Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of it's character, however, Disney apparently does now... Lucky nerf herders...

Hello, wonderfully acclaimed readers! I know, I know, I'm a terrible, terrible person and author for making you guys wait so long when I had been so sure that it would not take this much time to update. However, the Force works in mysterious ways it would seem...

So my sincerest apologies to everyone.

Without further adieu, please enjoy the chapter...


Mastery is Key

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

The beast fell before her.

Then everything went white, for a brief moment, before bringing her back to the Shadowlands. That moment though, felt much longer.

It was a lifetime.

Samirah breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath before collapsing into a sitting position. Canderous grinned, hoisting his weapon onto his shoulder and approaching the now dead beast. He kicked it once, for measure, before reaching for Bacca's blade. Years and years of being embedded into the creatures back had caused the skin to grow around the blade, sealing it within the beasts body. He pulled with all his might, freeing the blade from the creature and earning a slight cut on his palm since it was simply just a blade without it's hilt. Nothing but naked metal. He felt triumphant nonetheless, for this was a creature that was in Wookiee legends. A creature only worthy of a few.

A foe worthy of any Mandalorian.

Samirah knew, the moment she saw the beast, what it was. The thing the Wookiees feared was indeed the creature she had been warned about at the Enclave. She had no doubts about it... the energy that radiated from this beast proved that it was a Terentatek. A creature formed through the dark side of the Force. Whether through Sith Alchemy or simple exposure to the darker nature of the Force, Terentatek's were known to be Jedi Killers.

They feeded off the Dark Side, growing stronger with every whiff. That's how it had come to be so powerful; the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk were a breeding ground of dark energy. Her only guess was that the Star Map was the culprit of this immensely strong creature. She'd never fought one before. Without the help of her friends, she probably would never have won either. It took the entire group to finally win out against this creature. What made it difficult for Samirah was its taint of the Dark Side...

This was the creature she had seen and feared when she had remedied the Poacher situation...

"You're a step closer, lass." She looked up at Jolee standing beside her. He was watching Canderous fiddle with the blade of Bacca, bemused by the Mandalorian's fascination.

"Yeah... there may be hope yet for this planet... all I can do is try." Jolee chuckled, giving her a look from the corner of his eyes.

"You're doing more than just trying, child. You're succeeding." He walked away, leaving her to smile softly after him. He passed Bastila as she tiredly made her way to Samirah, absently wiping at her robes.

They had been in this darkness too long. Through their bond, Bastila could feel Samirah's body wearing out. That was a bad sign. If her body grew tired, then her mind would grow tired and that's when the darkness would strike. That was when it would smile and weave itself into every crevice of your heart. She worried about Samirah. She worried a great deal. No matter how strong the young Jedi appeared to everyone on the outside, Bastila was constantly aware of the battle that took place inside her every day. Samirah was still adjusting.

Samirah looked at her and grinned, making Bastila falter in step.

"Did you see it, Bastila?" She urged and Bastila only tilted her head.

"See what?" Samirah only sighed, shaking her head as she looked away.

"No, it's ok… you will. Everything's going to change here. It all started with that blade." She said, nodding towards Canderous as he fiddled with it. Jolee proceeded to say something to the Mandalorian, presumably about how he was handling the artifact. "The moment the beast fell, the Terentatek, I saw it… I saw what Kashyyyk used to be… before all of this. Before Chuundar… before the slavery… "

In that flash of light… she was overwhelmed with this sight of Kashyyyk. Czerka hadn't even dug their claws into its inhabitants yet- Kashyyyk was still a safe haven for Wookiees. It was like she was walking through the trees, seeing them as they once were. Seeing them as the proud race of Wookiees they had been, rather than treated as simple slaves. She walked among them as if she had been there herself. In that burst, she not only saw it but she felt it as well. It was as if the Force was granting her a vision of what Kashyyyk used to be and of what it could be again.

If they succeeded.

She hoisted herself up to her feet and dusted off her robes, smiling to herself. This time, the vision wasn't shared with Bastila... was it only meant for Samirah? Did the Force only want her to see what it was Kashyyyk had been? Whatever the reason, Samirah was determined to fix the damage Czerka had inflicted... whatever was left to repair.

"The map should be down this path, lass..." Jolee murmured, looking down a path near where they had entered. He looked back at her, his face neutral and void of any real emotion. Samirah walked to his side, her eyes on the path before them. This was it.

"Canderous, I think we can handle it from here," Samirah looked over her shoulder at the Mandalorian as he wielded the blade around. He stopped to look at her, knitting his brows. "Would you care to go back to Freyyr with the blade? We'll meet you back there once we find the map." Canderous shrugged but nodded his head.

"Alright kid, I think that was most of the heavy lifting anyway. Come on, Soldier Boy." Carth turned to look at him in suddenly, astonished that he was suddenly included in on this. Why in the galaxy would Carth go with him?

"What?" Canderous winked at him, throwing a loving arm over his comrades shoulder. Carth immediately tensed up, not trusting the sudden sign of affection, if you could call it that, coming from Canderous.

"You heard me," He grinned, "They don't need our help to read a map. Come on, boy. Let's leave Jedi business to the Jedi. It's pretty much basic from here on out and we'll do more good getting the battle plan ready." Carth shot Samirah a worried glance but she did nothing to argue with Canderous. She actually poured salt on the wound by... was she waving good-bye at him?

