Darth Sidious was not amused. The 'urgent' affair he had been called back to Naboo for had turned out to be a void matter by the time he had arrived there. Only belatedly had he even considered that Darth Nexus might not be as stupid as it always seemed. His master must have sent him away deliberately. Suddenly Alamys Jorka's warning burned hotly in the apprentice's mind. What the hell was the Whiphid up to? Settling the Sith Inflitrator he had borrowed for the trip into the house's own small landing bay, Sidious was fuming, and took to scanning the surroundings at once. He could sense only one being inside. Nexus. Storming down the ship's landing ramp, the Sith apprentice made his way into the living-quarters, but Nexus was not there. For a moment Sidious stood still in the midst of the living-room, where the table had been set with a single plate, fork and spoon. The stench of decomposing, mouldy foodstuffs permeated the entire room.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Sidious stalked toward the laboratory and found the white walls smeared with now congealed blood, and the precious cask Nexus had had prepared to hold the virus lay smashed on the floor. Of Inyo Di'vitt's body only shreds remained, scattered all over the laboratory. Very slowly a smile crept onto the Sith apprentice's lips. So, Nexus' little experiments obviously had not been as successful as the Sith Master had hoped. The fact that Nexus was the only one alive except for Sidious could only mean that Nexus had vented his frustration on the hapless Jedi. A pity. Grinning hard, Sidious pinpointed his master's current location and frowned. What was he doing in the basement? He opened the door cautiously.

Pitch-black darkness greeted him, and from that darkness rose the smell of brandy fumes as well as pitiful wails of mourning. He almost slammed the door shut again, so disgusted was he. But then his anger took over. With a slap he activated the lights, which came alive one by one, mercilessly revealing the basement in all its blank, boring glory of light grey walls, ceiling and floor. Sidious took the stairs one at a time, slowly, deliberately, yet his eyes were fixed on the pitiful creature that had huddled down in the midst of the basement, eyes covered beneath huge clawed paws. Empty bottles and other containers lay spread all around the whimpering Whiphid, and Sidious kicked them aside casually as he walked closer. His anger turned into cool contempt and an elating feeling of superiority. Finally he stopped, two paces away, and put one hand on his hip in an unmistakable challenge.

"What do you want!" Nexus snarled, looking up at his apprentice through blood-shot little eyes that harbored a madness Sidious had never seen in them before. For a moment the young man's confidence wavered.

"Where is Jorka?"

"Gone! Gone! That filthy son of a bitch!"

Frowning, Sidious went down on his haunches to gaze directly at his master. He frowned. "You let him go?"

"Hah!" The Whiphid shrugged powerful shoulders, but it was a sad, impotent gesture.

"So he got away," Sidious concluded, calm once more. For a long time he simply stared at Nexus, his thoughts idle. Alamys Jorka was gone. The one and only who knew of their existence, a Jedi Master, of all people. And Nexus had let him get away, probably too drunk again to even realize the dangers of that escape. Realization had come later, Sidious guessed, which was why Nexus was now trying to drown his worries in brandy. Pitiful, and disgusting.

"You thought yourself so clever, didn't you," Sidious began in almost a whisper. "Sending me away to have free reign, never realizing that your precious Jedi was far from broken. There is a lot of fight left in him, and you let him get away. But now I am back, master," he hissed. "And I won't be leaving too soon."

Alamys had been on the move for days, until he had realized where he was. Zelos II. He had been here before, on an assignment, and he knew people, who might help him. First priority was getting away, to Coruscant, to report all this to the Council. Now he sat in the kitchen of a small local eatery, his right arm bandaged and splinted inadvertedly, and endured the curious glances of the kitchen staff while Mava Rhan, the eatery's proprietor and fleeting acquaintance of the Jedi Master, was trying to stuff even more food down his throat. It was hard fending her off with just one good arm, though.

"No, eat you will more, Alamys Jorka. You look too pale, too thin," she kept on insisting. She was right, he knew. "A fever you have too," she added reproachfully. "Are the clothes warm enough?"

