Knights of the Old Republic: Genesis of a Jedi

by machievelli

My own novel length version of the game, written back in 2005, but overtaken by events

20. Manaan: Rift

Breakout, sort of

Danika

It was around midnight when I came out of meditation with a start. There had been a sound, like a sonic rifle going off, but hushed. I came to my feet, and reached for the door. There was a tingle of electricity. If I touched it I would bounce around the tiny cell for an hour before I stopped.

I concentrated on the lock, and it snicked open. The field collapsed as it did. I shoved the door open, then snatched a data pad from the desk, setting it to record. With the Force, I leaped onto the lintel of the door.

The door hissed open below me, and I imagined myself a brick in the wall. Two people entered. The darkness hid their race. One of them aimed a wide-belled weapon, and the sonic charge blasted into my cell. "Get her."

The other opened the door, and bent. "She isn't here."

"What? Of course she is! We took out the guard, the door was locked!"

"Well she must be invisible then, because I don't see her." He flipped on a hand light, looking around the room.

I concentrated on the man with the light. You don't see her. She must have escaped...

"She must have escaped herself." He sighed. "What's the plan?"

"Well of course we can't dump her in the ocean for the Firaxa. The rest of the plan is just what the Ambassador says. We were paid by one of her crew to bust her out, and she took passage on the Ithorian freighter."

"Fine. Should we mention that she already got away?"

"Are you stupid? Then he doesn't pay us the rest." They went out mumbling. I dropped to the floor, then stepped outside. The guard was huddled against the wall, shuddering. A close up sonic blast. I found a med kit on his belt, and injected him with something to alleviate the affects, then I moved to a close by kiosk. I called the ship.

"Trouble." I filled Carth in on what had happened, including the impromptu jailbreak. "I'm willing to bet that the local cameras are either rigged to say what they want, or were shut down. Easier to claim I broke myself out. Or someone from the ship helped."

"We'll come over and get you."

"You will do nothing of the kind. Have Mission crack into the local database. Find a Selkath named Shaelas. He's the father of one of the Selkath recruits. Give him the full story concerning his daughter and the Sith. Ask him to help."

"But what will you do?"

"I am going to find a quiet place and catch a nap. Call back at this kiosk in an hour."

"Danika." Bastila came on the com. "We can't just leave you out there!"

"You have to. But I would love to have you there in the morning when I go to trial. A cup of tea before it begins would be nice. Afterward we can have breakfast."

There was silence. "If it were anyone else, I would think you had just made a date." She said archly.

"Maybe I have." I chuckled. "See you in court." I logged off, and found an out of the way alcove. I set my internal alarm for an hour, and sank back into meditation. If done properly, meditation could make up for sleep. I kept hanging up on Tolan. You're dead! Who did he think I was?

An hour later, I roused myself, and headed toward the kiosk. A garbage truck was parked there, and a Selkath was busy checking the trash receptacles along the way. I waited, but he didn't move on.

"Danika Wordweaver. Shaelas sent me." The Selkath whispered. I stepped out, and he motioned for me to get in the bin on the back. The vehicle hummed, then moved away at a fast clip. It entered a tram, and I heard a pass card being used. Then the tram stopped. "Please, exit the vehicle."

I slid over the side. Shaelas and Shasha stood there. The girl touched my side. "You have not escaped!"

"No. Why should I have?"

"That is what my father asked the media when they reported that you had attacked a guard and escaped. Two off worlders claimed they had been paid by your shipmates to break you out, and saw you as far as a transport that left an hour ago. The constabulary has surrounded your ship, with orders to fire on it if they attempt to escape as well!"

I told them what had happened. Shaelas nodded. "If you had disappeared, everything you have said would have been instantly suspect. But as you are a fugitive, the local constabulary and those bounty hunters hired by both the Republic and the Sith embassies will be hunting for you. That could cause chaos and damage if you do not go to safe ground. You will be guest in my land house this evening. My daughter and I will assure that you are in court tomorrow."

"First, who has been pushing to allow a corporation to pick up the Kolto for both sides? I have heard not only here but on Kashyyyk that your government intends to kick both sides off the planet as well if the confrontations continue."

"That would be councilor Duula. He is also one of the judges this cycle. You see, all of the councilors take a turn as judges. That way any corruption is also punishable as failure to heed their charge as judge. Why?"

"Sit with me and I will tell you..."

The land house was an apartment used by the Selkath for entertaining or for guests that were not aquatic as they were. I found the furniture to be bland, but since they themselves never spent too much time there, it didn't matter.

As the sun rose, Shasha came up out of a hole leading to the sea. Her wet suit dripped as she entered the bedroom. "My father will join us shortly. We don't stock a lot of off worlder food, but we do have some things that are edible by you."

"Nothing for me, unless you have some form of tea."

"Sadly, we do not. Hot liquids would scar our throats. However father will try to arrange for some hot beverages for you when we reach the courtroom."

"That will be fine. Thank him for me."

Shaelas had a lifter designed by his own people. It was amphibious and watertight as well, allowing it to operate below the surface and above. He flew it out of his land house, into the ocean, then up over the expanse of the city. My clothes had been cleaned, so I didn't smell like garbage anymore.

The lifter dropped in Ahto West at the courthouse, and we stepped out.

"Since the female has fled, she has freely admitted her crime." Ambassador Kolorid was pontificating. "Therefore this court must impose punishment on the Republic for her heinous attack."

"Point of order, your honor." I said. The people that were there turned. Kolorid's mouth dropped open as I walked up the aisle. "I beg the court's forgiveness, the attempt to make me disappear last evening has thrown off my request to be heard as my own arbiter."

