Rye, Erickson, and Ephraim stood outside their base on Kashyyyk, waiting for their Jedi trio to return. Erickson and Ephraim seemed calm and composed, but Rye was breathing rough breaths and rapidly tapping his foot.
Nicollette went outside to check on him. She put a hand on his shoulder and asked him, "You sure you're able to do this?" She asked.
"Yeah." He breathed out heavily. "It's not myself I'm worried about."
Nicollette just hummed. "Well, I'll be inside when you need me." She left him with a kiss on his cheek.
Shortly after she returned indoors, the ship appeared in the sky, descending down to the base.
The ship landed, and the ramp lowered. When Rye saw Exar's face, he felt something wrong. The trio slowly and casually walked towards the base.
"We can now confirm the rumors. We encountered the Sith." Exar said, like nothing had happened. "But I must warn you: if you're going to make a move, you'll need my help, and you'll need to be careful."
"Don't. . . get too ahead of yourself." Erickson said, putting his hand forward, stopping Exar. He then nodded to Rye.
Exar's brow furrowed in confusion, then he looked to Rye for an answer.
"Exar," Rye started, unsure of how to properly express himself. "Certain things have come to my attention, and it cannot go undealt with. I, have no choice but to demote you of your leadership status."
Exar remained frozen for a second, then he looked around at everybody before turning his attention back to Rye. "Why?"
"I know that you've known about the Sith this whole time, and it's unacceptable that you've kept that from us. Aang agree-"
"You?!" Exar interrupted, turning his head to Aang and jolting a finger at him. "You ratted me out?"
"I took the lid off the box." Aang said.
Exar turned back to Rye. "You can't demote me! You need me to-"
"To help deal with the problem you created." Rye interrupted. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time here on Kashyyyk to fill us in. Exar, you're grounded."
Rye's patronization -among other things- offended Exar.
"It's the best thing for you." Jo said quietly.
"Who asked you?" Exar asked, pointing another finger. Scoffing, he just assumed everyone was ganging up on him. "A betrayal." He said.
"While you're here, you'll be with us. We'll have to indoctrinate some heavy teachings about true leadership-" As Rye was saying this, his conflicted emotions clouded him from realizing Exar's changing mood and aura.
"You won't be teaching anything." Exar interrupted. When Rye looked at him, he realized he should've payed more attention. Exar's body was frozen in place; his head was drooped like he was dead, save for his mouth.
Everyone noticed a 'multi voice' effect, like more than one person was speaking as Exar spoke. Exar's eyes began glowing green until they began smoking. "Everything I was taught has helped us win many missions. You'll be making a big mistake." Exar said with a slightly robotic voice.
"Exar-" Ephraim tried interjecting.
"Exar isn't here right now." Exar's head jolted towards Ephraim in one sudden movement.
"Then to whom are we speaking?"
"Exar always had a dark side he never showed. He tried suppressing it; but no matter how hard he tried, he could never destroy me. I am called 'Mirtis.' " He answered.
"What brought, this, on?" Rye asked.
"I get my time to shine whenever he's emotionally pressured. When that happens, the lock he placed on me shrinks until I'm able to break free."
Everyone seemed to think that explained why Exar never opened up to anyone else.
"Why do you want to break free?" Rye asked.
Mirtis chuckled. "Because of who I am. My name means 'death.' I exist to cause chaos."
"Then I think it's time for you to go back to sleep." Rye said, reaching to Mirtis.
Mirtis grabbed Rye's arm, twisted it, and threw him into Erickson and Ephraim. He turned around to face Aang and Jo.
"We don't like it when our friends betray us." Mirtis said with a creepy tone.
"You should know better than anyone that these things have to happen, and that they happen for a reason." Aang reasoned. Then he began choking.
Mirtis had a force grip around Aang's throat. "I'm glad we agree on something, then." He said menacingly, showing no signs of letting Aang go.
"Hey!" Mirtis heard a voice shout. He turned and saw Ephraim get up.
"You!" Mirtis said.
"The twin suns are setting." Ephraim said. "It's a peaceful horizon."
Mirtis then started shaking his head, like something was getting in there and messing with his mind. "No, no, no!"
While Mirtis was distracted, Jo took the opportunity to act. He winded up one of his robotic arms and knocked Mirtis out cold.
Exar awoke strapped to the same table Brett was trapped on earlier. He struggled like Mirtis was still in control, but slowly regained his own conscience. When he became aware, he leaned his head back down.
"Aaaaaah," He groaned. "I need some Ibuprofen. My head is destroying me." He said, clenching his fists tightly, unable to rub his head.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Jo said.
"What did you do?!" Exar asked strictly.
Rye found the opportunity to enter the conversation. "The more important question is: what did you do? Now that, 'Mirtis' is gone, you can explain yourself."
Exar acted as if his headache just disappeared. "What happened? Why do you know him?"
"Relax, Exar. He didn't do any damage. We had it under control." Rye affirmed.
Exar sighed and laid back down. Ephraim nudged Rye to get him to get to the point.
Rye inhaled a big breath and called Exar's name.
"Exar?"
