Note:

Some guest stated that the story is becoming too much like anime. Frankly, I don't see it. I don't watch anime. I like Dragon ballZ, but I haven't watched it in ages. I'm just writing as things flow. Also, another guest said something about 'assassins creed'... I reeaally don't get it, esspecially when that is the only thing in the entire review. But... okay? not sure what to make of it. If anyone sees the connection to assassin creed or how this is becoming an anime, I'd like to know how.

Also, sorry, but mandalorian females aren't going to like Varus. Trust me, big storyline issue. You'll see what I mean in the next story.

I do agree that Ahsoka/Galen is overdone, but frankly, thats because there many of them that are bad! I've tried reading a few, and I can't get past the first chapter they are rushed so poorly. I don't see it as overdone because I haven't managed to sit through a single one without wanting to stab my eyes or stopping and watching something good to get my mind off the poor writing. Like M*A*S*H. I don't mean grammar. some of them are poor in grammar, as if it was written by a first grader, but other's is where the plot line is boiled down to love-at-first-sight-lets-kiss-and-make-out-and-go-against-everything-we've-believed-for-the-last-twenty-years-OMG-WE'RE-MARRIED! in the first chapter alone! AND WITHOUT REASON! THAT MAKES ME WANT TO STAB MY EYES!

So yeah... haven't read a single Galen/Ahsoka thing, so i don't consider it overdone. I consider it poorly presented. So to me, it is a strong viable option in the future that will not be removed from the table simply because it would make sense in my story due to the fact that they have already made slow progression from dislike to friends to being closer friends. If I do it, I'll make sure to make it work without being some fast-as-lightning cheap crap.

hmm... fine. I'll put the Mandalorian women on the table as an option, but that would be a large stretch of the imagination. It would have to be OC.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not even the clothes on my back.

Episode 17 - A Matter of Lies

Varus was… not in the best shape to say the least.

He cried for a while, and Anakin kept his silence for a bit, but when the pain in his body became too great, he called his team's attention again. Ahsoka had become deathly silent and detached. Her actions in the prior conflict still looked out for Varus, but now that the adrenaline and tension was wearing off, it was replaced with new tension and new possibilities of how she would see the events from her perspective.

There was no doubt in the Jedi's mind that Maris was dead. There wasn't even a corpse. What was left of her would be under the base of the five-thousand meter tree Varus just dropped on her.

Varus, with fresh tear stains down his face, was coherent enough to work with Ahsoka to help Anakin stand. Varus took the Knight's bad side and they limped off. Ahsoka stayed behind for several minutes, no doubt to pay respects to Maris or to reflect or at the very least confirm her old friend was dead, before she returned to them with an even colder and more blank expression and mood, and HK in her arms. The general had seen her many moods, and when she was mad she tended to either lash out to internalize it all, but this was the worst he had ever seen. At most she would look bored, but this she looked almost robotic. He could have said, 'Snips, I am your father.' and she would have just stared at him blankly.

Varus was the exact opposite. Anakin had figured him out a long time ago to be the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but this was the furthest he had ever seen. Varus's eyes were haunted, his expression grim, his stance cowering in a combination of self-loathing and fear every time Ahsoka's gaze would happen to drift in his general direction, and his thoughts… undoubtedly negative. The Force bond Anakin had been working on establishing between the three of them was in sheer chaos on Varus's end, with no small part of it being shame, fear, guilt, self-loathing, and a heavy dose of confusion. A war went on inside his mind but until he opened his mouth, there was little anyone could do to steer him.

Time went on for what felt like days, but was more accurately two hours. Every step was a tense struggle between Anakin's assisted walking around Varus's shoulder, and the silence. The silence was more painful than the wound in his foot and shoulder. Not even HK said a word, the droid seemed dead to the world.

Not one word was said as they found the rope lift, nor as they ascended slowly, nor as they walked down the paths empty of Mandalorian and Republic forces now, and not when they came across their ship and Anakin punched in the key to open the door.

Ahsoka put HK on the floor in the corner and immediately left to the crew quarters, leaving the men standing in the middle of the ship unsure what to say or do. Varus continued to watch the floor and Anakin fidgeted. He had difficulty lifting his foot off the ground after so long. "Varus. The pilot chair." Anakin said weakly.

"… Right." The teenager nodded. He spun the said chair around with the Force briskly and helped his Master sit down. Anakin grimaced when his shoulder met the back of the chair, but otherwise it was a lot better than standing.

Anakin pointed to the side panel where they kept their medical equipment, and Varus, understanding the motion, examined its contents. "Nothing… We ran out." At this point a wailing cry came from the crew quarters and Varus flinched. He looked down in renewed shame and shut the panel quietly. "I think we used it all on… me."

"Probably." Anakin agreed heavily.

Silence came over them again. Varus stayed rooted to his place by the medical panel and Anakin watched and reflected from his chair. Ahsoka's cries echoed through the entire ship.

"About… what happened." Varus started to say.

Anakin stopped him, "Don't." Varus flinched but kept his mouth shut. "What happened. Happened. I know this may seem presumptuous of me to assume to know exactly what you are thinking, but Varus, you did not murder them. They attacked us with the intent of murdering you. We gave them ample times to surrender, but they made their position abundantly clear. If anything, blame me."

"You?"

"I made the first move." Anakin reflected.

"But… Master." Since when had Varus ever called him 'Master'? The sound was it was uncomfortable. Anakin would rather have his apprentice calling him stupid nicknames than 'Master'.

"Varus." Anakin said firmly. "You did not murder them. They were out to KILL you. They stabbed you, twice, and nearly took your arm off. You acted in self-defense."

"They weren't attacking me when I stood up again…"

"Perhaps not, but when you are in enemy custody as a prisoner, and you have an opportunity, you're not supposed to argue semantics and ethics. You're supposed to resist at every opportunity. You may not have been a 'prisoner' per say, but you were someone they had brought to the brink of death, so it will count just as well. You acted in self-defense."

Varus didn't look like he agreed with that. "I had complete control… I could have forced them to surrender. Crippled them. Knocked them out. Something."

"Yes, you could have." Anakin agreed. "But the fact is, that would have possibly been stupid of you to do." Varus looked up at him in mild shock. "Varus, could you have taken them to local security AND protect us in the condition we are in?"

"No."

"Do you think that crippling them on a hostile planet, such as this, would still leave them the slightest chance of survival?"

"… Unlikely." Varus agreed with hesitation.

"If you had merely 'knocked them out', would they have stopped coming after you again? And again?"

Varus considered it, but admitted, "No. The soldier has come after me before, and the girl was raving mad, but… its just…" He bit his lip and quieted down. His eyes fell to the floor.

