EMBASSY OF NAL HUTTA, CORUSCANT

Braga Durgiljiic was the senior Hutt on Coruscant, acting senator on behalf of Nal Hutta and Archon of Clan Durgiljiic. Many claimed he was one of the most powerful and influential figures in the entire galaxy, and many more would argue it was probably true. Indeed, to have positioned himself in a such a profitable and influential position as senator of Nal Hutta was no small indication of an unparralleled ruthless ambition. The aging Hutt placed a small toad in his mouth and squeezed it into pulp with his tongue before swallowing the delicacy.

Bail Organa, senator of Alderaan and Duke of House Organa, frowned as he found the noises from a Hutt eating to be quite revolting. Bail turned to the other senator joining him and the corellian representative showed little emotion at all.

"Naboo?" Braga said, as always a Hutt communicating in their own language. "Naboo... Small, insignificant and boring. It has nothing to offer the galaxy. It is a logical choice if the Federation wants to make a point, without disrupting any vital trade, and avoid making enemies."

"Senator Palpatine has plenty of friends in the senate" Organa pointed out. "I'd say that Viceroy Gunray managed to gain quite a few enemies when he decided to pick a fight with Naboo."

The corellian senator chuckled with arrogance. "Yet here you are, on Palpatines request, trying to convince Nal Hutta and Corellia to support Naboo against more than two thousand members of the Republic." Garm Bel Iblis shook his head and smiled, sipping his wine before sharing his mind further. "Corellian shipyards have many lucrative contracts with the Trade Federation, not to mention joint operations funded by the Banking Clan. Braking with the Federation would mean economical disaster for Corellia, shipyards would close down and unemployment would skyrocket. Poverty will lead to famine, and famine to plague. Tell me, Bail, why should Corellia go through all of that just to help small, insignificant Naboo?"

Bail Organa reluctantly conveyed Palpatines suggestion. "The Hutt clans have for years tried to secure lasting contracts with established shipyards."

Bel Iblis quirked an eyebrow. "And been denied for good reason." Turning to the Hutt senator, he added "No offense, off course."

"Nal Hutta would compensate Corellia handsomely, should such a deal be concluded" Braga said, his booming voice filling the room.

Garm Bel Iblis turned to the Hutt with stern eyes. "Corellia does not need Nal Hutta to corrupt her corvettes into blockade-runners and transports into smugglers, or its cruisers into privateers."

"But you need to sell ships" Organa cut in. "And if you help in undermining the Trade Federations influence over the senate, Corellia could move in on all major trade in the Corellian sector. Are you telling me that your shipyards would not be interested in that, senator?"

"It would make Corellia rich" Braga added to the reasoning. "No need to fear famine or plague."

Senator Organa nodded. "And with the Hutts buying corellian ships, the situation would not become worse. Quite the contrary."

Garm Bel Iblis thought on it all as he tapped the table with his fingers. "And in return, Corellia and Nal Hutta will support Naboo and Senator Palpatine against the Federation?"

"Yes" Organa nodded. "To end the illegal occupation of a sovereign world."

In the end, Garm Bel Iblis nodded and Braga let forth a deep and booming laugh.

YGGDRAL

Hoyt Bosco's cross-country vehicle plowed its way through the vegetation, until it came to a halt a dozen or so meters from a small contingent of riders, mounted atop large reptiles that in many ways were similar to the dewbacks of Tatooine. Hoyt and his passenger, Alanda Barro, stepped out of the vehicle and walked the last few meters to meet up with the riders.

Hoyt turned his attention to the leader of the riders, a human in his early sixties whos persona screamed warlord. "I was told you wanted to talk, Boyega" Hoyt said.

The elder human nodded with a frown on his bearded face. "Trouble is brewing" he said. "Skyre and her vermin have raided my territory for the past week. If she is allowed to continue, it will be a war before the month is over."

"And you want my help, is that it?" Hoyt asked rhetorically. "What's the matter, Boyega? You used to handle this sort of thing on your own."

"Age has taken its toll, I fear" the old warlord reluctantly admitted. "But the way I figure it, I am doing you a favor, enforcer."

Hoyt chuckled. "How so?"

The old warlord adjusted in the saddle for more comfort. "If me and my men get killed, and my territory falls to Skyre, what is to stop that devaronian devil-woman from attacking your settlements?"

"Well, me and the enforcers, I suspect" Hoyt replied, not holding back on his confidence.

Boyega allowed a smirk. "Maybe. But hostilities would increase, there would be more attacks and you know it. It took many years for us two to agree on a truce, enforcer. With me out of the picture, that truce ends."

