They had been tracking him for years but at that time their hunting teams had come particular close to catching him

Sitting in the cockpit next to Gyro she watched the huge temple complex loom into view, the serene layout of the perfectly proportioned structures soothing her jittery nerves instantly. The Jedi Temple itself dominated the facility and it was there that Gyro was taking the ship. They had obtained clearance for the highest priority landing pad up at the top of the spire, and undoubtedly the Council would want to question her prisoner immediately. In a way Belana felt relieved. The voyage had demanded much of them, much nore than the battle itself. She and her team had barely slept, constantly on guard, and the atmosphere on board had been charged with violence. The Sith had not attacked them again, fortunately, but sometimes Belana had been close to killing him herself, out of sheer desperation over his arrogant demeanor. He had kept on teasing Tarla over her master's death and had evaded each and every question the Jedi Master had asked. Apart from that she had noticed with great annoyance that he did not act like any Sith she had ever met before. Granted, those had always been battle-field encounters, but she remembered the ferocity and brute force with which they had fought her. And she had suspected that they all were the same. But this one had been pursuing a purely defensive tactic so far.

And it had served him well. Too well, in fact, and Belana hoped sincerely that now, with more ressources to call upon, she could finally start working on him with more success. They had to find out who he was, what he was, and, above all, what information they could gain from him.

It had been a year ago that she had had a somewhat disturbing vision about a man such as this one: a wanderer who held the key to destroying the Sith. At first she had not payed much heed to that vision, but when six months ago two Jedi Masters had been killed by a lone Sith warrior Belana had known that she had found the right man. He was travelling alone and the fact that he had managed to evade her teams told the Jedi Master first that he had great skills at deception and second that he knew his hunters well. He made for the perfect scout, even though he had been forced to reveal himself. But the Jedi Council was convinced that the two Masters that had been killed had been no random prey to this Sith. Apparently those two had come too close to him. Still, the battle on Dantooine seemed to contradict Belana's suspicion. He had destroyed the first team easily, but when he had confronted the rest of them he had ceased his struggles far too quickly. Undoubtedly he had known that the Jedi would try to capture him alive and he must also have known that they would not rest until they had uncovered his secrets. Any real scout would rather have died than let his knowledge fall into enemy hands.

In total what she had seen and heard of him so far conjured the image of a loner, an outcast, maybe, for reasons she did not even want to think about. He had no liking for the Jedi, but he was no common Sith either. But she did not know if that was just for show, either. What she did know was that there was something eerie about his everlasting smile and the deviousness lurking in his pale eyes. Would he cooperate or would he fight them? He seemed unpredictable, unstable even, and Belana was not much looking forward to the work ahead. She just wanted to get over with it quickly. As the ship touched down she immediately went aft, leaving it to the apprentice to power down the engines. Entering the hold she shot a quick glance at the two guards before her eyes came to rest on the prisoner. He looked at her wearily, his dry lips parted slightly, and she could see that he was hurting. But then, it was his own fault that he had not accepted neither any medical assistance nor food and drink. Not that she would have granted him the latter after he had killed Master Kulur. But he had not asked again for anything. If that was a good sign Belana could not be sure.

"We are here," she told him at last.

He kept silent and struggled to his feet with a sigh. Turning around again Belana strode into the corridor and toward the already lowered landing ramp where Gyro and Tarla were already waiting for them. The apprentices backed out of their way cautiously and as the Jedi Master went past them, stepping underneath the light blue sky, a smile touched her lips. She had missed the sunlight during the flight, cooped up in the ship all the time, and the Sith's presence had done nothing to ease the tension. But now she was back home and she could finally get some rest. A familiar figure stepped toward her and took her in a warm embrace.

"Master Refka," she whispered in her friend's ear softly. The elderly woman returned her smile amiably.

"Welcome back. We have been expecting you, and we would appreciate it greatly if you could report to the Council at once. You and your companions will have a chance to rest later."

"Thank you."

"And that is him."

Belana turned around, her eyes growing cold: "Yes. He has not given us his name yet though."

"He will, I am sure. Come, my friend. There is a lot to do."

As they entered the spacious hallway leading into the Council Chamber Belana could practically feel the Sith's eyes drill into her back. It was uncomfortable, but Refka's presence at her side eased that feeling considerably. And besides, they were safe now and she doubted that he would try anything stupid in his enemies' stronghold. When they rounded a corner to come into view of the open double doors leading into the great hall she became suddenly aware of someone approaching them.

