But the underlayer of his mind was tuned to the awareness of a gentle, hazel-eyed woman, putting down with a friend on a strange jungle planet. Her cautiousness, her calmness...

And, suddenly, the pain of her flesh. The fear of the great beast looming above her. Blood loss, and the peace of unconsciousness.
After a long minute, Jeroc remembered to breathe again. Seated in the pilot's chair of the yacht, his hands brushed over the controls, and he was tempted to head off to Khar Delba right then and there.

Wearily, Jeroc rubbed his forehead. "Cella's been attacked, by the same beast that you encountered. She's conscious now, but little else. What's worse, I can no longer sense Erik...and I strongly suspect that the Sith Lady has returned from her little sabbatical."

Logan looked impatient. "So why are we still here? Man, you should have made a jump to Khar Delba when you first felt her like this!"

Jeroc gritted his teeth and glared at his padawan. "Did you not learn a single thing on your impulsive little jaunt to the Sith Temple? You're still as thickheaded as you ever were, evidently. These Sith aren't to be trifled with...and I have you and Thea to think about. Especially Thea."

Logan's expression softened at the mention of the little girl. "I know it, and I apologize, Master Jeroc. But even if we don't touch ground, we should at least orbit the planet. Who knows when Cella might really need us?"

"I'm considering it, Logan." Just then, the Jedi Master felt his beloved's presence reaching out for him again, and relayed the information to his padawan. "I feel her now, Logan...apparently she's met up with Danner and his crew, and has agreed to construct a lightsaber bearing the Nar Khelba for them. She also has found no trace of Erik."

Jeroc reached out to smooth her hair with a lean hand, then hesitated. Once more, Cella was trying to make contact. Jeroc, your help is urgently needed. The Sith Lady has returned, and we sense the presence of yet another Sith with her...a new one. Worse yet, Erik is still lost to me. I have been injured and am still quite weak. Captain Danner has most graciously offered to let us place Logan and Thea in the care of his crew on the Hornett. Make haste, my love...

Jeroc's reply was almost instantaneous. I'll be there as soon as I can get Thea and Logan into good hands. It would definitely be a good idea to keep in touch with Logan, since he knows the terrain somewhat. I plan to use the same tactic as Erik did to reach you and use the Pride's cloakers. Force be with you, Cella.

He cleared his throat. "Logan, Thea, I've just had news from Cella. The situation has been greatly complicated--Erik has disappeared and another Sith has been spotted landing on the planet. I don't want to leave the two of you, but Cella needs my help."

"Captain Danner has offered to let the two of you stay on his flagship, Hornett, while I take the Pride to Khar Delba. Logan, I know you, and I know the last thing you want is to stay while I go. But I'm telling you this as one man to another, we need you to be here. Cella and I could definitely use your knowledge of the planet, and we need to keep you safe. And you have a responsibility to Thea now." Logan nodded solemnly, not protesting, although Jeroc could sense his inner rebellion.

Jeroc cupped Thea's face in his hands and knelt in front of her. "Thea, I promise this will be over very soon and you will be able to start your Jedi training in earnest. The best thing you can do right now is send loving thoughts to Shayla. Remind her that we haven't given up on her. Listen to Logan and obey the crew of the Hornett. Cella and I love you and we want to keep you safe."

A male voice crackled from the comm. "This is Aaron Barnes of the Hornett speaking." Jeroc explained the situation to Aaron as quickly as possible, and Aaron graciously agreed to let the padawans stay on Hornett. He and Jeroc made plans for the Pride of Yavin to dock with Hornett and deposit the padawans on the way to Khar Delba.

An hour later, Logan, Thea and Izzy were safely aboard Danner's ship, and Jeroc was making the short hyperspace jump towards Khar Delba. Just then, he caught a wave of pain and fright from Cella. "No!" he cried aloud.

Cella was in the Temple, and in great danger. It was now or never for her...

After what seemed like years to Jeroc, the Pride made landfall on Khar Delba, near the approximate location of the Temple as Logan had described it. Jeroc immediately disembarked and tried to make sense of his jungle surroundings...

((OOC: Follow Jeroc to the Great Temple on Khar Delba.))

"Thea, I wish I knew what to tell you." The young man sighed. "All I know is that there are evil people in this galaxy, and their actions aren't anywhere near rational or explainable. I imagine this Sith Lady's not too happy about Cella coming to 'visit'. But Jeroc's going to help her and he'll be with her in no time."

Logan braced himself. He needed to tell Thea the truth about Shayla...and the possibility that she might not come back to the Praxeum. He would rather have left this to Jeroc or Cella, but they were occupied with more important things, and he didn't want this to come as a total shock to the little girl.

"Thea, I also have some pretty bad news for you. When I saw Shayla down there on Khar Delba...she was changed. She's learned a lot of things, not all of them good, and she's...just not the same person that you met at the Praxeum. Which leads to another thing." Logan gritted his teeth.

"Well, I haven't been training at the Praxeum very long, but I've been a lot of places in the galaxy. And I do know that the Jedi don't mean the same things to some people as they do to others." He could see Thea was confused, so he decided to clarify.

"Some think the Jedi are power-hungry, only seeking to wield the Force so they can have some kind of unfair advantage over 'ordinary folks'. Others think the Jedi are too bound in tradition, that they don't know the best way to use the Force." Logan squeezed Thea's shoulder comfortingly. "Of course, you and I know that the Jedi have rules so that the Force can be used rightly: to heal, to teach, to help."

"But other people, like the people who took Shayla, don't think this way. I don't know why. They think it's okay to use the Force for whatever you want: to make yourself powerful, to hurt others, to satisfy your own desires. And because the Jedi oppose this, they accuse the Jedi of being weak and fearful."

I am not what he thinks, the voice said. I am not what THEY think. Don't be fooled by what you perceive; your perceptions can be innaccurate.

But such things might change, in time.

The link, even though temporarily silenced, would remain. Shayla didn't quite know what maintained this link, but some things were just as they were, and should remain thus.

And of Thea. Young though she was, she was incredibly resilient and trusting. She would make it through this all right. "Thea, don't worry about Shayla. I know that you were once friends, and there's nothing wrong with remembering that. But you have to remember that she has changed, and that she has chosen to change for reasons we don't know. But she is not a prisoner, and she is not unhappy..." Logan broke off in mid-sentence, Cella's voice suddenly filling his mind.

Logan, Thea might be in danger, but it is hard to say. Protect her as best you can. Use those things which Jeroc and I taught you, and reach out with all your senses. Force be with you.

He could hear Thea's query and Cella's gentle reply. Yes, I'm all right, dear. Please don't worry. Master Jeroc seemed to be preoccupied at the moment..

The fire was an unholy mix of reds and purples and it seemed to almost sing a hedious melody as it danced with the sudden darkness in the corridor. A figure exploded into being, rising out of the flames, stetching out a clawed hand to easily rip Thea out of Logan's inefficient arms.

The smiling Sith Lord would have none of that. With a wave of a clawed hand he kept the dancing shadows at bay... with another he placed a Force Bubble about himself and the child, as he did the OTHER who yet waited in a private horror of her own... a Force Bubble similar to a Force Cage but stronger, withstanding the penetretion of the Light, holding its own against the dark... only those knowign the secrets of the all could break it... that no peeping eyes or ears would know of his whereabouts or that of this child until he deigned it to be so.

Giving the child a meaningful stare, laughing with the caressing shadoes that responded to his merest whim, coming and carrying with them the promise of more terror should anything befall HER...

I promised her she'd be safe. I promised her she'd be a Jedi. If anything happens to her, I'll kill myself!

He dashed into the mess hall of the Hornett, where he nearly plowed into Aaron Barnes. "Logan, what's happened?"