I couldn't tell with the goggle-eyed Selkath, but the humans looked stunned. Bastila grinned, and came to me, handing me a container of tea from the ship. Echani Fire Tea, my favorite.

"Can you explain what occurred in the holding facility last night?" One of the judges asked.

"Two men attacked and stunned the guard on duty. I freed myself from my cell, and was able to hide when they came in and used the same weapon on my cell. They argued, since their job was to feed me to the Firaxa. They decided to follow through with the rest of the plan. Even now I assume messages have gone out to take me off an Ithorian freighter at their next port of call.

"However, as the court can see, I am here, on time, awaiting my trial. I would ask the condition of the Selkath that was injured."

"A Bothan neural stunner was used. He is in serious condition, but expected to recover. This is because an injection of Neurohystamine was used on him, which allowed him to recover enough to call his officer."

"Administered by me." I added. "Forensic testing of the injector will prove this."

"May I ask why this point must be added?" Judge Duula growled.

"Because this was an attempt to assist the guard by myself. If I had attacked him or ordered an attack, I would not have cared about his condition." I set down the data pad with the conversation of me 'rescuers'. "This, your honors, will prove my contention that I made no attempt to escape justice."

"So noted." Another judge said. "We will confer on your request to act as your own arbiter. The court will close for our deliberations" And with his words, it did just that. Panels rose between the judges and the courtroom. I sipped my tea calmly. The panels dropped after a time. "It is the decision of the majority of this court that you are allowed to act as your own arbiter. The law requires me to state however that once this trial begins, it cannot be stopped for any reason. Are you ready to begin?"

I considered. T3 was there, but where had Shaelas and Shasha gone? I shrugged. "I am ready to proceed."

"Very well. You are accused of the grievous murder of Sith officials, theft, vandalism, theft or destruction of proprietary data, and violations of the local Neutrality statute. How do you plead?"

"Innocent, your honor."

"Let the record show that empaneled for this trial are Judges Shelkar,"

"Jhosa." Another Selkath stated.

"Naleshekan."

"Kota."

"And Duula." The last said.

"This is a trial to discover the culpability and punishment of this individual in the recent assault on the Sith Embassy." Shelkar read.

"Due to the severity of these charges, normal formalities are suspended for this trial." Judge Jhosa added. "The penalty for these crimes is death." He looked to Judge Kota. "You may begin the questioning, your honor."

Kota leaned forward. "You have plead innocence in this matter. However there are records of our own sensors that weapons were fired inside the Sith embassy."

Shelkar picked it up. "We have records of you entering the restricted Sith landing bay a short time before the attack. The Sith have claimed diplomatic privilege and have told us nothing of what occurred beyond some video imagery they supplied. However you, as someone with a known antipathy for the Sith did enter their embassy just before the firing began. What was your business in the Sith Embassy?"

"I was asked to investigate the disappearance of several Selkath youths."

Jhosa sat up at this. "You were led to believe that these youth had disappeared due to some Sith plan?"

Duula poured oil on the waters. "She has no doubt been listening to the rumor mongering of Shaelas and his bunch."

"This is noted. Did you find evidence to support your suspicions?" Shelkar asked.

I folded back my collar. The search had been perfunctory when I had been arrested, and the medallion, with blood still on it, had been in the collar. I held it where they could see it, then handed it to the bailiff. He handed it to Shelkar. "This belonged to Galas. You found this inside the embassy?"

"The male child himself handed it to me before he died."

"Objection!" Kolorid screamed. "She murders a Selkath, takes something readily recognizable, and claims she found it in our embassy! The infamy of her act!"

"So noted, Ambassador. There are those among us that knew the youth, and this is his. But you have raised a valid point. How can this court know that you did not murder the youth?"

"By torture?" Someone called from the rear of the court. Shaelas, along with his daughter and three other Selkath I recognized entered. "My daughter spoke to this woman within the Sith embassy where she and others of or children had been invited to learn the ways of the force from a Sith teacher. She recognized the pin as you did, and recognized this as well." He held up the data pad. "The record of that Sith Dark Master that boasts not only of the naivete or our children, but his murder of Galas as well!" He walked through the room, setting it before Judge Shelkar.

The judge signaled, and the panels rose again. Shaelas came over to me, bowing. "I had to assure that the children were also here. They have yet to stand as judges, and this experience will do them good." I nodded.

The panels dropped. Shelkar faced me. "It is the decision of this court that the woman acted in the best interests of the Selkath people. We move to-"

"Your honor, I ask a brief moment." I interrupted.

"Woman, you are about to go free. I see no reason to delay that." Duula snarled

"I ask the court to meet in camera, with only myself my droid, and other Selkath present. What I have also discovered is of interest to the Selkath people, and need not be trumpeted to the Galaxy at large."

Shelkar stared at me. "This court is adjourned to be reopened in camera. All people not mentioned in the request will depart." The bailiffs pushed everyone toward the door. Bastila looked adamant, but I signaled for her to go. The doors slammed down, and Shelkar gaveled the court into session again.

"I have been told by Councilor Shaelas that all councilor must sit as judges as well, to assure that any criminal acts by a judge can be considered violations of their own oaths of office. This is a noble effort to limit the corruption courts in the Galaxy face every day. I applaud this court in that decision.

"There is proof that one of the judges empaneled here has acted secretly in a manner to remove the problem of the warring factions from this planet. While his act may be perceived as good in the whole, he does not have all of the information. The plan as it has been given to him, is that both factions be ordered off Manaan. All consignments of Kolto for each are to be carried by Czerka Corporation, which is a Republic corporation with links on planets on both sides of the conflict."

"Duula we have heard enough of your ranting about this. You appear to stand accused by this woman." Naleshekan said.

"I still stand by it! We cannot remain neutral if both sides sit upon our planet! As you all know, I would gladly deny both sides Kolto if I did not feel that one side or the other would try to capture it if we did."

