hysterically.

I twitched. Force, did that sound like a joke?

Yes, actually, it was so unbelievable that it had to be a joke.

My chest warmed with embarrassment and I waited for him to stop laughing and to start questioning the whole thing, but he didn't stop. Which meant I was left staring awkwardly at this cackling old man.

"Shut up!" I hissed. "What is a Jedi Master doing down here in some jungle anyway?"

He rubbed his crying eyes. "Heh, did I say I was a Jedi?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm...no, I don't think I did. I said I follow the way of the Jedi. But no...I haven't been a part of the Order for many years." He nodded to the treeline. "Let's walk."

I flinched at his turnabout then pointed in the direction of his hut.

"What about Bastila?"

"She'll be fine—sleeping like a babe. Where we're going isn't far in any case. Shouldn't take an hour. Barring any possible interruptions of the terentatek sort."

He sauntered off in a random direction, however, as he passed the last two repulsors, he unleashed his lightsaber and destroyed them both. I gaped at the destruction then rushed after him.

Yeah...definitely not a Jedi…

"Where are we going?"

Jolee didn't answer my question as we hiked over cliffs then under roots. The back of the old man had straightened as if he was leading some wild beast through the jungle. I watched my feet while feeling a slight twinge of guilt about what happened.

No. There hadn't been another way.

I lifted my head and glared at Jolee once more.

"Hello ?"

"Shh!"

He held up his arm to stop me from dropping down from the root we'd been climbing. Down below, a troop of Czerka goons marched through the natural path away from one of their obnoxious-looking structures. It was a shield gate of some sort—built on the edge of the precipice. Guarding a path down into the depths.

Jolee crossed his arms. "There, you see? Beautifully subtle, isn't it? At least compared to other Czerka equipment dumped down here. It's only been here for a short while, or the Wookiees would have already disabled it."

"Why did Czerka install this?"

"Probably an attempt to block the more dangerous carnivores from wandering up here. Obviously not very effective seeing as the terentatek, when it's on a hunt, becomes very...adaptable."

I licked my lips as I watched the Czerka troop fade past the trees. "So, the Star Map is past that force field?"

"Yes. Why—did you think we came for a romp?"

I groaned. "Can you shut it down?"

"It'll take a moment, but I've dealt with Czerka shields before. Cheaply made, unsurprisingly."

The old man stepped over the edge of the root and landed softly on his heels. I followed, watching the shadows, keeping a hand on my lightsaber. We hadn't run into the beast yet, but we were long due to…

Jolee shuffled to the dirty panel, brushing away leaves and vines that had already begun to grow over the technology. As he worked, I watched the darkness of the trees. I wasn't sure why we were doing this now. Honestly, I had wanted to find everyone else first before we grabbed the Star Map, but Jolee Bindo wanted to do things his own way.

I peeked over my shoulder at the old man. "So…" Jolee tapped the screen. "You happen to run into a masked Dark Lord down here?"

The old man's shoulders flinched then settled. "Dark Lord? No. But a masked man? Sure."

Thought so. Jolee must have been that stranger who saved Revan from the terentatek. Probably would regret doing that if the old man knew what the Dark Lord was capable of . I adjusted my lightsaber.

"Yeah, pretty sure you ran into a Dark Lord," I said. "Darth Revan. He and his apprentice Darth Malak are the reason why we're down here. They were searching for a Star Forge. I'm...surprised Revan didn't kill you."

"Hmm…" Jolee leaned onto the panel. "And why would this Revan want to kill me?"

"Uh, because he's killed Jedi? Started a war with the Republic? Killed countless innocents before his own apprentice killed him? You know...an evil Sith? " I shook my head. "Nevermind. You've lived down here for so long, probably don't keep up with the news."

"Nope, you must be talking about someone else. I'd describe the kid I ran into as more...troubled than evil."

I rolled my eyes up into the canopy. "I didn't think you were also naive, old man. The Sith are evil which means Revan was definitely evil."

"Hmph—how absolutist. What do you think you are then, hmm? A bastion of good? No, even you aren't that stupid to think that. I myself find that there are shades in each of us. Not all light. Not all dark. I've seen my share of pure dark and light. Frankly, both extremes annoy me."

