Chapter One: A Situation

Seven Years Later…

On the far edges of the Inner Rim is a tiny, insignificant planet called Pathar. During the ancient conflict between the Jedi and Sith the planet was colonized by war refugees. The colony quickly died from the toxic rain clouds that blew in from the planet's poisonous oceans. Now little Pathar's only inhabitants are from three mining facilities and one large, Republic, defense outpost. The outpost is known as Almega Base.

Stationed at Almega is Padawan Summer and her master, Elicity K'Ull. Under the two Jedi's command are a large force of clone troopers lead by Colonel Viper…

"Come to me" someone whispers. The soft voice wakens Summer from a deep sleep. Her eyes flutter open and she finds herself lying on a dirt covered floor. Surrounding her are four wooden walls, all in disrepair and toppling over from dry-rot. Clinging to one of the walls is a large chunk of splintered wood. Summer assumes that it's the door. Spattered across the walls are red streaks of dried blood. Bits of scattered bone litter the ground. Summer takes in a breath and the sharp stench of feces fills her nose. She gags. Summer makes note not to breathe through her nose. She rolls over and props herself up with her elbows to get a better look at the door. Dim beams of light filter into the room from around the door's edges outlining it in gold. The door creaks on a pair of iron hinges.

"Come to me" a voice whispers. The voice is somehow soft and powerful at the same time. Summer slowly climbs to her feet. As she stands her head swims and her vision tilts dramatically to one side. She staggers to the side before crashing into the one of the walls. Brittle wood snaps and buckles under her weight. Summer and the wall both go crashing down. They hit the floor in a heap. Summer curses under her breath as she picks herself up off the ground. She looks at her hands to find them dripping with blood. Countless splinters stick up from her palms. She begins to rip out the wooden needles but only succeeds in breaking off the ends. It's a hopeless job. She stops and looks up. She's at the back of another room. This one is larger than the first and is made entirely of large grey boulders. The walls are circular and the ceiling is slightly domed towards the middle. The room is completely dark except for a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. At the opposite side of the lantern is a doorway. The metal door hangs slightly ajar. Summer turns around to where the wooden shack should be only to find a pile of dust.

"What the hell?" she murmurs. "The shack, it disappeared…"

"Come to me." The voice has returned. It comes from the direction of the lantern. Summer spins to face the voice. Nothing. Except for the lantern, the room is empty. "Come to me" repeats the voice. Inside the lantern is a single flame. The orange head of fire is vaguely shaped like a hand. As the flame flickers the hand beckons. It wants Summer to come closer. Summer takes several tentative steps forward. The hand beckons still. She moves even closer. "Come to me." Summer walks towards the lantern until it hangs directly in front of her. The flame's red glow is warm on her face. She stares into the light watching as it twists and turns inside its little cage. It almost looks as if the flame were trying to escape. A sudden urge to take the lantern rises up in her and she doesn't resist. Summer reaches out to take chain holding the lantern to the ceiling. Suddenly room's metal door swings open. The door breaks free of its hinges and flies towards Summer. Jedi instincts take over and she ducks low. The door sweeps overhead, smashing the lantern. Bang! The door crashes into the back wall and clatters to the floor. Summer stands back up, unharmed. She looks up at where the door used to be. There is now a stone corridor lined with lanterns. At the end of the corridor is a hooded figure covered in dark robes. An icy wind sweeps through the doorway. Summer's hair drifts backwards in the cold breeze. She shivers.

"Come to me." The voice is now coming from the figure at the end of the hall. Something small has changed in the voice, putting Summer on edge. Another voice in Summer's head screams for her to run; to get away from this wicked place. Another voice tells her to stay. Summer shakes her head. She has to get out of here. Something evil is at play. The rooms temperature is quickly dropping and Summer's breath is coming out in white clouds. It's freezing cold. That's when Summer notices what she's wearing. A thin robe stained with blood from her hands. She hugs the robe around her tighter as she starts to shiver.

"I want to leave" she says through chattering teeth.

"Come to me." The voice is growing more persistent.

Summer tries to back away from the doorway but can't move. She's paralyzed.

"Come to me" the voice's calls. It sounds different now. It has dropped several octaves and is gravely and rough. Long gone are the quiet whispers of before.

