Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. This is EU, and could probably be slightly AU. The planets and major events have been heavily researched so as to match the universe as much as possible.
People involved:
Kari Da-na – Jedi Master
Apprentices: Alre and Ralo
Keji Lele – Jedi Master
Apprentices: Joza and Anshi
Amge Padane – Jedi Master
Apprentice: Sichi
Pallyn Asmo – Jedi Knight
Sada Diqu – Sith Lord
Nolu Edko – Sith Lord
Apprentice: Ahxa
Ara Medea – Sith Witch
Totte Lexa – Slave Dealer
Waju Prige – Slaver
Selo Gefi – Slave Owner
Lako Yakoma – Fruit Dealer
Tamy'Choto and Laty'Choto – Art Dealers
Planets involved:
Dalastine
Ziost
Coruscant
Ruusan
Chapter One
CRACK! CRACKLE! Master Keji Lele looked up from the datapad he was reading.
Uh-huh, he thought. Joza and Anshi are sparring again. We're here to fight and eliminate Sith, not each other. But then again with as close as those two are to each other...I'm not gonna stop them. They are my apprentices so if they wish to spar– Lele reached out suddenly in the Force.
Sith were nearby and there was something different about this one Sith.
A girl, he thought startled. A Sith Witch.
Joza. Anshi. To me. Now, he sent.
Almost instantly it seemed they were entering the room, putting their cloaks on.
"Yes, Master. What is it?" Joza asked.
"Sith."
Instantly Joza's eyes hardened. Lele regretted saying it. Jozas' twin sister had become a Sith Witch when she had found out her sister was a Jedi but not her. The Council hadn't wanted to have twin Jedis' for fear one would get chosen by a master but the other wouldn't. Joza herself had destroyed her sister. She hadn't been the same since.
Not saying anything else Lele grabbed his cloak and headed for the door.
Meanwhile the Sith Witch turned and smiled at two of her Sith companions.
"They're coming. Stick to the plan and the girl will be one of us before it is all over with," she purred.
The Sith smiled hideously. There was nothing like turning a Jedi and an apprentice even, to the Dark Side.
Joza froze as they made their way to through the jungle. Something was banging around in the back of her mind. She tried to grab it but it was gone before she could do anything else. Anshi stopped to look at her but she had already caught up.
"Something wrong," he whispered.
"Ask me later," she replied.
Anshi would've said something more but got cut off because of crashing into Amge, Padane, another one of Jedi Masters there on assignment on Zoist. Sichi Anok, Padanes' apprentice helped the two of them up. Sichi glanced at her old friend, Joza. She could tell something was wrong. Joza gave a shake of her head. Now wasn't the time to ask.
It didn't take long to catch up with the other Jedi who had come and Master Lele. They stopped outside of a huge old temple. Lele and many of the other Jedi pulled their sabers out and ignited them. Joza didn't follow her Masters' example though. She was staring upwards at the temple. There was a presence there that she had felt before. It had been there...
Joza gave her head a shake and focused back on her Master.
He raised an eyebrow.
Several dozen, she sent.
He nodded.
Amge looked at the young woman startled. Sichi was always telling about how Joza is strong in the Living Force. Amge hadn't thought that Joza was that strong though. Being able to see how many Sith there were inside of one place? Surely Joza was twice as strong as Lele in the Force. Or was it because she...
Joza had ignited her saber and was finally ready. Lele and Padane lead the way to get inside. Joza froze again realizing what it was that had been bugging her earlier. The Force presence that she had been detecting had been there when she and Netoa had fought. The Sith Witch was waiting on her and wanted revenge. The Sith here were just a distraction.
Fine. If they want me they can have me but only in a fight, she thought. Anshi looked at her. He knew something was gonna happen. He could feel the anger in Joza and knew that only one other person could feel it. She had grown darker ever since she had destroyed Netoa. Anshi wished that there was somebody else who could tell. He shook his head. This was going to be bloody.