"Judge Duula, please listen. T3, play the correspondence between Ambassador Kolorid and the Czerka Representative on the planet." The droid rolled out. He didn't play it all. Just the relevant portions. The judges stared at their compatriot as the Czerka rep complained that while 25% losses to Sith attacks would have been acceptable; the 45% demanded by the ambassador would cause an investigation that might reveal their duplicity.

"So a Republic corporation lies to it's own government! So what!" Duula screamed. "It's like the lies from the Republic about Taris!"

"Lies? Your honor, my vessel was one of those that escaped from Taris. What you will see is the recordings made by my ship in our escape from that world. T3."

The little droid should have been working for a news agency. A holographic representation of the system flashed up. The massive blob of Taris rested in the middle of a series of red arrow shapes. Each marked with a Sith designation, and name. He paused the picture, to show the fleet in it's entirety. Then began a playback from our own sensors. Ebon Hawk was circled with a green line, all others not Sith in blue, as was the planet, the color used for neutrals. Fire swept down from the skies, ships attempting to escape were shattered as they ran toward the fleet, hoping to get past them. Along with the com chatter of all those ships, we heard the com channels frequency jumping as stations below suddenly shut down, people on the ground saying that they surrendered, that they were innocent, that they would even swear alliance, or simply begging for mercy as the guns not aimed at the ships smashed their world. Ebon Hawk broke through, and I could see that only two or three had succeeded as we did.

I was reliving it, and I cried as ship after ship died. As North City collapsed into ruin, followed by South City. I didn't have the time to see it when it had occurred, and it was a knife in the gut to me.

The replay ended, and I found myself sobbing. Maybe Gadon and his Beks had survived. Maybe Gendar and his Outcasts. No one else could have.

The Selkath were stunned. Duula looked at the empty space before them, his eyes haunted. "I move that Czerka Corporation be banned from all business dealings on Manaan. That all contracts with said corporation be held in abeyance until this conflict has ended."

I bowed to them, and left them to their deliberations.

Bastila came up to me, and I hugged her tightly, burying my head against her chest. "But, you wanted breakfast!" She protested.

"No. Just, hold me for a little while." I whispered. "Keep the chill of hell from me."

Rift

Bastila

I found myself holding Danika on a bench near the court. The bond between us had become both more tenuous, and deeper. I wasn't getting every emotional mood swing, but when I did it was like being flooded with dark waters. She had gone from the calm perfect Jedi to this crying child just within a few moments. What exactly had set it off, I don't know. But she felt as if she was an admiral that had won a great victory, but at a horrendous cost. She felt a bottomless shame that she no, that we the crew of Ebon Hawk had survived.

I held her, murmuring gently into her hair as she cried. My presence, my feelings along the link helped her. I didn't feel anger with her at this reaction, or nervousness that I was holding a woman four years older than I was as I did. I was the mother bosom to her, the place where even the bravest of ancient man went for succor when life gets too harsh.

Yet she didn't slip toward the dark side. She had reacted; using the Force to grasp Tolan's heart, yet she made herself turn away from killing with the Force without even a thought. I felt so proud of what she had become in such a short time. Yet the pride was shot with dread. We had to go to Korriban next. To the dark heart of the Sith itself. Only then could we go even deeper into the abyss. To wherever the Star Forge was. She sighed, and giggled. "What is so funny?" I asked.

"Considering where my face is, I suddenly had an urge to ask for some cookies."

I suddenly understood what she meant, pushing her aside. "You are incorrigible!"

"I hope not." She said. "You're the only person that has kept me on a even keel so far." She shook her head, and dried her eyes. "All right, back to normal." She stood. "We have an ambassador to see."

"Not yet." I said. She raised an eyebrow at me. "You are going to sit down, eat some breakfast, have some more tea, and relax for at least an hour."

She looked at me. "Yes mother."

"Don't get cute with me, you, yokel!"

"Such language." She murmured.

We sat for the time specified, and she ate enough stew to make Canderous sleepy. After polishing the bowl with the last of her bread, we walked to the Republic embassy.

Ambassador Wann came toward us. "Did you get it?" He demanded? Danika tapped T3, and held out the data cube the robot spat out. "Excellent! I will have our technicians assure that it has not been tampered with."

"Now the answer to my questions."

"You Jedi, always so forward!" He chuckled, then his face went cold. "Since you are Jedi, I can trust you with this. Please, come to my office." He led us into a room, then closed the door. I could feel the hum of an anti-snooping field. "As you know, we are fighting a life and death struggle against the Sith. You may also know that we aren't doing too well. We need much in the way of supplies, and nothing can be allowed to delay those supplies. Manaan is the only source of Kolto in the galaxy, and we need it desperately. Frankly, we need all we can get."

"It sounds like you are about to tell us of an indiscretion." Danika said.

"The conservatives have a majority in the Council at present, and they want the planet to remain neutral, to sell to both sides. But there are more far looking people on the council. They know that if the Sith win, there is nothing that will stop them from taking over anyway. So we made a deal."

"You violated the treaty?" Danika asked.

"Not as such. The agreement was to assist the Selkath in the gathering and processing of Kolto. The Selkath still use the methods their ancestors have used for centuries, seining Kolto that floats to the surface, then refining it. However right before the war began, a survey submersible found where the Kolto floats up from. It is called Hrakert Rift. An abyss about 20 kilometers from the city, half a kilometer from the surface with the rift itself diving over 11 kilometers into the depths. Kolto forms there in underwater volcanic vents, and breaks free to float upward. The rock formations at the top and sides of the rift capture a lot of it. Less than ten percent actually gets carried upward. The Selkath can dive that deep, but the Rift is also the center of an old religion here. Normal mining by them would violate several taboos.

