Chapter 24: The Shadow

"STAY BEHIND ME!"

They said the words in unison, the same tone, and inflection.

Jas glanced over at Val, despite being a prisoner for months, and being subjected to…who knew what. The Protector was once again at his side, once again armed and ready for combat.

A hint of a smile came to his lips.

He could sense the intent of her words, she had been directing hers towards Tobyn, the Zeltron slicer following in their wake, he had been directing his words to both of them. Jas didn't understand what the collective had been trying to do, but he suspected that Val might need time.

He was willing to grant it, but at the same time, looking at her, fighting at her side…

He had wanted this, for such a long time…

He glanced over catching her eye.

He hated to admit it, but he had missed this.

He had missed her…and now…they were doing it again.

The connection.

It was as strong as ever.

She gave him that sly smile he remembered, the one he had missed so much.

"Do you really think that I need to be protected, hotshot?"

"You've been through a lot," he reminded her, "I know your tough, but…"

Val's eyes narrowed.

"I woke up in a strange place, told that I was going to serve the needs of my captors, that Vess would be hurt if I didn't cooperate."

She shook her head.

"I don't know how I knew that they were lying, that Vess was already far out of their reach, but I knew it…knew it in a way that I can't describe."

She raised her blaster, despite her ordeal she looked ready for anything, ready to fight.

"Vess is safe today, but what about tomorrow? I won't let that continue, we need to end this now, and the only way to ensure that it is over is to deal with these barves; that is all the motivation I need. So, let's get to it, and get it done."

Jas nodded; a hint of a smile played over his lips.

By the Force…I've missed you.

He didn't say the words, he didn't need to.

She knew, in her heart and soul, she knew.

She simply nodded back and they pushed forward.

Jas wasn't worried, she was ready, she looked ready, and there was more.

He could feel it through the Force. Val wasn't just putting on a brave face, the connection their confirmed it. As for how she had known Vess was safe, he knew that to, the bond that they shared had likely passed that along as well. Char Valenthyne was not Force sensitive, but she didn't need to be, not when she was bound to him as she was.

For a time, that connection had worried him, he had been ashamed to have forced it upon her, but now he realized that it would serve them very well here, and had kept her safe and sane during her captivity.

The Force moves in strange and mysterious ways. Perhaps what he had thought an accident years ago had been meant to occur. If it had saved her from the collective's ambitions so, be it.

Still, He needed to tell her about it, and would do his best to remove it, if she so desired, but that was something for tomorrow, it had nothing to do with today.

Today they had to move.

Enough waiting, he thought.

It was time.

Kyp Tobyn followed behind them, the slicer had found a blaster, but seemed uncomfortable even carrying it. Jas couldn't say how good he would be if it came to a fight, but he was smart enough to keep close to them, or rather, to Val.

At least now we know what happened to him, Jas thought, though it didn't explain how they came to the conclusion that he was needed for Val's…reprogramming, brainwashing?

"I'm guessing that you coming here wasn't part of any plan, Mister Tobyn?"

The slicer gave him a sheepish look.

"I'm not a part of this, master Jedi," he replied, "I've always worked freelance, but…after my last job on Alderaan, I…"

"I'm familiar with that job," Jas said, "I was the one who stopped your reprogrammed security probes from killing an innocent girl."

Hearing that made the slicer cringe.

"No one was supposed to get hurt," the Zeltron insisted, "All I did was make sure the security probes didn't let anyone interfere with the extraction of a piece of merchandise, that is what I was hired for."

Merchandise, he thought coldly.

Vess was not merchandise, she could have been killed! Val could have been killed!

He was about to lash out at the slicer, but Val stopped him with a look.

Her gaze and frown stopping him in his tracks.

"Do we really have time for this?" she asked.

"Val…I…"

"No, Jas. I'm not going to say that Tobyn was right, but this is something to discuss after we're all safe and off this station, yes?"

Val looked over at the slicer.

"Besides, if it wasn't for him, who knows what I might have been turned into now."

The boy looked down, his pink skin shading darker.

"I saw a chance to get out of here, and besides…"

He looked up, and smiled shyly.

"I wouldn't let them hurt you."

Jas was not sure what to make of that, so, he said nothing, just motioned for the group to keep pushing forward.

As Val had said, there would be time to address past sins later.

His eyes narrowed.

