A pause before the AU events can really kick in.

Thanks to Darth Yuthura for her review. I will be taking your advice into consideration for the rest of the story. Your comments are appreciated and I will take a look at your mentioned story later.

Hyperspace. Kaelan had missed how soothing it could be in the extra dimension. The sight of the encasing blue funnel around a ship helped to evoke a sense of calm into even the most troubled of individuals. The recent events the exile had been bombarded with at the Peragus Mining Facility had left him just that, troubled. The history lesson of galactic events for the past four years, brief though it may have been, left him with an abundance of frustration, confusion, and questions. Now that he was no longer in danger, his mind was running rampant with queries that demanded answers.

"Well," Atton spoke up from his position in the centre of the cockpit, the ship clearly engaged in auto-pilot. "Now that there's one less planet in the star charts, maybe one of you can tell me what's going on. Because between stealth killers, squads of soldiers, a Sith Lord that looks like he sleeps with vibroblades, and being target practise for a Republic warship, I was better off in my cell!"

Kaelan eagerly turned to Kreia, awaiting responses to ease his frantic mind, just as Atton was. "The Republic warship was the Harbinger," The old woman spoke, her first statement directed more to Atton, "It was seized on its way to Telos by the Sith. They sought you Jedi."

Deciding to forget Kreia's deliberate use of a title he wanted no part of, he was surprised that the old woman knew of the cruiser's destination, when he, a passenger onboard, had not. "The Harbinger was on its way to Telos?"

"Yes, to aid in the recovery effort there. Many roads lead to Telos, including ours."

The destruction of Telos was one of the few events he had heard about in his exile. The impact had been felt not only in neighbouring sectors, but throughout the galaxy. The entire region had been left in chaos, those who had escaped the bombardment or had been out of the system, found themselves without a home. Bands of people scattered in ships, attempting to claim refugee status in Republic worlds. The influx of expatriates proved to be too much for some worlds to cope with, a fact which led to the destabilization of some systems and the rippling of fear within the Republic.

Not many people had the strategic insight to predict how far-reaching a simple act could be. But Kaelan knew of one such person who had that and more, Revan. The news of Telos had made him think of his old friend for the first time since the aftermath of Malachor V, where he and Malak had relieved him from his duties. Their demeanour had been cold, but a distant sense of regret lay beneath. Revan was one to focus on the long-term ramifications of an act and it only made sense for him to be responsible for the destruction. At the time, Kaelan had dismissed the news, no longer caring for galactic affairs.

"Not like we have much of a choice," Atton's voice snapping Kaelan out of his thoughts, "The Peragus astrogation charts being what they are."

"It is where we must go."

"Care you explain how you knew I was on the Harbinger?" Kaelan wasn't sure whether to be regretful of his decision to leave Eriadu on the Hammerhead cruiser or not. It seemed that all of those who had an interest in him suddenly knew where to look and he had a hard time believing it to be a coincidence.

"You were difficult to find," The old woman spoke with some degree of assurance, "But coincidence was on our side. The Sith attacked us en route, intent on setting a trap for the Harbinger. Fortunately, this worked to our advantage. After the Republic soldiers searched both ships, I was able to board the warship and rescue you."

"How did you find me? I was unconscious."

"Your thoughts were faint, but I was still able to find you, sealed in one of the cargo holds. Unknown to me, however, the Sith were already on board. Just as we made the jump to hyperspace they fired upon us, nearly destroying the Ebon Hawk."

"That's an unusual set of coincidences," Kaelan said, more to himself than anyone else.

"True," Kreia spoke, deciding to reply. "But as one trained in the Force, you know that true coincidences are rare."

Clearly the old woman had the same thoughts as the exile pertaining to how strange it was for him to be targeted the moment he stepped onto a Republic cruiser. Kaelan pushed the thoughts away for the moment, deciding to analyze them later. To not do so would be to engage in idle speculation, an exceedingly pointless activity in his mind. "That doesn't explain how we made it to Peragus."

Kreia's uninformative reply was cut off by warbling from T3-M4, whose excited sounds told the exile that he had been the one to repair the ship enough to allow it to dock in Peragus. Kaelan gave the droid a friendly smile and an apprising nod, to which it tootled happily.

The others were not so praising however, "Be silent!" Kreia reprimanded, "We're having a conversation here!"

"Easy," The outcast admonished, "He's the one that repaired the ship and allowed us to dock at Peragus."

Atton scoffed in response, "Repaired this ship, my eye. Next thing you know it's going to claim to have invented the hyperdrive. If that junkheap on wheels repaired this ship once then it can prove it by doing it again. Go on," Atton said as he glared at the utility droid, "Get!"

Emitting a dejected wail, T3 moved out of the cockpit. Torn between amusement and pity by the spectacle, Kaelan could only look at the former prisoner with a raised brow. "Was that really necessary?"

"I don't like droids," Atton mumbled in reply, "So yes, it was."

"I see," Kaelan said before turning back to Kreia, focusing on the many questions he still wanted answers to. "Why exactly are these Sith hunting me?"

"Because you are the last of the Jedi, once you are dead then they have won."