"Another victory for the great Master Jen," a hard voice called sarcastically. Belana turned toward the newcomer with a frown. He came striding down the hallway with the fast, measured steps of a soldier, his dark brown cloak trailing behind him like an angry banner.

Quirking a wry smile at her he came to a full stop and bowed deeply: "Congratulations on this capture."

"Back from the battle front, Kha Door?" she asked coolly, trying to fight the sudden light-headedness she always experienced when being close to the enigmatic battle-leader.

Raising his head again to face her he gave her a most sincere look of open admiration:

"None of my battles were as hard as this one must have been, Master. Where did you find him?"

"On Dantooine. A shame you were not with us. He killed six before we could overwhelm him, and Master Kulur fell prey to his tricks only shortly afterwards."

"Yet you kept him alive...," Kha Door mused, throwing the Sith a curious look. Walking closer to the taller man he studied the other openly, as if trying to read his thoughts.

The prisoner gave him a contemptuous smile, but took a step back when the Jedi Knight came up too close to him.

"Afraid?" the Jedi Knight asked coldly.

"Of you? Hardly."

"You should show more respect to Kha Door," Master Refka admonished the Sith calmly. "He has won every battle so far and none of your strategists has ever managed to outsmart him."

"Ah? Maybe I should kill him then..."

Roj Kell answered the Jedi's laugh with a smile of his own. But the man merely nodded at him before he whirled around to stride into the great hall, leading the way for the others to follow. Standing his own ground the Sith Lord watched him go. Kha Door was the perfect model of a warrior, that was for sure. It was refreshing to see such a competent creature among the Jedi, someone who was in complete control of not only himself, but also of his surroundings. Someone who was unafraid to face even him down. He noticed Master Jen's eyes on him and for a moment their eyes met in understanding. They both knew Kha Door for what he truly was. Even though the Jedi might see him at a different angle than the Sith. Finally Jen turned away and rough hands pushed Kell toward the entrance to the Council Chamber. What struck him first was the bright sunlight overflowing the high-ceilinged room through generously spaced windows nestled in beautifully carved frames. The sheer grandeur of the chamber took his breath away for a moment. Who could have known? Almost immediately he felt Kha Door looking at him, undoubtedly to see his reaction, but he refrained from reacting to that challenge.

Instead he concentrated on the beings assembled in a circle around the small group. The Council. He gave them a tight smile, but their expressions never changed.

"Master Jen, please report," one of them began.

The woman bowed toward the assembly, all business once more.

"Masters, you have heard the news of Master Kulur's death already, and I have found out a few things. First, this man is no scout for the Sith. At least not a common one. Therefore I suggest that we take the greatest care with him until we can be certain that he is not hiding anything from us anymore."

"No scout? Master Jen, may I remind you that we allowed this chase only on your word that he would supply us with vital information?"

"No need of a reminder. With all respect, I still believe that he is the one I told you about."

Taking a step forward Kha Door managed to draw all eyes on himself in an instance:

"Please, hear me. Master Jen is right, I believe. Even though I can safely claim that I can recognize a warrior when I see one, this man is not like the ones I have fought over the past few weeks. But I do not see why she thinks that he knows anything that might be of use to us. He has been on the move the past months and there is no way he could have kept up to date at all times. He is no scout, no way."

Kell watched the Council's reaction closely and he could easily see that they were rather inclined to believe a seasoned battle-leader rather than the Jedi Master. But Jen was not quite finished. Her mouth hardened in a grim line as she took her place next to Kha Door.

"Master Jen, you have an objection?"

The woman bowed her head gravely, then extended a hand toward the prisoner:

"With all respect, this man is no common warrior. Still, he killed Masters Fu'ri, Gerdan and Sii. Plus their apprentices. Which can mean two things: either he has had not only training in the arts of the Sith or else he is something entirely different."

"Something different?"

"A priest, maybe. I do not know."

Roj Kell smiled at the curious faces staring at him. A priest? Ridiculous. And yet, also true, in a way.

"He could not be a Dark Lord, could he?" someone asked hopefully, prompting a sharp laugh from the Sith.

"I do not believe so. No Dark Lord would come her unguarded," Master Jen mused. "But the battle showed me one weaknes we have to eliminate."

"What would that be?"