"The way you did it?" Anakin leaned back, closed his eyes, and sighed. How would he explain to him that what he was using was obviously Dark Side techniques? He saw the door to the crew quarters open slightly.

"No." Varus denied but changed his tone. "Well, yes, how I did it, but more than that. I didn't consider any of that. I didn't think of it as capture or crippling or… any of that. I wasn't thinking anything. I did not think of it as self-defense. I just… did it."

"You were only half-conscious, half out of your mind in pain and having only slightly come out of a death-like stupor. You weren't GOING to think." Anakin countered. "Is this something worth having on your soul? Yes. A girl who was close to Snips died to your hand, and… this may make things rough between you two. You killed her. But is it something worth dragging you down? No. Because she is not coming back, because she started it, and because she ACTUALLY had the chance to flee in the last few moments, but rather decided to piss you off when you were half out of your mind."

"I was very angry, I remember that much." He commented. "And full of energy… I… used power that feels… wrong."

Anakin hesitated inside. This was it. It was time to walk the border between breaking the mind-wipe holding the insanely dark power of Starkiller back, and healing the broken boy he had come to care deeply about. "It was the Dark Side."

Varus nodded, his breathe picking up and staggering. "Does-" He stopped and forced himself to breathe. "Do-does it make me… a Sith?"

"No." Anakin said truthfully. "If using the Dark Side a single time could, then about every Jedi would be Sith. Younglings are prone to accidentally tapping into it at least once, and you know my history with the Sand People. What makes us Sith and Jedi, Varus, I would say are two things. Values and constants."

Varus simply nodded. He avoided eye contact.

"Sith do not value life. You do. You may be reckless and stupid at times, but you're on my team, it comes with the territory." He joked. Varus snorted. "And constants… that's a bit harder to explain, but people are consistent creatures, Varus. They rarely move beyond their comfort zone, but when they do, provided its rare occasion, it is an exception. This is the first time you have truly used the Dark Side. It is an exception. It is only once you use it to the point of being a constant that it truly takes you over, which is a naturally perilous part of it. The Dark Side is addicting in how easily it can become a constant." He couldn't reach out and grab the boy's shoulders, so he settled to looking firmly into his eyes. "So long as you continue to hold life precious, and resist and fight 'tooth and nail' against every opportunity to use the Dark Side, you are not Sith."

Anakin let that sink in, but also decided it was best to stop. Varus had the attention span of a goldfish at best, and needed to take lessons like these a bit at a time. It was important to go over these things, but he also decided to move on. "Come here." He ordered gently. He patted the co-pilot seat and Varus sat down. "I'm going to be unable to get us airborne easily, and its about time you had a crash course in piloting." The young man visibly paled. He had a hard time with atmospheric entry and the Knight could imagine the prospect of putting their lives in his hands on atmospheric exodus was horrifying. "It's not as bad as it seems. The computer handles most of it, especially when you use autopilot. Even a child can do it."

"But its always been rough. Then autopilot can't be that good."

Anakin snorted. "I have never, in my life, used autopilot."

Varus gaped in disbelief. "You never-?! You… GRAAH!"

The door to the crew quarters quietly closed.

I knew instantly what Tree-Hugger was doing.

I am not that comfortable with touchy-feely, and I don't think he is all that much either, but I needed the reassurance and time to do something without dwelling on… earlier. Every time I close my eyes I see the flesh on the tank-soldier's head melt away in screams and I feel the rage of Maris's accusations. It's not that she said things that were false, if anything, I realize now that it hurts so much because… she was right.

I used a power. To a robot, like HK, who Tree-Hugger is working on while I try to keep us level against the gravity well and depart the Mando'a fleet, the power would seem no different from any other. The sword or shield can be used for defense as much as offense as much as digging up your front yard. In the right hands, a blaster can end nations or uplift them. I realize now with perfect clarity that I am no stranger to life and death, consequences and actions.

All the dreams I've had, the nightmares, the visions… they are clearer than ever. Little bits and pieces are fitting together in my mind and… what I see horrifies me.

I'm a Miraluka. Not just any, but a Keeper. The last Keeper was Kento Marek, but in my vision I ran into Kento… and he had a son named Galen Marek. Galen was tricked into revealing the location of something special by a man named Nihilus. Now, here is the first oddity. He had to be Darth Nihilus, as records showed Nihilus wiped out the Miraluka, save for me and anyone else who was away at the time. Why did he spare the boy? The boy was right there. Also, why did he need the boy? For a Sith Lord, capable of wiping entire planets, to need the services of a boy in finding an object that was only a few miles away? And let's not forget it was a PILLAR of fire. Not a little candlestick, flashlight, or bon fire. It was a freakin' SKY-PIERCING-TALL-SKYSCRAPER of fire. The only way the pillar could have been more obvious is if it was flashing neon colors with arrows pointing at it with words saying 'ARE YOU BLIND?!'.

Nihilus didn't need the boy, he WANTED the boy. Very big difference. But why? I can't put my finger on it beyond the simple idea that the guy is sadistic like that. Or a pedophile.

Now, here's the freakish part… Galen…

Keeper bloodline? Check.

Knows the figure of my nightmares? Check.

Lone survivor? Hold that thought.

I can't say for complete certainty, as the vision had ended and I haven't seen him again beyond that time I almost died just, oh, about three hours ago. (Still not past that.) But I know deep down in my gut that the kid is the lone survivor of whatever happened. Why?

I'm Galen.

I have dreams of family, and all this time I assumed it was of Taris or just wishful thinking, but now I recognize the man-figure as Kento. I don't recall the mother, but that doesn't change the fact that she was there, that she was Miraluka, that we were NOT on Taris. They were my parents.

And I killed them.

Which brings me back to the fact that I understand death, and guilt, and pain. I know I didn't kill my parents, it was Nihilus, and he technically didn't need me, but whatever this is I am feeling in my gut, it feels like its been something I've been feeding for years. I've been running away from my memories ever since I lost them because deep down I was afraid of remembering. I was afraid… because my entire life, what pieces I now remember clearly, I've lived with the knowledge that I wiped out my people.

If I had a choice I'd have them wiped again.

Wait a second, wiped? No, I shake my head. I was struck and got a concussion leading to amnesia. No idea where that thought came from.

"Are you okay?" Anakin asked from the pilot seat. He had HK in his lap with the top open while he tinkered around inside.

"Yeah." I respond.

We're departed the fleet while I was thinking! Why didn't he say anything? We just wasted… no, he's just letting me think and work this out. The fact that he chose to do that makes me feel warm, but does little to fix my mood. "Is it that obvious?" I wonder.