"Thea's been kidnapped," Logan moaned through gritted teeth. "Snatched right out of my arms by that Sith Lord." He clenched his fists, drawing blood from his palms. "I'm going to kill him if anything happens to her! What's worse, Cella's gone too, and Jeroc can't help us now either. I'll take any risk...

"Now just settle down and think a minute, Logan," pleaded Aaron. "I'd give you a ship if it would help...but if a Sith's taken her, I'm kind of thinking she's in a place where a ship won't do much good." The man paused a minute in thought.

"You know what? I've got an old favor needs calling in. Funny, I haven't thought of her in years...Logan, come with me. We have a call to make."

"Margoly, you there?" Aaron Barnes, fellow smuggler, partner in a few less-than-successful ventures, and former lover. Now I had to answer. I was intrigued as to whether he had a new business proposal or was going to beg to get back together with me. I rolled out of bed and put on a nightrobe.

"What is it, Aaron, you old rascal?"

"Um, Margoly? Remember that time I kind of crashed the ship we had together?"

"Yes. That is a very expensive memory."

"Well, remember how I bought you the distillery on Corellia to make up for it? The one that's making the finest Whyren's Reserve in the galaxy? The one that's made you a rich woman in your own right?"

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see. "Yes, I remember all that," I snapped. "Aaron, are you saying I owe you some kind of a favor."

I could nearly see him making sad pittin eyes at me. "Yeees. Margoly, you used to be a Jedi, right?"

"Aaron, I told you I don't talk about that. Even with you." I had studied for some years on Yavin IV, but had left after I'd realized that my powers tended toward darkness more often than not...and one very frightening brush with a Sith...

"Good for me that I have a long memory. Margoly, I know you're a good woman, and you'll help someone for an old friend's sake. A little girl, Margoly, one that's been through a lot."

I couldn't help myself. "Tell me more."

As Aaron sat in his office waiting for Margoly to meet up with them, he pulled up the ship's sensor array, looking to see what the nearby traffic was like.

Let's see. One X-wing. Then two...fifteen...twenty...

Aaron's eyes began to bug out of his head as he realized there was a fleet very nearby. That could only mean two things. The Moff had finally found a way to even things out with Terrin, or there were New Republic people nearby.

Both meant one thing regardless. Trouble.

But Aaron had an obligation to see Logan off safely, as well as the obligation to watch over Terrin's fleet. He'd be a dead man if the fleet wasn't taken care of.

Deciding he'd best get the fleet out of the area, Aaron typed up a short message to Margoly, alerting her that she should meet him in the Xenoth Sector, not too far away from Khar Delba, but far enough for his fleet not to be noticed by any New Republic types.

They might be friends, but then, even if Eagle Enterprises was a ship building company they still had smuggling roots.

And there was that little issue with the Moff again...

Opening another frequency to one of Jasyn's communications devices, Aaron sent word that he was taking the fleet out of the area to protect it from possible danger.

Then, in a matter of about an hour, the fleet was off in hyperspace for a short jump to another place. There they would both keep the fleet protected and meet up with the contact he had promised Logan...

"Gooood... goood, my little one," he purred blackly as the child tried to scratch and kick harder. "I feel the hate in you... use it, little one, as you have already. No backing down now, the deed is done, child!"

Now his head tipped back into the carressing shadows and lushious flames that carried them along, and he turned his attention to distant matters. His eyes glowed torquois in the surroundign dancing shadows, lighting them both in an unholy light.

There was trouble at the Temple... clearly he could hear the sith begging him to come back....

He sighed and looked again at the child in his claws. So sweet... so young... but now, time to put away the toys at hand. Grimmacing in a snarl, showing his blackend fangs to the little one, he came to an end of the journey and flung the girl into another dim little cell, this one too protected by a blossoming force bubble.

"Enjoy your stay!" he snarled before refeurleing himself into the glowing flames and shadows, and departing in their dissepating red and purple splendor.

Behind him, the child found the strenght to lift her head and pear tearfully around herself. But even as she tried to get to her feet, a soft voice came into her ears.

The voice of a woman...

But I couldn't shake the growing fear that I had bitten off a lot more than I could chew. Couldn't resist a chance to play Jedi again, eh? nagged my pessimistic inner voice. Never mind that you've been living happily and productively as a "normal" person for a while now. You just had to get out there and prove yourself, prove that what that Sith did to you didn't make you a bad person. Well, girl, you're in for it now.

After a few hyperspace jumps and a lot of vain attempts to shut up that inner voice, I popped into realspace in sight of the Hornett and the rest of the Eagle fleet. I opened up the comm. "Paladin's Banner to Hornett, do you copy? This is Captain Margoly Eris requesting permission to dock with you."

A burst of static, then a woman's sharp voice. "Lay off the charm, Barnes. I'm not doing this out of my undying love for you. I'm doing it because there's a little girl in trouble out there and I have to do waht I can. Eris out."

Logan had hardly ever been so relieved in his life, but he still played it cool. "So your friend's an ex-Jedi, eh? You really think she can help?"

Aaron glared at him. "You think I would've dragged her out of her bed on Corellia if I didn't think so? Look, maybe she's not a full-fledged Jedi, but I've seen her do some creepy stuff, creepier even than what your Master and his lady can do. And, well, she's been around this dark side stuff..."

Logan felt himself growing cold. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Aaron just refused to meet his eyes. "You'll figure it out when you meet her." A voice called up from the direction of the hold.

"Aaron, the Paladin's Banner is docked and Captain Eris is requesting to meet with you and Logan."

...well, I assume it was a long time; strange how Time seemed to be at a complete standstill here...

...just hunkered into a miserable little ball, pining for Terrin and feeling sorry for myself. Compared to this place, the dungeons of the Temple where I had been flung, ripped and torn and broken, were a tropical paradise.

Comparatively speaking, that is.

And now the flame had come back to make this hideous place even more awful to bear, or so I thought. Much to my surprise, that demon from hell didn't materialize to... to repeat what he had done to me en route to this place but rather just his evil voice flicked into my meagre existence.

"Enjoy your stay!"

I perked my ears up at that, daring to loosen up a bit from the ball I had instinctively rolled into, and peeked up to see what was happening. Instead of...Him or It... I hadn't quite made up my mind yet; instead of his black and purple form shooting into the room, a small and softly vulnerable lump cascaded out of nowhere to land with a slight thump on the cold stones of the floor across from me.

I gasped as I realized it was the body of a child... a young girl, who couldn't be much older than six or seven.

Oh dear Khaandon, please... she can't be...

I cut off that thought as I scrabbled toward her on all fours, heaving a sigh of relief as I realized she was moving, her slight body wracked with uncontrollable sobs of fear and perhaps pain. I hurried on, reaching out to her, trying to soothe her and prevent further alarm as I announced my presence with a rather succinct, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Then I had her gathered into my arms, and hunkered over her possessively; I don't whether for her own sake or mine, rocking back and forth, back and forth, my hand behind her head as I tried to quiet her fears as well as those of my own.

But being grabbed by that... that thing didn't reckon at all into the picture. I hadn't a clue who in Hell's Seven Circles he was, for that matter. The Wicked I remembered from K'eel Doba was far more...

Human.

I shivered involuntarily, hunkering the child closer to me. Khaandon, what was this innocent doing here?!

"I don't know, sweetie," I murmured, tilting my head to softly kiss the top of hers. I could feel her little body shivering uncontrollably; my arms tightened in automatic response as I tried to pass whatever warmth and security I could into her tender form. "I have no idea what that was that tossed us here, wherever this is. But I'll tell you one thing..."

Now I drew back, holding her out at arm's length for a bit to peer deeply into her tearful eyes.

"We're gonna get out of here. That's a promise, or my name isn't Galen Jhin'Dar."

