A/N: So here's chapter 33, and it's a bit shorter, but we get to learn more about a character. I hope you like it and see you next time! The next chapter is ready but needs some editing and polishing before I post it.

Please read, review, and enjoy!

Turmoil in the Outer Rim! Located near a major hyperspace lane, the planet Felucia is caught in an unending battle between Republic and Separatist forces. Clone tank divisions make a valiant push deep into Separatist-controlled territory, led by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. General Grievous, learning of the impending Jedi attack, has dispatched reinforcements to one of his droid outposts, hoping to secure his grip on the system….

Finally reaching Glee Anselm, the cruiser carrying Mace and Yoda arrived just as a small ship was leaving the planet's southern hemisphere and heading for space. The cruiser immediately sent out a few fighters to intercept the ship, but the pilot was skilled and the ship a bit more maneuverable than they expected for an old freighter. But it still gave a good account of itself as they dodged the fighters trying to box it in and force it towards the hangar for a landing. But the pilot was expecting this and refused to fall for that trick, so at the last second did an about-face that must have somehow damaged the engines even if they kept going.

Watching all this from the bridge, Mace said quietly, "That pilot certainly is daring," Yoda nodded quietly as he watched as well but said nothing as Mace turned to a technician nearby and said, "Charge the tractor beam and have it ready to fire."

The technician nodded, and minutes later the tractor beam was powered up and locked onto the old freighter. Waiting for the right moment, Mace said, "Fire," at the exact moment the freighter was clear of their fighters and heading for space beyond as it started setting a course for hyperspace. Seconds later, it was stopped in its tracks by the tractor beam and unable to break free as it was forced into the hangar of the cruiser. Minutes later it was on board the cruiser and Mace was turning to Yoda and saying, "Shall we go see the catch of the day?"

Yoda nodded, and Mace said to Admiral Kilian, "Get us into hyperspace immediately. I don't want anyone on that ship able to get away."

"Yes, sir," Kilian said, and the cruiser immediately set a course and jumped. Once they were underway, Yoda and Mace headed down to the hangar. Upon reaching the hangar, they weren't surprised to see the boarding party waiting for them. Even though the clones were loyal, they weren't willing to enter a ship with such dangerous passengers on board without a Jedi.

Not even Mace could fault their logic for that.

Turning to the ship, he wasn't entirely impressed by what he saw. It was an older XS stock light freighter with a saucer-shaped body and yellow plating. The cockpit had a narrow viewport that jutted out from the ship's center, and the aft of the freighter had a heavily armored hull and sublight engines. Two sets of cannons were visible on the dorsal and port sides, and the ship looked like it was painted a dirty tan. But in actuality that was dust and dirt, which were collecting in large piles on the floor of the hangar. The ship was clearly old and barely functioning but still looked as though it was doing the job it was designed to do fairly well.

Looking at Yoda, Mace nodded and they entered the ship with the boarding party, all ready for whatever came at them. Mace had his lightsaber in his hand, as did Yoda, and they searched the ship carefully before Yoda's lieutenant Thire said quietly, "I don't think anyone is on board, sir. Maybe they ditched before they were forced into the hangar."

"No," Mace said quietly, "They're still here, and they're watching us," looking around the darkened galley before they moved on down a narrow hallway towards the bridge. The bridge itself was deserted and they started heading back the way they came. As they were doing so, a clone mechanic appeared and sat down at the controls for a few moments before saying, "The navicomputer hasn't been wiped, sir, neither has the fuel computer."

The two Jedi looked at him with interest as he said, "This ship is from Mustafar and was on Malastare before that. The owner left behind information in case he needed to be found or his ship was stolen."

"This is a stolen ship?" Mace asked, and the mechanic nodded as he brought up a hologram of the ship's owner, a Rodian. Seeing this, Mace shook his head before turning to Yoda and saying, "We won't be finding Home Base with this."

Yoda shook his head, but then movement caught his eye and he was racing down the hallway with Mace right behind him. They headed straight for crew quarters, where there was again another narrow hallway, and they were forced to proceed one at a time. The clones didn't like it and tried to cover all angles, but that became impossible when whoever they were chasing headed deeper into the quarters and started looking for a way out. It was dark throughout the ship; the lights and power were completely off, perfect for Nautolans evolved for seeing in the dark but nearly impossible circumstances for the clones and Jedi.

The standoff was getting tense and uncomfortable for the clones. One of them, a rookie that was on his first assignment, was a bit jumpy because of everything he had heard about these Nautolans from his brothers that had fought them on Rattatak. He was looking around at every little sound, which were many because the ship was creaking and groaning from time to time, and the sudden movement of one of his brothers suddenly had him firing into the dark. Before Mace could order his troops to stand down, shots were fired back and the Jedi were hard-pressed to keep the clones from being injured by those shots.

It was incredibly close quarters and there was no room to maneuver easily, and after a few seconds, Mace decided there was only one way to end this fight and deflected a laser right back to where it came from. A yelp of pain was heard, and the shooting stopped as a baritone voice said, "That's enough! We'll stand down!"

"Prove it!" Mace called back, and seconds later two blasters were sliding across the floor towards him and his men. They slid to a stop in front of him, and he walked forward slowly with Yoda right next to him, and they were greeted by the sight of two Nautolans sitting on the ground. One of them was wincing in pain, eyes screwed shut, as the other put pressure on the bleeding wound in his shoulder. The other was more kneeling than sitting, but he was focused on his companion. Seeing how he was taking care of his friend Mace wasn't surprised and said, "Get a medic up here, now," to Thire, who nodded.

"Don't bother," one of the Nautolans said, and they all turned as the two of them climbed to their feet and walked out of the shadows just as a mechanic figured out how to turn the lights on. Everyone was momentarily blinded, but their eyes adjusted quickly enough. Mace stared at the two Nautolans, who returned the gaze unflinchingly.

As expected of this clan, they were tall and well-built but lithe and strong. Their head-tentacles went all the way down their backs and they wore tunics and trousers with tough boots. One was wearing fingerless gloves while the other didn't have any gloves at all. From there, the similarities more or less ended, with one being olive green and the other being a lighter green than that. The lighter green looked a bit older and carried himself as such. In contrast, the olive green one was slightly hunched over from the pain for a few moments before suddenly straightening and the two Jedi were shocked to watch the flesh and skin knit together in front of their eyes.

But their faces were familiar, especially the light green one since Mace had seen that face in his son, and Mace found himself staring at Tristan Darka and Tzakara Fisto.

"Are you alone?" Mace asked, and Tzakara nodded, not breaking off from staring at the Jedi and clones. Mace only said, "Then this will be easier than we think," turning to the clones and saying, "Get them to the detention level. We will speak to them then," putting his lightsaber away and following Yoda out.

The clones looked unnerved about the order but nodded and stepped forward, expecting quite a lot of resistance. But surprisingly there was none as Tzakara and Tristan allowed themselves to be cuffed and taken off the ship peacefully.

The cruiser had dropped out of hyperspace by then to rendezvous with the other Jedi that would be involved with this expedition, and those Jedi were arriving as Tzakara and Tristan left their ship. Masters Luminara and Tiin stared at the two Nautolans, who ignored them, while Obi-Wan said quietly, "Kit looks more like his father in person than he does over hologram. It's certainly unnerving."

The others with him nodded as they watched the two Nautolans being escorted to the detention level, and the cruiser jumped into hyperspace again, heading for Coruscant.

This time, they would make sure the prisoners actually got to Coruscant.

Up on the bridge, Mace and Yoda met with the Chancellor, who asked, "Was the information Captain Thrawn provided viable?"

"Yes, Chancellor, it was," Mace said, "We were able to capture Tzakara Fisto and Tristan Darka. A search of their ship revealed they were indeed traveling alone, but why that's the case I don't understand. Everything we were told led us to believe that Tzakara travels with highly trained and armed guards. This change makes no sense to me."

"Perhaps they thought a smaller presence on the planet would attract less interest in whatever they were doing?" Palpatine asked.

"Perhaps," Yoda said, "But find out the answers, by standing here, we will not. Speak with them; we will."

"As you wish, Master Jedi," Palpatine said with a bow of his head, "I must try and convince the king and queen of Glee Anselm to leave Tzakara Fisto alone and stop asking for us to send him to them. They are very interested in detaining him and convicting him for treason."

Mace looked up at Palpatine, "Why would they do such a thing? We have no proof that the coup from so long ago was illegal, and their coming after him makes it look like there is a personal issue between them. Why would they make such claims and demand such a thing from the Republic?"

"I'm not entirely sure, Master Windu," Chancellor Palpatine said, "But as soon as I know, I will let you know. In the meantime, please keep me apprised of the situation and how the conversation goes."

Mace nodded and the transmission ended, leaving him and Yoda to look at each other before Mace sighed and shook his head. They left the bridge then, heading for the detention level. When they got there, they approached the cell where Tzakara was being held. Learning from last time, the two Nautolans had been put in different cells. Master Tiin said quietly as they approached, "He hasn't moved since he was brought here," nodding into the cell where Tzakara was turned away from them, leaning against the wall and staring at a corner of the cell. He was ignoring them completely and was just waiting for what came next. Saessee only shook his head, "He hasn't said anything and refuses to acknowledge we are even here. It's the same with Tristan," Mace turned to see that Tristan was also ignoring them in favor of staring at a corner of the cell. The Nautolans were leaning against the same wall that separated their cells and almost exactly across from each other in the cells.

Seeing this, Mace shook his head and said, "Let's see what we can learn," stepping aside so that Yoda could enter the cell first. They had decided on the way down to the cells that they would speak with Tzakara first to see what kind of conversation they could drag out of him. No one else would be in the cell and there would be no interference from anyone. If a message was delivered, one of the other Jedi would take care of it, but under no circumstances was this conversation going to be interrupted.

And this time, the Jedi would be the ones guarding the cell, not the clones or Senate commandos.

The two Jedi entered the cell, and Tzakara still refused to turn around, but he knew they were there. He stayed silent as Mace and Yoda sat down at the table, Yoda actually sitting on top of the table. It was silent for a few minutes before Yoda said, "Wait all day, we can."

Tzakara was still silent, but then Mace said quietly, "We can wait, but you can't I'm guessing. You would rather be with your son and mate right now."