"Well, your face keeps moving between guilt, thoughtfulness, guilt, and some other think that makes you look constipated." He states. I laugh weakly.

"I'm just… trying to figure some things out."

"I figured as much." Something in his tone is almost… afraid. No, not afraid, uncertain. Well, if he doesn't know the crap that goes through my head, he has every right to be afraid! I'm scared of the crap in my head too! Sometimes I just want to dig my brain out with a spoon and inspect it and poke it and wonder what galactic joke created it. It'd probably be green and moldy too. "Have you figured anything out?" He wonders.

Mother Hen enters the room and sit down on the other side of Tree-Hugger. She looks like she had been crying a while, and is now weak and exhausted.

Aaaand there's the awkward. My throat clenches and the panel becomes very attractive right now. "…Sorry." I say so quietly I wonder if I even said it. She doesn't make any sign that she heard me.

Along with the memories, I remember Maris. I remember killing her master. After what I did, I can't blame her for having come after me like she did. I all but slapped her in the face and shoved the death in her face. The worst part is I don't remember WHY I did it! I was powerful, I was strong, I was covered in lightning and power and…

Power exactly like I used today. And now I'm back at contemplating the power itself. It frightens me even more than anything else because… while I can try to claim my visions and dreams and nightmares are a bunch of baloney and I'm just pulling a huge conspiracy out of my butt because I obviously like beating myself up, I can't do that with my power. I know what happened. There was evidence of my power all around me, and if that isn't frightening in its magnitude, its frightening in how it felt. It came from deep within me, a place so deep and so hidden that I have never had the slightest idea. The power felt angry and hateful and all-consuming, but even more than that, it felt like an abomination.

I healed myself by consuming the flesh of another man. If that isn't a mockery of life and death, I don't know what is. Every cell in my body feels foreign and uncomfortable, like wearing a dress. (Not that I've ever worn one!) I don't know how I knew how to use the Force in such a way, but that power, whatever it was I drew the power from and fed it with, is nothing short of an abomination and mockery of existence. And I have it in me.

The thought makes me feel sick.

I'm the reason I am the last survivor of my entire race after being seduced by the object of my nightmares, only to later assassinate a Jedi Master using abominable powers, and leave behind a Padawan who I later killed with the same power. Somewhere in the mix I signed up for the Jedi, traveled to Coruscant, and got knocked out by thugs.

That makes no sense…

I don't think I lived on Taris anymore. I might have been there at some point, but the Jedi definitely made that part up. They made a lot of things up. I'm not human like they said, I don't have parents from Taris like they said. They don't know? Fair enough. Make crap up. I'm figuring this out as I go. At least they made an effort.

But being knocked out by thugs? Really? The more I think about it, the more it sounds stupid. I was a badass emo with the power of my mind enough to kill a Jedi Master, able to lift five-thousand meter tall trees, strip the muscle off people, and have all the basic Force techniques to detect conflict and deal with it; and I get a brick to the head from a nobody? That's not just anticlimactic, that makes no sense.

Either that thug was VERY lucky,

Or the thug was a powerful Force-user too,

Or someone's lying.

And why would the Jedi accept me if I was filled with abominable power? I realize they aren't the nicest of bricks, but they aren't evil, sadistic freaks either.

"Have you figured anything out?" Ahsoka asked without looking at me.

So, she heard the question… "Kinda…" I evade. Tree-Hugger puts HK on the ground and HK zooms around on the ground to me.

"Master! Permission to initiate self-execution!"

"Denied. What was wrong with him?" I ask Tree-Hugger.

"Argument: But I have failed to protect Master numerous times! I am insufficient and must be replaced with adequate model!"

Tree-Hugger shrugs while we ignore HK's protest at why I won't let it commit suicide. "Not much really. He just had his voice box broken and his wheels while being upside down. He was fully functional, just couldn't move or talk. I fixed that long ago. Thought I'd give him some minor upgrades while you work things out."

Seeing we weren't taking it's protests seriously, HK wheeled itself away. Whether to go against my orders or to move on and find something to do with it's time, I can't say. If I grew on it at all, it will be pouting.

And we're still in Kashsyyyk space. "What now?" I wonder. I can tell things are by no means settled between Mother Hen and myself, but I would rather wonder if we should be doing something rather than just sitting here being emo. Like, maybe, finding the next clue to the whole Revan puzzle.

Ahsoka straightens and her pain is replaced with worry, and suddenly she's no longer being emo, but is herself again. The sudden shift is a little frightening. "Coruscant!"

I look at her curiously, what about Coruscant? Tree-Hugger's eyes suddenly explode wide open and he jumps up so hard he almost hurts himself. He punches in keys one handed and suddenly we're in Warp. He is frightened about something. "Did I miss something?"

"You could say that." Anakin says. His fingers dance across the keyboards.

I raise an eyebrow, but he doesn't elaborate. "And?"

"Coruscant is under attack. The Separatists are throwing everything they have at us."

Oh. OH! Wait…. "That's bad right?"

"Very."

"Crap."

"We are probably going to come out of Warp in the middle of an intense warzone between tens of thousands of battlecruiers, frigates, carriers, dreadnaughts, and the like."

"Crap!"

"And… we're going to be late."

"Crap… You done?"

He glances at me curiously. Ahsoka speaks up, "His wife would be a concern, she's probably still on Coruscant since she was in the middle of a Senate Meeting when Palpatine was called down as the Darth Sidius who-"

"PALPATINE WAS DARTH SIDIUS!? That… that! I'm out of words to describe him! I got this Revan crap in my head because we were looking for him! AND YOU TOLD HIM WE WERE LOOKING FOR HIM!" I point an accusatory finger at Tree-Hugger. Back at the Sector, Tree-Hugger had the gall to CALL Darth Sidius and go 'Yes, we are totally looking for you and here's where. Just thought you should know because HEY! WHY NOT!?'

Tree-Hugger. glares at me. Oh right, him and Tree-Hugger were like best buddies for years. Uh… Tree-Hugger must be more insulted then me. "…Shutting up."

Tree-Hugger sighs and leans back. A green aura appears over his hand and he takes hold of the wound in his other shoulder. "We will have to resume your flying lessons later, Varus. Once we arrive, I'm taking off autopilot and flying us manually down to Coruscant to meet up with the rest of the Jedi, or our flagship in the battle if it is where we belong. We will arrive in three hours. Fast enough to get there, but slow enough to look like an everyday transport to their long range sensors and hopefully avoid attention. Snips, I need you to map the battlefield with our radar and calculate the best position to come out of Warp. After that, take the guns on the terminal there."

