Bastila:

Never in my entire life had I been more afraid. Had it been a Sullustan diplomat, a krayt dragon or even the ghost of an ancient Sith Lord, I would have been calm, collected, prepared to do what I must.

I almost screamed. It came out a shrill gasp, enough to unsettle it. I didn't scream, but it did. Quite a bit, actually. Enough for any semblance of the Jedi Code to slip right through my fingers.

I wanted peace. There was no peace to be had at all, not with that shrieking mynock.

Two large, damp, brown eyes. That's what it was, wailing as I lifted it out of a supplies canister. As filthy as it was, it was difficult to conclude that it was indeed a human child. A female human child. Those were ratty pigtails, not lekku; her teeth, although painful when she bit me, weren't fangs. And it wasn't some strange, alien secretion, she had soiled herself several times over.

Fortunately, the astromech droid had the innate ability to calm the child. But that certainly led to new questions.

"Her name is Sasha?"

T3-M4 bleated.

"Yes, yes." I nodded. "Calm down, Sasha. I'm not going to hurt you."

Sasha screeched and tried to kick me. I nearly dropped her. As the child began to slap at my face, T3-M4 attempted to relax her. It didn't seem to be working.

"No, I don't think a trank is a good suggestion," I snapped at the droid before turning back to the terror in my arms. "Please, sweetheart. It's alright, I promise. I just want to get you washed up. I'm angry at T3-M4, not you."

Sasha continued to struggle and I pinned her arms to her chest in a hug. Her legs flailed madly, sometimes connecting with my thigh or hip, sometimes missing completely. I shook my head and as delicately as possible, wrapped her lower body up in the Force. She resorted to head butting me in the chest until exhausted, her head collapsed against my breast.

"You said this was your daughter?" I asked.

T3-M4 whistled.

"You have a lot to answer for." I headed towards the refresher.

The sonic shower wasn't built for a child, so I went over to the crude little sink. Hands full, a telekinetic push was used to start the water. T3-M4 had followed us to the door, but he was torn between concern for the child and his programming that made him wary around water of any sort.

"I have no intention to harm her," I told the droid. "But I'm sure she'd look, smell and feel better after a bath. I'm interested to see what she'd look like without all the dirt, snot, ash… and is that blood?"

Sasha had taken to whimpering as I telekinetically lifted her to eyelevel. Right above a yellowed grass stain on her cheek was a splatter that was definitely dried blood. "What have you been through, child?" I asked.

T3-M4 bleeped as he began to roll back and forth outside the door.

"I don't care that it's not her blood," I replied. "She's covered in it. Look, there's more in her ear, across her neck and arms."

The droid disappeared around a corridor, muttering as it went. I sighed and turned back to Sasha. I telekinetically forced her arms apart, which started her screaming anew. I stripped her of her tattered clothes as quickly and painlessly as possible and set her in the water. A bit cold, but these weren't ideal circumstances.

T3-M4 had raced back to where we were.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," I said. "The water's just a bit chilly. Why don't you do me a favor and explain how this child ended up on the Ebon Hawk."

Sasha kicked water at me. T3-M4 shrieked and hurried away.

"Thanks for the help!" I called after him. I grabbed some soap and the nearest limb.

It wasn't how I envisioned the day would proceed. I still hadn't meditated, I could only imagine what Rian was doing.

If I couldn't track down Sasha's real parents, I didn't know what I'd do. Leave her with the masters on Dantooine sounded like a potential solution. I scrubbed at her face until the caked mud gave way to rosy cheeks. Clean, she was a perfectly healthy, churlish little girl, although she had a dark scar along her inner thigh. When I tried to examine it, she started to squirm and grab at my hair.

"Hush," I urged. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

I wish I had some candy or something to distract her with. The child behaved like I was torturing her, there were nerfs that were more pleasant than this.

The scar was too intricate to be an accident. Some strange symbol surrounded by a band. "Who did that to you?" I murmured.

Sasha stared silently, like a trapped animal.