"B-b-but what about..." Samirah smiled meekly, wiggling her fingers at him as Canderous began pulling him away, his hand gripping tightly to his shoulder and pulling him backwards. There was no escaping. Damn it!

"We'll be fine, Carth. All we need is the map and we'll meet back up with Freyyr. It's time to start formulating a plan for when we attempt to take back his home and Zaalbar. That's where we're going to need your help the most." Carth couldn't believe it... he was being sent back already?

Samirah continued to wave before Bastila said something quietly to her and then they turned to continue further into the forest, Jolee leading the way. Samirah casted him one last look before they were lost in the shadows of the forest.

"Sa...Samirah..." Carth whispered, unable to speak louder.

Before he could say more, he tripped over a lose branch and fell back against the forest floor. Walking backwards had not helped him keep his balance either- nor did the Mandalorian's hand on his shoulder, dragging him backwards. Canderous came to a halt, rubbing his head with his now free hand. The other was still holding tightly to the Bacca's blade. Carth didn't move. He just laid there.

"Of all the blaster-brained, Di-kut... Soldier boy, you've got to get yourself together... this is almost painful to watch..." Canderous huffed, shaking his head. "No, wait, it is painful to watch...You do her no credit..."

"What do you know?" He spat back, sitting up. He rubbed his face with both hands, taking deep breaths to calm himself. They were separated again...

"What do I know?" Canderous started to chuckle, leaning back against a tree and crossing his arms. He looked up at the canopy of trees above them and smiled. Ignorant Soldier boy. Canderous knew, without a benefit of a doubt that those two egg heads had a thing for each other but at the very same time, hated each other. The Twi'lek understood this better than he did but it didn't make it any less obvious. Again, it was painful to watch sometimes.

"I know that she's childish, too giving, too... too nice and girly." He started, thinking of when he first met her and how she presented herself. "I know that she's a clumsy kid and over exerts herself a lot. I know that she see the good in everyone when it's not even there, Soldier boy. Too sacrificial for my taste. " Carth looked at Canderous as he stopped to chuckle again. "By Mandalore, she sacrifices everything and one day, that may get her killed..." He looked down at Carth, shaking his head slowly.

"But I also know that she's a very capable Jedi. I know that we wouldn't have made it as far as we have without her. I know she's strong enough to take on any Mandalorian worth two credits. Sometimes, when I watch that kid fight, I'm nearly convinced that she has the heart of a Mandalorian... Now, I wouldn't go as far as to say that she could best me, but I know that's a fight I would have to say was a worthy one, no matter who's favor it came out to be in. I know that right now, Soldier boy, this Galaxy is dependent on her actions and hers alone. So, I guess I know enough to know that she'll be alright. No force in the galaxy is enough to stop that kid when her mind and her heart is set on something."

Canderous looked at him, the humor fading from his face. His expression was hard and intent, his eyes narrowed at Carth, making him feel all the more like a bug under his gaze.

"So don't think her to be incapable of handling herself. She's got a lot of fight in her. For once, be useful to her instead of moping around like the di-kut that you are." He pushed himself off of the tree, twirling the blade between his fingers as he walked away. "She doesn't need a weak minded man in her life, Onasi. She doesn't need someone doubting her every move either. She has enough of those... what she needs is support. Someone who has faith in her. You keep this up... someone else will come through and take her from you..." He stopped momentarily to give Carth a meaningful look before continuing to walk away.

Carth looked at him, his eyes wide with bewilderment before he quickly got to his feet and dusted off the dirt. Canderous was right... this wasn't what he needed to be doing. This wasn't who she needed right now. She literally had the weight of the Galaxy on her shoulders and he was throwing fits because he couldn't be by her side right now. How stupid and... and childish of him! She asked for his help with Freyyr... he had to at least give her that much. As Carth hurried to catch up with Canderous, the only lingering though he had left was that he'd be damned if the Mandalorian bested him.

And he'd be damned if someone took her from him. Especially if it was a certain Mandalorian.

He'd step up and be what she needed him to be. He wasn't going to let himself mess things up again.


"...I know it was this way..." Jolee grumbled, sifting through branches and foliage as they trekked through the jungle. Samirah grimaced more and more as the old man talked. He seemed more certain that they were lost than he did of where the map was.

"Jolee, I thought you said you had been to this map before...?" Bastila inquired as politely as she could in her irritated state. He only shot her an agitated look before continuing his train of thought on the task at hand and grumbled to himself more.

She rolled her eyes and he made some snarky retort about trusting your elders but she hardly paid him any mind. Her mind kept drifting back to the ever so quiet Samirah. In her experience thus far, her silence meant something and she had an inkling of an idea as to what caused it.

"Samirah..." She whispered, slowing her pace so that she was side by side with Samirah. "Do you feel it... the Darkness..." Samirah laughed incredulously.

"Bastila, it's all I've felt since I've been down here... if nothing else, I'm learning to tune it out but it still protrudes my thoughts. This place is an endless vortex of negative energy... an infectious disease..." She hissed, her usually light and airy voice seemingly strained.

She wanted nothing more than to get what they needed and be done with the place. The negative energy made her head swirl so much, it was a wonder she could think straight. She instantly had doubts as to if this place could even be purged of its dark power. It was strong. By the Force, she prayed it would give her the strength to try. Why show her a vision, only to have its possibility seemingly ripped away. It was maddening.

