Jade Shadow, Kesh; 44 ABY

Kesh was a world far removed from the galaxy. Buried deep in Wild Space, the mountainous planet offered sanctuary to the Sith that crashed there five millennia ago. As the Jade Shadow hung like a raptor over the vast ocean that separated Keshtah Minor and Major, Luke was somewhat surprised to see the world so peaceful. The planets that he'd visited that had hosted Sith were normally diseased and dying. From Korriban to Ziost, nothing escaped the effects of the dark side forever. Even Palpatine's private retreat, Byss, had suffered during his relatively short reign. Had it not fallen victim to the Galaxy Gun, Luke would have suspected it, too, would end up like the other Sith worlds. Kesh, on the other hand, was a mosaic of green and blue, brown and grey. lush forests and tall mountains.

Giving a sidelong glance to Vestara, Luke could see the conflict on her face, a rare thing for the reserved girl. This was the first time she'd seen her world in well over a standard year, but she would no longer be welcomed on it. He found himself mentally asking if that was a good thing on not. "It's a beautiful planet," he said instead.

"Yes, it is." Her eyes watered at the sight, but forced herself to suppress the feeling. As much as she longed to see the Temple again, the people, her home, she had a job to do. She could feel Ship down there, no doubt in the courtyard it had arrived to the planet at. Getting to the Takara Mountains would require them to travel by foot or perhaps her Uvak, Tikk, could transport them. Regardless, it wasn't something she wanted the Jedi tagging along for. "Ben and I should go alone."

Jaina, predictably, was the first to give voice to her thoughts. "Not a chance."

Luke, however, looked more thoughtful and gave Vestara an appraising glance. "Why?"

Ignoring the short Jedi Master, Vestara directed her answer to Luke. "We're more likely to succeed quickly without you two."

Ben looked from his father to his cousin and waited. At last, Luke nodded. "I agree."

"What?" The shock from Jaina's voice was palpable.

Turning to his niece, Luke laid both hands on her shoulders. "This would go much easier without the Sith overreacting to two Jedi Masters." He looked back to Vestara and Ben. "You'll need to stay in contact with us at all times."

Despite some heavy reservations, Jaina reluctantly agreed. "Fine, but how are they getting down there? None of the ships onboard can carry more than one person."

"You'll have to drop us off," Vestara said. "I'll direct you where to land. The Khai estate should be safe enough."

Tahv was, at one point, the capital of Kesh. Vestara had assumed it was still, until the Shadow made its first pass over the 'City of Glass.' Instead of the ornate spires that she knew so well, the entire city looked like a great shattered mirror. Once-beautiful towers were laid low. Vestara could feel her resentment well up. "She did this." Her voice laden with fury.

They landed on the outskirts, where Vestara had indicated. The manor that once held sway over the rolling hills was splintered and broken. The four walked down the boarding ramp to survey the damage. Luke swept the ruins quickly. "Perhaps we could take you closer to where you need to go?"

Vestara considered it, but declined. "The Temple will be under an even tighter defense with Tahv gone. They'd fire on the ship before we got close enough to do anything."

Silently fuming, Jaina said nothing. Luke looked around at his three companions. "Very well, keep in contact every few hours, or we'll come and find you two."

The Shadow lifted off, leaving Ben and Vestara behind. Ben eyed the ruins they stood in. "This was your home?"

Vestara spared her home a nostalgic glance. "It was, once." She considered searching the rubble for anything that might have survived Abeloth's wrath, but decided against it. Reaching out for her Uvak, Vestara found nothing. It must have fallen with the rest of Tahv. "Come on, we've got a long journey ahead."

They made their way into the city, the mountain range they sought was just on the other side. It would take them a day or two, at the most, to reach the Temple where Ship was. They'd initially thought of calling it to them, but Vestara doubted she could control it at such a distance if what was left of the Sith ruling class tried to force the Meditation Sphere to stay. In the end, it would be safer to go there in person. The city itself was abandoned. They saw small animals and vermin scurry among the rubble, but none of the people were to be found.