She nods, a little less firmly than usual, but she is having a VERY off day. Everyone is.

I feel my head, ears, and lips perk up, in that order. "We have guns?" The sparkling is not coming from my eyes, I swear.

"Not as far as your concerned."

Nihilus sat patiently within the light bubble erected by the Jedi. News of his capture, both calculated and premature at once, had likely brought about the attention of the whole Galaxy due to his host's identity. It really was in his best interest to use this body, old and feeble as it was, for the chaos it would cause.

Not that he didn't find sadistic pleasure on some minute level at throwing down everything the wrinkled old man had built up. Sidius had always considered himself Nihilus' equal.

He recalled back to the chess games Sidius and him played back when he was still mortal and in the service of the Republic. The two of them continued playing until they parted ways to carry out the Triad's plan of restoring balance to the Force. Nihilus believed he could figure out a great deal about people through the game. Malak was reckless and stupid at the game, barely grasping it. Treya was a reasonable challenge, but too passive and over examined each move to the point of hurting herself. Sion was stupid and always relied on a single piece to do all the damage. Meanwhile on the opposite end, Revan was nothing short of a prodigy. Nihilus could barely grasp his thoughts and maneuvers until it was too late, partially because the man relied on simplicity.

But Sidius was always the funniest to play, because, while the man could grasp the game well enough, and was a decent player, he was the smuggest and most complicated. Nihilus could examine an intelligent opponent easily, and always had the man wrapped around his finger because, like Revan, he liked to change everything. He pegged Sidius to be an extremely passive, thoughtful, and careful player. He only ever moved when he had full certainty, which lead to very long games.

Nihilus found himself recalling his favorite game in memory. It was his favorite because he showed the kind of person he, himself, was, mocked him, and made him gape in shock. It was a rather simple move really. He moved his King forward to the center of the board early on, completely exposing it. It took Sidius a full hour to make a single move after that. Sidius considered the move stupid, but he failed to comprehend the true meaning. It was a lesson of leadership, not just him playing the games and moving wooden pieces around like a child.

"If the king doesn't move, old friend, can he expect his subjects to follow?" Nihilus repeated to himself. Truth be told, it was a quote he picked up from Revan originally, but he found it also reflected on himself. He didn't want or claim to be king, but he could hardly comprehend how loyalty could be gained by not being just as willing to take risks as your fellow soldiers.

Sidius, to this day, could never comprehend that, and now everything he had was crumbling. Nihilus smiled.

Now, Starkiller, on the other hand, was special. Nihilus had taught him the game, not for the sake of recreation it might afford, but an examination tool and way to taunt him with continued losses. Starkiller understood the concept perfectly, even recklessly. He had always employed every piece at this disposal, including the precious king, and played with clear focus and purpose. Amazingly enough, the kid won a single time when Nihilus underestimated the value of a pawn creeping in to the backline and Starkiller's purpose for it. The kid suicide his Queen to expose him and revived it on the next turn to take advantage of the opening.

He would have given Sidius a run for his money, and Nihilus almost regretted not having the chance any longer. Almost.

With the thoughts and memories of the game no longer providing a way of passing the time, Nihilus probed out through the Force. He felt the fleet incoming to Triple-Zero, and smirked, but lost it almost just as fast. Starkiller's bond with him had reestablished itself, but it was weak, very weak. The bond was supposed to be strong and firm.

Had he miscalculated? He had sent assassins after the 'Jedi-Starkiller' called Varus to expose his weaknesses. One to expose his sins and the other to push him and expose the darkest depths of his soul that Nihilus had been nurturing for so long. Together, they should bring the façade crashing down and returning Starkiller to him.

The bond was there, they succeeded; but it was weak, so very weak.

Nihilus frowned. Starkiller was brought up in hatred, self-loathing, guilt, fear, anger, and at the end of it all: the overwhelming desire to kill him, the rest of the galaxy be damned. Starkiller's bond with him should be firm and strong, seething in malice and the need to return to his side to challenge him to another duel.

The bond was full of fear and confusion, what little there was.

This was not how it was supposed to be. Had he miscalculated the strength of the mind-wipe? Had Starkiller's accidental exposure to the Sith Holocron of Revan had side effects? No, if anything, it should have made the hate stronger! So… why… Nihilus needed more information, but it was too late to be observing from the shadows. He knew the 'Jedi-Starkiller' named Varus Wynn was under the hand of Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi's little replacement for Revan it seemed, and partnered with Ahsoka Tano due to the Knight already having her under his wing.

There were a number of things to consider. The mind-wipe might have been stronger than he calculated. 'Varus' might have encountered something out there in the galaxy that would have direct influence on his mind in some way, Nihilus didn't dare think he knew everything of the galaxy and its many secrets. But one thought came to the Sith, one piece of the game that he may have underestimated.

This Jedi Knight had constant exposure to Starkiller, as did the Tano girl. Could they have had an influence on Starkiller? Could they have, perhaps, calmed his guilty and empty heart, or given him a reason to doubt all that he knew to be true? Was this another pawn he had failed to take into consideration?

Nihilus allowed himself to growl in a way that was amazingly mortal. He should have removed the others from the game before making a direct strike on the walls containing his precious Starkiller. No matter… he would have ample opportunity soon. Starkiller was coming closer.

He would have his Starkiller back, and if he didn't, he would make the Jedi regret taking him away.

Of course, he was going to kill the Jedi anyway, so it was a moot point, but at least he would be nicer about it if he could get him back. Maybe.

Pity the Jedi had to figure Sidius out two weeks before his schedule, he would have liked the shipment of 'beads' to arrive. Oh well, he could do without easily enough. It was merely an additional precaution for the inevitable conflict he was working on more out of curiosity than true military purpose.

Deciding to test the waters, Nihilus sent out a thought to Starkiller, -Come.-

I stare into the green lightsaber in meditation. The green life its color means to me is both a goal and mockery to me. At once, the connection of life is more pronounce to me since Kashyyyk. Kashyyyk was a planet bursting with so much life and death, and now I recall Felucia as being much the same. The overabundance of life lead to competitive death to make room for only more life. Yet, it didn't feel whole. I can see… threads in the force when I close my eyes, and these threads flow with the Force itself, as if it is the Force. With the Force supposedly being the connection of life, it would make sense. The only problem was that while there was such an abudance of life, the constant state of death to compensate left the threads weakened from constantly being created and cut.

All the same, out here in space, it is the void and emptiness that feels like the exact opposite. There is no life in the void, nothing in which the Force can connect to, no threads. It is utterly empty of energy and life in all forms. The void is pockets of nothingness that call out in hunger to be filled. Nature abhors a vacuum.

