SHADOWS OF THE PAST

The stars coalesced from streaking lines to small dots in the main view screen as the Crystal Phoenix entered the Alderaan system. Trevor and Shudo entered the main bridge just as the Alderaan traffic controller contacted the Phoenix with landing instructions. The master/padawan pair had only spent a few hours in Coruscant orbit, refilling depleted supplies. They immediately departed for Alderaan heading for a diplomatic mission. A priority message was directed to the Phoenix as soon as it broke from hyperspace. The mission was based on two distinct parts. The primary objective was to mediate a dispute between the Gotal and the Techno-Union. A diplomatic conference was to take place on Alderaan. The Jedi Council felt that a pair of Jedi would help to ease any disagreements that might crop up. Shudo had accepted the assignment to see how much Trevor had learned during his studies directly before leaving for Ilum. Shudo turned, facing his padawan.

"This mission will be most difficult. The Gotal from Antar 4 are, as you may remember, are extremely sensitive to electromagnetic fields. The Techno-Union is a race of near-machines. The fact that they are even meeting together could be an exercise in diplomatic dynamics. Your studies are not complete, Padawan, until you apply what you have learned."

"Master, it amazes me how well you can read me. Am I that transparent?"

"No, Trevor, but I remember completing my first lightsaber and the thrill surrounding the successful completion of your own." Shudo took a deep breath. "We have time prior to the conference, Trevor. Why don't you take the day to look around the city? You have never been to Alderaan, correct?"

"No, Master. I have not."

"There are many different sights to see. You have one whole day to take in as much as possible. Please return to the Alderaan Conference Center by 11:00 am, local time. If you need me, I can be reached on the ship."

Trevor set his chronometer to the local time, nodding at Shudo's instructions. He took the time to find out orient himself to the layout of the Museum District of Aldera, which was near where the Phoenix had just been cleared to land. A short walk from the spaceport, Trevor felt that the exercise would do him some good. Nearly six days in the Phoenix was fine, but fresh air was still the best to get rid of travel fatigue. There was also another location that Trevor felt he just had to try, just once.

The morning dew was still on the grasses of an Alderanian common as Trevor walked through towards the University Complex. The section that Shudo and Trevor had landed was near the largest university complexes and medical schools in the Core Region. The planet surprisingly was very clean and reportedly had very little crime. The shops along the edge of the common did not have the hectic bustle that Trevor had experienced on Coruscant. Here the vendors did not yell or badger the customers. Instead, they communicated in soft tones and were extremely pleasant. Trevor talked to a few of them in regards to their wares, but did not purchase anything. Not that anything was not interesting; he just did not want to spend any money on trinkets.

As Trevor walked through the district, he felt extremely at ease. Trevor breathed the clean air around him and marveled at the smooth architecture around him. Everywhere he looked, curves and lines merged together in a flowing arcs and gentle waves. He was not an architect, but he understood the beauty of the buildings. The city was a part of the environment, not sprawling like Coruscant, but a part of the planet. Trevor had never felt freer. He continued to walk the streets of Alderaan, noting where he was in relation to his first destination: a casino. Now Trevor was not big on gambling, but there were days when he felt that his luck was good. He never used the Force to affect the outcome, for that would be cheating and using the Force for self-benefit. He walked into the casino, and immediately began to feel keyed up. He looked around the room, and noticed that a droid seemed to be working at one of the gambling tables. Trevor walked up to the table, placed some credits on the table, and began to play.

The cards were definitely not with Trevor on this day, so he kept his bets small and looked around the area. The droid-man kept adjusting a knob on the front of his armor, talking in Basic and in some strange whistling language. Trevor struck up a quick conversation when his Force-insight registered that this might be a member of the Techno-Union. He seemed to be losing much more than he was winning, but it did not keep him from betting big. Soon, Trevor lost interest. It was not until that point that he realized how hungry he was. He stood up from the table, excused himself and left the casino.

The university sector was nearby and Trevor had the sudden urge to be around younger people. He spied and outdoor café and walked towards a group of younger students discussing aspects of the class they just left. A few people gave Trevor a stare, and even some young ladies looked him up and down, thinking that he was a blind man. Trevor did not try to change anyone's opinion as he walking along. His walking stick was on his belt, but he did not feel like he needed to use it on Alderaan. He walked up to the counterperson, ordered a simple meal, and asked to borrow the latest newspad. The counterperson just slid the pad onto the tray without looking at Trevor. Trevor paid for his meal and walked out onto the outdoor tables. The furthest table had a covering over it to protect it from the sun. Trevor sat down in the light, feeling the need to rejuvenate his body with the light of the sun. Trevor smiled in spite of himself, imagining what Master Shudo would think of him, sitting in a café having a meal around many different people.