"Off you go." I set her back down on the floor. Immediately, she took off running, naked. There were worse things in the galaxy.

I'd have to find her some clean clothes that fit before the crew got back.

There were more important things to worry about. I could still feel Rian's anger, if I could somehow make it ebb through the bond, then I'd be able to relax just a little. In the distance, Sasha had found T3-M4 and began to emulate to the best of her ability the numerous beeps the droid was making.

"T3-M4." I walked down the corridor and forced my hands to my sides, away from my temples. "Go get Mission, will you? I think she'd be a good influence on Sasha."

The droid's optical receptor dimmed for a moment, then he started to creep away from me.

"Don't you dare run away from me," I said. "What's wrong?"

T3-M4 gibbered as he rolled back and forth.

"Gone?" I demanded. "Where?"

He offered a low whistle before he sped away.

I shook my head. That type of nonsense had no place in an important mission. The only fortunate thing about Sasha running amuck nude was that she didn't soil her clothing when she sporadically decided to relieve herself along the corridors. That droid had better clean up after her, or else.

Mission was nowhere to be found. In neither dormitories; the medical bay and garage were also suspiciously vacant. T3-M4 had made himself scarce.

I retrieved my comlink from the cockpit and thumbed it on. "Is anyone there?"

"This is Carth."

"Carth, this is Bastila." I gave an agitated tug to one of my braids.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Has Mission joined you?" I didn't like the pause that followed, so I added, "I can't find her anywhere on the ship."

"No." I counted three beats before Carth continued. "Where do you think she'd be?"

The Mandalorian's voice sounded distant when he spoke through the static. "You won't find her on the ship."

"You and I are going to have a lengthy discussion when you get back, Canderous," I snapped. "I found your daughter and now you know something about Mission's disappearance."

"I don't have a daughter," Canderous replied.

"Tell that to the droid," I said.

"Mission came on the ship and asked me for weapons." It grated how the Mandalorian made it sound like I was inconveniencing him. "I obliged."

Carth shared my frustration. "That could mean anything. She could have tried to rescue Zaalbar."

"She could have been taken by slavers."

Rian's voice cut through it all. "Damn it! Bastila, it's your problem, you deal with it."

"I beg your pardon?" I demanded.

"We're stuck in the Shadowlands," Rian said. "We have to save Zaalbar and find a Star Map. You and the tin can on wheels are the only two up there right now."

"We are going to have to talk when you return," I insisted.

"It's a date." The static of the com cut off abruptly.

I rubbed idly at the back of my neck as I left the cockpit. "T3-M4, take care of things here. I'm going to try and track down Mission."

The droid replied with a frantic toot, followed by a squeal from Sasha. Served him right.

I tucked my comlink into my belt and checked that my lightsaber was secure. As I left, I locked the Ebon Hawk up, hastily adding a code to the ramp. No good would come of it if Czerka managed to get onboard my ship.

I headed directly to Czerka's headquarters on Kashyyyk. Immediately, I was informed by a protocol droid that Janos was at a meeting and not to be disturbed. More than likely the Ithorian was simply through with my "Jedi meddling."

"Is there anyone else that I could speak with?" I asked. "It's important."

"I'm afraid that my superiors are indisposed at the moment," the droid said. "Do you have a message that you wish for this unit to record?"

"No," I replied. "I'm more than happy to wait."

"There is no telling when my superiors will be available," the droid said. "A recorded message is highly recommended. That way, a Czerka representative can get back to you at their leisure."

"As lovely as that sounds, this isn't a leisurely visit." I adjusted a strand of hair on my forehead. "I will see someone today."

"Attempting to patch you through." Its optical receptors dimmed. "I am sorry. All representatives are unavailable. Janos himself has suggested that this unit contact security if you continue to protest."

"I don't mean to cause you or Czerka any problems." It wasn't me; Rian's anger was mingling with my own emotions. That it felt comfortable there was unsettling. "But it's imperative that I speak with someone as soon as possible. If that means I have to wait until someone is available, then that's what I'll do."

