The motely freighter somehow managed to land in Eclipse's hangar without incidents, Kam and Lomeir descended down the ramp and made their way torward the man and woman waiting for them at the end of the hangar, near the new shipment of X-Wings.

"Welcome back Kam." the man said, as the woman with golden-red hair beside him nodded with relief, then a puzzled look as she noticed Lomeir.

"Thanks master. I would like to introduce Lomeir Sarin to you, he helped me get out of Eriadu unscathed. Lomeir, this is master Skywalker." Kam spoke.

"An honor to meet you at last master Skywalker. I have heard many tales of your exploits." Lomeir said as he preformed a formal bow.

"No need for such things Lomeir." Luke said with a smile, then continued.

As Kam said, I am Luke Skywalker, this is my wife Mara, and we bid you welcome to Eclipse. It seems alot of unknown Jedi are wandering the galaxy, first the Barabels, then you. Who trained you?" Luke asked, eyebrow cocked up.

"I am self-trained. And certainly no Jedi." Lomeir replies.

"Oh no? Well, I know that Kam would never bring a Dark Jedi to Eclipse, so please clarify that."

"I find the term jedi too limited for my taste. Lets say I dont limit myself to either the Light Side, nor the Dark Side, I prefer to experience both and to use both."

"My old master once said to me, 'Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny.'. Yet I sense no evil from you. What are you then?"

"I am Lomeir Sarin, heir to the throne of Iridonia, last of the Sarin bloodline. No more, no less. I am who I am." said Lomeir.

"Sarin you say? Do you know of Khameir Sarin?" Mara spoke for the first time.

"A bit uncorrectly articulated, but yes, he was my ancestor. Titled by many as the greatest of all Zabrak warriors."

"Interesting. You see, my old master had an apprentice who wore that name. An apprentice who discarded that name in favor of another. Does the name Darth Maul mean anything to you?"

"Yes. Lord Maul was my ancestor."

"Kam, what was on your mind to bring a dark jedi to Eclipse?" Mara started.

"On my world, insults are solved with duels, often to the death. Do you wish to back up your word?" Lomeir interrupted, with a predator look in his eyes, his lightsaber handle in hand.

"Im up for it." Mara said as she turned on her blade and stood in defensive position, lightsaber low to her hip and pointing torward Lomeir, who in turn fired up his silver blade, and began casually swinging it around one-handed, forming a pattern which looked like number eight sideways.

"Mara?" Luke asked uncertainly.

"Dont get in my way Skywalker. Lets see what our friend is made of."

Luke and Kam backed away, and the pilots chattering near the X-Wings ran torward the combatants. Kyp Durron made it first, and before blows could be exchanged he fired up his saber and stood infront of Mara.

"You have to pass through me to get her." He exclaimed.

"Kyp!" a rather annoyed Mara started.

"Do not taint her honour with your proposal. She is well able to defend herself. She is a master. You, you are unworthy." Lomeir spat at Kyp, blade still whirling around him like a warning torch.

"Spoken like a true Yuuzhan Vong!" Kyp laughed and made a jab at Lomeir, who took a Force-aided step to the left and delivered a roundhouse kick to Kyp's backside, sending him to the floor.

"Like I said. Unworthy." said Lomeir with a sadness to his tone. Now there was no chance to avoid a confrontation. The pilots gathered in a circle around them, he looked to Skywalker, hoping he would stop this, but found nothing but sadness and... support? He opened himself to the Force, soaked in what support he could, and turned torward Kyp.

"Thats it horn-head, youre dead now!" Kyp yelled and slashed hard at Lomeir, who crouched and jumped to the right, landed into a controlled roll and got up to his feet, richer for a few bruises.

"You cannot possibly hope to win. Dont make me destroy you." he said after he got to his feet, lacing his words with dread. Kyp halted a bit, then launched into a flurry of blows at Lomeir, but he blocked every one of them. Kyp feinted a slash to his lower right, then altered path of the blade to move across Lomeir's midsection, having forseen that Lomeir blocked and started to slide his blade torward Kyp's handgrip, then pushed the blade aside and pivoted on his right foot, bringing his blade to meet Kyp's attack.

"I thought Jedi were defensive." Lomeir remarked, as he allowed a predatory growl escape his lips. This further angered Kyp, who pressed on the attack, striking sideways, jabbing at Lomeir, but the silver blade, like a warning torch, never stopped moving, always blocking.

"Afraid to attack?" Kyp said between attacks.

"Merely afraid that you might hurt yourself the way youre handling that lightsaber." Lomeir replied, bringing out a chuckle out of Luke, and a warm feeling of support from a young lad, with ice-blue eyes though he looked way too old for his years. He had that something that reminded him of master Skywalker.

"Time to finish this." Kyp muttered more to himself, and jabbed hard at Lomeir, who killed his blade and pivoted on his left foot, letting the blade sail centimeters past his back, and delivered a roundhouse kick to Kyp's backside, sending him once again to the floor. The young boy with ice-blue eyes began to clap slowly, and everyone realized Kyp was beaten.