After eating most of his meal in silence, Trevor then turned towards the newspad. He sat back in his chair, lounging a bit and relaxing in the midday sun. The datapad contained the latest news from within the city limits. As he was perusing the headlines, he felt a push in the Force to review the second page. A picture of the Museum of Galactic History caught his eye. The article detailed the numerous thefts within the Museum district and the museum's curator, Nelz Yomm, had even mentioned that he was sending a request to the Republic Senate to have some Jedi investigators look into these thefts.

Trevor reviewed the news article a few times, picked up his flatware and cleaned his place off. After dropping his trash in the receptacles, he keyed Shudo on his comlink.

"Trevor."

"Master. I was sitting down having a bit to eat when I ran across an article on a newspad regarding the Museum of Galactic History. They have had a few thefts recently, and knowing that they had been asking for some help, I was wondering if I have your permission to investigate this?"

The comlink made no sound for nearly a minute. Trevor was about to try again when Shudo finally responded.

"Trevor, your request is granted. I have run into a bit of a problem as the Gotal and the Techno-Union delegates wanted to get an early start. There is no need to have you here at this conference as it is already getting heated." At this, Trevor heard raised voices in the background. "Please keep me informed as to your status, Padawan. I do not want any foolishness. You did well with Senator Essada, but please do not take chances."

"Yes, Master. And thank you."

"No, Trevor, thank you. I am glad to see that you are not doing idle things with your time. I must go. May the Force be with you."

Trevor signed off, took a deep breath, and headed straight for the museum.

The Alderaan museum district was located directly across from the Alderaan University System. The two districts took up nearly thirty city blocks, yet did not intrude upon each other's space. Trevor could not figure out if this was by design or by accident. After getting lost a few times, Trevor finally asked for directions to the proper museum. The twenty marble steps to the ten-floor building were impressive, but inside, Trevor stopped dead in his tracks. The inside of the museum went down twice as far as it did up. He could feel the history of the galaxy in this building, and he knew that this building could nearly eclipse the Jedi Archives. He moved away from the front door, allowing a group of school children into the building. A small girl with red hair stared at Trevor's face. Trevor gave a smirk and a wave to the child, whose eyes suddenly opened as big as a Corellian freighter and scampered off to find her friends. Trevor's smile never left his face as he approached the information desk. A young man, nearly twenty and pockmarked, stationed the desk.

"Good afternoon, sir. What can I do for you today?'

"Greetings. I was curious if the curator is available. I have been asked to look him up by a friend of mine."

"I am sorry, sir. Mr. Yomm is unavailable today. He is schedule to be busy for the next week. Is there something else I can do for you?"

"Well, would the assistant curator be available?"

"I am not sure, let me check for you. If you could wait by the bench over there, someone will be with you shortly. Do you require assistance?"

Trevor smiled even wider. "Thank you, no. I am fine."

The young man nodded his head, pointing to a bank of chairs by a large open window. Trevor walked over and sat with his back to the outside. The hum of people talking drowned out the words the receptionist spoke on the phone, but Trevor could tell by the tone that the curator would be down momentarily. He picked up an archeological ITD about a dig on Kalarba. He had nearly finished reading it when he turned his vision towards the front desk. A human woman with brown hair, green eyes and nearing thirty-five Standard years walked towards the reception desk. The young man behind the desk turned and pointed to the Jedi. The woman nodded to him and gave some quick instructions.

"Good afternoon, sir. I am Brea Zal, Assistant Curator of the museum. How can I help you today?"

"Actually, Miss Zal, it is I who is here to help you."

Brea cocked her head sideways, squinted at Trevor. "You're Miraluka, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. What gave it away, my charming personality?"

"Well, that, and the covering over where your eyes would be. You are also a Jedi, aren't you?"

"Miss Zal -"

"Please, it's Brea."

"Brea, then. In answer to your question, yes, I am a Jedi. However, I would like to speak to you in a more conducive place than here in the main entrance of your establishment."

