Sons Of Destiny Episode II: Equilibrium

by Kjoil

After years of exile, Skar finally comes to Coruscant with his new apprentice. But his past continues to haunt him, and it seems the past itself is far from dead...

2. In The Belly Of The Beast

Skar entered the chamber with a slight taste of bile in his mouth, which instantly turned to outright repulsion when he heard the doors seal behind him. There were suddenly a million slightly justifiable reasons to turn on his heels and walk right back out. But only one reason to follow through and take a seating; finding out how Kayupa was still alive and what he wanted. Though Skywalker had assured him that his identity would not be revealed to any of the high officials, and that his anonymity would stay intact, he still didn't like being so close to the fire. These men were the high commanders of the New Republic military and they would be in complete control of the mission that Skar was about to embark on.

Luke had no military authority, so he'd called upon a favor from one of his high ranking, and most trusted, friends in the Defense Force to secure Skar's inclusion. But officially Skar was not Jedi, he was not Kjoil, and he was not the only member of the team whom Luke in secret suspected would make it out alive.

Though Luke knew almost everyone in the Defense Force's elite, he had kept Skar's insertion to a minimum, hiding it from those he trusted and thought of as friends. Skar admired Luke's resourcefulness, knowing he would find it hard to lie to a friend like that. But it strengthened Skar's belief that his was possibly a more volatile situation than it seemed at first glance; if Kayupa was involved, and in possession of the kind of army the intel boasted, they were heading for a darkness unequaled.

There was no doubt, if not Kayupa, that Jedi were involved in this terrorist action, which meant other Jedi would stand a better chance of making a difference there. So far there had been no clues as to how the Sons of Destiny planned to achieve their goals of destruction or even the exact number of hostages they had in their possession. It all reeked of misinformation and deceit. It was so obvious a trap that Skar felt like he'd been called out specifically by the terrorists. By the man who claimed to be Kayupa, by the man who felt like Kayupa.

Luke had supplied Skar with a formal green uniform that would not make him stand out like a Jedi cloak would have. Five Admirals of the Republic Fleet sat around the silver oval table in the center of the room with a holographic projector in its core. Skar took a seat at the end of the table, with Luke on his left. The eyes of all the commanders looked at Skar once, then they checked their screens in front of them, reassured when they learned he was listed to participate as an assistant to Luke.

Admiral Ackbar, the Supreme Commander of the New Republic forces, was a Mon Calamarian, an amphibious species with orange-colored skin, webbed hands and a high domed head with huge fishlike eyes. A native of Mon Calamari, Ackbar was essential at the Battle of Endor where he maintained the supervision of the Alliance fleet. Following the formation of the New Republic, Ackbar became one of the Republic's ruling members and was now in charge of the military.

The alien leaned forward over the table and cleared his throat. "As you are all aware, ten hours ago we received a declaration of occupancy by a terrorist group, a group so far unheard of before. A week ago they seized complete control of one of our repair yards, on Regana in the Outer Rim. In their declaration they also stated to have over a hundred hostages, all of them citizens of the Republic" The commander looked around at all his piers, a grave look in his bulging eyes. "The Chief of State has asked us to do whatever we can to resolve this threat. It is Princess Leia's belief that these terrorists may also be behind the bombing of the Senate not too long ago."

Skar felt a fleeting emotion coming from Luke at the sound of his sister's name. Leia had been injured during the attack at the Senate, and was still not back to her old condition. And it seemed a more endangering threat already loomed besides the terrorists. The Senate had recently discussed the possibility of adding former Imperial officers to the Senate. Leia was against this, worrying that the addition of former Imperial cells would start the same kind of corruption, and ultimately destruction, that had unraveled the Old Republic.

The judgement was still not decided. Perhaps this terrorist group was also part of that, a ruse by the Imperials to get the attention of the Republic forces while they manipulated the Senate into letting them join. But if that was the ploy, it didn't sound like Kayupa. Skar couldn't imagine Kayupa joining up with Imperial forces, the man had despised the Empire even more than Leia did.

A representative of the repair yard, and Regana, was also present at the meeting to provide intelligence about the station itself. The man was humanoid as far as Skar could tell, but the man exuded a calmness which Skar felt someone in his position should not be feeling at a time like this. When he spoke, his voice sounded unaffected, even slightly bored.

"This repair yard was operated mainly by Derrick Melar before the attack and his signature was on the declaration, which to me confirms that it is no hoax or ploy. Derrick is one of our finest officers, an honorable man with a wife and son living here on Coruscant. The repair yard, dubbed Hope's Haven, is where a large portion of capital ships patrolling the Outer Rim are upgraded and refitted. Its not just a repair yard, it's also a storage facility for all of the weaponry that are used on the capital ships." The man lifted his eyebrows and smiled vaguely. "Fortunately none of our capital ships were receiving supplies at the time of the attack."

Admiral Ackbar didn't seem consoled by this news. "But, however fortunate that is, we must still regard this siege with some skepticism." The alien's face grew dark and his face closed up. "This…is an attempt on the lives of the people who count on us for protection. An attack on the very integrity of the Republic, and it could not have come at a worse time."

Across from Ackbar sat Admiral Hiram Drayson, the man who had been in charge of the Republic's mission to find the once lost Katana fleet. Drayson was one of the New Republic's highest-ranking military officials during the Great Purge. He was known in military circles as the Old Ghost of Coruscant. At the moment Drayson looked just as thrown by this news as Ackbar did, only he was easier to read because he was human. "Do we have an ID?"

Skywalker nodded. "The terrorists call themselves the Sons Of Destiny."

Ackbar continued. "Some starfighters called in from Usapa were being repaired on Hope's Haven shortly before the attack. They were reported to have undergone full repairs and were ready for pickup. We must take that into account too."

"What kind of starfighters?" Skywalker asked.

The representative sighed, but it was more tedium than concern. "B-wing class, frigate-killers. Hope's Haven itself is a ground facility. Capital repairs are undertaken in space with repair ships from orbital stations, while smaller ships are docked on the ground."

The Mon Calamarian looked at the representative, but slowly let his fishlike eyes fall on every single person in the room. "We've already recalled the ships that were headed for Hope's Haven for repairs and redirected them to another repair yard. From now on all of our ships are told to stay clear of Hope's Haven. We can't allow anyone to provoke the terrorists into thinking we're attacking. They will certainly be expecting that."

General Wedge Antilles, head of the Republic's special forces, sat on the other side of Luke. Wedge was one of the best starfighter pilots in the Galaxy and had fought at the Battle of Yavin, been instrumental in the destruction of the second Death Star, as well as fighting in many other battles. He had once been the squadron leader of the infamous Rogue Squadron, but Wedge had been promoted to the rank of General about a year before the defeat of Thrawn.

"A group of B-wings doesn't sound too heavy. A couple of capital ships and a detachment of starfighters sounds enough to me to handle this situation."

Luke cleared his throat. "We don't know if the B-wings are the only type of defense they have. I highly doubt it. One of my students recently found information that indicated the Sons of Destiny are planning something bigger than just the assault on Hope's Haven. The information indicated that the Sons of Destiny have their eyes set on Coruscant." Skywalker's face turned very grim. "It suggested that in a month there would be no Republic left."

Wedge looked around at all the commanders with a surprised look on his face. "But the Sons of Destiny themselves made no such declaration, right? I didn't see it in anything we've received from Regana."

"The information came from a Wedder Dhohji, a very well known information broker. He makes money selling information, not by lying," Luke said, "we would be unwise to not regard this information in the light it deserves."

The representative of the repair yard cut straight to the point, still that calm look on his face. "But all we know for sure right now is that they've taken Regana hostage," the representative stated, "declaring it under their control. They've made no threats, no demands, and no deadline. It doesn't sound like a terrorist act but we're left to assume it is, nonetheless. We have to find out how they intend to hurt us."

Drayson agreed with a nod. "If building a new kind of government on Regana is their intention, hostages won't help them. It rules out sympathy."

General Antilles gave Luke a concerned look and then he looked back at the representative. "Is Regana harboring any…classified weapons?"

"Such as?" the representative murmured.

Wedge held out his hands. "Like a new Death Star, or a Suncrusher, or any of the kind of doomsday weapons we've had to face in the past."

The man gave Wedge his best if-looks-could-kill-face. "No, it is not."

"Are you sure?" Drayson asked.

The representative dismissed the two men and pressed a switch on the table before him. Soon a hologram of the Galaxy appeared above the table in miniature scale. "Regana is far inside the Outer Rim inside the Sumitra Sector. During the Rebellion thirteen years ago we had a base on the planet Tierfon. The Empire gave up finding the base, because there are some 12,000 planets and moons in the Sumitra Sector."

"So these Sons of Destiny could have come from anywhere inside that sector," Luke said, it was more a statement than a question.

"Literally yes," Ackbar answered for the representative, drawing on his own knowledge of the sector. "The Outer Rim is last stop before Wild Space and the Unknown Regions. It's an incredibly vast region of space, strewn with obscure home-worlds and primitive frontier planets. I remember the Alliance gained support from these outside worlds during the war. And we still maintain a significant presence, mostly thanks to stations like Hope's Haven." Ackbar's face lightened a tad, and Skar was surprised to recognize it as a smile. "But even Grand Moff Tarkin couldn't find his way around in there!" Ackbar would have known, having once been a slave to that very man.

Wedge smiled at the Mon Calamarian's own wisecrack but gathered his attention around the problem again. "So we have no idea of who we're dealing with. They could be anyone."

Another Admiral, which Skar didn't recognize, elaborated on Wedge's point. "They could have come from Wild Space, the Outer Rim, or they could be a completely new species from the Unknown Regions that we've never seen before."

Luke leaned forward. "And they've made no demands, which suggests that they're not doing this for money or something else. They're just waiting."

"Waiting to strike, you mean," Drayson said and again it was hardly a question.

Luke nodded.

The representative snorted in disbelief. "With a handful of B-wings?"

"You discounted the possibility of a superweapon," Luke told the man coldly, "Hope's Haven might not have one, but maybe the terrorists brought something from the outside. Something we've never seen before."

Ackbar ended that conversation quickly. "Let's focus on the facts."

