Darth Aella had just run her lightsaber through the last guard protecting the control center of the shipyard on Gwori. The guards were actually very good. Some had even managed to get off three separate shots before she cut them down. Definitely an improvement over what she normally faced. Of course, Gwori could afford to hire top notch security. After all, they did have an absolutely massive shipyard.

With a flick of her fingers, the doors to the control center flew off their hinges and slammed against the far wall, turning another guard to pulp in the process. The fool had been standing right behind them when she blew them apart. "Ah well," she thought. "Collateral damage wasn't really her concern. Just as long as the shipyard was still functional when she was done. Besides, she would have killed the guard in the next few seconds anyway."

Standing at the center of the room, head held high, shoulders back and a defiant, if resigned, look on his face, stood the facility's director. Jotun Jade. As Aella glided towards him, he seemed to shrink into himself slightly. "Perfect, the spell was already working," she told herself. It really was a simple thing. Very similar in a way to the Jedi's Mind Trick. But this Force technique was much more, insistent. It would break down all his mental barriers and compel him to tell her everything she wanted to know. In truth, she probably didn't need to use the spell. She really didn't need much information from the man, and a few questions would be more than sufficient. But why give up an advantage when you didn't have to?

"Director Jade, in the Name of the Galactic Empire, I hereby order you to surrender the station and submit yourself, this facility and the planet to Imperial Occupation. Failure to do so immediately will result in the deaths of anyone you hold dear. Your answer, Director?"

Oh, he wanted to tell her to crawl back into whatever hellscape she crawled out of. It was plain on his face. But the spell she had slid into his mind forced him to give her what she wanted.

"I...I...I...I submit...myself and this...facility...to Imperial Occupation."

"Wise choice. Transmit the order to shut down all automated defense systems and order your guards to lay down their arms."

"As you..as you command, My Lady."

"Oh, he was a strong one! Most beings would be fawning all over her by now trying to please her. Yet he still fought. Interesting," she though quietly to herself. "He wasn't Force Sensitive, yet, he did have more of a connection to the Force than most. I wonder..."

"Director, where is your family?"

"My family is...they're...they're here in the..station. In my...quarters."

Turning to Commander Cody, she told him, "Dispatch a squad and bring them here."

"Yes, My Lord," he responded instantly.

Fifteen minutes later, a fiery redheaded woman, who was struggling mightily, and a little redheaded child were half marched, half carried before her. Reaching out with the Force, she quickly examined their auras. She immediately dismissed the adult, but the child. The child was another matter entirely. TheForce seemed to almost burst from her in a raging torrent, wild and untamed. It seems her mission to subdue the planet and secure the shipyard for the Empire was bearing more fruit than she originally thought it would. The girl looked to be about three years old. "A prime age to begin training her in the ways of the Sith," she thought. "She might even be strong enough to become her own apprentice one day."

With a glance at the Stormtroopers and quick gesture with nothing but her eyes, they quickly separated the two, dragging the woman over to stand next to her husband. Aella meanwhile walked over to the girl and knelt before her. She gave the girl a rare naturally warm smile and said, "Hello little one. My name is Aella. What's yours?"

"Mara," she replied in a small, scared voice.

Smiling at her again, Aella said, "You don't need to be afraid of me, Mara. I'm a friend."

Looking up at her with large, green eyes, Mara asked her, "Are you a Jedi?"

Laughing slightly, Aella said, "No, I'm not little Mara. Why would you think I was a Jedi?"

Mara pointed to Aella's belt and said, "You got a lightsaber. My daddy told me that lightsabers were used by the Jedi."

The smile Aella gave her this time was not nearly so warm. "I'm no Jedi, Mara. The Jedi aren't the only ones to use a lightsaber. I'm a Sith. We're much, much better than the Jedi. Would you like to see my lightsaber?"

Mara nodded eagerly as Aella unclipped it from her belt and activated the blood red blade. With a snap-hiss the blade shot out of the hilt and hummed quietly. Giving a slight rumble as Aella moved it about slightly for Mara to admire. For her part, Mara couldn't take her eyes off of it. "Good," she thought. "The girl is already fascinated by it. This is going to be even easier than I thought."