"It must have been quite a city," Ben tried to start up a conversation now that Vestara had withdrawn into memories of her planet.

"It was," she said wistfully. "I never thought it would be like this when I saw it again."

"I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be, you didn't do it."

"All the same," Ben wrapped an arm over her shoulder, "I am."

"I lived here for most of my life—" She broke off midway when she heard a soft whistling noise. She shoved Ben forward and lashed out with her arm at the tiny glass blades flying toward them. It elongated into a tentacle and hit the first two at the point where the blade met the hilt, snapping them in two. The third, she wrapped her tendril around and brought it back, hand reforming as she clipped the miniature Shikkar on her belt.

The three Sith Sabers darted out from behind opaque glass walls, their lightsabers drawn. "Surrender," a muscular Keshiri female demanded.

Ben was getting to his feet and shot Vestara a mock-hurt look. "I could have blocked them." A mental tug wrenched the sabers out of the hand of the Sith.

Reacting more on instinct than experience, their hand spat Force Lightning at Ben. They seemed to lack the skill level of Sabers Ben had encountered before. He grounded the electricity in his hand while Vestara went on the attack. A clutched hand and all three Sith were gasping for breath. She brought the leader forward, a few inches from her. Letting the illusion hiding her true form dissipate, Vestara had the pleasure of seeing the Keshiri woman flinch. Definitely not of the same caliber as her father. Seriously considering the level of punishment attacking her and Ben warranted, Vestara squeezed harder, only to be stopped by Ben calling her name in reproach.

She dropped all three Sabers and telekinetically summoned their lost lightsabers. Keeping her twinkling red eyes visible, she knelt beside the Keshiri woman and gently stroked her cheek with a pale hand. "You'll behave, won't you? Tell us, who sent you." The second was more a statement than question, offering no room for denial.

The Sith Saber seemed about to resist, so Vestara sent a little spark of electricity up her spine, tensing it in rigid, painful spasms. "Now, now, Saber . . . " she paused for the Keshiri to mentally supply her own name, "Yavzon. We want an answer."

Gritting her teeth, Yavzon ground out a succinct answer. "No one, we were on patrol."

Ben was not unaccustomed to such interrogation, and knew Vestara was in control. He knelt beside her to play the kinder interrogator. "Are there other patrols nearby?"

"No."

Sensing the truthfulness, Vestara smiled. "In that case, you're usefulness has ended." She raised the pommel of her hilt and smashed it down on each of them, knocking them out. "They'll have already contacted the Temple before engaging us."

Ben, who removing the power supplies from their lightsabers, turned to her. "Then why knock them out?"

"I assumed you'd prefer that to killing them." She said it in an airy one that made Ben wonder if she was being serious or not.

"Ah," Ben tossed the disabled hilts to the unconscious trio. "So we should expect a welcoming party?"

"Probably," she started toward the mountains.

Their journey to the Temple was, remarkably, uneventful. They were expecting some kind of show of force, but the rocky path was all but abandoned. Carved statues of Sith and Keshiri ancients that lined the path were largely left intact after Abeloth's wrath. The distance from the city must have saved them the worst of the impact. Still, a number showed fresh cracks and splinters.

The Temple summit was set in a hollowed-out quarter of the tallest mountain. Underneath lay the Omen, though it was hidden under years of intricate building. A stone-version replica of the Lords' Circle that had resided in Tahv's capital building awaited them. At the far end of the balcony lay the outcropping Vestara suspected Ship to reside.

They walked out into the empty reception area, Ben glanced around. "Shouldn't someone be here?"

"The Sith are everywhere, Jedi," a cowled Keshiri called from the shadows. His lavender skin an unblemished porcelain sheen.

Vestara gaped in shock, the newcomer wore the trappings of a High Lord, but the man was anything but. "Fsha Raas?"

"So the traitor speaks," Raas sneered. "Come to prostrate yourself before the Tribe?"

