Kavan, Hapes Cluster

After tending to Jacen's leg wound, Mark dropped the man down into the copilot seat of his Headhunter and tightened the crash webbing around him. He went to a cargo locker where he stored weapons and binders. He rummaged around the compartment and pulled out a pair of detainee restraints he often used when transporting enemy prisoners of war or captured criminals during his many Jedi or G.A. missions. He went back to his nephew and reached down and secured binders on his feet and hands. He then wrapped a chain around his waist locking him to the seat. As an added precaution Mark put his ysalamiri, Nibbles, sitting in a nutrient cage on the deck next to Jacen. He needed to ensure his prisoner stayed in one place while he went back to the tunnels for a quick look. He needed to collect any evidence that might provide concrete proof Jacen was involved in Mara's attack. He also wanted to confirm that Lumiya wasn't lurking nearby. He gave Jacen's restrains a tug to make sure they were fastened properly then exited his Headhunter. He locked down his ship, and then jogged off to the location where Mara was attacked.

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Mark returned an hour later. He searched the nearby tunnels thoroughly, but couldn't locate Lumiya. Only a few footprints were any indication that she was actually there at all. He did find something interesting though. It was an injector dart lying on the ground a couple meters where Ben found Mara. Once he was back in his well-lit ship he could make out the writing on the label and immediately recognized the toxin as one used by assassins and bounty hunters. The active ingredient was Malkite Themfar. It was a particularly lethal toxin known to be quick, deadly and somewhat painless. Mark took some comfort in knowing Fex-M3 wasn't used on Mara. That toxin triggered the brain to release all its stored energy resulting in the brain boiling within the skull. He was told the brain didn't have pain receptors and therefore was the most humane toxin, but he didn't believe it. He had seen men die from that poison and it looked anything but painless. He sealed the injector in a plastic bag and locked it away in a storage cabinet. It could be used as evidence for any upcoming trial. He walked up to the cockpit to check on Jacen. Mark found him slumped in the seat unconscious. While his nephew was knocked out he took the opportunity to check the young man's facial injuries.

Jacen's face was deeply bruised, with a nasty upraised knot where his head hit the wall. The other side of his face wasn't much better. A black eye was forming and his jaw was swollen where Mark punched him. There was some blood dripping out between his lips. Mark pried open his mouth to make sure he didn't swallow any dislodged teeth. Once he saw there were no missing molars he let the man's mouth plop shut. Jacen appeared to be in stable condition, but Mark knew he could have a concussion…and he had seen enough combat head injuries to know that was not something to mess around with.

He fired up the ship and took off. As he maneuvered his spacecraft out of Kavan's atmosphere he considered his options. He could go to Hapes for help, but he heard they were not very friendly toward the Jedi despite the status of their Queen. There was also the added problem of security. If Jacen had truly turned to the dark side everyday guards wouldn't have a chance of restraining him for long.

Mark needed a place to think and sort this out while keeping Jacen secure…and he couldn't think of a better place than the planet Myrkr. He also needed a healer—he had to get a hold of his son Jaden. Jedi Jaden Tantiss was a certified physician and graduate of Coruscanti's finest medical academies. He was also trained in Force healing having interned with the Temple's Jedi healer Cilghal.

He reached over to the ship's radio and dialed in a secure channel to Talon Karrde. Within a few seconds the face of his old friend and boss appeared on the screen. The dark-haired, bearded man smiled at the Jedi. "Mark, it's good to see you again," his smile faded a bit. "Are you alright?"

Mark smirked. Obviously news moved quickly in the universe. "I'm fine. Do you know Mara's condition?"

Talon frowned. "She is in the sickbay of a Galactic Alliance Star Destroyer headed back to Coruscant. She apparently was poisoned. They are trying to detoxify her system, but while that is going on she is in an induced coma."

"Can you contact the doctors and let them know the toxin Malkite Therfar was most likely used."

Talon Karrde's eyes went wide. "If that's the case, I'm surprised she's alive."

Mark nodded sadly. "Did she talk at all?" Mark asked. "Did she tell anybody what happened?"

Talon shook his head. "No, she never regained consciousness…and the Jedi are somewhat concerned about you…" Talon trailed off.

Mark gave Talon a force, uneasy smile. "Ben's telling everybody I went the to dark side, right?"

"Not exactly, all he said was your eyes were yellow like a Sith. What happened Mark?"

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. "Jacen tried to kill Mara. I take that back…he did kill her. I had to use a Sith technique to bring her back. I had to touch the dark side to use the power of resurrection."

"She was dead?" Talon let out a quick astonished breath. "It seems that part was left out of the story told to me."

"Yeah," Mark replied. "I guess my eyes turned all Sithy yellow while saving her and it scared Ben."

"Why do suspect Jacen?" Talon asked.

"Once I revived her, I asked Mara who did this to her. She sent me images through the Force of Jacen." Mark said. "I also found him in the tunnels not far from her body."