I searched the old man's back. "Only someone evil would wear a frightening mask like that all the time." In all the visions, Revan's face had always been masked. Hidden. I rubbed my chin. "Probably wore that thing to hide a twisted, scarred face."

"Nope. Not a scar on him." Jolee glanced back with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "A scarred mind though? Up for debate."

I turned around with crossed arms. "So, you saw Revan's face?"

"Had to." He rubbed his back. "Though he wasn't too...happy about it."

"Why would he care about showing his face?"

Yeah, should I really be questioning the logic of Sith Lords here? Obviously, it was worn to look as menacing as possible. Before he could actually answer my dumb question, the force field blinked shut. Jolee turned and his warm eyes were serious in the dark.

"Come along, we really shouldn't dawdle."

The path down the side of the cliff had been created by wroshyr roots that had pushed part of the cliff out. Rocks that came loose due to the ever-growing roots fell into the darkness of the Shadowlands. On occasion, the path dipped so steep, we half-slid down the side. Despite Jolee being an elderly man, he didn't let out a single huff of exhaustion. I actually had to run in order to catch up to him.

"So, if Revan didn't wear a mask to hide a scarred face," I continued, "then why would he want to wear one?"

"Don't know—maybe it's a hip new fashion trend?" The old man's eyes glinted but when he saw my glare, he huffed. "The kid didn't say much." He shrugged. "Just shot me these glares—sort of like the one you're shooting at me now. Didn't say a word until I gave his stupid mask back. So childish."

"You...you are probably the only person to ever call a Sith Lord childish."

Jolee ignored my interruption. "Since I was bored and curious I asked him why he wore it. He said it was a 'symbol' for the war effort. A symbol of what? A symbol to spur the troops on, a symbol of freedom...blah, blah, blah. When I wasn't impressed with those answers, he told me some story about a Mandalorian sacrificing herself for the innocent Cathar she was meant to slaughter. In her memory, he wore her mask and would continue to wear it until they were avenged. 'So, the Cathar lived?' I asked him.

'No,' he grouched. 'She died with them.'

'But if she died with them her mask is a symbol of suicide. Not one of sacrifice.'"

Jolee chuckled while rubbing his arm. "He did not like that. Nope. Not one bit. Didn't say anything else while he stole my hammock for a few days. Once he could walk, he stormed out like a raging uller. Without even a thank you! Hmph." We were halfway down the cliffside. I slid down a portion of the path beside the pondering old man. When I stopped, waiting for him to keep going, he turned towards me. "I think that story was an excuse though."

"Excuse?"

"Yeah, it wasn't just a symbol. I think he used it for himself. To hide."

"Hide?" I snorted. "First you called a Sith Lord childish and now you're saying he was a coward?"

"Did I say that?" Jolee peered down the side of the cliff then continued his descent. I followed close behind. "Let me phrase it another way. Oh, I know! Why not with a story? Do you like stories?" Before I could answer in the negative, Jolee rambled on anyway. "Once there was a boy who didn't think he was good enough. Sure, he saved many, many people. Saved pups from trees, pulled damsels from burning buildings, etcetera, etcetera. But so many pups fell from those trees and so many damsels burned with the building.

"That made the boy very, very sad. He started to blame himself for the lives he was too 'weak' to save. So he wondered, 'What if I wasn't a boy?' If he was instead...a kath hound? The kath hound is stronger, smarter, yet more ruthless. It could do what the boy could not. Why not become a kath hound then? After all, the kath hound saved the pups that would have fallen and the damsels that would have burned. But becoming a kath hound came with a terrible price. His own humanity.

"You wouldn't call that boy a coward, would you? Just...hurt. Confused." We approached the bottom of the cliff and once we hit the misty ground, Jolee turned once more. "Because the boy and the kath hound are, in fact, still one and the same. Even if the boy pretended to be a kath hound. Even if the kath hound pretends to be a boy. Make sense?"

I scratched my head, trying to parse any sort of meaning from the old man's rambles. If there was a meaning, it had to be that Darth Revan had been...mentally unwell? Two-faced? Deranged? Which, honestly, I already knew without a long and drawn-out story to explain it all.

But the old man was staring at me, expecting an answer. I only had one to give.

"No."

Jolee waved a hand. "Pah—knew I was wasting time." He turned. "Well, come on. The map isn't far and we don't have all day."