Bastila only nodded in agreement. She could feel the struggle it was causing Samirah. Perhaps it was a brash decision of the council to send her out so quickly... she, in a sense, was still a neophyte Padawan who still needed training to resist the lull. They risked so much sending her out here...

"By the Four Moons!" Jolee cried before halting. Bastila and Samirah froze immediately as the old man looked around, rubbing his chin.

"Jolee, is everything alright..." Bastila asked cautiously only to be waved off.

"Now, now, don't get your robe in a twist there lass... I know we're close. I can feel it in my bones... or maybe that's just the weather... I never really could distinguish the two..." He mumbled again.

"Jolee! The Map for Forces sake!" Bastila cried, startling him.

"No need for yelling, lass, no need..."Samirah began messaging the temples of her head and closing her eyes while they bickered. This wasn't helping.

"Really, I don't know why we even follow you! You've been stuck down here so long I'm sure you've forgotten even the simplest of things- Do you remember what Tatooine is? Do you even remember what it is we're looking for?"

"What?! I may be old and senile but I'm not THAT old and senile, you young, over-zealous, brat!"

"How dare you! I am a proper member of the Jedi Order-"

"-And I'm a king of the Jawa's!"

"Oh well that definitely explains the smell..."

"O-ho-ho, you think you got me there don't ya, lass? Well if you were stranded in the forests of Kashyyyk for twenty years, how you smell is the least of your worries! And I'll have you know..."

If every planet was going to be like this, they weren't going to get any closer to the map, nor to finding out how Malak acquired the fleet he had in such a small amount of time. As she listened to them, she felt herself being pulled further away from their goal. They weren't moving any closer, why couldn't they just get along? Was it the jungle? Was it all this darkness that was getting to them?

Samirah looked up through the canopy of trees, their voices fading into the background as the moonlight seeped through the trees. A simple but clear ray of light through an abyss of obscurity. The glow surrounded the group, though really, only Samirah was aware of it as the two beside her continued to squabble away their time.

If we give up, then it all was for naught...

Bastila had asked her if she could feel the darkness... and she was certain that it stemmed from the Map just as it had back at the Enclave on Dantooine. Perhaps by blocking that negative energy, she was ignoring the sure way of finding the map. On Dantooine, the closer she got to the map, the heavier the air grew and the more the dark side of the Force influenced her. Perhaps she needed to let it bring her closer...

Well, fiddlesticks, there went plan A.

She took a deep breath out of necessity.

"Enough." Samirah said calmly but loud enough to catch their attention. They quieted as she stepped forward, her hand resting on her lightsaber. "We want to find the Star Map... then we have to follow the darkness..."

Bastila and Jolee said nothing as she moved through the forest, closing her eyes and feeling out with the Force. The Jedi Code, resounding in her mind to keep her sure that she wasn't tempted by the shadows. In her mind, she envisioned the world as nothing but the current and flow of the Force. She wanted to find the corruption within the forest, the roots of the tree that disrupted the balance.

When she had found it, she opened her eyes and moved quietly in what she hoped was the right direction. By all accounts, it had to be. She heard Bastila and Jolee behind her, trying to keep up and still mumbling to each other in an attempt to continue their quarrel. She ignored them. Force help her that they don't kill one another before they reached the map.

The further in they trekked, the quieter the two behind her became. The air was thick, just as it had been in the ruins. There was no mistaking this feeling of animosity that filled the air. There was a scent as well... some old and familiar that wafted through. It was very faint but distinguishable. She couldn't put her finger on it though. The light that had once been her guide was now obscured amidst the tangled tree limbs of the forest. Apparently, wherever it was they were going, not even the light dared to follow.

Along the way, they encountered only a few kinrath but they were not to be taken lightly. They put up their own fight and if possible... had become larger. It was possible that their exposure to the darker side of the Force is what made them crazy and more menacing. What was it that made this place so... so... broken. Was it the taint? Was it the aftermath of Revan and Malak's actions? Or was this as natural to the Shadowlands as the Force to a Jedi? Samirah stepped over the foliage, maneuvering her body through drooping vines and fallen limbs as she inched closer to the Star Map.

"I... I feel it..." Bastila whispered from behind, acknowledging how the intensity of the energy increased the deeper they ventured into the forest.

"Ah yes... so I wasn't wrong after all..." After Jolee spoke the words, they entered a small clearing- at least, as much of a clearing as one could find in this expansive forest.

There was a massive tree, surrounded in vines and fallen foliage, that nearly veiled the mechanism beside it entirely. Even if Samirah had wanted to ignore it, it demanded her attention.

We found it Revan... Another puzzle piece in our hands and another step closer... another step closer...

She shook Malak's voice from her head.

She couldn't let the darkness invade her thoughts any longer or it would drive her insane. Her fear was not that she would lose herself completely-though that thought did invade her thoughts every so often- but that her mere curiosity of the voices would do enough harm and damage on its own. That her curiosity would lead her down a darker road than she would ever like to imagine herself going down. She somehow couldn't help her curious nature, however, and that was what haunted her the most about it. She didn't want to be a Revan repeat. She put back up the barrier in her mind, casting out the shadows created by the energy surrounding her. She blocked out the voices that entranced her mind, focusing on the task at hand.

The Map.

No more distractions, no more voices.

