"Help me, please … someone help me," the slowly fading words of the man's dying breaths reverberated in Tahiri's head as she watched helplessly. The man had fallen in the street three local days ago, fallen due to a compound fracture of the right leg and was unable to stand again, without one of the hundreds that passed him stopping long enough to even look at him. None of the countless beings that passed by him every minute of those three days seemed to notice him as he laid there bleeding to death, they just walked by with that annoying and stupid blissful look on their faces that Tahiri was coming to resent.

Not that she could help the poor man either, in this realm, she was nothing more then a passive observer not an active participant. The Force granted her the opportunity to peek into what may lie ahead but not the ability to change what was happening. The first day Tahiri had tried every trick that she knew to help the poor soul without much luck. The second day she tried to convince one of the saps walking by to stop and help him, her failures hung heavy on her heart. Now she knew that she was force to stay and observe having no way to help him. She couldn't even rest a reassuring hand on him, to let him know that someone, anyone, could hear his pleas; that he was not alone. All she could do is feel his pain, despair, and anger that radiated from him like a super nova.

His emotions were incredibly easy to pick out since they were so radically different from the rest of those around them. He felt life and they seemed, while happy and blissful was apparent on their faces, their souls seemed to be … empty.

"How can that be Tahiri," the familiar voice said from behind her. "After all, they are at peace and have nothing to want."

"Can you help him?" Tahiri asked the strange creature that like to appear to her in her visions dressed like her.

"No," the creature said as it walked up beside her to also observe the dying man, "Like you, I too exist out side the realm of existence."

"You can't or you won't?" Tahiri said facing her twin squarely, as she had guessed her twin was dressed like her and still had the two swirls of both light and dark chasing each across her body in an eerie but beautiful dance.

"By all that is … why would you think that Tahiri," the strange twin said in exasperated tones but its eyes seemed to brighten in amusement.

"Because you are here," Tahiri replied while crossing her arms and staring down her visitor, "you exist with me on a different plane of existence then the creatures in this vision and you also appear to me from time to time but not in every vision; which suggest to me you exist on another, different, plane from me."

"How do you know that I am not just a figment of you over active imagination?" The creature asked, sounding honestly bewilder but Tahiri could see amusement and approval in its eyes.

"You don't feel like you are a part of me, not fully anyways," Tahiri said.

"You are correct on one hand and wrong on the other," the twin said ignoring Tahiri's exasperated look as it skipped over her response. "As I said before, I can't interfere because this doesn't exist … yet. You were correct when you compared this … vision … as if you were watching a holograph projection. This is what may happen in the future if certain decisions were made or not made, depending on the actor, and not really fully … living … just a rough draft if you will."

"So different actions can change this outcome?"

"Exactly, Free Will is a tricky mistress to deal with; one small change at a critical moment can radically alter the course of the future."

"But there are like millions of people making millions of different decisions a day …"

"True but there are only certain decisions that have a larger, galactic impact, if you will, then most of the mundane decisions made at any one moment. Hence, only a small amount of decision will affect the outcome of any vision you Jedi receive from what you call the Force."

"So most decisions are meaningless?"

"No decision is ever meaningless young one," the specter said with a piercing glare that shook her to her bones and a voice full of rebuke. "All decisions require Free Will and awareness in order to be made, that is what separates the likes of you from other life forms found in the universe. The ability not to just react but to be proactive, to learn and to reason."

"I am confused …"

"I take that back, most intelligent animals can reason but you must be an exception." Tahiri just glared at the other being as it turn to watch the dying man, "here is a lesson for you to learn, young one. Which decisions affect the visions you receive?"

"I … I'm not sure …"

"She can reason," the other one said with a mocking smile on her lips as she turns back to Tahiri. "In your ignorance you just stumbled upon the greatest riddles of the galaxy."

"What are you talking about, what riddle? I'm confused, if most decisions don't have galactic importance as you say then how do I know when one has been made?"

"You don't, no one does … ever! The largest landslide often starts with the smallest pebble falling. Lets say a man wakes up in the morning to find that his "Snap, Crackle and Pop" lost its crackle."

"His what," Tahiri asked more confused then she had been earlier, which was about par when she talked to this being.