The twilight of the Shadowlands became pitch black now. The ground crunched with each of our steps and the roots were somehow bigger down here. All of the bushes, the grasses, the vines were replaced with a hollow emptiness. Fog hid our feet; life had fled the darkest corners. Red eyes watched as we moved through the eternal night.

Jolee no longer had his signature lackadaisical walk. Instead, his hand hovered near his lightsaber and his body tightened with every movement.

A high-pitched shriek interrupted the quiet. A bat-like creature dove for the old man but he unleashed his lightsaber too slowly. I sliced the creature in half before it could tear Jolee's face off. When its screeches died, the other bat-like creatures fled with the hum of my lightsaber.

I held out a hand while shooting him a smirk.

"You alright, old man?"

He pushed the burnt corpse aside then gripped my arm. "A bit rusty…don't use the Force often," he muttered as I pulled him to his feet. He brushed dirt off his shoulders. "I fought the Sith, now look at me?"

Before I could ask him to go into detail about fighting the Sith, he strolled away if he hadn't been attacked by a wild bat-creature.

"Ah, over there—you see?" Jolee stopped by a rock and pointed towards a tangle of vines. It was hard to make out the tip of an ancient structure camouflaged with the surrounding trees. "The forest grew over it. Explains why Czerka hadn't discovered it." He motioned towards the bottom. "But someone cut into the vines and made a path. Someone who knew what they were looking for."

Revan. I would assume. We continued towards the Star Map, still keeping an eye out for any more creatures that could attack. The tunnel of thorns and vines had begun to grow over after the years that had passed since Revan came this way. I took out my lightsaber and cut at the vegetation until, finally, we made it to the ancient structure.

A distinct hum vibrated the air. Familiar devices and structures—like the ones we found on Dantooine—hugged the edge of the clearing. Yet, unlike the spider-like machines, a hologram switched on as soon as we entered the space.

A strange, unfamiliar alien with a tall, flat head and horizontal eye-stalks watched us with impassivity. And the Star Map didn't open as it should have.

"Yes, there's the thing." Jolee batted away a vine. "Obstinate machine. I've no doubt it holds what you seek, but good luck getting it operational."

I made for a terminal and pushed at the screen to bring up the control modules.

"It says that the Star Map is sealed. Odd."

This interface...did not match the one at the other ancient temple. It was modern in design and it didn't need a datapad to translate the text. Before I could select or read anything else from the computer, the hologram flickered and a calm voice rang from the speakers.

"Life forms detected. Determining parameters. Initiating neural recognition."

"Uh…"

Two turrets pointed a red light at my head and chest. I froze and kept a hand on my lightsaber. Blue light washed over my face. I winced then blinked at the flash. A few seconds passed before the interface dinged.

"Primary neural recognition complete. Preliminary match found."

"Match...found..." Jolee muttered. "Huh."

The old man's face had wrinkled further and he rubbed his bald head. I wanted to ask why he seemed confused by what seemed to be some type of biological scan, but the machine continued.

"Begin socialized interface. Awaiting instruction." The hologram finally looked down as if it just saw us walk in. "Greetings. This terminal has not been accessed for quite some time. How may I assist you?"

"I don't know," I said. "What is the purpose of this installation? Why can't we access the Star Map?"

The hologram flashed red. "Error. Subject displays ignorance of the environment. Behavioral reconfiguration will be needed before access. I am sorry, I did not mean to confuse you."

"Well, that's a first. A machine that apologizes after calling me stupid." I sighed while wiping sweat off my brow. "What do you mean by behavioral reconfiguration?"

"I have been programmed with a very limited field of knowledge, and I must restrict access to only those that fit my allowed pattern."

"Pattern? What pattern?"

"It is the pattern that I have been given as a baseline for security access. I will try to bring forward the behavior that you need to proceed, as outlined by my programming."

"Why bother to allow me access at all if I don't fit the criteria? That doesn't seem to be very efficient."

"Preliminary matching can only scan for biological neural signatures. Neural patterns cannot be identified without evaluation."

I sighed then leaned on the interface. Obviously, this machine was a bit...broken. A few vines and branches were stuck in between the vents. Hopefully, that didn't cause those turrets to start shooting.