Tzakara still didn't move or even acknowledge they existed, so Mace said quietly, "If you won't talk about that, what are you going to talk about? We could talk about how the Chancellor is speaking in your favor right now to convince the Monarchy to not detain you and drag you back to Glee Anselm, or we can talk about how your son is doing. Not well, I would guess."

That actually garnered a reaction as Tzakara turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the two Jedi, regarding them with an intensity they found hard to bear. He stared at them for several minutes before saying quietly, "I have no hope in the Chancellor keeping the Monarchy away from us. We are dead the second we go back there, just as anyone of the clan that goes back there. That planet is cursed for us."

"And yet, returned you did," Yoda said quietly, "A reason there was."

Tzakara stared at him a few moments before scoffing and shaking his head. He turned back around to stare at the corner as he said, "Jedi are too naive."

"Then enlighten us," Mace said, "What makes you think the Chancellor won't be able to convince them to leave you alone and not extradite you?"

"They have something he wants," Tzakara said quietly as he finally turned around completely to face them, "They have the oceans of Glee Anselm where Republic troops train, and their agreement with him is better than any other in the galaxy. At the end of the day, the lives of myself and Tristan don't matter enough to him to save," he cocked his head then, "Typical mortal; thinking in the short term what is better for him than what is better for those far beyond him he is responsible for."

Mace stared at him a moment before saying, "You speak that way, and yet you could have let your sons do much more damage to our troops. And you could have easily overpowered and killed us just now. Why didn't you?"

"Because I listen to my sons," Tzakara said softly, his deep voice echoing out of the cell and allowing the Jedi nearby to hear as well, "I listen to them when they ask me to consider something, and will actually think about it and perhaps even act on it. And so when Kit asked us to not harm any of his friends in the Jedi Order, we agreed because it was something he wanted," he walked over slowly then and sat down at the table across from Mace and Yoda, suddenly at their level, "And when he asked me to reconsider my stance on mortals, I said I would. But I'm not finding much proof that I should. You are not convincing me that you are worth the effort to spare."

"Overpower us, you could," Yoda agreed softly, "Strong of body and the Force you are. A skilled fighter, just like your sons. But more restrained you are, less likely to rush you are."

"The joys of age," Tzakara said just as quietly, "After a while, you learn to restrain yourself and wait for the right moment."

Outside the cell, the Jedi watching were incredibly interested in what was happening. This was a battle of wits more than words, and they were finding it hard to keep track of who was leading. Tzakara was holding his own very well, and the fact he looked so much like Kit, or Kit looked so much like him, was off-putting and would throw just about anyone off-balance. They weren't sure how that wasn't happening with Mace and Yoda.

Tzakara cocking his head, much like Kit would do, brought them back to the present, and he said softly, "Kit one time told me if I ever found myself speaking with you, Mace Windu, and the conversation wasn't…." he paused as he searched for the right word, "a friendly one….that I could still count on you being fair in the conversation. But you are entering dangerous territory, dragging my sons into this. They are a dangerous lot, I will acknowledge that, and they are not people that should be messed with lightly. But they have a reason for their anger and their grief, just as we all do. We are still grieving the loss of their brothers and uncle, my sons and brother. You think it goes away after such a short time? Over fifty years for you is barely a blink for us, and the pain will never fade. Not for them, not for me. Kit knew that pain and respected it; he's been one of the clan his entire life. That bond doesn't break even if decades separate us from him, and we all knew he would always come back. Maybe not like this, but he always will."

Mace stared at him as the Nautolan stared back, and it likely would have continued if Yoda hadn't said, "Different than your sons you may be, but very similar as well. Sense the darkness inside of you; I do."

"And that darkness is in all of us," Tzakara said as he turned to Yoda, "Even Kit would feel it whenever he thought about the brothers and uncle he never got to meet. I'm sure it hurt him more than the wounds caused by the Sith, and he had to hide that pain every day from you."

"If he had said something, he would have gotten help from us," Mace said quietly, and Tzakara nodded as he said, "Yes, that is likely true. I told him once to tell you and get help, but he never acted on that advice. He told me he couldn't, that you couldn't know about that attack just yet and there were more things he had to do before you could know. I'm not sure what those things are, not completely, but I know they involve Seeker. His desire to help her has kept him going these last few decades, and hopefully that fighting spirit that is deeply rooted in our people is also rooted in him. He may not survive otherwise, in which case I will have to bury another son."

"He is still alive, isn't he?" Mace asked, and Tzakara nodded slowly as he said, "Yes, he is. But for how long is the question. And there is the part of his directive that Seeker didn't tell Quinlan Vos about."

Hearing that there was another part of his directive made Mace look sharply at Tzakara, while Yoda only said softly, "Continue."

Tzakara canted his head at the two Jedi before saying softly, "If six months pass and there has been no change in his condition, we are to let him go. After six months, the chances of him waking drop to essentially zero, at which point we have to decide whether it is fair to him to keep going when it is clear there will be no change or let him have peace."

Yoda turned to Mace when he heard that, while the Jedi outside the cell were horrified to learn that but unable to process it as Tzakara kept speaking, "My sons are strong; they have no choice in the matter, like the rest of our people. But there are limits, and I'm hoping Kit is strong enough to survive this. I don't know his limits in this situation; he's young and has been away from us for a long time, but all I can offer my family and people the hope he may survive this."

Mace stared at him while Yoda leaned back for a few moments before leaning forward and asking, "Seen those before, I have," pointing at the bracelets on Tzakara's wrists. They were similar to each other and made of many beads with a large stone in the center, "Wear them, your sons do. But only one they wear."

Tzakara nodded as he said, "Our family is the only one who makes them. Every bead is made by hand, and no two are alike. It is to show that we are not all alike and are individuals in our own way but bound together by deep bonds. That we are more than what the Monarchy says we are; more than a people deserving to be slaughtered. Each of my sons, and grandsons, and great-grandsons, has made one. One of these is Kit's, the other is mine. He asked me to hold onto his until he came back for it for good, when he would have left the Jedi and come home, and I agreed. Can you guess which one is his and which one is mine? Not very many people can."

Yoda didn't even look at the bracelets as he said, "Guess we cannot. A game, this is not."

"Oh, but it is, Master Jedi," Tzakara said quietly, "This game has been played for thousands of years, before you were even born. I have played it for a long time and am tired of it. I know what waits for me when we get to Coruscant, and I know that I will be forced back to Glee Anselm where my parents, my sister, and my brother are all dead and buried. I will be forced back there where my people are buried, where my sons and grandsons and great-grandsons are buried. I will be forced back there where my fate has already been decided, unless I decide to fight with every drop of blood and every breath of air that I have against that fate and live another day. That is what I promised myself when my twin was brought back near death, and when I realized my sons were with him. I promised myself neither I nor my people or my family will ever know that fate," his gaze hardened suddenly, "I would rather die on my terms."

"And yet you were picked up leaving Glee Anselm," Mace said quietly, deeply unnerved and unsettled by everything Tzakara had just said, "What were you doing there if you have no desire to go there again?"

Tzakara leaned back in the chair then and said, "I do what I must for my sons, and will protect them with everything I am and have. My return to Glee Anselm was unplanned but necessary, as was this detour. But I will not be setting foot on Glee Anselm again, ever. And neither will my sons. Death is preferable to going back to that hell," he cocked his head then, "And I have experienced both; they go hand-in-hand in the south pole."

Mace stared at the Nautolan then, which would have made any lesser being uncomfortable, but Tzakara bore it well and didn't seem to care. This Nautolan was more difficult to read than anyone else he had come into contact with in his life, and was giving nothing away he didn't want to reveal. Even with his hands cuffed in front of him and seemingly at their mercy, everyone in that cell knew he would have the upper hand if it came to a fight. Tzakara was a powerful opponent, any of them could see that, and the fact it would be like fighting his son didn't make it any easier. They looked too much alike, and that calm resolve and fierce determination were so reminiscent of Kit it was hard to separate them. And yet….Mace didn't think he wanted to fight them. He was there willingly and wanted to talk, but this conversation was not only on his terms; he was leading it because of all the information he had they wanted. And they had no way to force him to talk if he stopped talking.

Finally, Mace said, "Your mate has threatened the life of a Republic officer and encouraged your sons to come after him and kill him in the name of revenge," Tzakara nodded at that, watching the Jedi closely. Mace continued, "This is a dangerous idea and doesn't put your people in the best light. Can you call them off? Surely you must know a life for a life won't satisfy anyone's desire for justice."

Tzakara stared at him thoughtfully before saying, "I could call them off if I wanted to. Santiana would listen to me, and so would my sons. I agree that a life for a life won't satisfy anything. I know it is dangerous to go after a Republic officer," he stopped suddenly as his eyes hardened, "But there is the fact I am one of my people as well and feel the call of revenge in my blood strongly. My people believe in a fair fight, and what Tarkin did wasn't a fair fight. My son was already suffering because of his injuries; now he may die if he doesn't have the strength to continue. Make no mistake," he leaned forward, "Getting stabbed in the way he was would be hard to recover from if he was fully healthy because he is young. But to have the injuries he has and then get stabbed is more than his body can take. He was reaching the limits of his endurance; I could feel that whenever I saw him, and I knew he wouldn't be able to go on for much longer. And that is what happened, isn't it?"

Mace stared at him while Yoda only said, "Sense his pain you did, know it you do. But stop your sons; you should."

Tzakara stared at him before chuckling slightly as he leaned back in the chair, looking down at the Jedi Master as he said, "I would have to ignore the call for blood in my veins, Jedi. And I can't," Yoda narrowed his eyes as Tzakara continued, "I belong to an older time, Jedi, when blood was paid for with blood, and I am of a people that are long extinct. Old-breed I may be, but I am so much more than that, and so are my sons. They are strong and determined; they have had to be in order to survive life so far. And my mate is the strongest person I have ever met. You are fools if you think I would stop my mate or my sons from going after Tarkin, because I would go after him too if I had the chance," he stopped and cocked his head then, "Why should his life matter more than my son's just because people think he is a traitor? Why shouldn't there be some kind of justice?"