Luke agreed, somewhat, his eyes showing some tension. "The facts; a group has taken over the repair yard on Regana, they have over a hundred hostages, and they've declared Regana for their own."

"Which in itself is an act of war," the unknown commander added, "their conquest is a hostile act."

"No arguments there," the representative said.

"But what do they want? What do they need the hostages for if they're not going to demand anything from us. And why Regana?" Wedge asked everyone at the table, clearly not knowing what to think of the whole situation. "Its a planet in the middle of nowhere!"

"Perhaps that's just it," Admiral Drayson ventured. "The distance to that planet allows them a great advantage. If we should decide to attack they would have amble time to prepare. To my understanding it takes a week to travel to the Sumitra sector." The Admiral leaned forward and searched through the files on his screen. "Wasn't there a name somewhere in the declaration they sent?" He found the file. "Kayupa, that was the name of the one who sent this declaration. Has anyone bothered to research this man?"

"I believe to know who it is," Luke said.

Skar felt cold inside, and it wasn't just the mentioning of the name but also the way Luke had employed the Force at that moment, using it to slightly coax the minds of the people at the meeting. Skar would have told him not to do it, if he'd known Luke would do it. These people were trusted allies of the Republic. It wasn't justified to lie to them. Skar guessed Luke had to do it to maintain the privacy and anonymity that Skar wanted in the Republic. But it was still very uncharacteristic of Luke to do so. Such a thing was close to walking on the line that separated a Jedi from the Dark Side.

"Kayupa Koan was a General from the Outer Rim during the Rebellion. He was once in command of a large army that offered its allegiance to the Empire. The Empire turned them down. General Koan's pride led him astray and Koan became infuriated. His armies started to hunt down and destroy Imperial forces. I heard about him the first time when I was a young pilot with the Rebels. His army was eventually evaporated and he disappeared inside the Unknown Regions."

Wedge held out his hands. "Why is he targeting Coruscant and the New Republic? We have no hassles with this guy."

"Hate can be a powerful thing, Wedge. General Koan had thousands of men under his command during the Rebellion." Luke swallowed, convincingly. "He could have millions now."

Wedge sighed. "This sort of thing is the last we need after the bombing of the Senate. I'd hate to think these things aren't related. Wouldn't want to know that we have two groups out for our necks at the same time."

Skar found himself for the first wondering if the bombing of the Senate and the Sons of Destiny takeover were, in fact, two different moves by two different groups.

Skywalker nodded. "I think I may have a lead on at least someone who was involved with the bombing of the Senate. I don't think its the direct assailant but he is involved. I'll be leaving for Msst soon to investigate that matter."

"Meanwhile we figure out what to with these Sons," Ackbar said.

Skywalker leaned back. "Whatever you do, I'll appeal to you to let my liaison go along. He knows as much as I do, and I would like to stay in communication with him, in case he finds clues that might benefit my investigation."

Ackbar looked at Skar with some skepticism in those big glassy eyes.

But it was Wedge who talked first. "You understand that this isn't going to be easy? We've got a team of commandos, experts in stealth and infiltration, the sort of thing we need on this mission. They'll be our first shot at this, and hopefully only shot. They'll team up with the reconnaisance team, calculate their options, and cripple the terrorists enough to stage a ground assault." Wedge looked over at Luke. "Luke, these men require the most absolute expertise. These men rely on each other, they can't be babysitting someone who'll slow them down."

Skar wanted to defend himself, but Luke spoke for him. "Skar won't be in the way."

The Admiral that Skar still didn't have a name for leaned forward. "Another thing," the Admiral said, his tone hard and to the point "Master Skywalker. Should the insertion team fail to find out anything substantial, or fail to be able to stop them, we have no choice but to send in the fleet."

Luke nodded, several seconds later. "And the hostages?"

The Admiral interlocked his fingers. "Should the strike-team fail, or be killed, that would be a sign of hostility towards the Republic. Should they choose to attack our team, surely that is proof enough that they have aggressive intentions."

"You didn't answer my question, Admiral Saul," Luke said in that firm voice that betrayed his always gentle nature.

Skar noted the name; Saul.

Admiral Saul looked like he'd swallowed something bitter. "Everything that can be done to minimize the loss of civilians will be done, but if the Sons of Destiny are harboring a threat it is our duty as protectors to save the larger majority, mainly the Republic and Coruscant."

Ackbar concurred. "If it comes to that, Admiral Gout Saul will be assigned the task of dealing with the threat. With all the incursions we're facing from the Imperial Remnant, I cannot spare any other ships at this time. Your sister, the Chief of State herself, has commissioned Admiral Saul with this task."

Skar couldn't help wonder why Leia had specifically chosen this man.

Admiral Saul chuckled inapropriately. "Master Skywalker, you of all people should know the responsibility of a protector. Isn't that what being a Jedi is all about?"

Luke allowed his out-of-character grim stare fall on the man. "Jedi are peacemakers, negotiators, protectors. They're not soldiers."

Drayson cleared his throat, thus ending the argument. "Am I correct in assuming that no Jedi are involved in this mission?"

Skar felt the hairs on his arms stand up.

"That's right," Luke said.

"Then why are you here, Master Skywalker?" This from Admiral Saul. It sounded harsh, and the commander immediately pulled back and raised his hands to appear non-threatening, but it seemed more like a ploy to Skar than an actual apology. "I mean, since your brave Knights aren't involved why did you choose to join this meeting?"

Luke again allowed his eyes to fall on the man. "I came here to offer my help and to find out whether or not the terrorists incident and the bombing were related."

"And your counsel is most appreciated," Admiral Ackbar said, thus ending the debate. "In the light of the recent bombing I'm sure the Jedi Order has more important things to attend to. This is a time of crisis. We can't afford to lose our vigilance."

"Agreed," Luke said.

And the agreement was finalized and Skar was booked a ticket for Regana. While the Admirals continued to discuss the situation, Skar leaned back in his seat and sought out Luke's thoughts.

I didn't thank you, Skar said without words.

Friends bring out the best in me, Luke replied, I'm only hoping we're doing the right thing.

Skar hoped so too. I've never heard of any Kayupa Koan. Did you dig up this information on your own?

No, Luke said, I fabricated it.

Its a lie?

No, its a means to an end. Sometimes lying is done with good intentions. And it makes all the difference.

Skar frowned. Some of the worst things imaginable came out of good intentions.

By the way, you might consider a shave.

Skar rubbed his beard. Why?

You don't look geekish enough to pass for a liaison.

Skar almost laughed aloud, but thought better of it. Beards are cool, and you know it.

That time it was Luke who almost laughed out loud.

Studying the proceedings that followed Skar allowed his eyes to fall on a certain Admiral, Admiral Gout Saul. Skar had sensed it before when Luke had bantered with him, and Skar began to feel the same kind of disturbance in the Force around the man. From the files on his display it showed that he was promoted to Admiral no more than a few weeks ago. It didn't make sense that Leia would have chosen this man to command a fleet operation into the Sumitra Sector.

What do you make of him?

Luke knew instantly what he was referring to. Nothing I can use. I'll check with Leia. Find out if she knows anything about him.

There's something not right about him, Skar said.

I'll make sure to add him to the list, Luke followed.

After a while the intel from the reconnaissance team came through and the lights dimmed in the room as the holo-projector in the center of the table came to life, expanding beyond the room and giving them a 360 degrees view of the repair yard. The repair yard laid before them, partly hidden under clouds of snow, while behind them, projected over the door and walls, they could see the reconnaissance team huddled up behind a slope. The man operating the camera filming the view was projected on the wall to their left, the side of his head filling most of their left view. Data began typing itself on the screen before him.

"Since they arrived they've seen no hostages on the outside," Ackbar read aloud," no ships leaving the planet and very little outside activity. The B-wings have been deployed in an orbital patrol and all the space stations have been emptied and powered down."

The camera zoomed in on the yard. Hope's Haven stood magnificently deep in mountainous territory, small and medium-sized mountains all around the station, the facility itself large enough to support the population of a small city. How the station had managed to operate on a crew of only a hundred was puzzling to him. Hope's Haven, albeit a small repair yard, had once been an Imperial installation, and as such it matched their designs, cold black metal buildings shaped like pyramids, cut through vertically just below the peak, some of the structures even reaching below the surface into sub-levels and basements.

The structures of the old fortress were linked by passageways in intersecting patterns, allowing easy access from one end of the station to the other. and Skar saw tiny men busy packing away crates and setting up guards along the yard. There was also a great deal of ship parts, hull and alike, scattered around the perimeter of the repair yard. Some kind of dismantling of what looked like several large ships.

What do you make of it? Luke asked

Skar had no idea. Maybe to reinforce the structure against an assault, maybe they're building something, but there's no way to be sure.

The men moved very professionally, there was no sloppiness or signs of fatigue in the way they moved. But there were exceptions.

"Some of them don't look like soldiers, judging by their clothes. More like mercenaries," Wedge noticed.

Luke found that to be of slight relief. "Its the amateurs who are dangerous. Not the pros. Amateurs are unpredictable."

A gentle laughter sounded around the table and one of the Admirals said something about Luke's Jedi students, questioning which of the two categories they fell under. Skar didn't think it was funny, and taking a look at Luke, he guessed Luke didn't either. Skar opened his mind to Luke, and Luke did likewise. As one they both saw the same thing and would be able to hear what the other was thinking. If Luke felt reminded of something by seeing the transmission, Skar wanted to know about it, and vice versa.

It was a good teamwork and along the next hour as the gathering watched the live feed, Skar and Luke were able to draw some reasonable conclusions and Skar had a better image of who and what he would be going up against. More importantly he studied the layout of the Hope's Haven repair yard, eyeing opportunities for an insertion or sneak points.

After an hour had passed, Admiral Gout Saul suddenly pointed at a part of the screen projected over the ceiling. "Can we get an ID on that solo man?"

Skar looked closer as the camera panned to give them a better look. A figure was standing in one of the yard's watchtowers, looking down on the men working below. Typing on a keyboard in front of him, Admiral Drayson increased the zoom. Then decreased the range of image into a square, like a computer screen. The face portrayed before them became gigantic. The man had silver hair, cropped military style, and a gray beard. The man's eyes stared coldly down at the men below, Skar thought he spotted pride in those eyes. The man was wearing a thick coat which fluttered in the wind, his hood laid on his shoulders and then he smiled.

