CHAPTER 2

Master Chevacca made sure no time was wasted loading supplies to the Everlasting's Cargo bays. His presence among the resupply crew, forced them to work faster than even he expected. Nothing more motivating than an eight foot Wookiee in Jedi robes with a lightsabre. The Jedi master knew he was intimidating the resupply crew below him on the loading bay, normally he would reassure the people around him by filling them with calm sensations through the force. But in this case he would let their fear serve him. "Work quicker, please!" the Jedi master asked toward the Unity's crew. They could understand his request through his use of the Force, but they could also hear the powerful roar of a Wookiee, and they did not want to upset a Jedi, let alone a Wookiee Jedi! The next thing master Chevacca heard was the hurrying steps of the resupply crew on the loading bay's metallic floor. Chevacca then tapped the panel on the wall next to him, knowing very well that he couldn't speak through the comm. system without the assistance of the Everlasting's translation matrix. He hailed the Bridge. "Master Skywalker" He roared. "I believe we will be ready for departure in less than fifteen minutes." Then the natural voice of Yoda replied. "Good to hear Master Chevacca, I will make the necessary preparations. Please inform me again when the resupply has ceased." "Aye" the Wookiee replied, and then returned to securing the cargo bay.

The slender pale man had worked his hover troy into the cargo hold unseen by the furry Jedi on the observation platform above. Jiles Oiket knew the Jedi onboard this ship, knew that something evil was afoot, but they had no idea that it was indeed himself. It was so simple for him, he felt no challenge in the task given to him. All he had to do was sneak aboard Unity station as a new recruit on a reassignment some two days prior, and await the Jedi cruiser, then sabotage the vessel. Which was so conceiving easy too Jiles, he had taken so many lives before, but this was the first time his master ordered him to take any action against the Jedi. He would let nothing obstruct his path of destruction. Not even his pride, once out of view of the Wookiee and the loading crew in the small cargo hold. Jiles quickly removed the paneling on the wall hidden by large barrels. He had spent so much time analyzing the schematics of this class of vessel that he could literally take it apart without the use of his hands, but that would give away the dark apostles position, and it took most of his energy masking his presence from the Jedi to begin with. Stealth would be his ally, he would need to first reroute the security sensors from detecting his individual bio-signature then create a whole new subroutine to prevent the Jedi from detecting his tampering. He worked hastily, not wasting so much as breath on each crossing of a wire, or slipping of a circuit, but then he could feel the hum of another troy getting closer on the steel floor. So in a desperate course of action, Jiles reached out to the near edge of the dark-side, only needing a little push to throw the troy off balance and spill over the troy. A large crash soon followed, then the cry of a helpless crewwomen underneath the crates. The "Aagh!" he heard from the loading bay, second only by the pattering of boots on the metallic floor, rushing to help their injured comrade. The Dark one used this distraction to his benefit, he sparked the last wired, returned the paneling to its place in the wall then crawled into a nearby maintenance hatch to continue with his objective. Meanwhile in the loading bay, Chevacca felt a great pain come over him from the loading bay below. Wishing to waste no time to offer assistance, he leaped over the railing of the observation platform some twelve-feet above. His feet made a firm but loud landing on the steel floor of the loading deck. Then he could see the source of the pain in one of the hallways leading to the one of several cargo bays. He worked his way calmly towards the disabled crewwoman. Try as they might her comrades in uniforms could not successfully remove all of the large crates off her legs with out causing more damage to the poor female's already crippled body. Standing before the group of able beings, feeling their concern for their friend in need he asked them with a calm quite moan. "Please allow me to help her!" the voice filled their minds with feelings of relaxation. They slowly, but acceptingly stepped back per the Jedi's request. Chevacca then took one step closer and bent on one knee to the side of the trapped officer. Placing one furry paw to wipe away the tears of pain in her eyes and then putting it squarely on her forehead. "What is your name young lady?" the thought entered her already dazed mind. "Kiwon" She weakly responded. "Sallen Kiwon, how can I hear you speaking to me?" "That is not important now. All that matters at the time is your well being." He then filled her mind with pleasant sensations to take Sallen away from the pain that engulfed her body. Just relax let the Force take you away! She could hear in the recesses of her mind. Then raising his other paw, Chevacca lifted the crates with the Force, as if they were feathers caught in an updraft the crates flew into the cargo bay and landed into their desired position, stacked in a corner. The on looking crew of the Unity was amazed, some had never seen a Jedi before, and others who had never saw them do such magic. Chevacca could sense their aw at this sorcery but he kept his focus on the still crippled officer. He lowered the paw he used to move the crates and held just over the crushed bones in her legs. Chevacca knew, if she were moved their would be no saving them and while the Unity's medical staff could clone new shins for Sallen, the Jedi master would rather not put her through the pain of learning to walk on new limbs. He had been there before and wished it on no person. Through the Force Chevacca, focused in deep meditation, with eyes closed he gathered strength from the Force. Sallen wrenched at the slight burning, she could feel in her disabled limbs, but the Jedi held her true pain in himself, so as not to alleviate her calm state. Then using all his power, he knitted the bones, mended the muscles, and slowly but surely the leg began to reform to its original shape in Sallen's blood soaked pants uniform. There is no suffering only the Force. Chevacca filled these words of truth into the mind of the Sallen Kiwon, as the final healing came to its end. While they were not completely healed, the exhausted Jedi master knew she would not need to replicate new legs. Chevacca then opened his eyes, and looked down at the human woman in his arms. Tears having scarred her face, he once again filled her mind with his comforting words. "You will be alright Sallen" then gave her a smile, something the young woman thought she would never see a Wookiee capable of doing. The silence among the crew was broken when one of the crew members called for a Medical team through a panel on a wall in the loading deck. "Medics to loading deck, in Docking Bay-7, Crewwoman Kiwon has been injured. Then the Wookiee laid the poor officer on the floor gently. "T-thank you." She muttered, but the Jedi master reassured her once more. "Don't thank me, thank the Force." Then using his skills once again, Chevacca placed Sallen in a deep slumber. "Go with the Force, Sallen Kiwon." Then, as three republic officers, dressed in blue over- garments rushed on to the loading deck to attend to unconscious crewwoman, Chevacca made his way to a comm. panel on the far wall of the ships cargo bay. He tapped it with one paw.