Brea led Trevor to her office, which to Trevor's surprise was a neat bedlam. The office was cluttered, yet had a professional clutter look to it. Every box, datapad and artifact had its place, and though Trevor could not identify any individual pattern in the chaos, the entire place was organized nearly to a fault.

Brea walked behind her desk, moved a pile of papers and sat in her seat.

"So, Master Jedi-

"Brea, the reason I did not want to talk in public is that I am the padawan learner of Master Shudo Laan. He allowed me to come here and investigate the thefts within the Museum district. A Master, I am not. However, I hope that someday soon, the Council will allow me to take the Trials to become a Jedi Knight."

"Well, that does tend to clear things up a little," Brea's voice seemed suddenly sarcastic.

"Brea, my master asked me to follow up on these thefts. I am here on his behalf. I am here to help. Please allow me this chance."

She look at the Miraluka Jedi sitting across from her, wondering if a padawan was the right kind of Jedi that was needed for this. Reason ultimately won out, and she opened up to Trevor.

"Well, over the last few months, we have had a rash of robberies of rare artifacts from the museum. Curator Yomm thinks that the Jedi investigators can solve this quickly, but I don't know."

"What was taken?"

She opened the top drawer of her desk and handed him a sheet of paper.

"Here are the items that have been taken. Most of them were taken from an exhibit on the fourth floor. We have an extensive Jedi / Sith exhibit that many people find interesting."

"Has there been anything interesting about the articles stolen? Anything relative that you can think of?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. A few days before each theft, a strange man would ask a great number of questions regarding the stolen exhibits." Brea's face contorted while searching through her memories.

"Actually, I am interested now. Would you mind if we walked down to the exhibit?"

"No, I was just about to suggest it."

They departed the office just as they had entered, quiet and unassuming.

The Jedi Order had existed for nearly twenty millennia and the size of the exhibit seemed bursting with items. The exhibit opened into a two-story rectangular room with pictures and historical plaques detailing those ancient times, and the history of the Order was on display for any that wanted to view it. Trevor stood in awe at what he saw, and Brea had to shake him out of his reverie before they continued on. Trevor complimented Brea on this exhibit and she blushed rather easily. They discussed things in the exhibit and those items that were missing. They made their way around the exhibit, towards a smaller door three-quarters of the way around the room. This next room was a tribute to the Jedi/Sith War. This room was dedicated to some of the major battles that took place during a dark period in the Jedi Order. They discussed the room some more and continued to walk through towards a third room. Trevor walked through the Jedi/Sith War exhibit, but came to a stop at the entrance to the third room. It was a small room, only five meters wide, and ten meters long, but the enmity emitting from that room nearly knocked Trevor onto his feet. The entire room was made up of Sith items. Trevor closed his vision and began to recite the Jedi Code, over and over again.

"Trevor, are you alright?"

"Yes, Brea. It is just that I have never been near a Sith exhibit before. I am not prepared yet to go in."

"Why don't we take a walk outside."

"No, thank you. Something is in here. I can feel it."

Trevor's senses were certainly heightened, most likely due to the animosity generated by this room. He looked around and ventured into the room to locate where the feeling was the strongest. His stomach kept flipping over causing Trevor to wonder if he would be showing his lunch to Brea. The room only took about ten minutes to search. There were no tourists hovering around and Brea kept a respectful distance from him, interested in his investigation techniques.

The disturbance in the Force kept fluctuating in Trevor's mind, similar to waves breaking on an ocean beachfront. Trevor kept repeating his calming mantra to prevent complete revulsion overtake him. Nearing an alcove at the back, his Jedi senses near overload, Trevor narrowed his search to a particular statue of an imposing figure. The figure seemed to be in a hooded robe, its face completely hidden. However, his Jedi senses told him that this statuette was the cause of the disturbance. Odd, thought Trevor.

He called Brea over. "Could you remove that statue there, please?"

Brea walked over to a panel, punched in a code, and the paristeel window slid upward silently. She put on a pair of gloves and removed the statue. Trevor backed away from her as she moved carefully into the walkway.

"Is there a place where we can put this?" Trevor asked.

"Yes, there is a restoration room that we work on. Why?"

"We need to secure this piece. I also need to ask your staff if anyone has been looking at this piece with interest. Do you know if someone has asked about this statue recently?"