Lele kicked opened the door and sliced a Sith Lord in half the next instant. The battle was on. Seven Jedi Masters and Knights with their Apprentices raced through the door and were engaged in battle in only a matter of seconds. Everyone except Joza was in battle that is. Joza found a set of stairs and proceeded upwards. No Sith challenged her. Amge Padane saw Joza run up the stairs, but didn't have time to think about it for even an instant.
Joza ran up the stairs two at a time and reached the top, having been challenged by no one. Cautiously she walked around one pillar after another. She could feel three darkside servants rather well. And she was ready when one of them attacked but was only half ready when the second one attacked. Joza got clear and back flipped up and over onto a railing and balanced there for a few moments. She looked around and her face hardened when she saw the Witch lurking nearby.
"Takes four people to play this game, huh," she snarled.
Reach out into the Living Force, Joza let it fill her and guide her. She closed her eyes and immersed herself. Flipping forward she came down between the Sith, but her eyes were still closed. Shoving away one lightsaber she blocked the other and dropped to one knee. In doing so, she used one Sith saber to block the other.
Forward somersaulting, then spinning on one foot blocked a side-sweeping blow from one of the Sith Lords. Shoving his blade back, she swung her up and around and cut the Sith in half.
Infuriated, the Sith remaining screamed and charged her in blind rage. Joza was driven back by the ferocity of the attacks. She turned and ran suddenly–the Sith, howling curses, followed. Joza ran up a wall and flipped over the Sith Lord. With one smooth motion, from above her head, she brought her lightsaber down cutting the Siths' lightsaber handle just below the blade. Joza waited until the second she felt her saber free, then stepped forward and cleanly sliced off his head.
Turning, Joza disengaged her lightsaber. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Surveying the room, she realized that she was alone. The Witch was gone, but Joza couldn't tell for sure. Closing her eyes. And once more reaching out into the Force, she searched.
The Witch turned and began to go down the hallway to her ship. She would've made it too, if Joza hadn't stepped out from behind a pillar, her blue lightsaber blazing in her hand.
"Going somewhere," she asked.
The Witch gave Joza a wicked smile. It sent an involuntary shudder through Joza. The woman smiled even more.
"Hello, young Jedi. I've been wanting to talk to you. What took you so long," she asked.
Joza looked at her through narrow eyes.
"You've been wanting to talk to me? Why?"
"My name is Ara Medea."
"What's that got to do anything?"
"Everything."
Joza stood looking at the Witch bewildered. Why would a Sith witch want to talk to her? Unless she had been there when Joza had...
She didn't react fast enough to block the Force lightening that suddenly seemed to radiate from Ara Medea. The initial shock didn't do much except to lift Joza up off of her feet. A second blast though flung her backwards into a pillar, momentarily knocking her unconscious.
Ara smiled again. She reached into the young Jedi's mind and searched it. After finding what she wanted, she laughed coldly as she left. Meanwhile downstairs, Anshi had helping Master Lele with two Sith Lords. The Sith were proving to be difficult to eliminate. Anshi felt a sudden surge in the Force.
Seeing him hesitate the Sith lord took advantage of it. Anshi yelled when he felt the lightsaber bite into the flesh on his arm. He swung his lightsaber around and down, cutting the Siths' head in half. He spun, stabbing the Sith Lord who was fighting Lele, in the back.
Joza needs help, he sent.
But where is she, Lele asked.
They headed in the direction that Anshi had last seen Joza. Padane and Sichi followed close behind. They never made it though. Joza ran out of a hallway with three Sith on her tail. She almost collided into Lele. Within a few seconds Joza and Lele were back to back.
Everybody out. There are too many Sith. Joza sent to the rest of the Jedi. Everybody headed for the door. Lele and Joza were running behind providing cover. Joza glanced to one side and noticed a power generator. She nudged Lele with the Force and pointed it out to him. He nodded and took up a defensive position behind her. Joza pulled out a thermal detonator and threw it inside of the machine.
Lele and Joza raced from the building. Using the Force she triggered the bomb. Unbeknownst to the two, a sith apprentice had seen her throw something inside of the generator. He ran outside in search of his Master.
"Master Diqu. Master Diqu."
Sada Diqu turned from talking to Nolu Edko, a fellow Sith.