"Revenge is not justice," Mace said firmly, and Tzakara actually nodded thoughtfully before saying, "You may be right; it may not be justice," he leaned forward then over his hands on the table, "But when you deny justice for a people for so long and ignore them and force them to suffer, they are bound to act out, aren't they? My mate is the only one who can lead the clan and our sons. Our people raise our children well, but it is mostly the mothers that do so. Fathers only protect and guide when asked. Every single one of my sons was raised by their mother and comes to her for everything. Just as everyone else in the clan. They rely on her leadership and courage to see them through another day, and that trust has never been misplaced."

"This is suicide for your people, Tzakara," Mace said quietly, "You must know others may die in the process of your revenge."

"Maybe," Tzakara said quietly, "But we would have to care for the lives of mortals, and I know many in the clan do not. And there is something else you need to consider," the two Jedi looked at him as he continued, his deep baritone in stark contrast to the hardness in his eyes and the way his mouth was set in a firm line, looking just like his son when there was something wrong, "Even if Santiana called off the hunt for Tarkin and stopped us from coming after him, it may not be enough. Kit is a favorite in the clan, everyone loves him and likes his company, so when he was injured by Tarkin, everyone felt it personally. There are only about ten thousand Jedi, there are over eighty thousand of us, and we want justice. And since the Senate denied that justice for us, the clan will get it by whatever way it can."

Mace shook his head while Yoda said quietly, "Not like your son, you are. Your reasoning flawed it is. Accept this, will your son? Accept revenge?"

"I don't know," Tzakara said just as quietly, "He would have to survive for that to happen, and I hope he does. Not just for his sake, but for Kailan's. I know that bond; I had such a bond for thousands of years. It only got stronger with time for my brother and I, but with Kailan and Kit, it is the most powerful thing I have ever seen. Even more powerful than the bond I had with my twin at the end. If Kit doesn't survive, it will destroy Kailan, and nothing will keep him from following his twin. He will give up and die, just as I almost did," Mace glanced sharply at him as he continued, "The only thing that got me through the pain of the bond between my twin and I severing was the love I have for my family and the strength of the bond I have with Santiana. If I had been on my own, I wouldn't have survived. With Kailan, his bond with Geeta is new and strengthening. If he can't find her and Kit dies, he won't fight for anything or anyone else," he leaned forward even more now, "Our mate bonds don't survive on opposite sides of death either, Master Jedi. If something happens to Kit, then Kailan dies. And then Geeta and their unborn child follow," he narrowed his eyes, "Did you wonder if there would be such a ripple effect when Kit was first injured? In many ways, he holds our family together, and his strength has seen it through tougher times than we have faced in the past," he cocked an eye-ridge then, "And his mate will likely die as well. Did you think about that?" he leaned back in his seat then, "I don't know about you, but I would like to know there was some justice done before I died."

Yoda shook his head then, "Unpredictable you are. Dangerous it is."

Tzakara nodded, "Yes, I am. Just as my sons and mate. Unpredictability has kept us all alive for a long time and made sure we actually lived to see tomorrow. That is our way, and it has never failed us."

Mace stared at him a few moments before saying, "So you won't back down on the threat to Captain Tarkin's life?"

Tzakara cocked his head with a slight smirk, "Why would I do that? Kit is my son too."

"That's what I thought," Mace said as he stood up, "This conversation is over for now. We will be at Coruscant soon," Yoda hopping down from the table as well.

Tzakara cocked his head again, "And then what happens?"

"And then we turn you over to the Senate," Mace said, "What Tristan is doing is illegal, and you are making targeted threats against a Republic officer."

Tzakara cocked an eye-ridge, "So a Republic officer can get away with possibly killing my child, and my people and I can't ask for justice in his name or for him because we have been deemed 'too dangerous' by a group of people that don't know what it means to fight every day for your survival, or even your right to exist?" he nodded slowly, "That sounds about right," as he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, clearly finished with this conversation as well.

Mace stared at him for several moments before leaving the cell with Yoda. Once outside, he looked at the Jedi; Luminara and Saessee shook their heads while Obi-Wan said quietly, "I can see where his sons get their determination and drive. You can certainly admire his commitment to them and what he is willing to do for them. He was willing to return to Glee Anselm for whatever reason if it meant helping Kit, regardless of the danger."

"And now the Chancellor will want to turn him over to the Monarchy," Luminara said softly, "It feels wrong to do such a thing after listening to him. Isn't there anything we can do to stop him from going back to Glee Anselm unwillingly? He could make the case to the Senate that the king and queen won't judge him fairly."

"He could try, but I don't think the Senate will be in a listening mood," Mace said, "He won't back down from the threat to Captain Tarkin, and that is what the Senate will want."

"But if he is bound by the same laws as the rest of his clan and must obey his mate, then technically he can't back down from the threat, can he?" Saessee said slowly, "Surely the Senate would consider that."

"Let's get to Coruscant and find out," Mace said, "Perhaps we can make these same arguments to the Chancellor. I agree that the Monarchy of Glee Anselm has some explaining to do for events in the past; the Chancellor needs to address those before we can release Tzakara Fisto into their custody."

There were nods all around as the cruiser continued through hyperspace towards Coruscant, the Jedi standing guard outside the cells of Tristan and Tzakara the entire time, even though Tzakara eventually stood up and went back to leaning against the wall and staring at the corner, just as Tristan had done the entire time.

Finally arriving at the Jedi Temple, Yoda had decided to have Tzakara and Tristan held in a room there instead of anywhere else, hoping being surrounded by Jedi would discourage them from escaping. The two Nautolans, upon arriving, were led to a small room near the communication center and guarded by several Temple guards, with Tzakara saying quietly, "This place hasn't changed much since the last time I was here 6,000 years ago."

Tristan only shot him a look but said nothing. The younger Nautolan had been silent the entire time and didn't look all that inclined to start speaking. As he was leaving, Saessee turned to him and asked, "Was the surgery on Master Fisto really as hard as Seeker said, or was she just exaggerating?"

"I don't think she knows how to exaggerate, Master Jedi," Tristan said softly, "And yes, it was as hard as she said. I think. I was just assisting her; she was lead surgeon."

Saessee stared at him a moment before leaving the room and letting in the last Temple Guard, saying to Mace and Obi-Wan, "Every time we think we have an understanding of this clan, we get proven wrong. Are we ever going to fully understand them?"

"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said, "I've been comparing it to discovering a new civilization, which is essentially what it is. We are speaking one language, they are speaking another, and there is no one to translate. We need someone who understands both worlds."

"Master Fisto," was all Mace said. They headed for the communication center, where Anakin was hard at work trying to find Ahsoka, who had disappeared during their mission to Feluscia. No one had seen where she went or what happened to her, and Anakin was desperate to find her. But when he saw them, he sighed and left, knowing they needed the communication center to speak with the Chancellor.

A few moments later, the Chancellor appeared via hologram, looking none-too-pleased about recent events, and said, "Master Jedi, I'm afraid the news I have isn't good. The Monarchy is demanding we hand over Tristan Darka and Tzakara Fisto, otherwise they will not only refuse to let our troops train in their seas but also join the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

"Tzakara has raised legitimate concerns about his safety if he returns to Glee Anselm, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, "He doesn't think they will judge him fairly or let him live."

"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do, Master Kenobi," the Chancellor said regretfully, "The Monarchy denies all the claims this family has made, and no one on Glee Anselm is willing to step forward and admit the coup even happened. I agree with you that it most likely did happen, but without testimony and credible witnesses, the Senate is reluctant to push the issue. They don't see Tzakara Fisto as a credible witness and aren't willing to even hear the case unless he can convince his mate to stand down and not come after Captain Tarkin. Unless that happens, we have no choice but to turn him over."

"That isn't right, Chancellor," Master Tiin said, "This clan has had no one stand up for them for thousands of years, and now that we have the chance, we should take it and prove we are willing to stand by them. They fought for the Republic against the Sith so long ago, shouldn't that count for something?"

"Yes, it should," the Chancellor agreed, "if it actually happened. But without any physical proof that they were involved in the old wars and without Jedi from that time corroborating them, we have no choice," he turned to Mace then, "The king and queen sent a representative as soon as they learned Tzakara Fisto was in custody. I'm afraid I must ask you to hand him and Tristan Darka over to them when they arrive."

Mace stared at him for several moments before saying, "As you wish, Chancellor."

Palpatine bowed his head and ended the transmission, and Mace turned to the others gathered there and said, "We will have to tell them."

"This isn't right," Saessee said, "We are sending those Nautolans to their deaths; we all know it."

"The Jedi serve the Senate, Mace," Obi-Wan said, urgency making him forgo titles, "We don't serve the Chancellor. Perhaps we should get a few senators involved and see what they say. There has to be a way to, if not delay this, then at least give them some defense."

Mace nodded slowly as he, Obi-Wan, Plo, Saessee, and Yoda left the communication center and headed for the room where Tristan and Tzakara were being held, "Get in touch with them, Master Kenobi. Let's see if some friends of ours in the Senate can get here before that representative does."

Obi-Wan nodded and headed back the way they came while the others entered the room where the two Nautolans were being held. Tzakara was sitting on the couch, his hands still bound before him, while Tristan was staring out the window and leaning against the wall. Seeing him standing there and staring out the window was unsettling, but he didn't acknowledge them or even look at them, preferring the view from the window instead. After a few moments, Tzakara looked up and said, "Let me guess, the Chancellor has ordered you to turn us over to the monarchy so he can continue training clones in their seas?"

"They also threatened to join the Confederacy if we didn't," Mace said as he entered the room with the others. Seeing Tzakara, Master Plo couldn't help but notice how alike in appearance he was to his son. It was almost uncanny.

Tzakara nodded thoughtfully as he said, "I can't say I'm surprised. They are desperate to kill me and have been for a long time. Perhaps they will succeed this time."

Hearing him speak that way, so calmly and surely without a trace of fear of what was coming, made the Jedi look at each other before Saessee said, "The Chancellor refuses to bring your case to the floor for consideration. He wants proof that a coup happened and you are in danger if you return to Glee Anselm. He also wants you to retract the threat against Captain Tarkin."

"I see," Tzakara said as he nodded, "One thing I cannot prove, and another thing I cannot do. I cannot prove the coup happened, no one can, because it was so long ago and any record of it has been erased, and I don't have the authority in my clan to stop the threat. It certainly is an interesting corner to be backed into."