Smugly.

And Skar's heart ached.

Let me guess, Luke said.

Skar did his best not to let his anxiety show. That's him…Kayupa.

There was not a doubt about it. The man was older but he was the spitting image of what Kayupa would look like if he'd still been alive - Skar caught himself thinking it, there was no going back now, Kayupa was alive. Skar noted the same old weariness in Kayupa's eyes that he sometimes saw in his own when he looked in the mirror, that look of age having taken its toll.

But you said he was dead? Luke stated the obvious.

Skar had thought so too, but it seemed his old friend had more than one trick left to pull. Skar felt very cold inside, the darkness inside him numbing him, leaving a veil of clouds over his heart. Either he survived or there are two of him. Skar gave himself credit that he had been wise enough to pack so early.

---

"You boys think you're the aces of the Republic! But to me you're nothing!"

Solid as rock, seven men stood lined up against the wall as their drill sergeant, a loud and hardened man with a short temper, the basic military hothead, shouted instructions at them. The seven men were all of the equal height, age and appearances. Donned in dark-blue military armor and fatigues, packed to the brim with equipment, everything from helmets to grenades to smaller weapons, the men stared straight ahead as their commander spat orders at them.

They were the Dragon's Tooth, a military wet-works unit, covert infiltration specialists. Trained since the day they joined the military in combat, war, and stealth, carefully selected because of their unique abilities.

"You're less than nothing! You're so insignificant even talking about you useless toads is beyond comprehending!"

The commander's words were high strung and overly exaggerated. His shouting was merely to excite them, to get them on their toes, to wake them from any daydreaming they might have and focus on the job. They needed to know that this was it, soon their lives would be on the line and any lack of concentration would mean their guts on the floor.

"Keep your egos to yourself! There's only one person in the world who thinks you're hot stuff and that's yourself!" The commander halted in his stride. "The question is; can you convince me!"

He held out a remote and typed in a command. Behind him a circular-shaped saucer lifted up from the floor and hovered above him, small lights blinking, and sensors taking in its environment. It was about two feet in a diameter and no taller than a human head. It was a RATM, remote assistance tracking module, a somewhat new invention. An unmanned aerial vehicle used for surveillance, and it assisted in communication. The RATM transmitted its status and mission data to its controller via data-link. It enabled the group to see the terrain for miles away, even further than the scopes in their helmets could. Through the HUD in the their helmets, they could see everything the RATM could see, its feedback illustrated on a small screen in the left side of their visor.

The RATM was also armed with some defensive measures; shock grenades, poisoned darts, small motorized blaster turret, and a stun baton. Not unlike a droid, the RATM also had its own artificial intelligence, able to think on its own to prevent it from flying into a hostile area, thus giving away the unit's presence. It would stay secure and not enter any areas that it considered endangered discovery. The group had been working with these types of vehicles for two years now and were so attuned and used to the RATM being their eight member that they'd dubbed it Tracker.

The commander nodded to Tracker and then turned his gaze back to the soldiers. "Today, you will be running the Gauntlet!"

Thought they didn't express their worries out loud, each soldier felt a chill pass over his heart. The Gauntlet was famous among ground soldiers for its ruthless difficulty. It was a training arena, consisting of hundreds of panels, almost like a maze, that would open and close at a random interval. The design was meant to alert soldiers to the danger of a threat coming from a place they didn't expect it, that danger could come from any place.

Once walking down the halls of the Gauntlet, a door could suddenly open to your left, revealing a threat. A wall could close down in front of them, forcing them to choose another path. It motivated the soldiers to be on their highest concentration, since every wall could suddenly present a danger behind it. The Gauntlet was feared among rookies, it separated the boys from the men.

Standing amongst the soldiers was Kast, the group's scout. As their scout he would always be ahead of the others, securing areas before advancing the group. He'd been through the Gauntlet only once before, and had come out with Tracker as the only other survivor.

But what worried him even more than the Gauntlet was the speed in which their group had been scrambled. They'd heard the reports and news bulletins about the terrorist takeover, and Kast was worried about the fact that what he'd heard on the news had been repeated in their briefing. All in all, they didn't know squat about the mission site or what kind of opposition they would be up against. Usually there were tons of reports and files to read through; this time there was nothing.

The commander looked over each soldier with scrutiny. "I expect the best from you! Our intel tells us that the terrorist group you will encounter are in possession of hostages! Which means you will be running the hostage scenario! To prepare you maggots for what's to come! Four protocol droids are somewhere inside the Gauntlet, its your job to rescue them and get them out. We've chosen protocol droids, because they are slow. Once you set down on your real mission, you don't know what to expect of the conditions of the hostages. They might be wounded, tortured, they may not be able to walk very fast."

Kast cringed. Getting through the Gauntlet was one thing, but having to rescue hostages and get out of there was another thing. That old demon inside his head that always made him think about if he'd chosen the right career, chuckled at the top of it's lungs.

The commander looked over his datapad and then looked up at each soldier, looking for someone. His eyes stopped at Kast. "You are the controller of the RATM, right?"

Kast saluted him. "Yes, sir."

The commander snickered. "This time, try to get some of your comrades out too. The RATM is very expensive, but your comrades are worth more. Got it?"

Tracker blurted out an insult with a series of electronic beeps. No one caught the full insult but it did involve something about the drill sergeant's mother having a romantic involvement with a ronto.

Kast allowed himself a small smile beneath his helmet. "Affirmative, sir." Kast clicked on his helmet and his visor lit up with sensor readings from Tracker's eyes. He could see himself staring back at him. And the looks on the faces of each of his comrades, all of them had the same shared concern on their faces, but the eyes behind the visors indicated a level of strength and courage that superceded any worry of failure. After this training mission they would set out on their real mission. They would succeed or they would die. Failure did not mean you got to start over in their line of business.

The commander flicked a button on his datapad and a door slid open on the wall behind them. All of the soldiers jumped back and prepared their blasters, high-powered rapid succession rifles, with all kinds of scopes and attachments. The door opening behind them revealed a long dark corridor that was the entrance to the Gauntlet.

"Go! Go! Go!" the commander shouted.

Tracker was the first to enter the corridor, followed up by Kast. Once he was through the others followed, following his lead and cautious of every corner, wall or ceiling panel in the hall. Tracker hovered effortlessly down the passage, its sensors checking everything, showing the readings on Kast's internal visor screen.

Kast walked slowly in its wake, checking its readings with one eye while his other eye scouted the area for threats Tracker might not have seen, cautious of a sudden attack from behind a wall, or a door suddenly slamming down between him and the Tracker.

The group moved as one, staying close together, but not so close that they didn't have the freedom of movement. If a wall would suddenly crash down, it was best to stay close, as to not get separated.

Kast heard the entrance close behind them, he was expecting the loud slam of the door pounding down from the first time he'd been through. Back then he'd jumped at the sound, but this time he was expecting it. None of the others in his group jumped either. The veterans always said that once you'd been through the Gauntlet you didn't forget anything about it. You remembered the panic every time, you relived it. And your senses felt more awakened than ever. You were cautious of every little sound, walking in a sneaking pattern to minimize the sound of your footsteps.

The weapon he was carrying was a new generation of BlasTech blaster carbines, designed to replace the very outdated rifle made so famous during the Empire. As a secondary fire there was a concussion grenade launcher mounted below the barrel. The weapon itself had many multiple accessory rails, for both tactical purposes as well as having the ability to custom the weapon to your preference. This new line of rifles was intended to replace the old Imperial stormtrooper rifle and make its way into the scene, as the new close quarters weapon.

Kast found it better than some of the other carbines he'd been armed with in the past. It was lighter, more compact and easier to reload. He felt more at home with it than he'd done in the past with the weapon's predecessors. For his personal design he'd chosen the grenade launcher mounted below the barrel, a flashlight on the left side of the barrel, and finished it off with a sniper scope on the top with a miniature laser designator right below it.

Each accessory could be easily refitted with the removal of a few screws, adding to his liking to the weapon; it was easy to handle and it fitted into his hands as if it had been the thing missing in his life all this time. He could feel his hand subconsciously holding onto the grip as if letting go would kill him. Aside from his primary firearm, he carried a single handgun, also fitted with a laser designator and a silencer for more stealthy intrusions. He also carried six handheld grenades, two sonic grenades that emitted a very loud noise to stun the enemy, flash grenades that blinded the enemy. Laser trip mines, and a pair of proximity mines that exploded when the enemy got too close; especially helpful for securing the perimeter or placing on the back of a door the enemy had to breach. For those extra dangerous and close range situations he had a vibroblade in a sheath on his hip.

Anomaly ahead.

Kast stopped the instant the words flickered across his screen, and held up his hand to inform the others to hold their position while he investigated the discovery. Tracker had found something. An anomaly meant that Tracker had found something inconsistent with the rest of the area. The Gauntlet was shaped and built so that the RATM could only spot the things that the human eye would see. It couldn't look through the walls to spot which walls could spring open and it couldn't make out the tiny crevasses in the ceiling or floor that marked where a thick metal slide-panel could appear from.

In the field the RATM could look through walls with its heat sensors and movement detectors. But in here it was as blind as the soldiers. It wasn't necessarily realistic, but neither was the Gauntlet. It just trained you to use your senses to their full potential, to listen, and to see. In the end it was human reflexes that won the battle, not technology.

Kast looked at the tiny screen that showed him what Tracker was seeing. The image changed resolution to its finest and magnified the image.

Living entity, moving

Kast's grip on the blaster rifle tightened with suspense.

Distance closing

It was getting closer. Kast still couldn't see what it was, but the sweat starting to form on his forehead felt cold and foreign. It was no surprise that the Gauntlet scared him straight. Everything about this place made him nervous, made him almost wet his pants with fear. He knew the Gauntlet was designed to prepare him for actual combat, but to him it just motivated more than actual combat to quit the military, he'd rather be doing a real field mission than this. At least then he would have the element of surprise. In here someone was watching him through invisible eyes, just waiting to spring a trap on him. The not knowing part really got to him. Anything could happen.

