DISCLAIMER: uhhh

DISCLAIMER: uhhh...we aren't making any money of this.. obviously ( hey..psst, what's money? ) (shut up DM) so have pity and don't sue us. we all know it all belongs to good ol' George. well, except the ones that belong to us:)

Fade to Black

By: DuneManic and Chani

CHAPTER TWO

Elliot watched the skies, he had gotten word from control that Rib's ship was coming in. He hadn't seen his friend in months and recently he had found out that he had acquired an apprentice. Rib had been appointed master long ago, to which Elliot had not been surprised. What had surprised him was Rib's slowness in choosing a padawan learner. Elliot was glad Rib finally had an apprentice. However, it did make him feel old. ' Ahh well, your not old yet. You can start thinking about getting old when you hit 30 in two years.' Seeing the ship finally come in he moved to the landing pad a waited for his friend to disembark. As he stood there he sensed a familiar and welcomed presence come up behind him.

"Duncan, well well well, up and about before galactic standard noon, I'm impressed." Elliot turned and smiled at his long time friend.

"Shut up, how am I supposed to sleep while you bang around the loft 'cleaning'?" Duncan ran his hand through his rumpled blonde hair.

"You don't want our new guests to sleep in a dirty loft do you?" The ramp of Rib's ship started to come down.

Duncan shrugged, 'I still say put them in another room, its bad enough rooming with one jedi I cant handle three. You people are weird."

Elliot laughed and walked to the ship, "Ill be sure to tell Rib you think that."

"Yea well long as he knows that there will be NO lightsabre practicing in my loft. I'm only letting you stay there out of the goodness of my heart."

Elliot stopped and turned, "What do you mean YOUR loft? I watched you sign the lease, you wouldn't be here if I hadn't hired you to take me here."

Rib exited the ship with a boy trailing him. Rib smiled and waved and walked the rest of the distance between him and Elliot. As he came nearer Duncan smiled and nodded to Elliot," Yea well I signed it its mine. So like I told you before, shut up."

As Rib approached he frowned a second but sensing the good humor of the exchange smiled and introduced himself to Duncan.

"Hello, I am Rib Saln, this is my apprentice Tark. " he turned and nodded to the padawan and then smiled at Elliot. "Good to see you my friend. It has been too long." Elliot smiled and grabbed Rib in a hug. He then tousled Tarks hair much to his dismay, and led them all off the landing pad.

Tark walked in silence. He liked the Duncan guy, he seemed to be a pretty nice guy. But Elliot was well, he just wasn't 'with it'. 'Treats me like a kid. I'll just have to show him I'm not a kid, I piloted the last half of the way here!' Rib turned and gave his apprentice a look. 'Oh Sith!' Tark had forgotten that the pair had bonded on the trip to Bardonoi. He lowered his eyes. 'I have a feeling I'm going to be getting a little lecture later.'

When they got to the loft Elliot showed Rib and Tark to their room and left them to unpack. Tark bit his lip and then looked at Rib. "I'm sorry master."

Rib raised his eyebrows. "For what padawan?"

Tark looked confused, "For my impatience."

Rib sighed and placed his hand on Tarks shoulder. "Tark, everyone feels impatient at one point, especially around Elliot. I wouldn't worry too much. You don't have to apologize for everything."

Tark blushed. "Yes Master I'm…" he stopped at the look Rib gave him. The master laughed and put an arm around Tarks shoulders. "Don't worry Padawan, we'll have a lot of time to get used to one another."

" Now let's go see about this mission shall we." With that the pair walked out.

____________________________________________________________________________________

"You always have to do this," Les Tora yelled. "It's my life I'm old enough to do what I want to."

The senator, Lumor Tora, turned angrily to his son. "If that means joining the forces then I will not let you."

"Oh really and how would that be? By throwing me in jail like all the other people on this planet who don't obey you."