"Master Chevacca to the Bridge," the mechanical voice filled the small metallic control room. Master Oden responded while Yoda was busy prepping the engines. "Master Oden here, what's your concern? She questioned. The cold voice replied for the Wookiee. "No concern now just thought I would let you know all is under control." This statement caught Yoda and Dorshe' off guard, they looked to each other as if one of them could explain the others puzzlement. Master Yoda pulled away from what he was doing just before Chevacca hailed the bridge, then tapped the comm. panel on the console to his right between himself and the Orveasian Jedi. "What was there to put back in control?" he questioned. The computer voice then replied once more. "The accident on the loading deck, did you not pick up what happened on the internal sensors?" "No Chevacca, nothing, what happened?" "One of the hover troys malfunctioned and its load collapsed on top one of the crewwomen, she was in distress for a few minutes and while the crew did take sometime to offer her assistance. I would just like you to know that we are well underway again." This fact did not settle easily in Yoda's or Dorshe's mind. They knew the sensors picked up no such event. The readouts were right in front of them, something happened a few moments ago in the loading deck, but the sensors only now did pick up the medical crew entering the Everlastings cargo bay and taking away the disabled officer. This fact alone was unsettling itself but the fact that Master Oden or Master Skywalker could not sense the pain of the injured woman until Chevacca had mentioned it. Yoda gave Dorshe' a steel cold stare, and she returned it with a confirming nod. He then reached down and tapped the panel once more. "Chevacca, inform the resupply crew that we need them to work quicker, we may need to leave sooner than expected." He said in a tone conveying caution. The computer translation responded "I understand, Chevacca out!"

With that said, Master Skywalker closed his eyes, and then reached out to Master Romdel, and his student knowing that if his instincts were true, he couldn't risk using the Everlastings comm. system. Saliv, Grem can you hear me? Yes. The Jedi master answered. I can hear you, Master Skywalker. Romdel's Padawan responded. Master Skywalker cut to the chase. I believe we have an intruder onboard.