Entity identified.

Kast pulled up his mouth shield, it locked off his voice from the outside world, and enabled only Tracker to hear what he was saying. It wasn't to shut out his comrades, but rather the prying ears of the imaginary enemy. "Identify."

Rodent

Kast cursed and pulled the mouth shield back down. "Just a rat," he said over his shoulder with a light grin. "Remind me to inform our commander that these halls aren't completely sanitary."

He heard the following nervous laughter coming from his team mates.

And completely missed the panel closing right in front of him. Soon after another one closed down behind the team, locking them inside a cramped box. Two seconds later all four walls rose up into the ceiling, revealing battle droids on every side of them. The distraction had worked.

Kast was the first to cast blame. And he had a pretty good feeling where the others would, too.

---

"Nice teamwork, pal!"

Kast tried not to hear it. Tried to take it with a smile, the only way he knew how. Tried not to think that things were as bad as they felt. Tried everything he could to just block it out, and act as if he wasn't too worried.

He was petrified.

The team was gathered back outside the entrance to the Gauntlet, most of them cursing and swearing, while Kast made his way to a fresher station to splash water on his face. The others talked amongst themselves, and Kast heard his name being mentioned a couple of time. He couldn't deny the fact that his carelessness had gotten the team killed in the exercise, he hadn't been careful enough, too quick to make jokes even in what he knew was a hostile area.

It was a rookie's mistake, and he hated himself for it. The last thing he wanted was to let down his team. Unlike conventional groups, the Dragon's Tooth was his family. His real family was long gone, nothing more than distant memories that he tried not to remember. The men in his team were like brothers to him, and he'd gotten them killed.

Kast swore internally as the drill sergeant came back into the briefing room. The man walked straight past the other men and came up behind Kast. Kast tried not to see the man's reflection in the mirror over his head, he didn't want to see the disappointment there.

"Forty seconds. That was how long you lasted," the sergeant muttered quietly enough for only Kast to hear, "how long you and your team lasted."

Kast washed his hands. "Am I out?" he said carefully.

The drill sergeant shook his head. "Sadly…no. High Command still wants your team on the mission. Even you. You're lucky your involvement didn't depend on the success of your simulation in the Gauntlet. If it had, you would have been shipped to the nearest mess-hall for kitchen duty as we speak."

Kast didn't think of himself as lucky. "I let the team down."

"I've seen worse scores in the Gauntlet. I just wasn't expecting it from you. You've been through before. You knew what to expect."

Kast nodded to his own reflection. "I got careless."

"And it got you and your team killed. This sort of thing can't happen once you leave for Regana."

"It won't," Kast said, hoping he could live up to those words.

"Let today be a reminder to you. A reminder you obviously needed before setting out. Who knows? Failing this simulation may just give you the wakeup call you needed, to save your life on this mission."

Kast turned around, saw the faces on each of his brothers. Their frustrated and angry faces, their own disappointment almost as big as the drill sergeant's.

The sergeant cleared his throat. "You'll have to earn their trust again, soldier. In the field you have to be able to rely on your comrades. There can't be any mistrust. However, its your call. You can choose not to go on the mission. Based on what I've seen I wouldn't blame you."

Kast nodded slowly, wishing he could erase today. "If I leave now…they'll never trust me again."

The sergeant agreed. "I think you are right."

Kast swallowed. "I'm not staying home."

"Good," the sergeant turned around to face the others. "Listen up! What happened today was a test. Your mission is still a go! There are a lot of people counting on you! This is no time to concentrate on anything but your mission. Make me proud!" The sergeant smiled viciously. "Come back so I can see your ugly faces in the mud again!"

Though a few of them remained quiet, most of the Dragon's Tooth cheered enthusiastically. Kast felt slightly happy again, hearing his comrades cheer. But a part of him wondered if they still wanted him with them. He wondered if he still belonged with them.

The sergeant turned to Kast again. "Make us all proud, soldier."

"I will," Kast said firmly, "I will."

---

Hours later, the wind tugged at Skar's hair and Luke's cloak as they stepped out onto the platform. Coruscant was still dark in it's almost convincing night, yet the millions of distracting lights almost made it seem like the city could never fall into true darkness. Skar's satchel weighed heavily on his back, filled with the same standard equipment as the other soldiers he'd be venturing with, along which Skar had packed his own blaster and the lightsaber. He had dressed in a standard uniform and had considered trimming his hair and shaving to add to the performance, like Luke had suggested, but in the end he'd neglected the option simply because of lacking time.

He trudged across the platform, feeling uneasy knowing he was going off into battle. Luke followed behind him, the two both sensing the disturbance in the Force that had come to life ever since the bombing of the Senate and even stronger since the terrorists had revealed themselves.

The platform was vaguely illuminated by projectors that all fell on the shining black hull of the personnel carrier. The ship, aptly named the Passive, was smoothly designed, and Skar understood this was crucial for its stealth capability. The hull was painted pitch black, an effect he was sure would make it undetectable among the stars. He wasn't quite sure about how it worked, but also preferred to leave it to Luke's judgement. Since this was the only ride into Regana he didn't feel like complaining.

Luke had given him instructions that he would have to present to the single guard standing by the ship, the guard was one of Luke's allies as well. And if Luke trusted him, then Skar would too.

Skar turned around to face Luke, trying to hide the gravity he knew had to be on his face. Many things didn't seem right, and even more seemed impossible. He only knew one thing for sure. He might not see Luke again.

"Luke, I - "

"I know, Skar. But let's not tempt fate by saying it out loud. We both have duties to carry out. You have yours and I have mine." Though Luke's words were assuring, they didn't match the look of worry on his face. "Find out what you can."

Skar nodded, another worry brewing beneath his shell. "Luke, if anything should happen to me, I want you to take care of Rishi. I'm sorry to leave you with another hothead," Skar queasily joked, and then turned serious again, "but his arrogance was something I could never - "

Luke laid his hand on Skar's shoulder. "Just like us, Skar. He's just at that age. When you come back, we'll both see what we can do to help him. Until then I'll look out for him as best as I can," Luke laughed slightly but warmly, "you Kjoil are becoming a precious commodity," Luke tilted his head, "becoming more precious with each second, it seems."

"Luke - "

"Did you go see a med-droid like I asked you to, about those pains you've been having?"

Skar had wanted to, but there hadn't been time. "No."

Luke looked even more worried.

"But I'll be fine. When I come back, I'll have it checked out."

Luke didn't look any better. "I wish you had seen one before all this."

"So do I," Skar said.

"Skar…what about the refugees? In case you don't come back."

Skar had thought of that, and had acted towards insuring their protection. "Its taken care of."

"How - "

"That's all you need to know, sorry," Skar said adamantly, "trust me, I would never have gone on a mission like this without making sure that their safety was taken care of."

Luke seemed to trust him on that. "Alright, then." Luke's eyes wandered towards the ship awaiting Skar, his face a maze of worry.

And although Skar didn't blame him, he felt it was more than the tension already between them. "What's wrong, Luke?"

Luke's eyes stayed solid on the horizon. "There's a warning in my heart. I wonder what your real motivations for going to Regana are."

Skar smirked. "I thought it was obvious."

Luke's eyes found his and the gaze he shot Skar lacked that innocent farmboy look. Luke was beyond secrets now. "Do you realize the danger, Skar? The seriousness of it all? You're not going to stop him - "

"Luke - "

"No, Skar," Luke said firmly, "you're not leaving so you can stop him at all. And you know it. You're going because you miss him."

Skar felt attacked, but didn't know how to counter. Luke was right. "I just want answers. It doesn't make sense. It feels like a bad dream."

Luke hugged himself. "Why was he so important to you?"

Skar's head turned down, and he caught himself fixating on the platform's surface by his boots. "He was...my friend, but more than a friend. He taught me all I know today. He inspired me. I am somehow blind to the hate I should feel towards him for all the wrongs he did. Because I know in the end he was redeemed," Skar's jaw tightened, "he was cursed, Luke. He could have been so much, but fate stole it from him. All he wanted from me was death," Skar looked away, fighting against the tears he could feel creeping up behind his eyes, "he just wanted to die, Luke. But I couldn't give it to him."

He could feel Luke's eyes glaring through him. "Because you loved him."

"As much as I've tried to fight it, every day since then his memory clings to me. Half of me belongs to him. But I have no illusions that the man I'm off to face is the same Kayupa. I hope he isn't."

Luke looked doubtful. "You sure?"

Skar nodded, mostly to himself. "I couldn't go through that again. I need my answers, and maybe once and for all rid myself of his ghost."

Luke looked like he wanted to ask more, but the ship on the platform behind them started to come alive, preparing for take off. "I guess there's no delaying this anymore. I hope you find your answers, Skar, you deserve them. For too long I've seen you wither away in the shadows. The New Jedi Order is about to bloom and I need you there beside me."

Skar smiled wryly. "I was never that big on gardening, Luke."

Luke laughed warmly and patted Skar on the shoulder. "May the Force be with you, as strongly as your dry wit, Skar Kjoil."

Skar shot Luke his most cocky smile, knowing there wasn't much real confidence behind it. "You too, farmboy."

With that Skar turned away from Luke and walked across the landing platform. As he walked under the wing of the massive ship, he came up to the ramp, seeing the soldiers rummaging inside the ship, stowing away gear and weapons.

The guard standing by the ramp, his face stern and orthodox, held up his palm to stop Skar and asked for his identification papers. Skar held out the sheet of flimsiplast Luke had given him. The man read it, his eyes noticing something on the flimsiplast and his lips twitched. "Jarod Marhar, special assistant."

Skar nodded. "Skywalker assigned me."

The man looked up at Skar for a closer inspection. Then his eyes dimmed slightly in curiosity. "Tell me, Jarod, what do you specialize in?"

Skar remembered the code Luke had given him. "Protection."

Giving a pleased nod, the man smiled briefly before crumbling the flimsiplast in his hands and throwing the paper-ball to the wind. "You are the last one onboard. Get going, and good luck."

"Thank you," Skar said before walking past the man and set his first step on the ramp.