Alanda took a step forward and adressed the senior enforcer. "A pre-emptive strike could ensure the peace. It seems to me that, if this Skyre is dealt with, your truce with Boyega, and the peace that comes with it, would endure."

"Your henchmen does have a point, enforcer" Boyega said. "You do as you wish, Bosco. I just thought you'd appreciate the information."

Hoyt thought upon it briefly. "You are certain that Skyre is intent on starting a war with you?"

Boyegas eyes turned grim. "She already has."

THE TRANQUIL SEA, NABOO

Qui-Gon woke up and yawned as he sat himself up in the narrow gungan bed, located at the rear of the small submersible the gungans called a Bongo. The vessel was rocking gently and the jedi knight soon realized that the top hatch was open. Looking around, he spotted neither Obi-Wan or Jar-Jar. Qui-Gon climbed out of the top hatch and found that the bongo was gently adrift on the surface of an ocean, softly moving with the waves. Obi-Wan Kenobi was sunbathing, or something close to it, out on the bongos fuselage and Qui-Gon climbed out of the vessel and walked over to his apprentice.

"No trouble, I hope?" the jedi knight inquired as he sat down next to the padawan.

"Master" Obi-Wan said as he was woken from his rest and sat himself up. "No, no troubles. Jar-Jar is fishing, that's all."

Qui-Gon nodded as he studied the ocean and the horizon. "I see. How long have I slept?"

"A couple of hours" his apprentice said. "We still have a days journey ahead of us, I'm afraid."

Qui-Gon took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Peaceful" he finally said.

"Trust the Federation to spoil a perfect day" Obi-Wan said and the comment woke his master from his meditation. Obi-Wan indicated at the sky and the two Federation landingcraft crossing the ocean high above them. "Troop movement."

"Without escort" Qui-Gon said as he could not spot any fighters accompanying the transports.

"Then Naboo has fallen" Obi-Wan said with a sigh.

"Dinner!" Jar-Jar said as he broke the surface and slammed four large fish upon the bongo before climbing out of the ocean. "Why sad faces? You not like fish?"

DAGOBAH

Declan sat down to rest, the long hike having taken its toll on his worn body. Rahm Kota, however, showed no signs of fatigue what so ever.

"Is it much further?" the exhausted pilot asked.

"Not far now" the grand master said.

"So... facing myself... What does that mean?"

"It means" another voice said and Declan and Kota turned to find Joruus C'boath walking over towards them, "facing your past sins, your future sins, your fears and your darkest desires."

Declan glanced at Kota. "Another jedi?"

"Yes" Kota nodded.

"A long time, I have watched you" C'boath told the freighter-captain. "From the shadows I have kept watch. When Temple Master Windu found you, you were no more than a simple bounty-hunter, a pirate. Now, you are a thief, a gambler and a swindler, only interested in your consumption of alcohol and your addiction to spice."

Declan frowned at the blunt truth. "Somehow I'm greatful you decided to stick to the shadows."

"The Force is not forgiving" C'boath said. "Neither is destiny."

Kota was next to speak. "You will find a cave up ahead. You must enter it."

Declan got up on his feet, spat at the ground and pulled a hand through his scruffy hair. "What do you expect me to find in there?"

"Only what you bring with you" C'boath explained.

XXX XXX

Declan struggled not to slip and fall as he climbed down the steep entrance to the cave the jedi had pointed out. Cursing his fate and all jedi while he was at it, he eventually reached the bottom of the entrance and turned on the flashlight hooked to his shoulder. The cave was damp, the dirt wet and lizards and snakes lurked high and low. It was an eerie place, something seemed to move in the shadows at every turn, always something stiring in the corner of the eye, only to vanish as soon as Declan turned to face it. He could have sworn the cave was the home of ghosts and ghouls.

But then, he was certain he heard something. He was not alone. Declan freed his blaster from its holster along his thigh and carefully advanced one step at a time. A chilling breeze swept in over him from the depths of the cave and all animals rushed to find refuge in their dens and burrows. The freighter-captain peeked around a corner and immediately pulled his head back; he was not alone. Carefully taking another look around the corner, he saw a figure up ahead standing with its back towards him, all dressed in black, covered by hood and cloak. Declan Skywalker took a cautious step out of hiding and took aim as he began a slow advance towards the stranger.

"No sudden moves" Declan said, looking down the barrel of his blaster that was aimed at the stranger. "Turn around... Slowly."

The stranger did as instructed, and as the figure slowly turned to reveal its face, Declan found it was hidden behind a mask. A mask with pitchblack eyes that were so sinister that they made Declan hesitate and take a half step back.

"You?" the freighter-captain said, unsure of what to make of it all.