Suddenly Summer is moving. She looks down in horror as her legs move on their own. She is walking towards the figure involuntarily. Her body is no longer hers but someone else's. This voice is controlling her. Pulling her closer to the hooded figure. Summer wants to lift her hands but is powerless. She feels weak. Scared and frightened.

"Help!" she screams, but nobody answers.

"No one will help you now Aveen."

Summer quickly finds that she is out in the middle of the corridor. Walls are speeding by in a blur. Her body is in a full sprint towards the shadowed figure. She can't stop. Summer once again tries to scream but her voice is immediately silenced by an invisible force. The figure at the end of the hall is now closer than ever. Summer can see the bloodied and bare feet of a child peeking out from under the robe. The figure's chest is rising and falling with each breath. The dark figure raises a hand and Summer skids to a stop less than a meter away. Summer shakes uncontrollably while an icy feeling of dread fills her gut. The shadowed figure is moving, raising both hands up to pull down its hood. Summer strains against whatever controls her but can't break free. In one sweeping motion the figure throws back the hood, revealing a distorted face. One half is the face is a creatures half decayed skull with a single glowing, red eye. Bloody chunks of skin hang loose, revealing the rotten patches of muscle and bone that make up the face. Summer immediately wants to puke. Her body bends over and she dry heaves over the floor. Stomach still churning Summer automatically snaps back to standing position. As soon as she is upright her eyes are drawn to the other half of the monster's face. She lets out a cry of fear. Staring back at her is herself. The imposter's face is a much younger version of Summer but the resemblance is unmistakable. The imposter even has the same grey scar that runs across her face. Summer grows lightheaded. Dizzy. She can't take anymore. Just before Summer blacks out she catches one last glimpse of the girl's scar. It is glowing bright red in the darkness.

"Look into your past Summer. He prophesied your destiny."

That's the last thing Summer hears before she loses consciousness.

.:Summer:.

Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! Summer wakes up to a low buzzing sound coming from across her room. Her eyes slide open. She's super tired. Extremely tired. Doesn't want to get up. Hoping that the buzzing will stop on its own, she lets her eyes slide close. Just a little more sleep. Bzzzzt! Summer rolls over in her bed and tries to ignore the sound; the buzzing continues. Why won't it stop? Bzzzzt! She gives up on going back to sleep. What is that buzzing sound? Still sleepy, Summer sits up. She opens her eyes and looks around. Her eyes are greeted by her plain bedroom. It's not much to look at. It is an octagonal room with evenly spaced forty-five degree angles. Each side of the octagon is 3 ½ yards long. At the back of the room, or the 'bottom' of the octagon, is Summer's bed. The first two sides that connect here are both used to store gear. The thin lines etched into the silver walls are actually voice activated slide-out drawers. Of these two walls, the left one holds what few clothes and uniforms Summer owns; the right one carries everything from combat armor to grapple guns. The next two walls on either side of the octagon are both large windows covered by shades. Next are two more walls,; both are plain and empty. Most notable are the desk and chair that Summer shoved in the corner several years back. Lastly, at the top of the octagon, is a metal blast door that leads outside.

Summer squints her eyes at a slanted beam of sunlight pouring through one of the windows. The light is shining right on her face, practically blinding her. Outside she can hear the sounds of Almega's daily wake up routines. The shouts of Captain Grey, one of Colonel Viper's aids, leading soldiers in morning exercises; the clanking of AT-RT's returning from night-time patrols; the drone of drop-ships carrying in new supplies, and the 'pop, pop' of gun-fire from the shooting range. The base has awaken without her.

Bzzzzt! That buzzing sound again! Summer's sleepy mind begins to kick into gear. As she comes to, facts begin to run through her head. 'My name is Summer Tio Alee. I'm sixteen years old and 1.8 meters tall. My master is Elicity K'Ull. I'm at Almega base at Pathar. I…' Bzzzzt! 'What IS that sound?!' Then she remembers. Whenever she sleeps late Corporal Cutter is supposed to give her a 'wake-up call'. Bzzzzt! The call has arrived. Summer can hear Cutter's exasperated sigh as he presses the door buzzer for the tenth time.

"I'm up!" Summer calls out.

