Wesley emerged from his hiding place after the elevator had gone down to the next floor. He approached the unmoving form with caution, as he removed the commlink from his pocket.

"Light, are you hearing me okay?"

"Loud and clear, Wes. What can ya tell us?" Lindsey's voice came back.

"They're going to Coruscant," he replied, looking out the window. "And they took some chick with them. She was blue, does that ring any bells with you?"

"That's Lou," Nordat spoke up. "What is she doing here?"

"Was," Wesley corrected. "Pat tense. What was she doing here. I don't know. The other one was a Twi'Lek. Your girl called him S'Ritak. Do you know him, too?"

"No,"

"Oh, well. What should I - "

Wesley's sentence was cut off as an invisible hand tightened on his throat. He dropped the commlink as he was spun around violently to face the presumed unconscious creature that had lain on the floor.

"Where is she?" Maul demanded, drawing the young man closer to him.

"W-w-" Wesley stuttered, unable to form words without inhaling.

The other's fierce yellow eyes bore into Wesley's very soul, seeking answers. He released the human seconds before he would have lost consciousness.

"You will take me with you." Maul ordered.

Wesley looked up in confusion at the demon hovering over him. "Take you where?"

"To Coruscant. Now."

"But we're - "

Maul waved his hand at he young man. "You are now. Let's go, time is being wasted here."

Wesley pushed himself to his feet. He scanned the floor for his lost commlink. The device subsequently floated towards him, so he plucked it from the air, and switched it on. "Lindsey, I'm bringing a new friend." he stated, as Darth Maul reclaimed his lightsabre. "He's kinda scary, though."


* * *


The doors to the ship's Bridge slid open, and Captain Kane Lindsey found himself glared at by two merciless yellow eyes. "Who - "

"Darth Maul,"

"I'm - "

"I know who you are, Captain. I know you all. We don't have time to waste on formalities and why are you heres or what do you wants. I'll explain along the way, if I must. For now, let's suffice it to say that the fate of the universe now rests in our hands. Please don't all panic at once."

Wesley wondered, "Don't you have your own ship?"

"My ship was taken, Boy. Why are we still on the ground?"

"I'm working on it." Nordat muttered. "Wes, where's your sister?"

"I think she and Sir Lancelot are talking about whether or not to stay." Lindsey replied for him.

Maul pulled Nordat out of the pilot's seat, then took it himself. He cleared them for take-off, and then they were on their way.

A very angry Deanna stormed into their midst. "What the hell is going on?"

"We're going to Coruscant." Nordat huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"To save the Universe." Wesley added. "Aren't you excited, Bushroot?"

"Save it from who?" Deanna demanded.

"Uh..."

"Emperor - "

"No!" Breckin burst in. "Don't say - "

"Palpatine," Maul finished.

"Damn you,"

Maul turned around in the chair, a grin spread across his tattooed visage. Breckin jumped back a foot at the sight of the Sith pilot.

"Whoa!" Deanna exclaimed. "What are you?"

"An ally. For now." he turned back to the stars, then sent the Watcher's Light into Hyperspace.


Jenkens writhed on the floor in agony. His chest burned, but the blue lightning would not stop.

Park knew that if he did not help his friend, he would surely die. He dragged himself on all fours over to one of the Imperial Guards.

He tried to wrench the staff from his hands, but the guard did not budge. "Dammit, let go!" Park yelled at the crimson-clad man.

Emperor Palpatine spun around at the outburst. He zapped Park with Force lightning, temporarily ceasing the barrage on Jenkens. Park stumbled over on top of the guard, knocking them both to the floor. In the process of falling, the staff switched hands.

Park rolled to his feet, weapon in hand, breathing heavily. "Is there a point to all this, or are you just getting your jollies out?" he demanded.

"My what?" Palpatine was not amused. "I'm frustrated."

"Well, there's a better way to get your frustrations out, too. Come on, you're an Emperor guy. you're s'posed to think logically and all that."

"Are you saying that I'm not logical?" Palpatine's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm saying that you need to chill." he straightened, and leaned on the staff. "Talk to me, tell me what's frustrating you."

Palpatine narrowed his eyes at him.

Jenkens coughed, and rolled onto his stomach. He met Park's gaze, and furrowed his brow at him.

Park looked back at the Emperor. "My plan is slowly coming to a head."

"Isn't that a good thing? For you, I mean."

"It's the slowly part that vexes me."

"Oh, I see," Park nodded in understanding. "Patience is a virtue. I heard that somewhere. I think you can apply it here."

"I have been patient for years."

"A little longer won't hurt anyone."

Palpatine rolled his eyes. "Lock them up." he ordered, then left.


Raine Taggart, also known as Obi-Wan Kenobi, lay in silence in the dark. He was in a small enclosure that had no windows or visible doors. Not a single shred of light could worm it's way inside. There was not even enough room for him to sit up or stretch his legs.

Kenobi's Force senses were completely shut off to him, the reason being the ysalamiri whom he could hear climbing on his prison's outer sides. He exhaled slowly, wondering how long he would be trapped in this box.