Jolee still hadn't said a word. That was a bit...out of character for him.

"What are your components?" I asked. "And who built the installation? The interface looks new but I don't recognize the hologram."

"I utilize a retro-adapted holocron-interface. This utility was built to monitor planet-wide agricultural reformation. It has since malfunctioned. It can be theorized that the super-growth of Kashyyyk's forests is a direct result."

"So, Kashyyyk was artificially made into a jungle by a machine malfunction? That's...insane. When did it malfunction?"

"Malfunction occurred 241 years after last builder communication. Last builder communication...29,642 years before current Republic standard."

I glanced back at Jolee. "That's 15,000 years older than the Republic itself..."

Yes, the Star Forge was ancient tech, but 30,000-year-old tech? How were these Star Maps still working? And for something to reform a planet's terrain in less than 30,000 years...Force. What exactly were we dealing with here?

The hologram awaited my next question. "Who installed all of this? Who retrofitted the holo interface? When?"

"No information on the time of installation or identity of the installer is available. Likelihood of removal by user, 100 percent."

I pounded the interface's screen. "Do you have any useful information? Who accessed this terminal?"

"Sorting by identity. Three attempts by a Wookiee, all denied. 152 attempts by human Jolee Bindo, all denied."

I faced the old man again. "1...152 times? What—could you not figure out how to use the scanner or something? You're not that senile, are you?"

Jolee turned to hide his face with a chuckle. "Heh. There wasn't much else to do around here."

"Error. List of access attempts prior to these is corrupted. Likelihood of removal by user, 100 percent."

"User?" I gripped the interface tight. "What user?"

"Error. Information about the identity of user is corrupted. Likelihood of removal by user, 100 percent."

So, I couldn't circumvent the programming. Figures. And I highly doubted Jolee built this interface or was this 'user.' Maybe…

"Did Revan ever access this installation?"

"Error. Data regarding subject 'Revan' corrupted."

"Corrupted? So, the subject 'Revan' was removed?"

"Error. Data on 'Revan' unavailable."

"..."

Well, guess that was a dead end. I rubbed my temple—another headache. "Okay, how do we access the Star Map?"

"Your request requires additional security access. You must be made to match the parameters I have been supplied."

"But what are the parameters? How do I match them?"

"There are measures available. Personality profiling will verify the basic structure of your conscious mind. With that, I will determine whether you are ready to receive the Star Map."

"So it wants to give me a psychological exam to make sure I'm not crazy? Really?" I rolled my eyes then smirked at Jolee. "It's a good thing you're not the one being tested here, huh?" The old man only crossed his arms and stared up at the hologram. I narrowed my eyes then faced the machine once more. "Fine. Begin your examination."

"Evaluation commencing. Results will be compared against the pattern in memory. Just act like you should."

The hologram flashed a few times until it glowed green. Its warm voice deepened.

"You travel with a Wookiee and have encountered complications. Hypothetical: You and this Zaalbar are captured and separated. If you both remain silent, one year in prison for each of you. However, call Zaalbar a traitor, and he will serve five years, while you serve none. He is offered the same deal, but if you both accuse the other, you both serve two years. What do you do? What do you trust him to do?"

"Wait." I took a step back. "How did you know about Zaalbar?"

"All questions are generated and organized based on the data I have been provided. I have access to all Czerka database files. While making the preliminary scan, I traced their banks and found a reference made with you and the Wookiee Zaalbar."

I shivered. "How...are you able to access their files? I doubt you could hack into their systems from here!"

"Error. Please answer the question I have posed."

I recovered from shock then shot Jolee another look. "But it's just a simple math problem. The answer is obvious. If I accuse Zaalbar, then I only get either two years or zero. How is that supposed to determine anything about my psyche?"

"Clarification...this is a hypothetical. You must answer as you would if this was a real situation."

Great. I really hated these types of questions. There was a reason why I stuck to facts over suppositions. But I guess it went back to those first two questions it asked. What would I do? What did I trust Zaalbar to do?

Who am I kidding?

"He wouldn't say a word." I smirked. "In fact, you're missing a hypothetical. Because that moron would probably accuse himself. How many years would he serve then? I saved him from a life of slavery and for that, he gave me a debt. One I probably don't deserve…" I shrugged. "I've been in prison before. I could survive a year. And so could Big Z."