Samirah stepped closer, her steps becoming measured and calculated, unsure of what to expect. Last time there was a puzzle, this time, perhaps...

"Life forms detected. Determining parameter. Initiating neural recognition."

The sudden voice made her literally jump back as she ripped her lightsaber from her belt, igniting it. An image flickered to life before her, a creature she'd never seen before. It looked much like the Selkath had but with a much sturdier body structure and a head that was narrow rather then... well, squished. Its eyes poked out of the head from the sides, reminding her much of an amphibian rather than a mammal of sorts.

"Yes, there's the thing. Obstinate machine. I've no doubt it holds what you seek, but good luck getting it operational." Jolee sneered with a chuckle, folding his arms over his chest. He apparently found this to be an impossible feet.

It was a hologram. She refastened her lightsaber, examining the image closer. As she stepped in front of it, a dim light passed over her and she froze. What was it doing now? The light faded away and an audible sound was heard from within the machinery.

"Primary neural recognition complete. Preliminary match found." Preliminary match found? Jolee gasped at the machinery, his face going rigid with confusion. He clearly wasn't expecting that kind of reaction.

"Match found…? What the…it always muttered something about "rejected patterns" for me."

"And you're surprised?" Bastila jabbed, looking away from him as he shot her a glare. Samirah paid them no mind, her attention still held by the form before her.

"Benign socialized interface. Awaiting instruction. Greetings. This terminal has not been accessed for quite some time." She looked around, checking to make sure it was really her that the hologram spoke too. Bastila only shrugged in response while Jolee... well, she wasn't sure but she thought he was pouting. Odd.

"Uh...Well..." She stammered, unsure what to do. "Why are you acknowledging me but not Jolee? I-"

"-Error. Subject displays unfamiliarity to environment. Behavioral reconfiguration will be needed before access." A light passed over her again as more sounds began to chime from within, the creature hardly moving anything other than his lips. "I am sorry, I did not mean to confuse you. I will answer questions to the best of my programming limitations."

"Wha..." Samirah was confused.

"What do you mean by behavioral reconfiguration?" Bastila asked, stepping forward as her intrigue got the better of her. The Image turned to her and immediately passed the light over her- which Samirah assumed was its form of scanning.

"Primary neural recognition complete. Error. Preliminary match not found. Patterns are rejected." Bastila gasped, clenching her fist in annoyance.

"Patterns are rejected!?" She exclaimed, completely aware of Jolee's snickering beside her. "I'll have you know-"

"Error. Subject does not match patterns." She huffed before turning to Samirah on the heels of her feet, her hair swinging over her shoulder.

"Fine, you deal with the heap of scrap metal! It will apparently only listen to you." She marched away, keeping a distance between her and the machine. She walked back several paces to a tree and leaned back against, suddenly not wanting anything to do with the contraption.

Samirah tried to say something but stopped, letting out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure what she needed to tell this thing... usually when she dealt with technology it was to fly, destroy or dismantle... not communicate. Jolee stayed close, still smiling about Bastila's rejected patterns. Made him feel good to know that he wasn't the only one with insufficient patterns... or something. Moreover, he stayed close because he was curious about what the Machine had to say. He had never seen it talk to anyone else... this was the first.

Samirah rubbed her arm as she thought about how to begin.

"Uh... well... what did you mean be behavioral... uh... reconfiguration..." That was what it had said, right? Was worth a try to ask.

"I have been programmed with a very limited field of knowledge, and I must restrict access to only those that fit my allowed pattern." It immediately chimed, to her surprise but also to her confusion. Did she or did she not fit the pattern then? So wait... now she was back to the question: why was it even recognizing her in the first place?

"Wait a second, I thought I didn't fit the pattern? That's why you need to do the reconfiguration thing, right? So do I or do I not fit that pattern?"

The machine paused for a moment, thinking its answer over carefully. Had she perplexed it already or did it have one too many answers for the question?

"I can't say. I will try to bring forward the behavior that you need to proceed, as outlined by my programming."

"Oh..." So it was a helpful machine after all. She wasn't sure what it meant about bringing forward the behavior but so long as it gave her the map, she wasn't going to be knit picky about it. "Well thank you, that's very helpful of you. Why allow me any access at all though?" Jolee chuckled.

"You really want to ask that thing that? It might change its mind if you keep asking so many questions, lass." She looked to him, chewing her bottom lip. He was right. Maybe she shouldn't shoot herself in the foot just yet but she was curious. Again, it was her curiosity getting the better of her. She was being a terrible Jedi. Can Jedi be fired?, she mildly wondered before shaking the thoughts away to refocus on the computer.

"I can't say. Preliminary matching allows for you to be coached." For a computer, it sure was secretive. Either it was putting these restrictions on itself... or someone else had done it.

"Do you know why, or are you restricted from saying?" She asked sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"I can't say. Likelihood of restriction by previous user, 100%." Revan and Malak. If no one else had accessed this computer in years, then perhaps Revan made sure that once they had acquired what they had set out to acquire, then it would benefit them to cover their tracks and ensure no one else could find the maps. Clever.

"What limitations have been placed in your programming?" Now she was intrigued. They were getting to the part at which she excelled- cracking codes. If it was a matter of coding or reconfigurations then given enough time, she could possibly get to the root of the problem.

