The main group of Jedi and Naboo were gathered in the Queen's throne room onboard the royal cruiser,

Panaka stood in the middle of the room beside a beaten up R2 unit.

"It's an extremely well put together little droid your majesty. There is no doubt that it saved all of our lives."

Sabé, who was standing in for Padmé still, nodded, "It shall be commended for this. What is its designation?"

Panaka scrubbed some dirt of off the side of the excitable droid as it whistled happily, "R2-D2, you majesty."

Sabé looked at the droid, "Thank you R2-D2, you have our gratitude for your actions. Padmé," she waited until the apparent handmaiden stepped forward, "Please clean this droid up." The 'handmaiden' nodded, and Sabé studiously ignored the blind glower coming from Travien for interrupting what time they would have had together. She began dreading training when she saw him smirk in her direction, even more so when that smirk was joined by Padmé's.

She looked to Panaka, "Please continue captain."

Panaka stepped back and looked unhappily at Qui-Gon, "Your majesty, we are currently heading for a planet called Tatooine. It is a remote world on the outer rim and does not garner any attention from the Trade Federation. There we will be able to repair the ship and continue on our journey."

The guard captain stepped forward, "Your highness, I must object. Tatooine is far more dangerous than the Jedi is making it sound. The planet is controlled by the Hutts; they're gangsters, the scum of the galaxy!" The Naboo all went quiet and looked carefully at Travien as they remembered his speech to Padmé's advisors months ago.

Qui-Gon stepped forward, ignorant of the undercurrents to the conversation, "Your majesty, you must trust my judgment."

Sabé glared at him and turned her attention elsewhere, "Lord Travien, what is your opinion of this?" Qui-Gon started at hearing the young man deferred to as a Lord, it was unnerving for him. Another reminder of the danger his travelling companion presented.

Travien sighed, "I agree with the captain, Tatooine is a far too dangerous place to set down. The instant we arrive we shall attract attention." Panaka looked smug for a second, "unfortunately, we have no choice. It is our only realistic option. You can feel the Force pulling us to the planet as surely as I can your majesty."

Sabé nodded slowly, "Is there no chance that we can reach the Star…"

"No!" everyone was taken aback by the ferocity of his shout, even more so by the glare he sent at her, "We are nowhere near it. It is farther from us now than Coruscant, your majesty." The rest of the group was surprised at the tone Travien took with the Queen, all except for Padmé, Sabé and Eirtaé. They knew that Sabé had gone too far in mentioning the Forge in front of the Jedi. Travien was now angry.

"If you will excuse me your majesty, I have to see to the training of my students and my self." With that he turned on his heel and stormed from the room. Sabé sighed, she had forgotten about the enmity between Jedi and Sith for a moment. It may well have cost the young handmaiden her education in the Force.

Sabé looked over at Padmé, "Please clean up the droid, and convey my humble apologies to Lord Shan." Padmé cringed and nodded. As far as they were aware the Jedi hadn't known his surname at that point, this would not end well. Padmé walked into the droid maintenance room with R2 to see Travien meditating. This was what he always did when he was angry, he knew that she hated violence and she was grateful for how he suppressed his instincts for her. She remained silent whilst cleaning the droid, knowing that he would speak when he was ready to,

"You know." He said, "Before I met you I would have killed her instantly for an outburst like that." Padmé nodded,

"Have I been a good influence, or a bad one?" she asked, neutrally.

"I can't really say. All I know is that I wouldn't exchange that influence for anything." He said, not moving from his meditation.

"She's gotten you really angry, hasn't she?" asked Padmé, moving to sit in Travien's lap.

He left his meditation and wrapped his arms around her, "If she doesn't learn to keep her mouth shut, she's going to get someone killed. This other Sith means that I may have to use the Forge at some point, if the Jedi find it then they will destroy it as they do with anything that they deem to be the Dark Side."

Padmé sighed, "You think it will come to war?"

Travien shook his head, "This? No. The Nemoidians don't have the stomach to support a full blown galactic war by themselves nor do they have the resources. I don't know how these Sith operate, so it may not be anything more than one bored manipulator. But I am the Lord of the Sith. It is my duty to control those who serve me, and this one will serve me. Or die, whichever, I'm not fussed."

Padmé sighed, "She asked me to say sorry on her behalf. She knows that she should have kept quiet."

Travien heaved a sigh, "It doesn't matter I suppose. She can train from the holocrons for a while. She will have to learn though, I serve you, not the Queen, not Naboo, you."

Padmé nodded and settled into his arms as they both used the Force to direct certain cleaning implements to remove the dirt form R2-D2. They just enjoyed the opportunity to relax before they were interrupted as a head poked around the door,

"Hello." It said. Both of them looked up at the Gungan they had noticed earlier,

"Meesa Jar Jar Binks." He offered.