"So last year we offered to set up a facility to gather and process the Kolto underwater. I don't know how much you know about Kolto refining...?" He paused until we shook our heads. "Most of the raw Kolto paste is lost between the ocean floor and the surface. The native wildlife loves it. The raw paste has to be refined four times. Every time you do, it's bulk is reduced to ten percent. That means 100 kilos of raw Kolto paste makes 100 grams of medicinal grade Kolto. We found that we can do the refining down there, which means instead of having to move that 100 kilos, we just have to transport 100 grams. We will have increased their production capability by almost one thousand percent when it is fully online, though at present we've only increased it by about two hundred percent. "

"But something happened." Danika pressed.

"Yes. A few days ago, as the final section of the facility was being installed, the base reported that they had found some kind of structure. An obelisk right where the last section was being assembled. They were hours from beginning operations. Then suddenly we lost contact. No more communications."

'What happened?"

"We don't know!" He sighed. "I sent what troops I could spare, about three squads, down to assist. No word back. We began hiring mercenaries, and began sending them down, but none of them have returned either. We finally had the droid the Sith captured sent here, and deployed it. All we've been trying to do is contact the base again!" He sighed. "Now that we have the data, we still don't know what to do. The Sith don't know exactly what we're up to, but they've been hiring mercenaries at twice what we pay just to stop us from hiring more.

"Then you came with the mention of an ancient artifact. Probably what we found. If you know a way to get past this mess, I am duty bound to assist you."

"How can I get down there?" Danika asked. She was pale.

"We have a submersible, one of the personnel transports we have been using to tend the station. There is room for a crew of five. It will automatically home in on the station, and take you right there. I haven't got any more troops I can spare to send with you, though."

She took the card, her hand trembling. "We can leave immediately." She stood. "Where is the sub bay?"

He directed us, and Danika walked out. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I don't like being in an enclosed space that tight." She admitted. "I can handle it when I'm in a ship, but something this small... I don't know."

"I'll be there with you." She looked at me gratefully.

The submersible was smaller than I had thought. Danika looked at it as if it were her coffin, but climbed in without demur. T3 rolled down into one of the open slots, plugging into the systems, bringing them up. I climbed down, and the hatch slid closed.

Water flowed up the clear canopy as the sub began its dive. We entered a green expanse of light, and fish swam by us as we dove toward the bottom. A huge pillar fifty meters across swept by to our right, then we were in the open sea. The light faded as we went deeper. Suddenly a Firaxa swam by, snapping at us. The Firaxa is one of the largest ocean going predators of the oceans of Manaan, averaging five to ten meters in length.

As we got deeper, the lights clicked on. All we could see was a narrow cone boring directly ahead of us. T3 suddenly bleeped, and the sub spun on one wing. Something rushed past us. All I could see was a single eye and teeth.

Danika showed me the datapad that reported what T3 was saying.

Large concentration of Firaxa ahead. Number uncounted. Evading attacks

"What is causing that?" Danika asked.

I slid forward. There was a manual piloting system, and ahead of us circled in red on the sonar was one hell of a lot of Firaxa. "Do we have any weapons, T3?"

A listing came up. I highlighted one. "Give me control!"

The controls came alive in my hands, and I keyed up my selection. A dozen sonic grenades fell away, and I aimed us upward as the sharks charged toward us. The sub shuddered as the grenades ripple fired. The Firaxa staggered, then drifted toward the bottom, stunned. I aimed for the hole I had made, and plunged deeper. The bottom was only a few meters away, and I pulled out, missing a rocky outcropping as we did. I set the system to drop a grenade every few seconds, and ran before the wave of sharks that followed.

There was a blob marked in green, the station itself. Something the size of a cruiser was near it, and the huge shape moved toward us. I hugged the bottom, and whatever it was passed over us. It took forever to move by. At least 400 meters long, I estimated, whatever it was.

There was wreckage as we came closer. Half a dozen subs of the same design had been battered to pieces. One looked as if it had been bitten in half! We came out in a bright green bubble. Lights installed on stanchions made it as bright as 50 meters depth. Then we could see the square box shape of the main building. I tapped the controls, and saw a door open. A Firaxa came out of it, lunging at us, but we were by it, and into the bay. The door closed behind us.

I had forgotten to shut off the dispenser, and it was pure luck that I had. We came around the corner into the bay itself, and a swarm of Firaxa were there. They came at us, then stopped, ripped apart as the grenades went off behind us in the enclosed space. We shot upward, coming up into a moon-pool dock. The engines hissed, then died. As the canopy came back, we saw a scene of carnage. A sub had been in the bay beside ours. It had been beaten to wreckage. Bodies lay everywhere. Most had been hacked to death, though some looked as if they had been poisoned.

Danika leaped from the sub and her breathing slowed. "I made it!" She gasped smiling.

"I knew you would." I soothed.

She shook her head, looking at me oddly. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"A keening sound, like a cry for help."

"No I didn't."

She shook her head again. Perhaps I am hearing things. Let's go."

We walked toward a door. It had been locked, but T3 opened it without trouble. A Twi-lek in a mercenary uniform lowered his blaster when he saw us. "We have to get out of here, now!"

"Wait. We're here to rescue you." I said.

He laughed hysterically. "Then rescue me!"

"We have to find out what happened first." Danika tried to sooth him.

But her words only made him angry. "They're all dead, the entire mission is a bust, and I want-"

"Soldier, is that a proper report?" I had never heard that I Will Be Obeyed voice from Danika before. The mercenary snapped to attention.

"Sorry, sir, no excuse, sir."

"Identify yourself and report your assignment."

"Bastan Twill. Hired along with four others to rescue the people down here, sir."