"What is it, Ahxa ?"
"I just saw one of the Jedi–," he got cut off by an explosion.
The building that he had just been in was burning into nothingness.
"So much for that plan. When I see that Medea I intend on taking her head off. Now everyone of the Sith save the three of us and her are dead. One girl is not worth it!", Edko snarled.
Ahxa looked at his Masters' friend. How anyone would want to take on a female sith, who was probably as powerful as the Dark Lord, was something he couldn't understand—yet.
Lele turned to look behind himself for the hundredth time. He was positive that there was someone else in the alley with them but he wasn't sure.
"Um...Master...they're in front of us. Not behind," Anshi told him.
Lele turned and smiled when he saw who it was. The Jedi Master whom he had felt stepped forward. Lele moved to greet his old friend and Master, Kari Da-na. Padane came up beside him.
Joza, Anshi, and Sichi followed.
The Jedi Masters' began talking to themselves. Master Da-na had two apprentices, Alre Joru and Ralo Evam. The apprentices all stood off to one side talking to each other. Joza felt someone watching them. Looking to her left she spotted a Jedi Knight standing in the shadows. She recognized him as being Pally Asmo.
He was a Jedi not liked by most of his fellow Jedi. It was rumored that he helped the slavers obtain slaves. No one could ever prove it though, not even the Masters of the Council. Most everybody knew Asmo would not be a Jedi much longer. He had grown defiant of the Council. He looked at Joza when he realized that he had been discovered. He backed up and disappeared into the shadows.
Joza realized that he hadn't wanted to be seen. She remembered something with a start. He had not been given the assignment to come to Ziost.
What is he doing here? And why didn't he want to be seen? That doesn't make any sense. Unless he's gone dark, joza shivered at the thought. She hoped her cloak had hidden it.
Padane noticed Joza shiver. She wondered why. It was almost as if she was reading an open book but the language it was written in was unknown to her. It strengthed her resolve to talk to the young woman when she got the chance.
Joza continued to look in the direction that Asmo had gone. She glanced at her Master and the others. They were now talking about the next time they would meet the Sith. She slipped off in the direction Asmo had gone. Once she realized where it was that she was going she couldn't help but smile.
The marketplace was one of her favorite places on Ziost. As she entered the market she thought that she felt a familiar presence near her. It was gone before she could reach out to it.
As she entered the marketplace, she passed several vendors who looked up and smiled at her. They had been distrustful of the Jedi Padawan at first, but after a few days they had gotten to know her and trusted her. Some were so bold around her now that they openly talk around her about most anything. Including what they thought of the girl.
Joza stopped at one stall that had one of the most lovable people she had met on Ziost. Lako Yakoma looked up from her cutting board and smiled broadly when she saw who it was.
"Hey, Joza. How's it going?" Lako asked.
Joza gave Lako a grin.
"Better than it was several minutes ago."
"Had some action, huh?," Lako asked.
Joza gave a grave nod.
"Hey got something for you. I think you'll like it," Lako said as she handed a piece of fruit to her.
Joza took a bite and her eyes flew open in surprise.
"Wow. This is really sweet. I don't think I've ever had anything so sweet. What is it?," she asked.
Lako laughed. "It's called a Mango. Enjoy. I'm able to start importing a few each week. I wanted you to have the first taste."
Joza nodded her thanks. She would've said it, but she had a mouthful of Mango. Joza moved down the street, waving good-bye to her marketplace friend. She chewed the fruit slowly. As she was eating the last piece, she stopped at an art dealers booth whose name was Tamy'Choto. He had been one of the first vendors to be-friend the young Jedi.
Joza pulled a bag off of her belt. It had a surprise for Tamy. Tamy came out and went right over to Joza and swept her up into a huge hug. A Twi'lek trader, he had a soft spot for Joza.
"Hey, tamy. Guess what I have for you," Joza questioned him.
"Hmm. Something really cool looking?" he replied.
"Close. Crystals. All shapes and colors. See," Joza carefully emptied the bag onto a small table of Tamy to see. He gave a low whistle.