Travien was building up to kill him so Padmé intervened, "I'm Padmé. You're a Gungan, aren't you?" she watched him nod and continued, noticing that Travien relaxed slightly, "How did you end up here with us?"

Jar Jar shrugged, "Me no know...meesa day startin' pretty okey wid a morning walkin. Den boom....gettin very scared, an grabbin dat Jedi, and before mesa know it...pow! Mesa here." He shrugged again, "Meesa gettin very, very scared."

Padmé nodded and R2 whistled sympathetically. Travien just lifted his head as the Gungan left the room,

"Did anyone else catch any of that?" Padmé giggled a little, "Apparently not. Fine, the next person who comes in learns to fly, agreed?" Padmé nodded and settled down against him again.

It was over an hour before they were interrupted again. This time the person knocked on the door. Travien looked at Padmé, who was asleep of his lap. He ignored the knocked and carried on making sure that R2 was clean, as Padmé had long since dropped her tools. Unfortunately the knock came again, more insistently this time.

He snarled silently and gently placed Padmé on the floor. He tried to find something to prop her up with a eventually just used the cape that he had recently added to his armour, deciding that whoever was on the other side of that door would have hell to pay.

He stalked over to the door and opened it, "What?" he snarled, coming face to face with a stoic Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Master Qui-Gon wishes to speak with you immediately, Sith."

Travien glared, "Mind your manners, Jedi, that's Sith Lord. Now, where is the meddling old sod?"

Obi-Wan glared back, "Follow me." He turned away and Travien followed as the padawan led him through the ship. He took his lightsaber from its clip as well. There was no way he would be around two Jedi without being armed. Obi-Wan stopped in front of a door,

"He's in here." He said, waving at the door.

Travien smirked, "I trust you as much as you trust me, you first, Jedi." Obi-Wan huffed and opened the door, leading the way through. Travien walked in slowly and saw that the room was barely furnished. He spotted the older Jedi waiting for him and remained standing near the door. He inwardly chuckled at the naivety of the younger Jedi.

Qui-Gon watched Obi-Wan come through the door first and inwardly scolded his padawan for letting a Sith get behind him. He watched the young man come through the door with his lightsaber in hand, but not activated. Apparently the Sith didn't trust them, Qui-Gon sighed, that made things much harder. He only hoped that he could help the boy.

"Have a seat, Lord Shan." He waved to a cushion close to Travien. Travien walked over to it and sat down slowly,

"May I ask where you heard that name, Jedi?"

Qui-Gon nodded, it was a fair request, "The Queen referred to you as such after you left." He watched the young man's face darken,

"I see." That was all he said,

Qui-Gon sighed, "Very well. Perhaps we should start with the small questions first, yes?" Travien nodded but said nothing, "You appear to be blind, may I ask how?"

Travien thought for a moment and nodded, "A genetic defect. It is a trait that occasionally pops up in the children of those who use the Dark Side a little too often. My parents were unaware of such a possibility and failed to check for it."

Qui-Gon nodded, "It is rumored. Few Sith Lords ever have children, it is hard to verify." Travien simply shrugged.

"May I ask which of your parents was the Dark Lord or Lady of the Sith?"

Travien smirked, "Both, actually. Their names were Revan and Bastila Shan. Father took mother's name after the Jedi council destroyed all knowledge of who he had been."

Qui-Gon looked at him with wide eyes, "I was unaware that they had had a child."

Travien shrugged, "So are most. You have more questions?"

Obi-Wan interrupted, "How do you move so easily if you are blind?"

Travien looked at the padawan, "You have eyes, don't you? Everyone one this ship has eyes. The only ones with decent mental shields are myself and Padmé."

Qui-Gon looked taken aback, "You enter other people's minds and see what they see, don't you?"

"Occasionally. I have my own methods as well. To rely on someone else's eyes is a weakness that I cannot stand."

Obi-Wan puffed up in righteous indignation, "That's almost mind rape!"

Travien laughed at him, "What do I care, Jedi? Have you forgotten what I am?"

Qui-Gon looked at him carefully, "Indeed. Who is your master?"

Travien sat back at the question, "I have no master. I give my loyalty to Padmé but even she is not my master. I am a Lord. I answer to no-one."

Obi-Wan snorted, "Ridiculous, there are always a master and an apprentice. You are far too young to be a master."

"Always, are there? My mother and father ruled their empire equally. My parents took no apprentices; instead they trained me as their heir. You know little of the Sith, padawan."

Qui-Gon looked at him speculatively, "I am curious. You claim to be their son, and yet they died four millennia ago, how would this be possible?"

Travien returned the speculative look, "You ever hear of the Sith Civil War?"

