CHAPTER 1
SHADOWS EDGE

PART I

TELOS

Dark, large, bulging, and billowing charcoal black clouds loomed over the planet of Telos. They threatened to bust wide open, thundering out cascades of heavy wet drops of cold water from the heavens. However, with all its many threats it did no such thing. Instead the clouds brooded in the sky like mad bulls foaming at the mouth, only threating with hallow attempts. Sounds of thunder could be heard in the distance though, low, morbid, and overpowering. It was almost a wonder it didn't shake the ground beneath with shear force. With all the thunder going on there should have been light, but there was no sight of lightening from the sky. What brought upon the storm was a heat front of warm air that had been filling the surrounding area for hours, only now did the cool front hit was such strength.

Down on the planet's surface, in one of the more major cities, people were walking along minding their own business as usual. They didn't care if it was storming. Let it storm, they had buildings to cover themselves with after all. Beings of all varieties strode along the many avenues, sidewalks, and thoroughfares just to get to where they needed to be. Some were kinder than others, either moving out of the way or just pure out barreling though. Wide births were given to the large, and the small were squished in between the mess. Tall were seen while the short were close to that of being trampled on. That was the city though, not some country side place like Naboo. Hovering vehicles zoomed by on the main streets, leaving trails of wind as they went by. While lights on the buildings flashed to show what they were, whether it be shop, pub, or place to sleep for the night.

However, all of these distractions didn't make a difference to one individual. To them it was all moot, unless it would benefit what they were doing. Just as long as they got what they came to do, it didn't matter one iota. Having moved through the downtown throng he made his way to the market that had been set up for the day outside. It had been a nice day earlier as was so the stands' being out was a good thing. It was easier to be amongst them and get things, even if there were people everywhere. In all honesty that really helped in more ways than one could imagine. It let him blend in a lot with the rest of the world. Mostly so he could do things that most of the time he couldn't do without getting in trouble. So in this way the outdoor stands were a blessing.

Today of all days he was getting things for the home, what little home he honestly had. He had gotten parts he needed for a project at home, some minor necessary food supplies, and some clothes because the ones he had were getting old, faded, and tattered. Luckily they were in bags, so he didn't have to worry about the items inside scattering everywhere. Jaysin Castyr wasn't one for wealth, nor was he one for family. So the home he had wasn't quite much really, but he had to have a way to survive. That's why he was in the market. He didn't like doing what he had to, but what other choice did he honestly have. Slowly he was making his way to the last stand that he had to go to. Well he didn't actually have to, but he wanted to. A temptation ached at him, one of sugar and bubbling grease. Carefully he made his way over closer to the stand he wanted after having dodged his way behind one of the other stands just to get up closer to the one he was targeting. Licking his lips he stared at the exact piece of food he wanted. It was long and twisted, much like a long donut with cinnamon.

Carefully he began to use his "gift" as he considered it, to snag the one he was staring at. His eyes shifted as he reached his scrawny arm out to grab for it. At first it didn't budge, but then as he tilted his head to the side and bit his lower lip he began to make it slowly jiggle from its resting place. Jay was determined to have the object at hand. Turning redder in the face he began to slowly make the thing pick up speed. Finally it came out of resting and went almost flying at him, but before the thing could even have the slightest notion of hitting the cobbled ground he snatched it up like a bird of prey and pulled it close to him. From there he looked up and around from where he was squatted, making sure no one had seen. Lucky for him no one had.

Quickly he moved away from the stand, making sure he had his things he had stashed aside while he got the sweet. However, when he looked he noted he had by accident gotten two. A second sweet had landed uncannily on his stuff. He shrugged it off; it was of no consequence to him. Two was even better than one. A hand landed on Jay's shoulder after he had picked up the bagged items he was getting. He almost dropped them to the ground in fright. Tensing he didn't want to turn around and find out who it was. Yet after taking a deep breath and convincing himself, he finally did. Slowly he turned on his heels and looked at the person behind him. At first his heart felt like it could have leaped out of his chest thinking he had been caught, but instead he relaxed when he saw who it really was. It was his long time street pal, Zender.