"How did you find these?," he asked.
"Let's just say that I have a really big sense of curiosity, and leave it at that."
"Judging by the way you say that, I'd say that it's gotten you into trouble before."
Joza looked down at her feet, then looked back up at him with a mischievous grin. He laughed.
"I see you later, Tamy. I, uh, have some thing's I have to take care of. Bye."
Joza turned and made her way back into the street, waving good-bye as she went. Tamy watched her go and turned to his wife as she came.
"One of these days that girl is going to be one hell of a Jedi."
Laty nodded. It was obvious that the young woman was special. Tamy picked up the crystals and followed his wife back into the tent.
Joza walked down the street calling out greetings to many of the venders by name. Several stopped her and talked to her. Padane watched the young Jedi as she walked and talked to the people. She was amazed at how people seemed to know her.
She shook her head, not wanting to believe what Master Da-na had told her. Joza had been the subject of strong debate in the Council. Many of them had sensed a major change in her. Now several of them wanted to recall her back to Coruscant. Masters Da-na and Heber Grepa though had held out against it. Now Da-na wanted Padane to keep an eye on Joza. There was nothing in Joza that suggested the Dark Side.
Yet there were small things such as Joza sensing Sith numbers. Running off in the middle of a fight. Re-appearing suddenly as if nothing happened. Padane shook her head. If Joza was falling to the Dark Side, it was in the worst way— willingly.
Meanwhile, Ralo was grilling Anshi about the fighting techniques that the Sith had employed. He kept a constant journal about things like that. More than once the Council had asked to see the notes he had taken.
Anshi sensed that Ralo had a question, but didn't want to ask it.
"Come on, Ralo. Out with it," Anshi ordered.
Ralo looked at him uncertainly, then blurted out, " Has Joza fallen to the Dark Side?"
Anshi looked at him startled. He could've sworn that only he had felt Jozas' change. Yet here was Ralo, who hadn't even been on the planet, asking him if Joza was going dark. Ralo watched Anshi become lost in thought.
I thought Anshi would know. What if he doesn't? What if she's actually not? By the Force, don't let her be, he thought.
People involved:
Kari Da-na – Jedi Master
Apprentices: Alre and Ralo
Keji Lele – Jedi Master
Apprentices: Joza and Anshi
Amge Padane – Jedi Master
Apprentice: Sichi
Pallyn Asmo – Jedi Knight
Sada Diqu – Sith Lord
Nolu Edko – Sith Lord
Apprentice: Ahxa
Ara Medea – Sith Witch
Totte Lexa – Slave Dealer
Waju Prige – Slaver
Selo Gefi – Slave Owner
Lako Yakoma – Fruit Dealer
Tamy'Choto and Laty'Choto – Art Dealers
Planets involved:
Dalastine
Ziost
Coruscant
Ruusan
Chapter One
CRACK! CRACKLE! Master Keji Lele looked up from the datapad he was reading.
Uh-huh, he thought. Joza and Anshi are sparring again. We're here to fight and eliminate Sith, not each other. But then again with as close as those two are to each other...I'm not gonna stop them. They are my apprentices so if they wish to spar– Lele reached out suddenly in the Force.
Sith were nearby and there was something different about this one Sith.
A girl, he thought startled. A Sith Witch.
Joza. Anshi. To me. Now, he sent.
Almost instantly it seemed they were entering the room, putting their cloaks on.
"Yes, Master. What is it?" Joza asked.
"Sith."
Instantly Joza's eyes hardened. Lele regretted saying it. Jozas' twin sister had become a Sith Witch when she had found out her sister was a Jedi but not her. The Council hadn't wanted to have twin Jedis' for fear one would get chosen by a master but the other wouldn't. Joza herself had destroyed her sister. She hadn't been the same since.
Not saying anything else Lele grabbed his cloak and headed for the door.
Meanwhile the Sith Witch turned and smiled at two of her Sith companions.
"They're coming. Stick to the plan and the girl will be one of us before it is all over with," she purred.
The Sith smiled hideously. There was nothing like turning a Jedi and an apprentice even, to the Dark Side.