He could hear it from up ahead, the sound of blaster fire.

He raised his lightsaber, its hum soothing in its own way.

Blasterfire meant that the station had been breached. Their friends were finally aboard.

The three moved forward.

His allies might be having trouble.

It was time to solve that.

IOI

The collective had managed to block off a corridor leading to the landing bay. Six collective agents had managed to set up a heavy blaster cannon and were using it prevent any further entrance from the outside.

We need help, Jas knew.

Once again, the collective showed off its reach, Republic military hardware, though not impossible to come by, was difficult if you didn't have the right connections.

Considering what he had learned about the group's ties to business and its infiltration of the Republic military, he was not surprised.

Their people had little chance of breaching the hall, that heavy cannon was designed for such work, holding the line until reinforcements could come and render aid.

We won't give them the chance, Jas thought, raising his blade.

He lunged forward.

The collective agents were caught unprepared.

He sliced through the gunner before the rest of the crew could respond, and by the time that they did, Val was among them, not even bothering with her blaster, the Protector struck at her former captors with fists and feet.

Again, her speed shocked him, he had only dealt with two of the six while she dealt with the rest, and far quicker than most could have done.

Incredible.

As before, he wondered what it would be like to fight her without hesitation. They had sparred before, but that wasn't a real fight; if it did come down to a real battle, if she didn't hold back…?

He was not sure he wanted the answer to that question.

It was over quickly; the collective acolytes were no match for a Sworn Protector and a Jedi.

Their allies firing stopped as soon as the cannon holding them back fell silent. A voice Jas didn't recognize called out, but not in basic.

He smiled.

He recognized those words. He responded in kind, the all-clear signal that he had learned as a young boy.

Val glanced over at him, a confused look on her face.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Old Mandalorian," he informed her, "It seems that Coop brought some friends."

In response, four fully armed Mandalorian warriors emerged from the smoke of the docking bay. Their T-Visored helmets unmistakable, the color scheme and markings of their armor identifying them as members of Clan Nuna.

Jas nodded.

He should have guessed.

Nuna had a very old score to settle with the Collective. The loses that they suffered at Kuat still needed to be answered for.

Of course, Coop would have contacted them.

The lead warrior was smaller and stockier than the rest, his face plate longer and slanted outward to cover his snout, suggesting that he was not human, but that was no surprise, Clan Nuna had taken foundlings from everywhere.

"Jas Dar Bynn?" he said, "We have come to offer our aid."

"Aid that is most welcome, trooper?"

"I am Nav," the soldier said with a bow, "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me; I had only just joined the clan when you left."

Jas nodded.

Ah…of course, he remembered this one.

As the one that had protected the foundlings, he had gotten to know many of them, been there as they had first taken their steps along the path.

The name brought up old memories, a youngling rescued from a work house.

"I remember, the Bothan boy we picked up on Nar Shadda."

The warrior straightened.

"Bothan, no more," he replied, "When I swore the creed, I became of Mandalore, and shall be until the day I fall."

"This is the way," Jas said.

"This is the way," the trooper and his allies replied in unison.

Jas smiled.

Somethings never changed, thank the Force.

Val regarded the new arrivals carefully, not afraid, but wary.

Jas turned to her.

"Char Valenthyne, meet some of the warriors of Clan Nuna, my clan…"

"Your family," she said nodding respectfully, a nod he returned.

His family?

Yes, just as much as the Jedi and the Cooper/Halcyon group had been his family. Though the clan probably fit that description better, they had seen him through the early years of his development, and it had been Mother Nuna who had shaped his view of the galaxy.

Isn't that what a parent did?

Wasn't that what a family did?

He turned back to the warriors.

"What is the status of the battle?"

"We have secured three of the main landing bays. Uglies continue to harry our efforts, but these…cultists are not of Mandalore," Nav said with no shortage of confidence.

"At last, the sins of Kuat will be washed away with the blood of this enemy."

"Is Chieftain Ellis here," Jas inquired, "I suspect he would have reason to lead this fight himself."

"The Chieftain is aboard the Coop's Folly, coordinating our forces with those brought here by Brother Cooper. The enemy will not escape us, not this time."

Jas nodded.

He had not suggested that Coop bring the old clan into this, thought that their enforcers could handle matters.

He was grateful that Coop had had the foresight to call for help.