She nodded. "Continue."

"It's all confusing, sir. The Selkath seem to have gone mad, and began killing everyone before we arrived. My team was one of two. The other was led by Colin Faris, ten of us in all.

"Our teams moved through the building, but we were ambushed every step of the way. I don't know how many Selkath were working here, but we killed maybe a hundred and still they kept coming. Captain Faris got cut off from us with one other survivor down by the locks that lead outside. The survivors of our teams were pushed back, until I finally locked that door. When I did, I was the only one left alive."

Danika nodded. "Stand easy, soldier, we're taking over." She said. I could picture a team of a hundred troops behind us ready to join us as she said that. So could Bastan. He sagged.

"You stay here, guard the way home. We'll take care of it."

"If you say so. But begging your pardon sir, if you didn't bring heavy weapons, You're going to get reamed."

She smiled at him. "We'll manage." She went to the door. "T3, crack it."

Danika

The instant I saw that mercenary all my fears fell away. I was back in my element, a ground pounder taking charge. The man we left guarding the sub was calmer, ready to fight again.

"How did you do that?" Bastila asked. "I didn't feel any of the Force in your words, but he relaxed almost immediately!"

"I told you that you underestimated those without the Force. All I did was what an officer that saw him in that condition would have done. Stiffened his spine. When everything goes to hell, it's that officer standing there as if he knows he's going to live forever that takes you forward." The door opened into a docking tunnel attached from the docking bay to a vast structure beyond.

We reached a computer console, and T3 tied into it. "Any thing moving?"

Statistically everything is in constant motion thanks to molecular displacement. Care to be more specific?

"Smart ass. Scan the facility. What life forms are moving? Include Droids in that before you start to complain."

There were droids wandering the halls. They were on full wartime footing, meaning that without an access code, we would have to destroy them. I wasn't being charged for damages, but time was of the essence. T3 locked them down.

The halls were clear because just about every room in the station was filled with Selkath. They all had glazed eyes, flinching occasionally as that sound I could almost hear echoed again and again, wandering around without purpose. For a moment, I felt perhaps there was no danger, but right about then a human in a lab coat made a break for it from where he had been hiding in a locker. Every Selkath within ten meters charged at him, and ripped him apart. Some of them stung him with spines hidden in their dewlaps. That explained the poison victims.

"T3, can you control the speaker system throughout the base?"

Affirmative. If you are going to suggest a 'sonic bullet', I would suggest a range that will not kill or harm you as well

"That is exactly what I was thinking. But I don't want to kill the Selkath either if we can avoid it."

Setting; Human lethal range locked out. Trying sub-sonic settings that will affect the Selkath but are not dangerous to humans

I felt a rumble in my feet, and twisted my head. Non-lethal doesn't mean it didn't hurt. The Selkath went even madder than they had been, slamming into walls, then collapsing. "Are they dead?"

Negative. Selkath are more resistant to sound vibrations than humans. They will be incapacitated for several hours

"All right, how do we get to the refining facility?"

Access way not completed. Entry via enviro suit

I shuddered. Bastila noticed it immediately. "Danika-"

"Bastila, remember I died in a suit. I felt the air run out. I don't... I don't think I can do that again." I stared at the ocean beyond the armorplast.

"Then I will go-"

"No. This is my problem. I must deal with it."

We walked down to the locks that accessed the sea. The one closest to my goal was locked with a password. T3 couldn't circumvent it. I would have to go through a flooded section of the station.

I shook my head. What happened down here?

We reached the emergency lock leading further. Even searching through the complex, there was only the one suit. I grabbed it. I know Bastila would have gone, but I couldn't let her. This was my fear. If I didn't face it now, I never would. I slipped on the helmet, and as it locked I found myself frantically clawing at the locking ring. She caught my hands, holding them. "Look at me!" She demanded. My eyes had closed in my panic, sure I would see star wheeling past, see the counter with only minutes remaining to live. I opened them, seeing her face right there. Plenty of air, hours. "Do you want me to go?" I shook my head frantically. "Then you have to pull yourself together. I am depending on you!"

I shuddered, nodding. She attached a small device to the arm of the suit. "I was reading the data files while you suited up. They used these to drive away Firaxa. Use it if they get too close." I nodded again. I knew if I opened my mouth I would be begging to get out of this damn suit, let her do this!

She stepped aside, and I saw the lock door. I didn't want to go out there. Couldn't go out there! But my hand rose, and I keyed it open. The door closed behind me and water sprayed down on top of me. I wanted to scream, but I knew she'd hear it. Hear and open the door, and go instead. I couldn't let her do this. I had to!

The exterior door opened. The room beyond looked like the one I had just left except it was flooded. As I waddled into the room beyond, I heard someone cursing. From the sound he had a lot of experience cursing on a lot of other worlds.

"Report." I said.

"Who is that?"

"Danika Wordweaver. We're here to rescue you."

"Yeah about a day too effing late if you ask me." He snarled.

"Faris?"

"Yep, that's me. Captain in the Republic infantry no less, once upon a time."

"I only reached sergeant." I replied.

"Then they're scraping the bottom up there."

"No. My commission is less than six months old."

"Oh, new meat to tell me what to do?"

"Nothing of the kind, Captain." I replied. The Riffed troops from the last war were still sensitive. "I'm new. Got a sitrep for me?"

"S-BAR." He rasped back. "I went in with nineteen, and now I'm the only one left.

I translated it as Screwed Beyond All Repair. "No, Bastan Twill made it back to the lock."

"Then that's a 10% survival ratio. Not at all good." I heard a ping, and my suit read it. Another suit, 20 meters to my left.

"It's something. I was at Zanebra and we lost more than that."

"You mean someone survived that goat rape?"