Joza froze as they made their way to through the jungle. Something was banging around in the back of her mind. She tried to grab it but it was gone before she could do anything else. Anshi stopped to look at her but she had already caught up.
"Something wrong," he whispered.
"Ask me later," she replied.
Anshi would've said something more but got cut off because of crashing into Amge, Padane, another one of Jedi Masters there on assignment on Zoist. Sichi Anok, Padanes' apprentice helped the two of them up. Sichi glanced at her old friend, Joza. She could tell something was wrong. Joza gave a shake of her head. Now wasn't the time to ask.
It didn't take long to catch up with the other Jedi who had come and Master Lele. They stopped outside of a huge old temple. Lele and many of the other Jedi pulled their sabers out and ignited them. Joza didn't follow her Masters' example though. She was staring upwards at the temple. There was a presence there that she had felt before. It had been there...
Joza gave her head a shake and focused back on her Master.
He raised an eyebrow.
Several dozen, she sent.
He nodded.
Amge looked at the young woman startled. Sichi was always telling about how Joza is strong in the Living Force. Amge hadn't thought that Joza was that strong though. Being able to see how many Sith there were inside of one place? Surely Joza was twice as strong as Lele in the Force. Or was it because she...
Joza had ignited her saber and was finally ready. Lele and Padane lead the way to get inside. Joza froze again realizing what it was that had been bugging her earlier. The Force presence that she had been detecting had been there when she and Netoa had fought. The Sith Witch was waiting on her and wanted revenge. The Sith here were just a distraction.
Fine. If they want me they can have me but only in a fight, she thought. Anshi looked at her. He knew something was gonna happen. He could feel the anger in Joza and knew that only one other person could feel it. She had grown darker ever since she had destroyed Netoa. Anshi wished that there was somebody else who could tell. He shook his head. This was going to be bloody.
Lele kicked opened the door and sliced a Sith Lord in half the next instant. The battle was on. Seven Jedi Masters and Knights with their Apprentices raced through the door and were engaged in battle in only a matter of seconds. Everyone except Joza was in battle that is. Joza found a set of stairs and proceeded upwards. No Sith challenged her. Amge Padane saw Joza run up the stairs, but didn't have time to think about it for even an instant.
Joza ran up the stairs two at a time and reached the top, having been challenged by no one. Cautiously she walked around one pillar after another. She could feel three darkside servants rather well. And she was ready when one of them attacked but was only half ready when the second one attacked. Joza got clear and back flipped up and over onto a railing and balanced there for a few moments. She looked around and her face hardened when she saw the Witch lurking nearby.
"Takes four people to play this game, huh," she snarled.
Reach out into the Living Force, Joza let it fill her and guide her. She closed her eyes and immersed herself. Flipping forward she came down between the Sith, but her eyes were still closed. Shoving away one lightsaber she blocked the other and dropped to one knee. In doing so, she used one Sith saber to block the other.
Forward somersaulting, then spinning on one foot blocked a side-sweeping blow from one of the Sith Lords. Shoving his blade back, she swung her up and around and cut the Sith in half.
Infuriated, the Sith remaining screamed and charged her in blind rage. Joza was driven back by the ferocity of the attacks. She turned and ran suddenly–the Sith, howling curses, followed. Joza ran up a wall and flipped over the Sith Lord. With one smooth motion, from above her head, she brought her lightsaber down cutting the Siths' lightsaber handle just below the blade. Joza waited until the second she felt her saber free, then stepped forward and cleanly sliced off his head.
Turning, Joza disengaged her lightsaber. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Surveying the room, she realized that she was alone. The Witch was gone, but Joza couldn't tell for sure. Closing her eyes. And once more reaching out into the Force, she searched.
The Witch turned and began to go down the hallway to her ship. She would've made it too, if Joza hadn't stepped out from behind a pillar, her blue lightsaber blazing in her hand.
"Going somewhere," she asked.
The Witch gave Joza a wicked smile. It sent an involuntary shudder through Joza. The woman smiled even more.
"Hello, young Jedi. I've been wanting to talk to you. What took you so long," she asked.