As soon as the word Jedi fell from her lips, Kaelan could feel his anger flare. By the time she had finished her sentence, he was snarling. "I am not a Jedi!"

Kreia only tilted her head to the side, "The Sith would dare to accuse you of such," She spoke, her tone indicating she was intrigued by his response. "They believe you to be a Jedi and that is all that matters."

"If they're hunting Jedi, why go after me specifically? What about the rest of the Order?"

The old woman only shook her head at first, though whether in sadness or frustration at his lack of knowledge, or perhaps both, Kaelan couldn't say. "The Jedi Civil War destroyed the Jedi. By the war's end, barley a hundred Jedi remained. Many fell in battle and many more were seduced by Revan's teachings."

Finally having confirmation that Revan was involved in the last galactic conflict, Kaelan could only nod in understanding at the last part, though he had a hard time believing all of the Jedi to be gone. "What about the Jedi on Dantooine? And on Coruscant?"

"The Jedi Academy on Dantooine is nothing more than a crater that echoes with the ghosts of dead Jedi." Kreia spoke pointedly, "And the temple on Coruscant lies empty. The water in the Room of a Thousand Fountains has fallen still, in reverence to the fallen Jedi, and those now lost. Many Jedi blamed the teachings of the Jedi Masters for Revan's fall and the Civil War that followed."

She made a point of looking at him for the last sentence, a thin smile on her lips letting him know that she strongly suspected, or even knew, that he felt the same. "Rightly so," Kaelan said with narrowed eyes of conviction glaring at nothing in particular.

"Perhaps."

Steeling himself for the moment, Kaelan pushed his thoughts away and looked back at Kreia. "How do we stop these Sith?"

"That is not an easy question to answer," The old woman spoke after several seconds of silence, "This threat is greater than you know and I do not believe it is a battle that can be fought."

A strange response, the exile thought as he looked at the other Force Sensitive. "Then what do you think we should do?"

An exaggerated sigh came from behind him, "Look enough with the 'we' already."

Kaelan had almost forgotten that Atton was there, but he ignored him for the moment. He had been waiting for hours on Peragus for answers and nothing was going to stop him from getting them now that there was a reprieve.

"We cannot hope to triumph against them alone," Kreia replied, "To stop them you will need weapons, allies, and....a teacher. In the end, I fear it may not be enough."

"What do you mean?"

"You fought in the Mandalorian Wars and it cost you everything. Are you prepared to sacrifice as much again?"

Kreia's query cut through him sharply and, for the first time since the conversation had started, the former General found that he didn't have an answer for her. Memories of Malachor flashed in his mind, the sights of thousands of ship being ripped apart, the panicked screams of comrades and friends echoing through the Force. All of it begged the very question Kreia was asking and he couldn't even begin to even think about it, let alone respond.

"This is not like any field of battle you have fought in," The old woman continued once she realized he would not respond. "If you choose to fight, if you choose war, it is a choice few can walk away from. It carries with it a terrible price, and in the end you may find you have nothing left to sacrifice."

"I turned away from war once, I can do it again." Even as he spoke the words, they didn't ring with as much truth when said aloud as they had in his mind. He had turned away after Malachor V, but it had been done more out of necessity. The final battle of the Mandalorian Wars had left him hollow, devoid of the perceptions he had grown so accustomed to. Kaelan had approached Revan before he left, he wasn't sure if he had been seeking reason, permission, or assurance. But he knew he had found everything, except the latter.

()()()

Kaelan moved down the corridor of the Republic Hammerhead class cruiser, Adamant. His communications regarding Revan's whereabouts after the Battle of Malachor had revealed that the Republic General was personally moving through what was left of the ships in the fleet, inspecting the remaining vessels; word had spread that the Republic leader was pushing for a pursuit of the Mandalorian remnants. Kaelan had been quick to take a shuttle over to the ship in question.

Now he was walking toward the very man he wanted to see, the boots of his Jedi attire clacking against the deck plating. Revan was conferring with the Adamant's Captain, Malak at his side, and so Kaelan stopped a few feet away. Once Revan dismissed the naval officer, he seized his opportunity and closed the distance between them. "Sir!" He shouted once he snapped himself to attention.

The man, seen by many as a hero of the Republic, turned to face him. Though his face was still hidden behind the Mandalorian mask he had acquired after the battle on Cathar, and his features hidden beneath the fully encompassing black and crimson robes and armour, Kaelan was quite convinced he had no real expression on his face as he looked at him. "Something I can do for you General?"

The use of his rank stopped Kaelan cold. In the past, the military formalities stopped after a simple uttering of the word 'sir'. Revan would always call him by name after that, they were friends after all. Now, Kaelan didn't know what to think. But he knew that the man in front of him couldn't provide the assistance he sought, he needed to find those who could and there was only one group he could possibly turn to. "I formally request permission to be relieved of duty, sir."

Revan gazed at him for a long moment in silence and the General found himself growing increasingly uncomfortable under his superior's gaze. It was as though Revan were trying to assess the reasons behind his query. If that were the case, Kaelan knew he no longer had the ability to shield the sensitive thoughts of his mind from a Force probe. He highly doubted such a thing would occur, but he was still wary. "Permission granted," Revan eventually spoke, "You are relieved General."