I waddled toward him. "You're talking to one of them. What were you planning?"

"The bug-out boogie. I can't get through the building; those damn fish are everywhere. But if I get over to the lock near the boat bay, I can get clear."

"Maybe so, sir. But what about the people in the Harvesting section?"

"They can wait for backup with some serious firepower. Maybe some heavy weapons." I came in sight of him, and he was already heading into a section that was solid. "I blew the walls to flood this area when the fish went bananas the second time. We had orders not to hurt them. I think I'll throw that goat rapist in the sub for that mission."

That made sense now. This area should have been open, but the walls and fixtures were definitely not designed for immersion. I passed a body that had been slammed into a wall hard enough to almost weld it. I came around the corner, and Faris was jumping out onto the ocean bottom through a ten-foot gap in the wall. "Come on. Just watch out for-"

As he spoke, something huge came from the side, catching him like a near-trout catching a fly. Blood sprayed as it powered away from the opening. I came to it, watching his legs float back to the bottom. The Firaxa that had taken him was a lot bigger than the average mentioned.

I closed my eyes. I could hear my breath, and frantically looked at the gauge. I still had seven hours. I mentally made my heart slow down. The mud was right there. I looked at the sonic projector mounted on the glove. I silently prayed as I took that last step. It was clear for the moment. I checked the map I had. The harvester section was to my left about thirty meters. The connection to the main section was on the other side of it.

I started waddling that way. This suit was not made for rapid movement. I mentally attached jets, props, hell, while I was imagining, a damn hyper drive to it, but my mental manipulation did not supply the equipment. A Firaxa bulleted toward me, and I hit the projector. The animal froze as if I had prodded it, then turned and shot away. I grinned, and every time I saw one of them I hit it with a shot. I reached the door, and had started it cycling when something made me spin and trigger it. A Firaxa spasmed less than a meter from me as I fell through the hatch.

I sobbed as the water came down, pulling off my helmet as soon as if was clear. Recycled air, but it wasn't inside a shoebox damn it!

I climbed out of the suit, and drew my light saber. It wouldn't have worked under water, but I wished it would. I keyed the inner hatch, and was swinging before my target was in view. Three Selkath were there right at the door, and all were down before they even knew I was there. I staggered past them, and went hunting. The sonic bullet T3 was using didn't reach here. There were half a dozen more, and I dealt with them. I found a map of the harvesting section, and noticed that the control room was off by itself. I went that way, and found a force field in my way. I found the intercom, and flicked it on.

"Hello! Is anyone in the control room?"

I heard someone scream then a fan above me kicked in. I felt the air being pumped from the room. I lit my lightsaber, and punched it into the wall near one of the control nodes for the force field. It shorted out, and suddenly I could breath again. I stormed forward. There were two people in the room. The woman started crying. She kept repeating. "I'm sorry." as I stalked toward the console The man came to her side, and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Sami just panicked We heard your voice, and she thought the Selkath had gotten into the control room."

I nodded, relaxing. "I hope my voice really isn't that raspy." I said. Sami smiled a little at that. "I'm Danika. I was sent down to investigate."

"Nomi Nolan. I was the director of this mess before it all went to hell. Sami is our science advisor. He sat at a terminal. "We haven't had contact with the surface for at least three days."

"I came originally about the artifact you discovered."

They looked at each other. "We only reported it last week. Too soon for you to have been sent."

"I knew it was here, just not where." I replied. "What can you tell me?"

"We were assembling the last section of the harvesting arm. There is an overhang, and we estimate fifty kilotons of Kolto might be trapped below it. The arm has to extend out over the rift itself and under to scrape Kolto from the underside. We were setting the foundation legs when someone spotted this obelisk just sitting there on the bottom. We didn't get a good look at it until right before everything went to hell. Here, Sami, see if we have Munroe's data feed."

She turned, and began running through the computer. Then she pointed at the large screen. Someone in a suit was waddling through the mud toward a series of lights. "When we found it, I ordered lights installed. Doctor Munroe is... I mean he was the chief of oceanographic sciences for the facility. He was heading toward it when it began."

The camera stopped as the person halted to get a better picture. A Star Map obelisk stood there thrust out of the sediment. He approached it, careful to keep it in the camera focus. Then something rose beyond it, a mass of black. Then the screen went crazy, then blank.

"We got a call from Chuck Feelis, shift supervisor. This was the last section, so we were on an all hands evolution. All but ten of our people were out there, including our cargo lifters." He signaled Sami again.

The screen became a sensor screen with a video feed of what the crew could see ahead, with green lights representing the people in suits. Two were marked as cargo lifters. One of those lit up as a voice said. "Looks like we can test the grinders without damaging whatever it is. Activating now. Impact, look at it-"

"Chuck, in the rift!" As we watched a huge blip appeared, coming up out of the rift fast. All the video feed showed was teeth in a gaping maw rushing toward them.

"Holy-" the word cut off as Cargo 1 disappeared down its throat. Cargo 2 caught a shock wave from whatever it was, slamming into a pylon, and went out as well. Red markers suddenly came out of nowhere around the men. As we watched, the lights disappeared.

"Those red markers are Firaxa. There was a sonic pulse from that thing coming up, strong enough to almost fry our sonar right before they came in. Five of our people got back into the buildings but our troubles had only started."

"We had reports from inside that Selkath had fallen, frothing. Then they suddenly began attacking our people. We watched men being ripped apart alive as we ran for here." Sami looked horrified. "Nolan got up the force field, but it was too late for the rest.

"We've been waiting for a rescue since then. There are no environmental suits in here."

"What was that black thing?"

"That is what freaked everyone out before the Selkath went crazy." Nolan brought up a scanner on the outside of the habitat we were in.