"You aren't worried about what might happen to you?" Master Plo asked, and Tzakara shook his head, "I know what will happen to me. I know what will happen to Tristan. We will be brought to the dungeons of the palace, where those that find joy in inflicting pain will be waiting. They will torture us until there is nothing left of who we were and no way to save our lives, and then will leave us at the south pole. There the ghosts are all that remain, and they will watch over us until death takes us. After that, our bodies will be nothing more than a meal for scavengers."

"And what happens to us in those dungeons will make death preferable," Tristan added quietly behind them before falling silent once more as he stared out the window.

Mace shook his head when he heard that, sitting on the couch opposite Tzakara while the other Jedi gathered around. Tzakara only looked at him and raised an eye-ridge as he canted his head, and Mace had to shake himself inwardly when he saw that look. Kit had given him that look many times over the years. With Kit, it meant he was thinking about something, but with his father Mace could only guess what it meant.

Tzakara finally asked, "When do we leave?"

"As soon as the representative the king and queen have sent arrives," Saessee answered instead of Mace, "From there, we can do nothing."

"Unless I give the Senate a reason to fight for me," Tzakara finished the sentence, "and they have never done so in the past without a reason that benefited them attached to it, so why should I expect them to do something now?"

Mace said, "We want to help you, Tzakara, but you aren't giving us much to work with. There must be something you can do that would help you."

Tzakara raised his eye-ridge again as he cocked his head, regarding the Jedi Master for a few minutes before saying quietly, "I am limited in what I can do, Master Windu. It is the word of the recognized government of Glee Anselm against mine. I am, according to them, a criminal and a traitor. Two things the Senate is allowing a war to be fought over right now. The Senate will never see our claims as legitimate and will agree with the Monarchy because the king and queen have something they want. The Senate won't fight for us. It stopped fighting for ordinary citizens a long time ago."

Hearing the complete lack of faith Tzakara had in the Republic was hard, but then Yoda said, "Certain you are, your sons will understand this decision?"

Tzakara froze a moment before saying quietly, "The older ones likely will, but the young ones probably won't," he looked at Yoda then, "The younger ones are the ones that didn't fight during the fall of the Old Republic. They are more headstrong and reckless, and feel anger and grief more easily than their older brothers," he cocked his head then, "It will be interesting, won't it? If Kit wakes up and survives his injuries, only to learn that the Jedi did almost nothing to protect his father and a close friend from a fate worse than death, what do you think his reaction will be? He is the youngest, and I know he feels his emotions more than his siblings, so will he actually hate you for not saving his father? Will he forgive you for that?"

"That won't happen, and you know it," Mace said firmly, unable to get the idea of Kit hating them out of his mind now that his father had planted it there, "He would know we could do nothing to stop it."

"Logically, he would," Tzakara agreed, "but illogically, where the root of all emotion is and the fact he is barely out of being a child to our people? He will take this hard and it will hurt him to know it was partially his fault. No one would or could blame him, but he would. He would take that blame and that grief and channel it into something else, something terrible. I know what form of combat he prefers. It is the one that takes him incredibly close to the edge and almost makes him go over it. That grief and anger will need an outlet. It will, hopefully, be something meant for destruction like battle droids. But I know my sons, and it will more than likely be something or someone he blames for the situation. Whether it is the Jedi or the Senate won't make a difference to him. I will still be dead, and likely his mother as well, and he will still be hurting."

Hearing that, the Jedi found it disconcerting to hear Tzakara say with such certainty that his son would react that way to that kind of loss, but before they could say anything else, the door opened and a Temple Guard stepped in. The guard said nothing, but they didn't have to.

The representative from Glee Anselm was there, and it was time for this conversation to end.

Tzakara and Tristan knew it too, Tzakara standing up while Tristan stopped leaning against the wall, Tzakara saying quietly, "And so go we, to a fate worse than death. That is the fate you have set for us, and you don't even realize it. I hope my son can forgive you, because I know his brothers will not," allowing himself to be led over to the door and were soon out in the hallway, where they were greeted by a few familiar faces. The Jedi heard that but said nothing, sharing a look that did nothing to convey their guilt about this situation and knowing they had made a grave mistake they wouldn't be able to fix.

Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Padmé Amidala were there with Obi-Wan and Chancellor Palpatine. Also there was the representative from Glee Anselm, the same Nautolan that had been hunting Seeker during the fight on Sorrus and had turned up again on Rattatak. His eyes lit up when he saw Tzakara and Tristan, and the Jedi could feel the glee in him while Tzakara only narrowed his eyes.

"My apologies for coming personally, Master Jedi," Palpatine said, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "but I wanted to make sure this handover went smoothly."

"I still protest to this, Chancellor," Padmé said, clearly continuing a conversation from earlier, "We are supposed to represent and protect all in the Republic, not just the ones we want to."

"I can understand that, my dear, truly I can," Palpatine said, "But the Monarchy has provided evidence that this coup didn't happen, and without evidence from the other side refuting it, I'm left with no choice but to dismiss the claims of this coup and comply with the Monarchy's request. As far as the Republic is concerned, we must hand over common criminals to their respective governments for trial under their laws."

"That's a load of rancor muck," Tristan muttered softly to Tzakara, who snorted quietly in amusement and agreement.

Padmé pretended she hadn't heard them while the representative turned to Tristan and said, "Watch your mouth, traitor. It is a long way to Glee Anselm, and you will be in my custody for the entire journey," he cocked his head slightly, "It would be a shame if something happened before you could be tried in the palace."

Tzakara snorted more loudly as he said, "The same way you deal out your master's orders without compunction or thought? You are nothing more than their tool, Raojull Gon, and you always will be. You had no qualms about coming after my son when he was a child; why would we expect anything different from you now?"

"What?" Palpatine asked while the others there stared at him.

Tzakara nodded without taking his eyes off Raojull, "He didn't tell you, Chancellor? He was the one that poisoned Kit when he was a child. What kind of person could poison a child? It's not like the child would have the presence of mind to be a traitor. But then again, being born an old-breed is a crime, so perhaps that's why you did what you did. And you aren't the sanest person I've ever met, and enjoy tormenting others, which is likely why my sons and brother are dead. I would bet my life you killed them yourself," he cocked his head then, "While I'm thinking about it, have you given up hunting my son, or are you still looking for Kit? He's been giving you the slip for decades; surely you've given up by now," he looked more closely at the other Nautolan before saying quietly, "No, you haven't given up. You'll still hunt him down and kill him if given the chance, if only to help your pride that was wounded when a child defied you so completely."

"Chancellor, this is reason enough for denying this extradition," Senator Organa cut in while the Jedi stared at Tzakara in surprise when they heard him say that, "We have witnesses that can prove the government of Glee Anselm ordered the death of a child, surely that can be enough to delay this until a proper hearing is carried out?"

"But Glee Anselm claims they are both criminals, Senator Organa," Palpatine said, "The Senate won't take their word over a legitimate government for that very reason. Even if they claim that government ordered the execution of a child."

"We won't know unless the Senate is given the chance to hear the case, Chancellor," Senator Mothma pressed, "Call them for an emergency session, Chancellor; let them decide if there is a case before turning them over."

Palpatine was actually thinking about it, but before anyone could say anything else, Tzakara spoke again, "Don't bother, Senators, our fate is set," they all turned to him in surprise. He continued, only this time he was staring unflinchingly at the Chancellor, "The Chancellor of the Republic stopped protecting the common people long ago; why should that start now? It is easier to bend to the pressure of others than to fight against that pressure and do the right thing. You made the choice between doing what is right, and what is easy, a long time ago."

"That is not true," Palpatine said, and Tzakara snorted and scoffed before saying, "History doesn't repeat itself, Chancellor, but it does rhyme. This happened during the Old Republic, so I know things aren't changing anytime soon. It would take a massive shock to do that, and hopefully, there is still democracy in the galaxy when that happens," he turned his head slowly towards Raojull, "It has to be better than absolute dictatorship operating under your nose."

Raojull only said, "If you and your family weren't criminals, things would be different. You openly flaunt the laws of Glee Anselm and don't obey them."

Tzakara cocked his head, "Which ones? The law that says women can't lead a clan? The one that says they are subservient to their men and must obey them no matter what? That they have no say in what happens to them? That alpha females are illegal and are to be killed on sight? That half-Nautolans and old-breeds aren't allowed to exist, and being born as one of them is a crime? Those laws directly conflict with how our clan was formed and is led, which was likely why they were written in the first place. Any place that stifles its women and those that are different will never survive or flourish. The other clans fold and collapse on themselves because of infighting and conflict within, while ours does not because it isn't built on fear or anger or greed."

Raojull didn't answer immediately, allowing Tzakara to say, "Even if we followed all the laws this government has set, it wouldn't change a thing. The Monarchy would still think of another excuse for hunting us down, and then another and another. In the end, the clan will be dead," he cocked his head then, "Assuming you could ever find us again. Which is why they are so desperate for me now. They know I know the coordinates for that new planet, and they want them. Get those coordinates; the slaughter continues again."

Raojull clearly couldn't answer that and only turned to the Chancellor and said quietly, "I would remind you, Chancellor, that the king and queen have offered you less expensive rates for training your troops on Glee Anselm. Please consider that in the next few minutes."

Palpatine seemed unsure about what to do, but Tzakara knew his fate was set and so only turned to Raojull and asked, "Have you seen your wife lately? It must be hard being separated from her."

The other Nautolan scowled and stepped forward, his dark blue skin flushing with anger as he asked, "Where is she? I know you took her."

"I didn't take her anywhere, Raojull," Tzakara said quietly, "If you hadn't beaten her for every little mistake she had made, she wouldn't have left and looked for safety with my clan. Now she's gone, but don't worry. The last time I checked, she and my grandson were very happy together, and she's expecting her first child already. Tristan confirmed it was a son, so if nothing else, you won't have to worry about her hating you any less when you kill me. She'll probably hate you more than she already does. She confirmed all the rumors about you without even being asked."

"She's a liar," Raojull snarled quietly, and Tzakara said, "We both know she isn't. We would have been able to tell, otherwise these tentacles are useless," shaking his head and sending his flying about, "Makes you wonder if you were worse to her than your prisoners."