"I am not sure."

"We need to interview the staff that's been on duty recently, within the last four days. We need to find out if someone was asking about any specific item."

Trevor and Brea spent the next two hours trying to gather information, which turned out to be sketchy at best. They interviewed security and museum staff members who had covered the exhibit over the last five days. Most of the information gathered was sketchy and very unclear. However, half way through the third hour, they stumbled onto a staff member who recalled a man who was asking specific questions concerning that article just three days ago. Trevor's insight suddenly gave him an idea. He turned quickly to Brea.

"Is the curator available? We need to talk to him, now."

Nelz Yomm was a scholarly gentleman who seemed to have hair going in many directions at the same time. He was shorter than Brea and much older. His eyes were a metallic grey; posture curved as if he had spent too many hours hunched over a book. Trevor and Brea walked into the curator's office fifteen minutes later. Brea introduced two men and they shook hands.

"Mister Yomm, your museum has been experiencing a high amount of thefts recently."

"Yes, Master Jedi. It is certainly disconcerting to say the least."

"Please be assured that I am already working to solve this mystery. However, before going on, I have a question to ask you. I need a replica made of a statue currently in your restoration room. This statue may be the next target of our burglar. I expect that tonight will be the next time that they strike." Trevor proceeded to lay down the evidence that supported his theory. Brea added a few comments also, detailing what exhibit display this was taken from, who was interviewed, and detailed information that augmented Trevor's investigation. Yomm sat back and thought for just a moment.

"It would seem that you have done quite a bit of work for someone who has only been here for a few hours."

"The evidence was already here. All I did was put a new face on an old problem. My training in investigations is not perfect. I cannot say what the article is, and my knowledge is not great enough to be able to answer that question. Someone with more experience would need to study this article to understand why it causes a disturbance in the Force. My mission is to prevent another theft. I have a plan to attempt to capture the thieves. I need to have a replica made. A replica will give me a chance to meet my objective. I also need to discuss with Master Shudo Laan, a Jedi Master, my plan to verify my evidence and plan."

"I shall have the Restoration Team get right to work on it. It should take only a few hours. Feel free to use my office to contact your master."

"Thank you, Master Yomm," Trevor bowed to his hosts.

Yomm and Brea immediately left for the Restoration Room. Trevor pulled out his comlink and punched Shudo's code. Shudo did not immediately respond. Trevor nearly tried to contact him again when Shudo's voice was finally heard. Trevor was surprised by the hint of frustration in Shudo's words.

"Trevor."

"Master. Have I interrupted something?" Additional voices, mostly agitated and angry, could be heard as well through the comlink.

"No, Trevor. One moment." The buzz of voices was suddenly silenced. A sigh seemed to escape from Shudo's voice. "Now, Trevor, what can I do for you?"

Trevor reiterated his evidence to Shudo and reviewed the plan for preventing a possible theft that evening.

"Are you sure that a theft will happen tonight?"

"Master, there has been someone asking questions about an artifact a few days before an event occurs. It would make sense that it would happen the same way again. Maybe they would change how they entered a building, but it would seem as if they are reconnoitering. Different areas of the museum, different people, but there is the same pattern as the others. It just feels like tonight will be another attempt."

Shudo was silent on the other end. "You plan on staying there tonight?"

Trevor took a deep breath of anticipation. "Yes, Master. I plan on staying here. If we are to succeed in this, someone needs to be on the inside. I do not plan on stopping them from the attempt, but to prevent any escape to allow the authorities to capture this thief."

"I will allow this, Padawan," Shudo's concerns traveled the length of the city through the comlink directly to his apprentice. "However, only because the negotiations have already started. The Gotal wanted to begin early so that they could get it finished early. Since you have not been involved with these negotiations, you cannot do much additionally." Another sigh escaped Shudo's body. "If anything goes wrong, you WILL contact me immediately."

"Yes, Master. Are you sure you do not need me? I know how important these negotiations are."

"Not to worry, Trevor. This should be good experience for you. I don't anticipate anything out of the ordinary. Good luck. May the Force be with you."

Trevor signed off, wishing his Master the best of luck in dealing with negotiations. He looked out the curator's office window at the center courtyard. Shadows were growing long and the hour was getting near to the culmination of Trevor's impromptu plan. He hoped that Master Shudo would not need to be called. That would be nice, thought Trevor. However, one must crawl before he can walk.