"Corruption has resulted in gaps appearing in my memory, and in that of the original installation. It could be theorized that these gaps are intentional, but I have no information on that." Samirah began pacing, rolling the thought around in her head. Missing gaps? Why only gaps? Why not delete all the information while you're at it? What was the purpose?

"What gaps are missing?"

"Error. I can't present a non-presence." She mentally kicked herself. Of course it wouldn't know what was missing... that would defeat the purpose. "Perhaps you could ask other questions and data corruption will become evident."

She stopped to stroke her chin, wondering how else to gain access to its mainframe. It was like unraveling a ball of thread- you knew what you had to do, it was just a matter of finding a start point and working your way to the middle from there. It said to keep asking questions...

"Ok..." She looked back at the computer, "What are you?"

"I utilize a retro-adapted holocron-interface. Clarify your questions and I will attempt to access original system memory."

"Then... who even built this installation in the first place?"

"Error. Corruption. Extrapolating. This utility was built to monitor planet-wide agricultural reformation. It has since malfunctioned. It can be theorized that the super-growth of Kashyyyk's forests is a direct result."

This piqued Jolee's interest as he laughed softly to himself, stepping up a little bit to stand side-by-side with Samirah. What a curious machine.

"Well, that is surprising. I doubt any Wookiee would support such a claim. The forest is millennia old." The machine continued, barely pausing to acknowledge what Jolee had said.

"Malfunction occurred 241 years after last builder communication. Last builder communication… 29,642 years before current Republic standard." This caused them both to pause while Samirah thought over what the machine had just said, just to be sure she heard it correctly. 29... it was built 30,000 years ago so...

"If this place was built 30,000 years ago… it predates the Republic." That was similar to what the previous machine they had encountered on Dantooine had said, correct? The droid.

"Information regarding the builders of this installation has been corrupted. No evidence of such a civilization exists in the galactic records." Again, data was missing. Why delete this information? Or had time been the reason for corrupted files?

"Why was agricultural reformation needed to begin with? I don't see the reasoning..." Samirah pondered. The trees were huge! The foliage as lush as any backwater planet and she was sure the inhabitants- both sentient and not- wouldn't argue it.

"Agricultural record indicates this planet was incapable of sustaining sufficient levels of production. Error. Specific conditions corrupted. It can be theorized that produce was being exported to support a larger demand." The computer seemed to be struggling at this point. It was shaking its head and trying to reassert itself as it kept coming across errors and corrupted files. It was straining its programming to provide answers or lack thereof.

"This is a short period for adaptation of native creatures…" Jolee muttered. The holocron twitched a time or two, perhaps running into too many errors at once. Despite its previous statement, it responded to Jolee. Sort of...

"Error. Records corrupted. It can be theorized that bio-seeding allowed the ecology to remain balanced. It could be expected that the same energy feeding the trees of Kashyyyk also accelerated the evolution of various species. No further information is available. There is too much corrupted data. Too much... corruption." It twitched again.

Again, the data was becoming too corrupted. From where she stood, Samirah couldn't see any immediate entry points for hardware. Even if this thing was installed 30,000 years ago, it was installed very skillfully and she was suddenly worried that if it came right down to it... would her skill set be enough?

"Who installed this holo-interface?" She asked, a little more than perturbed at its inability to answer the questions without an error arising.

"This interface was installed to better access the ancient data stored within the pre-existing system. The exact date is unavailable. Programming keys indicate no earlier than five years before current Republic standard."

"Hmm, five years ago?" Jolee mused, shaking his head. "No, no, no. I didn't notice it then. This must have been installed in strictest secrecy. It couldn't have been Czerka. They can't do a damn thing in secrecy... they're too brash for that."

"No other information on time of installation or identity of user available. Likelihood of removal by user, 100%."

Again... Removal of user... 100%.

"Five years ago is about the time Revan passed this way…" Samirah said, looking back to Jolee who slowly nodded in agreement.

Was she out of her league if Revan had done all this? Was this something that surpassed her level of skill? This was already beginning to strain her head as she attempted to wrap her head around all this information. Add to that how tired she was and this was bound to be a recipe for disaster.

"It would make sense that Revan would cause us all this trouble..." He stroked his beard, sorting through his own thoughts as the image twitched again.

"Error. Data regarding subject "Revan" corrupted." Again with the corruption? Why only corrupted? Samirah wasn't understanding.

"But there was an entry at some time?" She inquired, stepping closer.

"Error. Data on "Revan" unavailable." She was beginning to get frustrated. If all their work to get her had been for naught... there had to be a way to fix this. To bypass all these protocols and errors and corrupted data that was between her and the map.

"Who last accessed this installation?" She asked, rubbing the temples of her head for the umpteenth time and closing her eyes.

"Sorting by identity. Three attempts by the Wookiee Freyyr, All denied. 152 attempts by human Jolee Bindo, all denied."

"Hah!" Bastila snorted from far behind them while Samirah turned her full attention on the old Jedi. He gave her a sheepish grin along with a shrug.

"Heh… call me stubborn, I guess. Heh. There wasn't much else to do around here."

"152 times you've been this way... and you still got lost? And not once could you get this machine to recognize you as a... a pattern or whatever?" She asked skeptically. He shrugged again.

"Hey, I found out the hard way that once you're a rejected pattern, you'll always be a rejected pattern... damnable technology..." he trailed off into his own monologue as the computer interface flinched when it spoke again in its mono-tone voice.

