Here's a disclaimer since I haven't had one in awhile: Star Wars was created by the God known as George Lucas and I wouldn't dream of trying to take it from him. Well, maybe in a dream, but I would much rather live in the universe than own it. Anyway, the characters, technology, names and places that can be found in any one of the many Star Wars books do not belong to me and I am not trying to make a profit by using them. Ummm, oh yes, the names that aren't recognisable, like Keilana and her mother, are mine, my own and my precious.

Here's something to be mindful of: Keilana shows her true self later in this chapter and she's not as sweet and sticky as she sometimes appears. Our favorite little bad girl turns absolutely hateful by the end of this thing, heh heh heh. Anyway, it's about time I skip off to mess with another character's life while maniacal laughing rings from my lips. *rubs hands together in a sinister manner and prances away*

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In the Velvet of the Darkness




Keilana clasped her hands near the small of her back as she walked slowly down a high catwalk. Below the walkway there were many Jedi and students walking from one place to another but none seemed to be in a hurry to reach their destination. Everything was peaceful in the Jedi Temple. There was little haste to be found within the walls despite the war that was tearing apart their galaxy. Keilana found herself quite amazed at how the Jedi could keep such an incredible calm in the wake of horrible destruction. Their calmness actually made her restless and slightly nervous. Her life was all about being quick and precise, her line of work demanding speed and precision. Here, in the Jedi temple, there seemed to be little of that.

The stillness of the air and the lack of vocal sound was almost breathtaking and became more so as the students disappeared into classrooms and training arenas. In no time at all it seemed as if Keilana was the only one left in the great and open room she was in. She took one step to her left and looked down to the floor far beneath her. There was no handrail to keep her from falling but that did not keep Keilana from standing on the very edge of the catwalk with the tips of her boots hanging over the edge.

The main floor was at least thirty feet below where Keilana stood and the shadows of late afternoon made it seem even further away. With a quick motion, Keilana was sitting on the edge of the catwalk with her feet hanging in mid-air. She ran a hand through her now dry hair to get it out of her face and, clasping the edge, she leaned forward as far as she dare. It was, by far, further than any sane or normal person would lean, but Keilana had no fear of falling and, if she did tumble over the edge, she trusted her training enough to land safely. Her hair fell slowly from where she had placed it and quickly shielded her face from any who would happen to find her.

After a few minutes, Keilana stood up slowly and continued down the catwalk. With silent steps, Keilana quickly made her way to the other side of the great room and out on to the balcony on the other side. The ground was still wet from the morning's storm and the sky was still covered in clouds. The clouds, however, were starting to break up and the clear blue sky was peeking through.

Keilana let a small smile creep across her face as she walked along the balcony. Her hand trailed along the railing and made little paths in the water that had collected there. There were small puddles scattered on the long and encircling balcony and the filtered sunlight reflected brightly in them.

Upon rounding a small corner, Keilana stopped and craned her neck a little as she spotted someone else on the balcony. The other person was sitting on an apparently dry mat, about four meters in front of her, with his tunic and robes sitting next to him. Tanned skin that stretched over lean muscles appeared smooth in the late afternoon sun and longish black hair was pushed back from the man's face. His long legs were crossed in front of him, his hands palm down resting on his knees and his eyes closed. Keilana shook her head as she recognised him as Ganner and cocked her head in wonder. She furrowed her brow momentarily and bit her lower lip, contemplating whether or not to interrupt him.

Don't worry about interrupting me, Key, Ganner said without turning around, his eyes still closed. Keilana narrowed her eyes in slight surprise but didn't bother to strengthen her mental block for she had nothing to hide. For the moment at least. I have become quite apt at multitasking.

Not surprising, Keilana nodded once as she started to move forward. You are a Jedi after all.

And what exactly is that supposed to mean? Ganner asked. He continued to sit still even though his meditative state was starting to diminish.

If the stories I have heard are correct, then Jedi can fight with their laser swords and throw things across the room with their mind at the same time.

Some Jedi, but it takes a great deal of concentration to do those sorts of things, Ganner blinked and started to stand. Keilana tried to conceal a small smile as the muscles in Ganner's back moved under his skin as he straightened up. She managed to control her facial muscles and, bringing her hand up to her mouth, she bit down on her thumb hard. She winced in pain and dropped her hand as Ganner turned to regard her. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in efforts to prevent her acknowledgement of his attractiveness. So, is Master Luke going to allow you to train in the ways of the Force?