The replica took until the end of the dinner hour to complete. Brea took the genuine article to a room reserved for the more priceless articles the museum receives in trust. Trevor insisted on not knowing where it was hid, nor did he alert any of the staff. He did not want to give any indications that the museum was aware of a possible theft. Trevor walked the museum for another hour, away from any other staff member to get himself acclimated to the environment. The museum itself was rather unique. The exhibits and displays were separated into smaller rooms on the outside the building. The interior of the building was an open concept design, where you could look across, up and down and see the different exhibits. It was a rather like being in a balcony at a theater, only instead of seats there were historical exhibits.

The museum closed with no strange occurrences. Trevor found a place to hide near the entrance to the Jedi exhibit. There was only one door into the Sith exhibit, the one leading from the Jedi Hall down through the Jedi / Sith war exhibit. It was difficult for the patrons of the museum, but it certainly aided Trevor's plan. The hours seemed to crawl by, yet Trevor concentrated on staying alert. He used his Force-sight to follow people around. Using a semi-trance, Trevor was able to keep completely still, blending into the environment even more. Brea walked by his hiding spot a couple of times, even looking around trying to find him. Most of the staff did not even give a second glace at the 'new Jedi statue' outside of the exhibit.

At the changing of the guard at mid-watch, Trevor sensed a disturbance in the Force. A sound reached his ears, causing him to turn his Force-sight up and down the hall, looking for something out of place. He then pushed his vision to the guard station located a few doors down the hall. He directed his sight to the monitors behind the station, but the monitors did not show anything moving. One of the special security monitors that showed heat signatures did not show anything either, which Trevor thought as odd. No motion sensors had been tripped so it would seem as if his imagination was working overtime. However, a slight shuffle along the carpet alerted Trevor that the monitors were wrong. He redirected his sight to his floor searching around for any signs of movement.

On his walkway, a tall, cloaked figure emerged from the shadows. Trevor's vision was not able to distinguish any features but it seems as if blackness replaced where the figure should have been. Trevor focused on the body, but was unable to distinguish any features. The figure moved stealthily towards the Jedi exhibit. It looked around, verifying that no one had noticed his approach. Making sure none were about, he moved into the exhibit hall. Trevor was certain that this was the thief. As he made ready to move, another slight sound caught his attention. He turned his sight towards the sound, but nothing could be seen. Odd, thought Trevor. Must have just been my imagination again. The figure had moved out of the exhibit hall when Trevor turned his sight back into the hall. When the figure had moved into the Jedi / Sith portion, Trevor removed his cloak and placed his lightsaber in his hand. It was time to activate part one of his plan. He took out his comlink to contact the security desk on his floor. He told the security detail to initiate a building-wide silent lockdown. Trevor knew that the museum, with all the riches and treasures in the building, had to have some sort of security system. Brea had confirmed it and set up a code specifically for Trevor to initiate a lockdown. He also called Master Shudo, letting him know that a theft was in progress. Shudo told him to keep an eye on the situation and do not let him get out of the building. Trevor signed off and moved from his spot into the main hall into the Jedi Hall ready for action. He moved through the main hall toward the anteroom as silently has he could. With his lightsaber in hand, he moved into the anteroom.

The Sith hall was dark, just the way the figure liked it. There was no alarm sounding, as was expected. All was going perfectly to plan. It extracted a small plasma torch out of its belt, and walked slowly towards the correct display case. Cutting through the paristeel was very simple. It sliced a hole big enough to pull out the statue. It was putting the statue into a pack when a slight movement caught its attention. Suddenly from the entrance to the anteroom, a surprising sight greeted it; a white lightsaber blade suddenly grew out of the dark, outlining a human shape. Without a moment's thought, the figure reached down and pulled out a comlink. The figure barked into it, listening to the response, and placed the com back onto its belt. The figure stared back at the man, and bellowed in satisfaction. The figure then drew a large blaster rifle from his back and took aim on the figure.

Trevor had expected something like this, but when the two-meter tall figure reached under his cloak for a rifle, he was very apprehensive. He maneuvered his lightsaber around in battle defense. The objective was to capture the thief, not kill him. However, it seemed as if the thief had no similar plan. It was either kill or be killed, so Trevor moved forward towards the creature.