As if almost on cue, Jacen Solo stirred in the seat next to him. He groaned and then looked around in confusion. He tried to move, but was prevented by the restraints. When he spotted Mark he began struggling furiously at his bindings, but with a ysalamiri sitting next to him his ability to touch the Force was non-existent. "Let me go!" he yelled, his voice deeply slurred by his jaw injury.

Mark smiled as he looked to Talon on the view screen. "It seems my passenger has awakened and from what I see he is not too much worse for wear. Just a second," he said as he drew his blaster from his holster, set it to stun and then unceremoniously shot Jacen. The Jedi slumped over unconscious in his seat.

Talon remained unflappable. "That's one way to pacify a suspected killer."

"Yeah, but I need help with that." Mark said. "Talon, can I use your Myrkr base? Do you still have it as a fallback outpost? Is it stocked?"

Talon nodded. "Yes, I'll transmit entry codes."

"Thanks," Mark said relieved. "Also can you get a hold of my son Jaden…quietly? I want a doctor to look over Jacen."

"Why don't you call in Cilghal? And Luke for that matter."

Mark shrugged. "I don't know. It could be a Force thing. I just want to make sure Jacen is secure before I let the Jedi know where he is. If he is strong enough to take on Mara…then he's more dangerous than anybody imagined."

Karrde nodded in agreement. "That makes sense." He looked down at the ground hesitantly. "It's too bad you want to see Jaden and not your other son Talon,…he's here on the Wild Karrde."

Mark gave him a surprised look. "Why? Did Luke send him to hunt me down?"

Karrde gave a disparaging laugh. "I wish. It seems he's dating my daughter."

Mark's jaw dropped. "He's dating Valla?"

Karrde shook his head. "No, Zylie."

"Zylie! She's a child!" Mark shot back.

Karrde gave him a tight smile. "It's been a while since you have seen her. She's now nineteen and enrolled at Corsucanti University." Karrde paused. "Mark, we both know my namesake's reputation when it comes to the ladies. I'd appreciate it if you would ask him not to break my little girl's heart."

"I'll tell him to end the relationship completely," Mark offered.

Talon shook his head. "I have a feeling making the romance forbidden would only make it more tantalizing to a teenage girl." He looked at Mark obviously ill at ease. "If you can just remind him she's not a Jedi groupie, she's my daughter and our two families have been friends for decades. I don't want to see her hurt."

"Neither do I."

There was a long pause between the two men. "I'll find Jaden and ask him to meet you at my Myrkr base."

"I'd appreciate that," Mark said quietly.

"And Mark," Talon began and then stopped.

"What?"

The Information Broker cleared his throat. "Are you sure you're alright?" Talon asked with a calm and serious tone. "You're eyes look different and I don't mean the color. They have a coldness to them that I have never seen before."

Mark heaved a sigh. "The darkness touched me and brought out intense emotions. Some that I never experienced before…others that I've always have been able to control…but, I'm getting better…its effect is waning," Mark said haltingly. "As long as something doesn't trigger my anger again, I should be alright." He looked up at his friend. "I'm not going to harm my son if that is what you are worried about…or Jacen. I made a promise to Ben…plus I owe my life to Han…he found me on Wayland…I owe him everything."

Talon nodded. "Okay, I'll make sure Jaden gets the coordinates to the base."

"Thank you. Mark Tantiss out." He switched off the comm system and glanced over to Jacen. He was knocked out cold, slumped over in his seat with a string of drool slowly moving from his open mouth and down the front of his black tunic.

He shook his head. "What happened to you, Jacen?" Mark couldn't believe the young man who used to tell him stupid jokes and sometimes helped him care for the ysalamiri could turn to the dark side or try to kill a family member. Lumiya must have totally warped his mind and tricked him into doing her bidding; the same way Palpatine tricked Anakin Skywalker.

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Jacen slowly woke in excruciating pain. His head was throbbing like an angry Akk dog was trapped in his skull and was trying to claw its way out. His eyes fluttered open and he could see he was in a ship. From the viewport he could make out the elongated lines of stars created when in hyperspace. He went to turn to see the pilot and groaned when the slight movement caused a sharp pain in the jaw. His muddled mind tried to piece together what had happened. He was on Kavan and saw his uncle. He momentarily woke up on this ship and then he was fairly certain his uncle stunned him with a blaster. It had been some time since he was stunned. It was an uncomfortable experience and caused confusion and a host of other nasty side effects. He carefully turned his head toward the pilot's seat, trying not to trigger another stabbing jolt of pain.

He gave a furtive glance to where Mark Tantiss sat. He was lounging in the pilot seat and writing on a datapad. Movement caught Jacen's eyes and he slowly looked down to the deck and caught a glimpse of a ysalamiri in a nutrient cage. That would explain why he couldn't touch the Force. When he looked back up he found himself staring into his uncle's eyes. Jacen took a sharp intake of breath at what he saw. The whites of his Mark's eyes were bloodshot red and the irises were a sickly yellow—they were the eyes of a Sith.