"He used the Force to defeat them whereas we relied more on our lightsabers. We have to change that."

Kell was not the only one who gave the Jedi Master an incredulous look.

"Master Jen, the Code explicitly forbids employing the Force in that manner."

"I know. My apologies. The thought was sparked by my impatience with the Sith."

"Speaking of." The Head of the Council nodded toward Kell gravely: "You have two possibilities, as I am sure you know. For one, you could tell us what we want to know and live."

Ignoring the expectant looks Roj Kell snorted contemptuously and shook his head: "My life for that of the Sith? That would hardly be worth it."

"Very well. Then we will have to force you to reveal that information to us."

"That is a deal," the Sith answered with a smile.

Belana shot the prisoner a hard glance. So he would be fighting them. He was courageous, that one, or just plain stupid. But so far she had not had the expression that he ever overestimated himself. Breaking him would not be easy, as he had proven already. He could withstand an assault without breaking a sweat, but maybe if they managed to weaken him further they could force him to give up after all. Although Belana resented this sort of treatment she knew for certain that it was vital to gain that information.

Completely immersed in her analysis of the situation she almost jumped, when the battle-leader joined her quietly. Looking into his dark brown eyes she smiled a bit. Kha Door was not a handsome man, but there was something about him that made him very attractive despite his rough features and martial demeanor. Maybe it was his grace, his sharp mind, or something else entirely, but Belana had found herself thinking of him very often during the past months. And she was asking herself if his constant challenges were not just his way of showing his affection. He respected her, that much was clear, and maybe behind that irony of his he even hid his admiration for her skills. Both of them were warriors rather than guardians, like-minded and closely matched in temper. She liked him, that much was certain. And Belana liked to believe that he felt something for her too.

"I will accompany you," he told her gently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She gave him a sharp nod and waved her team forward. They followed her, clearly relieved, and she could tell that Tarla in particular would be most grateful to be out of the Sith's sight for a while. Which reminded Belana that she still had to talk to the girl about her apprenticeship. She would take her gladly, but she would not force her. After all, Belana would be in charge of the Sith once they had rested from the past voyage, and if Tarla decided that she was not ready to be exposed to him like that Belana would accept that too. Walking side by side with Kha Door she could sense a strange tension building between them, as if he wanted to tell her something but was too shy to do so.

They kept silent as they rounded the corner to the lift that would lead them down to the living quarters. But once inside the lift Belana decided to make the first move.

"So, your battles were successful?"

"Adequate. We did not lose more than we had anticipated and I guess we can call it an even match. The Sith have retreated for now, but I do not doubt that they will attack again once they have licked their wounds."

"What did you tell the Chancellor?"

"I said that we are making progress." His easy smile made her heart beat faster.

"That I do not doubt. And with what we can learn from this one I am sure that you can soon claim that we will win this."

"I sincerely hope so. When she heard that you were tracking that Sith she asked if she could see him once he was captured."

"So confident that I would succeed?"

"Your reputation is flawless, Master Jen."

"Thank you. But she should not be allowed near him before we are a lot further in cracking his defenses."

He nodded thoughtfully: "We should meet on this. I will arrange something. Do you have any preferences as to who will be included in this task force?"

"You, of course, Master Refka, Knights Zerkan and Gehar. They know him too, after all. Wee will need more, but I do not have any suggestions right now."

"Of course. With all respect, Master Jen, you need some rest. I will call you later tonight."

"Thank you, Kha Door."

As they exited the lift Belana felt her stomach flutter in anticipation. She was really looking forward to seeing him again tonight. Smiling a bit she shook her head. She was acting like a teenager in this matter, but then, love always stayed the same. When finally the door to her quarters shut behind her Belana heaved a deep sigh. Alone at last and above all safe. This Sith was giving her the creeps and she was glad to be away for some time. Undoubtedly he would prepare himself for the battle ahead, as would she and her companions. But first, some sleep. And a bath.

Walking along in the midst of his nervous guards Roj Kell studied the layout of the tower closely. He had heard so much about this place, but had never come here himself. It was beautiful, full of light and air. But as they went deeper into the structure the windows grew smaller and the hallways darker. Rounding a corner the two guards up front drew open a small door that led into a windowless room beyond. Some sort of cell, he guessed.

"Get over there," one of the guards ordered coldly and pointed. Kell gave him a long look, then shot a glance at the indicated corner.