With that said, the Republic leader turned away from Kaelan to address the Adamant's Captain once more. The action was simple, the message, even more so. Kaelan had been cast aside, discarded by the very man he once considered a good friend. Nodding slowly at the realization, and trying to suppress the wave of anger and sadness burning within him, Kaelan left the bridge, not needing the Force to know that Malak was watching him depart with a cold gaze.

()()()

"Kaelan? Kaelan?"

Atton's words brought the exile out of the indulgence in his memories and he found himself still standing in the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk, though he noticed that Kreia was no longer there and that Atton was standing next to him, a questioning and slightly concerned look on his face. "Sorry," The former Jedi said as he willed himself to fully come to, "I was just thinking."

The pilot eyed him with a sceptical gaze for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Yeah, well like I was saying before you spaced out, I think our passenger could use your help."

"She seemed fine enough for someone who had lost her hand." It hadn't escaped the former General's notice that her left hand was now nothing more than a stump. Cleary, her encounter with the Sith Lord on the Harbinger had been more than she had bargained for.

"I think she was barely keeping it together," Atton said, a note of respect in his tone, grudgingly given thought it may have been. "I'm surprised she's able to stand with all that pain rolling off of her."

"What are you talking about?" The former prisoner's words in his last sentence were a strange choice in Kaelan's mind.

"Are you blind?" The pilot said, shooting him a look as though he had suddenly become stupid. "If I were her, I'd be screaming like a stuck Mynock." Realizing how bad that sounded, even to himself, he added, "Well I mean a very strong, manly Mynock. I think she's just too proud to show any weakness, especially in front of you."

"That's strange."

"Is it?" Atton challenged, "In case you haven't noticed she won't say two words to me, but she'll talk your ear off any chance she gets. Besides," He continued with a flick of his hand toward the blue funnel outside the ship's viewport, "We haven't got much else to do before Telos."

"I never knew you could be so sensitive," Kaelan teased with a slight grin.

The pilot only rolled his eyes in reply, "Oh don't give me that. All it takes is being around people long enough to read them, you should try it sometime."

"Right, I'll go check on her then- if only to appease your sensitive nature."

"Yeah, whatever," Atton spoke in an offhand manner as he turned back to the system displays of the ship, wanting to get a feel for the ship's specifications so he could fully judge its capabilities.

A chuckle escaped the former Jedi at his companion's response as he moved away from the cockpit and down to explore the new ship he was on now that he had some time, and because he didn't know exactly where Kreia was- at least that was the excuse he gave to himself. The walls and ceiling of the ship's corridors were cylindrical in design, light panels constructed into the side provided a good degree of visibility while still dim enough for Kaelan's eyes to tolerate. The area leading away from the cockpit, led to a small room filled with a cluster of databanks and terminals.

On closer inspection, Kaelan could see that the various stations were backup and support systems for the ship. Everything from sensors to navigation was contained inside. Of course the former General knew that the backup systems would not be able to completely compensate for a direct hit to the primary sections, they would provide the ability to keep the ship flying, however, possibly enough to make a difference between life and death.

Kaelan moved out of the system readout area and continued his exploration emerging into the central part of the Ebon Hawk. A large, circular holo-projector stood in the centre of the room, it didn't take the veteran long to realize that it was an essentially larger version of the same equipment on his armour's left gauntlet. It would be capable of receiving and sending communications, projecting tactical maps of areas listed in the ship's databanks, and anything else that could be displayed.

The outcast approached the holo-projector and keyed for a display of the Ebon Hawk itself. He hadn't had time to process the ship's design on Peragus while he was running toward it, but, from what he was seeing, they couldn't have escaped with a better ship. The Ebon Hawk was a Dynamic-class freighter that had been manufactured by Core Galaxy Systems, a shipwright organization most famous for the dreadnoughts it had manufactured during the war with Exar Kun. But while the battleship had been impractical due to its costly upkeep, the Ebon Hawk was anything but.

It was a circular shaped vessel with systems more at home in a military than civilian craft. It had a hull reinforced with both vacierite and durasteel, the latter a common alloy for armour plating, while the former was far more expensive and only present on the most heavily armed of vessels. It also had a shield generator more at home on a military dropship, a sublight drive able to reach top speeds comparable to an Aurek starfighter- with an armament to match, and, perhaps most notably, it contained the most recently designed hyperdrive.

It made it a powerful ship, especially for its class, and the exile wondered why it had been refitted with such components. Then again, Kaelan recalled the HK unit on Peragus citing it as a 'smuggler's vessel,' so the heavy modifications made sense. CGS had designated the design as a light freighter, but the Ebon Hawk had specifications usually only seen on a fighter/bomber class of starcraft.

Thinking of the HK unit made him wonder where the deactivated droid was and he started his search for it. It didn't take him long to find the mechanical's deactivated form right next to the vessel's boarding ramp and it made him wonder how he had missed it coming in. Kaelan wanted the bounty hunting mechanical closer to the inside of the ship itself, even though he had removed the unit's power core he couldn't shake the fear of the droid being able to reactivate itself and so he hauled it into the main hold of the ship.