A door opened and closed, and Kenobi temporarily forgot where he was. He sat up, and hit his head on the top of the enclosure. "Ow!" he exclaimed in surprise.

The person who had entered knocked on the box. "Feeling confined?" it was Palpatine's voice.

"What is this thing?"

"You shall see," the tone made the hairs on the back of Kenobi's neck stand on end.

A shock ran up Kenobi's arm. He pulled his hand away from the wall in surprise. Another shock touched his knee, and he backed up against the corner.

"Palpatine, what - "

An all-out volt zapped Kenobi, knocking him face-down on the floor of the enclosure. He let out a cry of agony as electricity flowed through his body, white-hot pain the only feeling and thought he was aware of.

And Palpatine's laughter echoed throughout the room.


* * *


"Another hour, and there we will be." Darth Maul said, joining Lindsey on the observation deck. The other did not reply, gazing out at the stars. "Are you alright?"

Lindsey's thoughts were on his lost crew and ship. He kept running alternate scenarios through his mind. There must have been another way. Something I could have done to save them.

"I am sorry. When Jareena hears of this, she will be sorry as well."

"Jareena?"

"You know her as Mira Lou." Maul replied, a slight smile on his face at the thought of her.

"You've seen her?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I was present at her kidnapping, remember?"

"Oh, right,"

"I lost her. We must get to her before Palpatine does."

"Why?"

"It is a long story that not even I know all of. She has power, great power, from what I have experienced with her. Palpatine intends to use this power."

"What can we do? How can we stop the Emperor?"

"We will find a way. I have a plan."

"And what is it?" Lindsey asked skeptically, raising one eyebrow.

"It is simple, really. You and your crew will distract the guards and i will rescue Jareena."

"We can't possibly pull that off, just the three of us. We'll be killed."

"There is five of you."

"I won't talk for Deanna and Wesley. They are not part of my crew, and I will not force them to participate in this."

"Wesley is itching for revenge. When he meets Espen, one of them will die." Maul stated.

"How do you know about - "

"You ask too many questions, Captain. You would not understand the answers."

Lindsey huffed, but did not try to argue. Maul made him uneasy, and he feared making the Sith angry. "Wesley needs to be there for his sister, now. If anything, I'd make him stay behind."

"You cannot choose for him, you have already said that."

"I know," the other sighed. "I know that all too well." he turned away from the window. "Tell me something about you, Maul. Something not too depressing."

"Something about me that's not depressing." Maul repeated thoughtfully. "I don't think there is such a thing." he decided.

"That's not a good way to make a living, with all your memories being bad ones."

"Well, I wouldn't call them bad, not by my standards, anyway. I suppose by yours, they would be, though."

"Where are you from?"

"I call Coruscant home," Lindsey raised his eyebrows at this in surprise, which made Maul half-smile. "But at this point in time I am reconsidering my priorities."

"Your allegiance is with Palpatine and his...Empire?"

"Not anymore,"

"What changed?" Lindsey inquired curiously.

Maul smiled slyly. "I met this amazing woman."

Lindsey chuckled. "Isn't she, though?"

"You were in love with her as well." it was a statement, not a question.

"Lindsey shook his head. "I thought I was, but she made it pretty clear that she wasn't interested."

Maul read the other's thoughts. "I see," he watched for the reaction ; an arched eyebrow. "Clarissa feels the same way about you, Captain."

Lindsey laughed, "I think so,"

"Oh, I know so,"

The captain furrowed his eyebrows at the grinning Sith.


Wesley sat facing his sister in her quarters. She was pacing, venting her frustration at having been dragged along to Coruscant. She was not buying the 'save the universe' pitch everyone was trying to sell her, but he had stopped listening to her mutterings. He was thinking about all the things he was going to do to Espen once he had caught up to him.

Deanna clapped her hands loudly in front of her twin's face, snapping him back to the present. "Scruffy!"

He jumped in surprise, then glowered at her. "What?"

"What?" Deanna's eyes welled with tears. "I just watched my father get murdered, that's what!" she wailed. Wesley reached out to take her hand, but she backed away. "Don't, Wes. You can't make it better."

He lowered his eyes sadly. "He was my father, too." was the quiet reply.

"Then act like you care!"

Anger clouded Wesley's face. "Act like I care? You don't think I care? How can you say that!?" he rose, exasperated. "You know, the only thing I can think about is getting Espen. It's because of him that we ended up in this whole damn situation! He's gotta pay, Dee. And I'm going to make damn sure he does."

She stared at her brother, shocked by the conviction in his voice, and the blind hatred in his eyes when he met her gaze. She shook her head slowly, working her jaw to find the words. She had not meant to push him this far. "I don't want to lose you, too, Wes."

His fury was replaced almost immediately with empathy. "You won't,"

"Can you promise me?" He rolled his eyes at her. "Promise me, Scruffy." her voice was firm, even though a tear rolled down her cheek. "Please? I don't want to be the only one left."

Wesley folded his sister into his arms. "I promise,"