"Took long enough." Cutter growls. The clone trooper's departing footsteps fade away from Summer's doorstep. Summer yawns and stretches her taught muscles. It's uncharacteristic of her to sleep in this late. Usually she is up at the crack of dawn with Captain Grey and Master Elicity. This is the fifth time in a row that she has had to be awaken by Cutter. This is also the fifth time in a row that she has had the dream with the voice. Summer stumbles out of bed and crosses over to her desk. A basin of water and a towel are waiting for her. Elicity probably put them there while Summer was still sleeping. As Summer washes up her mind goes back to the strange dreams…or nightmares, whatever they are. She started having them recently. Only within the beginning of the week. What do they mean? What is the two faced monster-girl creature? What's the importance of the lantern? Summer finishes washing and goes to the wall to find something to wear. Questions continue to whirl around her mind. Why does the dream start in a shack? Who prophesied her destiny? What does, "Look to you past" mean?

Summer opens her drawers. She gets dressed in a brown long-sleeved training shirt and a pair of black pants. She grabs a pair of light-weight training shoes and slips them on. Summer remembers when she first tried to decipher the dreams on her own. She'd spent almost all day meditating and had only ended up more confused. Each question had led to another, which had led to another, which had led to another…. Everything had gone in circles. It was like a big, endless search for truth. Only one person on Almega base could ever give Summer the answer to something like this. Master Elicity K'Ull.

Summer grabs her belt holding her lightsabers and heads towards the door. She stops as something catches her eye. A full length mirror sitting by the door. Elicity had given it to her when Summer was still young. She'd told Summer to look into the mirror every day for self-confidence. 'Remind yourself who you are." Elicity had said. Summer looks into the mirror now. She sees an athletic sixteen year-old girl who's too skinny and has a grey scar running down her face. Summer pulls up her black hair and puts it into a ponytail. She purposely allows some of her hair to hang down in her face. It effectively covers up the scar. 'That looks better'. Summer thinks. 'Much better.' Summer turns and rushes out the door to find Elicity.

Later…

It is a clear autumn day and the forest surrounding Almega is a quilt of fiery reds and dull browns. Summer and Elicity are walking side by side on a trail winding through the trees. Almega is far behind them, in the distance.

"Trust me Summer." Elicity is saying. "The dreams don't mean anything. Maybe you were upset about something and it manifested in the form of a nightmare. We've all had nightmares once and while."

Summer is already shaking her head in disagreement. "Nobody has four nightmares in a row Elicity. These are the same dream night after night. Each time I have them I hear this voice talking to me. It's telling me all this stuff, like, to look into my past and mentions a prophecy. I feel like the dreams are trying to remind me about something but I just can't remember. It's frustrating!"

Elicity does what she always does when she thinks and glances up at the forest canopy above. Between the leaves she can catch glimpses of the sun and patches of the blue autumn sky. Summer used to look up too when she was thinking but quickly realized she was only doing it because Elicity did it. That habit had lasted only few weeks.

"You said that the dreams tell you to look into your past." Elicity says. "Have you tried to?"

"Well, yea, I have. But every time I try, I can't find anything. Actually, now that I think about it, I can't remember anything from before the Jedi temple. I was five, almost six, years old back then. Everything from before the temple is, like, completely erased"

A concerned look comes over Elicity. Something is bothering her. She looks troubled. "Are you saying that someone stole your memory?"

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. Erased isn't the right word to use. I meant to say gone. Everything from before the temple is just gone.

"Hmm." Is all Elicity replies. No advice. No answers. Just 'Hmmm'. She doesn't say anything else and the conversation ends.

"Did I say something wrong" Summer asks. Her master just shakes her head and keeps walking. Summer follows. Elicity begins to walk faster and Summer speeds up. Elicity speeds up. Summer smiles and accepts the challenge. She starts up in a jog only to be passed by a running Elicity. Game on. Quickly the padawan and her master find themselves sprinting through the forest, leaping foot holes and fallen trees. The sounds and sights of the forest fly by in a blur. They duck under low branches and dodge rocks. Neither one slows. They only go faster. Elicity pulls ahead and Summer struggles to stay up. She focuses her mind and concentrates on speed.

"Growing tired?" Elicity calls back playfully.