Joza looked at her through narrow eyes.
"You've been wanting to talk to me? Why?"
"My name is Ara Medea."
"What's that got to do anything?"
"Everything."
Joza stood looking at the Witch bewildered. Why would a Sith witch want to talk to her? Unless she had been there when Joza had...
She didn't react fast enough to block the Force lightening that suddenly seemed to radiate from Ara Medea. The initial shock didn't do much except to lift Joza up off of her feet. A second blast though flung her backwards into a pillar, momentarily knocking her unconscious.
Ara smiled again. She reached into the young Jedi's mind and searched it. After finding what she wanted, she laughed coldly as she left. Meanwhile downstairs, Anshi had helping Master Lele with two Sith Lords. The Sith were proving to be difficult to eliminate. Anshi felt a sudden surge in the Force.
Seeing him hesitate the Sith lord took advantage of it. Anshi yelled when he felt the lightsaber bite into the flesh on his arm. He swung his lightsaber around and down, cutting the Siths' head in half. He spun, stabbing the Sith Lord who was fighting Lele, in the back.
Joza needs help, he sent.
But where is she, Lele asked.
They headed in the direction that Anshi had last seen Joza. Padane and Sichi followed close behind. They never made it though. Joza ran out of a hallway with three Sith on her tail. She almost collided into Lele. Within a few seconds Joza and Lele were back to back.
Everybody out. There are too many Sith. Joza sent to the rest of the Jedi. Everybody headed for the door. Lele and Joza were running behind providing cover. Joza glanced to one side and noticed a power generator. She nudged Lele with the Force and pointed it out to him. He nodded and took up a defensive position behind her. Joza pulled out a thermal detonator and threw it inside of the machine.
Lele and Joza raced from the building. Using the Force she triggered the bomb. Unbeknownst to the two, a sith apprentice had seen her throw something inside of the generator. He ran outside in search of his Master.
"Master Diqu. Master Diqu."
Sada Diqu turned from talking to Nolu Edko, a fellow Sith.
"What is it, Ahxa ?"
"I just saw one of the Jedi–," he got cut off by an explosion.
The building that he had just been in was burning into nothingness.
"So much for that plan. When I see that Medea I intend on taking her head off. Now everyone of the Sith save the three of us and her are dead. One girl is not worth it!", Edko snarled.
Ahxa looked at his Masters' friend. How anyone would want to take on a female sith, who was probably as powerful as the Dark Lord, was something he couldn't understand—yet.
Lele turned to look behind himself for the hundredth time. He was positive that there was someone else in the alley with them but he wasn't sure.
"Um...Master...they're in front of us. Not behind," Anshi told him.
Lele turned and smiled when he saw who it was. The Jedi Master whom he had felt stepped forward. Lele moved to greet his old friend and Master, Kari Da-na. Padane came up beside him.
Joza, Anshi, and Sichi followed.
The Jedi Masters' began talking to themselves. Master Da-na had two apprentices, Alre Joru and Ralo Evam. The apprentices all stood off to one side talking to each other. Joza felt someone watching them. Looking to her left she spotted a Jedi Knight standing in the shadows. She recognized him as being Pally Asmo.
He was a Jedi not liked by most of his fellow Jedi. It was rumored that he helped the slavers obtain slaves. No one could ever prove it though, not even the Masters of the Council. Most everybody knew Asmo would not be a Jedi much longer. He had grown defiant of the Council. He looked at Joza when he realized that he had been discovered. He backed up and disappeared into the shadows.
Joza realized that he hadn't wanted to be seen. She remembered something with a start. He had not been given the assignment to come to Ziost.
What is he doing here? And why didn't he want to be seen? That doesn't make any sense. Unless he's gone dark, joza shivered at the thought. She hoped her cloak had hidden it.
Padane noticed Joza shiver. She wondered why. It was almost as if she was reading an open book but the language it was written in was unknown to her. It strengthed her resolve to talk to the young woman when she got the chance.
Joza continued to look in the direction that Asmo had gone. She glanced at her Master and the others. They were now talking about the next time they would meet the Sith. She slipped off in the direction Asmo had gone. Once she realized where it was that she was going she couldn't help but smile.