"It is suggested that you make use of the recorded message that was offered," the droid said. "Please do not force this unit to call security."

"That's a little unreasonable, don't you think?" I asked.

"This unit is not programmed to think, only to obey its superiors," the droid replied.

"Absolutely ludicrous," I muttered.

"B4-D2, stand down." An older man entered, shaking his head at the droid. "Honestly, not everyone is out to get us."

"This unit was only behaving as it should," B4-D2 said.

"Go into standby mode or I'll schedule a memory wipe," the man commanded.

"Understood," B4-D2 replied. "Shutting systems down now."

"Sorry about that." He offered me his hand. "Those protocol droids aren't programmed with enough brains to tell the difference between a threat and a touchy door console."

"No trouble at all." I reached out and shook his hand. "I take it you work here?"

"That I do." He grinned. "Phenn. Jordo Phenn. You are?"

"Vega," I lied. "Rian Vega."

"Well, Ms. Vega," he said. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I arrived on Kashyyyk earlier this morning," I explained. "To collect samples of the natural flora and fauna. Just simple research for a class I've been teaching. Unfortunately I lost track of one of my students."

"Missing student?" Jordo frowned. "That doesn't sound good. You didn't go into the Shadowlands or anything, did you?"

"Not at all," I replied. "But we did go beyond the gates."

"Were you informed that Edean is mostly wild?" he asked. "There are kinrath, among other things just outside the gates. I don't want to upset you, but there's a high possibility that your student is dead."

"She's proven to be quite resourceful in the past, so I don't want to believe that just yet," I said. "My main concern, however, is that Czerka has an investment in the slave trade on this planet."

"How does that apply to your student?" Jordo asked.

"She's a teenaged Twi'lek," I replied.

"Oh." Jordo took a seat behind a desk and motioned for me to join him. "That could be problematic."

"Could she have been taken into custody by some of your men?" I asked.

"That's always a possibility," Jordo answered. "Does she have any papers on her?"

"Only slave owners carry papers, correct?" I said. "So why would she have any papers?"

"You know," Jordo chuckled and began to drum the desktop with his fingers. "Maybe you should come back and speak with Janos later. He'd know more about it than me."

I immediately grappled for his mind with the Force. "You're hesitant," I murmured. "You have nothing to fear from me, I'm only concerned about my student."

Jordo's eyes glazed over slightly. "Sometimes I wonder if I divulge too much," he said. "Czerka Corporation does have a very nice pension."

"This is between you and me." Just a little influence. Sometimes it was necessary, I could have always torn the information I needed from his head, but that was just barbaric. "I have no quarrel with Czerka, I just want to know the best way to find my student."

"If you have or can find legitimate papers claiming ownership of your Twi'lek, she'd be much easier to reclaim that way than arguing that she was free if she really was picked up by a slave cartel," Jordo said. "One way, you're arguing with papers, the other way, you're arguing without. Of course, if you do have papers, depending on how valuable they view her, they'll try to buy you out. And from what I'm told, they can be very persuasive."

"So can I," I said.

A comlink on the desk beeped and Jordo blinked. I relinquished my influence on the man and quietly watched him.

"Phenn here."

"Jordo, do us a favor and have a medic team ready when we get in," the man on the other end said.

"Bad kinrath attack?" Jordo asked.

"Nothing like that," the other man said. "Some Twi'lek schutta tried to cut Dex in half with a vibroblade. She didn't get very far, it's only a surface wound, but Dex has been whining since."

"Funny you should mention a Twi'lek," Jordo muttered. "What happened to the girl?"

"The Twi'lek, you mean?" the man said. "The damn Wookiees took possession of her. Speaking of which, send another patrol to the village, since we've been prematurely relieved of duty."

"Will do." Jordo looked up at me. "Well, you've found your student."

"Thank you so much," I said.

"For a face like yours?" Jordo replied. "No problem."

"I don't care if it was a problem for you or not." I stood up abruptly. "I need to contact my friends."

Jordo raised an eyebrow. "Don't let me stop you."

"I won't," I sniffed as I headed towards the exit.