"I know it is hard for a creature at your level, Tahiri, but let's try to focus here, let's not lose sight of the sandstorm while trying to find a single grain. So this man is in a poppy mood now because his cereal is flat, he might take it out on his wife or his children or a co-worker, whom ever he does snap at will feel justifiably hurt for his comments. Supposed that person takes it out on the next person they come into contact with and so on and so on." The twin looked at Tahiri with piercing stare that seemed to reach her soul. "It could stop or it continued to spread out like a pebble dropped in a lake, ripples of anger and hurt spreading over time and space … until one day it effects a person that must make one of those big decisions. That person may have never met or heard of the man who was mad because his cereal was flat, may never have been directly been effected by his poppy mood but could still make a decision that would have never been made if the first man had gotten his cereal to talk."

"I think I understand it is like what Master Skywalker tells us all the time, that our actions can have unforeseen results.

"Yes, lets say the man does get his cereal to talk to him at breakfast, how would that affect him the rest of the day? How would that affect everyone who is expose to him? What other decisions are being made that would reinforce his actions or counteract his decisions? How many other landslides are created or stopped by that one pebble?"

"I … I … how could anyone possibly ever make that kind of calculation?"

"Nothing can, not you, not Master Skywalker, no droid or computer; not even I can understand all the factors that can affect the single moment when one of the big decisions are made by a person." The other one stared down at the man laying on the ground as he struggled to survive for one day longer. "That is why Free Will is and must be guarded absolutely and never be interfered with, regardless of the consequence."

Tahiri could only shake her head in bewilderment at the concept of how interwoven the galaxy was according to this creature. It was overwhelming and yet … it felt as if it was the truth. Master Skywalker and the other had always stressed how their action had to be limited and well thought out if they were to avoid causing addition pain and suffering. Perhaps, this was just another level that none of them had consider before … Tahiri suddenly turn on her companion who was watching her with a stern look on her face.

"Do you really have to ask after everything I just explained to you?"

"You would, wouldn't you? You would let him lay there and suffer even if you could save him!"

"Tahiri, I would have no choice! This accident, that has not yet happened since the actions that caused him to be there have not yet happened, involved far more complex chain of events then you are aware of."

"How could you …"

"Young one, I have seen more suffering and anguish then you could comprehend, no matter how much time I take to stand here and talk to you. Life is pain and suffering, you know that better then anyone around. Tahiri, you were born with that knowledge, it was instilled in you from your parents. You alone in this galaxy and all other galaxies were born with the knowledge that every other being has to learn over a long and slow process." The other Tahiri held up her hand stalling her next statement, "don't bother I see all your arguments. Let's cut to the chase here young warrior, the reason I wouldn't save him is because I would have to interfere with Free Will."

"I doubt that it was his choice to be laying there!"

"He had no choice in laying there, Tahiri, someone else made that choice for him. Someone else interfered with Free Will and forced this choice on him, on everyone around here. In order to save him, I would have to travel back in his time and change the past, which will set of a chain of events that could make it worst for everyone. He is not that important to bother with."

"He is an individual and all persons are important!"

"Oh, do you pay attention to every cell in your body? Do you know each one by a unique name or family name?"

"That is different, he is a thinking being!"

"And how do you know that your cells aren't? Would you want your other cells to stop their work to save one cell?"

"We are not talking about cells here …"

"Yes we are, there are creatures in this galaxy that would consider you and all your people as nothing more important then a cog in their survive machine like you consider your cells to keep you alive!"

Before Tahiri could answer, she heard the man scream out in pain. As she turned around, she could see one of the drones pick herself up off the ground. Without so much as a glance toward the man she tripped over, she picked up most of her load of fruit and began to walk away.

"Wait! Stop by the gods and help him!" She knew in her heart it was useless but she had to try to reach these imbeciles. Someone had to hear her; someone had to save this man's life!

"Interesting choice of words … drones."

"Help him!" Tahiri spun on her twin, letting her frustration and anger boil to the surface.

"I can't and I won't." The creature said calmly, staring at Tahiri with a look that seemed more to study her then to judge her.

"What kind of creature are you? Are you a Sith to enjoy seeing suffer for no reason!"

"I don't enjoy watching suffering, Tahiri, but I don't deny it benefit. Just like happiness, it too can bring a type of enlighten and flavor to life."