The marketplace was one of her favorite places on Ziost. As she entered the market she thought that she felt a familiar presence near her. It was gone before she could reach out to it.
As she entered the marketplace, she passed several vendors who looked up and smiled at her. They had been distrustful of the Jedi Padawan at first, but after a few days they had gotten to know her and trusted her. Some were so bold around her now that they openly talk around her about most anything. Including what they thought of the girl.
Joza stopped at one stall that had one of the most lovable people she had met on Ziost. Lako Yakoma looked up from her cutting board and smiled broadly when she saw who it was.
"Hey, Joza. How's it going?" Lako asked.
Joza gave Lako a grin.
"Better than it was several minutes ago."
"Had some action, huh?," Lako asked.
Joza gave a grave nod.
"Hey got something for you. I think you'll like it," Lako said as she handed a piece of fruit to her.
Joza took a bite and her eyes flew open in surprise.
"Wow. This is really sweet. I don't think I've ever had anything so sweet. What is it?," she asked.
Lako laughed. "It's called a Mango. Enjoy. I'm able to start importing a few each week. I wanted you to have the first taste."
Joza nodded her thanks. She would've said it, but she had a mouthful of Mango. Joza moved down the street, waving good-bye to her marketplace friend. She chewed the fruit slowly. As she was eating the last piece, she stopped at an art dealers booth whose name was Tamy'Choto. He had been one of the first vendors to be-friend the young Jedi.
Joza pulled a bag off of her belt. It had a surprise for Tamy. Tamy came out and went right over to Joza and swept her up into a huge hug. A Twi'lek trader, he had a soft spot for Joza.
"Hey, tamy. Guess what I have for you," Joza questioned him.
"Hmm. Something really cool looking?" he replied.
"Close. Crystals. All shapes and colors. See," Joza carefully emptied the bag onto a small table of Tamy to see. He gave a low whistle.
"How did you find these?," he asked.
"Let's just say that I have a really big sense of curiosity, and leave it at that."
"Judging by the way you say that, I'd say that it's gotten you into trouble before."
Joza looked down at her feet, then looked back up at him with a mischievous grin. He laughed.
"I see you later, Tamy. I, uh, have some thing's I have to take care of. Bye."
Joza turned and made her way back into the street, waving good-bye as she went. Tamy watched her go and turned to his wife as she came.
"One of these days that girl is going to be one hell of a Jedi."
Laty nodded. It was obvious that the young woman was special. Tamy picked up the crystals and followed his wife back into the tent.
Joza walked down the street calling out greetings to many of the venders by name. Several stopped her and talked to her. Padane watched the young Jedi as she walked and talked to the people. She was amazed at how people seemed to know her.
She shook her head, not wanting to believe what Master Da-na had told her. Joza had been the subject of strong debate in the Council. Many of them had sensed a major change in her. Now several of them wanted to recall her back to Coruscant. Masters Da-na and Heber Grepa though had held out against it. Now Da-na wanted Padane to keep an eye on Joza. There was nothing in Joza that suggested the Dark Side.
Yet there were small things such as Joza sensing Sith numbers. Running off in the middle of a fight. Re-appearing suddenly as if nothing happened. Padane shook her head. If Joza was falling to the Dark Side, it was in the worst way— willingly.
Meanwhile, Ralo was grilling Anshi about the fighting techniques that the Sith had employed. He kept a constant journal about things like that. More than once the Council had asked to see the notes he had taken.
Anshi sensed that Ralo had a question, but didn't want to ask it.
"Come on, Ralo. Out with it," Anshi ordered.
Ralo looked at him uncertainly, then blurted out, " Has Joza fallen to the Dark Side?"
Anshi looked at him startled. He could've sworn that only he had felt Jozas' change. Yet here was Ralo, who hadn't even been on the planet, asking him if Joza was going dark. Ralo watched Anshi become lost in thought.
I thought Anshi would know. What if he doesn't? What if she's actually not? By the Force, don't let her be, he thought.