"Are you deaf?" the man snarled and the Sith could feel his companions tense.

"No," he replied softly, nodding toward the far wall, sending the guard crashing against it with a sickening thud. "Just polite. After you, my friend."

Striding up to the fallen Jedi, sensing the others' shock plainly, he dropped down next to the man and smiled. He had turned his back to the others deliberately, but he could see their fear and dread mirrored in the Jedi's grey eyes. "You must be asking yourself two questions right now: first, will he kill me, and second why did he attack me at all? The answer to question number one is no, and as to number two, well, consider this a friendly warning to never ever try to give me orders again."

"What's this?" a hard voice demanded, making Kell turn back to face the newcomer.

Kha Door was standing in the doorway, a deep frown on his face, that lit up in sudden understanding when his eyes fell on the downed Jedi. The battle-master strode up to the injure man unafraid, ignoring the Sith's amused smile.

"I just came down to check on you six. I did not even feel him attack you." Door shot a cold glance at the remaining five guards: "Lesson number one when dealing with a Sith: never let him play his games with you."

"He says he doesn't take orders," the still dazed guard wheezed hrough a broken nose.

"Of course not," Kha Door began in a most reasonable tone. "If you give them orders they will only fight harder. Therefore you have to convince them to cooperate."

Whirling around suddenly he rammed his right elbow into the Sith's ribcage, or tried to, at least. The taller man side-stepped his attack elegantly and hooked a leg around Kha Door's ankle, dropping the battle-leader to the floor. The moment their eyes met the air between them started sizzling with raw power as each tried to overwhelm the other. But Roj Kell knew that the Jedi had him at a disadvantage. He would not fight them, but he wanted to make it clear that he would not bow to them either. When Kha Door rose again he took a step back, assuming a defensive stance again. The five guards still standing at the door immediately moved to block his way, but the Sith's eyes were intent only on the Jedi Knight opposing him.

"Lesson numer two," Kell whispered, "is to never assume that you know your opponent as well as you think you do."

He could see Kha Door hesitate, clearly loath to attack him. An interesting move, and so very unlike this accomplished warrior. The Sith Lord cocked his head to one side, studying the battle-leader openly. But the man was controlling himself well. There was no anger here, or else it was well hidden.

"Well, I do know that you must be starving and I bet that you have not had anything to drink for days. You cannot get out of here alive and you know it. So I propose a deal. You sit down now, nice and slow, and I will send these men away to leave you to rest and get you some food."

Roj Kell smiled again: "A most gracious offer."

"That you will accept?"

Plale green eyes flickering for a second the Sith inclined his head gravely. "Yes," he answered calmly and dropped down to the floor, legs crossed in front of him.

"Thank you so much. Get water, food and rope. And see to it that this man receives medical attention," Kha Door added, pointing at the Jedi Knight still lying on the ground. His companions did as ordered and shortly after the two men were alone together.

"So. Unbeatable and courageous. And smart too," Roj Kell teased the warrior as he knelt down beside him.

Kha Door's brown eyes did betray nothing, but there was something about his features that made Kell increase his defenses immediately.

"Does the shoulder still hurt?"

"What do you care?"

"Might be useful."

"Really. Why the rope?"

"You will see."

"You don't get many prisoners down here, do you?"

"Certainly none of your caliber."

"A compliment?"

"No, just being realistic. But let us reverse the roles and let me ask the questions. I found your reaction to the Council Chamber quite interesting. You seemed surprised.."

"I am just not used to this finely crafted beauty. It is intriguing, in a way."

"Unsettling maybe?"

"I may be Sith, but I am not ignorant," Roj Kell admonished him gently.

"No, of course not."

Just then the door burst open again, admitting two of the guards. One handed a long roll of rope to Kha Door while the other set down a tray with food and water.

"Out," the battle-leader ordered, "but stay in the vicinity." Turning toward the prisoner again he gave him a tight smile. "Now, the ropes are much harder to break for you," he began, and set to binding Kell's ankles together. "You may be able to squeeze metal and break locks, but you will be hard-pressed to get out of a good knot. Or a noose, for that matter."

Clasping a hand around the Sith's neck he forced him to bend forward, then sat up and rested his right knee on the prisoner's back to keep Kell in that position, while he exchanged the bonds holding his arms. Roj Kell gritted his teeth in indignation, but did not react to this treatment otherwise. Once Kha Door let him go again he looked up and raised his eyebrows meaningfully. The man was enjoying this, that much was clear.