The Jedi were listening to this conversation closely, as were the Senators, and Padmé turned to Palpatine then and said, "You see, Chancellor? We are being given more and more reasons to deny Glee Anselm's request. Why can't we act on that denial and get all the facts? There must be people willing to talk about what is happening there; we just need to find them."

"I'm sorry, my dear," the Chancellor said, "But in this time of war, we must consider the entire galaxy, not just a few. I'm afraid I must comply with Glee Anselm's request," he turned to the Senate commandos behind him and said, "Take them, please."

The Jedi were highly reluctant to hand over Tzakara and Tristan, but Tzakara said, "Don't worry about it, Master Jedi; we've always known what our fates could be. The second you leave the south pole, your fate is in the hands of whoever is pulling the strings, and it is never us. That is something we learned a long time ago. It's why we preferred to separate ourselves from the puppetmasters of the galaxy and become our own masters," he turned to the Chancellor then and said quietly, "I hope you enjoyed being the Monarchy's puppet, Chancellor. Because they just pulled your strings to sign our lives away."

With that, Tzakara kept walking, Tristan right behind him. The younger Nautolan only narrowed his eyes as he passed the Chancellor, saying quietly, "Maorach," before he kept walking as well and followed Tzakara. Palpatine narrowed his eyes when he heard that; even though he didn't know what it meant he knew it was nothing kind. Saessee Tiin decided to go with them and make sure they at least made it to the ship alive, but a conversation behind them had them all turning back.

Raojull had turned to the Chancellor and said, "I'm afraid my ship was damaged in an asteroid storm on the way here and needs to be repaired. I won't be able to take them back to Glee Anselm for at least a day. Can I impose on you to detain them in prison until I can bring them back with me? It should only be a few hours, a day at the most."

"Certainly," Palpatine said, "I'm sure the Jedi would be more than willing to escort them," as he turned to the Jedi and was surprised to see that the only ones there were Obi-Wan, Saessee, and Yoda. Mace and Plo had left, deciding they wanted no part in this and protesting this handover in their own way. Saessee nodded, agreeing to escort them to the prison. Tzakara and Tristan looked at each other, knowing the stage had just been set for them to escape. Whether Raojull meant it or not, and they knew he hadn't, he had just given them a perfect chance to get away.

Following Saessee out of the Temple, Tristan said quietly, "At least it won't be our first time escaping from prison."

"It won't be easy," Tzakara said just as quietly, nodding at Saessee's back, but the Iktotchi Jedi hadn't seemed to hear them because he didn't acknowledge what they were saying. Unknown to them, he had heard every word but decided to say nothing and let them have their chance to escape. Whether the Chancellor believed them or not didn't matter to him. He did believe them and did want them to escape.

If that meant saying nothing, then so be it.

Jedi abducted! Ahsoka Tano is missing in action. Captured and released into a hostile jungle, she fights to stay alive with the help of a small band of Jedi younglings. As Anakin Skywalker scours the galaxy, desperate to find his lost apprentice, Trandoshan sport hunters track their youngling prey. With the death of their leader Kalifa, and separated from her friends, we find Ahsoka on the run as the hunters close in around her….

The Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center was the highest-security level prison on Coruscant. Inside was a large panopticon of cells where high-risk prisoners were held. These prisoners were monitored by guards in a central tower but couldn't see into the tower itself. There were also generic cell blocks, a mess hall, a workout area, guard monitoring stations, a cremation center, and an infirmary. The prison was guarded by 3,200 clone shock troopers of the Coruscant Guard and maintained by 64,000 staff members. A chief warden reported directly to the Chancellor and assured him that he would personally make sure Tzakara and Tristan did not escape.

But he hadn't counted on the ingenuity, and in the case of Tzakara, absolute brutality, of the two Nautolans, and they immediately broke free of their binders and guards, Tzakara killing two of them as they escaped. Racing through the facility, they immediately ducked into the air vents and disappeared. From there, they were able to watch as the clones and guards ran about, searching for them but not finding them as they headed for the water system. They were in the water immediately, swimming free of the prison and avoiding the underwater mines that were in place to prevent such an escape, Tzakara using the Force to the utmost to keep them from being blown up.

The prison was still in an uproar when they surfaced in a pipe a few miles away. The two Nautolans quickly cut their way free of the pipe using a torch Tristan had swiped from a maintenance droid on their way out. Once free of the pipe, they dried off as best they could and took off running, heading for the Senatorial sector. The guards and Jedi would assume they would be heading for the underworld to find a ship and escape.

They didn't know friends were a lot closer than that.

Navigating the streets and carefully avoiding the guards and clones looking for them, they finally arrived at Padmé's apartments. They arrived just as she dismissed her security for the evening, hiding in the shadows as they waited. The second Tzakara sensed she was alone, he went and knocked on the door quietly, and she opened it. Seeing who it was, she said immediately, "Come inside, quickly. Before anyone sees you," moving out of the way of the door. The two Nautolans immediately hurried inside, Padmé closing and locking the door behind her.

Only then did she turn around and say, "I've dismissed my staff for the evening, and my droid is powered down. No one will know about this," as she led them deeper into her apartments but kept them away from the balcony. She turned to them and said, "Kit asked me to help if you ever came here, so I will. Master Nema at the Temple slipped this to me," holding out a pouch, "She told me to give this to you as soon as you came and that you would know what to do about it."

Tristan took it immediately and looked inside, checking it for a tracking device even though he knew Rig Nema wouldn't do such a thing. But Tzakara wouldn't be comfortable taking it with them if it wasn't checked. Finding none, he nodded at Tzakara, and the older Nautolan said quietly, "We've jeopardized you by coming here, but we do need your help."

"Tell me what you need," Padmé said immediately, "I'll do everything I can to help. Kit told me about what was happening on Glee Anselm; I just could never really believe it. But your word is more than enough for me, and I know you won't get a fair trial if you're taken there. Just tell me what you need from me, and I will do everything I can."

Tzakara stared at her a moment before smiling slightly and saying, "You really are a friend of Kit's. He said you weren't one to falter in doing the right thing. I haven't seen anything like that in a really long time."

Padmé blushed slightly but said nothing as he continued, "We need a ship and a way off this planet. They don't have to be connected. We'll probably dump the ship you give us as soon as we can and pick up one we have nearby; we just need something nondescript that can get us out of here."

Padmé nodded, "I think I can help you with that. I know where to get a ship like that, and the person that owns it is a friend of Kit's as well. She's on his way here with it. Drop it off on Duneeden, and she will pick it up later."

The two Nautolans raised an amused eye-ridge at that and looked at each other before Tristan turned back to her and said, "Duneeden is the planet where we are to pick up the ship taking us back to Home Base. I have a small retreat there where I used to work, but it was found by the Monarchy and razed to the ground. It's been rebuilt in secret and is where we keep extra ships and supplies for emergencies in this part of the galaxy."

Padmé only raised an eyebrow, "I'm not surprised. Kit mentioned such stash houses all over the galaxy, but he never said where they were. I'm guessing this is the only one he really knows about, though."

"Probably," Tzakara said, "And thankfully, he has never had to use any of them. But the ship there will get us to Home Base and get us back to Kit," he turned to Padmé and said, "I am grateful for what you are doing, not just with helping us, but with helping Kit. He needs more friends like you."

"He has many more than you think, Tzakara," Padmé said, "And we're all hoping that he will get through this."

Tzakara smiled sadly but said nothing more as a ship suddenly arrived at the tower's small landing platform. Hopping out of the ship was a young woman with long curly black hair. She nodded to Padmé, who said, "Astri Oddo, meet Kit's father Tzakara and close friend Tristan."

The young woman nodded to both of them and said, "I'm glad to meet both of you, but we can't wait. You need to get going before the chancellor locks down the planet. I don't think they'll be looking for a ship like that," nodding at the small starfighter-like craft she had brought, "but I don't want to take chances. You need to leave while you have the chance."

"Thank you, Astri," Tzakara said, "I won't forget this; you have my word."

"Go!" Astri urged and in no mood for pleasantries, "While there's still time."

Tzakara nodded and turned to Tristan, who also nodded and raced for the ship. Seconds later, they were inside and had taken off, and then Astri turned to Padmé and said, "I left a few meals in the ship for them. If they're anything like Kit, they won't eat right away."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it, Astri," Padmé said as they walked out onto the balcony to watch the ships passing by, as Tristan and Tzakara's had already disappeared into the darkening sky, "I'm sure we'll see them again."

"And hopefully Kit will be with them," Astri said brightly, "I miss seeing him around. Do you know when he's coming back?"

Padmé shook her head, knowing it was time for a rather difficult conversation. With the scramble after Kit was injured, there had been no time to tell a few members of the Conspiracy what was happening, so Astri and Didi didn't know Kit had been attacked or that his family had come out of hiding and was out for blood. Nor did they know anything about old-breed Nautolans.

Padmé sighed; this was going to be one of the hardest conversations of her life.

The Jedi Temple communication center was abuzz with people as the Jedi and Palpatine met to discuss the escape of Tristan and Tzakara a few days before. Also there were Ahsoka, O-Mer, and Jinx, who had just been rescued from the moon Wasskah by a group of Wookies. The Wookies had found them being hunted by Trandoshan sport hunters after another Wookiee, Chewbacca, had been taken by the hunters. With the help of Sugi and her ship and crew, the Wookiee strike team had found the younglings and were able to save them and get them back to the Temple. The three younglings were being debriefed as the Coruscant prison warden spoke with the Chancellor, Yoda, and Mace via hologram. After a few minutes, O-Mer and Jinx left to get cleaned up and get some food, Ahsoka going with them to get cleaned up and see if anything new had happened at Home Base.

The warden was finished speaking with the Chancellor, Yoda, and Mace and ended the transmission, leaving the three of them to face those gathered there. Palpatine said, "I'm afraid the Monarchy of Glee Anselm has decided to stop the training of our troops in its seas over this incident but will stay in the Republic. We are being asked to track down Tristan Darka and Tzakara Fisto as soon as possible and detain them. Only then will they allow training to continue on Glee Anselm. Raojull Gon has returned to Glee Anselm while he waits for news."

"We are searching Coruscant as best we can, Chancellor," Obi-Wan said, "But it is a slow process, and they may have left already. They knew what they were doing and how to escape from that prison. It's been there for over 7,000 years; I imagine Tzakara has escaped from it at least once. Finding them may take resources we don't have."