I then snuggled her close to me again, rocking back and forth, trying to still her sobs and hiccups as I wondered to myself if I could live up to the promise I had just given this little girl.

The sleep of innocence. Khaandon, but wouldn't it be nice? I don't think I had slept a wink since I had been snatched and flung here... wherever this was.

Sighing a bit, I climbed stiffly to my feet, and began prowling the confines of our little prison. Granted I had made the perusal when I was first released here, but now I had a greater motivation than before. Now I wasn't only seeking egress for my own sake, but for that of this sweet little girl as well. I frowned to myself, patting the cold stone walls as I moved along quietly so as not to awaken her, hunting for the slightest crack or imperfection in the rock which might eventually be worried into an opening large enough for at least the girl's body to fit through.

Nothing. All my questing fingers encountered was continually strong and unmarred rock, and the continual presence of dried up vines and weird mosses which seemed to writhe strangely beneath my touch.

I paused with a sigh, my head bowed as one hand slipped down to lay on my belly. Behind me, the soft sounds of the little girl's steady breathing were a constant reminder of the new obligation she now presented to me... as well as the obligation toward the one I yet carried in my own body. My one hand clenched unconsciously, gripping the weird mosses which lay beneath my palm.

It wasn't fair; it just wasn't FAIR! From out of nowhere there suddenly came a great wave of anger, supplanting the quavering fear and self-pity that I had been wallowing in since I had been taken from Terrin's tent.

All I asked out of life was just that, a life. All I wanted was my life with Dad and Jharmeen, a life of questing academia and exploration. But did I get that? No... it was taken away. Then there was Sorben; all I wanted at the time was to remain by his side, sharing adventures, sharing excitement with the father of my unborn child, but could I stay there? No... I was forced to leave, for his own sake. And now, there was Terrin....

I frowned a little, letting the tears of anger and sorrow well up and drip down my face as my thoughts continued to traipse freely down the path they were upon.

It was different with Terrin. There was something more... more real there, more of a commitment than I ever could have expected to gain with Sorben, more than I thought I would find anywhere for that matter. Well aware of the entire spectrum of possibilities, of dangers and permutations of a fate entwined with mine, he yet steadfastly remained by my side, wanting me by his...

...for life.

But now, again, I was yanked away from that happiness, possibly for... life.

And, dear Khaandon, I never got a chance to reply to his proposal....

With a suddenness that would have surprised me had I been aware of it, the growing anger within me was replaced by nothing more than inrushing and completely overwhelming RAGE. Had I been consciously aware of it, I would have been utterly taken aback to find I had the capability within me to feel thus. It was as if that human portion of my mind, of my very soul, had politely stepped aside to give a primal creature allowance to take over and use my body, ranting and yowling, reaching out sharpened talons with the desire to rend and tear the flesh of certain sentients I had recently been in contact with. Yet somehow, a dim little part of me really wasn't too shocked to feel that this intensely focused rage not only had a direction, but a deep and driving delight that accepted it and wanted oh so very much to be given free rein...

...and to my great and utter shock, the stone beneath my hand obligingly disappeared. I literally fell through that unexpected opening, finding myself in a small, stone corridor. It loomed mysteriously in the light of the candles which suddenly sprang into wavering life upon it's walls.

I was never one to look a gift ikopi in the mouth. Somehow I sensed that this strange boon wasn't going to be offered for any great length of time... and certainly not again. The wheres and whys of the mysterious exit would have to wait until I had the time to figure it out... right now I couldn't let my thoughts focus on anything other than using this unexpected largesse to try and escape further.

Hurriedly, I re-entered the dismal cell and shook the little girl. She sprung instantly awake, springing to her feet as well, her eyes big and moist with questions... and trust. I gritted my teeth to see how she so simply gave that trust to me.

Trust I was NOT going to mishandle, Khaandon help me....

"Hurry!" I whispered to her, placing one hand on her shoulder. "I don't know how much time we've got." Another nudge propelled her through the opening and into the corridor beyond, where I joined her. I looked up one way, and down the other.

In for a credit...

"C'mon!" I hissed to her, unconsciously feeling a need to remain stealthy, no matter how abandoned and empty this strange place appeared. Khaandon knows that during all my escapades that is one thing I had definitely learned:

Nothing is ever as it appears.

We hurried along the little corridor, coming to others, taking them at random, following a sense of, of... exit which I didn't know I had; where it had come from stumped me as well. All I knew was that a little niggle of something urged us to go first this way, then that...

...until at last the light of the candles was dimmed by the slightest bit of brightening. I peered into the gloom, at last seeing it.

There, another opening, through which soft light poured....

My feet now winged, I practically yanked the child off her feet as I rushed to that opening. We hurried through, to find ourselves standing outside the ruins of what once was a great and ornate Temple. Above us, the full moons...

Moons? Dear Khaandon, this wasn't Khar Delba! Where in Hell's Seven Circles were we?!?

...poured down their magical light, brightening the atmosphere enough to where we could clearly see our surroundings.

All there was, was that Temple ruined... and harsh and foreboding rock and stone all about. I somehow had a sense that we were up very high... creeping forward to what looked to be an edge of something, I peered cautiously down.

We were up high, would have been above a treeline had there been any trees, surrounded by nothing other than bare rock. The full moons above us seemed to laugh as a fit of shivering now slammed into me, bringing with it the cold around us at first held at bay from the adrenalin rush of our escape.

I sighed, then firmed my shoulders. I sure hope this girl can climb....

"C'mon, sweetie, we've got a lil bit of work ahead of us. Don't be afraid. Just follow me."

Waiting until I felt her little fingers grasping the belt of my flightsuit, I carefully stepped forward and began the arduous climb toward what looked to be a desert floor very, very far below.

Khaandon, please be with us! I begged silently as we picked our way along. It's so very, very exposed here....

These things are never good, Aaron thought to himself. Instead he said, "Yes?"

"Sir, we've been monitoring activity in the Khar Delban system..."

Aaron braced himself. This was not sounding good.

"...and just a bit ago, we lost all sensor readouts of Khar Delba. Nothing seems to even been getting through."

Aaron arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Well, it's almost as though they've suddenly put up a planet-wide shield."

Well, that's nice. No way to get in, no way to get out. How the Hell were they supposed to contact Terrin and the group? "Has anyone tried to contact Terrin or the others to confirm?"

"That's where it gets worse, Sir."

Jeez. As if it isn't already bad enough.

"Our comm signals aren't getting through either. We can't contact them or the Eagle."

Some planetary shield. Where the heck did a planet as abandoned as Khar Delba appeared to be get a shield like THAT anyway?

"Meteors aren't even getting through this shield Sir. In fact, they are...disentegrating before impact."

Okay. Time to take action. Something weird was going on, and Terrin and the group were obviously stuck right in the middle of it. Time to send out some sort of reinforcements, should the shield go down or should they find a way to get out.

"I want a scout ship sent to K'eel Doba to orbit and monitor the situation. And," he continued, crossing over behind his desk and retrieving a datapad, "Have them contact these comm frequencies once upon arrival and if the shield goes down--these frequencies match with the comlinks the group took in. They should also notify me if there is any change. Got it?"

"Yes sir."

"My baby is just fine," I assured her, cocking my head to somehow... sense that those words were completely justified. "And thank you for asking.

"But now, sweetie, I think we'd better save our breath for the energy we need to get off this mountainside. We still have quite a distance to go, and even with those moons the light isn't very good."

The little girl just squeezed my belt, and continued along the trail I was blazing. Where we would go when we hit the desert floor, or what we would do was beyond me at the moment. All I could focus upon was getting us down.