Much the same way it abhors me. Ever since I unleashed the Dark Side, there has been a growing emptiness inside me. It naws at me every moment. It has been but hours, and already I find myself at odds with it. I push against it and keep it down, but every hour it only comes back stronger than ever.

-Come.-

I flinch from my meditation and drop my lightsaber. It clatters across the ground. I reach over to take it. My hands are shaking, I'm covered in cold sweat, and in my mind I see a shadow looming over me. I push the image away and depart the engine room.

"Inquiry: Is something wrong, Master?" HK says. "Your pupils are dilated, your pulse is racing, your sweat glands are overactive-"

"I'm fine. You called, Tree-Hugger?" I ask.

We're still in flight on the way to Coruscant. Judging from how long I had been meditating, I would say we are nearing Triple Zero.

"No?" Tree-Hugger looks at me curiously. He was focusing his effort on healing his leg. "I said nothing."

"You didn't call to me through the bond?"

He shook his head. "Sorry to interrupt." I bow and leave him be.

So, if he didn't then… only Ahsoka is sharing the bond as well, but the call did feel cold and empty of emotion, a base command devoid of intent. Is she that pained by what I did? Have I hurt her that badly?

I pass by the crew quarter's door on my way back to the engine room and pass. I stop and look to it. The painful hollowness returns, and appears in my gut and heart. I push it down again, but it hurts. I know what I feel. I'm guilty, but at the same time it feels different. Is my guilt compounding whatever this is in me? It could be the Force-Addiction, and to an extent that has to be right. I did use a lot of power against Maris and her friend, so between the guilt, Force-Addiction, and seed of darkness I recognize deep down I'm in a whole lot of hurt.

I open the door. Ahsoka's meditating with her back to the door and the room is in complete dissaray. Her sheets are tossed about and it looks like she hasn't made any effort to have general cleanliness like she usually does. She has an exhaustion in her shoulders that wasn't there before and her head is bowed.

I enter in quietly and close the door. Her head turns to the side slightly in acknowledgement of my presence, but she says nothing. The aura she gives off is at once both welcoming and not.

Yeah… I'm tired of beating around the subject.

I walk up behind her. "I'm sorry about what happened, Ahsoka."

Nothing.

"I…" I continue. "I wish I knew what to say. At a glance our Master is right, that I was defending myself in deadly combat, had to deal with saving you two, and resorted to lethal measures. But that doesn't change how I did it, and how… I brought it on ourselves."

"What do you mean?" She finally asks.

There is no subtle way of putting this, is there? "All these months I have had dreams, nightmares, and times where my imagination just wouldn't let go. All this time, I thought it as nothing, but when I almost died… I saw things. Everything I have been seeing became clear and… it was real. All of it. The dreams, the nightmares…"

"The robot hamsters?" She wonders with a small smile.

I snort. The sound of her cracking a joke is refreshing. "Okay, maybe not that. But…" I explain to her the stuff about Galen Marek meeting Nihilus. "and… since I'm a Keeper by bloodline…"

"Your name is Galen." She concludes.

"Yeah… Memories after that are patchy, but there is one thing I remember now. Maris. Felucia. Azhaak Ti. Me…"

She nods in understanding. She doesn't seem judging. "Maris told me about you." I freeze. "But I thought it to be nothing. I mean, you, a Sith, how ridicules is that!" She chuckles.

If only it wasn't so ridicules. I look down. She continues, "How could I not think nothing of it. You're just like Master and I."

"But she was right." I argue softly. "I was a Sith. I know there are gaps in my memory still, huge ones, but the pieces are obvious enough. I killed her Master. She wasn't after you, Ahsoka, she was after me, and she had every right to be. By Sith right she had revenge, and by Jedi right she had Justice. I'm a monster… It's all my-"

Ahsoka slaps me. I fall back and stare at her dumbly. My face stings. We stare at each other a moment. Anger is in her eyes, but it softens. "Varus, I'm only going to say this once." I nod. She puts up a finger. "I care deeply about her, but you didn't drag Maris into a fight. It was all her." She put up a second finger. "You, Varus, are my friend, and my partner beneath Skywalker." Third finger. "Whoever this Sith was that killed Azhaak Ti is dead."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm a Jedi."

"Yeah?"

"You get any big compulsions to skewer me, stick my head on a pike, and spit on my grave?"

I smirk. "Not lately."

"Don't get me wrong, Varus. I'm mad. I'm mad at you. I'm mad at Maris. I'm just MAD. But that club to your head gave you the chance to learn what it meant to not be a Sith. To your credit, you feel regret for what you did… so I forgive you. Actually I already did."

"Thanks, Mother Hen." Club to the head… "But…"

"What?"

"Club to the head. Doesn't that seem stupid to you?"

"What do you mean?" She wonders.

"Think about it, I was this big-bad Sith, had power able to rip flesh off… just do really bad things, power able to deal with Jedi Master's, Councilman no less, and… then I get hit over the head? Doesn't that sound rediculas to you?" She frowns. I can tell she agrees, but she isn't saying anything. "And what are the odds of me signing up for the Jedi, and actually getting accepted."

She shrugs. "Perhaps you intended to come here in disguise and do something bad."

"Okay." I nod. "I'll give you that."

"But your right. It does sound odd that you would be defeated by something so low. What does it mean?"

I sigh. "Either I had a Force-User after my head and I got lucky enough to not die or… someone lied. I refuse to think a nobody could have done this."

"I wouldn't be so sure, stranger things have happened; but I agree. Someone's lieing. But who? The Republic's medical report was based on after-the-fact, there were no witnesses."

I frown. A crazy thought comes to me. "What if… I had found my target. I went after Jedi Masters, it would make sense to be defeated by one and be captured." If that's so, then they just decided to give me a second chance after I woke up rather than just kill me when I woke up. I can imagine waking up with no memory to only be executed next would not have been my brightest moment.

"I don't know." She thinks outloud, "But, Varus, let's not think too highly on it. This is just speculation. Whether it was luck or lies, we will have plenty of time to look into it. When we have time to settle, how about you and I look into exactly what happened?"

I smile. "Thanks, but it's not the important. A part of me doesn't want to know. Will I find myself with more blood on my hands? I would rather not know."

"Alright… was there anything else, Varus?"

"No, uh… that's about it. Thanks, Ahsoka." I get up and leave. "Just don't tell Master what we talked about, okay? Just between us."

"You sure?"

"Yeah… just between us. I'll talk to him about it when I'm ready."

"Of course, bye."