Alamys nodded mutely, swallowing another spoonful of shellfish stew. She had been just slightly shocked to find him waiting in the shadowy hallway of her house, naked, bruised and covered in blood. And she had not asked any questions. Yet. He hoped she never would. He could not believe anything of this himself. He simply wanted to forget everything that had happened over the past days. He did not even know for how long he had been imprisoned. But the memories were there all the time. The fear, the sorrow, the despair. And always that terror nagging at the back of his mind, that he had been infected with the Motha Virus, that he would go insane eventually. That his only chance was to give up the Force.

He swallowed the mouthful of stew slowly, not really tasting it. "Delicious," he breathed, only barely noticing Mava's questioning glance. Then he looked directly at her, his piercing blue eyes making her flinch. "I need a ship," he said hoarsely. "Or a ride."

Mava grunted loudly. "Much to ask. Even for a Jedi Master. A lot of bounty-hunters around these days. I suppose you would not want to run into one of them," she added meaningfully.

Alamys kept his features blank. "I am a Jedi Master, Mava."

"You don't look like one right now," the woman told him amiably. "And my guess is that you'll want to keep a low profile until you have reached Coruscant."

"Mava, you must be a Jedi yourself," he answered with a coughing laugh.

"No, just sister to one of the most notorious smugglers of the system, remember?"

"I remember," Alamys replied gloomily. "Is his sentence up yet?"

"Yesterday," she sighed, wiping down the table top unnecessarily. "He'll come home today."

"Then I should probably be leaving," Alamys growled. "He won't be pleased to find me here." When he started to rise Mava did not stop him. He stood on somewhat shaky legs, still feeling weak, and regarded her in earnest gratitude. "Thank you for everything, Mava. I'll send you a recompensation from Coruscant."

"We're friends, Alamys Jorka. There's no charge for friendship except what you've already given to me."

He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you."

"Take care."

She went forward to press a hand over the patch they had covered his burned face with. More patches concealed even more wounds, among them the half-healed one in his abdomen. Mava was right. He didn't look like a Jedi Master right now, dressed in a coarse woollen tunic and washed-out blank pants. Mava handed him a dark green cloak she had found for him, and he put it on, drawing the hood deep into his face.

"I owe you," he said at last, then turned to leave.

He was totally surprised when the back-door crashed open, admitting darkness into the small kitchen. Sidious. For a moment Alamys panicked. But then he reacted instantly, and was just in time to evade the Sith Lord, who activated his lightsaber with a loud hum that even drowned out Mava's shrieks. The table was severed by Sidious' first stroke, and Alamys crashed to the floor, scrambling to get out of the way. But the Sith's boot came down hard on his left calf, numbing it in a flash of pain.

"Friends of yours?" Sidious asked calmly, his weapon swinging toward Mava and her staff. "A shame that I'll have to kill them now."

"Go!" Mava yelled, a huge cleaver held in her hand. "Alamys!"

He had no chance to stand up to Sidious, not in the state he was in. And even if he chose to fight he would lose, and Mava would still be dead. With tears in his eyes he made for the door, while behind him chaos swallowed everything.

Getting to Telos had been a relatively short trip, and now Qui-Gon found himself being directed toward one of the landing pads of the planet's major spaceport. He did not expect that there would be a welcome committee, and there wasn't one. The Jedi Knight threw a glancing look at the other newcomers and weighted his options. He might try to track Dooku through port authority, or else he could make this a surprise visit and ask to be received at the Crion Estate, where he suspected his former mentor to be. Crion, the wealthiest man on Telos, probably, had been a business partner for the Count's ventures frequently. Suspicion warred with honesty and trust, but in the end suspicion won out, and Qu-Gon again cursed Alamys Jorka's poisonous words. If anyone was twisting the teachings of the Jedi around it was the Tyreenese Jedi Master. Forgiveness was as alien to the man as dishonesty, and he did not make any friends with that approach. Of course, that had never been his goal. Jorka was a slave to duty, nothing else

