A/N: I thought I uploaded this chapter last week, apparently it didn't go up. I apologise. So happy late Easter for those which celebrate it.

Perspective

Chapter IV

As her ship descended down out of the Shilerrian atmosphere, Shaak Ti had to take a moment to absorb the beauty of the planet.

She had been here once before, perhaps a year before the war started (tasked with negotiating peace after the outbreak of the planet's civil war), and she remembered being taken aback by the planet then as well.

The planet was similar to Naboo in many respects – it was a very green planet, with lots of beautiful fields and lakes and valleys full of forests and flowing rivers and waterfalls. Unlike Coruscant, the air had a fresh, clean aroma, due to the natives having a great respect for nature. The Shilerrians were a (mostly) peaceful species, barring the civil war which had occurred due to disagreements regarding the Republic and independence. Their primary tongue was Shilerrian, although most spoke basic as well. Among all humanoid species in the galaxy, the Shilerrians were perhaps the most similar to humans, the only major differences being their longer lifespan and a much larger range of natural colour when it came to their eyes, hair and skin.

As she descended, her eyes fell upon the city for which she was headed – Kava.

Being the capital, it showed off the planets riches. It wasn't largely built up, like Coruscant, but rather a spiralling network of gleaming buildings. It resembled Theed, the Nubian capital, in the respect that it was built upon a beautifully paved surface surrounding the royal palace, but the similarities stopped there. Kava was much larger, spanning several miles across, and gave a white and blue hue, whereas Theed gave off a red and green. The royal palace, in the centre of the city, was glamorous, standing out against its surroundings. It spanned several hundred metres across, and reached at least that in height, and Shaak could just about make out the steps leading up to the gates, and the balconies, and even the little windows.

As her ship came in to land at the spaceport, she almost felt sorry to be leaving the view.

But she had a task to do. Exiting her ship, she made her way through the proud streets to the royal palace, where the head of the royal security was waiting for her.

As the Tatooine suns set, the three Jedi returned to their ship, after having found very little.

Once inside, they ate, discussing a new course of action. "It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," declared Master Kenobi, "and we don't even know if we are looking in the right haystack."

"We need to find Dooku," said Eela, finishing her food quickly. "He is the only lead we have."

"I fear he is gone," said Plo Koon. When the others looked at him, he explained. "I no longer sense him. I think he has left the planet."

"Then why do I still sense such darkness about this place?" asked Obi-Wan, "the planet does not naturally feel like this."

Plo Koon looked at him. "What do you sense?"

The other shrugged. "It just feels really dark, like there is lots of darkside activity here."

"I was getting a similar vibe," agreed Eela, "although I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination."

"You should trust your instincts," The Senior Jedi looked troubled, sitting back. "There is nothing on Tatooine for any darksider to take interest in," he murmured, frowning. Looking up, he asked "Is there?"

"It is very out the way," Obi-Wan suggested, "No one would think of coming here. "

"Perhaps, although I doubt it." Plo Koon was still frowning, and Eela could imagine a processor in his head, trying desperately to solve the problem. "Is there anyone on this planet who could be of interest to a darksider?"

"The Hutts?" suggested the padawan.

Plo absorbed the information, and again, Eela could imagine a processor inside his head, trying to place that in with the little they already knew. "Unlikely," he said.

"Maybe Dooku's master was right and Michael is here," said Kenobi, "And he has turned dark."

"It could be possible," nodded the Jedi Master, "And Dooku leaving could be because he found him. But that brings forth its own set of questions."

"How likely do you think it is that Michael Shepherd has fallen to the darkside?" asked Eela, "Obviously, I never knew him, but you did. Do you think it is possible, or was he too committed to the light?"

Plo Koon sighed, thinking about it. Was it possible? He didn't think so. Had someone asked him eleven years ago, he would have said it was completely impossible. But then, he remembered back to Jedi Master's young days. He had always been doing the impossible - becoming a fully fledged Jedi Knight at only fifteen years old was only one of many records to his name. So now Plo Koon was unsure. Because, for all his skill, power and wisdom, there had been a certain unpredictability in it all. And now, Plo Koon thought, with eleven years away from the Jedi, he thought there might just be a chance the legendary Michael Shepherd could have turned dark.

"I don't know," he answered, at length. "You would be better to ask someone who knew him better, like Master Keen or Master Windu."

"If Dooku has found Michael Shepherd we must act quickly," said Kenobi.

"Then why does the planet still feel dark?" asked Plo Koon, "No, the cause of this darkness is on this planet. But what is it?"

It was a question none of them could answer, and Plo Koon found himself wishing, not for the first time, that Michael was here. He would know.

Eela Vasaway found herself wondering about her Master. He had known Michael Shepherd? He was technically almost as old as Plo Koon. It made sense. She made a mental note to speak to him about it when (if) she next spoke to him.

"And he ran into that theatre during one of its shows," continued the head of security, pointing, "naturally, it was full of people, so he essentially had the whole audience hostage. The Jedi couldn't get close as he was threataning to kill them all with his one of his many thermal detonators."

