Dantooine. With its two moons that glowed brightly along with the sun, various shades of green and yellow reflecting off its lush foliage, countless unpolluted rivers...one could settle down to a peaceful life here, thought the tall gentleman as he admired the surrounding beauty from his large bungalow. Of course, it was more humid than he cared for - but after living in a congested, highly polluted city like Coruscant, this was certainly a welcome change.

He turned around and chuckled to himself. A peaceful life! How amusing! He was beginning to sound like his former self, a man he no longer acknowledged. He felt no regret. Leaving the Jedi Order presented him with ceaseless opportunities, there were no more imposing restrictions, and he was finally free to be his own man. And moving over to the Dark side had its added bonuses. What fools the Jedi were! They were not aware of the power one could hold in one's hand by becoming one with the Dark side. Of course, how were they to be aware of this when they were ill-informed? 'Ah, but that is why I left...' he thought, content with his decision.

He came out of his revelry by the blinking of a red light on his vid- screen. He pressed a small triangular button with his well-manicured finger, and from a small projector on his console glimmered a three- dimensional image of Darth Sidious.

"Darth Tyranus." said the voice, which did not diminish in its authority and malice even through the poor transmission.

"Yes, my master?"

"I wish to make you aware of the arrival of my apprentice. She will be joining you shortly and with her I will send information of vital importance to the construction of the ultimate weapon."

"Things are going according to plan, I take it. But how has your apprentice fared in her training since I last saw her? She showed much promise."

"Everything has proceeded as I have foreseen, as always. She will be a great asset in bringing down the Jedi. Her training is almost complete...and her purpose is to eliminate the interference of any Jedi, allowing you to continue with the plan."

"I presume she can be trusted?"

"I have trained her personally; I have made her what she is! Am I to assume that you doubt my abilities?" he snarled.

"Forgive me, Lord Sidious, I meant nothing by it. When am I to expect her?"

"She will be traveling aboard a star-freighter, which stops over at Alderaan and continues on to Dantooine. She will join you three days from now."

With that, the transmission ended.

* * *

Elori strapped her utility belt to her waist and searched for her lightsaber to attach to it. Many changes had taken place remarkably fast in the past few days. Darth Sidious had apparently thought her ready to face this mission on her own. Of course, she would still technically be in the presence of another much older and more experienced Sith lord, but still she felt important. Important because she now had the skills necessary to confront a Jedi Knight. And win.

She found her lightsaber and put on a dark brown cloak over her clothes. Making her way down to the hangar, she passed a darkly tinted window and stared at her reflection for a moment. All her hair had been shaved off her head, her clothes made her look much older than she felt and her own gaze frightened her. Unrecognizable. That's what she was to herself. But this was only the first step towards the change that was approaching! She would soon grow accustomed to it.

Or would she?

* * *

She did not enjoy being amongst crowds of people. And this was exactly what the freighter contained. Hordes and hordes of different species from various planets. She would have to find a quiet place on board and claim it as her own for the rest of the journey. Walking slowly between the many faces, she recognized them to be Mandalorian, some Twi'leks, Bothans, Rodians and even a few Wookiees from the planet Kashyyyk.

Glancing around her, she spotted an empty space in a corner near a pile of crates. No one was nearby except an elderly man carrying a large box. In any case, he would be unlikely to bother her and if he did, she would teach him how to mind his own business. She walked over to the corner and sat down. The man smiled and she nodded in acknowledgement.

As soon as the ship began to move, Elori leant her head back, closed her eyes, and slept.