"Surely your contacts in the underworld would have heard something, Master Kenobi?" Palpatine asked, but this time it was Tera Sinube who said, "They've heard nothing. If I had to guess, I would guess that Tristan and Tzakara didn't even go into the underworld. They had a plan, carried it out, and knew where to go for a ship that would get them off-planet as quickly as possible. I would wager they are long gone by now."

"Leaving us with no way to find them," Master Plo said softly, but he didn't really mind if he was being honest with himself. Many Jedi had heard about what had happened with Tzakara and Tristan and agreed that the Chancellor should have done more to protect them, so no one was upset when they had escaped. A few had even cheered them on quietly when they heard the news, so Master Plo was glad to know they had escaped and were likely heading back to Kit, like many others.

Turning back to the conversation, he was surprised to see that Ahsoka was there again. She had cleaned up quickly and was no longer covered in dirt and dust from Wasskah but still looked tired. She was clearly running on her last reserves of strength and energy, and he moved closer to her as she stumbled slightly, clearly exhausted. She glanced at him when he walked over to her, and he nodded as she turned to Master Windu and waited for him to address her. That came soon enough when he said, "I gave you instructions to rest, Padawan Tano. You have more than earned it after the last few days you've had."

"I know, Master, but I was checking the feed from Home Base just now, and I found something you might want to see," Ahsoka said, and Mace nodded as everyone gathered close. Ahsoka hit a few buttons on her comlink, and an image appeared on the holotable. It was a familiar room, and the Jedi were saddened to see that Kit's condition hadn't changed and he looked the same as before. He still wasn't breathing on his own and was still in a coma. But what was different was that Tristan was there and Seeker was not. Ventress was also there, sitting on the other bed with her arms around her legs as she watched Tristan work.

"I don't know where Seeker is," Ahsoka said quietly, "I haven't had a chance to review the last few days of recordings, nor have I seen all of this one, but I thought you would want to see it."

Mace nodded as they watched. Tristan was sitting on a chair to the left of Kit's bed near the operating room door, and there was a small table set up next to him with a tray of supplies and a large covered bowl. As they watched, he pulled back the blankets covering Kit, revealing the bandages on his chest and abdomen. He started peeling back the bandages as gently as possible, revealing long lines of black stitches and irritated skin. Those stitches went all over Kit's abdomen, from one side to the other and from his sternum down, and there was another row of stitches over where his hearts and lung were that met the cut near his sternum. Another line of stitches went from the cut where Tarkin's knife had gone in to the line of stitches across his abdomen. Removing the bandages revealed how serious of a surgery it had been, and the Jedi looked at each other when they saw how much effort had been put into keeping Kit alive.

Ahsoka didn't acknowledge the severity of the situation; either too exhausted or too used to it do so.

Ventress shifting slightly caught their attention, and they watched as she leaned forward a bit and said, "That doesn't look good. Should there be that many stitches?"

"No," Tristan said, "but when the scans showed something in his lung that shouldn't be there, we had to open it up and remove a surgical towel. Thankfully it was an easier fix than everything else, and his breathing wasn't too severely affected. If he ever wakes up, he's going to find breathing a lot easier than it was in the past. It probably felt like he always had pneumonia, his lungs constantly congested and tight. He still might get that if we can't keep his immune system going. It's having a hard time fighting infections. If he gets a virus, there won't be much we can do."

"Which is why you're keeping the kids away," Ventress said, "You think they might give him something."

Tristan shrugged, "Partially, but we also don't want to upset them. He's a favorite of theirs because of his stories and nature around them; it would be sad for them if they come here and find him so sick."

Ventress nodded, and it was quiet for a few minutes as Tristan put on a pair of gloves, carefully sliced open a few stitches, and peeled back the skin a little. He looked inside carefully before nodding to himself and restitching the area while Ventress looked away and was clearly doing her best not to be sick to her stomach.

"Medicine isn't for everyone," Tristan said lightly, "You're doing a better job than most. Santiana can never watch when I have to do something to her sons or grandsons or great-grandsons to help them get better. She may be as tough as nails, but seeing her family hurt isn't something she can handle."

Ventress shrugged as she went back to watching Tristan work, and a few minutes later Tristan was using a disinfectant to clean the lines of stitches before turning back to the table beside him. He took the gloves off as he reached for the covered bowl, saying, "What are you doing here, Ventress? There's an entire base for you to explore and find something else to do. Camping out here and worrying is Kailan's job."

Ventress shrugged again as she said, "I thought he was looking for his mate."

"He is," Tristan said, "but he can multitask. It doesn't take much effort to worry, and he can do that while looking for Geeta. And he has quite a few contacts in the galaxy. As soon as he's got a solid lead, he'll be gone. And hopefully, when he comes back he'll have Geeta with him."

"Think his brothers will help him with that?" Ventress asked, "If it's more than he can handle?"

"Definitely," Tristan said without hesitation, "They don't abandon each other, and are always ready to help each other out when they're out of their depth. The warriors they have trained will be there as well. The Geàrd may also show up if they think they are needed."

Ventress nodded before looking around and asking, "Where's Tzakara? I know why Santiana isn't here, but why isn't Tzakara? Doesn't he want to be here?"

Tristan snorted as he got gauze and bandages ready, "Probably more than anything right now," he looked up at Ventress then, "He's getting chewed out by Santiana and Amarona for leaving Home Base with just me and no guards. That was dangerous and reckless, something they both should expect from us, so I'm not sure why they're so upset."

"Why did you go alone anyways?" Ventress asked, "It's not like the guards wouldn't have been of use to you."

"They definitely would have been," Tristan agreed, "But we didn't want anyone to know we were on Glee Anselm, and such a large group would have attracted attention. And the Geàrd is recognizable no matter what. We were only there a few hours to pick a few things up, and that was when we were arrested and taken to Coruscant. This was a good thing for us; a contact there could get us something else we needed, so there wasn't really any harm in it. We just got closer to Raojull Gon than Santiana and Amarona would have liked, so they're chewing out Tzakara for doing something that idiotic. Raojull Gon isn't known for his sanity, so us being that close to him could have ended very badly if the Jedi and some senators weren't there. Neither of us held out much hope for the Chancellor stopping him. That would take courage he does not have. We likely wouldn't have made it back to Glee Anselm alive if we had been turned over to Gon," Palpatine frowning when he heard Tristan talk about him that way, but said nothing since Ventress was speaking again.

"I'm surprised they aren't spreading the anger around," Ventress said lightly, not asking about Raojull Gon and revealing she knew who he was. Tristan snorted as he turned back to what he was doing, "Oh, they'll come track me down as soon as they're done with him. But they aren't going to yell at me here or anywhere else in the medical center. I think I'm safe for a bit longer."

"Coward," Ventress said with a smirk, and Tristan shot back, "Nope, sane person," with a smirk of his own and a grin.

The lightheartedness died down after that for a few minutes, leaving the Jedi to wonder about Ventress, with Luminara saying, "I don't think I've ever seen someone change that much in such a short amount of time. Where did that come from?"

"I don't know," Obi-Wan said, "I've had plenty of encounters with Ventress over the years, and she never showed this side of herself. She was clearly a spy for Seeker and knew Kit, but I don't know when or how this change occurred."

"Listen more closely, we should," Yoda said suddenly, and they all quieted down as Tristan had finished getting the bandages and gauze ready and reached for the bowl. He removed the cover, ignoring Ventress as she covered her nose and said, "That reeks! What is that?!" leaving the Jedi and Chancellor to wonder what it was that clearly smelled that bad.

Tristan didn't answer, instead asking the question he had asked before, "What are you doing here, Ventress? There's an entire base for you to explore."

Ventress slowly lowered her hand as she got used to the smell, saying, "The clones are everywhere. And they never stop watching. I think they hate me. I've killed their brothers," and the Jedi were even more surprised to hear the regret and sincerity in her voice. She truly regretted what she had done and was struggling with how to make it right.

Tristan shook his head as he put gloves on and said, "They don't hate you, Ventress. They know you had no choice if you wanted to keep your cover while spying on Dooku. They won't hurt you either; Seeker made it clear to them that you were an ally and a dangerous ally at that and would have to do many things they wouldn't like. That isn't why they are so wary of you."

"Then what is it?" Ventress asked, clearly wanting answers, "What do they want from me?"

Tristan turned to her then and said, "Their task is to protect the children here at Home Base and make sure no one hurts them. They take that responsibility very seriously and aren't sure what to make of you and your intentions regarding those children. Show you aren't a threat to them, and the clones will treat you with respect and trust. Just like Santiana and her family does. You are one of the clan as far as they are concerned; otherwise, you wouldn't have Santiana's protection. Her protection is worth more than the Chancellor's."

"I'm not one of the clan, Tristan," Ventress said as she stared at Kit, "I've never been one of the clan."

Tristan cocked his head before asking, "Do you know what Sassenach means, Ventress?"

Ventress nodded, surprising the Jedi that she knew the language, "Outsider, outlander. Someone who doesn't belong."

"Has Santiana or anyone in her family ever called you that?" Tristan asked, and Ventress shook her head. He then asked, "Were you taught our language?" and Ventress nodded. Tristan nodded as well, "You wouldn't have been allowed to learn the language if you weren't considered part of the clan. As far as we're concerned, you are one of us. That doesn't change. As for the clones," turning to the bowl and taking some of the contents onto his hand, "They are all retrained to Delta commando level even if the armor doesn't show it, which is why Kit was able to take them to a few places in Separatist space and bring them all back alive. If you prove you aren't going to harm the children here, the clones will trust you much more than they do now."

"How do I prove that?" Ventress asked, to which Tristan replied, "You already know the answer to that."

Ventress shook her head as she watched Tristan work the stuff in his hands into a paste, asking again, "What is that stuff? It smells worse than rancor breath."

"Maybe the smell will wake Kit up," Tristan said, trying to joke, but the look Ventress gave him clearly said it fell very, very flat, and he sighed and said, "I'm not good at jokes when I'm worried. Kit is, I'm not. He jokes whenever Seeker does something that makes him worry, and she is the definition of reckless. She's broken more bones than all of Kit's brothers combined over their entire lives. I checked."