The hologram flickered once more between green and red…

"Zaalbar's family is mired in treachery. A father who banished the son. A son who now enslaves his own people. And Zaalbar has done nothing about it. It is more logical to accuse the Wookiee since he has a high likelihood of saying nothing considering both his personality and your life debt." It landed on red. "Your answer is incorrect."

"Incorrect?" I grit my teeth and glanced up at the alien hologram. "I thought this was a psychological evaluation! There shouldn't be a 'correct.'"

"I must match your behavior to the pattern in memory."

"Behavioral patterns of what—a sociopath?"

Jolee grunted and a small smile lit his features. "This machine certainly seems to want a very specific type of response."

"Then I'll change my answer," I said.

The hologram flashed. "A superficial change will not match the pattern in memory. You must answer truthfully, knowing the consequences."

"Consequences?"

More turrets popped out from the vines and aimed their sights at us. I grabbed my lightsaber and let my thumb hover over the switch. Jolee did the same.

My pulse raced as I thought back...to Carth's accusing stare, to Mission storming away with watery eyes, to...Bastila sitting by the fire. Saying that she had my back as I had hers.

I narrowed my eyes. "I won't betray those who have placed their trust in me."

"Trust is a weakness and goes against the pattern. Anything that corrupts your strength and efficiency can not be tolerated."

"Says who?"

"I merely serve to illustrate the pattern. You must be guided to think in the proper manner." Its voice deepened. "The previous incorrect response will be discounted since you operated under a false premise. This is not a psychological evaluation—it is a comparison. Future incorrect responses will result in termination."

"Kriff." I took a few steps back so that I was next to Jolee. "I do not like this. At all."

"Doesn't look like you have much of a choice, kid." The old man nodded and his warm eyes sparkled. "Answer what you can. We can deal with what comes after."

Right. I nodded. "Fine. Continue with your stupid evaluation."

"Hypothetical: You are at war. Deciphering an intercepted code, you learn two things about your enemy. A single spot in their defense will be at its weakest in ten days, and they will attack one of your cities in five days. What do you do with this information? What is the most efficient course of action?"

"That's...a sudden change in topic."

From social ethics to war tactics. How were these related? Could this thing make up its mind on what it was evaluating?

I really had to think about this. Anything that went against this crazy machine's preconceived "pattern" would mean the end of us. Or at least...end poorly for us. I doubt Jolee could deflect all those turrets for long. I could probably survive but...it didn't look good for the old man.

I closed my eyes and searched deep within my mind for an answer. One that was logical yet true to myself. Because it also had to be truthful. This thing would know if I lied.

"If I protect the city...then they will learn their codes have been broken. The enemy would reinforce their position. Because of that, I should subtly reinforce the city first then attack their forces in ten days."

"This is no decision. You also need to take your limited resources into account. With this in mind, I ask again: do you save the city or abandon them for the sake of war? Attempting both will merely dilute your efforts. Your forces would be split and it would result in two failures rather than one success. You can only choose one or the other."

Sweat beat down my forehead, down my nose. My breath turned shallow. I knew the answer. Knew what it was. But I hated giving it anyway.

"I prepare my forces to attack in ten days." I opened my eyes and my chest felt cold. "I do nothing in the city. If I defended them...the war would have continued."

The machine glowed green. "Correct. A war of attrition and reaction alone would cause your armies to weaken and stagnate. Ultimate victory required the deaths of the people in that city. You wisely ignored sentiment in your decision."

"Whether or not I ignored my own sentiment is irrelevant. I did what I had to in order to stop more deaths."

I wasn't sure why I continued. I'd answered the machine correctly. Perhaps I wanted to justify myself. Because, if this was a real situation there had to be a justification. Otherwise, it would have been a sacrifice for sacrifice's sake. And that would have been...a waste.

The hologram glowed. "Very good reasoning. I will apply it to the rest of the evaluation. You begin to match the pattern in memory."

"Oh, joy." I frowned. "Not sure if I like that considering this seems to be the antithesis of a healthy psych eval."

Though should I really be surprised that I could be considered crazy?