"Flavor," Tahiri echoed in exasperated tone.

"Of course, like any dish, life needs some spices to make it more enjoyable. As with any spice too much destroys the taste while too little robs the eater the experiences that the spice can bring."

Before Tahiri was able to retort; something came across the Force clear as a bell, as powerful as a spot light in a dark underground room, a feeling that she had not felt with the others wandering past … wonderment. She turned around again and saw that the man had dragged himself about 5 meters to a single sun fruit that the drone had left laying on the ground. The man wasn't eating it, he was just holding it up, turning it this way and that way; admiring it in the sunlight. The incredible feeling of wonderment and joy was undiminished even as his life was slowing flowing away from him. Tahiri has never before felt such powerful emotions from anyone before and never over something as mundane as apiece of fruit.

Then he took his first bite, the flood of ecstasy and joy threaten to overwhelm her, it brought tears to her eyes as well as his. There he was slowly dying, he knew it as well as Tahiri, and he had never been happier in his life then at that moment. The second taste rocked Tahiri for it was even more intense then the first. Each motion of his jaw didn't bring hurry frenzy instead; it was a slow wonderment about how something could taste so sweet. Tahiri braced herself for the third taste but found it unnecessary, he died before he could bring it to his mouth.

"How can one know ecstasy if one never knew pain, how can one know joy without knowing misery?"


This, Tahiri thought as she picked herself up off the floor, is not the way I want to do room inspections. For some reason, when she leaves those special times with her 'special friend' it is a violent event. Usually, she is strapped in an acceleration seat on a ship not lying in her bed. This time when she jerked her self-awake, she and her bed covering, end up face down on her floor. Good thing Rat and Little Brother weren't here to see that, they would ride me unmercifully about how one should sleep. Tahiri thought with amusement as she checked her nose to make sure she didn't break it when she hit the floor. Looking over at her timepiece, she saw that she had only about 10 minutes before she had to wake up.Who needs sleep anyways?

After hitting the refresher, and making sure she was properly covered, she headed down to the mess hall for the morning meal. As she has come to expect, Squeaky was there, riding herd on the droids that cooked the squad their meals. Although, Squeaky would never admit it to anyone, Tahiri secretly suspected that Squeaky enjoyed their company, and the company of the droids in the hanger bay, more then he let on. He complains too loudly and often to be taken seriously.

"Good morning Captain Tahiri," Squeaky said in a cheerful voice, "I hope you had a restful sleep period?"

"Good morning Squeaky, thank you I did", mostly, "morning boys." She said to the three cooking droids, all three beeped back to her in a happily chirp. Even though they are not as smart as Little Brother or Squeaky, she could understand them well enough. One of them rolled over to the counter with her normal breakfast already prepared. "Thank you Cookie, and you too Squeaky, it is nice that you guys remember what I like first thing."

"No need to thank us Captain we, after all, are happy to serve you in any way."

CHANGE ORDER NEVER ANYWAYS, Cookie chirped out as he rolled away.

"Be silent you," Squeaky snapped at the little droid.

"Well, whatever the reason, I appreciate it anyways," Tahiri, said with a smile as she head over to her table on the balcony. She just sat down when Commander Loran walked out of the communication shack and headed her way. When he saw her, he made a face at her morning meal.

"I think Ratnena is right, you have an unfair advantage over us when it comes to food," Face said as he sat down across from her.

"I don't eat that much, just one steak …"

"My mattress is smaller then that steak."

"A few eggs …"

"Few dozen anyways …"

"And a small helping of fried potatoes …"

"Forget how you eat all that, how do you carry it as small as you are," Face said with a grin. Her appetite has been a private joke between them since she joined the Wraiths.

"You are just mad because Doc is making you stick to a diet," Tahiri shot back with a sly grin. Right on cue, Squeaky walked over to their table.

"Ah good morning Squeaky, I will have the same as Tahiri is having," Face said in a good nature attempt to avoid mentioning his new diet.

"Of course sir, as soon as you clear it with Lt. Littlefoot," Squeaky said setting down a single glass of some kind of drink. "This has all the nourishment that Lt. Littlefoot has provide to me to insure you maintain a healthy lifestyle."