"Mara, dear. Do you know what makes the Sith, and the Jedi, different from others? Why we're the only ones that carry a lightsaber?" Mara shook her head. "It's because we have the Force. Something that ordinary beings don't have. Only truly special people have it."

"Ohhhhh," said Mara, her eyes big with wonder.

"You're one of those special people, Mara. You have the Force. Just as I do."

"I do?!"

"Yes! Close your eyes. Concentrate on your emotions, your happiness, your fear, your joy, your anger, your love and your hate. They all let you feel the Force and feed it. The Force is a flame deep inside you. Use how you feel. Pour your feelings onto that flame and it will burn bright inside you."

Aella watched Mara's face become pinched in concentration as she struggled to grab the flame inside her. Suddenly, Mara's eyes flew open, "I feel it!!" She shouted. Aella smiled. Mara's eyes, normally a deep emerald green had given just the briefest flash of amber. Her journey into the Dark Side of the Force had just begun.

"Would you like to learn how to use the Force, dear Mara? I can teach you. And one day, you'll have a lightsaber all your own."

Mara nodded eagerly. "Good. Come, take my hand. I'lltake you to a very special place where you'll become very powerful and special."

Mara took Aella's hand and they began to walk towards her shuttle. Suddenly, Mara stopped. She looked up at Aella with her head cocked to one side and asked, "What about my Mommy and Daddy?"

"I'm sorry, Mara. But your parents don't have the Force inside them. Only you do. Where we're going is a very special place that's only for people who have the Force. But don't worry, I'll make sure your parents are taken care of."

"You promise?" Mara asked in a small voice.

"I promise." Aella then turned and said, "Commander Cody."

"My Lord?" He responded instantly.

"See to it that the Jades are taken care of, will you?"

"At once, My Lord."

Looking down once again at Mara, Aella said, "See? I keep my promises little Mara."

"Ok," said Mara. "Thank you." As she turned to wave goodbye to her parents, her last sight of them was as the Stormtroopers in the room slowly closed in around them. As Aella's shuttle pulled away from the station, the sounds of blaster fire could just faintly be heard coming from the control room.

Looking at her shuttle pilot, Darth Aella told him, "Set course for Korriban. Inform the fleet that they are to continue the mission here. I need to go to the Academy."

_

Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker stood in the training room of the Academy on Tython. Before him, stood Rancor Clan. His children's Clan. The Clan was originally to have been called Tauntaun Clan. But then his children decided to act, well, like his children. When Luke, Leia, Galen and Ezra got together, they usually ended up tearing through things like a rancor. It didn't take long for the Clan's name to be officially changed. Now they were about to begin their first lesson in lightsaber combat. Anakin had, by this point, trained hundreds of children in the basics of using a lightsaber. And dozens more in more advanced techniques. But somehow, he just knew this class was going to be different.

Of course a lot of things were different now. Seryanna had been Knighted six months ago. Padme, on top of being named Supreme Chancellor, was pregnant again. And due in just a few weeks. Only one child this time though. Master Che said it would be a boy. And on top of all that, at the same time that Seryanna had been Knighted, he had been called to the Tower of First Knowledge and offered a seat on the Council of First Knowledge. "It's truly amazing how much things have changed," Anakin thought. "Despite everything going wrong in the Galaxy, despite the near death of the Order five years ago, how much happier he was now."

Giving himself a small smile and slightly shaking his head, he turned his full attention back to the class in front of him. Stifling a sigh, he saw Luke, Galen and Ezra all grouped around Leia, whispering conspiratorially. Leia, as much as she was his little princess, was definitely the ringleader and head trouble maker of their group. Between the four of them, they put his antics back in the Temple on Coruscant to shame. He could only imagine what they were about to get up to now. A quick reminder that lightsaber practice was not the time to fool around would probably be a good idea right about now, Anakin decided.

Stepping silently up to them, Anakin dropped his hands onto Luke and Leia's shoulders, making them jump. "And what would the four of you be whispering about?"