Yes, he did say he would like me to train to become a Jedi, or at least knowledgeable in the ways of the Force. Now I just have to decide if I want to twist my life around enough to become part of your Order. Keilana turned her back to Ganner and allowed her face to relax. She stared out over the cityscape and watched the speeders as they flew around the tall buildings. The clouds had parted enough for the buildings to be bathed in a soft glow and to show just how late in the day it truly was. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon and the late afternoon was becoming early evening. Ganner stepped past Keilana and leaned on the balcony about a meter in front of her. She had to force her eyes away from his toned muscles and back at the buildings.

After several moments of relative silence, Keilana's stomach made a loud gurgling sound and Ganner turned to look at her.

Was that you? He pointed and Keilana glanced quickly at him, nodding in response.

Yeah, I don't think I've had anything to eat since sometime yesterday, she shrugged as if it were no big deal. Ganner's eyes, on the other hand, widened and he walked over to her.

That's incredibly unhealthy, you know, he said as he caught her gaze. Keilana shrugged again and looked back at the buildings.

It's not that uncommon. I eat maybe one or two meals a day, but that's it. Keilana stepped back from Ganner and turned toward a staircase she assumed would lead inside eventually. However, if you have some food around that is convenient, I wouldn't mind having some.

Ganner quickly gathered up his things and grabbed Keilana by the arm. He spun her around and shook his head. That's possibly the longest way I know to food.

Then lead the way, Keilana smirked. She watched in slight annoyance as Ganner dropped the mat and his robe in able to put his arms through the sleeves of his tunic. He then started to button up the front just as Keilana's stomach rumbled again. He looked at her and, gathering up his things once again, he started back down the balcony at a quick pace. Narrowing her eyes, Keilana had to take large steps to catch up to him and then quick steps to remain by his side. You know, you don't have to walk so fast.

Ganner slowed his pace immediately and looked down at Keilana, his cheeks turning a pale red.

You don't have to be embarrassed, Keilana smirked. Just more aware of the leg lengths of those around you, Keilana indicated her legs and then pointed to Ganner's. Although her legs were long, Ganner's hips were still higher than hers.

I don't look at legs very often, Ganner said as he did the opposite and looked at Keilana's legs.

Well then maybe you should, Keilana lowered her head slightly with her eyes still locked on Ganner. A small smile spread across her lips and Ganner looked back at her face. He just shrugged and continued moving down the balcony.

By the time they reached the doors Keilana had used, the sun had dipped below the horizon. There was still a faint glow where the sun had fallen but the rest of the sky was a dark blue. The buildings around the Jedi Temple were hidden in the darkness and the sound of speeders seemed to intensify. Keilana found herself quite surprised by the darkness. There should have been lights in each and every window around her for Coruscant was always aglow. She furrowed her brow and looked at Ganner.

What's with the lights, she gestured with her head at the buildings around them. Ganner shrugged and punched the button to open the door but the door didn't open. Ganner hit the button again and cursed under his breath when the door stayed shut.

Don't tell me you broke it, Keilana crossed her arms and looked at Ganner. Are you just as bad at mechanical things as the poster boy you look like?

I didn't do a thing. It just doesn't work, Ganner hit the button again and looked at Keilana. She laughed and shook her head.

I know you didn't break it, poster boy, I was just poking fun. Move, let me see what I can do, Keilana put a hand on Ganner's shoulder as he moved out of the way for her to look at the control panel. She quickly knelt down next to it and, pulling a tool off of her belt, she removed the front panel. Replacing the tool and slipping her hands into her gloves, Keilana went to work trying to hot-wire the door. Ganner started to say something but Keilana held up a hand to silence him. Ganner shut his mouth quickly and Keilana continued to work, the tip of her pink tongue sticking out between her lips.

A pinch must have gone off or something, Keilana muttered as she got the doors to open. She turned to grin at Ganner just as a blaster bolt hit the wall next to her. She jumped up in surprised and pulled her own blaster out in an instant. She squinted her eyes as she tried to find the attacker in the dark and slowly walked forward. Once she reached the edge of the balcony, Keilana looked over the balcony to see if the attacker had run below them. Another blaster bolt hit directly below Keilana and blew away several pieces of the railing. She quickly fired a procession of shots in the direction of the shooter and followed them with her eyes. The three bolts hit a near building and momentarily lit up that area. Keilana squinted to the place the other gunman should have been and dove out of the way of five shots coming from a completely different direction. Keilana rolled up onto her left knee and planted her right foot on the ground while firing several shots in the new direction but they only hit another building.