The cloak of the figure dropped, causing Trevor to start yet again. This creature was certainly not one that he had ever seen. Its bipedal body, what could be seen, was hairless and dark colored. The beady-orange eyes and lampreylike jaw portrayed eagerness at the battle ensuing. The being took aim at Trevor and fired. The blast missed giving Trevor an opportunity. He moved forward to get a better swing at it. However, the second blast caught part of Trevor's tunic. The heat from the blast caused Trevor to be momentarily stung. The creature move to the back wall of the Sith hall. Trevor continued to move forward, cautious as to the accuracy of the rifle. The creature was only firing one shot at a time. Every other shot, Trevor had to change direction or raise his saber in defense. Unfortunately, the creature was more accurate than Trevor wanted. Continuing to venture nearer to its location, Trevor had a lasershot graze him in the left shoulder. The pain was something that Trevor definitely did not to experience again any time soon. He swung his saber directly at his assailant and was rewarded with a howl of pain. Trevor tried to take a step back, but realized that if he did, it would be detrimental. Another round of blaster fire headed at Trevor. He deflected the beams into a Sith exhibit, showering Trevor with pieces of pottery. Blood started to trickle down his cheek. Feeling the adrenaline in his veins starting to ebb, Trevor felt that only another minute of this would be disastrous. This creature is strong. He swung the blade laterally at the creature, immobilizing the blaster very effectively. It backed into the nearest wall as the pieces crashed to the floor. Trevor knew that he had an advantage, but did not want to press it. He needed it alive to find out what were its intentions. Instead, Trevor spoke to the creature.

"Down on the ground, now."

The creature regarded Trevor like a caged animal, no indication that he understood his command. Trevor repeated the request in Wookee, Anx, and Miraluken, hoping that one of them would register. However, the expression never changed. Trevor then pointed his lightsaber down on the ground. The captive seemed grimace and slowly complied. Trevor trained his lightsaber at the beast. The orange eyes burned, but the being did not attempt to raise itself up. Trevor picked up his comlink and attempted to contact Brea. With no immediate answer from Brea, Trevor motioned to the being to get up and move towards the exit. It rose, snarling at Trevor. For his part, Trevor just motioned his saber towards the door. It looked for an opportunity to attack but Trevor never gave it a chance. Trevor adjusted his lightsaber to extend the blade another few centimeters to give him any advantage.

As they reached the entrance of the Jedi exhibit, Trevor moved his vision to scout for any reinforcements. What he saw caused concern. A cable was hanging from the paristeel ceiling. It looked like someone used the ceiling to enter the building. Movement across the causeway made Trevor take in his breath. A second creature, a bit taller but more menacing, was exiting a door on the far end of that hall. What caused the most concern was that Brea's head was in the second thief's muscular arms. A mean-looking blaster pistol was placed next to her temple. Trevor's skin crawled as he watched the first rouge's expression change to a knowing smile. He was outmatched, outclassed, and in danger of causing an innocent to lose her life. I cannot let that happen, thought Trevor, shaking his head.

The two groups stood still, a weapon positioned at each other's prisoners. Trevor knew language would be a barrier, but intelligence could be translated just by actions. The other creature bellowed at Trevor, pushing the pistol into Brea's head. Trevor nodded to the kidnapper, deactivating his lightsaber a few seconds after. Though he did not understand the words, he knew the intent. He dropped the lightsaber to his side, still in his hand.

Suddenly the two creatures moved as one. The first drew a similar blaster pistol from his belt while the second creature threw Brea down. A shout could be heard from Brea, but she did not move after. The kidnapper jumped to the ascension cable while the first thief took aim and fired at Trevor. Even though he immediately activated his blade to defended himself, a shot got through and hit him squarely on the left tricep. Trevor knew that the creature was going for the kill as he was in severe pain. He could not grasp his saber in two hands effectively, so he switched his method. He then parried the next two bolts, causing sparks to fly from the walls and railings where the blots hit. Trevor worked very hard at redirecting fire away from Brea's last location. Trevor worked his way closer to the nearest thief. It continued fire at him, but Trevor deflected what fire he could. He was wearing out, and knew if he did not dispatch this creature now, he would not be alive to find out what happened.