"Bye." I close the door. Ahsoka knows I used to be a Sith, and she's fine with that… I'm still guilty, but its not so bad anymore.

I return to meditation feeling a bit better, but only a bit. Things around me don't make sense anymore despite her words and our reasoning.

Hopefully it will pass. I'm just shaken up since… what I did.

A while later Tree-Hugger calls us. I return to the front to find Mother Hen, who looks a lot better now, and Tree-Hugger, who is still healing his hip, in the pilot seat. "What's going on?" I ask.

"We're about to get out of Warp. You might want to strap in." Tree-Hugger says.

I take a seat on the side, but theres no belt loop. So I untie my lengthy belt from my waist and tie it between my waist and the wall-chair. While I do so, the others are talking to someone. "How hot are we coming in?" Anakin asks.

"General, the Covanent have pushed us to Coruscant's border! And- Hold on! Another 800 ships inbound! We're now outnumbered 6-1!"

Anakin cursed. "Thank you, command. We'll be coming in hot in a matter of seconds, but please, is the Senator Square safe?"

"Cannot confirm, everyone is focusing their attention there! Theres too many! Just too-" the sound of an explosion and static came over the com. Tree-Hugger jaw clenched.

"We'll be coming in hot, guys." He pulls up a hologram of the battlefield and does some quick calculations. "I'll get us close to one of their ships. Should keep us off their radar a moment longer if they confuse us." He says. His voice is raw and focused.

"I'm ready." I pull on my belt to tighten it further. Ahsoka jumps up and takes a side seat with a visual terminal. She takes controls and the skyline appears on the terminal.

"Ready." She confirms.

"Good! 8… 5… 2, 1." We come out of Warp and instantly the world explodes in lasers, fire, explosions, and noise. The ship shakes violently as we enter the highest level of atmosphere in mid-warp. Not three meters to our right is the grey metal of a Seperatist ship. We came out of Warp hugging the hull of one!

"If we have been any closer, we would be flying down their hallways!" I yell.

"You're welcome!" He returns.

Tree-Hugger keeps us close to the outer hull of the Seperatist juggernaut until we reach near the tip. Ships fly around us from every direction firing on each other. Most of the Republic fleet is in flames and the Seperatists are pushing through to the planet.

Mother Hen starts firing at dots on her screen, but frankly, I can't make heads or tails of what's going on. All I know is there are explosions and ships flying around, and suddenly we do a nose dive straight for the planet while spinning!

An unfortunate fact of being a Miraluka is the contrast of strengths and weaknesses of how they saw things. The range of their sight and the depth of it is based on how skilled the user is with the Force, but at all times there are still a number of factors they cannot see. For one, they cannot see two dimensional objects such as color and computer screens, second they cannot see holographic projections, and third, they still cannot see as far as space, usually. In return they see the world as three dimensional in all directions and through objects and inside them. Meaning they can see through walls and look inside people's bodies simultaneously, in all directions.

Visas Marr weaved her way through the crowd smoothly as it scrambled around her. The explosions in the distance and fire and smoke about her kept her on the alert. Falling rocks were unperceivable until they entered her range, and side stepping them was childs-play, but she still felt the anxiety of battle with the knowledge that a full dreadnaught could fall on her. The battle above was not going well. The Seperatists had thrown everythign they had through Republic lines, with access codes supplied by Palpatine/Nihilus no less, and arrived hours ago. So far as she could understand, only two generals were able to return in time to keep them back, but even then it was a losing battle.

She had much respect for Carth Onasi, largely by reputation and word of mouth via her mistress, but even he wasn't a miracle worker. He wasn't Revan.

Perceiving she had come to the correct skyscraper, she made her way to the elevator. The occupants of this penthouse had left already and she had moved from a chaotic fleeing insane crowd into a very empty building, except for one floor.

She entered the elevator and ran her fingers over the buttons. One had some triangles together, signifying open or close. Another bottom she recognized as having the indent for "1", and the one beside it as "2". Counting her way down, she hit "22" and stepped back as the door closed. The sound of distant explosions and screams disappeared with the shutting of the door, and was replaced by cheap elevator music. It was almost comical how much the atmosphere turned itself around in the little box.

Coming nearer to her desired floor, she scanned outward and felt a number of life forms. Focusing closer, they were armed and aiming at the door. The target in question sat stubbornly on a couch looking into a holoprojector while talking. As the Miraluka could not see the visual projection, and wasn't good enough to read lips from this range, she had no idea what the Senator might be saying.

It was no matter, she had other duties to attend to. Flipping on her red lightsaber, she prepared herself. The elevator dinged with each passing floor. She had lost count, and could not see the visual indicator, but when she saw the box line up with the same floor as the men with guns, it was a reasonable assumption.

She extended her hands and released a pulse of lightning through the doorway. It as a technique similar to an E.M.P. pulse, but also stung life forms a lot. It was nonlethal except against anyone with heart or nerve problems.

The doorway opened and she rushed into the room. The pulse stopped all of the guns, cameras, and holoprojectors and shields in the room, and defeating them was easy work. The target had five guards, all knocked to the ground with their guns cut in half. Visas lifted them up with the force and held them helplessly in the air around her. The target in question pointed a useless gun in her direction.

The pulse would only last another few seconds, so the Miraluka pulled the gun out of her hands and held it. Now the Senator was defenseless.

"What do you want?" Senator Amidala asked.

"You." Visas answered. "I'm here on behalf of my lady."

"Well, tell your employer I will tell her nothing! I will not betray the Republic!" The Senator defied her. She looked around the room looking for something to defend herself.

The Senator spoke with such confident defiance that it was clear she was used to being targeted, and had the making of a soldier. As interesting as it was to Visas, it still wasn't the time for that, "I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to get you out."

"What?" The Senator stopped, not expecting this.

"You really must be stupid, sitting in the top floor of a skyscreaper while a major battle goes on over your head! You couldn't have gotten to a bunker! But no, we have to do everything!" Visas tossed the pistol back to the Senator.

"I'm not leaving. The bunkers are limited in space, and-"

"Yes, you are. Stop with the chivalry, Senator, and learn your place. Wanting to give up a place in a bunker is nice, yes, I'm sure a child greatly appreciates your heroism, if she knew, but you don't seem to understand your importance. You're the very heart and conscious of the Chosen One. You fall, you take his heart with him, and the galaxy becomes a bit darker!"

"I appreciate the sentiment… but my place is here. I will not abandon the-" She gasped as the Miraluka hit her in the gut before falling forward into Visas' arms.

"Your chivalry and honor is worthy of respect, Senator, but now is not the time for that." She threw the Senator over her shoulder and released the guards to the floor. Immediately the guards looked like they would spring at her, but held themselves back out of concern of their Senator. One in particular, a man with an eye patch, stepped forward.