"Not a chance." Summer manages through laboring breaths. Her own heavy breathing is all she hears. A single breath in. A single breath out. 'I got to beat her this time!' she thinks. Inhale. 'I can't lose!' Exhale. 'Faster Summer, faster!' Summer leans into her final burst of speed. She speeds through a long stretch of woods before bursting out into a grassy clearing. Not fast enough. Elicity is already waiting for her. She's smiling. Summer slides to a stop and rests her arms over her head.

"Good run?" Elicity asks. Summer nods. She's too out of breath to talk. "Take some time to recover. I'll wait." Summer walks around a bit before settling down. She lays back on the ground, feels the cool grass, and lets the sun wash over her. Elicity sits down next to her and they sit in silence. A soft breeze blows through Summer's hair as she rests. For a brief moment Summer forgets the dreams. Thoughts of having the perfect day drift through her mind. No problems and no troubles. Just her and her master. Summer is about to kick off her shoes and close her eyes when Elicity stops her. "You can sleep later. I have something to show you first. It's about the dreams." She motions back towards the forest. "Follow me."

A while later, Summer and Elicity are standing around a large boulder in the middle of the forest. Elicity closes her eyes then uses the force to lift the boulder away. As the boulder moves, a large hole is revealed on the forest's muddy floor. The inside of the 'hole' is coated with metal. It's a tunnel.

"I wish I could go with you" Elicity says. "but I have to take care of some things back at Almega."

Summer looks at her master and then back at the tunnel. "You want me to climb down there…alone?"

"Well, yes. There's something you need to see. I think it will help you. Once you reach the bottom of the tunnel make sure to look into the water. It may take some time, but the water will speak to you. Patience will be necessary." She pauses. "You're not scared, are you?"

Summer is taken back by the question. She stutters out an answer. "Uhm…uh…no. No, not at all! I mean, there's talking water at the bottom. I'm all for that."

Elicity sighs, relieved. "Good. When you're done, come back to Almega. I'll be in the HQ center."

Summer nods. "Yes master."

"Remember to cover the tunnel on your way out." Then, without another word, Elicity leaves Summer alone in the forest.

.:Elicity K'Ull:.

(Twenty minutes later)

Elicity bursts into the Head Quarters of Almega base. Startled clone troopers look up from their work. Elicity ignores their stares and b-lines straight to the nearest turbo-lift. As she walks, she talks through the com-link strapped to her wrist. "Major Ex, this is Commander K'Ull. Come in."

Major Ex, the Colonel's assistant and Captain Grey's commander, responds. "This is Major Ex. Go ahead Commander K'Ull."

Elicity reaches the turbo-lift and steps in. She waves her hand over the controls activating a switch through the force. The lift shoots up towards a private level built only for Elicity. "Major, I need you to get someone to the hanger and have the fastest hyperdrive equipped ship prepped for take-off."

"Yes, Commander." A short pause. "Is everything okay ma'am?" The turbo-lift reaches its destination. The doors open and Elicity steps out into a small room without windows.

"Let's hope so..." A dark feeling hovers over her. Is everything really alright? No, everything is not. "…and Major, if you see Summer, tell her to prepare to leave. Tell her we're going on a trip."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Elicity switches off her com-link. The room she is in is almost completely dark. The only light comes from a pair of glowing lamps. In the center of the room is a large computer console covered in wires. It's a holo-projector. Elicity goes to the projector taps several buttons and steps back. The console comes to life. It projects a massive image of the Republic and Jedi symbols.

"State priority." A synthetic voice says.

"This is General Elicity K'Ull of TF08, Pathar. Priority One call to the Jedi Counsel."

"Affirmative. Connecting to the Council Chamber."

After a short wait, the holographic symbols are replaced by a large hovering image of the Jedi Council chamber. Only three masters are there. Yoda, Mace Windu and Obi Wan. Elicity bows quickly.

"It has been a long time since we've had any word from you General K'Ull." Master Windu says. "State your business. We hope that you bring good news." It's about as friendly of a greeting Elicity's going to get. A lump begins to form in her throat. She swallows it back quickly. Talking to the council has always been her weakness.

"Master Windu, forgive me, but I bring unfortunate news from Pathar."

"Have the droids returned to reclaim the mining outposts?" Obi Wan asks.