"Water?" the Jedi asked with a false smile.

"Please."

Belana woke to the steady sound of someone pounding at the door to her quarters. Rising abruptly from her bed she wiped a hand over her face to capture any stray strands of hair that might have escaped her neat braid. She opened the door calmly and nodded at Refka with some relief.

"We are ready and waiting for you," her friend told her gently.

"Good. Were there any problems?"

"No more than one would expect. One man injured, but the prisoner seems ready to cooperate a bit more."

"Let's not be too confident right now. He has his own views on cooperation."

"Yes, you are right."

Belana bit her lower lip hesitantly, then drew her friend inside and shut the door behind them.

"Refka," she said, then stopped again, unsure of how to continue.

"What is it?"

"I need some advise from a good friend."

"You know you can trust me with anything."

"Yes," Belana sighed, then dropped onto her bed again, waiting for the older woman to join her. She fidgeted with the blanket a bit before she could gather enough courage to tell her friend what exactly was on her mind. "Refka, I know that it is not appropriate for a Jedi to marry, but we have feelings too, don't we?"

"You are in love." It was no question.

Blushing slightly the Jedi Master turned to grin at Refka: "I admit it. Yes."

"The way you've been eyeing Kha Door it was plain for everyone to see."

"By the Force! I have been such a fool."

"Do not worry about it, Belana. It is no crime, after all. But right now it would only distract you from your task."

"Then you think it is alright for me to..." she trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

"How do you think little Jedi come to be? They don't just fall from the sky, you know?" Refka told her with a hearty laugh.

"Yes, of course I know." She hesitated again. "Let's go. We have business to attend to."

They met the rest of their team in a small chamber. Kha Door was standing next to Zerkan and Gehar, undoubtedly discussing the battle on Dantooine and the happenings on the ship on their trip here. The three men turned toward them as they entered, bowing deeply and smiled at the two women warmly. In a corner Gyro and Tarla were immersed in another discussion, but the apprentices immediately scurried toward their respective masters, and Belana was just a bit surprised to see Tarla latch onto her. She gave the girl a small smile, that the young woman answered with a wry grimace of her own.

"Thank you for attending and for your willingness to participate in this endeavour. I have asked masters Ju'Ren and Diriwa to join us, but they will have to finish their lessons first. As you all know we have a difficult task ahead of us. Our prisoner is not only the first Sith ever to be captured and brought to Coruscant, he is also a very devious creature. Any suggestions on how to get past his defenses are welcome."

Almost immediately Jedi Knight Zerkan, Gyro's master, stepped forward, bowing toward the Jedi Master.

"Since the three of us have not been able to crack his shields, maybe we should pool our strength."

"He is shielding himself too well for that," Belana mused, shaking her head as she remembered the feel of his mind, like a murky swamp that was slowly dragging them down.

"What do you suggest then?" Kha Door asked quietly.

Belana folded her arms in front of her chest, frowning: "If we can provoke him into an attack we can crack his defenses."

"Marvellous. An excellent suggestion. But he is acting too defensive for that. How do you suggest we goad him into an attack?"

"We shall see. Honestly, I have no idea how to rile him up a bit."

"We have the greatest faith in your abilities, Master Jen," Kha Door told her with an open grin.

She gave him a wry smile as she answered: "Thank you. I will prove myself worthy of your trust. Perhaps we should really try Zerkan's approach first. Since I have already encountered his defenses before I will lead our efforts."

"As ordered," the battle-master answered gravely and bowed to her again.

Waking up from a healing trance Roj Kell opened his eyes slowly, once again astounded at the sheer bleakness of his prison. That a room like this existed in a structure as beautiful as this tower... There were no guards with him, but he could feel them outside, six of them, wary and on edge. No light broke through the dark gloom of the tiny cell and the Sith Lord could not help but feel as if encased in a tomb. Maybe that had been the whole purpose all along. And maybe it was just his keen eyes and sharp memory that supplied an image to the atmosphere. When suddenly the door opened he turned his head away, temporarily blinded by the brightness directed at him. Then the whole room came aflame with light, allowing him to identify the eight people crowding into the small room. Eight Jedi inside and six guards outside. Almost devastating odds. But only almost. Master Jen stepped forward, a tight smile on her lips. He studied her closely for the first time since he had been captured. She was obviously in charge of this operation, a fact that made it impossible for him to dismiss her any longer. Jen was, he found, quite attractive, with dark brown hair framing her pale skin and full lips and large eyes giving her a somewhat innocent look. Well, he knew better than that. She was a force to be reckoned with.