The station shook beneath them, though the explosion felt different, it came from inside, grenades perhaps.

Jas followed the soldiers into the secured landing bay, he saw several collective bodies littering the way. The Clan was not taking any chances.

"Is the traitor Targo Sei here?" Nav asked, "Chieftain Ellis would very much like to speak with him."

He is here," Jas assured him, "He has outlived his usefulness to the Collective, they wanted me to kill him, proof that I was willing to join their ranks."

"And did you?" the Bothan warrior asked.

"His death is not mine to claim," Jas replied, "Others have far more right to it than I do."

The Mandalorian nodded.

"The Chieftain will need to hear that; he may wish to conduct the hunt himself."

Nav fell silent, likely conferring on his helmet's private channel.

Jas again felt a sense of certainty about his choice not to kill his old enemy. If Ellis was here, considering what Targo had done, he had more than a just claim to see the traitor ended for what had happened.

To kill an unarmed innocent was honor less, to kill a child was something worse.

Targo would answer for that murder. He needed to.

Jas spotted three more of the clan trying to access the station's computer, he knew the skill of his people, in time they would break through any defenses the cult had used to secure their system, but then again, why wait.

"I have an expert slicer here," he called out, "Could you use his services?"

Kyp Tobyn who had been following along silently in Jas and Val's wake blinked.

"What? Me?"

"You do know their computer systems?" Jas asked.

"Sure, their firewalls are garbage, I could…"

"Then make yourself useful, slicer," one of the Mandalorian techs said gesturing him forward, "The quicker this ends, the less chance of escape the enemy has."

The Zeltron glanced over at Val, who nodded, he hurried over, and leaned over the screen the Mandalorians had been working on.

Jas nodded grimly.

Another point in the boy's favor, he thought. He still may have to face justice for his past deeds, still…

Jas pulled out his commlink. Speaking of justice…

"Miri, how are things coming on your end?"

He waited to hear back, Fallenstar had seemed to have matters well in hand, he didn't think…

Static hissed in his ear.

"Miri?"

Again…static…no response.

Jas' eyes narrowed.

Something was wrong.

He almost cursed under his breath.

Things had been going too well, hadn't they?

He glanced over at Val.

"Stay here with the others, Fallenstar is not answering her comm."

Val gave him a cool look.

"You think that I'm just going to let you go off on your own? Fat Chance, Not a Jedi."

"Val," he said shaking his head, "Collective soldiers are not the only threat still loose on this station, after what you've been through…"

Her glare stopped him in his tracks.

He tried a different course.

"The Hand of the Faith is still loose on this station, the one who hurt you back on Alderaan. If she gets you again…"

Some of the anger went out of her eyes, some but not all.

"I appreciate your concern, Jas, but I'm not walking away from this. What these people tried to do to me, what they would have done if not for Kyp…"

Jas nodded.

He had been around Val long enough to know when she was not going to let something go. Plus, didn't she deserve a chance to face those who had taken her. Tried to use her in one of their schemes."

Finally, he gave up, gesturing for her to follow.

Val grinned and turned to the Mandalorian commander.

"Keep an eye on the slicer for me."

Nav nodded. As Val held up her two blaster pistols.

"Shall we, Not a Jedi?"

He nodded and gestured her forward.

Grinning Val turned back into the station.

Before they left, Nav stopped him, a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Is that your woman, Jas Dar Bynn?"

Jas pursed his lips that was a good question.

He still cared for Val, always would, not just simply because of their connection, but then…there was Vessaria now, what had happened on Dantooine.

What had come before, what they had shared.

He could not deny that he felt conflicted.

Val or Vess? He knew what Val would advise; she had asked him to be with Vess once…

He gave his clan brother a sad smile.

"It is complicated, brother."

The Bothan warrior chuckled.

"It always is," he said, "Good hunting, brother."

Jas nodded and followed after Val.

He sighed.

Complicated.

That word was not big enough, not for what he felt.

I'll need to deal with it, he realized, sooner rather than later.

Yes, he thought.

Soon.

IOI

They took a turbolift down several levels, moving as one. Jas led the way, shielding Val from any stray bolts that might come their way.

It was a style they had used before, and as before, it worked.

Val radiated caution, her blasters checking corners as Jas kept his blade up, bathing them both in violet light.

He could sense Miri up ahead, Miri, and…something…else?