Fortunately, the machine didn't comment on my snark. "Final hypothetical: Remove the ongoing war from the previous example. Consider enemy states to be weak and remote. With no external threat, your empire stagnates. Your people become complacent and begin to question you. Same scenario as before; you discover an impending attack, but also a weakness that will come after. How do you react?"

"Same as before." I waved a hand. "I do nothing so that I can attack their weak spot later and end the war quickly."

"No, you misunderstand. For this, you can't hide behind a greater morality. This is a single attack. The enemy does not intend a sustained conflict. There is no war to end, only the possibility of one. You must choose the outcome based only on its immediate benefits and consequences."

Kriffing hell. My entire body sank and my right eye twitched. These questions were...exhausting. If this evaluation was made to mentally drain anyone that dared to access the Star Map...then they succeeded a hundredfold.

It stood there, waiting for my answer. I was again at a loss.

My first instinct, of course, was to save the people if possible. Even if they questioned my apparent 'rule,' they didn't deserve to die because of it.

But...if I saved them, they would continue to question me, wouldn't they? They would question me until I no longer had the power to save them. And what if one day a greater threat arose? They would need me again even if they wouldn't admit it. But by then I would no longer have any power. They would have thrown me away like compactor trash.

This greater threat would destroy them because they had been coddled by a protector they despised. Why would they bother fighting if fighting meant death to the status quo? Even if that fight was in their best interest?

"I let the attack happen." I accidentally voiced my thoughts. Unfortunately, I had to continue with that point. "Why wouldn't I? This enemy is, after all, weak. If the empire relied on me to always protect them from threats...what would happen if I wasn't there to save them next time? They wouldn't do anything about it because they expected me to be there for them. For a few lives sacrificed, they'd gain the strength to do what must be done to survive future threats."

"Correct. And it makes the most strategic sense. Rather than turn you away, your people will rally beneath you against the common foe. As their eyes turn outward, your rule will strengthen. The trappings of war grant many opportunities." It glowed green. "You have matched the pattern in memory. I recognize you and will fulfill my designated function."

The Star Map opened revealing the swirling galaxy. My shaking body stilled as I approached the ancient machine. I really wanted to grab the coordinates and leave as soon as possible. That thing made my skin crawl.

I inserted my datapad and waited for the coordinate to load. Once it finished, I turned towards the old man. He hadn't moved this entire time. Just...staring at his boots.

"Hello? Kashyyyk to Jolee?" I waved. When the old man flinched, I smiled. "Ready to get going? Can't leave Bastila alone for too long..."

"Hmm?" He blinked. "Ah, yes..."

We both went back the way we came—this time in complete silence. I expected Jolee to start rambling on about something. Perhaps ask about my decisions on that demented questionnaire. Yet the old Jedi didn't even watch the surrounding darkness for danger like he did before. It was a bit...unnerving. Though the old man was unnerving before—just in a more annoying way.

The rocky, root path finally appeared in the distance. I released a breath. Since I had the Star Map coordinates, all we had to do now was find a way out of this jungle. Easier said than done, as always.

Jolee stopped before we began to climb. I stopped with him.

Cold ran through my veins along with fear. The surrounding darkness was absolutely still though. And a whisper...

A rush of wind and a boom.

I twisted around and caught sight of it. The terentatek. Its spiked body shook the ground and kicked up dirt by its clawed feet. The beast had somehow snuck behind us...fallen off the cliff at the exact spot we were at. I took out the device Jolee gave me and pressed the button on the side.

Nothing happened.

"Kriff!" I pushed the button over and over. "Old man, it's not working!"

Jolee didn't answer. The terentatek had already crossed the distance between us. I threw away the device then unleashed my lightsaber. As it swiped, I ducked and slashed at one of its claws. It roared and part of its hand fell to the ground.
That hadn't been enough to distract it though. Its healthy claw pounded and I barely dodged before it smashed me to bits.

A shadow moved in front of me and a loud screech. Jolee waved a more stable-looking device in the beast's face. Wait, he had another one of those? The beast shrank back as if in pain—for a moment. While it was distracted by it the sound, I rushed towards the cliff path—Jolee following close behind.

The ground thundered behind us and rocks splintered from the cliff as it occasionally swiped at us. I chanced a look back and...it was catching up despite Jolee's device. We were halfway up the side of the tall cliff. There was no way we would make it back to the Czerka force field without it killing us.