"You know all of us, except Masters Ju'Ren and Diriwa," here she indicated a huge Ithorian and a small Chadra'Fan, a pair that could not have been more different. He nodded at them politely, then stretched out his legs leisuredly, a slightly bored expression on his face. "But we would love to get to know you better," she continued, sparking a sharp laugh from the Sith.

"Charming, Master Jen. I am honored."

"As are we."

"Can we get over with the pleasantries now?" Kha Door snapped suddenly, clearly annoyed.

"Certainly. Please, take a seat, all of you."

Kell sat up straighter, the smile fading from his lips. This looked interesting. As the Jedi took their places one of the guards closed the door very gently, as not to disturb them. Of the eight only Kha Door looked at the Sith Lord while the others closed their eyes in concentration. The two men shared a cold smile, and then the battle was on. Roj Kell blocked the first attack, but suspected immediately that this time it would not be so easy. Obviously they had decided to try a direct approach again, but with a lot more force. Literally. Falling into the deep void he freed his mind of any distractions and focused solely on one point, creating a power center that would be their first target.

Already he could feel the tentative nudges at this tempting focal point, sensing the wariness and suspicion. Like a swarm of wild bees the eight Jedi began circling this one point, looking for a way in. Unfortunately there was none and when Kell suddenly brought up a bleak wall of anger smashing into them from underneath he could almost hear them cry out in pain. Immediately the response hit him like a hammerblow, but he did not give way. The second onslaught was much finer, and apparently they had finally found their mutual focus. If he was any judge Master Jen would be leading the ring and it was her he had to knock out.

Keeping up his defenses he was searching for the one weak link in the chain and found it easily. He filled Tarla's mind with a shocking vision of her former master's death, causing her to lose her focus and to send a wave of fear and shame along the line, shattering the others' resolve. Master Jen's eyes flew open and she shot an angry glare at the hapless girl who blushed furiously. But then her gaze focused on the Sith once more. He smiled at her coldly and saw that there was something lurking in her eyes... Fear. Frowning slightly Kell tried to find out what it was she was fearing. But he was given no chance to ponder this further for Kha Door very suddenly punched a well-armored fist into his right shoulder, breaking open the blistered wound again. Howling in pain the Sith Lord jerked back, almost hitting his head against the wall, but this distraction cost him precious ground when the remaining seven Jedi started on his mind again. He retreated slowly, gritting his teeth in a furious attempt to get past the red haze of agony filling his entire body, The wound was infected due to lack of medical attention and he could not heal it, he could only keep the infection from spreading out. As Kha Door had known very well.

"Stop!" Master Jen ordered sharply, making everyone jump. Her face was a mask of cold fury as she turned toward the battle-leader. "I will not allow such methods," she hissed, rising from her seat abruptly, clearly disturbed.

"Apologies, Master. But I saw no other way-"

"No more. He may be a Sith and he may be dangerous, but he is a living being."

"Master, I-"

"Out. Now," she snarled, pointing at the door. Kha Door shot her a surprised look, but subsided to her wishes and left as dignified as he could manage.

After a short silence one of the other Jedi spoke at last, his voice a bit shaky: "Master Jen, do you think that is wise?"

"Indeed I do. We will rest for now. Come."

With a last glance back at the Sith Lord she shushed her team out of the room, leaving a stunned and slightly confused prisoner behind. What was this about? He did not get it. On one hand she wanted to break him and on the other she seemed loath to hurt him physically. A strange approach. She was afraid of him, but on a different level than the others. This was intriguing. But not half as interesting as the battle-master. Kha Door had proven to be troublesome, disrespectful toward Master Jen and prone to playing his own games with the Sith. A dangerous path that he had chosen there. And the Jedi Knight would have to be very careful not to stumble and fall.

As expected Kha Door was waiting for her at her quarteres. Striding past him Belana waved him in and closed the door.

"Sit down," she ordered and took her own place at the small table by the window.

"Master Jen," he began, joining her. "I am sorry. I lost my patience."

"We are all hard-pressed to keep our temper here, but we are Jedi, my friend. Our strength lies in peace and compassion."