He didn't answer, but Rye knew he was listening.
"On top of this unnecessary secrecy, you completely ignored a lead back on Kamino. We've voted that these two significant acts are cause enough for a demotion. I'm promoting Aang to be the leader."
Exar still didn't answer.
"Understood?"
Exar only clenched his fist.
"I take that as a 'yes.' So, Exar, until we say you're ready to re-enter the field, you'll remain here for a type of 'rehabilitation' training."
"I'm not an animal." Exar finally spoke up.
"No. This is to keep you from becoming one, like that Mirtis."
"This is pathetic." Exar grumbled.
"It's for your own good." Aang intervened.
"Your poor judgement will be your downfall." Exar said in a slightly threatening tone.
"You see, that's what I'm talking about here. You are a Jedi. That type of. . . ignorance and, hard-headedness is what will turn you to the dark side." Rye said.
"I, am a neutral force." Exar countered. "I'm able to do the things you won't, and still I stray from the dark. My vision isn't clouded by these narrow, dogmatic ways."
"No need to get dramatic." Jo said.
"We all should get some rest." Rye said. "Exar, first thing tomorrow, I want you to pack up and come with us to Coruscant."
"Us?" Aang asked.
"Not you two. My brother and I." Rye specified. "But while we're gone, our wives and Master Viran will oversee things here."
"Yes sir." Aang said.
"Alright. Behave yourself, Exar." Rye said, pressing a button and releasing Exar.
"EY BRO!" Erickson called from another room.
Rye sighed. "Excuse me." He went out and across the room.
Rye smacked the back of Erickson's head. "Why do you have to yell? We're right across."
"It's the Lieutenant Governor." Erickson cut to the chase, showing him the hologram.
"Oh! Ma'am." Rye bowed his head slightly. "How can we help you?"
"You'd be helping the Republic." Calista said. "So, my husband had cut off Mustafar from visitors long ago. How your team was able to get through, I don't know. On an issue even more confusing, the Chancellor wants to know how someone was able to reactivate the cloning facilities on Kamino."
"And where were the Kaminoans?" Erickson asked.
"The facilities were shut down, but they have other places to live on the planet." Calista explained. "Do you get out much?"
"I don't. That's a bit more complicated."
"Anyway, the Chancellor has requested that I take an investigation team over to Kamino; I was hoping you two would join me." Calista suggested.
Rye only stroked his beard for a moment. He had other business to attend to with Exar the next morning, but this service to the Republic- . . . He got an idea and snapped his fingers. "Would it be alright if I had one of my Jedi join us?"
"Which one?" Calista asked, her hands on her hips.
"Exar Sunrider."
"The Zabrak?" She asked, raising one of her eyebrows.
"He messed up something a little bit, and I think it would be suiting if he could help in this type of community service."
"How badly did he mess up?" Calista asked a bit more sternly. 'What could he have done to deserve this?' She thought.
"I don't think it would be appropriate to discuss this here and now."
"Very well. We'll discuss it before we take off."
"When do you want us, and where?" Erickson asked.
"First thing tomorrow morning beside the Senate building."
'In the nick of time.' Rye thought sarcastically. "We'll be there."
Erk lit a single flame in a dark room and set it onto a torch. The torch was a beacon; and soon, two big, smoky eyes appeared high above the ground. The position insinuated that Erk's master was big.
"The situation was just become more complicated." Erk reported. "As I was about to claim victory, something charged at me."
Erk didn't need to see his master's face to know he was unamused.
"It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. It appeared out of nowhere and knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was inside my ship and in space."
"It is indeed strange." The Master's deep voice echoed. "Move with immense caution. The next time you see the Jedi, break them."
"It will be done, my Lord." Erk bowed.
"Should you fail again, there are other, 'variables' I'm certain could do the job much better. Now go!" The Master said before his eyes and the flame went out.
Erk begrudgingly took the task. As a Sith, he hated his master, which fueled his power. And he certainly didn't enjoy being threatened.
The next day, Rye, Erickson, and Exar left for Coruscant at the crack of dawn. Exar was quiet, but cooperative. Rye and Erickson knew his silence to mean that he was angry, so they did their best not to provoke him in any way; they needed this trial of his to be a success.
Shortly before their arrival at Coruscant, Exar asked a lingering question. "Why are we doing this?" His tone was hushed.
Rye and Erickson looked at each other for a moment. They didn't expect him to speak up, much less ask a question like that. Erickson used body language to make Rye tell Exar exactly what was going on.
"Well," Rye started, "When you visited Mustafar and Kamino, you apparently weren't supposed to, be there."
Exar didn't reply, but his raised brow asked the question for him.
Erickson took the ball from there. "Those planets were restricted by order of the Chancellor. It was supposed to be guarded by ships of the Chancellor's own guard."
"We saw no ships." Exar clarified, hoping his masters didn't suspect that he forced his way through.
"That's the problem. Someone made them disappear; and on Kamino, whoever did so took advantage to start creating a clone army with my son." Rye said.
"I understand that last part, but how come we never knew that those systems were restricted?" Exar asked.