Zon Harper, the head of security and the Royal Shilerrian Guards at the Shilerrian Royal Palace, was recounting the attempt on the lives of the Royal Council members to Shaak Ti, and had led her outside into the main street. He was a tall man, but not towering over Shaak. His skin was a faintly tinted green, and his hair was cut short. He was dressed in his smart security uniform – black top over some light armour, with grey trousers produced with mobility and comfort in mind, although the designers had also managed to make them quite formal.

"So what happened?"

"The Jedi obviously tried talking to him, but it did no good. He was quite clearly deranged," Zon said in his accented voice (Shaak had heard hints of the accent sometimes slipping inside some of the speech of some of the Shilerrian Jedi, although never fully), "he hearded us all onto the stage, threataning to destroy the theatre. 'Where I can see all of you,' he said. He had blown up the entrance as soon as some of us had come through, so only the Jedi, myself and five guards were inside, and it was why the audience couldn't leave. The exit had completely collapsed, and fire was starting to spread. There was chaos among the spectators – screams, people being crushed – there were many injuries. Then...then everything happened quickly, and the details can be hard to remember clearly, in the way memories are. It all just happened."

Shaak nodded expectantly, understanding. "What happened?"

Zon frowned. "First of all, a big commanding voice yelled out 'stop'. It was loud, but that wasn't just it. It – I kind of heard it in my head as well. And I think everyone did, because the chaos calmed down, and people were looking about in confusion. So did the attacker, although not nearly long enough for anyone to reach for a weapon and incapacitate him – our weapons were all on the floor, three metres in front of us, as per his orders." The man paused, thinking about how to go next.

"What you have to appreciate is that there is the stage at one end, and the audience is in front, below. But as it gets further back, it rises, so the people at the back can see over peoples' heads. The incline isn't that steep – maybe ten or twenty degrees – but it does the job. And then ringing the audience area, slightly above the height of the stage is a walkway, which meets the back of the auditorium. On the left hand walkway (from the stage direction), the attacker is stood. And he has a civilian held in front of him, with a blaster to her throat. And in the other hand is his thermal detonator." Zon paused.

"As I was saying, the voice silenced the auditorium," Zon continued, "And then this cloaked figure steps out onto the other walkay, opposite him, so they are facing each other over the audience."

"Cloaked?" asked Shaak Ti. This made sense.

"He was wearing black all over. Hood, cloak, gloves...he had it all. And he wore a mask – not like a helmet, mind. It was more like a piece of fabric which hid the bottom half of his face. And his hood covered his forehead, so really only the eyes were visible."

It was sounding promising. It was looking more and more like Shaak's mystery bounty hunter had been here after all. "Can you remember what his eyes looked like?"

"How could I forget?" Zon asked, "His left was blue – a startling blue, really intense – but at least kind of normal. His right eye...most of it was a bright purple, but the rest was a kind of-"

"The other quarter was a bright green," finished Shaak, "Thank you."

Zon, looking surprised, was about to ask how, but Shaak said, "I have seen him before." Better than explaining the details about the infamous bounty hunter and how he was now wanted by everyone in the galaxy, for one reason or another.

He nodded, trying to assess how true that statement was, accepted it. "Anyway, as I was saying," he went on, "They were staring at each other across the crowd of people. The guy asked 'Why are you doing this? These people have done nothing to hurt you,' in his calm, clear, loud voice. The attacker replied, almost screaming, 'Don't play games with me – you know nothing about me. The people of Shilerria have voted in this atrocious government, and that is crime in itself.' His voice was shaky and as I said before, he was clearly deranged.

"The other man just laughed. 'I know more than you think', he said. The attacker shot at him with his blaster, but his hands were shaking and the shot went wide. The other man – can we call him x, for ease of use? X pulled out both his blasters with incredible speed and had them levelled at the attacker in the blink of an eye. 'Let her go,' he said, his voice darker, more commanding, 'Let her go, and leave Shilerria, and let everyone live, or you will die.' I was getting worried he would try something mad like shooting him. He couldn't, because he would hit the woman he held in front of him. The Jedi took steps forward, but he threatened with the detonator again. Laughing, he said 'You will have to kill her to get to me,' and that is what the rest of us were thinking. But x just said 'I'm the best shot in the galaxy. Let her go now or you will die.' The attacker threw the thermal detonator into the audience, but the tall Jedi – I think Master Unduli was her name – used the force and threw it towards the entrance - up the steps and everything. X shot the attacker – somehow hitting him despite his hostage – and jumped across the audience, like a Jedi. He took the remaining thermal detonators and threw them in the same direction as the other, just as the first one exploded. The other two followed shortly afterwards. But somehow the audience all knew to go back, and head away from the explosions. It was like he was speaking to them in their heads, just like when he calmed them with 'stop'."

Zon finally stopped speaking, catching his breath. Shaak frowned, having noticed a few holes in his account, and asked "But what about the fires? Surely they had been growing the whole time?"