"One more thing."

Halfway up the ramp Skar turned to see the guard. The man held his hand up to his temple in a salute. "May the Force be with you."

Skar nodded and walked up the ramp, hearing it shut tight behind him. When he looked up to see the passenger hold, seven sets of eyes stared back at him. There was a moment of unspoken disbelief between them and Skar waited it out by remaining standing where he was. After a while the seven soldiers looked back at each other, continuing their previous activity. Skar saw the curls of their lips and knew he had just been the subject of a private joke.

The men strapped down and readied themselves for takeoff and Skar could already feel the testosterone levels peaking in the room. The soldiers were all in the mid-twenties, a full ten years younger than him. Skar allowed their joke to wash over him, leaving him unaffected and uncaring, but did note to himself that if battle-experience was measured in testosterone, these 'boys' should have been Generals by now.

Skar sat down in the only remaining seat and leaned back, focusing his eyes on a spot on the wall across from him, confident that that spot was now his only friend onboard. The ship buckled before take-off, and as soon as Skar heard the confirmation from Traffic Control over the intercom, he laid back and tried to fall asleep, trying his best to find some calm before the storm.

Off I go, into the belly of the beast.

---

Under the cloak of the night Rishi Kjoil watched from his perch as the stealth ship lifted from the platform fifty stories beneath him. Its jets burned in the dark evening, soon flaring up its thrust and becoming nothing more than a twinkle against a carpet of stars. Rishi latched onto the sensation of his Master for as long as he could, eager to feel the man's presence for as long as possible. It didn't last nearly as long as he had hoped, he could hold onto Master Skar until the ship entered hyperspace which happened all too soon, for Rishi's taste.

Then he was gone, leaving a vacant lot in Rishi's tumult of a heart.

Wiping away the twin tears on his cheeks, Rishi leaned backwards and laid down on his back on the roof of the skyscraper, staring up at the millions of spying eyes of light above him. Rishi tried not to think of the possibility that he might not see his Master ever again. He wished he could have gone with him, but Master Skar had insisted on him staying behind, claiming Rishi's abilities were not enough for what they might encounter. He considered it extremely arrogant of his Master to think so, when they hadn't seen each other for so long. Rishi had accepted it then, only so he wouldn't have to get into another argument with his Master. He also knew that starting an argument on that topic would prove the lack of readiness Master Skar had pointed out. Though happy he hadn't begun the argument, he knew that he had wanted to, and that said enough.

Fine.

Master Skar had asked him to stay behind because he couldn't handle such a mission. But there was a mission he could handle. The datacard that had held the message from the terrorists, signed by Master Skar's old and friend Kayupa, had to have come from somewhere. Wedder Dhohji, the information broker that had died delivering the card to Rishi, had to have obtained it from someone. And Rishi believed that someone was likely working for the terrorists.

Someone had paid Wedder to deliver that message and Rishi thought that by finding out who, he might know more about the terrorists, possible even find something that would help Master Luke's or Master Skar's investigation. Luke was supposed to leave for Msst in the morning, but if he hurried he might have something that would help Luke before his departure.

Rishi sat back up, staring out at Coruscant, such a brilliant city with so many charms. It was rare that he was this high up, at the very peak of the city's height. All his time was spent in the underground, to which he would soon return to learn more about the terrorists, but for now he wanted to saver the moment. It was rare he had moments like this, and he felt he deserved one.

Moments later, Rishi was deep inside the building, looking up information on a local databank on Coruscant. He looked up under the listings of most wanted criminals that had yet to be brought into custody. Then he looked for those highest on the list that were wanted for illegal transfer of information. The most wanted tended to be most knowledgeable.

Rishi had been given two names to look up. He chose to look up the second man first, since he was the most renown information broker on Coruscant. Even Rishi had heard the name before. Spending as much time as he did in the underground, knowledge about those parts seemed to flow to him on its own.

There were other reasons for selecting the second man to look up first. The first name he'd been given was Wedder Dhohji.

Armed with a new target to look for, Drennen Sari, Rishi acquisitioned a speeder and continued down into the lower levels of the city, already longing for the stars once again, as the familiarity of the seedy underbelly of Coruscant reached him.

Back on the dusty and filthy streets, littered with shops, stands, bars and other establishments, Rishi felt his focus begin to rebuild. All though his heart still ached at his Master's departure he now saw his own role in these events become more rounded. He only hoped he could find something useful in time. Evading the eyes of the pedestrians, Rishi allowed his presence to fade in with the rest of the people, leaving the public oblivious to his true nature and power.

He decided to look up Drennen Sari's last known address, but he didn't really expect to find the man there. Being on the New Republic's most wanted list was warrant enough to make you run for your life and seek shelter elsewhere until the storm faded out. Drennen had been on that list for a month, enough to earn a fifty-thousand bounty on his head, meaning that the local police had most likely already given up on him. That was an annoyance of some measure because it meant that Drennen might not show his face too soon. However a man like him couldn't get off Coruscant with a warrant for his arrest, and the man couldn't change to another profession which meant that the man hopefully would soon surface again, even more famous because of his newly strengthened reputation.

All Rishi had to do was wait. And get to him before any hunter. Drennen's apartment in the lower levels had been vacated a long time when Rishi got there. The layer of dust covering everything stuck to Rishi's nostrils and he covered the lower part of his face with his wrist as he searched through the apartment.

He found little of use, by touching the floor and reaching out to the Force he could see things that had happened recently in the apartment. The Republic police had never been here to look for him, probably guessing as Rishi had that the man would be too smart to be here. A bounty hunter had been here though, an amateur by Rishi's estimate because he had missed the one clue that Rishi had found.

An ashtray stood in the center of a round glass table in the living room. The kind people swiped from bars. And this one had the name of a bar on the side too. The Staggering Tusken. Rishi knew the place, it wasn't too far from there and it was most likely the best place to find Drennen. Rishi doubted the man's situation would keep him from his favorite bar, petty lowlife scum like this usually didn't. Rishi also suspected the man would soon make his appearance there, eager for a job and money. Enough to get him off Coruscant before someone caught on to him.

Showing up at the Tusken was stupid, but Rishi suspected the man would be growing desperate by now and would soon walk his way into trouble. He only hoped that the trouble would be him, and not the local police or this bounty hunter.

Leaving for the bar the moment he found the ashtray, Rishi hopped into his speeder and made way for the Staggering Tusken. The ride wasn't far, but Rishi felt like time was moving against him. Drennen might not have long time to live if he was planning on leaving Coruscant tonight or any time soon.

Reaching his destination, Rishi parked the speeder and walked down the small steps that lead to the Staggering Tusken. Rishi employed his fade-in technique again, as he saw the six foot high, and half that in width, doorman, eyeing anyone with a angry frown on his face. Before approaching the doorman Rishi reached out to him and searched through his short-term memory, none of the faces that appeared there looked like Drennen and the doorman was well pleased with tonight's calm customers. No bar-fights, no trouble.

Drennen hadn't shown up yet.

Rishi then 'borrowed' the face of one of the doorman's most liked customers, and used the Force to implant the face across his own. The doorman noticed him.

"Ah, Neuy! Come over here!" the wide and menacing doorman bellowed, waving Rishi forth. "You late, Gravth beginning to think you not show up!"

Reluctantly Rishi walked over the alien, who grabbed the tiny Jedi in his wide arms and gave him a big bear-hug, shaking Rishi several times before dropping him to the ground. Rishi panted for air, he was choking from more than just the hug, the smell coming off the creature smelt like rotted fish served with all-you-could-drink perspiration.

Rishi knew it was important for him to play it cool, just like the real Neuy would, used to this kind of torture. "Hey, Gravth," Rishi coughed, "how's business tonight?"

Gravth, who looked like an experimental breeding between a Hutt and a Gamorrean, snorted and waved his fat hand carelessly at the entrance to the Tusken. "Slow as usual. You know what people are like here, once they see Gravth, they don't make trouble! Gravth made employee of the month last night!"

Sensing the alien's pride, and guessing that was happening to its face must've been a smile, Rishi pretended to congratulate him. Rishi guessed making employee of the month couldn't have been too hard in a place like this. How difficult was it to stand in a doorway and scare people off by simple being who you were? And Rishi was likely to blame the lack of business on the alien's stink. Rishi wanted more than anything to use the Force to dampen the foul odor, but wouldn't risk losing his mask.

"Gravth talked to sister today," the alien grunted.

Rishi tried to move some of his energy onto the alien's mind, to find out what to respond to such a statement. He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. But before he could, Gravth placed his giant palm on Rishi's shoulder and gave it a good tug, gut-laughing like a pig, his entire body waving in waves of repulsive flesh pockets.

"She said you treated her like gentleman!" Gravth gave Rishi a slap on the back, nearly knocking him over. "You been good to her, Gravth happy with you!"

Rishi found it hard to imagine what a female version of this kind of alien looked like, but when he succeeded he wished he hadn't. And wherever the real Neuy was, he couldn't blame him for not trying anything with Gravth's sister. Which lead him to wonder why anyone would date someone of that…magnitude in the first place.

"Your sister was a delightful companion," Rishi faked.

Gravth gave Rishi another slap on the back and pushed him through the entrance. "Go on, Neuy, you can buy Gravth a drink later when shift end."

Rishi made it through the entrance, wounded only the foul stench of sweat that seemed to cling to him now. As soon as Gravth turned his attention away Rishi dropped the mask and headed for a barstool near the counter. The bar reeked of mischief in the Force, each person in the bar with something on their conscience. Every creature, being or sentient in the bar had bulges sticking out under their garments, concealed weapons, everyone was a danger and potential trouble. Rishi only hoped very few of them knew the face of Drennen Sari like he did, he didn't want to fight all of them. Not that he doubted even for a second whether or not he would win.

He knew he would.

Rishi dropped into the stool, his back to most of the bar, while ordering a drink from the barkeep with eight arms. Rishi didn't recognize the species, but he guessed having eight arms was useful behind the counter of a bar.

The bartender served Rishi his drink with a growl, animosity radiating from him like the smell of the doorman. Rishi gave him a questioning look.

The barkeep looked around for nosy eyes. "You don't belong here."