"Nothing, Da..Master Skywalker," Leia quickly said. A little too quickly in Anakin's opinion. He also noticed that she remembered at the last second that, during training sessions, Anakin wasn't Daddy. He was Master Skywalker, Jedi Master, Member of the Council of First Knowledge and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order.

"Uh-huh. Initiate Skywalker, it's considered highly unbecoming of a Jedi to lie to people. Especially to Jedi Council Members." Having said that, Anakin gave Leia a look. Truth be told, it was one he had learned from Padme. She would use it on him all the time whenever he started getting evasive about his missions. nnaas almost as effective on Leia. Her cheeks burned red, knowing she was caught. But her stubbornness, inherited from both Anakin and Padme, made her just purse her lips together and refuse to answer.

It was far more effective on Luke. "Wewere gonna show off what you showed us before," Luke said in a rush.

Giving a slight groan and running his hand over his face, Anakin cursed himself for a fool. He just knew that that was gonna come back and bite him. And he did it anyway. After Seryanna had been Knighted, he had found himself with some free time. So he had showed the Fearsome Foursome a handful of sequences that combined the lightsaber and the Force. "Padme told me that was a bad idea. Shoulda listened," he told himself.

Putting on his Master's Face, he told them, "Children, now is not the time or place. Showing off in front of your Clan is not how a Jedi should behave. Understand?"

The four of them hung their heads, Anakin's displeasure with them coming across loud and clear through the Force. Almost as one they answered him, "Yes, Master Skywalker."

"Good. Now, the four of you go to the chest in the back and hand out the training sabers to your clanmates."

A few minutes later, when everyone in the room had their training lightsaber, Anakin began their training.

"Lesson one, this weapon is your life..."

_

In the High Council Chamber, Master Yoda led the Council in yet another meeting. It saddened him greatly to look around the room and realize just how many had been lost. Master Koon had never quite recovered from his injuries above Caamas. He had tried valiantly to resume his duties, but had been forced to resign from the Council a year after the battle. Even today, he was largely confined to his quarters or occasionally one of the meditation groves. Master Sinube had never returned from his mission to locate the Death Star. And his final message to them had proven to be a trap. A scout team made up of a dozen Jedi Knights had been ambushed as they approached the Maw. All but two had been killed. The two that managed to escape had both been badly injured. The fallen Jedi Knights Maw and Ameesa Darys had led the ambush. Maw had fallen in the fight, but not before he had killed three Jedi.

Master Nu had, once again, retired from the High Council. Her age was beginning to catch up to her. Master Secura's time on the Council had also come to an end, having been appointed to a short term on the body. In their places, Masters Roan Shryne, Rahm Kota, K'Kruhk and Kirak Infil'a now sat on the Council. So many lost. But so much had been gained as well. The Jedi had found their way in the Galaxy again. Unfortunately, for this meeting, the War took first place.

"We have to face facts. Tython can no longer support our operations," Master Kota said. "For all that Tython's remoteness has protected us, it's just too remote to properly support a campaign against Sidious. With the Orbital Docks above Pammant, Dac and Chardaan producing Star Destroyers, Frigates and fighters for us, plus the captured Imperial, Venator and Acclamator class ships we have, we need an actual base. Somewhere remote for safety, but not so remote we can't build up the infrastructure we need."

The hologram of Master Kenobi agreed. "I must agree with Master Kota. Tython is wonderful for hit and run tactics. But our fleet is too large to safely base in the deep core. We can't get the amount of supplies in that we need. Perhaps a planet like Dantoine would be suitable."

"Hmmmmm. Perhaps," said Master Yoda. "Begin a campaign to stop Sidious, we must. Meditate on this we shall." Turning slightly in his chair, Yoda looked at Shaak Ti. "An update on the Order as a whole, you have, Master Ti?"

"Yes," she said. "In the last five years, we've seen a slight increase in the overall size of the Jedi Order. Immediately after the Temple fell, our numbers were reduced to about three thousand. Today, our numbers stand at just over four thousand. However, that number is a bit of a lie. Of those four thousand, only about fifteen hundred are Knights or Masters. About a thousand are Padawans and Initiates with the remainder being members of the Service Corps. It's an improvement, but we're still weak. There is one interesting piece of information. Many of our youngest Initiates seem to be far stronger in the Force than what were used to seeing. Several, even at young ages are already demonstrating an affinity for abilities long believed lost or so rare as to be once in a millennia talents."