"Error. List of access attempts prior to these is corrupted, likelihood of removal by user, 100%."

"Of course... removal by user..." She muttered, crouching down in front of the mechanism and running her fingers through her bangs. At that moment, static starting coming from her comlink. She looked at it briefly, tinkering with it for a second before the static faded. Was someone trying to contact them? Or was this just another string of corrupted data and errors getting her nowhere? She ignored the com, frustrated.

She wasn't getting anywhere. It was like an endless cycle of corrupted data and errors! Everything here was practically fried! Revan did a hell of a job on this computer. Probably not as good of a job as was initially intended since she was acknowledged by the terminal but it still wasn't an easy fix. Any answers she was hoping to get were either corrupted, missing or denied.

"Maybe... Did they, oh, you know, perhaps forget to erase the part about the Star Map?" She asked, sarcastically, not even daring to look up at the interface. She was about ready to hack away at this machine if it didn't start producing positive answers.

"Accessing. Yes. I have found a Star Map in original system memory." It declared. If the interface could show any sign of emotion, Samirah was sure it would show pride. She immediately jumped up, her face alight with hope. Bastila even came closer to the group as they got closer to the heart of their journey in the Shadowlands.

"By the stars! At last we-"

"-Access is restricted."

Samirah immediately let out a string of curses in Mandalorian, Cheunh and Huttese- all at the same time and to the surprise of Bastila and Jolee. She swung her arms in the air, punching at nonexistent life forms as expletives flew from her mouth faster than a Hutt could scheme you out of your last credit. She was steaming with annoyance and disdain for this planet and especially for that machine.

"Error. Unable to-"

"Oh shove it!" She cried at the interface, continuing her pace in circles. "Ktah sculag..." She finished, taking deep breaths.

"Let's try this again. What is it that I need to do to gain access to the Star Map?" She demanded in slow deliberate words rather than asking.

"Samirah..." Bastila hissed but was disregarded as Samirah put her full attention on this computer. She wasn't going to let Revan beat her at her own game. Gathering intel was what she did for years. She wasn't dropping the ball here.

"Your request requires additional security access." Samirah raised her now clenched fist and ended up being caught by Bastila before she could swing at the interface. Bastila and Jolee held her back as she kept trying to kick and punch at the-now unflinching- terminal. "You must be made to match the parameters I have been supplied."

"The hell I will!" She screamed at it.

"Now lass!" Jolee struggled to speak but put most of his effort in keeping her from doing something they'd all regret. He also got the sense that she wasn't in full control. She needed to be settled down.

"Jolee, Bastila, unhand me! I'll dismantle this piece of shabuir! I'll pull apart every karking wire and turn them into sweaters if it means me getting to the map! Like hell I'll submit and be made to do a damn thing it asks of me! You hear me, Revan! You hear me! This farkled planet and every farkled thing you've scrogged up! I'll... I'll..."

She was tired of fighting it! She was tired of everything being a trial, she was tired of being led on a chase and playing this game of cat and mouse with Malak and his whole damned fleet! She would dismantle that ship too! She'd dismantle his jaw while she was at it too and run around his toy ship with it making puppet sounds as she forced it to talk! She wouldn't be bested! She wouldn't allow this to keep going. She was done! So what if the Council wanted her jumping through their hoops! So what if the fate of the galaxy was dependent on her actions here after! It didn't matter anyway, none of it did. She wasn't going to be made a fool of any longer, she was going too-

A hand crossed her face.

Bastila had hit her with the back of her hand.

Her head jerked to her left suddenly, causing her to cease her struggling attempts to break free from Jolee's grip. She froze. She hadn't noticed it but her breathing had become labored and uneven. She noticed, suddenly, how her face was contorted into a snarl and how her body had tensed. She stood, frozen for several moments, too shocked to really think. She finally slumped against Jolee before he set her into a sitting position. Her eyes as wide as stars, staring back at Bastila.

"By the Force, Samirah..." Bastila breathed slowly. "Do you even hear yourself?"

And that's when Samirah felt it.

Through her frustration and her inattentiveness to her surroundings, namely the Force itself, she had dropped all forms of protection against the dark side that permeated every tree, every branch, every leaf and every bloody seed. She was willingly submitting herself to the will of the dark sides influential power without even realizing it. She had started to become her old self again- the scout with no ties to the Jedi or the Force. The scout who, unknowingly, was very susceptible to the influence of the Force. For a few moments, she had forgotten everything she had ever learned from the Enclave.

She cursed herself. How could she have been so careless?

"I... I don't... I'm so sorry..." She stammered, her voice nearly cracking as she spoke. She was horrified at herself. What had she really said?

Bastila stood up, her hands on her hips and a stern expression in place. Jolee was crouched beside her, not particularly worried it seemed... mostly... intrigued. Samirah needed to build her wall up again. She needed to diffuse all the negative energy that had been drawn to her.

I am the master of my mind. I am the master of my body. Whatever taint left behind from Revan; left in the air from this map... I need it gone. It will have no power over me any longer...

She focused, rebuilding her safe haven from all the darkness that prevailed here. She couldn't allow another slip up like that again. Next time, she might do more than just expressing a few profanities. While she focused, the terminal before them began to speak, making it apparent that it was analyzing the events that transpired.