The power was off on this level, whether from battle damage, or Miri's tinkering, Jas could not say. What he could say was that he felt a cold sense of foreboding, a sense that was growing stronger as they moved forward.

Something is down here, he knew, he could feel it.

He was not sure that he wanted to meet it, not with Val at his side.

As for Char Valenthyne, she was all business, sweeping the corridor as they advanced, she seemed to have an easier time than he did navigating the shadow filled halls, he might have been wrong, but it looked like her eyes were drinking in the light, glowing with an almost feline like luminescence.

She must have felt his eyes on her, because she risked a glance over.

"What?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, "Just want to make sure that you are doing okay, you were a prisoner here for a while, what was happening…"

She snorted angrily.

"I'm fine, Jas. I told you, I didn't believe their lies, and when I was starting to falter, Kyp boosted me up. It didn't matter what these Murglaks tried, no matter how many times they plugged me into an implant harness, I wasn't going to fall for their tricks."

Yet, she was holding something back, he could feel it. A sense of…discomfort at the back of her mind.

"They still had you though," he reminded her, "I'm glad Tobyn was here to help, but…"

Val shuddered.

"For a moment, when I first woke up…I…I feared I was back on Bantoon. That Queen Adira's people had me, that they were trying to do something to me, to make me pay for what happened with Vess."

"Why would you think that?"

She shivered.

"Because…because I've never seen an implant harness outside of the Resort back on Bantoon. I figured that I was home…"

Jas digested that.

"The Resort?"

"It is what we called the training facility for the Sworn Protectors, we lived there during our…conversion."

Jas considered that, what she had told him, and what he knew about Bantoon from his own investigations.

Curious.

The Sworn protector program was one of Bantoon's most closely guarded secrets, no outsiders had ever been allowed too close to it, as far as he knew. Yet, the collective had one of the programing devices it used, it was here…somehow."

"You sure that chair they had you strapped in is from Bantoon?"

She nodded.

"My memory of my training might not be good, but I do remember being strapped into one of those harnesses, hearing Lady Janyss' voice echoing in mind, losing myself in the swirling lights. Are…are you ready to comply, Miss Valenthyne…are…are…"

She swooned and almost collapsed.

Jas was there, holding her up reaching out with the Force.

"I got you," he assured her, "You…you're safe."

She took a shuddering breath, she still looked a little wobbly, but she did manage a weak smile.

"Thanks, I…I probably shouldn't think too hard on what was done, we're not suppose to talk about the Resort, it is forbidden."

Jas pursed his lips.

I wonder why?

He heard a sound up ahead, it sounded like footsteps, and something heavy falling. As quick as she had been about to fall, Val was back in control, she brought up her blasters, her eyes focused ahead, she took a deep breath.

"I'm ready," she said.

"Are you sure you're, okay? Jas asked.

"I'm fine," she said advancing, weapons drawn.

"I'm good."

IOI

They continued to go down, the sense of foreboding and darkness growing.

Jas pushed it back, he no longer feared the darkness within him, it was there, true, but he would not let it control him, not as he had in the past.

He had been on stations like this before, true, this was an older model, but that didn't mean that the design was not similar.

He tried to guess where they were, on Republic stations, this should be near the detention block, at least, he thought it was. Which would explain why he felt Miri's presence, she had been on her way to free the others. She…

Val tensed.

"We got movement up ahead."

Jas raised his lightsaber, it did little to cut through the gloom. They could still hear the sounds of battle, but they seemed far away, as if taking place on another planet.

The Jedi and the protector advanced slowly, the darkened hall was silent; only the sound of breathing, and the hum of Jas' lightsaber.

They took another step, and another, and then…they saw it.

Jas paused.

They had found Miri.

Mirax Fallenstar stood rail straight, staring into the shadows, Jas could hear her breathing, heavy, through the Force she felt…strange, frightened, yet…unable to do anything about it.

"Fallenstar," Val called out, "You, okay?"

She didn't respond. She didn't even move…just stood frozen, staring into the shadows.

Jas approached warily, whatever he had been sensing, it was very close by.

He didn't like this.

Was it the Hand? The Tunroth had cloaked herself in the past, but this didn't feel like her, it felt…different…darker.

It.

"JAS!"

He paused at Val's call, he could finally see it now, hidden in the shadows.