"Still not answering the question, Tristan," Ventress said, and the Nautolan sighed and nodded. The Jedi were left wondering what was happening as they watched them joke around a bit. Ventress wasn't usually this lighthearted, but to see her correct Tristan when he was trying to be was a surprise they weren't really ready for. And what was that about regulars being retrained as Deltas? How did that happen?

Tristan was silent for a few minutes as he started applying the paste to the lines of stitches on Kit's stomach and chest and then said, "My father was a healer before he was killed. I was ten when he died, my sister was seven. He taught me everything he could in that time, and I remember quite a bit of it. The rest was written down in his journal. When he was killed, I was able to sneak the journal out when the chieftain took us to the border to die, and I've held onto it all these years. His treatments were advanced for that part of Glee Anselm; Clan Fisto was the only place with better healers. The healers were all killed a long time ago, hence why I was taken off the planet as soon as possible and set up on a different planet far away when I started conducting research into half-Nautolans. If no one knows how to heal a race, then that race is doomed," he paused a moment before saying, "My father taught me how to make this paste. He called it wound-sealer. It lasts over two months, and creates an airtight seal over a wound that bacteria and bugs can't get past. It also soothes the skin and keeps it from being irritated by bandages. It won't pull at the stitches when it is time to come off and comes off very easily after those two months. Before that, it is like glue that can't be removed."

Hearing that the Jedi were surprised that such a treatment existed, and turned back to listen as Ventress said bluntly, "It still stinks."

"That it does," Tristan said, "Luckily, the bandages will trap in the smell. Some of the herbs I'm using are only found in my birth clan's old territory, but thankfully this paste keeps very well if you freeze it, so we won't have to go back for another supply of herbs. We went without guards because in that part of Glee Anselm Tzakara is highly respected and the clan there won't dare cross him. I also brought medicine and food they needed as a trade for letting us collect herbs. Our contact on Coruscant got us the rest of the herbs that aren't from Glee Anselm but impossible to get without asking questions."

"Illegal herbs?" Ventress asked, not looking surprised in the slightest, and Tristan shrugged, "At the time my father created this paste, they weren't illegal."

Ventress nodded slowly before asking, "Why use this instead of modern medicine? You said yourself modern drugs are one of the greatest inventions in the galaxy."

"That they are," Tristan agreed with a nod, "But there are limits to what they can do, and if you think about it, they are all based on traditional medicine. Me using traditional medicine for a problem modern medicine couldn't solve isn't out of the ordinary. I have used many of my father's remedies in the past, even this one. Kailan came to me a few years ago with his side torn open from his ribs down to his waist. It was a deep gash and very painful; a large chunk of skin and flesh was hanging from his waist when Seeker found him. Seeker had already cleaned and stitched it up, but I knew Kailan would need something to keep dirt and bacteria out while he was working, so I made the paste for him. He came back every two months until it was healed," the Jedi and Chancellor exchanged glances when they heard that but weren't really surprised that Kailan had been able to tolerate a wound like that.

Ventress nodding caught their attention, and they turned back the conversation as she asked, "Why didn't you use it earlier for Kit? It could have saved him and you a lot of trouble."

"We had to wait for the infection he had to clear out, which it has. This is the perfect time to do this before he gets another one. If we can stop the infections before they start, he has one less thing we have to worry about and one less thing his body needs to fight against when it is already too weak for such a fight. That injury from thirty years ago compromised his immune system because it constantly fought itself. Now, it's too exhausted to fight when it has to. This seal will stop it from having to fight one more fight and perhaps give it a rest. Old-breed immune systems can fight off any illness or infection, as well as poison, but it needs to be strong enough to do so. His isn't," Tristan said as he finished putting the paste on and waited a few minutes. After those few minutes, he tapped the paste gently and held his finger up, showing no paste on his fingers. He smiled and pulled his gloves off before starting to put fresh gauze and bandages on the wounds and over the paste, and Ventress asked, "Now what? We just wait and see?"

Tristan shrugged and said, "Pretty much. We can put all the elements he needs to survive, but he has to want to. I'm afraid it is a waiting game now."

"I hate waiting," Ventress muttered as she stood up and said, "I'm going to get something to eat. You want anything?"

"Hold that thought, Ventress," a familiar voice said, and everyone was surprised to see Seeker. She was leaning into the room, both hands on the door frame. When Ventress turned to her, she said, "We got somewhere to be, and I need your help. You can eat on the way," turning and starting to leave.

"Where're we going?" Ventress asked as she followed Seeker out of the room, but the answer wasn't heard as Tristan banged his elbow on the table, and the tray clattered loudly. He shook his head as he looked at Kit, but the other Nautolan didn't react or respond. Tristan sighed then and picked up Kit's left hand, holding it a few inches off the bed. He held it there for a few moments before dropping it, but nothing happened. Kit didn't respond or stop his hand from falling, and it bounced off his thigh back onto the mattress.

Tristan shook his head when he saw that, turning to Kit and asking, "Where are you, lad? You got a lot of people worried about you. You got Ventress worried about you, and she doesn't worry about a lot. And that lassie relies on you more than you think and wants you to be alright. Your dreams, or nightmares, or whatever, can't be as exciting as the real world," pulling the blankets back up and covering the bandages.

Kit didn't answer or react, and after a few more minutes, Tristan shook his head and stood up, taking the tray and bowl through the door that led deeper into the medical center and disappearing, leaving the comatose Jedi alone.

But not for long.

Kailan came in then and sat in Tristan's vacated chair, holding his brother's limp hand and waiting for something, anything, to happen. After a few seconds Tzakara came in and sat down on the empty bed, still in one piece from the looks of things, waiting as well. Seeing this, Mace said quietly, "We should let them have some privacy," turning to Ahsoka and nodding. The young Togruta nodded and shut down the feed, and then Mace said, "Get some rest, Padawan Tano. We will let you know when we need you," the barest of smiles on his face when he saw how exhausted she was. She had reached the last bit of strength and energy she had and was relying more and more on Master Plo to keep herself upright.

Normally Ahsoka would have insisted on staying in case she was needed for anything else, but she was so exhausted she only nodded and left, Master Plo going with her to make sure she actually made it to her quarters before she fell asleep. Once they were gone, Mace turned to the Chancellor and said, "That explains why they were on Glee Anselm, and in such a hurry to get back to Home Base they were willing to kill two guards in the prison when they were escaping."

"Yes," Palpatine agreed, "I will pass along this information to the Monarchy. Perhaps they can be swayed to listen when they hear about this. But I'm afraid there is another issue," the Jedi gathered all looked at him, and he said, "Captain Tarkin has expressed some concerns about his safety now that Tzakara Fisto has escaped custody. He would like someone to escort him back to his cruiser in a few days."

"We will arrange something, Chancellor, don't worry," Mace said, "In the meantime, I would like to know more about Kit's connection to Ventress and how she came to rely on him so much. And where she and Seeker are going."

"I'm afraid the Senate is about to go back into session, so I'm afraid I must go," Palpatine said, "Please let me know if something new comes to light," bowing his head respectfully to Yoda and Mace before ending the transmission.

Once he was gone, Obi-Wan said, "If Ventress relies on Kit, they have met in the past as friends. Ventress is from Rattatak, and Tzakara was hiding on Rattatak. Maybe that is where they met."

"Maybe," Shaak Ti said, "but I don't think the answer is that simple. Everything involving Seeker and Master Fisto is much more complicated than it appears on the surface, so I don't think we should assume the answer is so simple."

"As for where they are going," Saessee Tiin said, "I'm not sure how to find the answer for that. Seeker has made it clear she goes where she wants when she wants, and nothing is stopping Ventress from doing the same. They could be anywhere or planning anything. We wouldn't be able to know until it's too late. While our contacts are somewhat knowledgeable about the Fisto brothers and their movements, they know nothing about Seeker or where she is going. She knows how to be invisible and has made sure no one can guess her next move."

"A way there may be," Yoda said, speaking for the first time in a long while, "But find the answer easily, we will not. Meditate together on the Force; we must. Together, as one mind, find Seeker we might. Gather the full Council we should."

"Everyone will be here in a few days to concentrate on the current Trials, Master," Mace said, "we can do it then after the Trials."

Yoda nodded, wondering if this would really work. He wasn't entirely sure it would, but he was out of ideas. Seeker protected her mind and intentions too well, but perhaps she would let something slip out by accident if they pressed her enough.

There was only one way to find out.

A few days later, the Trials were finished, and the Order had several new Knights in their ranks. Now Yoda, Mace, and a few others were on the hangar landing platform with Tarkin, waiting for the transport to come in and take him back to the cruiser. Since Tzakara had made it clear he and his family wouldn't rest until the captain answered for what he did, Tarkin had only gotten increasingly paranoid and was even considering moving out of his penthouse that had several floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area.

The Chancellor had tried to convince him not to cave to fear and the Fisto clan's threat, but Tarkin wasn't willing to risk his life for such a thing. In the end, he was in the process of moving to another apartment without such impressive windows, but in the meantime, he was going back to his fleet. The Chancellor and Yoda still hadn't reached an agreement regarding the Nexus Route, and so the captain was returning to his cruiser while he waited for them to find a solution. Master Piell was staying at the Temple to participate in the group meditation to find Seeker. He would then return to the cruiser for his next assignment.

As the Jedi and captain watched, the gunship was coming in for a landing, and that was when Tarkin turned to the Jedi to thank them for the security. Five seconds later, a sniper bolt hit the ground, just missing his ear, and the Jedi were immediately on high alert, as were the clones nearby. Tarkin was immediately yanked back and into the hangar for more cover while the Jedi looked for the shooter.

Obi-Wan was scanning the surrounding buildings with macrobinoculars, but after a few minutes put them down and said, "There's no sign of the sniper. They must have shot from a further distance."

Mace nodded and sent clones out to search farther out, and fifteen minutes later, they were rewarded with Lieutenant Thire sending a transmission: "Sir, we found the sniper's perch. It's over 6,000 meters away."

Mace's eyes widened in surprise, as did many others there, and he asked, "Are you sure about that, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir," the clone said, "This is the only place with the right angle for that kind of shot. There are also marks from where the sniper set up their rifle. It would have been an incredibly difficult shot; the wind conditions here are very powerful, and the gunship was coming in for a landing when they made the shot. Whoever did this has extensive training as a sniper."