"Interesting. Examine this, we must. Perhaps, the Force's way to strengthen us, this is. Master K'Kruhk, ask you to investigate this, I do."

"Of course, Master. It would be by pleasure."

"Thank you, I do. Now, on to other matters."

_

Ahsoka Tano quietly cursed the Jedi High Council. "Seriously," she thought. "Who's bright idea was it to send a Togruta on an undercover mission anyway? Her species wasn't exactly known for their ability to blend in." Her new Padawan, Jeswi Ele, was beside her as they lay hidden in the foliage on Felucia. This was Jeswi's first actual mission, having just turned thirteen a few months earlier. She was also Ahsoka's first Padawan. She'd been able to delay taking one for nearly a year beyond when she was supposed to take one, but Master Yoda and Anakin cornered her one day and introduced her to Jeswi before casually dropping the fact that she was to be her new Padawan into the conversation. Now she knew how Anakin felt when she had just randomly showed up and announced that Master Yoda had decreed that she was to be his Padawan.

As that was going through her head, her eyes remained locked on the camouflaged building on the other side of the valley. The being they had been tracking for the last four and a half years was hiding in it. If she thought about it, it made a strange sort of sense. Felucia was known for its vibrant organic life and medical uses. But at the same time, the planet had been almost entirely decimated during the Clone Wars and still had a large Imperial Garrison stationed on the planet. Hiding under the Empire's nose was a brilliant move on her part. Of course, they really should have expected something like that. The woman was one of, if not the, foremost geneticists in the Galaxy. It was honestly kind of embarrassing that it had taken the Clones and the Jedi this long to figure out where she'd gone.

But all that was behind them now. Ahsoka and Jeswi had spent the last six months on Felucia, establishing their cover, asking the right questions, digging around (but not too deep, they didn't want to spook her). Two weeks ago, they finally confirmed it. They found her. The Nulls had showed up a week ago after her message had been received on Mandalore and now, they were all about to grab her and go home. All they had to do was wait until the Imperial Patrol below them passed out of the valley and they'd move in. The Nulls had been in position for three days now, making sure she couldn't escape. Once they saw Ahsoka move, they'd move also.

As the last of the Stormtroopers exited the valley, Ahsoka tapped the top of Jeswi's hand once and the two Jedi swiftly and smoothly rose up from their hiding places. With a burst of Force enhanced speed, they sped down the hill they had been on and across the valley. Their lightsabers in their hands, but unlit. With perfect timing, Ahsoka and Jeswi arrived at the (not so) hidden entrance to the hideout simultaneously with Ordo and A'den while the four remaining Nulls covered them and made sure no one could escape the building.

Without even a pause, Ahsoka blew the door open with the Force while A'den jammed the electronics on the, in his opinion, too sophisticated booby-traps and countermeasures. Taking the lead, Ordo advanced into the building, the two Jedi covering his back. In no time at all, they had found who they were looking for. With the two Jedi behind him, Ordo pulled off his beskar helmet and gave the being an evil looking grin. He said, "Hello Ko Sai. Remember me?"

That was the last thing she would hear for quite some time as Ordo's gauntleted fist slammed into the side of her head. With one blow, knocking her unconscious instantly. Turning to Ahsoka he said, "Right, lets get this shabuir doped up and onto the shuttle before the next patrol comes through here."

Nodding her agreement, Ahsoka quickly shot up the Kaminoan scientist with a powerful sedative that would keep her unconscious for at least the next few days. And just to be on the safe side, she also put stun cuffs on her wrists and ankles before telling Jeswi to go get the cargo pod they had stashed earlier so they could move her back to their ship.

Ordo meanwhile had commed Mereel and Jaing to get in there and copy all of the scientist's data and research before they blew the building sky high. In minutes, it was done. As the small strike team of Jedi and Nulls left Felucia to transport their prize to Tython, the small lab Ko Sai had set up blew itself apart.