He redoubled his efforts to end the contest. He parried to get away from the blaster fire, but nothing hit, this time. The creature's eyes showed a certain joy in battle, but there was also a nagging doubt in his mind as well. Trevor's next riposte was good for clean hit on the leg, causing the creature to fall. It fired one last time, but could not get a clean shot. Trevor saw his next swing enter the creature torso, and knew immediately that the battle was over. He deactived his blade, giving a Jedi salute to the body on the ground, and turned his attention towards the second attacker. The assailant, however, was already out of the hole in the ceiling. Trevor realized at that moment that the first creature was going to get away. The sound of a speeder bike could be plainly heard from above.

Trevor immediately contacted Master Shudo. Shudo was still a few minutes away, but he would divert to search for the rouge speeder. Trevor thanked him and immediately ran to Brea's aid. She was just sitting up when Trevor arrived.

"What were those things?"

"I am not sure. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

The sounds of sirens distracted Trevor for a moment. Then a wave of exhaustion swept over him. He put his right arm out to steady himself, willing the dizziness to go away. Brea was still clutching at her head and did not notice Trevor's plight. Trevor reached down and assisted Brea onto her feet.

"We need to see the statue. Can you walk?"

"Oh, yes! I can. Hurry."

The pair moved down to the other end of the causeway and through a steel door. The door seemed to have been cut open near the hinges. The cut was made by a very small laser cutter, Trevor thought. They walked into the room and noticed that nothing else was touched, except for the statue. The statue was cut into two pieces, with one part having a pyramid shaped hole in it. The waves of Sith presence was no longer as intense as Trevor remembered. There was something inside the statue! How could I have missed it? Trevor lamented to himself.

"My master is going to be here shortly. We will need to report everything to him."

Trevor picked up the statue, since its power had severely diminished, and walked out towards the main entrance. A medical team was just entering the museum when Trevor and Brea entered the foyer. Trevor escorted Brea to them and assisted her onto the stretcher. Just at that moment, Brea looked over Trevor's shoulder and her eyes opened very wide. Trevor sensed a familiar presence in the Force and smiled at Brea.

"Get yourself well, Brea Zal. May the Force be with you. Greetings to you, Master Shudo. Were you able to find that bike?"

"Hello, Trevor. No, I was not able to find it. It must have slipped away into an alley. We were not able to track it, either. Are you able to talk, my padawan?"

Trevor turned his visage towards Shudo. The tone of voice said it all.

"Yes, Master. Only just."

Trevor and Shudo walked out onto the center courtyard into the early morning darkness. Trevor was not sure what Shudo wanted to talk about, but waited diligently. He knew that he didn't have long before he passed out, but felt that he needed to give Shudo his attention.

"Give me the situation. All of it."

Trevor reiterated all that happened, leaving nothing out. Including what he thought. Shudo asked him to describe the thieves again, and Trevor responded with more thought, but could not add anything to the descriptions he'd already given. Shudo seemed to be lost in thought. Shudo could be heard to whisper "I thought they had all died out. Obviously not."

"Master, what is it?"

"Trevor, sit down. I am sorry to do this to you, but you need to listen to my words very carefully."

Trevor complied, gathering his robes about him in the brisk morning air.

Shudo sat next to him, also gathering in his robes. "These monsters you fought tonight should be extinct, but they are not. In no disrespect to your training, you should not be here. Those were Deshade (Shudo pronounced it da-SHA-day), assassins from the Jedi/Sith war. These creatures were also known as 'Shadow Killers'. They do not give off infrared or heat signatures. Their race was very good at killing. Both the Sith and the Jedi many hundreds of years ago used them, as assassins and solders, respectively.

Trevor felt the sudden weight of the planet reach out and pull him down.

"Master, there is more. Whatever they were after, they got it." Trevor brought out the broken statue and handed it to Shudo. "I don't know what that indentation is inside of the statue, but it was actually a covering for something."

Shudo examined the statue pieces and immediately put them within his robes.

"Trevor, forgive me. I was not paying any attention to you. You are severely injured." The Anx race was well known for their knowledge of anatomy of any race in the known galaxy. "I want you to go with the medical team immediately. We will discuss this later."