"And yet we are treating him like any other prisoner. This is a contradiction, master."

"A necessary one. I understand what you mean, believe me, but sometimes we have to make small sacrifices to prevent greater harm from happening."

He gave her a cold look: "I think you may have misunderstood, Master Jen. You never should have given him a chance in the first place."

"You think I should have killed him back on Dantooine?"

"Yes. He is dangerous and he is toying with us. He won't beak and he won't reveal anything."

"How can you be so certain?"

"I know the Sith."

"As do I. Please, Kha Door, hear me. We will defeat him in the end, but you should think about your feelings in the matter. This is not about revenge. You are treading very close to

the Dark Side, my friend, do you realize that?"

Kha Door blinked at her, clearly taken aback: "The Dark Side? I -. No, this is pure necessity. I knew that I could get him off-balance and if you had not stopped the attack-"

"It is not the way! Why won't you accept that?"

"And breaking his mind is? You do realize that this is far crueller than any physical torment, don't you? Imagine yourself in his place."

Belana swallowed the sharp retort and thought about it. He was right, in a way. The man was a Sith and he relied on his mind mostly, which made it only logical to attack him there. On the other hand it was wholly natural that he would defend himself strongest there too. Rubbing a hand over her forehead she heaved a deep sigh:

"So, no torture, no mental attacks. What is left then? This is madness, Kha Door. He will not go so far as to sacrifice his life, else he would already be dead. But there is only so much I can sanction. What is the key then?"

"I am not sure. But I know you will find a way."

"What do you mean? Will you not be staying?"

"I was summoned to the Council shortly after I left you and that can only mean that I will have to go again."

"We need you here, too, you know?"

"No, Master Jen. You are very capable of handling that Sith. Just promise me to be careful."

"I promise," she answered with a smile and nearly jumped when he lay his hand on hers quickly, drawing away again immediately, and rose so fast that he almost toppled his chair over. He gave her an embarrassed grin and turned around to leave without another word.

Belana sat in her chair, dumb-founded, as the door closed behind him. Why did things always have to be so difficult?

It was approximately an hour after the Jedi had left that Roj Kell had another visit. The man stared at him in a mixture of loathing and admiration, but he kept a safe distance. Sitting up elegantly the Sith Lord nodded gravely at the battle-master.

"Did you forget something?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

The Jedi Knight flinched slightly, his reaction bringing a smile to the older man's lips.

"I just wanted to warn you."

"About?"

"Master Jen. If you so much as hurt her-"

"Do I sense a hint of something more here?"

Kha Door stared at him for a long time before answering: "Yes."

Snorting in disgust Roj Kell leaned back against the wall and shook his head impatiently. "Ah, nothing is worse than a fool in love. Never ever trust your enemy with your feelings."

The man blushed furiously, taking a step toward the Sith: "What do you know!"

"I know a great many things, my friend."

"Really," his voice suddenly icy cold the battle-master drew himself up to his full height to look down at the prisoner haughtily: "I am leaving for a few weeks and I am sure that Master Jen will have made some progress with you when I return."

"If you return."

"I will, don't you worry."

"I never do. And what makes you think that your precious master will succeed?"

The two men shared a smile, as one professional to the other.

"I have the greatest faith," Kha Door answered slowly, then whirled around to leave.

The greatest faith in his master. They would see about that. Closing his eyes slowly Roj Kell willed himself to relax. This was not too bad. If he played his cards well, and there was none who played this game better than himself, he would be able to have this whole affair finished within a month at the latest. He had prepared this mission carefully, studied his enemies in greatest detail and evaluated his chances accordingly. But there was always the danger of something unexpected happening. Like the battle-master's departure. Still, he could turn that to his advantage too.

Pacing the great hallways of the tower quickly Belana was smiling all over her face. The Council had agreed to her request and as of now Tarla would be her apprentice. Which was good, since the girl's training could distract her from her other tasks and worries. Kha Door had left Coruscant within the hour, and Refka had asked her to join her in her quarters for dinner and some talk. Talk! Belana could easily guess what the topic of their little discussion woul dbe. Nevertheless she was looking forward to a quiet evening with her best friend. The older woman's quarters were simply furnished, but the fire burning in the hearth added a homely touch to the overall robust appearance of the room. Taking an offered seat at the fire-place Belana waited for her host to join her. Once both were seated in their respective chairs a warm silence spread over the two women, wrapping them in peace and quiet. Finally though Refka raised her head to speak:

"Did you get a chance to see him off?"