"Oh kriff," he muttered.

Mark gave him an evil grin that sent a shiver up Jacen's spine. "Awake I see." His uncle pulled out his blaster and aimed it at him. "Be quiet and I won't stun you again. Keep your mouth shut." His voice was low and menacing. "I'm not feeling like myself today."

Jacen was too shocked to talk. He merely nodded then cringed when the movement caused such pain, darkness swam in front of his eyes. He reached his cuffed hands up and felt the side of his head. He was startled by the size of the lump on his right temple. It had to be upraised by at least four centimeters.

'What is going on?' he thought frantically. He had no idea what had happened to Mark, but his eyes gave Jacen every indication that he was Sith. A spinning nausea hit his stomach as a dreadful thought occurred to him. Could his uncle be the great evil Lumiya talked about? Was that the reason she asked to see him while in the Temple? Did she suspect Mark Tantiss of being a Sith?

An uneasy shiver ran through his body as he recalled his uncle's origins. An insane dark Force-user created Mark Tantiss. He was genetically cloned and bred to kill Jedi. Not only that, he held the secrets of one of the most powerful Sith Lords that ever lived, Emperor Palpatine. Was it possible that his uncle had been hiding his Sith propensities for twenty-five years? Was that the reason he kept a ysalamiri with him while in the Temple…to prevent people from sensing his darkness?

If that were the case, what was he going to do to him...to his family? Now that Jacen knew his true nature would Mark kill him?

Despite the Rancor-sized pain that racked his brain he attempted to converse with his uncle, he needed to find out what he planned. "Why am I captive?"

"Why are you captive?" Mark's voice was an incredulous growl and his yellow eyes glared at Jacen with a dangerous ferocity. "You killed Mara!"

The words stunned Jacen. "What? How? How could she be dead?"

Seething yellow eyes pinned Jacen in place. "She could be dead because somebody poisoned her." His voice rose in a frenzied rage and Jacen could see his uncle's fists tighten until his knuckles turned white. Jacen startled as Mark exploded out of his chair and put his face up next to his and jabbed an index finger against Jacen's chest. "You killed her! You!" As his uncle pulled away a large meaty hand smacked Jacen upside the head causing an explosion of pain behind his eyes. The combination of pain, fear and dread that his aunt was truly dead was too much; Jacen bent over and became violently ill.

Mark let out a string of obscenities that would probably make a Void Jumper blush as he walked to the back of his ship. When he returned he unstrapped Jacen's crash webbing and the chain holding him to the chair. He then shoved a microfiber towel in between his bound hands.

"Clean up that puke you murderous Di'kut!"

"I didn't kill Aunt Mara," Jacen protested as he slowly bent down to clean up the vomit, but even as he said the words his mind went to the tranquilizer dart. Could his aunt have had a fatal reaction to the chemicals…or did Lumiya betray him? Or did Mark kill her while she lay unconscious?

Mark stared at Jacen with open animosity and contempt. "Don't lie to me. Just clean your retch off my deck before I make you lick it up."

Jacen shuddered. He had a feeling that wasn't an idle threat. He wiped up the mess he made and then slowly rose to his feet with a groan. He hadn't felt this bad in a very long time. His uncle grabbed him by the shoulder and brusquely pushed him toward the 'fresher located in the back area of the ship. As they moved away from the cockpit, and the ysalamiri, Jacen could feel a light touch of the Force, not enough for him to do telekinesis or to unlock his cuffs, but it was enough for him to feel the monstrous darkness simmering within Mark Tantiss. A fear gripped Jacen's heart like a cold hand as he realized his uncle truly was dark.

Mark pushed him into the 'fresher and ordered him to clean himself up. Jacen could feel the Force flickering in and out like a weak transceiver radio signal. When his connection to the Force hit a peak he made his move. He swung his cuffed hands in an arc and landed a two-handed blow across Mark's jaw.

Jacen stood in shock as he realized the punch had no effect on his giant of an uncle… other than further fueling his rage. Mark grabbed the back of his collar and painfully manhandled him to the 'fresher floor. He then dragged Jacen to the 'fresher toilet, unlocked the seat cover's vacuum seal and perched his head over the bowl.

"If you try that again," Mark growled as he shoved Jacen's head down until it was almost touching the blue sanitizing liquid. "I'll forget how much I like your parents and drown your sorry ass in the toilet." He pulled Jacen's head up so he could look at him. "Do we understand each other?"

Jacen bristled with fear and outrage. "Perfectly."

"Clean yourself up," Mark said and then left Jacen alone in the 'fresher. Jacen quickly searched the latrine for anything he could use as a weapon, but it looked like his uncle was one step ahead of him. The drawers were empty. Everything else was unbreakable, with mirrors made of shatterproof reflective film and a stainless steal toilet.

Maybe he would have a chance to use the ship's radio. He needed to warn his family and let Grand Master Skywalker know there was a dangerous Sith among them and it wasn't Lumiya—it was Jedi Master Mark Tantiss.