Then a little stray tendril of my thoughts raised its mischievous hand, wiggling its fingers for attention. I couldn't help it; soon I was directing more and more of my attention toward appeasing that particular little subconscious imp, letting that something within me continue to guide us down the slope.

How strange it was, wasn't it, that the opening popped so obligingly for you back there, Galen Jhin'Dar, the inner shoulder-imp mocked. Where in Hell's Seven Circles do you think that came from?

Strange as well, all these niggles and urges and unconscious directions you seem to be receiving all the time. Really now, let's be truthful, ol' girl; have you ever had these before in your entire life...?

I cocked my head a little, still picking my way carefully along, frowning into the silvery light around me. Bit by bit we traversed the slope, bit by bit we approached the rock-strewn and inhospitable floor below us. Bit by bit the air grew warmer as we descended... and bit by bit more and more of my thoughts turned to the inner puzzle I wrestled with.

I thought back to all that had happened, beginning with that archeological expedition with Dad and Jharmeen, forcing myself to replay it over and over, scrutinizing every minute detail my near-eidetic memory had emblazoned upon itself.

Nothing presented itself. Easy answers laughed and skittered away into my unconscious.

She, Jharmeen, went into the cave with Dad while I hovered anxiously without. She, NOT Jharmeen, exited with him... and killed him right in front of my shocked eyes. She, NOT Jharmeen, tried then to find and kill me... and then deserted me there, to die alone...

Something happened there. Something changed her... and did something to me so that the child I now carried was going to be... Something Else as well.

And there my thoughts stopped, consistently led to that one focal point. Over and over and over. What this meant, if anything at all, I hadn't a clue.

I shook those musings from me, and concentrated once more on our descent. Ahead of us, the dusty desert floor loomed larger and larger as we drew closer and closer to it.

So that’s precisely what the group did. Jumping out of hyperspace, the little ship established orbit and sensors were set. Khar Delba was still under some sort of shield, but K’eel Doba....

“Hey,” one of the guys said, arching a brow at the sensor array. “I get a reading of only two life forms on K’eel Doba.”

“Wasn’t K’eel Doba supposed to be abandoned?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he replied. “Readouts indicate one female and one young girl, to 90 percent accuracy.”

“A girl? You think maybe that’s the kid that the Jedi are looking for?”

“Could be. Oh, and sensors also indicate that there is an 80 percent probability there is a third life form, but it’s faint.”

The other man on the ship, who had been sitting behind the other two, finally voiced his opinion. “We should go down,” he said simply.

The other two men turned to look at him. “That’s not in our orders.”

“Think about it. One female and a child? And if this system is TRULY abandoned, what are the chances of it being anyone other than this missing kid and the female from the Captain’s group. This is supposed to be a system controlled by the Sith, and they did say that a Sith took the little girl.”

“Well, does anyone know if the female from the Captain’s group was missing?”

The man in the back seat bit his lower lip, his green eyes looking deep in thought. “Actually, I think she was. I just have a gut feeling about this. And you wouldn’t want to be the one that had the chance to help out the Captain’s interest if he finds out.”

One of the other guys rolled his eyes, turning around to work at the navboard. “Allright, we’ll go down. But if you’re wrong about this, you’re going to explain it to the Captain and Mr. Barnes.” Adjusting the nav data to drop the lambda-class ship down right near where the life-form readings were presenting themselves—apparently quite near and perhaps even ON what appeared to be a mountainside. Taking the shuttle down out of orbit, he lowered it, hitting atmosphere and below, til he finally reached the surface of a desert-floor, just near the mountainside he’d already known would be there. Not powering the ship down, he pointed to the other two men on the ship. “You two go out there and find out what’s going on. And comm me if you need me. If these are in fact who we think they are, we are going to have to make a break for it.”

Nodding, the two men got up and exited the little ship, and stood gazing up the mountainside where, several meters above them, a familiar woman and a little girl were descending.

Under his breath, the green-eyed man muttered. “Hope the Captain gives us a bonus for this...”

And people claim there is no Khaandon!

Grabbing frantically at a nearby outcrop projection, I dared to lift a hand to wave a reply. "Hellooo, Eagle Enterprises!" I hollered at the top of my lungs, letting whatever stealth I thought we needed fling uncaring into the winds of this miserable hunk of rock. "Sure as there's Treasure on Roon we could use a lift!"

I reached the waving hand around behind me to squeeze the arm of the little girl, voicelessly sharing my relief and joy with her. Then I concentrated once again on descending, that aforementioned relief and joy drawing me downslope with the nimble assurety of a rockskipper. I'm positive the little girl's feet only made physical contact about 40 percent of the time, so rapidly did I tow her.

And then... thank Khaandon indeed! ...we were down, puffing and panting, falling to our knees as the two men rushed forward to lend us assistance. I gasped, lifting my hand to run it through my sweaty hair as I raised my face to that of the green-eyed man.

"I'm Galen Jhin'Dar, and this is, this is--" I paused, indicating the little girl with a rather exhausted wave of my hand. "Someone I met at the Praxeum on Yavin IV, strange as that might seem.

"But thank Khaandon you found us!" I exclaimed away the fatigue, getting to my feet now to grasp the man by his arm. "Are Matt and Jasyn ok? Is Terrin with you, too? I have GOT to see him; there's something VERY IMPORTANT I have to tell him!"

I fell into silence then, letting the men tend to our immediate needs by escorting us to the awaiting Lambda class shuttle, hoping that Khaandon yet extended his grace over us and that I would hear the words I so desperately wanted to hear fall from this guy's lips.

"I think I know what this is, but I'll need to get to Hornett and check out some things using its sensors," I finally replied. "Let's just get away from... from here, okay?"

I started to hunker down in my seat, beginning to relax at last, when another thought struck me. I leaned forward, and tapped the green-eyed man on his shoulder.

"I want to thank you for finding us. I don't know how you did it, but I just... I just want to let you know that I appreciate your efforts. As much as Terrin is going to appreciate them, too, when we go get him.

"We're gonna, you know."

"Sir, the Falcon has just returned."

"What?!" Aaron blurted.

"Well, we have some good news. And some not so good."

"Allright, let's hear it," Aaron said, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"Terrin, Jasyn, and Matt are still on Khar Delba. But we've found the little girl the Jedi are looking for, and...we've found Galen Jhin Darr."

Aaron leaned forward. "She's on the Falcon?"

"Yes sir. She was on K'eel Doba. She and the little girl.

Aaron jumped to his feet, pratically leaning all the way over his desk. "Where is she?"

"On her way to talk to you. She wants to get some sensor read outs of Khar Delba. Wants to find Terrin and the guys."

Aaron almost fell over his desk. "Tell her she can have anything she wants to help her out. Tell her..."

he froze mid-sentence, as the door to his office whooshed open, revealing his team, a little girl, and Galen."

He managed to shove himself to an upright position.

"Sorry we came back so soon boss," the green eyed man said, "but considering the situation on Khar Delba, we didn't think this little...modification of orders would be a problem."

Aaron shook his head. "No, not at all. You did the right thing. And," he said, turning to Galen, "Glad to have you back. I've been informed you need sensors?" he asked. Then, spreading his arms wide, palms upward, "Take whatever you need."

I waved a hand in her direction, as I moved forward to glance quickly over the sensor readouts. "Someone take care of her, would ya?" I murmured, sitting down as a polite crewman moved aside for me. "She's been through a lot."

Then I concentrated on the readings, my forehead scrunching into a wrinkly frown as once more something unknown rose up inside me and niggled.... In unconscious response, I began to tweak dials, narrowing the electromagnetic frequency input sensor to seek out a somewhat narrow frequency field, then scanning the entirety of the planet. My frown deepened as I read the results... then my brows struggled to hit the top of my forehead.

I caught my breath. Couldn't be, I thought to myself. And I thought they were impregnable.