"Personality profiling will verify the basic structure of your conscious mind. Processing. Incomplete. Insufficient. Error. There was not enough data to make a full assessment. There will need to be more data gathered before a full assessment can be taken." They turned their attention to the un-phased terminal as it calculated. Jolee chuckled, falling back into a sitting position to rest.

"Old thing must have counted that outburst of yours as part of the... the... thingy." He wrinkled his nose, shooting her a sly look. Bastila rolled her eyes in response to his use of the word...thingy. He breathed out a heavy sigh, rolling his shoulder. " Not... uh... as young as I used to be. You can wear an old man out... Sheesh... definitely too old for this..." He murmured.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered but he waved her off, content with watching the events to follow, unfold.

"I will determine whether you are ready to receive the Star Map, or can be made ready." The terminal stated, matter-of-factly. The way that it said 'made ready', didn't sit too well with Samirah. What exactly did this all entail?

"And this... profiling. What if I fail... what if I can't be made ready..." She was cautious now. She didn't want to completely let down her guard again but she also needed to focus. The possibility of failure here was too high and she couldn't allow any more mistakes.

"Then you are not worthy of further access. You will be rejected as unsuitable."

That was it? A simple rejection.

"What does that mean?" She asked, her brow furrowed.

"Information unavailable. If you have further questions, ask them now. Access will terminate with success or failure of evaluation." It clarified.

"I suppose that means you're not allowed to fail..." Jolee surmised with a stroke of his chin.

Samirah took a deep breath, sizing up the image in front of her, wondering what exactly was in store for her. What sort of obstacles had Revan set in their wait, an attempt to thwart their efforts. By all accounts, Revan had thought this all through and had covered every track that was left behind. She could feel Bastila's gaze weighing heavily on her, the eyes of the Jedi piercing through her soul.

We cannot fail...

The words of her friend a barely audible whisper across the far reaches of her mind.

We will not fail...

This time, the words were not Bastila's and they were not her own. A game played once before between two other Jedi on a whole other playing field. Funny, Samirah thought, how things seem to repeat. A cycle that, all at once, was different and yet still oddly the same. A simple breeze passed her by as the interface awaited her response. Her nose filled with the natural scent of the earth, followed by the scent of corruption that lingered in Revan and Malak's wake. A scent only detected through the Force and detectable by those who are Force sensitive.

So that was it... its own scent. A trail, so to speak. Left on accident or was this all the intentions of the Dark Lord?

The faster they sorted this puzzle out, the faster the galaxy could be cleansed and put back to its balanced nature. She pulled herself up from the ground, dusting off her robe. This wasn't the time to act like a neophyte Padawan. She needed to be strong and not let her guard down again. A Jedi is always prepared. A Jedi is expectant. A Jedi is civil. She stood tall, squaring her shoulders and looking at the sentient being that stood between her and the Star Map.

"You may begin your... evaluation."

"Evaluation commencing. Results will be compared against the pattern in memory. Just act like you should." She fought the inward grimace and retort that stemmed from the terminals last remark.

Easier said than done.


"And that's Pazaak- Guess that means you get to clean the refresher now too, huh, little guy?" Mission beamed as she dropped her cards on the table while T3 whizzed and whooped in a low tone. "Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. You're a droid, ya know? It can happen."

T3 backed up and moved forward several times as his chimes and whistles elevated in sync with his movements, nearly banging into Mission. She jumped out of her chair, nearly avoiding the droid's jab into her abdomen. She narrowed her eyes at the droid, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I don't cheat!" She cried, shaking her head furiously. The very idea of this guy!

The sounds the emitted from T3 however, begged to differ. She waved him off, gathering up her cards and securing them in her jacket. T3 continued to chime but she didn't pay him much attention before he zoomed away to what she hoped was him cleaning the refresher. She looked down at her comlink, releasing a heavy sigh. She'd been trying to contact Samirah and the others for hours. Was it too much to ask that they check in every so often? Canderous just up and left her, complaining that he was being cooped up too long in this microwave.

She furrowed her brow at the idea. That Mandalorian couldn't sit still for one measly microsecond. She was sure it would take the full force of a Rancor sitting on him before it would even come close to happening. She started snickering at the very idea, her head tails swaying to and fro as she shook her head. No, he'd probably still be fighting to move. He was a fighter, through and through.

She laid her head down on the table, kicking the metal column that kept it secured to the ship. Her smile and giggles fading away. Where was everybody? It had already been nearly a full day, almost two! What was so hard about keeping in contact? What was so hard about keeping her updated? She knew she should have gone with them... she had this feeling in her gut that told her things weren't going as planned.

"...It doesn't feel right... Zaalbar..." She murmured against the table. She reached for her comlink, one last time- a final attempt to reach someone. She'd even talk to old grouchy pants, Carth. She just needed someone to answer because she was getting worried. Way, way, way past worried if she was going to be honest.

"Hey..." She started, clicking on the comlink. "Everything alright over there? Ya know, cause, it's getting kind of boring over here. I can only play so many games of Pazaak while you guys get to have all the fun..." She was attempting to sound normal but even to her own ears, she was sounding worried and the complete opposite of calm.

She waited, the comlink feeling dead to her as she stared.

Nothing.

Her head fell against the table again and she repeated this process several times over until her forehead was sore from the impact. She was starting to go stir crazy and feeling useless. This was so not her style! She closed her eyes as she heard T3-M4 roll up beside her.

