"The planet you're looking for is Chorin, a rocky, mining planet in the Virgillia System," Kazu said as he gave the Jedi knight before him a datapad. "It's populated by mostly humans and Rodians with a few major cities. Power struggles for control have been going on since the First Galactic Civil War and the League's governance there is shaky at best right now."

"I see," the Jedi replied, taking the device. "Thank you," he added with a bow.

"Of course," Kazu said as the knight started walking away. He then went back to the computer in front of him.

Interesting, he thought after a few moments of reading. That temple was used by ancient Kwa who had escaped the slaughter of the Nightsisters and was the site of an uprising where their priests were beheaded after they started partaking in ritual sacrifice before finally dying out.

"Kazu, can you check this out for me?"

He looked up to see Tycho holding a datapad.

"Sure," he replied, standing up.

"How've you been? How's the scar?"

"I'm pretty okay, scar's healing nicely. Kinda itchy," he said, putting in the datapad's information. "Just looking into that temple I went to."

"I see… Well… you know the girls and I are here for you if you ever need us right?"

"I do," he responded, handing the datapad back to Tycho. "You're all set."

"Thanks. See you around?"

"Yeah," Kazu replied, taking his seat again.

As Tycho walked away, Kazu continued his research.

The sacrifice was only stopped because the Sith came in and massacred all the Kwa who were left. Guess that would explain why they're an ancient and extinct race. Why were the Sith attracted? All the darkness and bloodshed from the uprising? Why did Xinnaa go there? What was still left to push her that far?"

# # #

A lone dark figure strode through a cave-like passageway before coming to a dead end with a holographic projector. He knelt and it flickered to life, producing a life-size hologram of a hooded figure. Its eyes were shrouded and the blue tint of the hologram betrayed any ability to decipher the health of the person's skin or the color of the few strands of hair that broke through the hood.

"You summoned me," the kneeling figure stated.

"Khondo," the hologram said. "Your venture to turn that child towards the Dark Side of the Force has failed. What do you have to say in your defense?"

"My efforts were nearing their completion and would have succeeded had some Initiate not shown up trying to take her back," Khondo replied. "You can blame him for my failure."

"I can blame you anyway. It was your duty to make the child an enemy of the Light and bring her to me. I should kill you for your failure, but I sense you have more to tell me."

"I do," Khondo said. "The initiate who took her back, I sense much more power in him than that child and what little of his thoughts and feelings I was able to glean told me that he would be much more malleable than that child. Give me more time. I can turn him into my apprentice instead. The two of us would be able to do your bidding and spread your influence across the galaxy."

The holographic figure leaned in and Khondo was able to see the slight outline of a blue-tinted eye staring at him.

"This is your last chance, Shogar," it croaked before disappearing.

# # #

Tycho briskly descended the temple steps onto the walkway that led to its starport and met Saa'na and So'lia at the bottom.

"Well?" Saa'na asked as he reached them, her brown foliage blowing in the wind. "Did you talk to him? How'd it go? How's he doing? How's he feeling? Is the scar healing? Is—"

"Relax," her sister said, cutting her off. She looked at Tycho. "Success?"

"I talked to him, it was short, he says he's doing okay, feeling fine, and the scar's healing," Tycho replied, giving Saa'na a grin which caused her to shrink to about a meter shorter than her normal height. "I think he's lying though."

"Reason?" So'lia asked.

"He's researching the temple he found the Twi'lek in," Tycho said. "He's trying to find out more about it. The curiosity I could sense was mixed with agitation and fear. It was overtaking the longing and desire we've been getting from him."

"So what do we do?" Saa'na asked, rising back to her normal height.

"I have my Trials coming up that I have to prepare for," Tycho said. "You two have your responsibilities as well. But he's probably going to withdraw and fixate. The search he's been doing and his interest in the temple seems like it's going to consume him," he looked up. "I… don't know what to do."

The three all looked at each other in silence for a few minutes while others passed them on their way to and from the main temple and the starport.

"Kazu's been our friend for a long time," Saa'na said, startling So'lia and Tycho out of their blank stares. "If we needed his help, he wouldn't hesitate. He wouldn't let us down; we can't let him down. We be there for him. No matter what."

"Yeah," Tycho said, nodding. "He's never hung us out to dry. How could we call ourselves his friends if we let him go through this by himself. If our duties falter because of him, then we did it for a good reason."

"Agreed," So'lia replied.

# # #

Kazu reclined against the outside wall of the temple on a second-story walkway, watching the stars of the Cortris system twinkle in the night sky.