Elicity shakes her head. "No, Master Kenobi. I'm afraid this is much more serious. My padawan, Summer Alee, has been having dreams…of her past."

No one in the council responds. Dead silence. Yoda speaks up. "Alarming news, this is. Come to Coruscant, you and your padawan shall. Deal with this problem, the Council must."

Elicity nods. "Yes Master Yoda."

"I sense a strong disturbance from the future, K'Ull." Windu says. He narrows his eyes. "I pray that the force protects us all."

Elicity nods, almost frantically.

"As Master Yoda said, come to Coruscant immediately." Windu motions to the other members of the council. "We'll be expecting you." The holograph dims and fades away.

Elicity shuts off the projector and drops to her knees. The lamps cast her face in dark shadows. Blackness all around.

Windu had said to pray that the force protects us all. Yes. Only the force can help now. Only the force can protect Summer.

It is a while later when Elicity finally stands. She turns to leave. Her mind is afire with old prophecies and long arguments among the Jedi Council. Snatches of conversations waft through her mind.

"It was our own choice to make her our problem…move the girl from the temple…isolate them where she'll never learn what happened…" Elicity gets inside the turbo life and commands it to return to ground level. As the lift moves down the shaft, Elicity finds herself deep in thought. They forced me to train her, she tells herself. I promised to never tell her the truth. What if I had told her the truth? The turbolift slows to a stop. Would things have turned out differently?

Doors open.

She steps out—into chaos. The commotion rippling through the HQ building pulls her out of her are everywhere. Shouts rise up above the hubbub.

"Enemy unit's inbound!"

"It's a surprise attack!"

"We have a code red!"

Elicity pulls aside a clone trooper. "What's going on?"

The soldier is holding a hologram, communicating with one of the commanders of a far off outpost. He looks up, surprised. "Commander…ma'am! Unidentified attackers slipped through our sensors only minutes ago. We have a large scale attack force baring down on Almega. Arrival is imminent!"

Elicity leaves the clone trooper to disappear into the crowd. She switches on her own com-link. "Major Exx?"

"Enemy gunships are coming in fast and low." Elicity looks to her side just as the Major detaches himself from a cluster of passing troopers. He walks beside her. "So far we have no idea how they snuck under our systems. Communications with the fleet are scrambled and half of the base is unprepared. Things are looking bad. They're bound to get worse."

Elicity weeds her way through the HQ's halls before reaching the doors. A wailing alarm comes to life as she steps outside. She stops. Turns to face Major Exx. "I'm going to find Summer."

Major Exx's voice is barely audible over the sound of the alarm. "It won't be safe out there Commander."

"You worry about protecting this base. Captain Grey will be able help you lead an effective defense."

The major opens his mouth to protest but shuts it.

"Yes, ma'am. Be safe."

Elicity leaves the clone trooper just inside the building and walks out onto a walkway. All around the base, giant metal plates along the ground are reeling open. Massive anti-aircraft guns rise up out of the black and turn to face the sky. She can see the soldiers inside the guns turrets, working the controls. One of them spots Elicity and nods. It's the last thing she sees.

A sleek black ship bursts out from over the forest. It's a blur, streaking overhead. Fast and low, just like the Major had said. Before the Republic AA guns can take aim a salvo of missiles detach themselves from the ship's wings. Five black objects roaring towards the HQ. Her head turns but it's too late. It only takes a split second.

A wave of surging heat. A strong pulse of air. A blinding flash of light. All she knows is that one moment she's walking, the next she's hurtling through the air. The ground falls away before rushing back towards her. There's a sharp crack as one of her legs snaps on impact. Her shoulder digs into the ground. A flash of pain then nothing. As she rolls to a stop, pieces of debris from the building dig into her back and side. Elicity hardly feels any of it. The pain becomes distant. She's losing consciousness. One phrase runs through her mind over and over. 'They've come to kill her. They've come to kill her.' Slowly her thoughts begin to run together. She can't think clearly. Elicity tries to stand but something is pinning her to the ground. The loud booms of AA guns and enemy rockets are all she hears. "Summer!" she screams. Maybe her padawan will hear her desperate cry and come to her. Maybe her padawan is already dead. Maybe everything is already lost. Elicity takes in a ragged breath before her vision fades to black.