"Yes," he answered, "And they were just starting to reach the auditorium. And obviously when the three thermal detonators exploded, that made it worse. And because of them the building was starting to collapse. There were firefighters, of course, but they were stuck outside and couldn't help too much. The Jedi were trying to keep the audience from being crushed by falling debris, so they couldn't clear the entrance. But again, X was there. With our help, he managed to clear the entrance. I say we helped, but he did most of it. Just lifted stuff into the air with what could only be the force."

Was Seron Rin force sensitive? It would answer some questions, but it would also bring a whole host of others to the table. It was possible Zon had been imagining things, but how else would they have got out of that theatre?

And there was a more important question.

Seron Rin had never been trained by the Jedi. How had he learnt to use his force sensitivity?

And if he had taught himself (certainly possible), did he dabble with the dark side? Did he know what it was and the dangers it brought?

"We got everyone out of there," Zon continued, "The Jedi trying to keep the building from collapsing the whole time. If they hadn't been there, we all would have died. Afterwards, they tried to find the stranger, but he was gone."

Interesting. Seron Rin trying to avoid the Jedi again. It always happened like this. He would show up, save or take lives, and disappear.

But if he was force sensitive – especially if he used the darkside – that made a lot more sense. He wouldn't want the Jedi questioning him about his abilities. It also explained why he was so good at evading capture.

But it didn't help Shaak Ti find him.

"Thank you Zon," she said. Most of it had been in Luminara's report. She had briefly mentioned he might have been force sensitive, but the report had been overlooked by everyone. Except by her.

Shaak Ti's hologram popped up in the middle of the Council chambers, the large, transparent windows showing a darkening Coruscant evening. Again, all the Council were there, either in person or in hologram. Indeed, the only empty seat was Shaak's own.

"Master Ti," greeted Yoda, "Found anything, have you?"

"Little of what I was told wasn't in Master Unduli's report," Shaak answered, her image flickering, "But I do believe it was definitely Seron Rin. And if what I was told is true, he is force sensitive, and can use it."

"Feared as much, I did. Even more reason to find him, this is," replied the wizened grandmaster.

"Was there anything on the planet which could give any clue to his location?" asked Mace Windu.

"Very little, Master. I asked at the spaceport, and no-one matching his description had passed through, exiting or arriving at the planet."

"But how could Rin have learnt to use the force?" asked the hologram of Obi-Wan Kenobi, "To train yourself is the opposite of easy, and it is likely without Jedi training he uses the dark side, knowingly or not."

"Correct, you are, Master Kenobi," answered Yoda, "But no answers have we."

"It is possible he was a youngling or didn't pass the trials, or couldn't find a master," suggested Mace Windu, "That isn't out of the question." To Shaak Ti, he said, "Why don't you go around known bounty hunter employers? They may know something if you showed them the right amount of money."

"It is possible," agreed the Togruta, "Although it will take a time."

"Don't go to the Separatists though," advised Master Mundi, "It would alert them and you could get caught."

"Of course," answered Shaak, "I'm not stupid."

"Moving on," Mace said, making sure things didn't get too heated, "Master Koon and Master Kenobi; how are you doing with Michael Shepherd and Dooku?"

"I believe Dooku has left the planet," answered Plo Koon, "But Tatooine feels very dark, like there is someone else here. Someone strong in the darkside."

"Sure of Dooku leaving, are you?" questioned Master Yoda.

"I felt his presence leave the planet, Master," Plo Koon insisted, "I don't know why the sense of darkness remains. That there is a strong darksider on the planet is our only solution."

"Perhaps there are a number of darksiders on the planet?" asked Saesee Tinn.

"But where did they come from?" asked Mace Windu. "They can't have just appeared."

No one had an answer to that. "Master Koon," Mace Windu asked, "Try and find out about the darkside on Tatooine. Keep us regularly updated."

"Very well, Master."

Obi-Wan Kenobi cleared his throat. "Master, is there any news on Master Keen's condition? His padawan would like an update."

"Recovering remarkably, Master Keen is," answered Yoda, "Soon walking and talking, he should be."

In the medical chamber, Dex Keen lay on the edge of consciousness, trying to work out why somebody should try and touch his mind.

In his unconscious state, he had felt his mind become detached from the rest of his body. Which was why he was able to recognise the familiar probing of someone trying to delve into the depths of his thoughts.

He had first felt it when on the first night he was in the medical bay and was unsure who it was. Certainly not a Jedi – the force signature differed from the brightness which came from that of the Jedi and besides, they wouldn't do that.

He thought he felt something familiar about who was trying to touch him. Something he hadn't felt in a long time, and he couldn't put a name to who or what it was, but he felt a familiarity about it all the same.

He tried to probe back, but he hadn't the strength or concentration. He was weak and in pain from his injuries, and couldn't muster the strength for something even as simple as trying to probe back in the other direction.

So he just focused on keeping it out of his mind. But the probe didn't seem to want to try to go in – it just gently touched at his walls, almost as if trying to feel if he was ok.