Trevor nodded to his master, and slowly got up. He got to the triage area, and submitted himself to the nearest medical team. As he laid upon a stretcher, Trevor felt that he had failed miserably. I should not have let that creature get away with the theft. From that thought, Trevor drifted off to unconsiousness willingly, letting the triage deal with his injuries. Shudo watched the triage team work on his Miraluka padawan and thought to himself, "What have you gotten yourself into, my young padawan? Are you ready for the Trials, as I have forseen? He will need more knowledge in the Jedi lore if he is to be a successful Knight. I don't remember any of my other padawans getting into this much trouble." Shudo walked over to the curator, and discussed other issues.

Trevor awoke, sun beating down on his face. Sounds of birds and other air borne creatures met his ears. Trevor kept his vision closed to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the moment, thinking that he was in the Jedi Botanical Gardens again. However, footsteps and a squeaky wheel woke him from his reverie. With his vision open, Trevor noticed that he was in a hospital bed with a view of the University common. A human doctor walked into the room, greeting Trevor warmly. The doctor gave Trevor an update on his condition. Since arrival to the University Medical Center, Trevor had been in a bacta tank for ten hours. Not that long, for most cases of burns, but due to the number of burn marks he had, it took a short time to heal. The doctor mentioned that he would be smelling bacta for a few hours. The only other instructions the doctor gave him was to take a few days to rest before taking on any more missions. Trevor started, but realized that the lightsaber and robes gave him away as a Jedi. The doctor gave him permission to get dressed and told him that a nurse would be by to give him a quick exam before being released.

Trevor dressed and was released by mid afternoon. Not sure where Shudo might be, he reached for his comlink. That familiar disturbance again made its way to Trevor and he looked around. The Medical Center was directly across the street from the Conference Center that he was supposed to be at for the negotiations. Trevor carefully crossed the street to the conference center, and walked up to Shudo, who was in conversation with two human diplomats.

As Trevor stopped walking, one of the diplomats noticed him, bowing. Trevor responded in kind and the diplomat interrupted the others, pointing out Trevor. Shudo bowed to his compatriots, and excused himself. The other nodded as well, and Shudo walked over to his padawan.

"Trevor, you feeling better?"

"Yes, Master. Though I continuously smell bacta."

Shudo let out a loud chuckle, and he turned bright yellow. "Yes, a bacta tank would cause that. I am glad to see you are recovered. We have an hour before departure. I have a few more things to tidy up. Meet me back at the ship by then."

"Master, do I have your permission to visit the museum one last time?"

Shudo nodded his acceptance, and moved off back to the conference. Trevor turned to the road, hailed a shuttlecab, and told the driver to head to the museum.

Trevor walked to the main reception area and was about to ask if Brea Zal was in when he heard a familiar female voice giving a history on one of the displays in the main foyer. He turned around and Brea was standing there, talking to a bunch of school children. As she turned around, she nearly bumped into him and immediately stopped talking. Trevor smirked at her, and bowed deeply in greeting. "Curator Zal, may I have a moment of your time?"

Brea smirked back, and motioned for a staff member to take over. They walked a short distance away from the group.

"How are you feeling?"

A deep sigh. "I am not sure. I am all jumpy inside. Physically, I'm fine, but I jump when a door closes."

"I am glad that you are not hurt. I am sorry for putting you into harm's way."

"Why? I put myself into that situation. I wouldn't want to do it again in a long time."

"Do you have some time off coming to you?"

Brea's eyebrows rose up. "Why?" she asked, perplexed.

"It might be a good idea for you to get away and find your center. I have my training to fall back on, but those that don't have that advantage, I have heard that a safe place away from a traumatic event does wonders for the soul."

A smile crossed her face. "Yes, I think that it would. Thank you for your assistance, Master Jedi."

He bowed his head in acknowledgement, but did not see fit to correct her. As he straightened, she winked at him, giving him the hint that she knew exactly what she was doing.

Trevor arrived at the spaceport just a few moments before the ship was ready for take off. He went to his quarters and looked around the room. What is going on? Are the rumors true that the Sith have returned?, Trevor wondered. A rumble in the floor notified Trevor that the ship was leaving Alderaan. I like this planet. If I get a chance, I'd like to come back as a tourist. There is so much more here to do.

Trevor's thoughts drifted downward. I can't believe I let them get away. What was that piece they got away with? Why would they need it? More questions than answers flittered through his mind. A dark cloud formed in the back of Trevor's mind due to his failure. How am I going to be a Jedi, if I can't meet the simple objectives of a secondary mission? Trevor brooded about it for the remainder of the trip to Coruscant.