Rishi held the glass to his face. "Why not?"

"Humans, most people here don't like 'em. Humans are Jedi."

Rishi swallowed some of the liquor, amazed at the small knowledge of the alien, wounded slightly by the fact that the bartender had pecked him as a Jedi so fast. "Not just humans, anyone has the - "

The bartender slammed one of his hands down on the counter in front of Rishi. "You…are Jedi."

Rishi hid his surprise well, but on the outside only. "What makes you think that?"

The bartender nodded towards the entrance, to Gravth the doorman. "I saw the way he talked to you. Gravth is a simple one, he only treats two people like that in this Galaxy. You're neither of them."

Rishi nodded, aware now that his tactic to get into the bar had not gone unnoticed by all. "I'm looking for someone."

The bartender frowned, cleaning a mug with one set of hands, while another pair was mixing a drink. "Your being here is trouble. So if I can get you out of here somehow, I will. Ask away. I know any patron who comes in here."

Rishi made sure to drown out his sentence from the rest of the crowd, and made the bartender the sole hearer. "Drennen Sari."

The bartender's face clouded somewhat, and indeed he did know the name. The bartender leaned in to Rishi again. "A wanted man, police and hunters are after him. He used to come here but he hasn't for a few weeks now. If I were him, I'd have hopped on the first ferry out of here and gone to a Galaxy far, far away."

"He wouldn't be able to leave the system while being one of the New Republic's most wanted. He's still here."

The bartender didn't argue. "I've talked with him, a few times. He didn't seem too smart. Are you thinking he'll show up here?" The mere mentioning of the possibility was proof that the bartender also thought Drennen was dumb enough to do that.

"Didn't he do most of his business here?"

The bartender grunted. "I wouldn't know. And if I did know I could end up in detention." The man gave Rishi a wink. "Know what I mean?"

Rishi understood. "All I want is Drennen. I'm not here to throw you or anyone else in jail."

The bartender frowned. "Why are you after Drennen anyway? He did something to upset the Jedi too?" The bartender seemed amused. "Or do the Jedi need someone to transfer information?"

"You've heard about the takeover in the Sumitra Sector?"

The bartender chuckled. "That's what this is about?"

"A broker called Wedder Dhohji died sometime earlier today. He was delivering a datacard that had information about the terrorists. I'm looking for whoever gave him that card. I figured Drennen might've known something and that it might have something to do with the Senate bombing. From what I hear Drennen is the man you go to when you've got intel to peddle around here."

Without saying a word, the bartender walked away to talk to another customer down the counter, leaving Rishi with his questions unanswered and feeling slightly blown off. He returned to his drink, realizing he'd obtained no new information, only that Drennen was stupid enough to show up here. Sometimes the stupidity of others was your safest bet. You can always rely on someone to be stupid, but expecting wisdom you were easily let down.

Rishi drowned the drink, turned his attention to the rest of the bar, dozens of suspicious characters engaging in what could only be illegal activities.

Then he caught sight of Gravth talking to someone outside, Gravth looked somewhat hesitant about the man he was talking to, and Rishi found it odd for someone like Gravth to feel intimidated by anyone. Gravth stepped aside, and followed the man with his eyes as he stepped into the bar.

This lonely soul who'd scared Gravth was wearing casual pants over worn brown boots, a holster sticking out on his right hip. He also wore a red vest over a sand-colored shirt. All his clothes were standard and not even attention-worthy in appearance, it was his race that made him stick out. He was a blue-skinned Twi'lek, a tall, thin humanoid, except for the two tentacles, or tails, that protruded through the back of his head and wrapped around his shoulders.

His red eyes and sly smile told Rishi that he was trouble. And as he reached out to him with the Force, he got confirmation. It was the hunter.

A pat on his shoulder made Rishi turn around towards the bar, the barkeep was back. Once again he leaned in so they could talk in private.

"That guy over there says that Wedder used to hang out with another broker called Crip. They used to be tight, apparently. Crip doesn't come here, but he can usually be found on one of the higher levels. He works out of an alley near the hangars up there. He was the one who knew Wedder best, he may know who hired him."

Rishi wasn't ready to leave yet. "What can you tell me about the wormhead that just walked in?"

The bartender looked up fast, and then looked down again. "A local hunter." the bartender sighed. "Just my luck. If Drennen shows up there's going to be all kinds of trouble."

Rishi expanded his awareness. "Don't worry. I'll make sure nothing happens."

The bartender gave him his best scolding look. "You are the trouble I was talking about! Keep your lightsaber to yourself and get out of here!"

Rishi still wasn't convinced. "The hunter…why is he here unless he thinks Drennen will show up here?"

"Are you daft! Get out of my bar or I'll have you thrown out! Forget about Drennen - " The bartender stopped talking as another customer walked through the door. "Oh, Sith!"

Rishi turned around in his chair and confirmed his worst fear with his own eyes.

Drennen had just walked in.

And the hunter was already walking across the bar to intercept him.

"Call security," Rishi said, retrieving his lightsaber from a thigh pocket, "I hope you're insured." Rishi started walking dedicatedly towards Drennen, a small man with a very nervous look on his face. Rishi felt like he was walking against waves, everywhere people stepped in front of him, and he had to squeeze his way through them. At first glance it didn't look like he was going to make it, the hunter already had his blaster out and was almost behind Drennen.

And to add to the mix, three Trandoshans stepped out of nowhere and bumped into Rishi, slamming him down onto the floor. Ignoring them for the moment, Rishi looked through their legs and tails to see Drennen still alive, sitting alone in a booth but the hunter was close enough now to talk to the man. Rishi jumped to a stand, pushing the Trandoshans back.

One of them whistled impressively, then the three of them surrounded Rishi, keeping him contained. "A live one. We don't like humans here." The reptilian Trandoshan remarked with a hiss, his long tongue slipping in and out of his mouth like a snake's. "They foul the place up. You'll have to leave."

Out of the blue Rishi was reminded of a situation similar to this that Master Skar had been in. He'd once been approached by a couple of ruffians, and he'd walked away alive by flashing his lightsaber, but not using it, threatening the trouble-makers into leaving. Master Skar had never approved of killing, he believed it was not always the right course, and so did Rishi.

But right now all he could think of was Drennen, soon to be deceased if these Trandoshans didn't back off. Rishi felt pearls of fear starting to form on his forehead. "I'm warning you - "

The Trandoshan in front rammed its scaled fist into his belly, dropping Rishi to his knees, choking. The Trandoshans congratulated each other with snarls and growls, the rest of the bar oblivious to the scene, or too afraid to intervene. Rishi finally managed to inhale the dusty air again, and got himself back up, one hand covering his stomach.

"Had enough...human?"

Rishi caught a glance of the hunter talking to Drennen in the booth, Drennen's face alive with panic and fear as the hunter pointed a blaster at him. Maybe it was too late, Rishi thought. There was no way he could get past the Trandoshans in time, without hurting them.

Giving him incentive, the main Trandoshan wheeled back his fist for another punch, and the fist came flying at Rishi's face. But the hand never got far. Severed in mid-flight at the wrist by a brilliant blue blade, as it came up in Rishi's defense stance, the hand flew past Rishi and onwards through the bar, bouncing off the floor, while its owner cried out in pain. Rishi kicked sideways at the closest of the other two Trandoshans, throwing him back on a table that folded beneath him.

Everywhere was panic, the dozens of customers closest reeling back against the walls, away from the blade that glistened in Rishi's hands. The third Trandoshan reached for his blaster and got off a shot, but it flew harmlessly to the ceiling as Rishi kicked the blaster from his hands and chopped off both the Trandoshan's hands at the wrists.

The first Trandoshan, his wound cauterized at the wrist, came back up, snarling in anger and a face full of hatred and pain as he reached for Rishi with his remaining hand. The alien presented no real threat, but the lack of time and Rishi's confusion caused the alien to lose the rest of his arm and his life, as Rishi swung the blade around defensively and then rammed the blade through the alien's chest in one smooth motion.

The Trandoshan hung there for a second or two, dangling painfully before Rishi retracted the blade and the alien dropped to the floor, smoke rising from the wound in its back. All three Trandoshans disarmed, literally, Rishi frowned upon his own rash action, he hadn't intended to kill the alien, but the confusion and his need to save Drennen had come first.

It had worked, the rest of the aliens in the bar moved even further away from him, most of them running for the exit. Deciding to contemplate his actions later, Rishi ran forward towards the Twi'lek hunter in the booth with Drennen. The Twi'lek was quick to guess that Rishi was going for him, judging by the speed at which he moved the blaster from Drennen to point at Rishi. The Twi'lek got off two shots, which Rishi deflected into the ceiling, clear of wounding anyone else in the bar.

The blue-skinned Twi'lek stopped shooting, but didn't remove his aim from Rishi. "This man's mine!" he rasped.

Rishi leveled his blade. "I'm not after the bounty."

Suddenly realizing his mistake, Rishi felt the twenty or so aliens left in the bar to present a threat as they all reached for their weapons. The word bounty seemed to have awakened the greed in all of them. Rishi cursed himself and felt surrounded. The whole place had turned against each other, everyone out for the reward, only one of them able to get it. Everywhere were rifles, blasters, blades and other kinds of weapons aimed at him.

"Let not stupidity ferry your way into death," Rishi begged more than ordered.

"Leave it to a Jedi to get you killed!" the Twi'lek spat as he realized the danger too. Behind the hunter Drennen was shaking in his seat, suddenly the center of attention for all of them.

Rishi held up his hand to ward them back. "Its...really a very small bounty - "

But it didn't matter to them, all of them were willing to pit themselves against a Jedi, lightsaber or not. Rishi expanded his awareness to take in the entire bar, keeping an eye on every alien with the Force, cautious of any move. But he knew it wouldn't save him, or Drennen.

Instead he opted for a more convincing weapon; fear. Rishi implanted the most powerful feeling of fear and reverence he could into the mind of each alien, making himself the worst nightmare they could ever imagine. It worked more obviously on some of them, those who started to move away from him instead of getting closer. All of the others seemed to hesitate too, but something still motivated them to approach even their most feared enemy.