I tweaked a dial again, aloof to the undoubtedly curious glances the men were no doubt passing back and forth to each other. Abruptly I sat back, a smile beginning to shadow my features. I pointed to the monitor.

"Look," I whispered. "Here, near the poles. There's a hole."

The smile erupting fully now, I turned to face everyone, only to meet their looks of blank wonderment. Oops....

Still smiling, I explained further. "Look, I don't have the time to go into how I know this, but trust me on this, okay?" Everyone around me still looked blank, but they all managed to nod an affirmation. I continued, pointing as I explained further.

"This is a chronotic field," I said. "What it does is disperse energy across the spacetime continuum both forward and backward in time. It also has a nasty lil tendency to convert any matter into its energy equivalency and disperse that too.

"Believe me on this," I added, noting their sudden scoffing looks of disbelief. "I've had experience with it before. That is what it does... it was created by the original Sith."

I turned back to the board, not wanting to see the looks on their faces at that little gem I dropped. I hurried on, tapping toward the northern magnetic pole of Khar Delba.

"From what I can deduce, this shield follows the magnetic field lines of the planet itself. Now, this field is naturally weakest where the field lines are farther apart, near the equator; it's strongest near the poles.

"BUT!" Here I paused, tapping the image on the monitor. "Here, in the exact center where the lines converge at the poles, there is a little hole. I mean, there has to be; we're talking about forces of an exact nature to each other trying to get in close together. You just CAN'T shove two north ends of a magnet together, nor two south ends. They repel. And here..."

I tapped the monitor again, sensing the interest of the others as they leaned in for a closer look. "Here, even though the lines are converging, there is a tiny hole smack in the middle where they are forced away from each other.

"I'm betting there's a hole in the chronotic shield there, too. And I'm betting that there's the only place we'll be able to slip into the atmosphere and land on the planet again."

I leaned back once more, swivelling in the seat to face the men, crossing my arms in an attempt to appear nonchalant. There was only one real way to test my theory, and if I was wrong....

"Well guys, what do you think?"

"It's risky," Aaron said finally, gazing over the scanners, "But it just might work. And I really don't think there's any other option but to wait. And no sense waiting if the logic stands on its own."

Of course, if this little shield was what she said, she would also be risking her life on it. But Aaron knew as well as she did that they better take the opportunity regardless of how small it was.

So it's back to Khar Delba we go, tra-la, tra-la! Giddy with hope and fear, I pushed that little concern aside as well. I got to my feet, setting the sensors back into their normal monitoring mode as I did so. Then, nodding to the crewman who had given me his seat, I turned to the others.

"Thanks, Aaron," I said softly, reaching out to grasp his hand in the two of mine. "We'll get in; I KNOW my theory is sound. I think I will take you up on the Falcon,... and maybe these two boys would like to lend a hand as well?"

Here I turned to the two unnamed men who had rescued Thea and me. They blushed, then grinned in affirmation. I looked into Aaron's eyes, and read the consent therein.

"Ok then, I guess there's no time better than the present," I stated, pushing back the fatigue and hunger that once more threatened to overwhelm me. Plenty of time to eat in camp... if this works, that is.

Because the system the fleet was in was only one system away from Khar Delba, the hyperspace jump only took a matter of minutes, and again they floated in Khar Delban space, stretching sensors out to find the "hole" in the shield that they were hoping for.

"There," Aaron said, pointing to the sensor monitor excitedly, "There is a hole! Not very big...we'll have to manuever carefully to even get the Falcon in, but it's there."

Galen nodded and turned back to the navboard, adjusting the little ship's controls and concentrating. Not so much as a breath could be heard from anyone as they began their entrance into the atmosphere.

A silent minute passed, each man praying to whatever deity that they believed in, their pilot too intent upon her goal to do anything but achieve it.

At last...

Khar Delban sky.

Aaron exhaled the breath of air he didn't know he'd been holding, eyeing the monitor for ship stats.

Good. Everything still operating.

"Allright," he said, thinking a moment. "Let's see, there are three lifeforms that resemble male humans just a bit Northeast of us. I'd like to hope it's Terrin and the group, since sensors also read something that might be a camp nearby them."

The ship hit the surface of the Khar Delban jungle, and Galen powered it down.

On the group's way out of the ship, Aaron glanced at the hull as if to make sure it was in one piece.

There is a god, he thought to himself.

-----------------------
-----------------------

Still awaiting the Jedi's reply, Jasyn was suddenly interrupted from his own thoughts when his scanner started going crazy. He looked down at it and gasped, not believing what he saw.

"What is it?" Matt asked as the Jedi arched an eyebrow.

"A ship just landed a little Southwest of us."

Matt gulped. "Not another one of those funny looking ones?! How the Hell did anyone land anything here anyway?"

"I don't know," Jasyn said, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth as he fiddled with the controls of the sensor device. "But we're in luck. It's the Falcon. I think we have the reinforcements we need."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you, the way that Cella and Jeroc told me to. I'm sorry that you had to experience that nightmare."

But they couldn't do that just now.

Terrin gazed curiously at the spot where the Falcon should have landed. Where were they? Probably just behind. After all, they were following. No time to think over technicalities.

Terrin would have loved to, at that moment, fall into bed for three days. But the fleet needed to be redirected, the Nar Khelba needed to be placed in the lightsaber hilt Master Mahoy had constructed, and the Jedi Master probably needed to regroup with his padawan, the little girl, and this Margoly Eris that Aaron had said he'd called on for help.

Giving the Falcon's empty spot another questioning look, he turned and headed for the command deck of the Hornett.

Time to get started with step two. Fashion a lightsaber with the Nar Khelba, and give Galen time to learn to use it.

And, if and when they were ready, return to face off this ex-sister of hers...

"Oh, Hell," he muttered. Security crowded around the unknown ship, and Terrin unconsciously pulled the blaster he'd appropriated on his ship as a man in a trenchcoat with a lightsaber at his side wandered down the ramp very self assuredly. Before the guy could think to raise his lightsaber, and before Terrin even realized what he was doing, he pulled the trigger of his blaster, stunning the guy.

Ignoring the blank stares coming from his men as well as the one coming from Galen, he turned with her and hurried on his way to the control deck as fast as he could, only turning back a second to tell security to take care of their visitor.

No need to say he had a bad feeling about this guy. That was already apparent.

Hoping that the Falcon had made it in, he started setting course for a hyperspace jump, feeling the need with each passing moment to get more and more space between them and Khar Delba...

Mulling this, I leaned over to tap his shoulder.

"Ummm... Terrin?" I began hesitantly, then pressed on with a growing sense of urgency. "Is it a good idea to jump with this guy aboard?

"He is the one who snagged me from the Praxeum, after all...."

I then fell silent, my frown only deepening as that strange little sense of impending doom began to niggle around inside me once again. I didn't need to look into Terrin's face to see the growing trepidation I'm sure was already planted there.

This guy had already snagged me once. Chance are that he was going to do so again. I wasn't sure, but it sure as Roon's Treasures made logical sense....

I turned to Terrin, a growing trepidation now rising in my own eyes. Reaching out a hand, I placed it on his shoulder. I cleared my throat.

"Ummm.. Terrin?" I began softly. He turned to me, quirking a brow, his lips pursed as he strove to keep his own fears from being read on his face.

I smiled softly, wondering what to say. Then, realizing there wasn't really time to go into anything lengthy, I made it short.

"Yes."

He started to slowly pick up his feet, which were dragging behind, then, he swiftly lifted his arms and force pushed the guard in front, making him fall on his face, knocking him unconcious. With his hands still raised, he turned and smacked the guard holding his saber in the face, making him fall, but he caught the saber and turned it on and with a swift turn to the right slashed both guards behind him across the neck. The remaining guard was fondling with his blaster, obviously scared, with a quick turn of his hand, Actar snapped his kneck. He did the same to the unconcious guard lying on the floor. To get the cuffs off he threw the saber into the air and held his hands up for it to slash through, he then caught it before it hit the ground.