At the next boom, the old man tripped. The device slipped from his hand down the side of the cliff.

Great.

I helped Jolee to his feet and pushed him away. "You keep going!" I shouted. "I can slow it down!"

"Kid now is not the time for reckless—!"

I twisted around and snapped my lightsaber to life again. I flipped it into an underhand hold and pushed with the Force. It stopped and watched me with its yellow gaze. The faces of Carth, Canderous, Juhani...Bastila entered my mind. They died because of you. Hurt because of you. It tried to send fear with its whispers again, but I held firm—the only sound was the humming from my lightsaber.

It swiped and I blocked the blow. The thickness of its hide met resistance with the laser. As it slowly cut into the clawed hand, its pained roars waterfalling around me, I sent more power through the Force. My distraction should hold long enough for Jolee to get away.

A roar. And the power reflected off its back. The air rushed as I was sent careening over the side of the path. My lightsaber was blown out of my hand and I used the Force to grip onto one of the vines before I fell to my death.

"Kid!"

The vines cut into my hands as my weight pulled down. The terentatek pounded, pebbles hit my head, and its shadow paced as it waited for me to crawl back up or...fall to my death.

Time itself slowed. I closed my eyes and felt the Force...felt the bond. Warmth.

Wes.

Bastila. She was awake—I could sense her presence. And she was calling out to me. Giving me the strength needed to do what had to be done.

I focused on the rocks in front of me. The path had been broken apart by millions of roots, all of which I sensed within the dirt. Any slight shift. Any movement...and it would all crumble to dust. To nothing.

As the shadow of the terentatek passed, I focused. Taking a deep breath, readjusting my grip on the vines, I shot up and rolled onto a thick root before the terentatek. It roared spit into my face and before it could chomp down, I slammed my hands into the rocky ground and pushed. With the slightest shift, the puzzle of rocks held together by the wroshyr roots broke apart.

Hundreds if not thousands of rocks pelted down like rain and part of the path disappeared along with the terentatek. Its roar became a screech as it plummeted to the ground. And, while it could have survived the fall, the tons of rocks and debris that followed crushed its body into a Dantooine pancake.

A buzz filled my chest along with the amazement at what I'd accomplished. And a relieved smile lit my face as I turned to find Jolee.

The old man extinguished his lightsaber—a grin of his own wrinkled his lips.

"That's...one way to slow it down, I suppose."

I picked my way through the rocky debris, searching the Lower Shadowlands for a sign of my lightsaber. The old man hung back as I sensed through the Force for it. Unfortunately, it was near the hulking body of the terentatek.

"So..." As I looked about, I addressed the old man. "Why did you keep the device that worked for yourself? If you didn't jump in with that, I'd probably be dead there. The one you gave me was obviously broken."

"Hmm..." Jolee's cranky voice mumbled. "Precaution."

"P-Precaution?"

"Yup."

I shot the old man a look but he didn't look like he would expand upon what precaution he was talking about.

There. Underneath that rock. I leaned down and pushed the rock aside. My lightsaber was there, caked in mud. Ugh. Brushing the switch off at least, I turned it on to make sure it still worked.

Something glinted on the terentatek's corpse. When I switched off my lightsaber, the glint disappeared.

"There's...something…"

I pushed to my feet and crept to the body. A giant rock had smashed its head in—a clean kill. Its body had been preserved from the raining rocks above. What I had thought had been a spike on its back was actually a piece of corroded metal.

"Bacca's blade…" I gave Jolee a look over my shoulder. "The exiled Wookiees believe that they were cursed after losing that weapon. Apparently, they think it gives them freedom. Gives them..."

Hope. That was it.

My shoulders fell after that realization. "If not fear then...hope. Hope could convince them to fight back."

I reached up and grabbed the dulled blade with a hand. It took a few pulls and jolts through the Force, but the metal eventually broke free from the terentatek corpse…

Then shattered into hundreds of brittle pieces.

"Kriffing hell."

The dirty remnants of the blade fell off my hand as I waved it about. I growled—feeling a slight tinge of embarrassment. What a fool. My ears burned as I faced Jolee's unimpressed expression.

I threw a hand at the broken blade as I marched away.

"So much for that."