"You know, you don't have to act like you enjoy doing that so much," Face said as Squeaky walked back to the kitchen area. "Trade you, Captain."

"And hurt Squeaky's feeling after he went to all that trouble fixing you such a grand meal?"

"Yea right," Face said as he took a sip, by his expression it didn't taste any better then it looked. "Anyways, while you were out here sucking up to the cooks, so they would cook you something worth eating; I was talking to the Boss. I have some good news and some bad news."

"I like to hear some good news, let's start with that," Tahiri said while slowly waving a fork full of food around, thus torturing her commanding officer.

"Keep that up and I see a glorious career for you in the latrine branch of the Defense fleet," Face responded good humouredly as he took another drink, "the Boss agrees with our assessment that we need a back up ship with more punch then we have here with us."

"Great," Tahiri said brightly. This was good news to her, breaking into the prison and staging the rescue has already been worked out, as well as the cover to get in. However, the exit part of the plan was iffy at best, non-existents at worst. If everything went as planned, Tahiri, Doc and Pathfinder would meet up with Face, High, and Wedge in the Sweet Sunrise at the spaceport with their package without alerting the Imperials. If is such a small word with such big consequences, Tahiri thought as she pictured what would happened if they were discovered before they could reach orbit, let alone dark space. This was not a simple outpost or minor insulation they were hitting but the capital planet, security would be all over them like a swarm of thug bugs. "Whose soul did you have to sell to convince them that we need the extra support?"

"No one's soul, just your first born," Face said after draining his glass, "I am going to get Doc for this."

"Well, if that is the bad news, then it isn't so bad. It could be years before they can collect, I'm not even 20 yet."

"No, that is not the bad news, not exactly."

"What then? They decided to reactivate Jaina and she will be in charge." Tahiri said while raising a fork full of scrabbled eggs to her mouth.

"Its Ratnena and Little Brother, they won't be joining us for this mission."

"What?" Tahiri said, disbelieving what she just heard.

"The Boss overruled everyone on this, the Boss wants them to stay on Kidriff 5 and handle a problem there."

"You're joking, right?" Tahiri asked setting down her now forgotten fork full of food.

"No, I am quite serious."

"Face, we need them both with team three, to slice into the Imperial Network."

"I know, I explained that the Boss but he wants her to stay on Kidriff 5," Face said as he pulled out a data pad out of his jacket and slid it over to her. As Tahiri read the summation Face laid it out for her, "the Bliss problem is out of control. There are many who feel it is a covert attack against the GFFA and Kidriff 5 was an early test field. Ratnena tried to contact us to go out there and help stop it, the Boss had her message rerouted to him and he decided to let her tackle it alone."

"Face, these orders say for her to stop it, and I quote, 'by any means necessary'."

"It is a big problem, Tahiri, the Boss needs answers and soon. Don't worry; he said she sounded very motivated."

"All the more reason not to give her orders like that, she is liable to blow up the planet to solve the problem."

"She has to get approval before she does that," Face said off handily.

"I am being serious, Commander Loran."

"Look Captain Tahiri and understand. These orders stand and the command staff, meaning you and I, now have to deal with the situation as it is not as we wish it to be. I agree with you, Ratnena and Little Brother with us would increase the chances of success. However, we don't have that option anymore and we need to rethink our attack plan before we leave so we can get everyone back in one piece."

"Yes sir," Tahiri said miserable and rubbing her forehead where her scars should be, she couldn't escape the feeling that this was a bad idea. The whole vision thing was, for some reason, flashing thru her mind.

"What?" Face asked studying her closely.

"I just have a bad feeling about this," Tahiri answered honestly.

"A bad feeling or a Jedi bad feeling? If it is one of those, I could go back to Boss with that and get these orders changed." Tahiri wished that she could lie; she knew Face trusted her completely and would never stop to think that she would lie to him. If she felt something in the Force, he would assume it was true and act on it. She wished she could lie, but instead she just shook her head. As much as she wished it were true, her bad feeling didn't come from Force Vision. "Ok Tahiri, I trust you to let me know if that changes. Relax and lets get our job done, who knows maybe she will surprise us both and get the job done before we can get there."

Tahiri nodded her head in agreement while wishing he didn't sound as confident of Ratnena's chances as Tahiri felt.