It was a Firaxa. But it was huge. "That's what, four hundred meters long?" I said in a whisper.

"About that. These Firaxa sharks don't have any natural predators except each other. They live until something kills them."

I stared at it. "And the sound came from that?" They nodded silently.

"It must live in the rift, coming up somewhere along the fifty kilometers of it to feed, because we'd never even seen it before. We think it came up here because our grinders bothered it." Nolan said. "But we can't tell anyone because we can't get out of here!" Nolan waved at the ocean. "Even if we had suits, the Firaxa have gone mad! They're attacking everything that moves out there!"

"And the Selkath are attacking everyone inside." Sami added grimly.

I nodded, keying my com. "Bastila, have T3 set that sonic shock wave he created to go off every ten minutes."

"We're moving back to the terminal."

I nodded. "Then we have to get rid of that huge shark. Any ideas?"

Sami nodded "We've been working on a repellant since the project began. The Firaxa take a man every now and then. We've tried sonic fences, turrets that fire sonic charges, sonic mines, but nothing fazes them for long. The repellant was supposed to make a smell or taste that bothered the Firaxa. But it isn't working quite right yet."

"It works well enough for that!" Nolan said. "If we can't get support, we're dead either way!"

"But the repercussions to the environment!" Sami gasped.

"I don't give a damn about an ocean I don't have to live in!"

"But it might taint the Kolto-"

"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "What is wrong with the repellant?"

"It doesn't chase them away." Sami said softly. "It kills them. Horribly."

I stared at her. She nodded. "We tested in right before everything went to hell. We had a captured Firaxa in a large tank, and dropped a small amount in the water. It caused the skin to rupture and the gills ruptured a few minutes later. We can't just let it loose in the ocean! We don't know what it will do to the other sea life, and the Kolto-"

"And the Selkath." I added. I pictured Shasha with her skin rupturing, blood spraying out. Even if it only affected the Firaxa, what would happen to an

environment without them? There were laws about this! "How large was the dose you used?"

"A milliliter in a fifty thousand-liter tank. After the test we figured one nanoliter was still toxic in the same volume."

I pictured only a liter flask. That would poison one hundred million cubic kilometers of ocean! "There must be another way."

They looked at each other. "Well if the last section wasn't there, maybe it would go away again. But that is three months of work in construction, and we don't have enough explosives-" Nolan began.

"There's the hydrolium."

"Sami, the tank on the last section is five hundred liters! If that went up, the whole base would go!"

"Not if the fuel lines were started. We could turn one of the grinder heads on again, and that would put fuel in the line instead-"

"It isn't like that is much better!" Nolan almost screamed. "It could still blow the entire station to hell!"

"What is this hydrolium?"

"A sodium based liquid fuel. We use it for machinery that requires a lot of energy, but where nuclear power packs or fusion generators are contraindicated. That would heat up the nearby ocean, and we're trying to impact the ecosphere as little as possible.

"The problem is, hydrolium reacts with water. You inject a gram into the engines, and spray it with water. It releases as much energy as a block of blasting explosive. That tank is enough to level the entire base and kill everything within five kilometers from the shock wave alone!"

"Can the tank be drained off?"

"No. It's a sealed unit. The only thing it feeds to is the line to the engines."

I pictured my options. "I need some blasting explosives."

"We don't have any in here." Nolan admitted. "But a grenade could rupture a line easily enough."

"What about filling just one line?"

"No can do. It's all of them or none." Sami said.

"But the lines should rupture by themselves. When the tank sensors detect that, they should shut down." Nolan looked away as if he could see the huge bomb that tank represented. "Operative word, 'should'."

I fingered my vest. I had grenades there. "I need a bag of some kind."

I stood under the flood, trying to stay calm. Bad enough I had to set off a massive explosion, but I was going to be in the water when it happened. If the shock wave caught me, I would be pulped. Nolan had marked a small storage bay. With the door closed, it should take most of the shock without too much damage. I didn't mention the qualifier.

The door opened, and I sprayed the outside with the sonic projector. A pair of Firaxa that had been waiting for me bolted away. I waddled out, and spotted the line of deck plates they had laid out down the run of the structure. I went down them, watching for Firaxa.

The Hydrolium tank was back near the end of the new structure, the lines, barely as big around as my little fingers already attached. Nolan had said he would start one of the grinding heads when he saw me in the scanners. I moved out farther. Part of me hoped we could keep from destroying the entire thing, but I didn't have any hopes.

Ahead of me, I could hear an engine cycling, then a screeching as a grinder head was dropped to the rock, ripping Kolto from it and flinging it back into a hopper. I jumped to the top of the storage bay, and spotted the nearest hydrolium line. "All right, stop it!" I shouted. As I did a swarm of Firaxa charged into the light, headed for the grinding head. They tried to rip the head free, worrying at whatever they could reach. I saw a Firaxa begin ripping at a fuel line and instinctively leaped down, pulling the door closed.

There was a thump, and the door slammed hard, springing back open. Then suddenly the lines began to explode like demolition charges. I caught the door, and pulled it to just as the hammer of the gods slammed the shed. I was bounced around, and above me the metal of the shed began to fall apart in shards. I ripped open the door somehow and dived outside just as there was a tearing sound. A girder above me began to stretch, the metal vibrating in a tone that rose until I couldn't hear it any more, then it shattered. Across the section above me more and more girders did the same thing. Then the last 50 meters of the structure lurched, lifted the end toward me up, and dropped into the abyss.

"Danika." I looked around, dazed. Metal shards had imbedded themselves in the deck plating, some deep enough to punch through into the sediment.

"Danika, report."

I staggered to my feet. Where I stood there was the mass of the structure running back toward the base. The lines had ruptured as Nolan had predicted, but the tank had not. But in front of me the landscape had been scoured clean.