Marching off toward a speeder rental, Qui-Gon felt angry with himself, that he was unable to overcome the paralysis of doubt. Unable or unwilling. He suspected it was both, and that was even more frightening than bowing to a Jedi Master's cold wisdom. Twenty minutes later he had rented a small speeder and was driving hard toward the estate, brooding darkly. He had no idea whether Alamys Jorka was even still alive. Not with Leevar Halcyon dead on Corellia. Suddenly Qui-Gon felt guilty. Perhaps he was doing Master Jorka wrong, perhaps he had had his reasons to suspect Dooku. And yet, if Dooku was on Telos, he could hardly be responsible for Jorka's disappearance on Corellia, could he? Qui-Gon suppressed an annoyed grunt as he drove up to the estate's well-guarded gate and exited the speeder. One of the security officers standing watch approached him.

"Identify yourself," the man ordered.

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Knight. I would like to speak to Count Dooku, who currently is a guest of the house."

The guard stared at him for a moment, then turned toward his collegue. The two of them conversed in low voices before th one who had addressed Qui-Gon first returned. "I am sorry having to inform you that Count Dooku is not a guest of the house at the moment. In fact, I am told that he has not been here for several months."

"Oh." Qui-Gon's face fell. "Then I suppose I have been misinformed. I am sorry having trespassed on your time." Just as he made as if to walk back to his speeder and leave, the second guard hurried back from where he had been speaking into a comm untit inside the guard house.

"Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn," the man said hurriedly. "Master Crion would receive you now, if you wish."

So, either Crion knew where Dooku was and merely meant to help, or else there was something different behind this. Smiling politely, Qui-Gon nodded. "Thank you. I would appreciate that offer."

"Then follow us, please. This way."

Returning to the safe-house, Sidious was fuming. Alamys Jorka had gotten away. It had been impossible for the Sith apprentice to find the Jedi Master among the rabble at the space-port, and he could hardly hold up outbound traffic. With that initial attack foiled, Sidious had to find another way to prevent Jorka from getting his message to Coruscant. Besides, he had not wanted to risk staying in the vicinity of the eatery, which he had set ablaze after eliminating any possible witnesses. He let the door crash shut behind him, then stalked into the living-room, where Nexus was seated at the table, cleaned up and more or less sober, by the look of him. Sidious ignored him. He had been forced to reconstruct the Jedi Master's flight himself, since Nexus was unwilling to speak a single word with him, out of indignation, possibly. So, Jorka had somehow overwhelmed the Sith Master, cut the doctor's body to shreds and destroyed the blood-cask for good measure, before he had left. But why had he refrained from killing the Whiphid?

Not because he was feeling merciful, Sidious thought, not that Jedi. The Sith apprentice retrieved his last possessions from his room and carried them back to the ship. They had to leave. But first, he needed to contact a few friends. All the while, as Sidious prepared for their departure, he was filled with contempt for his master, who had proven his stupidity for the very last time. The Whiphid was a model example for the shortcomings of any nonhuman species. He was impulsive, intellectually challenged on most occasions and undisciplined. At least Sidious himself would have killed Jorka back on Corellia first thing after retrieving Inyo Di'vitt's body. On his way through the living-room, Sidious frowned at the mute Whiphid, who was staring blankly into the distance What to do? Kill him now? Sidious scoffed at that. An unworthy ending for an unworthy master, to be executed for such a failure. No. He would not sully his hands on the blood of such a despicable creature.