Kaelan stopped when he caught sight of a door to his right. He knew he hadn't explored the entire ship yet, but it struck him as odd that one of the ship's security doors was active when the rest were not. He pressed a simple command on the entryway's interface and watched as it slid apart. His curiosity turned to alarm when he caught sight of a droid behind the door and he immediately drew his disruptors.

The former Jedi relaxed his guard, however, when he realized that the unit, while strikingly similar to the one he'd encountered on Peragus, bore some differences. For starters, it was off-line. Its power core was still intact, as evidenced by the spark emitting from its chest plate. In addition, the majority of its rusty red chassis was in fairly good condition, though a few gray marks were present from where the droid's paint had been chipped off. Closer inspection also showed the veteran that it was missing a number of parts, without which, it could not function.

The droid's processor, a component that enabled it to perceive its surroundings and receive commands was one of those missing. The control cluster, a part that regulated the unit's functions and other components was absent as well, as was the droid's vocabulator, a part essential for its speech. Fortunately for the exile, he had all the parts within the deactivated HK unit he'd carried from Peragus.

Now that he had assessed the droid's functions, all he had to do was salvage the desired components and put them in the new droid. Reactivating a droid that looked similar to a known mass-murderer made him wary of doing such a thing, however. He needed more information before taking such a step and he had a feeling who could provide it. "T3?"

His call was answered by a quizzical beep from behind him. It made Kaelan turn around sharply to see the utility droid in question glancing up at him with what he imagined to be a questioning stare. "Know anything about this droid?"

An affirmative resounded from T3 after a few seconds of silence, a reluctant sounding affirmative at that and it brought a frown to the Force Sensitive. "What can you tell me then?"

The utility droid lapsed into silence again, one that dragged on far longer than the previous stretch. Just when Kaelan was considering asking the question again, a string of beeps and whistles emitted from the mechanical. "The unit was damaged during the initial engagement with the Sith frigate?" The former General asked, seeking confirmation for the quick communication he had had difficult following.

T3 gave another affirmative, adding an additional set of beeps not long after. "You tried to repair him?" Kaelan adopted a look of surprise at that; T3 was shorter than his counterpart, making a complete repair impossible. "So, I take it this is a friend of yours?" He continued, not waiting for a response to his first, rhetorical question.

Rather than an affirmation, as the exile expected, T3-M4 made a regretful wail, but followed with a quick emission of beeps. "I see," Kaelan spoke in response to the utility droid's suggestion to reactivate the mechanical. "I'll keep that in mind T3, thanks." He decided he'd think about it later, right now he needed to see Kreia, both because of her hand and the need for more answers.

Moving to the right, he headed for the port section of the ship, passing through another corridor before he stepped into one of the ship's quarters. Three beds were against the left side, each interconnected with both each other and the wall. The beds were larger than those in the barracks of naval ships, a fact Kaelan was immensely grateful of. Kreia sat in the centre of the room, his analysis of her Force signature letting him know that she was meditating. He simply stood in the doorway, knowing without a doubt that she knew he was there.

"Have you come for more answers?" She asked, finally standing and turning to face him after several seconds. "There is little more left to give."

"Is there anything I can do for your hand?"

A dismissive shake of her head and a flash of annoyance at his concern met his query. "This wound is a physical thing and will fade with time. It was necessary as well, for some things may only be learned from sacrifice."

Kaelan frowned at her briefly, wondering what she could have possibly learned from such a thing. Now that he was concentrating fully on the old woman, he realized that she was using the Force to dull the pain of the wound but not to promote healing. A strange action in his mind and, though he wanted to ask her for the reason behind it, he decided against it. He knew her well enough by now to know that the chances of getting a straight answer were slim, and he wasn't in the mood for half replies.

The veteran, instead, stated the thing that had bothered him since the final moments on Peragus. "When you lost your hand, I felt it too."

It had not escaped him that he had felt an almost unbearable agony in his left hand, only to find that Kreia had lost hers during their absence. "That does not surprise me," The old woman responded, "Anymore than you hearing my thoughts when we were apart."

"If I felt the pain of you losing your hand, what would have happened if you had died?" Kaelan felt an immeasurable sense of fear grip him at the thought of such a link.

"I do not know, I fear the consequences would have been more…extreme."

"More extreme?" Kaelan repeated in disbelief, "I felt like the molecules in my hand were being ripped apart."

"Then the sensation you would have felt on my death," Kreia admonished sharply, "Might be less than that, though much quicker."

"Would it have been lethal?"

Possibly, yes and I fear it works both ways. I would not wish to test it, nor should you."

"Fantastic," Kaelan muttered drly.

"When battle is upon us in the future," Kreia began in a thoughtful tone, "I suspect our minds will be prepared enough to shield each other from the pain. I don't think we will have a repeat incident of what occurred on Peragus."

"Does this connection have any advantages?" The thought of a bond with such dire consequences made the veteran cringe, but he had a feeling there was more to it than that.

"Indeed there is," The old woman spoke with a nod of her head. "The Force seems to flow easily between us. When one of us uses the Force to heal or strengthen ourselves, the other is aided as well. It is a powerful technique," She said with a thin smile, "But, as we have noticed, is not without its drawbacks."