"Danika, please-"

"I'm all right." I said. "I'm heading toward the Star Map."

"Be careful."

I slogged forward. The Firaxa seemed to be ignoring me now. I reached a section just short of the Star Map when I felt something approaching. I turned and stared up.

And up.

And up.

The giant Firaxa was headed toward me, as large as a space cruiser. I felt an urge, removing my right glove, and reached up, feeling the smooth skin run across my hand as it passed above me. It seemed to enjoy that simple touch because it slowed down. For a moment I pictured the joking photos where someone stands below a cargo ship that is taking off, hands against the hull plating as if they had lifted it. I could have posed for it myself.

Suddenly I felt a sense of awe. These Firaxa sharks don't have any natural predators except each other. They live until something kills them. I pictured the goggle-eyed builders standing on a cliff face over the ocean, setting the Star Map up. Below them swam a Firaxa shark barely average in size. Then the sea had risen, the shark swimming up with it, but returning to where it felt comfortable, the trench that had been it's home. It had seen the death of that empire, and witnessed the birth of the Republic.

Some day the Republic will fall into the ashcan of history as well. I thought. And thanks to me this Firaxa will still be here, awaiting the next empire that arose maybe another 30 millennia from now.

It swam on, and I ducked as the tail fin swept by. I caught a stanchion just in time to avoid being blown off the edge of the abyss. It swam up, sweeping like a fighter coming back, then it rolled, and dropped back into it's home.

I stood there in awe for several minutes. Then I shook myself, and waddled on to the Star Map. As with the others, it seemed to sense my presence, and opened up. I recorded the data, and slid the datapad back into its case.

Suddenly I stopped. I felt something, and knew instinctively that it came down the bond I shared with Bastila. Then... Nothing.

"Bastila." I turned, waddling frantically toward the lock leading back to the base. "Bastila, answer me." I moved past the harvesting control room. "T3-"

"Oh do be quiet." A man's voice answered. "My master has use for your friend, and I can reprogram the droid. It is you I am waiting for now. Come to me, my little Jedi. Maybe you can free them?" He laughed. "All you have to do is defeat me. Come to the Sub bay. The corridor that attaches it to the main building. I will meet you there."

"If you've hurt her-"

"Oh please. No threats. Just come."

I felt rage flow through me, and locked it down hard. All it would do is distract me. I reached the door, ripping the suit off as the water dropped below my knees. I brushed my robe, then ran toward the docking bays. Around me the Selkath were waking up. I hoped their madness had passed.

I reached the door, that led into the walkway to the sub bay and when it opened, I saw a man in black armor, standing in the center of the tube, facing me. I recognized that face.

"You were on the Endar Spire. You murdered Trask Ulgo!"

He shrugged, his voice a purr. "I kill so many people for my master. It is hard to keep track." He walked toward me. "You however have become an obsession for me. Did you know that? I wasn't sure who you were when I saw you. Your friend Ulgo was good enough for that. But I knew of you before my master Darth Malak did. Before Admiral Karath told him. I am Darth Bandon, apprentice to Darth Malak." His lightsaber, a double like mine lit. "I am your doom."

He leaped, using the Force to throw him across the distance between us. Our lightsabers clashed, and I blocked as he tried to cut with the off hand edge. I kicked, and he flew backwards, flipping in midair to land on his feet. Then he reached out, and I felt his hand catch my throat with the Force. "I want to look into your eyes, see when you know your death approaches!" He screamed. "Picture Bastila as Malak's devoted slave and your Republic in ruins! I want to feel you realize all of your failures as your neck collapses!"

I pictured Bastila in chains with a slave collar and part of me broke. I growled. "Is that the best you can do? Like this, fool!" I reached out, and his eyes went wide with shock as I grabbed his throat with the Force.

"No, you can't!" He screamed as my Force-hand crushed his neck like a vice. But it wasn't enough! I pulled, and the head ripped free, flying toward me. I stepped aside as his body fell to its knees, eyes still unbelieving from beside my foot.

"If you're going to kill someone, do it; don't talk about it." I walked past his body. Bastan Twill lay dead in the next room, his head twisted completely around. I walked to him, then looked into the sub bay. Two dark Jedi stood there, and they stared at me in horror.

"Bandon-" One began. I caught them both in that same Force grip. "Ask him what happened in hell." Their necks snapped.

There was another sub in the bay. T3 sat there, shut down and forlorn, and behind him, Bastila lay on the deck plates. A restraint collar had been attached around her neck, and shackles had been linked to it then to her hands and feet. She quivered as the system fed back into her every time she even thought of moving. I opened the bands, throwing the entire thing into the water, then hugged her, cuddling her to my bosom. Suddenly it struck me what I just done. I had killed three people using the Force alone. The blackest of all the dark arts. I found I was crying. No please, I can't become what I hate!

She stopped shuddering, and I heard her take a deep ragged breath.

"Danika, Malak sent-"

"I know. He sent Bandon after us, and I sent him to hell." She looked up eyes wide and frightened. "No one hurts my friends." I whispered. Then I hugged her as if just touching her would heal the wound I had made in my own soul. "I'm sorry." I wailed. "He boasted you'd be Malak's slave, and I just snapped. I killed him, I killed the ones with him with the Force!" I wanted to scream, but deep inside, I knew that I would do it again. To protect those I loved I would kill anything. With whatever was at hand. "We have to return to Dantooine." I hugged her repeating, "I can't go on." over and over.

"We must go on." She whispered in return. "Trust in the Force."

She hugged me, but deep in my heart I felt a doubt that had become something I knew as fact since Tatooine. Bastila had been lying to me from the start. Betraying my trust.

But why?