The hooded and masked figure acted with lightning reflexes, and reached out with a hand as if to grasp something in midair. Declan found himself lunged back up against the wall of the cave, dropping his blaster in the process, and he could not explain it, but he was by some unseen force pinned against the wall. Slowly, his throat began to squeeze tight, as if he was being strangled by a viscious iron grip.

The masked stranger slowly walked towards the freighter-captain, hand ever extended, and as the fingers slowly formed a closed fist, Declan could feel the grip on his throat tightening. As life was being squeezed out of the freighter-captain, desperation grew in his mind, fear overtook his throughts, rage poured into his instincts; and combined, they gave birth to a hate that grew in strength within his heart.

Declan managed to chanel his hatred into his own hand as he used it to push the stranger through the use of the Force. The hooded stranger stumbled a few paces as the energies of the Force knocked into him, and Declan was instantly released from his masked opponents deadly grip. Grabbing the closest weapon he could find, Declan proceeded with beating the hooded and masked stranger with the branch he had grabbed hold of. Eventually the mask was flung through the air as one of Declan Skywalkers swings struck the stranger over the head, and the hooded stranger fell to his knees.

Declan quickly picked up his blaster from the damp soil and took aim at his opponent. "Who are you?!"

Slowly, the now hooded figure turned to look over its shoulder. Declan could not believe his eyes as, the now unmasked, figure was a splitting image of himself. If he did not know any better, he could have sworn it was in fact him.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Declan grabbed the man by the robes and pulled them violently over the mans head and ripped them from the mysterious twins body. Throwing the black cloak and hood to the ground, Declan took a step back at what he saw next. The man with Declans face had been replaced by a young boy; a teenager dressed in rags and covered in dirt. Declan was the embodiment of confusion as the boy slowly got up on his feet and turned to face the freighter-captain, sand falling from the teenagers hair and shoulders.

"What the hell are you?" Declan whispered.

The boy said nothing, just stood silent and looked Declan straight in the eye, the boys own eyes glowing like embers from his iris. Declan felt uneasy as there was something truly evil about the boy. The boy then held up his right hand as if to study it, and to Declans surprise the hand and lowerarm began to dissolve into sand that fell to the ground, revealing in the arms stead a cybernetic replacement. Declan was amazed and afraid in equal amount at what he was witnessing.

The boy studied his cybernetic hand for a brief moment, before kneeling and retrieving from the pile of sand around his feet the hilt of a lightsaber. Activating it, a bright blue blade of energy extended from the hilt that was held firmly in the boys hand.

"The One" the boy said as it studied the weapon with its glowing eyes. The boys voice was deep, old and wise, and as he took a deep breath it sounded almost mechanical; as if supported by the servos of cybernetic lungs.

"The one what?" Declan inquired, almost too afraid to ask.

The boys attention was turned to the freighter-captain. "The One who will bring balance to the Force." Again, the voice was deep and commanding, followed by a deep breath that sounded anything but healthy.

"What?" Declan could make no sense of it.

The boy had a simple reply. "The One."

The lightsaber was struck in a wide arch towards the ceiling, causing a massive cave-in. Declan turned and ran as fast as he could as the cave fell in on itself behind him. It was a desperate escape, and Declan was enveloped with clouds of dust, as the ceiling caved in mere feet behind him as he ran for his life. Climbing as best he could, he eventually managed to throw himself out of the cave, landing in the mud and wet soil of the marshes. Catching his breath, Declan looked up at the two jedi that were walking up to him.

"Fleeing the cave is never a good sign" Joruus C'boath said.

"What did you find?" Kota asked.

Slowly, Declan Skywalker got back on his feet, drenched and covered in mud. "Besides the entire cave falling on my head?"

"Did it?" Kota said, looking slightly amused.

"What do you mean, Did it?" the freighter-captain said, clearly upset, and turned to point out the obvious.

But Declan was stunned to find the cave intact, with no sign at all that mere moments ago the cavern had completely collapsed. He could not believe his eyes and the freighter-captain looked quite baffled as he looked at the intact entrance to the cave.

Joruus C'boath walked over to the cave-entrance and gave it a glance before turning to face the Force sensitive freighter-captain. "What did you find?"

Declan had to gather his thoughts for a moment before he could give an answer. "I, uh... I... There was a boy."

"A boy?" Kota inquired, taking a step towards Declan, giving the man his complete focus.

"Yeah" Declan said with a slow nod. "He, uh... He... was made of sand. I think... I'm not sure."

Rahm Kota and Joruus C'boath glanced at one another.

Declan described his experience further. "He spoke of someone that would bring balance."

"Balance?" C'boath found the wording interesting and was eager of finding out more. "Bring balance to what?"

Declan turned to look at the two jedi that joined him. "To the Force... I think."