"Release her, I don't want to hurt you."

Visas nodded. "Nor I, you. But the Revanchist are getting her out of here whether you like it or not. You want to call it kidnapping, fine, go ahead, you can even tag along if you wish, but she's coming with us for now. Am I clear?"

The man hesitated. Two of his men lunged at her only to be pushed back into the elevator, and all the woman did was lift a finger. "I said, am I clear?"

"Crystal." The man stepped aside, and Visas walked by. The man was coiled as a snake, but did nothing. He fell into step behind her and motioned for his men to do the same.

"We have a ship ready nearby, and the pilot is one of our best." She assured them. "You will be fine, more importantly, she will be."

Mistress Shan stood before a massive holoprojector showing the galaxy as a whole. It was personally designed by her husband for his tactical usage, and it had come in handy many times. It was a hundred feet in diameter and she could spin it in any way she chose, or zoom in, with nothing more than motions of her fingers.

Beside her stood a pair of droids that acted as mobile holoprojectors, able to transform into the likeness of the person they represent. The figure of Mandalore stood by her, with him able to see through the eyes of the machine as if he was there from where he was on his flagship. The third robot had lost its connection to Carth Onasi when the battle started on Coruscant.

"This is grave." She murmured. "The fleet will not arrive in time."

"They will still win."

She held down her immediate response. The Mandalorians were warlike, and had their moments, but their disregard for tactics and politics was… aggravating. "If a single vessel lands on Coruscant than it will give a major moral change to the war."

"Right, a few generals and Seperatist Senators cheering louder at the cost of 1300 major vessels, two billion droids, their entire fleet, four hundred undefended systems, and… probably their General Grievous. Yeah. 'Worth it'." He quoted it with his fingers. "Why have they lasted this wrong already? This stupidity makes me want to throw up."

"Your predecessor did much the same, if I recall." Carth replied.

"Carth, your back." Bastilla smiled warmly. Carth nodded. His eyes were noticeably darker and he was covered in soot.

"And he died and we lost. Proves my point." The Mandalorian responded.

Carth fell to his knees and the soot on him grew until he was almost black. "Sorry! I can't transmit long! We've been pushed back to the surface! I have a report: The Sith fleet arrived behind the Seperatists and are throwing everything at both of us. Judging from their focus, I would say they are trying to reach the Jedi Temple, while the Seperatists are aiming for the Senate Building! And our backup won't arrive for a while! We need backup! I repeat we need-" The visual distorted itself for a while before returning. "I've sent an alert to the Jedi about the Sith, but knowing them, they already know with their 'sense the dark stuff'."

"Thanks for the intel, Carth." Bastilla sighed wearily. "But we can't do much. I don't have a fleet… Mandalore, can you-"

"Already on it." He stated with his arms looped together. "The Republic will win, and they will be TICKED if we come in and join the battle, so we're going to do the next best thing." She could almost hear him smirking. "Expanding. Oh, and Zaalbar gives his regards. He wishes he could be assisting the Republic right now, but the Trandoshens are relentless about establishing a beachhead. I'm going to leave a hundred ships here with them. Should be enough."

"Understood." She nodded. Mandalore returned the nod before cutting the connection. She turned to Carth. "Do what you can, Carth. You know what you have to do."

He nodded gravely. "I know… I'm having the fleet fall back and protect the evacuation caravan. The Senators are trying to escape, except a few of the more stubborn ones."

"Don't worry about Amidala, I have an agent getting her out."

"Thank you. Now… I have to go. Good luck, my lady." He cut the connection, leaving the Revanchist Mistress with nothing more to do. All of her pieces were already on the move.

The Miraluka were gathering with what existed of her fleet, the Republic fleet was in three places on at once (invading the defenseless Seperatists, returning to Triple Zero, or already at Triple Zero), the Mandalorians were moving in every direction outward from Mandalore and Kashyyyk, with a major part of them heading toward Korriban or Manaan, the Sith were throwing everything at Triple Zero right behind the Seperatists, the Seperatists had put themselves between triple Zero and the Sith and the returning Republic while leaving their faction defenseless, and the hutts were expanding into the neutral systems like mad.

The galaxy was in pure chaos, but her focus was on Triple Zero and the sudden attacks. It was too well timed. Nihilus appears again on her radar and immediately the Sith Remnant end all of their offenses and gather, only to throw everything at Triple Zero the day Palpatine is caught as Darth Sidius. Truth be told, he was now Darth Nihilus, but that was a technicality that the Jedi would never acknowledge. It was a stretch for them to realize he was Sidius to begin with. To suddenly say 'oh, yeah, that Sith you FINALLY realized he was? He's not. That Sith was taken as host by something far worse.' It wouldn't go well.

It made sense for the Seperatists to arrive, their secret was out and they were desperate. As Mandalore said, it was stupid, but desperate people often do stupid things. From her calculations there were now 20,000 ships in battle over Triple Zero now. It was becoming a ship graveyard…

And her agents were all over the galaxy gathering information, technology, allies… There was nothing more for her to do. There were no other pieces to move… except her.

"JENKINS!" She called. A distant door opened as an old, hunched-back man slowly entered. She spun and walked toward him, her dual-lightsaber behind her hip, and handed him her cloak. "I'm heading out. Going to see what I can do "

He bowed, her red cloak in his shaking hands. "Y-y-yes, m-my lady."

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" I yell. "WE'RE GOING TO DIE! I'M GOING TO THROW UP, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DIE!"

"It's not my fault! It's the ship!" Tree-Hugger defends himself.

"That's what you always say!" Mother Hen barks.

We, on the other hand, are going to die! We're weaving between ships that are firing at us from every direction while nose diving into the planet between skyscrapers and gaps so thin I can reach out and touch them! Did I mention the lasers and missiles exploding all around us? I haven't even gotten to the spinning and curving and spiraling and… I'm going to be sick.

"Snips! Three more at 8 o' clock!" Tree-Hugger barks. He violently pushes down on the controls aaand we do another nose dive. Yippee. I brace myself with my foot against the wall, and HK goes spinning across the floor.

HK is laughing gleefully. Stupid termite loves this!

"I got 'em!" She responds. From what I can make of her terminal, she's trying to target them, but his chaotic moving is making things difficult.

"Disappointed remark: Oh! If only I could participate, Master! There are so many undesirables at the taking! It is comparable to a meat-bag buffet! An undesirable at every turn! I could never carry enough ammo for the occasion! I will need increased ammunition capacity! Not to mention-"

"Someone shut that thing up!"