"What now..." She groaned against the table. If he thought he was done cleaning the refresher, he was wrong. She knew it couldn't be cleaned that fast...

T3 whistled and booped at her, making all sorts of sounds as it spun around in a circle. Mission peaked at T3 through one opened eye, more out of curiosity then necessity.

"What are you saying? I have tried contacting them..." She explained but was pretty confident that the droid didn't care what efforts she had already put into it. "If the first 80 gazillion tries didn't work, what makes you think another one is going to be the miracle one?"

T3 whistled in a high pitch tone, hitting the table repeatedly. He ran over her foot purposefully, making her jump up again and yelp in pain.

"Ouch! Hey, will ya watch it? Jeez, a girl tries to be civil..." She complained, rubbing her foot. "What do you want me to do? Go after them? What if they come back while we're gone or somethin'? Huh? What then?" The droid stopped and thought for a moment.

She just sat back down and rested her head in her hand, watching T3 with exasperation. It lowered its chimes, whistling slowly and in a low key at her. She smiled faintly at him before patting him on the head.

"I know... I'm worried too. They aren't answering their coms though... what're we-" T3 interrupted her with more sounds that forced her to start messaging the sides of her head. Sometimes, this machine knew just how to rub her the wrong way.

He didn't let up either. He kept colliding with the leg of the chair, jostling Mission. She had to put her foot up against his head to keep him from nearly breaking the chair. Though his movements were thwarted, he kept at his incessant beeping. Her eyes went wide for a split moment as he finished, before she looked away.

"Well... 'course they're not in trouble. Maybe the... maybe there's something interfering with the signal. Besides... Samirah said they'd be careful... They're always careful..." Even though she was trying to convince the droid that everything would be ok, she herself didn't sound too convinced.

They were both quiet for a moment, lost in their own thoughts while Mission debated on what to do. The sitting and waiting was killing her- much like how it had nearly killed Canderous but what more was she supposed to do? On the other hand... they could be in trouble. What was she thinking? They were fine! And even if they weren't, they would figure a way out. Unless they were waiting for her to come save them... what if that was the case. Don't they know they're supposed to inform a person when they're expected to save the day? Common courtesy, ya know? Jeez! She turned to look at T3, her chin resting in her palm again.

"Say, T3, what do you think? I mean, If they are in trouble..." She trailed off, mentally praying to the stars that they weren't. T3 chimed, catching her attention and causing her to bolt upright. "What are you're talking about? Big Z is with Samirah and the others! Why would he be-"

And then she stopped to listen to T3. The more he spoke, the wider her eyes got.

"How do you..." The unit whizzed and whirled with sounds, making her head spin ever so slightly at the thought. "You can do that? So then why didn't you-" He interrupted her, buzzing around as she rubbed her head with both hands. This eavesdropping little droid... she'd deal with him later. There were more important things to do!

"... so Czerka... Big Z... we have to do something! Come on!"

Mission hurried through the Ebon Hawk to the female quarters and retrieved her vibroblade from under her bed, being sure to check it for any defects that would later cause problems. She slung the sword over her shoulders, keeping it sheathed unless it was necessary to use. She also packed a blaster at her hip, just for extra measure. If she understood the little mech droid right, Zaalbar was a captive of the Wookiee tribe for some reason and that they were planning to sell him into slavery if something wasn't done fast! Mission was determined to show them that it wasn't going to be as easy as they thought to sell her friend like that. So long as she and Big Z had each other, nothing was going to keep them apart, not even slavers.

Why hadn't she realized ahead of time that coming back to Kashyyyk was going to be hard for him? Why didn't he say something...? As she moved through the ship, she wiped at her eyes, wondering briefly why he kept this all to himself. They were friends... ya know?

"Ya could have told me it wasn't safe for ya, Zaalbar... ya could have..." She murmured. T3 zoomed up next to her, his little guns locked and loaded which made her sigh with a smile at the idea of him getting some action. She never really pictured T3 as a fighter, really.

If she was lucky, they wouldn't have to fight anyone. Perhaps everything is fine and they'll just walk out there only to run right into everyone coming back safely. It could happen and she hoped that that was what happened. However, on the off chance that everything had gone south... it was impossible for her to sit and do nothing if they needed just the tiniest bit of help. She couldn't shake that feeling she had either... that feeling that something terribly wrong had happened...

Zaalbar was nobodies slave and she'd fight all of Kashyyyk to prove it. Nobody could be the master of a free spirited Wookiee, the very idea made her giggle. The only master Zaalbar needed, was himself.

"Come on, T3. It's time we found out what was going on..."


Please feel free to comment/review on the chapter as I love to hear what you guys think! Also, I giggled quite a lot when I read what you guys had had for dinner. My favorite one having something to do with duck in mushroom sauce? I tip my hat to you sir, I tip my hat to you.

Oh and yes, by request of Athena Sapphire, I'm going to start posting progress updates on my page. Normally I plan to update my story on Fridays, but as you can see, I failed miserably at that, I just don't have the time like I used too but I'm still trying. So what I'm going to start doing is about every Friday (maybe a day before or a day after) starting this Friday, I'll post some sort of update on my profile page just so you guys know that I haven't forgotten you and so you're still informed of my progress.

I want to thank you all for still being here for me and cheering me on! Even if your cheering requires a pointy stick, as someone mentioned in the reviews haha. I really do appreciate it everyone.

May the Force be with you all...

~SS~