Vestara couldn't help but gape. Fsha Raas had been the father of Ahri Raas, and a mere Saber when she'd left the planet naught a standard year ago, there was no way he'd have achieved such a high position in so little time. "You're no High Lord, Raas, and I'm beyond the Tribe now."

Oblivious to the undercurrent, Ben had laid his hand gently on his saber. "We're not here to fight you," he warned.

Raas ignored the Jedi and closed in on the former Sith. "With your betrayal and the loss of our leaders, a new Circle was convened." He pointed a gunmetal lightsaber at them. "Bow or fall."

Vestara could barely keep herself from shaking her head in exasperation. That explained the inexperienced Sabers in Tahv, the power vacuum promoted many beyond their station. "And who will make us, Raas? You, yourself, or your imaginary friend?"

Ben rolled his eyes at her baiting, they could now sense more Sith lurking nearby. On cue, and melodramatically at that, the over a dozen Sith joined Raas. His orange irises danced in expectation. "Kill them."

In perfect synchronization, the Sith leap at the pair, crimson sabers buzzing a monotone drawl. Ben and Vestara stood back-to-back and sent out Force pulses in opposite directions. The Sith Lords struck the waves head on and toppled back. Vestara took the opportunity to press the attack, she wrenched a lightsaber from one of their attackers and sent both of her sabers into a twirling flourish. The Sith had numerical advantage, but none of them had the experience to pose a genuine threat on their own. Had any of the High Lords survived, the battle may have been weighted the other way.

With two Sith fallen to her blades, and one to Ben, Raas lunged at Vestara. She parried and deflected his blade into another 'Lord.' "Such anger, High Lord," she taunted. He responded with a broad swing, powered by the Force. She ducked and kicked him back, following through with a back flip that had her other two opponents fighting one another instead of her.

Ben was more systematic, lacking her athletic grace. He was surprised to find that the prospect of winning wasn't such a long shot. Had they been attacked by this many before, they would have been forced to flee. It struck him that he'd begun to think of his life as divided by the Font, as things before or after it. A spiral kick and spinning blade brought another Sith down.

Raas scrambled to his feet and launched himself back at the traitor. She'd taken so much the Tribe had given her and left it for the Jedi. She survived, where his son had not. He sent a cackling arc of lightning at her in his rage. Vestara threw another Sith in the path instead of countering it herself and plunged her blade through his chest. By the time Raas relented his attack, he saw he was the last one standing. All his Sith brethren laid slain or unconscious at the hands of the traitors. "No matter, I'll kill you myself," he hissed, lavender skin darkened in hate.

Ben and Vestara glance at one another, not quite believing that the Keshiri Sith could realistically hope to win after they'd just take out the rest of his allies. Vestara waved Ben off and moved to center herself in front of the last Sith standing. Raas charged, only to meet a web of red streaks. Vestara neatly sidestepped him after a moment and sliced his hand off below the wrist. It, and his lightsaber, fell to the ground. A Force blast sent him careening back into one of the council chairs.

"Your anger serves you well," Vestara loomed over the fallen Sith, "but it is no substitute for experience."

Ben tactfully tried to ignore the conversation. As unsettling as it was to hear Vestara lecturing someone on use of the dark side, he knew it was her position as matron that he needed to respect. This was her realm, so he'd accede to her, as she had for him and the Jedi.

Vestara waited for a response, but got none. "It's your choice, but if you choose to act before you're ready, then you'll only fail." She shrugged and knocked him out with her pommel. Something inside he rebelled at letting him live, but she'd already taken his son, it felt wrong to take his life casually when he was no longer a threat. Clearly some of Ben's morals had ingrained themselves in her. Dropping her stolen saber and turning back to Ben, she jerked her thumb off to the left. "We still have a Meditation Sphere to find."

The Sith Lord returns, Ships mental communication hummed through her mind before she saw the eye-like sphere.

"Sith Lord?" Vestara asked, unsure of what Ship meant.

You are a Sith Lord, if I deem you one, Lady Khai, Ship responded, and I say so now.