He kept his saber on while he made his way to the control deck. Most people he passed just looked, afraid....he was ready if anyone tried anything. When he got to the control deck he walked in and with a force push threw Terrin against the controls, the rest of his crew backed off, and just watched. He walked up to Galen and as he did before at the Praxeum, forced her into a deep sleep. He then threw her over his shoulder, not thinking twice about what harm might be done t the baby, if any. And as he walked out of the control deck he said loudly, "Follow me, and die."

When he was back in the hanger he stayed in the shadows and watched the guards. After thinkging about how to get around them without fighting them all, he set his sights on the shuttle Terrin and Galen had used to get here. After about a minute of intense concentration the front end of the lambda-class shuttle exploded. With that as a distraction he ran into his ship, sat Galen on the floor of it, cloaked it, and was gone.

They'd have to talk about that little issue later.

"Chart all possible trajectories for Ambria, scan for ship type as seen in the hanger recording on platform 20 from 19:08 hours."

Thinking a bit more, he added, "Also scan for ships in the area leaving a sensor ghost trail."

A sensor ghost trail was what was left behind when a ship in cloak traveled. Because the cloaking device bended light around the ship, it left an unusual trail. Although to the eye it appeared nothing was there, the ship still left an odd trail behind, allowing a special sensor to pick it up.

A special sensor that quite fortunately Jasyn had worked on for Eagle Enterprises.

"Captain, there's a fire in the hanger. Under control now, but still dangerous."

Terrin didn't think he wanted to know what was on fire. "Okay, let me know if the situation becomes worse. And turn that damn red alert off."

"Yes sir."

"Gravity well projectors for all SSDs, online now. We might not be able to tractor this guy, but we can keep him from jumping to hyperspace. We follow him, and keep an eye on the trail, even though I have a good mind where he is going."

"Captain, the Falcon just landed."

"Good."

Sighing, literally too stunned at the moment to feel anything yet, Terrin just waited. Only then did it dawn on him what she had just said before she was so uncerimoniously taken from his ship.

She said yes.

Frowning and dropping his head a bit, sudden fury struck. After slamming a fist on the control panel, not really concerned about damaging the equipment, he racked a hand through his hair, trying to sort the possible deck of cards he had to play with.

"Terrin?" Jasyn questioned, concerned. Not looking up, he just shrugged him off, ignoring the other man for the moment.

He'd rather take the risk of following and die than be without her...

“Excuse me?”

The messenger shied away a bit. “Seems the front end of it...exploded. It’s repairable, but...”

“Oh, Sithspit!" Jasyn blurted, suddenly running off the deck.

Terrin arched an eyebrow at the man’s abrupt exit, then turned to Matt. “What the Hell is the matter with him?”

Matt leaned over and whispered something in Terrin’s ear.

“Are you serious? You know if you are messing with me, I’ll have to kill you.”

The man whispered something else.

Terrin grinned a bit, for the first time in a while. “I think we have some talking to do.”

“Yeah, who is that guy? And why is he after Galen?”

“Okay, we need to do a lot of talking. Aaron?” he called, as the man entered the main deck.

“Yeah Terrin?”

“Watch the deck for me, would you?”

“No problem.”

*********************************************

Now sitting in Terrin’s quarters, which without Galen seemed rather lonely to him even with the guys around, Terrin set out to explain to these men that he trusted exactly what was going on.

“Okay, spill,” Jasyn said.

“That guy that went off with Galen is Admiral Actar. He's obviously a Force user and also works for the Remnant.”

“As in, the Empire?” Matt questioned. “I still don’t get it. What’s the Empire want with her?”

“One of the same things that the Sith do,” Terrin answered, frowning.

“You mind elaborating on that?” Jasyn interjected.

“First you gotta swear to me what you hear in this room stays confidential. I wouldn’t be telling you this at all if I didn’t think it was important for you to know, I don’t think it’s my place. Got it?”

Matt nodded.

“Gotcha, Captain,” Jasyn replied.

“She’s pregnant...with a child that’s going to have a lot of power in Force, at least. I tend to think there’s more to it than that, even.”

“So they want the kid because he or she will be powerful, and therefore would be a major asset to whatever they have as their goal—the rebirth of the Sith or the rebirth of the Empire,” Matt said, understanding.

“But why go after her now? Why not wait til the child is born?” Jasyn quizzed.

“For the logical reason. Train up a child in the way he should go....” Terrin said, trailing off for a moment.

“...and when he is old he will not depart from it,” Matt finished.

“Yeah. Just so you know exactly what is at stake here, including the fact that someone just waltzed on my ship and took my...fiance.”

Jasyn cocked his head a bit. “Reeeally?”

“Yeah,” Terrin replied, looking a little wistful. “Really. But back to what is at hand. Jasyn, you’ve got something we can use, yes?”

“I certainly do.”

“Then let’s figure out how we are going to use it. Right now they are still in cloak in our gravity well, as we follow their trail. Time to get ready to take some action.”

He turned the ship so that instead of going away from the fleet, he was going straight at it. He put the prototype S-Wing, secretly developed deep inside Ambria (that is, you wouldn't know about it ), into attack mode and aimed the ship at the SSD he had just left. In a matter of minutes he was circling the command tower, he set his sights on the deflector shield domes sitting atop the tower. With the flip of a switch, 5 concussion missles also set their sights on the comes and exploded the right one. "One down, one to go," he said calmly to himself. He circled a few more times, and sent 5 more concussion missles at the second, exploding it. He then flew straight down the middle of the giant ship firing concussion missles and torpedos at will.

”What the...?!” Terrin blurted, standing up and heading for the door. As he hurried through the corridors, Matt and Jasyn just followed. Everyone tried to ignore the fact, or at least not mention, that fires were lighting up over on their Eclipse.

Once they hit deck and the destruction could be seen clearly from the command center, Terrin finally seemed aware of what was going on.

“No!!!” he yelled. “Where is he? I’m going to kill him! As if we weren’t backrupt before...how the Hell are we going to fix all this? MY SHIP!!!”

“Terrin...” Aaron started.

“WHAT?!” he spat, whirling to face his partner.

Aaron stayed annoyingly calm. “He’s gone to hyperspace.”

“DAMNIT! If he so much as lays a FINGER on her...”

“We think we know where he might be going,” Aaron continued, after Terrin quieted down a bit.

Terrin quirked a brow.

“Judging from his last known trajectory and all the places he might go from there, Coruscant seems to be the only real possibility.”

“So that’s where we go,” Terrin replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

“And regardless of what this guy thinks he just did,” Aaron continued, “ the damage isn’t as bad as it seems on the surface. Very repairable, and shouldn’t take that much time.”

“Like we can repair it?” Terrin countered. “Aaron, we are sunk. The company is dead. No hope of recovery....”

“Wait,” Aaron said calmly. “There’s something you should know.”

Terrin ran a hair through his disheveled blonde hair. “Allright, I’m listening.”

Without a word, Aaron handed him something that he pulled from his pocket. Terrin looked at it once, blinked, then looked at it again, his eyes growing wide. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. And then there’s this,” Aaron proceeded to say, handing Terrin something else.

“I think I’ll let you do the business dealings from now on!” he said after staring at the paper in his hands for a few moments. “How did you...?”

“Trick of the trade, my friend.”

“I bet,” Terrin responded. “Although I would have thought death by blaster would have been the only way. Now, I think we have some repairs to order.”

“Right, I’m on it,” Aaron said, turning.

“Hang on a minute.”