Suddenly Nexus glanced up at him, his small eyes narrowed in confusion. Recongition came only gradually, and then he merely gave a grunt of acknowledgement. Storming off, Sidious had to really control himself. He should simply leave the Whiphid somewhere to die. Unfortunately that was no real option. He was pretty certain that Nexus would find a way to get away from anywhere Sidious might put him. Settling the last crate of supplies into the ship's hold, Sidious straightened, his thoughts congealing into one: Darth Nexus had taken great pelasure in torturing Jorka, and he would not have tolerated the Jedi to get the better of him and then escape, especially not after having destroyed his precious equipment. He frowned. What if – Licking his lips nervously, Sidious felt sweat accumulate on his forehead. What if Nexus had indeed managed to retrieve the virus, and Jorka had somehow managed to infect him with it?

When he returned to the house for the last time he discreetly started searching for some sort of syringe, anything. When his efforts yielded no result he finally decided to try and talk with Nexus again. Seating himself opposite form the Sith Master, Sidious folded his hands on the table top and regarded the Whiphid earnestly.

"Master, I know I should be punished for my failure in bringing Alamys Jorka down when I had the chance."

Nexus glanced up again, and a flash of suspicion crossed his pupils. Sidious almost started. "Failure? We are all guilty of failure, sometimes," the Whiphid breathed.

"The virus," Sidious began anew. "You had it isolated?"

Nexus reacted with characteristic fury and violence. Rising from his seat he hurled the table at the unsuspecting apprentice, who barely got out of the way before the piece of furniture crashed against the wall. "I know exactly what you are planning!" the Whiphid roared. "But you mistake me for easy prey, Sidious!" He came toward the younger Sith like a small mountain of anger, his heavy body thundering across the floor as he charged.

For a moment Sidious felt his throat constrict in fear, and he simply stood, eyes wide, watching the Sith Master come at him, his mouth foaming with spittle. It was that beastial image that tore him out of his paralysis again, and he stepped aside, simultaneously pushing the door to the basement open. Nexus' momentum carried him forward unstoppably. Sidious did not even watch as the Whiphid's heavy body hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs, but the loud crack of his neck breaking was all Sidious needed to hear, before a blast of darkness filled the cellar with an eerie bluish fire. For a moment Sidious was wrapped in the backwash of that power, standing very still. He had no proof, only suspicions. And those would not get him very far. He needed to find Jorka again, and first of all he had to prevent him from getting to Coruscant.

Following one of the guards into the estate's main building, an impressive complex that bore testimony to its owner's wealth and ego, the Jedi Knight felt slightly unsettled. He really wanted to know why Crion wanted to talk to him just now, and what he was going to tell him. The man must know that a Jedi would spot any lie he might attempt. So either Crion really did not know where Dooku was, or he wanted to help Qui-Gon find his former master. The guard showed him into an airy sitting-room, with a glass front overlooking the garden, and a glass ceiling opening the view into the blue sky.

Three people were present in that room, two adult human men and a boy of perhaps six or seven years of age. Judging by the child's looks Qui-Gon had an easy time identifying the boy's father, especially since he knew that Crion had a young son, Xanatos. Qui-Gon smiled at the shorter of the two aults and gave the man a polite nod.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," the Jedi Knight began politely.

"Take a seat, please," Crion told him and waved him into one of the high-backed chairs facing the garden.

Though Qui-Gon primarily focused his attention on his host, since he was the one who could give him information, probably, he still shot a cursory glance at the other man, who was already seated. His white hair had been bound back into a severe braid that hung down his back almost to his shoulder-blades. That way his sharp features, softened a bit by age, were clearly visible. An old man, in his sixties, by the look of it, with pale green eyes that were strangely blank as Qui-Gon's gaze brushed across them. Crion noticed the Jedi Knight's look and introduced his other guest.

"Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, this is Blithe Arkad, a business partner of Cred Fessel. Mister Arkad, this is Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn." he Indicated the boy standing to his left. "My son, Xanatos."

"Pleased to meet you," the boy murmured.

Crion joined his guests in the chairs. "So, you are looking for Count Dooku, is that so?"

"His staff informed me he would be here for a few days."

"If he was on Telos, he did not announce his presence, at least not to me," Crion told him, and he seemed sincere. Blithe Arkad, his keen eyes seemingly never leaving Qui-Gon's features, pursed his lips thoughtfully.