"Like one of Master Fisto's brothers," Mace said, "They are all trained snipers," as he turned to Obi-Wan and Tarkin, who still looked a little pale from what had just happened.

Obi-Wan nodded before saying, "Let's get the captain underway. The sooner he is gone, the safer it will be."

Mace and Even nodded, while Tarkin only gulped slightly but walked with the Jedi to the gunship and got on board. Seconds later, the ship was taking off and heading for the atmosphere where the cruiser was waiting. Once it was out of sight, Obi-Wan turned to Mace and said, "This is turning into a witch hunt. We need to convince those brothers to stand down."

"If Kit ever wakes up," Mace said as they walked back into the hangar, Even listening quietly but not adding his opinion, "do you think he would approve of what his brothers are doing? Or try to stop it?"

"No, I don't think he would approve. And I think he would try and stop it," Obi-Wan said as they headed for the meditation room where the Council was gathering to find Seeker, "Why don't you?"

"I used to," Mace said, "But after learning everything about his family and how close their bonds are and what they are willing to do for each other, I'm not so sure. I don't know if Kit approves of his family or not, or would stop them from doing something like this," referencing the sniper shot just now.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly as he stroked his beard, wondering that as well but not sure what to make of it yet. These brothers were such an unknown they were incredibly hard to predict, leaving the Jedi guessing what their next move would be.

It wasn't a comfortable feeling at all.

Far away from the Temple, Seeker was boarding the Ghost, the case for her sniper rifle in hand. The rifle itself was packed inside, and she was pleased with herself. Tarkin was gone for now and couldn't cause more damage inside the Temple, leaving her to carry on with the next part of her mission.

The ramp closed behind her, and the ship took off, heading for the atmosphere. The scrambler was masking the ship's identity, as was the cloaking device, as they used a less-used route to exit the planet and head for their next mission.

Heading up to the bridge, she clapped the shoulder of her pilot, who turned to look at her with one bright blue eye and another cloudy eye. Aside from those eyes, his entire identity and appearance were hidden by a turban, face covering, and long cloak down the back. Nothing about him revealed who he was or what race he was, and he turned back to flying the ship, leaving Seeker to head for crew quarters and see what Ventress was up to and if she was ready for what came next.

A few days and their next mission would be upon them, after they dropped off their pilot for his mission, and hopefully Ventress' training had been enough to prepare her for what came next.

Back on Coruscant, the Jedi Council had gathered in the meditation room and was settling. Once they were all there and ready they would meditate on the Force and see if they could find Seeker in the Force.

Or at least figure out what her next move was going to be.

Looking around, Obi-Wan was glad to see so many familiar faces. Adi Gallia was sitting on the ground with her legs folded, ready to begin. She was already meditating lightly to bring her mind into focus, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder if she was alright. There hadn't really been any time to ask her how she was doing over the last few weeks, especially after she had learned she was permanently marked by Seeker without her knowledge and with no way to undo it. She had been withdrawn and quiet, two things that didn't settle well with him because he was used to her being confident and sure of herself and her abilities. For her to be so unsure of what was happening and what had happened was upsetting to him, but he wasn't sure how to fix this.

Jedi training had not prepared him or anyone else for this.

Looking around again, he saw Mace and Yoda were there, speaking quietly as they waited for everyone to settle. Masters Plo and Mundi were talking quietly in the corner, while Shaak Ti sat down near Adi, also worried about her. Many Jedi were, but she had assured them she was fine. Whether or not they believed her was another matter entirely.

Eeth Koth was speaking with Luminara Unduli, Saessee Tiin, and Even Piell as the door opened and Master Oppo Rancisis entered. He was a Thisspiasian, with a long snake-like body and thick facial hair. Two of his four arms were under his clothing for the moment, and the other two were gently clasped together as he entered the room. A member of the royal family of his home planet, he was given a chance to become the next monarch but had turned it down for a life of service to the Jedi instead. Well-known among the Jedi for his wisdom and knowledge of the Force, Master Rancisis had been asked to temporarily take Master Fisto's place on the Council, a task he had agreed to with some hesitation. He knew how respected Master Fisto had been and had been reluctant to take on such a task, but the Jedi Council had needed someone to complete the Council, and Oppo Rancisis had been the best choice.

Seeing everyone was now there, Yoda stepped forward and sat across from Master Gallia on the floor, the others finishing their conversations and joining them. Master Gallia had ended her meditation as they did so, and once they were all settled, Yoda looked around and nodded. Receiving nods in return, they all breathed as one before falling into meditation, their collective focus on the Force and finding the one outlier that was Seeker.

At first, there was nothing, the Force flowed in and around them and the galaxy with ease and freedom, but the Jedi were persistent as the sun moved slowly overhead as the afternoon shadows lengthened, none stopping. Finally, the Force started to reveal bits and pieces of thought and consciousness from someone deep inside of it, and the Jedi focused more on that. After a few hours, those bits and pieces became solid images of people and places.

Master Fisto smiling and nodding….a harsh, cruel landscape transformed into pristine beauty….

Seconds later, a wall slammed down and the Jedi were left reeling as Seeker realized what they were doing and actively kept them away. But there were twelve of them, and she couldn't watch them all at once, or so they thought. They kept her focus as she stopped them from piecing together what they could of her, leaving someone to slip around behind and get a closer look at what was happening. Seeker was too focused on the multiple attacks from multiple directions to pay attention to all of them, giving Adi the chance she had been looking for.

She slipped through the battle of wills and found herself on the other side, standing on a cliff that faced a roaring ocean. Behind her were grassy hills and knolls with animals grazing, and far away from land, the remains of an ancient, circular space station rested and rusted in the pounding sea. She looked around quickly, taking in all the details she could, but suddenly she was reeling back as Seeker realized what she was doing and where she was. Seeker turned her full attention on Adi then, not needing to focus on the wall keeping the other Jedi away as she did so. The half-Nautolan kept the wall up as the Council's collective will went up against it, ignoring them as she faced Adi. Adi immediately felt exposed and unsafe as the half-Nautolans large eyes stared at her unblinkingly, but all the younger woman did was force them away from the planet, back to Coruscant. The Council was forced to follow, and seconds later, they were opening their eyes and turning to Master Gallia, who had her head in her hand with Master Ti leaning over in concern. Master Ti's hand was resting on Adi's shoulder, and a few seconds later, the Tholothian was able to look up.

"I am alright," she said quietly, "She didn't hurt me."

"What did you see?" Mace asked, "Did you see anything that says where she might be?"

"I think so," Adi said as she closed her eyes for a few seconds before saying, "It was a planet, I think, with large seas. There were large plains of grass as well, with a herd of animals grazing on them. There was also a space station, crashed into the sea."

She opened her eyes then and looked at Yoda, who asked, "The ocean, powerful it was?"

"Yes, Master," Adi said, "The waves were at least twenty meters high."

Yoda nodded slowly before saying, "A planet it was not. A moon it was. Site of a great battle during the Old Republic it was. The space station, belonged to the Sith; it did. Destroyed in the battle it was. Crashed in the moon's oceans, it did. Kef Bir is the moon, orbiting Endor in the Outer Rim it is."

"Why would Seeker go there?" Obi-Wan asked, "It's not like that space station would be good for parts or information. It's too old."

"Perhaps, looking for something other than parts she is," Yoda said softly, "Prepare to go there we should. Masters Kenobi, Plo, and Mundi, with Masters Secura and Windu, go you should. Master Gallia," he turned to Adi, who looked at him as she straightened, "Go as well. Meet Seeker you should, find out what you can. Trust you, she seems to. More than others. Let you get closer; she may."

"Seeker is a skilled pilot," Obi-Wan said, "perhaps Master Tiin should come as well."

Yoda nodded slowly while Mace said, "If we are going to Kef Bir, we will need to have a plan of some kind in place when we get there. Seeker has always been one step ahead of us, but that was when she had Master Fisto and Master Vos' help. Now she doesn't, so she may be easier to bring in. But we still shouldn't underestimate her. She has proven she is incredibly dangerous, and this will be our first time facing her since it was revealed Master Fisto was helping her. And if Master Fisto's brothers are nearby during this, it will be harder."

"And this is an ocean moon," Obi-Wan said as he stroked his beard, "She will have an advantage if she decides to swim out of the situation. She may know the water currents better than we do and will likely be prepared for us being there now that she knows we know where she is headed."

"And she may have Ventress with her," Luminara said softly before shaking her head, "This is turning into a perfect storm. We won't be in our element, but she will be. I can think of many ways this could go wrong."

"But it may go right as well," Master Tiin said, clearly looking for optimism that day, "And we won't know what will happen until we get there."

The other members of the Council nodded and started getting up and leaving, but Adi stayed since she knew Yoda wanted to talk to her. Once they had all left, it was silent for a few minutes before Yoda sighed and said, "Foolish you were, Master Gallia, and reckless. Dangerous it was to probe Seeker's mind alone."

"I know, Master," Adi said quietly, "But I thought if I went alone from behind, where she likely wouldn't have been expecting it, then I could learn something."

"Mhmmm," Yoda murmured as he shook his head, "Reckless you were, caught unprepared you could have been."

Adi nodded, saying, "Remember when she bound her life-force to mind so I could survive my wounds?" Yoda nodded, and she continued, "I wasn't able to get past the defenses in her mind because I wasn't strong enough then, but I could sense a desire to help and a desire to protect. She is willing to risk her life to protect mine, so I knew she wasn't going to hurt me now. But I am not foolish enough to think I should do that again by myself, and I won't. I just feel there is a stronger connection than this," resting a hand on her stomach where the Trace had been left, "And I want to know what it is."

Yoda nodded slowly as he remembered what Adi had been through and how close of a connection she had to Seeker, even though none of them understood why or how it had happened. Adi had been haunted by this for some time and was no closer to answers, and Yoda knew it was difficult for her because Seeker and no one that knew her was willing to talk about it. He shook his head, saying, "Go along to Kef Bir; you will still. Perhaps find answers then, you will."

Adi nodded and got up, saying, "You have my word, Master, I won't try something like that again," Yoda nodded. Adi left to prepare for the mission, leaving Yoda alone to think about all that had happened over the last few days and what, if anything, would be learned or accomplished on Kef Bir.

And what would be waiting for them when they finally arrived.

Translations:

Maorach – coward