It's just so… different he thought while sighing. …and lonely. He looked at the starport in front of him as a ship he recognized as belonging to the knight the twins were shadowing. They'd never understand. Hell, sometimes it throws me off… 5,500 years old and then… I'm a baby again… I'll be 14 soon… I wish there was someone I could explain it to, someone who could just… he brought up his hand to his chest, balling into a fist for a few seconds before dropping it back down and taking out his lightsaber. He ignited it. The blade glowed a deep green in the dark.

I chose a green crystal. To remind me of you, he continued, extinguishing it, closing his eyes and starting to silently cry as he put the hilt down. I miss you so much. I miss your face, I miss your eyes, I miss your hair, I miss your voice, I miss the way you walked, I miss your snoring. He felt the scar on his abdomen. What a reminder… he looked at the sky. Where are you, Jupiter?

"Kazu?" came a voice from a few meters away next to him.

He looked up and wiped his eyes to see Xinnaa standing on the walkway.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, trying to smile at her. "I'm… I'm fine."

"Is 'fine'… a human way to say 'not fine?" she asked, walking toward him.

"Why?" he chuckled.

She sat next to him and looked at the sky.

"Because I'm 'fine' too."

"Did the council make a decision?"

"They said I could stay for as long as I needed or wanted," she said. "But I'm forbidden from any more training."

"That sounds… exactly like something Tailfack would say… How many of the council members told you they were more disappointed than angry?"

"A few of them… none of them were angry though. They were all relieved I was back and safe and away from any dark influences…" she sighed. "Two years of worrying about what they'd do if I ever came back plus running away from whoever was trying to get me to trust them…the anticipation was worse than the reality. But still…" she looked at him. "Bringing you back was the right thing. I was terrified, but I couldn't just let you die."

She moved closer, ending up right next to him.

"I knew things wouldn't be the same… I understand why they made their choice."

"Things have changed…" Kazu responded quietly. "They'll never be the same…But… we must keep moving."

"Where'd you get that from?"

"A friend told me that after… after my bad day."

Thanks, Serenity.

"She sounds like a good friend."

"Yeah…" Kazu said, pausing.

Don't say anything else. Change the subject.

"Any idea what you're going to do now?"

"I've got ideas, some things have come to mind but… nothing concrete right now. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around…" she said, trailing off while looking at Kazu's lightsaber.

"I'm glad you couldn't take it," Kazu said, giving her a weak smile and raising it a bit. "I don't know what I would have done if you did. But," he continued, setting it back down, "whatever you're going to do… don't hang around for too long. I've spent way too much time here. I should have left a while ago."

"What do you mean?"

"I should be out there," he said, motioning to the black sky dotted with twinkling lights. "There's only so much you can do trying to balance studying as an Initiate and attempting to scour the history of the galaxy outside of the curriculum the Masters have set. You can try to balance duty and devotion, but… it's not an easy line to straddle. I feel one of these days, one or the other is going to give way. I just want it to be the right one."

"What are you trying to balance? Duty to the Order, I get. But devotion?"

Kazu paused and looked down before looking at Xinnaa.

"It's… complicated, Xinnaa… Really, really complicated."

Yeah… that's going to get her to back off, you idiot.

"More complicated than having a nervous breakdown, running away, and hiding while being chased by darkness trying to draw you in? Than spending two years trying to avoid literally anyone for fear they were sent to kill you while also trying to convince yourself to go back?"

"I don't even think the Masters would even know where to begin with it," he said, looking down again. "I'm better off in the archives attempting to help people who can be helped. I'll figure out my problems one day at a time."

Xinnaa stood up and stepped across the walkway, still looking at the stars before turning around, grabbing Kazu's hand and pulling him up.

"Whatever you're not telling me… it's going to wear you out if you keep it to yourself. Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but it's going to eventually. Take it from someone who kept everything bottled up until it was too much to handle. Your three friends who visited while you were unconscious? They really care about you. We've both saved each other's lives, I feel that connects us in a way most aren't," she said, hugging Kazu. "You don't have to tackle your problems alone," she added as she pulled away.

She walked away and eventually turned out of sight. Kazu looked in the direction she had gone before looking back at the stars.

"Serenity… Jupiter…," he whispered. "What would you do?"

He heard nothing except a slight breeze blowing through the nearby trees that grew heavier and a bit louder. He started to walk back inside but before he could get through the door, he paused and looked at the nearest tree's leaves dancing in the wind, as if they were calling to him.

"…tell them, firefly…"

"Some wind," he said to himself before closing the door.