“Yeah?” he asked, turning back.

“I want you to go with me and Jasyn and Matt to Coruscant. I need your flying capabilities...I’m short a pilot.”

“Allright, but Steve will have to keep watch again.”

“We do our fair share,” Terrin pointed out. “And after this stuff,” he continued, handing Aaron the papers back, “he shouldn’t complain about it.”

“Yeah, we do allright for ourselves, don’t we,” Aaron said, grinning.

“Okay, enough of this. We have to get going.”

“Right. Shall I warm up the Falcon?” Aaron questioned.

Noric had once been the son of a wealthly Alderaanian man named, Roon Noric. His father had made his wealth through his many enterprises, such as shipyards and bacta factorys.

As a younger child on Alderann Noric had played around with the royal family there, thus how he got one of his greatest connections he's ever had, Leia Organa. His father though sometimes disaproved of him hanging around with the Organa's because of their "excess activities". His father did not like the Empire of course, but he did not want to fight back against them. He was a coward.

That coward sent his son to the Imperial Academy and that was where he shined. It turned out his son had an impressive amount of talent in the area of military planning. He graduated top of his class only to escape and go to the rebel's side of the war.

This was where he received his first command, commanding a Dreadnaught which was responsible for numerous kills to the Empire. He arose as one of the legends of the Alliance by taking down many ships by sheer skill of military planning.

His rank increased over many years getting him to the rank of General and giving his own fleet, which included many ships and a few of his own. After his dad's untimely death with the death of Alderaan, Noric inheirited his wealth and much of what he owned. He was one of the main suppliers of the Alliance during the years of the Empire and he still provided much support to them today.

Not even half of his fleet anymore was owned by the New Republic. Much of it was his own staff and his own ships. That way he would be a hammer for the New Republic. Some poloticians did not like his brute force because they thought he had the same selfish ambitions they did. Noric was a good man and only wanted to help the good people of the New Republic. Not the selfish beucrats that helped run the NR.

Noric's main goal in life was to protect the thing that made the Old Republic so great. He wanted to protect the Jedi. The Jedi was the reason he cared so much for the protection of the New Republic. It was them who he was always going to protect.

He looked over his shoulder to the Jedi just behind him. Cear was quiet as could be and stared directly out of the starport which overlooked Noric's massive fleet. The young man looked silent but hard. Noric could tell the young Jedi was a powerful one. An extremely powerful one. He felt the same kind of presence when he was around some of the other Jedi, like Luke Skywalker. There was something a little bit different about Cear though. He seemed a little more passive then Skywalker at times. Even though the young man had struck first at the Sith. He had a passive feel to him....

"Sir,",reported one of the officers from the deck,"we found what you were looking for. We can get in contact with Terrin Danner right now if you'd like us to."

Noric stood silent and looked straight ahead out to the stars in the starport. Finally without looking at the officer he replied.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning.

"We just got a message from an Admiral Noric of the New Republic. He says he wants to do business with Eagle Enterprises."

"Got a comm freq where I can contact this guy?" he asked.

"Yes." The messenger handed him a datapad.

"Okay. I'll contact this Noric on our way to Coruscant. You've given Steve the orders on what to do with the fleet?"

"Yes, Captain. He says he'll be right on it."

"Good. Tell him to keep me and Aaron informed."

The messenger nodded. "Anything else you'll be needing?"

"No, thanks."

What he'd be needing not a soul could give...

*********************************************

Keying in the comm frequency, Terrin mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that this would spell out to be some money for the company. Finally, someone answered.

Bad timing.

He could use a really nice selling venture, but other things...and rather other people, seemed more important at the moment.

He mulled it over a little in his mind, hoping that Noric wasn't insulted by his hesitation.

The guy owns a Bothan Cruiser?! That's money, pal.

Maybe if he explained the situation, Noric just might be willing to meet him halfway.

"Well, Admiral, my fleet is currently a bit...split up, so there should be no worries about their presence in system. I'm actually on my way to Coruscant via a YT-2000 with the callsign Otana's Rival to take care of some very important business. However, if you are interested in buying a ship or two...or three or four...you can contact my business associate Steve Garber aboard the Sandcat and he can talk to you and make some arrangements. He should be available at comm freq 101247. I hope to be hearing again from you soon, but for now my ship is jumping into hyperspace, and I must strap in. If you have any questions, please feel free to notify me. Danner out."

Then, to his horror, another shockwave rippled through the Force. It wasn't quite over for their motley little band.

Within minutes, Jeroc learned of Galen's disappearance and the audacious attack upon the Hornett. The Jedi Master borrowed a ship from Terrin to search for Cella, promising to meet Terrin as soon as he could and make sure that Galen was not harmed. He wished that they had been able to get the Pride of Yavin off Khar Delba. Cella would be heartbroken--she'd loved that ship. However, a new yacht might make a nice wedding present...

The tiny shuttle sped toward the Spirit of Alderaan, Logan and Thea in tow. Jeroc had some old friends he needed to catch up to...

((OOC: Attempt to Catch Up, Ed. 2, This ought to do the job...))

*******

"Distraction we shall have, my sister, and easily."

With no more words, no further consultation, she surprised her Adept somewhat by closing her eyes and giving herself to intense concentration. The Glyph on her brow immediately flared from near invisibility into glorious life, reaching out with the All to send snakelike coils of itself out into the fabric of time and space, hunting, seeking...

...and abruptly finding.

There. A large fleet. And just coming to dock with it, a small shuttle which carried inside three very familiar signatures.

A thin, cruel smile spread across Graysith's pale features as, using the All as her Sire had taught her, she slid the mysterious tendril into the interior of the shuttle, where it coiled and writhed about like a dianoga on the prowl. The three inhabitants of the little craft had barely the time to acknowledge it's presence when in a lightning-fast strike it coiled about the little body of Thea and yanked her away...

One.

By now Jeroc had his lightsaber out and ignited, slashing futilely away at the mysterious and writhing essence which blackened the shuttle with the assurety of its presence. Though time and again the humming blade sliced cleanly into it, time and again it made no impact whatsoever. If anything, the blade itself seemed to dim a bit, as it's energies were siphoned from it into the welcoming maw of the All...

...which seemed to utterly disregard Jeroc as a rancor does decayed carrion. It crept about, nosing, seeking, then finding the Other one it was sent to take...

Two.

...and with no further ado wrapped Logan once more in it's deathlike coils and disappeared from the shuttle with him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The second coiling tendril reappeared as if by magic over a distant and not so pleasant world, unravelling itself from the noxious excuse it had for an atmosphere. Once home of an Imperial prison and forced-labor spice mine, it was now abandoned. Too horrible a place to live, too expensive to terraform, and too far out from normal shipping lanes, Kessel attracted no one other than the occasional runner who tried to break the old Kessel-Run vector records laid down by those in the past. The coil unfolded, holding the struggling form of Logan out over the surface, as though teasing him with it's cruel sight.

Then it dropped him, coughing and choking, and disappeared.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first tendril acted in a manner which an objective bystander would view as seeming a bit more humane. This one manifested itself out of the very molecules which formed the atmosphere inside the Relentless, dropping its prize directly at the feet of Shayla Stargazer Petrolu.

Who looked down into the wide staring eyes of little Thea, and smiled. In her ears rang the soft words of her Teacher.

"Her destination lies in your hands, my Adept." Then the Glyph on her brow darkened as Graysith fell back against her pillows to rest.

"Admiral Noric, Admiral Noric, can you hear me? This is Jedi Master Mahoy requesting permission to dock with Spirit of Alderaan. The situation is urgent, I repeat, urgent. Mahoy out."