"If we are strongly linked, as recent events would suggest," Kaelan said dubiously. "Why aren't we aware of it?"

"Who's to say that I am not?" Kreia asked pointedly, "Perhaps you, yourself, need only concentrate harder."

The former Jedi thought about it, his failure in attempting to reach Kreia's mind would suggest he had not recovered enough of his Force connection to be aware of their link. Taking the old woman's advice though, he stretched out, focusing exclusively on something he now knew to be there. The effect was subtle at first, a feeling of a slightly stronger Force connection and, with it, the ability to pick up distant thoughts. Thoughts, Kaelan realized after a moment of analysis, that were not his own.

He pulled back on his search, drained by the excursion. "I can feel it, only distantly though."

"The fact that you feel it at all is a testament to your rapid recovery and strength. Perhaps," She spoke after a few seconds, "The damage inflicted upon you was not as bad as I had believed. It is not an easy thing, to cut one off from the Force."

Kaelan remembered how numb he had felt after the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator. He had chalked it up to the screams echoing through the Force at first, believing the sudden death of other Jedi to have dampened his ability to call on the Force. Later, however, several hours after the war was over, with him still unable to call on the Force, he knew there was more to it then he had initially thought. Eventually, he came to realize that he had been deafened to something he had come to rely on. The only question that still burned within him when it came to the subject was why.

Looking at her, he spoke the words he'd wanted to ask someone ever since event had occurred. "Do you know the reason behind that?"

Kreia regarded him for a long moment in silence. "The answer will come to you in time," She responded finally, "It must. And at any rate, strong as you may be at the present, you would do well to use the time left to Telos to strengthen your Force connection."

The exile couldn't help but feel that she knew more than she was letting on, but the knowledge that the question would be answered at some point gave him satisfaction- for the moment. "So, what do we do now?" He asked, turning back to the more immediate problem.

"I do not know, the Sith struck more swiftly than I would have thought."

"I doubt that Harbinger was destroyed at Peragus," The veteran interjected. Not only was it easier for Hammerhead class cruisers to make hyperspace jumps than other naval vessels, due to their streamlined navicomputers, but Kaelan had a hard time believing a Sith Lord could be killed by such a thing.

"As do I," The elder agreed, "But even if it was, more Sith will undoubtedly be on their way."

"So, why is it so important for us to go to Telos?' He recalled her conviction that reaching the planetoid was important, now he wanted to know why.

"Before the war, those Force Sensitive that failed would be sent to Telos in order use their talents as farmers and labourers."

The infamous AgriCorps, every Jedi knew of them. Those apprentices unable to to pass their training and become padawans within the Order were to become farmers. The Council always said the pursuit was just as beneficial to the galaxy as that of a Jedi Knight. Kaelan had to suppress as snort at that thought. If that were true, it would not only be those that failed the training that went, but a select number of those in the Jedi Order.

"It is possible," Kreia continued, "Though unlikely, that we will find…echoes of their passing. We shall see."

Kaelan nodded in understanding, knowing what they were looking for. Though he personally doubted AgriCorps held any sums of Jedi knowledge. "And if our search yields nothing?"

"Then I am left with nothing but what I had before; my faith in you and your ability to meet what comes."

"I see," Kaelan said with a raised brow, at such a poor strategy. He had nothing else to go on at the moment, however.

The exile's answers about the present had been answered, now he needed information on the past. He had always tried to separate himself from galactic affairs, but now such troubles had been thrusted onto him, and he found he had no choice but to be immersed into it once more. "What happened after the Mandalorian Wars?"

"Much has happened in your absence after Malachor V," Kreia stressed, as if in warning that he wouldn't like what she had to say. "Revan and Malak returned from the unknown regions months after they had disappeared in their 'hunt' for Mandalorina remnants, and at the head of a massive fleet. Having taken upon the mantles of Lords of the Sith, they waged war against the Republic and the Order. Only a few years into the conflict, Revan was ambushed by the Jedi and captured. Malak continued to wage war in his Master's place, inflicting terrible wounds on the Republic, wounds that bleed still. Revan resurfaced a few months later, returning to finish Malak. That was the end of the Jedi Civil War."

"Malak's dead?" Kaelan whispered in a mixture of sadness and shock.

He'd been far from unaware of the changes in his friends as the war with the Mandalorians dragged on. Revan gradually became more calculating, developing a cold demeanour as he immersed himself into the philosophy that the ends justified the means. Malak took his new name prior to the massacre of the Cathar, wanting to make everyone aware of his accomplishments. He became more brutal, developing a ruthlessness matched only by their opponents.

The changes had not been limited to just the two leaders, however. Many other Jedi, Kaelan included, had become more prone to bouts of rage. For the veteran, that change had followed him even in exile. He had learned to control it for the most part, but there were still moments where it seeped through, bringing a storm of memories with it, memories that only intensified the feeling.

The outcast was barely aware of looking at Kreia, "I think I've heard enough for now."

"I would see to that fool in the cockpit," Kreia spoke with a scowl, "And remind him of our destination. I would not want him attempting to veer from Telos."