Deciding to boost up his magic, Rishi swirled the lightsaber in a giant arc. "I am Jedi! Anyone who oppose me will suffer the consequences!"

The tactic worked wonders, everyone was starting to back off, governed by their fear of him. But as the first ones reached the door they were pushed back by the giant Gravth who came smashing his way into the bar, a very mean look on his face, his bulbous cheeks red with anger. He looked through the bar, scanning it for someone, and then his eyes stopped on Rishi, mistaking him for his friend Neuy.

Gravth pulled up an accusing finger and pointed it directly at Rishi. "My sister is with child!"

Needless to say, everyone thought the same thing; everyone looked at Rishi, images of him sleeping with a female version of Gravth, and soon a flood of laughter washed through the bar from everyone except Rishi and Gravth. This crippled Rishi's plan at full capacity as their previous fear of him was now overthrown by an even stronger ridicule, and in some cases disgust. As Gravth began pushing his way through the crowd, stomping his way towards Rishi, all of the aliens followed in his wake.

"Now I know why Neuy didn't show up," Rishi muttered under his breath.

---

The lush plains looked inviting. So inviting that Skar chose to ignore the conscious fact that he'd dreamt them up. So welcome was the distraction that he feared the dream might end much too soon. Moving forward over the green landscape, admiring the hills in the distance towering above like castles, Skar felt the dream wrap itself around him like a cloth. Warming him and securing him inside the Force. Skar walked across the plains, only partially aware that he was moving. His feet hovered across the grass, his fingers outstretched feeling the petals as they slipped through his fingers.

Then they came, just as they had always done, stormtroopers marching over the hillside coming towards him. Their white armor glistening over the green nature, like a perverse mistake of evolution. Unshaken by their approach Skar ignored them and counted another number to the amount of times he'd had this dream before. The first had been many years ago, and it marked the anniversary of the first time he'd spoken with Shinran.

Skar walked closer to the stormtroopers. Walked in between them, felt their presence around him, so close he could hear their armor clattering, and none of the parties took any notice of the other. It was just a dream.

The first time he'd endured this dream, he'd killed the stormtroopers as they passed him. They'd still marched on, ignoring him. The second time he'd waited for them to attack, and they hadn't. He knew a warning laid in the dream, and he'd seen it the first time. He'd chopped down stormtroopers left and right, only to bring more into existence. The ones he'd killed had morphed into vicious warrior creatures of a kind the Galaxy had yet to see. Skar had a fear a part of his fate would be to someday meet these creatures. They marked an evil to this world, that much he felt.

Yet he had never thought to warn anyone about them. Something told him that this wasn't the right time for another threat. The Galaxy had yet to heal completely from the terror of the Empire.

As the last of the stormtroopers passed him and they disappeared behind the next hill, Skar smiled at the blue sky and the open space. As long as the dream didn't appear hostile there was yet time to prepare for the new threat.

Skar waved his hand and the dream usually vanished when he did.

But not this time.

He tried again but to the same effect.

You took a vow, a distant voice said from behind him.

Skar swirled to face the presence, drawing his lightsaber as he went, seeing a shadow man in a black cloak carelessly looking back at him. The man was standing on a boulder with the gleaning blue sky behind him. Skar powered up his green blade. Skar couldn't make out his face. He saw only the black cloak and the shadows within that hid the man's identity.

"Who are you?"

The man started laughing, spiting Skar's ignorance. I am you.

Skar struck with the lightsaber, splitting the man in two only to see the man return untouched, still poised on the boulder, laughing. Skar looked down at his lightsaber, deeming it useless.

The man held out his hand to Skar, almost so inviting Skar felt himself being drawn to the man. As the dark hand reached out to him, the light around them started to fade, darkening with every second until Skar could no longer see the perfect sky above them, no longer feel the freshness of the grass beneath his boots.

Skar stood his ground, eager for answers as to why this man had invaded his mind. The man's face could not be seen in his shadow form, only the soft voice that made Skar feel safe inside.

I am you.

Skar felt the sudden cold wind pulling at him. The man started to fade, pulling himself into a tiny specter of darkness before vanishing completely.

"Wait!"

But it was too late. The man was gone.

Skar jolted out of his sleep. He was first caught off guard by the small tremor he'd felt in the Force, and then by the ship's slow speed. The ship had moved out of hyperspace, yet all the soldiers were still chatting away casually. In his mind they should be grabbing their guns and getting ready for descent. He was about to get up and start shouting commands at them, when he remembered that the ship would make two stops along the way to Regana, checking in for updates on the situation from Coruscant at each stop.

The trip itself would take a little over a week, even in a ship as fast as the stealth cruiser, and a lot could change over a week. Skar thanked the stars he hadn't made a fool of himself. As if things weren't tense enough between him and the soldiers, he didn't have to make another scene to alienate himself from them. The soldiers were dealing sabacc cards between each other, happily engaged in some kind of event that would take their minds and nerves off the battle ahead. Skar didn't blame them, infact he sympathized with them. He wished they were there already. So far they were in the last leg of the trip. Only a few more days before he could stretch his legs again and breathe natural air.

He considered meditating but knew it had no real effect on him. Somehow he felt more at ease in a simulator than sitting on the floor thinking hard. Skar cleared his dry throat and tried to remember the last time he'd talked. It had to have been the guard on Coruscant that had allowed him onto the ship. But that was half a week ago. He'd had no conversations with the soldiers and that seemed to work. They stayed out of his space, and he stayed out of theirs. At least that way he wouldn't have to mourn them when they died.

Skar glanced around at the young men, all of them slightly older than Rishi, but even he seemed more intelligent than they did. Not that these boys were stupid but their knowledge seemed to exist only around one thing and that thing was war. Freighting to admit, but Skar knew that Rishi would have fitted right in with these guys if he hadn't had the Force to alert him to grander things in life.

The ship returned to hyperspace and Skar took that as proof that nothing had changed about Regana, the Sons of Destiny or the hostage situation. The muffled hum of the ship's engine kept him awake this time, he felt the micro-vibrations in the floor and in the seat. The soldiers couldn't feel something like that, but his awareness in the Force allowed him to see and perceive things that normal men could not.

Looking at each of the soldiers, he saw expressions on their faces that reminded him of Rishi. Rishi seemed a million miles away now, which was likely true, and Skar had no way of reaching him. They'd left things so unfinished, the feud between them, the arguments. It was the only doubt Skar had about taking this mission, the fact that he would hate never being able to mend things with Rishi after their last conversation. He couldn't shake the sensation that came with thinking of their rift, that he was completely alone in the world. In the past he'd had a Master to give him advice and guidance. He'd had a brother to show him the right path through life. And he'd had a lover, Shinran, to hold him when he was down and share his pain.

And once he'd had an apprentice.

Skar thought of Luke. Before joining the Republic nine years ago Skar had heard great stories of the brave Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, the New Republic's shining beacon of hope. The one they all looked to for help. At the other end of the spectrum was himself, always slightly more concerned with himself than others who might need him. His allegiance to the Jedi Order was on ice for the time being. It was a time of introspection. Even this mission was personal, the lives of the hostages a mere second.

Skar frowned, trying to think of a time when he hadn't studied himself endlessly to find out who he was and come up with nothing. He remembered times when he'd stretched out to the minds of the other Jedi in the Republic and everywhere he felt the same thing; why wasn't he out fighting the bad guys to protect them? People knew only the legends of Jedi who set themselves out as guardians of hope and justice. How could they even imagine that the Jedi might have problems too? Or maybe it was just Kjoil, their passion slightly inhibiting them from always doing the honorable or right thing.

Enlightened, yet I stumble through the dark...

Luke had become his friend, though their bond was not as tight as the one he'd shared with Kayupa. That was why Skar was really going, to feel that bond again, to see Kayupa again, to know he wasn't alone. In some ways he felt things were brightening up with Regana in the path ahead, it felt like the right path, even through the Force. This was the right way to go. But so many things had seemed right in the past only to end up in a catastrophe. He felt his heart stiffen and his emotions were pulled out for closer inspection, tracing the loneliness back to its origin.

Shinran.

Is it true that the pain inside me…could be you?

Skar thought of himself as strong and believed that the pain from losing her would someday turn to vapor. Yet every time he thought it was gone, when he dared to let go of her, the pain lingered on. He'd dealt with the pain every way he knew how. He'd tried shutting her out, effortlessly ignoring the pain. And he'd tried the opposite; he'd tried confronting the pain so hard that the mere effort could bring him to his knees. The pain was his greatest enemy. And every time he thought he could choke it to death, it laughed back at him unwilling to die. Desperate to think of some way of going on, to find his path, he realized the future would always bring him back to the past.

Skar thought maybe remembering the good things about her would help conquer the pain eventually. Maybe it was the key. In his dreams, as his memories unwound, he and Shinran had always been together. Standing by each other's side, strong only together. Their strength dependant on that inner force that pulled them together. Like a ship driving on the fuel of the other. Fighting together against whatever evil they could come across. She being the beauty in his world, him being the strength in hers. Not caring for anything but each other and the love that glued them together.

But she's gone. A dream out of reach. A dream once so real.

Skar realized that at some point in their life people began to look for a savior. Someone to protect them. It was nature; no one was bound to be alone through life and it was this idea that drove humans to invent terms like 'the one' and 'meant to be'. It was two completely different terms but humans had patched them up, believing life would somehow conjure up someone for them to love. That love would come floating on a little cloud.

Skar knew in his heart that if Shinran had lived to this day he would never have even thought about joining up with the New Republic. His love for her was strong and he began to see the simplicities in the Kjoil passion. Their love drove them to extreme extends. What was in their hearts was the only true path to follow.

Skar pulled himself together and straightened out his back, pondering how he could ever get over the pain. Or if he even wanted to get over it?

How do you let go of a dream that came true?

Sensing someone's attention drawn to him, Skar looked up at the man sitting across from him. A fresh-faced youth with a military haircut and a calm sense of maturity in his eyes. The man's feet were tapping nervously, an anxiety simmering beneath the man's surface. Setting him apart from all the others, this one was already dressed in full combat gear, his rifle balanced on his thighs. The man was already prepared for what was coming. All the others were dressed plainly, but the man across from him stood out as much as…

Skar smiled. As much as himself.