"I do not know this Count Dooku," he explained, "but, if I may, you could simply hail his ship and ask to meet with him."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I had my reasons for approaching this the way I did, but that possibility becomes more an more appealing, I confess."

"Simple measures prove the most effective most of the time," Arkad added, leaning back in his seat.

"And honesty?"

"Fact is," Crion chimed in, "that any covert search might put off a quarry that is actually a trusted friend. He was your mentor, after all."

"True," Qui-Gon said with a nod.

"Good. I was curious whether you might know what he wanted here, but I can see you are as ignorant as I am. Perhaps we should simply try and hail his ship. You could leave a message, couldn't you?"

Qui.-Gon suppressed a frown. "Certainly, yes." Why was Crion so eager to help? Did he also suspect Dooku of foul play? Why else would he want to see whether Qui-Gon knew of his former master's motives of coming to Telos?

"I will have my staff rig up a connection for you. If youw ill excuse me for a moment?" Rising from his seat, Crion nodded at Xanatos to follow. The two of them left, a highly impolite move by their host, and it made Qui-Gon wonder even harder what the man was up to.

Blithe Arkad, a smug smile lingering on his lips, was still gazing at the Jedi Knight. "Qui-Gon Jinn. So, Count Dooku was you master?"

"Obviously." He did not want to make conversation, especially not with someone who seemed to only wait to catch a Jedi Knight off guard and embarrass him.

"I heard the Jedi choose their apprentices very young. Are they given a choice at all when joining the Order?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Xanatos, Crion's boy, he is supposedly talented in that regard. The Order has been trying to get their hands on him for years now, so his father tells me. They would not stoop to kidnapping, would they?"

Qui-Gon's brows shot up in astonishment. "Is that what he thought I really wanted? What Dooku wanted?"

"Who knows what might move a father's heart?" Arkad offered lightly.

"Indeed. How come he told you of his fears? You are a good friend of the family?"

"I hope so," Blithe answered with a small chuckle. "And I would hate to see the boy become slave of a bunch of egomaniacs."

"Is that how you see the Jedi?"

"Yes. Don't you?"

Somehow the man's candor was refreshing, and Qui-Gon relaxed somewhat. "The Jedi certainly are not infallible," he admitted, "and a few of us have been outfitted with more of an ego than is appropriate, I assume."

"Your master, in what category does he fall, then?"

"Of those two? The second, I assume."

At that moment Crion stormed back into the sitting-room, looking concerned. "His ship doesn't answer any hailings," he announced, his face pale. "Perhaps something has happened to him."

Qui-Gon could sense the sincere concern that permeated the older man's mind, and rose abruptly. "Master Yoda had asked me to investigate the recent disappearances of two Jedi Masters. Count Dooku is one of them. This confirms that he might also have fallen pey to some act of violence."

"On Telos?" Crion asked, seemingly even more worried than before.

"All things are possible," Qui-Gon replied grimly, and Blithe Arkad gave a soft laugh in response.

"Well put," he said, and likewise stood up. "Master Crion, we may want to conclude our business at another time. Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn, I wish you good luck on your hunt."

"Thank you for your assistance," Qui-Gon said, with a nod toward Crion. "And, if I may add, one of the Jedi Order's primary concerns is the guidance of children with special talents such as your son. If left unchecked, those powers can become very dangerous to himself and others."

Crion's expression cooled instantly. "Thank you for your concern, Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn."

"My pleasure."

As he turned to leave, Qui-Gon was considering that he may be have to be a bit more shrewd to penetrate this maze of uncertainty. What if Dooku wasn't missing, but had debriefed Aloura to send Qui-Gon to Telos while he himself went elsewhere? It were not Alamys Jorka's words that prompted that thought. Not any longer. Something was going on. And he'd better find out what that was fast.

TBC

PS: Thanks for the reviews! Always working on more story, just for you guys!