Too distracted to remind her that the 'fool' had a name, he only nodded and moved toward the bow of the freighter. Despite the confirmation of his suspicions that two of his close friends had been instigators in the last galactic war, and his belief that several of the planets he'd heard about being bombarded during his time in exile were a result of their actions, he couldn't help but feel a sense of grief at the news that one of them was dead. Part of him believed it was only because he had never seen them during their time as Sith Lords that made him feel as he did. Another part of him felt he would feel the same regardless, but he knew that he would never find out which was accurate.

"How's our passenger?" Atton asked as the former Jedi stepped onto the cockpit, having heard the sounds of his armoured boots clacking against the deck plating on his approach. "She still aging?"

Despite his internal turmoil, a thin smile touched Kaelan's lips at the former prisoner's words. "She's as cryptic as always."

"What a surprise," The pilot spoke dyly, "Just so you know the whole cryptic routine isn't mysterious, it's just irritating. If you really can see the future you should be at the Pazaak table."

"Some of us have already done that," Kaelan spoke, his grin widening a bit; he had immersed himself into quite a few card games in his exile.

On some planets, Arbra for example, where either colonization was in its very early stages, or it was a world more at home to the criminal underworld, gambling was one of the few ways to earn credits. Even without his Force connection, he had won enough hands at Pazaak for his drunken opponents to accuse him of cheating. It had led to a fight that served as a catalyst for a number of other players to follow suite. Even though the former General had been forced to subdue his opponents, even kill one that had pulled a blaster on him, he couldn't help but reflect that he had made a good haul that night.

"Really?" Atton said with enough surprise to make him glance at the veteran over his shoulder. "In that case, as soon as I get my hands on a Pazaak deck we should have a match."

"Sounds good to me," A true smile now on his face. "That is, if you don't mind losing."

"Big talk Kaelan," The pilot replied with his own smile.

Shaking away his amusement, Kaelan pulled himself back to more pressing matters. "Are we still on course for Telos?"

"Unfortunately," A scowl now adorning the ex-convict's face, "It's the only thing that comes with the asteroid drift charts. If you thought Peragus was dead, than Telos is a dying world the Republic is trying to breathe back to life. Should be there in about two hours," Atton said after a quick glance at one of the displays in front of him. "You can check our course on the auxiliary navigation terminal if you want, it's just behind you."

The exile moved to the area in question, finding the console and a deeper liking of the Ebon Hawk. Every system seemed to have multiple redundant backups, he had no doubt the small freighter would be able to easily withstand a beating that would destroy any other ship of the same configuration. A quick check of the system confirmed what Atton had already told him, the ship would arrive in about two hours galactic standard.

"So…what happened?"

The sudden query stopped the outcast in his retreat from the cockpit and it made him turn back around to face Atton. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on," The pilot urged, as though he wanted Kaelan to spill some deep secret. "There are plenty of times back on Peragus where a lightsaber would have come in handy. So where's yours?"

"My lightsaber was taken from me," He said slowly, trying to keep his voice controlled as long suppressed memories threatened to resurface once more.

"Huh, I thought a Jedi was supposed to be married to their lightsaber. Were you a single hilt or one of those double-bladed Jedi?"

Kaelan ignored his impressed tone at the words double-bladed, "It was a single-hilt."

"Figures," The former prisoner replied, a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "It wasn't red, was it?"

The slightly fearful question made his anger flare. A few of his friends from the Mandalorian Wars had changed the colour of their lightsaber during the war, red being among the choices. Those that he knew did were far from being Dark Jedi, red was only a colour after all and some just found it more aesthetically pleasing, or had changed their blade's colour for the same reason as he. "Even if it was," He spoke with a snarl, "It wouldn't mean I was some Sith Lord!"

"Whoa! Alright, alright," Atton threw his hands up in surrender after turning to look at his companion. "Sorry for being curious!"

Knowing he had let his suppressed memories get the best of him once again, Kaelan took a moment to calm himself. "It's just not something I like to think about," His voice now softer.

"Well, if you don't mind me asking," The pilot began with caution, "What colour was it?"

"It was blue at first," The veteran's tone adopting an almost nostalgic quality.

"At first?"

Kaelan nodded, even though he knew Atton was no longer facing him. "I changed it after only a few weeks into the war, it reminded me too much of the Order. When it was clear they had turned their backs on us," The former General's eyes narrowed, "I switched the crystal to an orange one. It glowed as intensely as Hasaq's sun."

"Must have been something, sure would be nice to have it now. Might make those Sith think twice about coming after us."

"I guess it would."

Atton shot a glance to his companion at his offhand statement. "You don't sound too convinced."

A heavy sigh was the only response at first, "I'd rather not talk about this anymore." He was about to leave his comments at that when his thoughts drifted to the deactivated HK unit in the storage hold. "Can I borrow one of your mining lasers?"

Confused as to what he could possibly need a mining laser on the ship for, but complying none-the-less. Atton withdrew one of the mining tools from his side and threw it to the veteran. Kaelan caught the weapon, said his thanks, and retreated towards the main hold.