Jiles had made it to the maintenance hatch that led him straight to the engineering room, just has he had planned; he first looked to the main access hatch to the dimly lit room. Then he reached into his uniform jacket and pulled out a small prominently black cylinder. Jiles closed his eyes, reached into the dark side, so as not to be detected. He only sensed as far as the other side of the door. Nothing, he thought to himself, and with a smirk he tapped the activation button on his weapon, then the snap-hiss of the lightsabre filled his ears. The crimson blade came to life, and its emissions colored the walls in proximity. The tip of the lightsabre just barley touched the slit between the two haves of the circular entry way. Molten alloy soon seeped from the door as Jiles guided his sword across the cracks of the hatch. Once down he would not have to worry of the Jedi trying to interfere with his mission, but first he would need to find the droid station. After his lightsabre made swift work of the steel door, he retracted the blade and returned the cylinder onto his belt. Jiles Oiket found his way onto the droid recharge station, just below the engine level. All twelve astromech-droids were in their designated charging ports. So many to choose from, the dark one thought to him. He soon leaned down to the droid closest to his left and read the inscription on the blue and white astromech's registration as if it made any difference. "R2-D2" he whispered for his own satisfaction. "You will serve my master well little one!" Jiles then reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small circular object no bigger than a centimeter and placed it onto the sleeping droid's silver dome. The tiny devise then secured itself onto the unexpecting R2, and began to blink its little red light. Now that his primary task was taken care of he could now fulfill the rest of his mission. "Soon the Jedi will feel the power of true hate!"

Master Chevacca made his way to the bridge, once the resupply crew had finished. He swept the cargo bay, to see if he could find any clues to the disturbance he and his colleagues felt. What he found did not sit easy in his mind, and he did not wish to hail the bridge. Instead he would convene with master Skywalker and Master Oden on the bridge. He walked up to the entry hatch to the Everlastings command center and the doors hissed open. Yoda rotated his seat towards Chevacca, he knew his friend had discovered something. "What did you uncover Chevacca?" "A hover troy abandoned by a member of the resupply crew in cargo deck-9." Master Oden shared her thought on this. "Could the troy have been left behind by one of the officers, when their comrade was hurt, the device might have slipped his or her mind?" "I had hoped it was as much." He stated in an unnerving tone, so as to let his fellow Masters know the situation was not so simple. "I felt a presence on that cargo, then I discovered that one of the engineering panels in that room had been tampered with so as to omit an individual bio-signature from our internal sensors." "That dose explain, why our scanners could not pick up anything in the loading deck." Dorshe' injected. "The internal sensors couldn't pick up anything if they were being tampered with. The culprit must have used the accident in the loading deck as a distraction so he or she could access the ship's computer without being found out." "This is most disturbing" Master Skywalker interrupted. "Did you lock down the cargo bay Chevacca?" "Yes." The furry Jedi responded. "Good, Master Oden, hail Unity docking control. Inform them that we will be leaving as soon as possible." This request befuddled Dorshe'. "Master Skywalker, wouldn't it be more sensible to ask assistance from Unity station's security crew?" "If this intruder did indeed get aboard this ship disguised as an officer, then it should be no more difficult for them to get off this ship as a member of the security crew." The truth was an impact upon Oden's original thought. "If this menace gets off this ship there is no telling what kind of havoc they could reek out there impostering as a Republic officer, or who knows what else?" His words were true; this is why Yoda Skywalker is on the High Council. "We need to find this person, confront and question their motives. We can't do that if they return to Unity Station. We must undock before this dark one can escape." Master Chevacca looked at Master Skywalker cock-eyed. "Are you sure this being is a disciple of the Dark-side?" "How else could we explain the dark presence so close to ourselves, but yet so unseen." Once again his truth was piercing to even the tall, powerful Jedi. Master Skywalker turned to Dorshe' "Master Oden hail Unity Station, Master Chevacca, help Master Romdel and his Padawan search for this Dark-one, and exercise caution. The Jedi Masters did not respond to their orders simply acted on them, so as to not waste any more time. Chevacca exited the Bridge, in search of the intruder at large. Master Oden tapped the comm. panel. "Jedi-cruiser: Everlasting, at Docking Bay-7 hailing Docking Port- control requesting immediate permission to depart from Unity Station." Dorshe' asked as politely as possible, given the situation. A sly voice responded. "Party not over as soon as you liked, aye Everlasting." Dorshe' had little patience for the docking officer's dry humor. "I have no time for small talk Unity, I need to leave, Now!" The Docking officer quickly got the point. "I-ah, understand e-Everlasting, you are permitted to depart from Unity Station!" Then he cut off the transmission. Yoda gave her an awkward stare, with an eyebrow raised. "Not very lady like, not much like a Jedi come to think of it." He smirked. She smiled despite the circumstances. "Well let's just say I'm not the average lady." She began to plot a course in the computer. ".nor the average Jedi." She then requested the coordinates to Master Skywalker's desired destination. "Set a course to the Outer rim, through the Rishi Maze." "Done, ready to jump to hyperspace on your order, Yoda." He glared into to the view-screen, out into the open space. "Engage" and soon after his words echoed in his ears, the stars rushed past the Everlasting, and was surrounded by the glow of sub-space.