"No," Belana shook her head slowly. "But we talked before he left."

"What about?"

"The incident with the Sith."

Refka frowned: "Kha Door is walking a thin line there."

"I told him the same."

"I remember when he first came here, the oldest padawan for decades. Maybe his constantly trying to prove himself has warped his vision a bit."

"Perhaps you are right. I remember how shaken he was after Masters Selvar and Hortan were killed when he had barely turned eighteen. They were his only confidants here. But despite his flaws he still is a great warrior."

"And he hates the Sith almost as much as you do. Belana, I must admit that I too was a bit surprised by your reaction. You are not a soft one, usually. What was the matter?"

"It is just- Well, being around him makes me feel so helpless. And I guess I just needed an excuse to punish him for that."

Biting her lower lip thoughtfully the older Jedi hesitated a bit before answering: "I understand all that, but maybe then you should not let him continue to distract you so. Not now. It is too dangerous."

"He is gone now, isn't he? Besides, there is a far greater danger lurking here," Belana said darkly.

"The Sith?"

"Who else?

"He is quite ... intriguing."

"He scares me."

Refka smiled: "You are not the only one there. But we will take care and we will succeed."

"Kha Dorr said that we should have killed him."

"Perhaps he is right, but you yourself said that he is important."

"I know," Belana sighed. "But now I find that I regret ever having followed that vision."

"You'll get over it. And once we have what we want from him you need not worry about him any longer."

Deep in meditation Roj Kell let his mind drift through the quiet hallways of the tower, searching leisuredly, more curious than anything else. He was not afraid of detection, not while he kept himself shielded. It was one skill he had perfected to an artform, and one that allowed him to walk amidst his enemies without being bothered. Noone remembered him and he had been careful to erase all traces that might point the Jedi toward him. The reason for revealing himself now was simple: The Jedi had made great progress in their fight against the Sith and Kell knew that his brethren were growing increasingly frustrated. Their numbers had decreased, making them more vulnerable, but also more prone to fighting each other, placing the blame for failure on anyone but themselves. Before leaving the battle-front he had made a proposal to the Dark Lords, one they had agreed to under one condition: he had to prove his point in a one-time endeavor. Of course he was well aware of their intentions. They wanted to get rid of him, and in a way he understood that too. Too many times he had humiliated them with his accurate predictions and tenious lessons. And still, noone dared to oppose him.

Until now.

He would have loved to make an example of Kha Door to show them that not even a Jedi had the means to defeat him. Not that anyone would seriously believe so. Roj Kell chuckled softly to himself. Well, in a way he and the battle-master had made a deal too. But the Sith would not stick to the implicate rules. There was no defeat, only victory. And once Kha Door realized that he had better kill him fast, or else he would die himself. The whole game depended on Master Jen, who had managed to surprise Kell with her unexpectedly compassionate move. Here was a chance for a real challenge, a test for his wits and her intelligence. And maybe somethig more. The Jedi were intriguing him more than he cared to admit. In essence he knew very well that Jedi and Sith had the same origins, a fact that made understanding the differences all the harder. Where had they decided to chose another way? From his point of view there was nothing evil about the Sith, but he knew, of course, that others saw that differently.

Smiling a bit he let his memories drift away to the great battles he had fought as battle-leader, but all too soon that glorious vision vanished to be replaced with a feeling of cold rationale. Those times were past and he had left them behind as easily as he had made his choice to stand back and let others continue the fight. Still, his memories never faded and they gave him a vast knowledge that never ceased to astound his opponents. And one that was slowly eating up what little emotion was left to him. He had seen it all, felt it all, and there was nothing new for him in thsi life. So he had to create his own challenges, find his own amusement. Master Jen had proven that she would make for a quite pleasant past-time, if only he let her. When he suddenly became aware of someone approaching he let his mind snap back from its stray wanderings, gasping a bit when he relinquished the power once more, letting it fall back into an ocean of darkness. Opening his eyes he stared at the door, waiting, but nothing happened. Whoever was standing on the other side was hesitating. But Roj Kell was careful enough not to try and read that one's mind. Not yet. Defense was better than attack, far better. A slow smile crept on his lips when he realized that he had just found the perfect way of getting his plan going. Now he only needed to make the others go along with it.

TBC