Once he was near the gray framed HK unit, he switched the firing mode of the laser to its steady beam and started salvaging the desired parts he needed for reactivating the other mechanical of the same class. It took thirty minutes to burn through the droid's armour plating, another ten to remove the needed components without damaging neighbouring systems, and twenty more to insert them into the rusty red framed HK.

As soon as he connected the last part, the control cluster, a low hum could be heard from the mechanical as its newly restored systems were charged by the mechanical's power core. Its photoreceptors flared a bright red, the head snapping up and the droid taking a few steps forward before coming to a halt. Kaelan's right hand hovered near his disruptor as soon as the droid was active, a hand which tensed when the HK unit started moving closer.

"Diagnostic: HK-47 activated, running checks through primary systems." The droid's monotonous voice turned to one of surprised distress after a few seconds of silence. "Assessment: It appears I have suffered considerable damage and dismemberment. I can feel all the cracks in my motivators!"

The exile adopted a small smile at the droid's behaviour, though he didn't lower his guard quite yet. "What were you doing in the storage hold?"

HK-47 looked at the human in front of him, a note of, what his behaviour core identified as respect, surging through him at the sight of the impressive defensive posture. "Answer: I do not know Master. It is curious that I am here," The droid paused to glance briefly at his surroundings, "Although this place does seem familiar."

"Do you have any idea what happened to you?" Kaelan pressed, a lack of answers seemed to be a prevalent thing in his life lately and it was starting to annoy him.

"Answer: It would seem you would know more than I Master. My memory centres are experiencing some setbacks." HK-47 paused, the electrical signal sent from his behaviour core didn't register the type of feeling he had expected. "Reflection: Of course, for some reason, that does not alarm me. I suspect I have suffered such memory failures before. Still, the loss of my higher combat and assassination protocols is shameful and degrading."

An assassin droid, Kaelan thought with tensed movement. He wondered whether the other droid had the same functionality, a difficult thing to ascertain since it had seemed intent on only capturing him at Peragus.

"You look like another droid that was hunting me." Kaelan had noticed that the red framed HK had yet to notice his deactivated gray plated counterpart lying on the floor beside him. His fingers brushed against the pistol grip of his right disruptor, waiting for some type of response. It was a test. If the droid was as memory impaired as it claimed, and was in league with the others as Kaelan suspected, he had no doubt the statement would stimulate enough memory circuitry for the droid to attack.

He did not, however, expect the mechanical to speak with a tone filled with amusement. "Statement: Oh, that is impossible Master. If I were out to kill you, we would not be speaking. And, regardless, I am a unique model. Why to think there would be other versions of me would be unacceptable."

He finally relaxed his guard, the droid's vocabulator adept at mimicking human speech enough to let him know that HK-47 was telling the truth. Still, he realized he would have to break the news to the assassin droid. Kaelan's silent retort to HK's statement came in the form of him motioning to the deactivated unit on the floor.

The rusty red framed mechanical followed his Master's extended hand and felt a deep surge of rage course through him at the sight of a grey plated version of him on the floor. At first, he believed his new Master had made a cruel joke and he was about to compliment him but, as he analyzed the droid's specifications and compared it to his own, he found them to be remarkably similar. Too similar for the situation to be the cruel joke he had had hoped it was.

"Analysis: This unit resembles my own base construction template on many levels. Components are compatible with my own design; my scans even show enhanced armour plating and improved shock resistance frames. This discovery is causing me some degree of anger, and humiliation."

"Are you alright?"

HK-47 finally looked way from the deactivated remains of the other unit, his photoreceptors snapping to his new Master. "Mockery: 'Am I alright?' Oh, yes Master, I am fine." The droid's vocabulator made his voice sound as though it were dripping with sarcasm. "Statement: I mean I have only just been reactivated only to find that there are sub-standard duplicates of me- running all over the galaxy in all likelihood. It is almost enough to strip away the pride of being an HK. Almost"

The assassin droid switched his gaze back to his grey plated successor, "But if they are in fact hunting you, then I look forward to meeting these units and educating them in proper assassination protocol."

Deciding that a change of subject was needed, Kaelan decided to ask more about HK himself. "So, you're an assassin droid?"

"Recitation: Yes, as I said," His vocabulator portraying the annoyance he was still feeling from the recent discovery, "I am an assassin droid. It is my primary function to eliminate meatbags you wish removed from the galactic population Master."

"Well, it just so happens that I am the target of both the Sith and every Bounty Hunter in the galaxy, so I'm sure I'll get the chance to witness your skills firsthand soon."

"Thrilled Remark: That is the best news I have heard since my activation Master. Despite the loss of my assassination protocols, you will still find me a formidable asset."

Intrigued by the 'assassination protocols' HK whimsically referred to, the outcast looked at him curiously. "What exactly is the function of your assassination protocols?"

"Answer: When activated, my assassination protocols allow me to operate single-handedly in the pursuit of a specific target, only returning upon complete termination." The mechanical combatant let out a sigh, "How I miss them so."

A low chuckle came from the outcast at the mechanical's last statement, "We'll be arriving at a planet called Telos in about an hour. Will you be ready for an excursion?