Qui-Gon nodded, "Only vaguely, there are few records and nothing concrete. Why?"

"I'm not surprised about the records. Me and a ship full of droids were the only survivors and I trashed them at the first opportunity. The Empire fractured after a particularly stupid admiral assassinated my parents. I took the throne shortly afterwards, not easy for a fourteen year old I can tell you. The Empire destroyed itself. I built a stasis chamber on Naboo, entered it the day after I turned seventeen and here we are."

Qui-Gon nodded and Obi-Wan spoke up, "You are being awfully free with information."

This Travien chuckled, "Am I? Have I told you anything that can be used against me? Do you know of my capabilities or powers? Have I told you anything of value?"

Obi-Wan scowled as he realized the truth. Travien had told them absolutely nothing of use to the council.

"So Jedi, what do you plan to do now?"

Qui-Gon looked at him sadly, "I am afraid that standard procedure is to arrest you or kill you, unless you can be turned back to the Light."

Travien let loose a full belly laugh at that point. They looked at him curiously, "What, may I ask is so funny?"

Travien calmed down and wiped a tear from his eye, "The last time the Order sent a team after me it was five weapons masters. All of them died, at once. You two would only get yourselves killed. Even if you did survive you would be heavily injured and I am fairly sure that Padmé, at least, would kill you both. Failing that she would bring it to the attention of the senate that two Jedi attacked and killed a man for no other reason than a 'religious' affiliation. The other Sith Lord holds enough sway to nearly legalize the invasion of a planet, your Order would end pretty quickly after that I think, as this one is clearly an opportunist. The main point though is that I have committed no crime. I have broken no laws."

Both Jedi sat stunned as they realized that the young Sith Lord was correct. They could do nothing to him without jeopardizing the entire Order. What was worse was the way he sat there smirking at them, knowing that they could do nothing. He smirked at them and got up. As he headed towards the door he looked over his shoulder,

"You are aware of what telling the council about me would cause, aren't you?"

Qui-Gon nodded bitterly, "Death."

Travien smiled and left the room, heading back to where he left Padmé. Obi-Wan looked to his master,

"What should we do, master?"

Qui-Gon shook his head, "Travien is quite right, my young padawan. There is nothing that we can do. I must find out everything I can about his parents when we return to Coruscant. In the meantime we will focus on the immediate problems. The Trade Federation and this other Sith Lord. May the Force help us."

Travien entered the droid bay to see Padmé sitting up. She looked as though she had just woken up and Travien moved to sit beside her. She looked over at him blearily and noticed the sparkling astromech on the other side of him. Leaning into him she began to talk,

"Where did you go?" she asked,

"The ickle Jedi wanted to talk to me. Well, he demanded to talk to me. I didn't want to wake you up only for you to have to listen to some sanctimonious bloody preacher. That's basically what it turned out to be. I got away just before they started preaching about the evils of the Dark Side."

Padmé just laughed tiredly, "If I can't turn you from the Dark Side, then they won't be able to."

He looked at her for a moment, "Do you want to?" Padmé looked at him in confusion, "Do you want to turn me from the Dark Side?"

Padmé shrugged, "I love you as you are. You wouldn't be the same person if you weren't Darkish."

He chuckled, "Darkish, that's not a description I've heard before, I have to admit."

Padmé shrugged, still slightly sleepy, "You're a Sith Lord, but you don't commit genocide or eat babies, so you're darkish." He smiled as she fell back into sleep and stood up. He leant over and picked Padmé up in his arms and carried her out of the droid bay. He headed to the throne room, where the others were still discussing things.

He walked in, Padmé in his arms and looked at them. The Jedi had evidently rejoined the rest of the group,

Travien looked at one of the handmaidens, "Eirtaé, could you tell me where Padmé's quarters are, please." The handmaiden nodded and hurried over to lead him to the room as Sabé called out,

"Lord Shan, could I speak with you for a moment?"

Travien paused for a heartbeat and then continued to walk out of the room, with Eirtaé in tow.

"She didn't mean it you know."

Travien nodded, "I know, but that's not the problem. Padmé knows how to pay attention to these things, it's her job. If Sabé is gonna keep slipping like this then she is going to get Padmé, and herself, killed. If she does the first then I am going to ensure the second. Besides, the Jedi are looking for an excuse to get rid of me."

Eirtaé nodded slowly. This was more than just keeping secrets; this was about life or death. They all played the game and Sabé was losing. They eventually reached Padmé's quarters and Travien laid her down on the bed so that she could get some sleep. Travien shrugged off his armour and climbed in behind her. He wasn't planning anything, but he had been suppressing his aura since the Jedi had arrived and it was exhausting for someone as powerful as him. He lay down behind Padmé and went to sleep.