"Blazes Zender!" he exclaimed almost dropping the materials again, a scowl now on his face at his friend for startling him. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"And that's my fault how? I'm not the one sneakin' around things out here, you are." he stated ruffling Jay's hair, a rye smirk on his lips, mischievous in nature. "Don't get your undies in a bundle."

"Don't make me smack you." he growled with a huff at Zender, trying to pull away from the fellow that he called friend. The kid was always a trouble maker. Why Jay hung with him was beyond the boy with the bags.

"How could you, your hands are full." Zender snorted with a tease and chuckled at Jay's broody temper. Zender always loved getting under Jaysin's skin. Mostly because Jay was shorter than him for one, and two it was just so easy to do so. Honestly Zender got under Jay's skin because he loved him like a brother.

"Then why don't you help me!" Jay exclaimed wearily. "Instead of being an annoying lazy space slug just standing there."

"Why, so you can smack me like a girl? I don't think so princess." he stated with a chuckle again and backed away just a tad.

"Maybe, especially if you call me princess again. Hey, I am not a girl thank you." Jay grumbled a tad bitterly at Zender.

"What? Could have fooled me." Zender stated with a smirk.

"You're a pain, you know that right." Jay stated trying to still keep a hold on things, but the bags felt like they could slip out of his hand at any moment.

"Yeah well, pain or not, you still love me. I mean come on, who could resist this dashingly handsome mug." Zender stated expanding out his arms to either side, a raised brow on his face.

"Me." Jay stated shortly with a snort and a glower still on his face.

"Oh I am so hurt." he said back and then pointed to his heart. "Right here. Not usually my most vulnerable spot."

"Sure you are." Jay retorted with a bit of sarcasm. "Don't be dramatic."

"What?! I am!" he stated back with a faked pouty face. This trick always suckered Jay, or so Zender thought.

"Rriiigghhtt...so are you going to help me or not." Jay asked with a sigh. a tired look on his face.

"Yeah yeah...I'll help. You're such a party pooper. You know what you need, you need to get out more often." he stated to Jay and poked him in the chest before he took some of the stuff.

"Umph!...Eh heh." Jay responded with a minor bit of sarcasm and finally slugged Zender with a free hand. "If only."

"Ow, hurtful!" he gave a fake wounded look again.

"Oh you'll live." Jay retorted with a roll of his eyes at Zender.

"No I won't. I'll die, right here, and right now." he stated back and pretended to die right there, falling back over with the stuff still in his arms and then he grew still.

"Oh come on. Don't make a scene, please." Jay begged, but then started to fall for the trick and came in closer to where Zender was, who then suddenly by surprise pulled him down and began to tickle him in the sides. Luckily he didn't lose anything that he had gotten.

"HAH! Got ya!" Zender cried out with glee, still lying on the ground, a bags worth of stuff near him.

"GAAHHH!" Jay squeaked trying to push away. "OKAY OKAY! You win! You win!"

"I win? Yay!" Zender stated and let Jay go and stood back up. "I always love winning."

'Haha...yeah sure you do you pain." Jay chuckled, feeling less tense now. He had been tense from wild dreams as of late, which left him quite moody. He never meant to be that way, but some of the dreams were so out there. Some were of Jedi fighting the Sith, while others were of great space battles. Both of these he never had encountered in his life. Of course he had heard stories from the local cantinas, but that shouldn't have been enough to give him such vivid dreams and or nightmares. He always saw many things, everything from the fall of Qui-gon Jinn to the rise of the Empire, from the return of the republic to the attack of the Vong. It all was so vivid, and he somehow always found that he felt he was attached, a part of it, but he could never explain how or why.

"I'm not a pain, you are." Zender teased Jay again, but then let it go with the next statement. "So onward ho right?"

"Yep, and last one to the hideout is a rotten piece of poo doo." Jay stated with a challenge and then began to make his way back to the hideout. It wasn't far from where they were, but it was still a good distance to go with a throng in the way. Jay slid his way through like a serpent and squeezed between the masses until he could break out into a run towards the hideouts main gate. Once he reached it he breathed heavily and waited for Zender to catch up. Once he did, both laughed and Jay opened the gate with one hand and walked inside. Once he was inside he walked along walls of tall stacked junk, including pieces of ships and other such related things. That's all the hideout really was, an over glorified piece of ship transformed into a place to live. Just the way Jay liked it, it made him feel closer to the stars like he wanted to be, even if it was in a junk salvage yard.