"Irritated Statement: Of course Master, or does the designation Hunter-Killer no longer have any meaning to the current galactic population?"

"No," Kaelan spoke with a suppressed grin, "It doesn't."

HK-47 regarded the human in front of him in silence for a moment. "Commentary: Those are harsh words Master. You managed to wound me in my behaviour core, a truly commendable line of attack. I like you already."

The former General could only laugh in response, bidding the newly reactivated assassin farewell while he moved to explore the rest of the Ebon Hawk. He was delighted to see a workstation area, across from the boarding ramp, with enough upgrade components stored within plasteel cylinders. The engine room was past that, branching off the exiting corridor to the left. Both the hyperdrive and the starboard and port engines were visible. To the right was a medical bay that held everything simple kolto patches to a kolto tank, in addition to mundane concerns like a simple refresher.

The cargo hold was next to the engine room, a wide space was available inside with the actual storage canisters either kept in the very back or to the side, where fastened netting kept it in place. To Kaelan's surprise, one of the netted off areas functioned like an armoury; several canisters were filled with enough weapons and equipment to supply a heavy platoon. But he felt his best discovery was a room that branched off the corridor that led to the port crew quarters.

It looked to be designed as a security room, but Kaelan was quick to realize it could double as his own private dwelling. It was a conclusion not reached for the room's size; it was only twice as large as the storage hold. The decision was made, instead, due to the presence of a small holoprojector in the centre of the room. Originally implemented to replay recorded footage from either the exterior or interior cameras- each of which had its video feed displayed on wall mounted screens-, a quick reconfiguration of the device linked it with the ship's systems, allowing it display anything stored in the vessel's databanks.

Keying for a display of the galaxy itself, the former Jedi nodded in approval as the various stars and planets appeared in miniature form around him. Kneeling on the deck, he closed his eyes and immersed himself in the Force. Although his Force connection had returned, it was far from being at full strength. Still, he knew he could fix it, all it required was to spend more time familiarizing his body with the sensation of drawing upon the mystical energy field.

()()()

The exile emerged fifty minutes later, feeling a combination of success and failure as he moved to the cockpit. Though he now had a stronger Force Affinity, it wasn't nearly as strong as it he felt it should have been. Where the Force Sensitive had to concentrate for a long time to be able to feel anything, now he could easily sense things around him, but only to a certain point. If he stretched out now, he could feel what was going on throughout most of the ship, though there were still a few sections beyond his current level of perception.

Stepping onto the ship's cockpit, he sat down on the co-pilot's chair. "Time to arrival?" He asked in a somewhat distracted manner while his eyes lingered on the transparisteel viewport.

Atton's response was to pull the ship back to sub-light speeds, the sight of a distant yellow star and a planet filled the region of space they now occupied. The pilot looked at Kaelan with a smirk, "Now."

The former General didn't respond, his attention completely focused on the planet they were approaching. Telos was a barren rock for the most part, colours of black and brown were the dominant vistas. Pockets of green could be seen sprouting beneath a large orbital space station that seemed to conform to the shape of the planetoid as it maintained its geo-synchronous orbit.

"What is that?"

"Citadel Station," Atton said once he followed his companion's gaze, "It's the centre of operations for the Republic restoration effort. It's also home to what's left of the Telosian population."

"What powers it?"

The former convict glanced between the looming orbital complex and the outcast, judging how to form a response. Deciding the Force Sensitive would find out eventually, Atton answered. "Well it used to be powered by Peragian Fuel."

Kaelan visibly grimaced at the news, "That's not good."

"Probably not," Atton agreed with a frown. "Peragus was able to supply cheap fuel to various sectors, so it's fair to say that the lack of export won't go unnoticed."

Further comment was cut-off by a transmission from the station itself. "Approaching vessel, this is station control, state your identity and intent.."

"Control," Atton replied, "This is the freighter Ebon Hawk requesting permission to dock."

A silence followed that gradually made both males uncomfortable, the response finally transmitted several seconds later. "Ebon Hawk you are cleared to dock at bay 24 at module 126."

Coordinates were uploaded to the smuggling vessel not long after pointing the pilot in the right direction as he changed course. "Acknowledged Control, coordinates received for bay 24, we've started our approach."

"Understood, Control out."

As the Ebon Hawk moved to its destination, Kaelan could see that the orbital complex was composed of interlocking sections he felt were the 'modules' Station Control had referred to. The only visible methods of connection between neighbouring modules were clusters of airlock passages, though the amount of shuttles moving around the station testified to an alternative method of travel.

The ex-convict brought the vessel in for a landing, Kaelan was already moving to the boarding ramp before the freighter's landing struts made contact with the deck plating of bay 24. Atton's mentioning of Citadel Station being powered by Peragian Fuel and Kreia's declaration of the Ebon Hawk's distress call being answered by the Republic cruiser Harbinger, made him think that Station Control's pause, once they requested docking permission, was caused by more than just the standard delay of searching for available docking bays.

HK-47 on Citadel Station...enough said.

As much as I wanted to include more of Kaelan's memories of the Mandalorian Wars into his nightmares, I felt I better to wait. More will come in time.