I smack my boot down on it and HK shuts up.

"Sniiiiips, their stiiill on uuuuss!" Skywalker sings teasingly. Really? He sings that?

"You try shooting them without civilian casualties while your weaving around traffic…" She whispers.

"Okay, let's try this, then." He sends us swerving around the corner of a building lower into the lower levels of Coruscant, and we enter a large sector highway. Not too tight a squeeze to send me into a panic, but if we move ten feet in any direction, we're gonna hit a wall and go crashing into a firey death! But I don't see anyone around through the front windows. "Got them lined up for you!"

She takes some shots, and judging from the relieved sigh, she got 'em.

"Inquiry: May I have a turn?"

"No!" The rest of us yell simultaneously.

We exit the sector highway and go higher into the air out of the lower areas. I can see the sky now- whoa… That's a lot of destroyed ships coming down. "What happened?" I ask.

Tree-Hugger slows us down and checks the radar. Nothing is coming at us. They are too busy with each other. "That, Varus. Is the aftermath of war."

I unstrap myself and jump into the co-pilot seat to get a better look. Almost every building in the area is on fire, dark with no lights, and crumbling from debris falling. Meanwhile, the air is literally raining corpses, droid parts, metal fragments, pieces of ships, and scores of air fighters shooting missiles and lasers. A single Republic super-ship hovers protectively over a section of the city, but its on fire too, and after a few seconds crumbles from hundreds of little explosions coming out of its hull. It falls on the very part of the city it was protecting. A fighter bursts in flames, falls, and explodes like a fiery bird into a bridge connecting two buildings, and I can't be certain, but people fell with the bridge as it collapsed.

"Well, we're here…" I mutter.

"Too late to help now, what are we going to do?"

Skywalker observes the scene before us. Something in the back of his eyes is dark and angry, and it sends chills down my spine, but he says nothing. Mother Hen whispers, "Master, what about Padme?"

"She's fine." Is all he says. He stays transfigured, but even I can see the massive conflict in them. He squeezes his eyes shut painfully and roars to himself. He grabs the controls and we head off again. I barely have time to strap in.

He hovers the ship right above the penthouse, and we get the gesture. Mother Hen opens the door and the two of us jump down onto the roof. The ship flies away. "I'll be two minutes away hiding. Don't want to be seen." He says in our ear. "Go in, find her, and drag her out if you have to. Let me know when you get here.

"Right-o." Mother Hen responds. She runs into the building through a door to the roof and I follow. We head down the stairs, into a lobby, toward the elevator and press the button, but the number starts at '1' and heads up to where we are: '30'.

"This is going to take too long." I growl.

"Agreed." She says. She Force Pushes the door open and leaps down. I see her take hold of the frame several feet lower, and she climbs up. She must not have grabbed the right one, because she leaps up another two flights before she gets to the right door frame, pushes it open, and enters in.

Unsure what else to do here, I flip on my lightsaber and scan the area. The floor is completely dark. It's not living quarters, but rather a kind of lobby from what I can tell. As it has a ledge to a spot where hover cars can land, and what might be a garage to park them, I would say my assumption is right. Also no one is here. Whoever had been here knocked stuff down in their hurry to leave.

The skyscraper next to us explodes in flames as a massive part of a Seperatist ship falls into it head-first. The debris is halted from its descent for a moment from the impact, then turns on its side and falls down between the two skyscrapers. It came so close I could see into the windows. The little yellow droids inside were running around panicking like chickens with their heads cut off.

In the distance, three massive ships of a blackish-silver design shaped like arrow heads are heading for the Jedi Temple shooting red beams down on everything around them.

"We have a problem!" Mother Hen reports in my ear.

"What!?" Tree-Hugger returns. "What's wrong?"

"She's not here! No one is here!"

"…"

I put my finger up to the mic in my ear. "Tree-Hugger?"

"Are you sure?" He asks entirely too weakly.

She says, "Positive. Oh boy… there's…"

"Padawan…" When was the last time Tree-Hugger called her that, and with that much tension in his voice?

"There's signs of a lightsaber. The floor is scarred with lightsaber cuts and there's half-rifles lying around smoking. No blood and no bodies. Nothing else is damaged. Whoever was here had taken her recently."

"…"

"Master?" She inquires worriedly.

"…Return to the ship. We're going after the Sith." He states. The mic in my ear cuts off entirely.

Nihilus smiled to himself. Within the Force he felt his brethren nearing, and his apprentice was coming closer every second. Soon. Very soon. All of the pieces would be together, balance would be restored to the Force, and he would have his precious apprentice once again.

He glanced up as the lights turned off around him. The power blew. The only source of light was the barrier around him, and the lightsabers of the few remaining Jedi left in the room. The Jedi, at the start of the battle, had decided to depart and leave him. They returned to the Temple to prepare to get their Younglings out, and to disperse into the Coruscant City to establish a guerrilla war and draw the battle out for years. A tactical war that would undoubtedly protect the people and endure until reinforcements arrived soon while limiting losses.

Nihilus had to admit, that was a smart move. With 5-1 odds, or more, he guessed, it would be smarter for them to fight a war of attrition like that then throw everything in at once. But he had little intent on allowing that. The Jedi had left behind a scant few to watch over the barrier. A grave miscalculation.

Nihilus stood to his feet, alerting the Jedi to him by movement. He extended his hand and exploded in black smoke. The Jedi stood motionless, unsure what to make of it. The barrier was filled with black smoke, but nothing more.

Then the Force barrier they had erected leaked black smoke out of its pores, slowly at first, then increasing in quantity until much of the lower room filled with the smoke. The Jedi jumped up to the upper levels and wondered what to make of it, but it was too fast. The smoke moved past them and around them. They covered their mouths and nose with their sleeve.

The smoke dissipated only to reveal the barrier was empty. Nihilus was gone.

"We must alert the Council!" One of them gasped. They turned around to depart quickly, but halted at the sight of the Sith Lord no more than a few inches away. A red lightsaber pierced the one he was directly in front of.

"You miscalculated." He let them know. "I had no need for breathing."

Wasting no more than ten seconds, he cut down the remaining Jedi around him, tossed Sidius' lightsaber aside, and left the Senate chamber. He wanted to make a single quick stop before heading to his destination. He wanted his lightsaber back he left in the chancellor's quarters.

And he wanted his mask.

Note: Okay, incase anyone complains about the pep-talk Varus had, consider this: He just killed his first person, in a greusome way, AND realizes that his hands are already stained red. He isn't going to have a mental breakdown, but it does leave him with some big concerns and stuff to deal with.

Review! Coruscant needs you!