"Impressive skill my friend." Kam said as he lightly slapped Lomeir on the back, who looked confused for a bit then feinted that he would punch Kam, finally hugging the older man.

"Thanks Kam." He said with a smile. Luke and the young boy approached, and Luke spoke, carrying his voice with the Force across the hangar:

"A fine display of swordsmanship Lomeir. Forgive Kyp for his rash attitude, he isnt exactly a typical Jedi."

"Im certainly more Jedi then that.. that... Dark Jedi!" Kyp roared as he rose from the ground.

"Stand down Kyp. You were beaten fair and square. And I consider my argument with him solved." Mara put in, extending a hand to Lomeir, who accepted it, in the red face of Kyp Durron.

"Thats it, Im taking the dozen and leaving!" he exclaimed and turned torward his ships, but something held him back.

"I presumed you were more mature. I was wrong. Go, and die against countless waves of Yuuzhan Vong. Go, let your pride rule you, Dark Jedi. These," - Lomeir gestured torward Luke and others gathered - "are real Jedi. You are the exact Jedi I was teached to scorn, to hunt, to kill at sight. You, are weak. Now go." he said. Kyp looked like he would start to argue, but then thought better of it, turned and stormed torward his X-Wing.

"Lomeir, I would be honoured if you would join myself and Mara for lunch." said Luke.

* * *

"So youre saying Lomeir, that Grand Admiral Thrawn really is back?" Luke said in disbelief, as he encompassed the table with what remained of their lunch, Mara and Anakin seated in their seats at each of his sides, and Lomeir sitting accross the table, looking him straight in the eye.

"What is so hard to belive in that?"

"He was supposedly killed over two decades ago." explained Luke.

"His clone was killed, yes. I participated at his meeting with certain individuals at which he explained that. I participated in more then thirty battles with him. No doubt, you heard that something was wrong in the Outer Rim, correct?" Lomeir replied.

"To say the least, yes. So far, we believed it was another fake, trying to rally support." Mara interjected.

"A question, if I may. You came here, to the lair of your enemies, and you give us all this information for free. Why?" remarked Anakin.

"You arent my enemies, young Solo. You are as strong as your uncle in the Force, far beyond my meager capabilities, but I ashure you, no skill in the Force could win a battle versus the fleet Thrawn has at his disposal. As for dispensing information... I was interested if the Jedi would like to help the Empire."

"Help the Empire? Now thats a proposal we dont get every day." Mara chuckled.

"Please elaborate, Im afraid Im not as good at historical lessons as I am at swordplay."

"The Empire is an oppressionist and tyrannical goverment. I should know, I was the Emperor's Hand. Thats the exact thing the Jedi are opposite of." Mara replied.

"Hmmm. You may be right, maybe the Empire you knew really was tyrannical, and held an anti-alien agenda. But the Empire I know saved alot of innocent people and not all of them were humans. The Empire I know rebuilt my world from a smoking ruin to a planet capable of producing the greatest of all warships, the man you portray as a cold ruthless killer I see as a man bent on principle, a man who favors order and justice above all things." Lomeir said as he casually levitated a spoon with the Force, balancing it around, bending and correcting.

"And the price your world has to pay for that help?" Anakin asked.

"The taxes you mean? The taxes arent so bad, considering the Empire gave us the ability to export our wares in the first place. We owe our world to the Empire. I owe my life to the Empire. Alot of innocent people do as well. Yet you say you do not wish to help us. Maybe I came to the wrong place?"

"Not at all. The more you speak of this Thrawn you know, the more I wish to meet him." Luke mused.

"Are you out of your mind Luke? He tried to kill you more then once."

"And here Lomeir says that was a clone. An imperfect clone at that. Mara love, we both know that the New Republic cannot contain the Yuuzhan Vong without the Jedi being at every battlefield. All Im saying is, maybe Thrawn can help us."

"And what if he imprisons you uncle Luke? What then?" asked Anakin.

"Its a chance I'll have to take. To lose this war Mara, is to lose a home for our son, as you pointed out." Luke said, and Mara's gaze fell to her plate.

"Can I go with you uncle Luke? You might need me." Anakin asked.

"You have a mission Anakin - tracing the voxyn queen is far more important then attempting to aquire allies. And I cannot trust anyone else to do the job as good as you can do." Luke said, and Lomeir drifted off for a moment, an image of someone, possibly Anakin, being battered by amphistaffs, lightsaber falling from his hand, his glow merging with the Force. A vision, or imagination? He decided not to share it with the Jedi. Too much was at stake to have them thinking he was mad.

"Im shure I can atleast offer guarantees that you will leave unhurt, regardless of the Admiral's decision on your proposal." Lomeir put in.

"Then lets make haste Lomeir, it is time me and Thrawn spoke face to face, it is a conversation Ive longed to have for a long time." Luke said as he rose from his chair, a glitter in his eyes, perhaps the same one that fueled his passion in those lost years when he was in the Rebellion, trying to win the war against the Empire. Would he win it again... That was a different question.