Where the hell is this guy, Keilana growled as she stood up and looked around. After several moments of standing still, she turned quickly and fired off a single shot above Ganner's head. She heard a faint oof as the bolt hit a living being and the thud as that being hit the balcony. Keilana replaced the blaster in her holster as she jogged to the place where the person had fallen. Ganner looked after her, amazed by her actions. After Keilana disappeared around the corner, Ganner heard the sounds of struggling and quickly walked after her. As he rounded to corner, he could just make out her kneeling form about three meters in front of him. The struggle had obviously been short and Ganner could not tell what the outcome was or even what it had been about.

As Ganner approached, he could see that Keilana was kneeling next to a fallen human male. The man had his hand over a blaster hole in his stomach and his chest was raising and falling with staggering breaths. Ganner could not see Keilana's face, but he could hear her words as she spoke to the man.

Who are you? Keilana asked in a harsh tone. The man started to laugh but it quickly turned into a ragged cough.

It doesn't matter who I am, just who you are, the man said. Ganner moved to his right a little and the man's face came into view. He was bleeding from his nose and blood trickled from his mouth. His light hair was long and dreadlocked and his skin was of an olive tone.

Who sent you? Keilana growled. Ganner assumed that her eyes were narrowed and her brow furrowed but from his angle he could not tell.

No one sent me.

You son of a bitch, if you don't tell me, I'll find out on my own and both you and your employer will be sorry, Keilana lowered her voice for the last half with hopes that Ganner wouldn't catch her words. In fact, Ganner hadn't caught the last part of the conversation and was straining his ears hear them.

The man took in a harsh breath and a steady flow of blood started from between his lips. I wasn't sent directly but the man paused and tried to spit out a mouthful of blood, if anyone sent me he paused again and Keilana grabbed the front of his jacket and lifted his torso off the ground. If anyone sent me it was he took in a staggering breath and continued at barely a whisper, it was your father, Fett. It was him and the things he did to me years upon years ago. The man coughed and Keilana's eyes narrowed into the little dark slits that her father's eyes had often become. He killed my family and now I'm going to kill his. Good-bye, Fett. The man lifted his gun to Keilana's stomach and, before he could pull the trigger, his eyes rolled back into his head and his body fell limp. Keilana threw the dead man to the ground and stood up. As Keilana turned to Ganner, she grimaced slightly but quickly changed her expression to one of pure disgust. She started to rub her hands together and tore the gloves off, tucking them into her belt and glanced back at the man. She crossed her arms over her stomach and dropped her head for a moment and sighed.

You didn't hear what he said, right? Keilana looked at Ganner, the disgusted look replaced with one to show how serious she was.

Not a word after you lowered your voice, Key, Ganner replied truthfully. Keilana, however, grabbed him by the collar of his tunic and looked him in the eye.

You had better be telling me the truth, poster boy, Keilana spat before she let go of Ganner and walked toward the door with her arms wrapped around her stomach. Ganner looked from Keilana to the dead man and back.

What are you going to do with him?

If this were an alley way I would just leave him, but it's not, Keilana turned to Ganner and shrugged. I don't know. Why don't you take care of him cause I really don't know my way around here. Besides, my stomach is killing me and I really need to eat something.

Ganner just gaped at Keilana, not believing his ears. You mean to tell me that you don't care that you just killed someone?

He fired the first shot, Keilana's eyes narrowed as she placed her right hand on her hips, her left arm still wrapped around her stomach. Ganner glanced down to her side but could not see a thing. I'm sure you have killed plenty of people and have just left them where they died and never gave them a second thought.

That is different, Ganner walked toward Keilana and stopped about a meter in front of her.

So it is okay to kill a Yuuzan Vong because they are an alien species but it's not okay for me to kill a human? Keilana lifted her chin into the air and glared at Ganner.

Now I didn't say a thing about him being human. Now tell me what that was all about, Key, Ganner put his own hands on his hips and glared right back at Keilana. why was that man after you?