Ben was looking at her with a visible question on his face, Ship must only be talking to her. A Sith Lord, she'd longed for that, her only desire was to be raised to such a pinnacle of achievement. Now, she found it strangely hollow, to have gotten the title after it really didn't mean anything to her any longer. "I am no longer a Sith, Ship," she purposely added 'Ship' to let Ben know who she was talking to.

You cannot deny destiny.

"I have a larger one, now," she said. They rounded the corner to see the red-orange sphere nestled atop a stone pillar. "Now, you're going to help us find someone."

If you are no longer Sith, then I have no obligation to you, Ship sounded dismissive. Ben quirked an eyebrow, and Vestara guessed the last part was broadcasted to him, too. Vestara reached out in the Force, much like she'd done to claim her Uvak, only this time to claim something far more difficult to tame. Ship gave a metallic rumble, but didn't speak. She poured her strength against the wall of willpower, she'd never tried to force the Meditation Sphere to do anything before, but she felt the barrier fragment. The creaking subsided.

"Open up," Vestara commanded, testing to see how much control she held over the Meditation Sphere. The spiral hatch opened and spat a slender ramp down to the stone flooring. Pleased with the speed of compliance, she flashed Ben a grin. "Looks like we have a ship."

"Should we really take it with us?" Ben asked with a skeptical look to the orange-finned eye.

"We have to," Vestara said, "It knows the way back to Abeloth's world, and we can't let that information get out."

They ascended the ramp to the small cabin inside. Once they'd entered Ship, the hatched sealed and anesthetic gas seeped in from the vents. Unlike before, however, Ben could now purge the poison faster than it could take root. He raised his hand and sent the whole ship crashing into the temple wall. Vestara asserted her will more forcefully this time, keeping her feet rooted to the cabin floor even with the ship on its side. "Don't do that again," she commanded.

As you wish, Lady Khai. Righting itself, Ship lowered tripod spindles to the ground. What do you command?

"We need you to find someone strong in the dark side," Ben said.

I don't obey the Jedi, Ben, Ship admonished, you haven't conquered me.

Vestara sent a bolt of lightning into the inner wall of Ship, sparks rained down. "What Ben says, I say."

There are many strong in the Force, it seemed Ship was going to be as unhelpful as possible. Vestara was starting to regret not playing along as a Sith, if it would have made their job easier.

"We're seeking someone like us, like Abeloth was." Vestara said, knowing a name would be meaningless to the artificial construct.

I have sensed this one, powerful as you have become. Ship said. It went to a lost world, strong in the Force.

"You're going to take us there," Vestara commanded, "and lead another ship with us."

There was a pause, as if Ship was debating trying to ignore the order. At last, it answered. As you command, Lady Khai.

The communication came in while Jaina was on watch. She flicked the transmission acceptance with a slender finger. Ben and Vestara filled the panel, they appeared to be in a bronze room. "We have Ship," Ben said without preamble. "Are you guys ready?"

"What are your coordinates?" Jaina asked. "We'll come pick you up."

"Ah, we're . . . taking Ship with us," Ben said with a glance at Vestara, who seemed to be concentrating on something off screen.

"What?"

"We need to take it with us, we don't know the exact coordinates, but Ship will lead you." He chose to leave out the part of it knowing the path to Abeloth's world, that could come later.

Luke entered the cockpit behind Jaina. "Done already?"

"They want to take the Meditation Sphere with us." Jaina whispered so the audio pickup wouldn't catch it. "They said it would lead us."

"That's . . . unfortunate," Luke stroked his chin, "but it appears we have no choice."

Turning back to the screen, Jaina started to navigate the Shadow over to the Meditation Sphere's location. "We're on our way."

The trip was rather short, they had to still be in the Outer Rim when they'd exited hyperspace. Hanging like a watery sphere in the lifeless system was their destination: Dromund Kaas

"Great," Jaina scowled, "I hadn't had my fill of that place the first time."

Author's Note: Now that I've got all the pieces-er, people where I want them, the next chapter (penultimate in the story) will finally be our face-off with Cronal.