"Let's take the stuff inside and then have a sit, it may rain but I don't care. The fresh air is nice and I am hungry." Jay stated going inside the hideout.

"Alright, can do." Zender stated coming in as well. The place was not the most homey or decorated, but it was better than a box to live in. At least the place kept the rain out. It's halls were deep inside, under piles and piles of junk stacked on top of it. Neither boy had any idea that the ship piece they had wasn't just a piece, but was a whole ship buried under the rubble of junk. Both put their stuff down in designated spots. While Zender was putting his down, Jay had gone to a storage unit inside and pulled out a drink or two, which amazingly was cold.

"Here, have a drink." Jay said holding one out for him and then grabbing his food after he handed it off to Zender. Jay then went outside and sat on the makeshift porch so he could watch the clouds roll by. Somewhere up there he knew there had to be clear sky, the stars, and even the future. As he watched the clouds he popped open his drink and took a swing. As he did that Zender came out only stopping briefly to poke at a pile that was sort of still inside. After a few seconds of prodding at it he gave a sigh and then finished walking out to where Jay was and looked at him.

"You okay?" he asked Jay casually, but a worried tone in his voice at the same time. Zender shuffled a foot as he stood there for the moment.

"Yeah...just thinking." Jay mused, taking another drink from the bottle he had been fidgeting with, eyes staring like a hawk at the sky.

"About...?" Zender asked finally joining him and getting comfy with his own food and drink that he had. The smell of rain dangled in the air like ship fuel. It was a good smell though, and Zender breathed it in deeply.

"Everything." he replied to his friend, his eyes never escaping the skies. He too could smell the rain to come, and a part of him was hoping that it would, just so it would cool the afternoon air.

"Everything eh?" Zender raised a brow and looked at him curiously. He almost wanted to chuckle at his friends mystical moment. His friends wandering mind was always so strange, but Zender went along with it.

"Yeah everything...out there." Jay stated gesturing to the heavens above and sat back where he was sitting with a sigh.

"Oh..." Zender spun his bottle in his hands a moment and then took a drink before looking down. "Yeah, I think about that too…what it would be like."

"Yeah..." Jay stated dreamily, deep inside yearning for that chance to be out there maybe, just maybe. It was better than being stuck dirt poor on a rock where affording anything was almost none existent. He really did have to wonder if Zender honestly wanted it too or if he just went along with his crazy ideas.

"Jay?" his friend inquired vaguely.

"Yeah?" Jay replied softly back, still deep in thought, not worried about the fact that the rain finally started coming down as they were talking. Drops trickled off the end of one of the overhangs of their hideout.

"Do you..." Zender started, hesitating before starting back up again. "Do you ever think we'll get to see...out there."

"Are you kidding?" Jay snorted with a short laugh and looked at Zender. "Of course we will! We got that one race coming up after all! You and I ...were going to kick everyone else. I promise...and then when we do we'll either A use the money we earn for making a ship or B we will get tickets on the first ship we can out of here. Then you and I can become the travelers we've always dreamed of becoming, and you can pretend to be a pirate like you always dreamed, and I can pretend to be some great "gift user" just like in my dreams."

"Promise…?" Zender stated solemnly, the hope in his voice not as sure as Jay's. Sad eyes looked at his blonder friend. The rain was beginning to parallel the mood that was starting to hang in the humid air. What started as a few drops became a torrent of noise.

"Yeah of course I promise." Jay stated giving Zender a pat on the back and then pointed to the sky. "Don't worry, we'll be out there soon enough..."

All Zender could do was give a nod and took another drink as he stared out towards the junk yard, watching the rain pour down over the junk around them. For junk it was almost beautiful. It was almost like watching waterfalls going down a mountain. Then again, Zender had never seen one of those. The closest he got was a minor fall he saw in a park in the city once. It had been pretty too, for park. In the silence, Jay on the other hand, closed his eyes and let the sounds of the rain fill his ears as it sent him into what he would come to know later as a deep meditation.