Thinking the man needed to relax more than he did, Skar shook his head and smiled politely. "You nervous?"

The man kept his eyes on the floor as he exhaled. "I'm always jumpy before a mission. It usually last right until the moment I'm safe on the extraction ship again. I never sleep during a mission, even if someone is guarding the camp. I take stimulants to keep myself awake, along with caffeine pills and adrenaline shots."

Skar sharpened his gaze on the man's face. "Do your superiors approve of drugs?"

"No," the man shook his head, smirking, "but they don't talk about it, even when they know we take them. Whatever gets the job done. My instructors told me about certain medicaments that don't damage your body, unless exploited."

Skar understood the sentiment. "On the battlefield, you care for your life, not your health."

The man nodded. "You learn to separate the two. But better to go to the doctor or a rehab facility when I get back, than to die out there."

Skar rubbed his kneecaps nervously. "That's what combat does to you. Your weapon becomes your best friend, every action you make counts, and the only way you can stay alive is by killing others that think just like you."

The man's gaze lifted to inspect Skar more carefully. "You're not really a technician, are you?"

Skar smiled. "What makes you think that?"

The man rubbed his own chin.

Skar got it. "Its the beard, right?" Skar realized he'd let his guard down. And rather than trying to cover it up he came clean. "No, I was sent as a special liaison."

The man snorted. "Special, huh? Are you even armed?"

Skar padded the blaster on his hip. "Of course."

The man made a suspicious look. "You're here to check on us?"

Skar shook his head and slowly made a calm smile. "No, I'm a grunt just like you."

"What's your name?"

"Jarod Marhar," Skar lied. Safer this way.

"Mine's Kast."

"Nice to meet you, Kast," Skar held out his hand and they shook. "Keeping this wave of honesty going, your team isn't any normal army group, is it?"

Kast shook his head slowly. "We're so-called a wet-works team. Stealth intrusion. The kind you send in when you want things handled quickly and quietly. Usually we don't ship out like this. I don't like flying into a system I know is hostile."

Skar shared the feeling. "Its different once you're on the ground, you feel more in control than you do trapped in a ship."

Kast nodded. "When your feet touch the ground there's a world of difference. I don't trust science enough to lay my life in its hands. Our superiors back on Coruscant get the benefit of watching it all on their screens. War's become a game, an interactive simulation. But we're the ones getting our hands dirty."

A feeling of companionship arose in Skar. "Information is the latest in warfare. Technology advances everyday but the principles of battle stay the same. Its not about equipment or gear, its about the expertise and experience."

Kast nodded solemnly. "You know a lot about combat."

Skar guessed he did, but it hadn't been a conscious choice for him. He hadn't studied it. Somehow he always ended up in situations where they were the most valuable traits. Skar nodded grimly. "I know…what Death looks like."

Kast's eyes locked with Skar's and an unspoken sense of understanding passed between them. "Death…looks like you and me, Jarod. Guns don't kill people. Wars don't kill people." Kast pointed at himself and then pointed at Skar. "You and me…we kill people."

Skar frowned. "For the greater good."

"More like the greater evil," Kast grinned, "we're a special breed. You can't train people to do the things we do. People like us…we're predisposed towards it. We don't like it, but its our fate."

Skar caught himself chuckling. "You believe that myth?"

"I can't see myself working in some office, not after what I've seen. There's a special kind of change that comes with holding a rifle to your shoulder and laying down a screen of bolts to protect your team. Knowing you would take another life to protect a friend. There's not a doubt in my mind that I would do anything to protect my friends and my team. Once you've seen Death march across the battlefield, picking up the souls you've left behind, once you decide that someone else is going to die…and then do it - how can you ever see life in the same light again? Its a different world from what most people know."

Skar rubbed his face. "War has to have an objective behind it, a real one, before taking a life can be justified. People call soldiers killers or mercenaries, they don't realize the kind of involvement you have to possess. Taking a life is one thing, but if its just obeying orders; then you're nothing but a killer. You shouldn't fight a war that you don't believe in."

Kast nodded. "My parents wanted me to get an education. They wanted me to get a career, they wanted me make a change in other people's lives. But when I joined the military they hated it."

Skar was amazed how easily these personal themes flowed between them, how easily they'd connected. Maybe it was the edginess, the nervousness about the mission, that tore down their borders. But it felt good for a change to talk to someone. "Why'd you join?"

Kast's gaze became flaky and he pulled back from the conversation, and stared at the ceiling. Skar could feel indecision rolling around in the man. He could tell Kast's mind was working its way around trying to find the answer but was failing. In the end the man forfeited, sat back with a very self-loathing look on his face. "I can barely remember anymore"

Skar didn't force the subject any further. "I'm sure you'll remember once we set down. Once the reality reveals itself."

The person next to Kast, a young man in his early twenties with red hair and a over-confident look in his eyes, answered for him. "I wouldn't put my money on it. Kast doesn't even do well in simulators." The young boy looked at him suspiciously. "What are you doing in this outfit?"

Skar caught the eyes of every soldier in the hold, that feeling of self-consciousness nearly choking him. He wished they'd all look away again. "I'm with a special unit, assigned to assist you in every way I can."

"Special unit?" the boy said, like he didn't believe it. He waved his hand around at all the other soldiers. "We are the Dragon's Tooth. The best of the best. We get sent in whenever the Republic finds itself in trouble they can't solve over a desk." The boy padded his weapon like a pet. "Even those Jedi can't stand up to the strength we bring into a battle zone. Hell, I'd bet my grenade launcher against a lightsaber any day of the week. Can't deflect something that blows up in your face."

Kast seemed to ignore Red, better to leave the lad to his own fantasies than to wreck his reality, and turned his attention back to Skar. "How did you end up working as Skywalker's liaison?"

Skar applied the Force to his words, making them final. "I'm not allowed to tell you."

Kast, coaxed by the manipulation, nodded and the topic was closed between them.

But not with Red. "Hey, we know about the covert stuff that goes on. The Dragon's Tooth doesn't even exist officially. We're the cleaning crew. Tell us."

"No, I can't," Skar said, applying another dose of mind-control to his voice.

Red sat back with an overacted look of surprise on his face, he scratched his chin in an attempt to play confused. "Well, this is news to me. I was told we were the cream of the crop. You saying you're with a higher unit?"

The mind-trick hadn't worked. "No, I'm not."

"Well, if you're from a unit that's lower than ours, what are you doing here? I trust these guys, I can trust them to save my butt when I'm in trouble - "

"Which happens a lot," Kast said smirking.

Skar smiled briefly - and out of the corner of his eyes he spotted the boy jumping from his seat, unsheathing his dagger and grabbing Kast's collar. Red pulled him to his feet and slammed his supposed comrade against the wall. Skar thought he heard a bone break.

"Hey, what's going on back there!" the pilot shouted from the bridge.

Skar observed Red's eyes, saw the desperate attempt to redeem his honor in the back of his mind, saw that the boy knew what he was doing was not only weak, but stupid. Kast stayed cool, but there was a weakness somewhere in his eyes that told him he was maybe expecting what Red was doing. Red held the dagger back, ready to cut Kast if the man tempted him.

Skar sat frozen in his seat, unsure how he could disarm Red.

The boy raised his dagger. "You should've stayed behind, Kast. I can't imagine why the commander even let you come. You're a liability!"

One of the nearest soldiers tugged at Red's clothes, eager to get the red-haired youth to stop. "Red, sit down, leave him alone."

The guy next to Skar agreed, all though his tone was much more serious. "Red. Sit down."

"Come on, guys," Red said, "you all saw what happened back in the Gauntlet. Kast here is a risk. He's going to get us all killed."

Skar had no idea but they were talking about, but he didn't think it mattered. He wasn't about to let Red cut the man because of whatever had happened in the past. He felt Kayupa's radiant spirit warning him inside his head. Whenever you have enemies, you either end up pointing a blaster at someone, or someone points a blaster at you, kid.

Skar rose from his seat, and by the way Red moved his hand back to point the blade at him instead, Skar guessed Red was anticipating Skar's interaction.

"You stay back, you have no part in this."

Skar was not deterred. "I think I do."

Red looked over his shoulder at him, while Kast remained pinned to the wall. "Do you wanna get cut!"

Skar stepped forward, calmly, and walked so close that the tip of Red's blade touched his chin. Skar stood there, confident in his own move, glaring down upon Red like he was just the next guy in line for a beating. "Put down the dagger."

But Red was too angry to listen. "Shut up! You don't belong here either! I'm pretty good with blades!"

Skar felt the lightsaber weighing on his hip. "Me too."

Then it happened. Red had to pull the dagger away from his chin in order to even make a proper cut, and he did. Skar leaned his head aside as the blade thrust past his left ear and the blade chipped off on the wall behind him. Skar clutched Red's throat in his hand, as the boy moved with the thrust, slamming him up against the wall, like he'd done with Kast, only much harder. This time Skar was sure he heard bones break. Red's face smashed against the wall and blood ran from his broken nose. By reflex Skar drew his lightsaber and held the pommel up against Red's temple.

Everyone gasped, and then silence sucked all sound of the ship. Skar looked around at them all, still holding Red's bruised face up against the cold wall, the blood running down his face. Skar could see the fear in their eyes, the word lightsaber almost on their lips, and he stood there for another five seconds, letting the image sink in, letting them know who he was, and that he wouldn't tolerate this kind of infighting again.

When his point was made Skar let go of Red and watched the boy as he slumped into a heap next to the seat. Skar nudged Red away from his seat with his boot and the boy curled up on the floor, aching in pain.

Skar clipped the lightsaber to his hilt and took his own seat back. Across from him on the floor Kast looked at him, surprised but thankful. Skar leaned back in his seat and chose to close his eyes, ignoring the sickening feeling in his stomach. He went into a meditation trance almost immediately, calming his heart, mind and body. It usually didn't work to meditate but he knew the only thing that would really work would be to rip Red into pieces, to follow that boiling violence his soul hungered for; somehow he doubted everyone else would take kindly to him in the future if he followed that emotion. But he couldn't deny the temptation felt good.

What am I getting into?