Tora's eyes flashed and he walked up to his son and stopped about two inches from his face. "You listen to me boy. I am the senator of this planet, and you are my son. Your actions reflect on me. So if you do anything that I wouldn't approve of you will be duly punished."

Les met his father's eyes. "You mean something like mom did."

His fist came sharp and fast, and Les flinched but didn't move. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth as he looked back at his father. Only he, Tora, his mother(now dead), and Conrad Soryan, the protector of the royal family, knew what he was talking about. Ten years ago before his mother had died she had done something considered a moral sin on their planet. She'd had an affair with Conrad, and that was when she had given Les his nickname, which he went by now to everyone but his father. It was Tavish. He had known all along and he had been very happy that his mother was so happy. Tavish liked Conrad a whole lot better than his own father. The two had been together for almost two years by the time Tora had found out. Conrad had been punished and put through rehabilitation, and his mother, well it was painful to think about. Now Tavish had to live with his father's crap everyday.

Tavish suddenly did the gutsiest thing he could do. He spit in his father's face and stormed out of the room.

Tavish paced impatiently in the gardens outside the senatorial palace. Aidon,, his best friend for years now, was supposed to be here by now. Aidon was a few years older than him, but Tavish always acted like the older one, probably because Aidon was the town storyteller. He was a inch or two shorter than him, and didn't have the education that Tavish had, but he was quick and clever. Tavish was starting to get a little angry. He had to talk to his friend, Aidon's cleverness might be needed in executing a small idea he had. It concerned something that even Aidon would think was nuts. A few moments later Aidon finally walked up behind Tavish.

"Boo!" he whispered.

"Jeez!" Tavish yelped and spun around. Aidon laughed, and Tavish shook his head. "Where have you been?"

Aidon rolled his eyes and leaned against the garden wall. "Sheesh sorry I had to help my sister with some of her herbs."

"Sorry I'm just a little angry right now. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Aidon shrugged. "That's ok. Anyway you seem kind of stressed. What's the…"

Before he could finish the sentence they heard shouts coming from a ways down. Tavish looked to see his father and an advisor coming down the path. Grabbing Aidon by the collar he pulled him behind a tall sculptured tree. Without saying a word he put a hand to his lips. Aidon nodded. Then they listened as Tora and the advisor argued.

"They must never know I am behind the problems in the senate."

"My lord, they are Jedi, they will figure it out eventually."

"Not if they're dead."

Tavish's eyes widened.

"Sir do you mean…kill them?"

"Yes I do."

The voices started to grow fainter and Tavish turned angrily. "I hate him!"

Aidon nodded. "Good then you won't mind if I second the motion."

"Aidon this is what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to go to Meldona."

Aidon stared at him. "You what!"

"My father won't talk of peace and I have to do something. The faction is threatening another war, and the faction is based in Meldona. Its a small city I should be able to contact someone. I must do something, my father is obviously not going to."

Aidon frowned. "Yeah I know. But Tav just how do you expect to get to Meldona?"

Tavish grinned. "The Jedi."

"I beg your pardon."

"The Jedi have to go there too. I'm going to sneak over there with them. They can't just walk there its on the other side of the planet. I can stow away on their ship. Its the fastest way to get there."

Aidon shook his head. "Tav, Jedi, they're going to know your on board."

"Then I'll explain my situation to them."

"Well now you have another problem. They're supposed to have an audience with your father tomorrow and leave in two days right?"

Tavish nodded. "Yeah."

"Well if your father wants to kill them you'll never get to Meldona, and neither will the jedi."

Tavish smiled. "Aidon I need your help."

"Oh boy."

"No hear me out. Tomorrow night I'll tell them what my father is planning. Then I'll meet up with you, here, at two. You have to be here. I tell you who their pilot is, where to find him, and when we leave for Meldona."

"And then?"

Tavish grinned. "Worry about that tomorrow. Now go before you get caught."

"All right," he clasped Tav's forearm. "Be safe."

Tav returned the gesture. "You too."