"Do you study?" Rye asked.
"We've been rather busy recently. I don't think I got that far with my studies."
Rye didn't reply, but only nodded his head slowly.
"So we have a case of a mysteriously ordered army and one of missing ships? Didn't the Lieutenant Governor visit Mustafar? Didn't she notice missing ships?"
That question came to stay in Rye and Erickson's heads.
Soon after, they felt the ship shake.
"Seems like we're here." Rye said, unstrapping himself.
The three met Calista, her investigation team, and a small army of fighters outside their Republic Consular-class cruiser beside the Senate building.
"They're here! Board the ship." Calista commanded her team.
"Your honor!" Rye and Erickson bowed briefly. Exar just crossed his arms, eyeballing both of them like they were sheep.
"It's an honor to meet you." Erickson joked subtly.
Exar rolled his eyes.
"We must forego the formalities and get right on this case. Come with me." Calista turned around and followed her team aboard.
Calista brought up a holographic map of the facilities that Exar's team visited, a red line appearing on the path that was taken. "This was a very secluded building. I've never seen this structure in my visits."
"This one wasn't used before the Clone Wars?" Rye asked.
"No. If my memory serves correctly, I learned that there was another planned structure for Kamino; but the controversy surrounding the Clone Wars forced them to abandon this project shortly before completion."
"That explains the leakage I noticed." Exar said quietly but humorously.
Calista eyed him with a hint of -what Exar sensed to be- prejudice, then turned back to the map. "The building itself was almost finished, but nothing inside it -no machine or anything- should be there. Someone secretly took shelter there for this evil project."
Exar raised his hand with a little sarcasm. "One other thing happened there." He said. "Many years ago, a friend of mine -Jedi Aang- conducted his government-approved experiment there." He pointed to a small detour on the path seen on the hologram map. "That's where it happened."
"If I'm not mistaking, that experiment was conducted with collaborated tech from Marek Industries?" Calista suggested.
"Aang had nothing to do with that. That, that was another case." Exar specified.
Rye sat back, scratching his beard. "When exactly was Kamino restricted?"
"It was after a faulty experiment 'many years ago.' "She said, mimicking Exar's words.
"Is. . . that what that was?" Erickson asked, looking around at Rye and Exar.
The revelation disturbed Exar. "Faulty how?"
"Aang was lucky to try an experiment there. He almost disintegrated everyone present for the trial."
Exar was relieved that Aang personally wasn't damaged, or so he suspected. To desire a return to a young age suggested that Aang was mentally on the paranoid side. 'Worst midlife crisis if I ever knew one.' He thought, chuckling to himself. 'I may probably have to have a chat with him later.'
"Okay, so, other than that brief experiment, no activity should have stirred there in the past. . . while?" Exar reviewed.
"He can learn." Calista said with sarcastic impression.
Exar recoiled; he was taken aback with the Lieutenant Governor's remark.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't treat my student like that." Rye stood up abruptly, equally aggravated by her comment.
Calista looked at Exar, then back at Rye -Erickson also stood up beside him- and said, "My apologies. Zabraks haven't had the best reputations in Republic history."
Rye held up a finger to reply, then Exar interrupted. "She has good reason to be upset with me."
Rye turned to him with a confused expression.
"Before I came under the protection of the Republic, I was a part of an organization that did terrible things. We wiped out old Republic and Rebellion bases and outposts. People and everything. But we were neutral. We decimated old Imperial and Separatist bases too." Exar explained. Rye was shocked about his expressing himself. He didn't sound too regretful, but it was a start. "Everyone here has every right to be upset with me."
Rye put his finger down and just took in everything that was revealed. Not everyone was as expressive as Rye or Calista, but everyone was affected by Exar's confession.
"Those cases were closed." Calista said. "They were open for too long because the Republic believed they could find out what happened to those demolished bases. After it went unsolved for years, we decided to close it. And now, we finally have our first living witness."
Exar crossed his arms and leaned back. "This week just keeps getting more interesting doesn't it?"
. . .
"Coming up on Kamino." Announced the pilot through the intercom.
Exar and Calista entered the cockpit and looked out. Exar was the only one who ended up looking surprised, because, at the moment, it wasn't raining on Kamino.
Calista noticed his facial expression and asked him, "Bet you didn't know Kamino did this?"
"I was convinced it rained twenty-four, seven." Exar explained.
"You must've only seen Kamino in its nighttime."
Everyone evacuated the ship and approached the facility.
"So what all should we expect?" Calista asked.
"When we took Brett, we effectively halted the cloning process. We almost destroyed the place again, but decided to let you guys do your thing first."
"So is there still an army in there?" Calista asked sternly, pointed inside.
"Nah, the three of us took care of a few dozen."
"So you didn't check for any more?" Calista asked as they entered the building.
"We prioritized Brett's safe delivery, so no."
Calista turned to face Rye and said sarcastically, and with a certain face, "Nice." Then she signaled everyone forward.
Exar led them to the lab he and his team found before. "So what now?" He asked. He may or may not have forgotten to tell Calista that it was cleaned out when he first found it.