A body lay at the feet of Fallenstar, he lowered his blade, pushing back the shadows.

He frowned.

What?

The First Speaker of the Sunset Collective lay dead before them. Jas recognized the man immediately, the Pantoran's robes were unmistakable. He…

A chill ran down Jas' spine.

He had seen dead bodies before, left bodies in his wake before, but this…this…

…this…was different.

The First Speaker's eyes were wide with terror, frozen in a final moment of absolute fear, blood leaked from his nostrils as his mouth gaped open his last gasp dying on lips.

Jas leaned over to check the body, though he knew it was not necessary.

The Speaker was dead, without a doubt.

"Is that one of the bad guys?" Val asked.

"Yeah," he said, "One of the lead bad guys."

She glanced over his shoulder, even though her blasters never stopped pointing ahead of them. Miri remained frozen in place; Jas could not say why.

"What is this?" Val demanded.

Before Jas could speak, another voice responded, a voice cold and full of wicked mirth.

"The remains of a very unsatisfactory meal. I've had worse, I suppose, but…sometimes you have to just shut up and eat what is in front of you."

The shadows seemed to part; two glowing red eyes stared balefully through the darkness.

Jas took a step back and entered a fighting stance.

The observer stood silently before them, his cold smile never leaving his pale face.

Jas watched the creature, it was not human, but…those…those eyes…

…those eyes.

He found himself staring at the observer, this creature was not Force sensitive, at least not in any way he understood, but…he was…something. The observer had an air of charisma around him, a sense that reached out and grabbed you, grabbed you, and held you tight. Jas felt a sense of coldness seeping into his bones, a desire to not move, simply remain where he was. It was feeding off his old fears, his sense of…

NO!

Jas brought up his blade, he stood before Miri and Val.

He glared at the observer.

He wouldn't fall, not again, nor would he be…whatever it was this creature desires.

He glared at the thing.

"What the hell are you?" he demanded.

The alien chuckled.

"Oh…I've had many names over the years, but I've always been something more or less than all of them. An assassin, a shadow, a knife in the darkness, the Bane of the Jedi, some would say. Personally, I've always seen myself as a critic of sorts, a lover of fine food. a diner on the repast that is called life. I am an eater of luck. I'm a taster of what was, is, and will be great in those creatures that call the galaxy home, and have been so for so very long."

Miri's breath quickened, whatever the observer had done to her, she was caught firmly in his grip.

Jas raised weapon threateningly.

"Let her go."

"I'm not doing anything; it is her own pain and guilt that holds her so tightly. I…I…"

The creature took a shuddering breath.

"This one has a destiny, a great one, part of me longs to sample it, so rich, but…I dare not, not until I've made my report."

The observer smiled.

"A meal for another time."

Jas almost attacked, but the Force warned him against it. What he was facing was no mere thug, no mere assassin or bounty hunter.

The creature's eyes ensnared Jas yet again, and it took all the Jedi's strength to resist.

The observer seemed almost uninterested, like he was checking out a menu at some food stand.

Perhaps, to him, he was.

"You have a fate too, but my master would not approve if I cut it short here, no not here."

The observer licked his lips hungrily.

"Such a meal, such fate…such…soup."

The alien hissed as his cheeks split open; two long twitching tentacles emerged; they lashed in the air impotently, hungrily.

Jas shivered.

Now, he understood.

He had never seen a creature like this before, but he remembered reading about them, back when he was a boy at the temple, tales to both warn and chill a youngling's blood. A nightmare remembered by the Jedi archives, a nightmare that the Jedi had thought had gone extinct only to have it rise up again and again.

Yes, Jas knew, he finally understood.

He said the word.

"Anzat," Jas hissed, "Anzati."

The observer, the Anzati, the snot vampire, smirked hungrily.

"Greetings, Jas Dar Bynn student of Vey Ilo," the observer said bowing gallantly, "My name is Erkady Dresco, first assassin and Jedi slayer to both Exar Kun and Darth Revan."

Erkady raised his hands in welcome.

"It is a pleasure to address you as myself…at long last."

The creature's proboscises continued to whip.

"Such soup," he murmured, "Such soup…"

"Delicious."

A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates recently dear readers, hope to get back to them more often, have had my attention drawn elsewhere lately, anyway Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you enjoyed the intro to another main character in Jas' story.

Until next time, dear readers.

DG