That is part of my life and you don't need to know about it, Keilana turned away from Ganner and started walking to the door once again. Ganner started after her and grabbed her shoulder to stop her. However, he could not get his words out before Keilana turned around and pushed him with strength enough to throw him to the ground. Don't. Touch. Me. she growled. And don't pry into my life. We all have secrets, Rhysode. You don't have to keep yours but I am most certainly going to keep mine. This time when Keilana turned away from Ganner, he didn't do a thing to stop her. In fact, Ganner stayed sitting on the ground where Keilana had pushed him until she was well out of sight.

Ganner stood up slowly and rubbed his back end as he did so. He looked around in the dark and slowly walked to the place the dead man still lay. He searched his body quickly for any identification and, when he couldn't find any, he figured Keilana must have got to it first. Either that or the man wasn't carrying any and Ganner could not tell by merely looking at the man which was true. The only weapon the dead man was carrying was the blaster still clutched in his clammy hand and he was wearing the clothes of a civilian. Ganner flipped the man over with the toe of his boot and was surprised when he didn't find a jet pack.

There must have been more then one after her, Ganner said out loud to no one but himself. either that or this man had some amazing abilities.




As the door shut behind Keilana, she leaned back onto it and slid down slowly until she was sitting on the floor.

Lights forty percent, she muttered. Taking in a deep breath of air, Keilana pulled her hand away from her stomach and grimaced. The hand was a deep crimson and covered with her own blood. She replaced her hand on her right side and took in another painful breath as she pulled something out of a pouch. The light of the room reflected off the plastic that covered the identification badge Keilana was holding in her hand as she flipped it to look at the front. A water-worn picture of the man Keilana had killed was staring back at her with cold green eyes. I told them I would get you, Alt Gurqui and they didn't believe me. I said I would kill you for continuously sabotaging my father and I did, you son of a bitch, I did.

Keilana threw the ID badge across the room with a flick of her wrist and placed her now free hand on the ground. She grimaced once again as she bent forward and attempted to stand. After three attempts, Keilana was able to stand up and she started to hobble her way across the floor. Stumbling into the dark fresher, Keilana caught herself on the sink and closed her eyes as she tried to regain her balance. Light spots circled the darkness behind her eyelids and when she opened them the spots were even worse. A salty, sour taste filled Keilana's mouth and, bending closer to the sink, Keilana spat out a mouthful of blood. She turned on the water and watched the blood slowly disappear down the drain which did not help her dizziness. She slumped further over the sink and spat out another mouthful of blood.

she laughed to herself as she wiped away the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Looking at the shower, she stumbled that way and caught herself on the door before toppling over. Keilana regained her balance quickly and pulled the door open and stepped inside. Before turning on the water she unfastened her belt and tossed it to the floor outside. She pulled off her boots as well and turned on the water, not even bothering to close the door. Without much effort Keilana slid to the floor and let the warm water run over her fully clothed body. She closed her eyes against the pain and tried to force herself breath at regular intervals.

When Keilana managed to open her eyes to examine the wound, she found even the slightest movement difficult. Despite the incredible desire to just sleep away the injury, she knew she would have to face it eventually. When she got her head to fall in the general direction of the right side of her stomach, Keilana had to blink several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Where she thought was a small knife wound there was actually a long and obviously very deep gash in her stomach. Blood was flowing freely from the large opening in her skin and her white outfit was bloodstained and ruined.

Keilana put her hand back over the wound and closed her eyes while tilting her head back. The water seemed to be fluctuating between very hot and very cold as a soothing darkness started to take over Keilana's body. Within a very short amount of time, Keilana's eyes rolled back in her head and she lost conscienceless. Her left hand slid from her wound, across her stomach and fell against the wet tiles on the bottom of the shower. Her right leg remained propped up with her left leg tucked neatly beneath it. Keilana's chest continued to rise and fall in uneven intervals and the water that washed around Keilana's body was dyed red from her blood as the it continued to fall over her body. The right leg of her pants was dyed pink with her blood and the tunic was starting to appear paper thin while it too took on a pink colour.

With an unconscious sigh, Keilana's body slumped forward and her wet hair fell over her face. Her eyes fluttered open for a brief second and then she fell into a deeper comatose state. Her breathing was staggering and almost too shallow and her skin started to turn cold as the bloody water pooled around her body.