* * * * * * *

Cella let out a choked cry, oblivious to the stares of the crew on the bridge around her. "Gone!" She turned to Cear. "That Sith has taken Logan and Thea. So professional of her to vent herself on innocent apprentices!" She gritted her teeth. "No matter. Powerful she may be, but she cannot keep this up forever. One Sith is no match for two--three Jedi."

* * * * *

Logan rubbed his head and looked around. One minute he'd been on that cramped little ship, the next he was here on this hideous wasteland planet. He could still feel the noxious presence of the dark forces which had flung him here.

He could not, however, sense any beings in the immediate vicinity. Poking at his still-tender rump, he decided to go exploring. Kessel? he wondered. Could be. What a dump! Hope I find some civilization before I die of thirst.

((OOC: Follow Logan to the "Wasteland" thread in the "Empire and New Republic" forum.))

Turning her attentions from the task newly completed to a far easier one, Graysith concentrated, one last time reaching out to command the All as her Sire had taught her to do. From the atmosphere of her quarters it coiled in obescience, twining out like a black and sultry snake to take her up in its icy arms, whisking her away from the newly-christened Relentless...

...and depositing her aboard the little shuttle, directly afront of the still-seething Jeroc.

The Jedi took one incredulous look at her abrupt manifestion out of nowhere, then crouched instinctively. His eyes narrowed a bit as his lightsaber once again sprang into life in his hand.

True to his Jedi teachings, he stayed the blow he was readying, pausing to let the Chosen Daughter make the first move. Graysith had counted on this, and she smiled, seeing that her analysis of Jedi behavior was yet justified.

Jeroc frowned at the calmly smiling woman who stood before him, the cloak completely covering her body a delicate flow of rune-encrypted smoke, the only portion of her body exposed from its folds being her head. Her long flaming hair tumbled down, framing her pale face as she bore her violet eyes steadily into Jeroc's darkening ones.

Her smile broadened further, then snapped abruptly off. For a moment the two remained frozen in this odd tableau, the only sounds about them being the slight knocks and murmurs as the shuttle continued to dock itself with Spirit of Alderaan. Then the silence was marred by Graysith's surprisingly soft and musical voice.

"So I am a beast, am I, Jedi?" she asked simply, cocking her head and easily cutting through his mental blocks to read his thoughts and feelings, which were glaring off of him with neon brilliance. "I appropriate defenseless children, do I, with no thought as to their welfare or well-being?

"Perhaps this is distasteful to you, as it so sharply brings to mind your earlier avoidance of another one, one whose cries were ignored as you went about your way seeking your Jedi mate in her stead... one who by now is embracing philosophies far outrunning your pitiful worldviews."

She paused for a moment, still standing quietly before Jeroc, still waiting for him to respond. He said nothing; she merely continued with:

"Perhaps your own views do need broadening, so you can clearly see the greater picture being laid out before you. Only then, perhaps, will you truly understand my actions for what they really are, and have been, as well as those actions I will yet undergo in seeking out my own destiny.

"Look again, Jedi. Look deeply into your own memories, and into those of your compatriots, and see how the horrible Sith Lady has in fact treated you and your own. Perhaps then you will see why I have... vented my rage... against these 'innocents,' and not against the only ones with far more powerful abilities...."

With that, and another sweet smile, the Chosen Daughter bowed deeply from the waist, the act kept above one of servience by the fact that her violet eyes remained glued to Jeroc's. Then, with another commanding wave of her hand, she disappeared into the heady embrace of the All.

"You will not take another as you took the first, Lady. Not content to steal one from us, you will take another more frail and innocent, with the excuse of 'broadening her horizons'. I acknowledge that until now you have treated us with honor, as adversaries ought to. But to take from us one entrusted to us, this is rank kidnapping--none of your magical mutterings of 'true destiny', but the theft of a child!"

"The hour of courtesy has gone. Thea shall return. The Jedi shall prevail." The door of the shuttle hissed open, and Jeroc looked levelly at the guards standing at the airlock.

"Please show me to the bridge at once. I have very important business with Admiral Noric."

Thea, we're coming for you. Be strong, be brave! You shall be a Jedi yet. Don't give in to your fear.

Don't worry, she thought at Thea. I will borrow a ship from Admiral Noric to get you. And the Sith shall not have what she wants. We have met an old friend who will help us, I hope. I am going to ask Jeroc and the Admiral to go to Kessel to get Logan, and we will meet them there. I love you, be strong!

And then there was no more time for thinking, because she was suddenly swept up in Jeroc's strong arms.

After a few long moments, Cella turned to Admiral Noric, blushing in embarassment. "You see how it is, Admiral. Reunion is always sweet, and it makes the parting to come yet more bitter."

Jeroc looked at her quizzically. "What are you talking about? Do you think I'd leave you yet again after what just happened?"

Cella shook her head. "I'm afraid we have no choice. Thea is stranded on Hoth, and I cannot leave her there. Even if she does manage to summon help, she will need safe escort back to the praxeum." She turned to the admiral. "I hate to impose on you, but I must ask the loan of a B-wing from you, Noric." She sighed heavily. Oh, for the Pride of Yavin, all sleek lines and swift speed! That yacht had been special to her.

"And for Cear and myself," interjected Jeroc, "there is another task. Logan is stranded on Kessel and no doubt struggling for his life as we speak. It should be no hard task for us to retrieve him...and then to rejoin Terrin Danner as we meant to do."

Cella shot him a look, and Jeroc went on. "Galen's child grows in the Force day by day. The Sith are aware of her and will stop at nothing to have that child and her powers...and be rid of her mother. A child so strong in the way of the Force cannot fall into the hands of Sith. I mean to give her and her mother sanctuary, at the praxeum or wherever else is necessary."

Cella laughed shortly. "What do you think of our ambitious plan, Admiral? And you, Cear, have remained silent as well. Speak, friends, for we are badly in need of your counsel. This is a dark and difficult hour for two simple Jedi."

"There are those among us who have become errant Master Rean. We, the councel, ask you to show them of their errors in any way that you see fit and to bring them back to the ways of a true jedi. I trust that your wisdom and knowledge that has helped this councel on many occasion will be found usefull by those we wish to help but if not then you are to bring them back for the councel to decide on further action."

Master Rean reverantly bowed his head in acknowledgment before addressing the councel.

"It shall be as you wish. I will seek out both Jeroc and Cella and do all that I can to help them correct their.... mistakes. I will also seek out the one you call Galen to see if there is yet any hope in showing her that the actions of those she has already incountered are not those of the councel."

Master Rean bowed once more waiting for the councel head to return their bow of acceptance to his words before turning crisply and striding from the room. His long lean muscular legs made quick work of the distance that seperated him from his waiting ship. Once onboard he began to work the controlls setting a coarse for the last known location of both Cella and Jeroc.

He felt the ship take off smoothly before entering hyperdrive once out of range. He settled back at the control panel were he began to reach out through the force. 'Hear me Cella I have needs to bring you news from the councel;' for your sake he thought, you had better listen.

The next, she was swept up in a wave of pain as a kindred soul on the other end of the galaxy endured the worst experience a woman could endure.

When it passed, the Jedi knew what she had to do...in spite of the calls from the erstwhile Master Rean.

* * * * * *

Within hours, Cella was in hyperspace, headed for the volcanic world of Sullust. The A-wing had been borrowed from Noric--fast, but as nothing compared to her beloved Pride. Cella sighed. If she could ever find a way to get back her swift little yacht, she would stop at nothing...

Jeroc's goodbye kiss still burned on her lips, and his promise to take care of Logan and Thea rang in her ears. Cella had no doubt that Jeroc would immediately rescue Logan from Kessel, but she did worry about Thea. She felt awful that the girl had seemingly been shoved aside in the turmoil of the past few months, and she hoped that the girl would make it back to the Praxeum safely.