I didn't move so much as one centimeter when the door to my ready room slid smoothly open, revealing the forms of several people held within the confines of the Reborn honor guard I had ordered. For a moment everyone stood frozen as though in some sort of tableau: me sitting motionless, they not budging from their position just outside my ready room door.

I finally lifted a finger and tilted my visor toward them.

"Gentlemen... and, lady-?" I quickly appended as I saw a brief flash of a sinuous form hovering behind a very familiar jedi.

"Won't you please come in."

I settled a bit more comfortably in my chair, and nodded again, letting my hand relax on the top of my desk. That signaled the Reborn, who smartly opened a side of their "box" around our guests that they might enter into my ready room. The group seemed to hesitate a fraction, then gingerly made their way to come to an uncomfortable stance in front of my desk.

I waved toward chairs sitting quietly off to one side.

"Please, won't you take a seat," I began, half rising in deference to the Twi'lek and then sitting back down again. I raised a hand, and a Reborn appeared as if by magic with a tray of foodstuffs and drink.

I reached for a glass of something which glimmered a deep ruby red, stuck a straw in it, slipped it up underneath my helmet, took a sip, and waited to see if anyone would be bold enough to say anything.

Suddenly, Lumbia reached for the food given and began eating, his eyes closed as he took it in. Placing it back down on the plate, he began to speak. His voice lull, yet stern like the voice of a father when speaking to his young son about messing with his speeder.

"Why is what I ask." His voice ran through the silence, a torch in hand.

"Why are we here? Shouldn't we be free people--just like the rest of the citizens on this planet." Lumbia said, staring at this thing called a man. It was a vigorous glare, yet not purely of hate. The power behind this hardy gaze held the arsenal of all the conflict within him. Darkness and light, the two fighters that kept him in bondage from being a Jedi, or a Dark Jedi. They kept him from moving past what he was, he seemed to be on the same level of mindstate since he picked up a lightsaber...

And now, he didn't have even that to comfort him. He had nothing, he was lonely in a world overly populated.

He wanted someone to hate, so it would ease the agony of the darkness within him...

It took a moment for his leer to waver, with his eyes taking attention to the rest and back onto the food. He began once again at eating, leaning back to create comfort, as he awaited a response from the crew.

Well at least he hoped they'd speak first, he didn't want a direct response from...this man.

"Perhaps you misunderstand, young sir," I began, benignly enough. "Paul, would you care to explain to this companion of yours how mistaken he is? Or perhaps you would like to do this, Mr. Petrolu...

"Shawn," I interrupted myself, rising up and nodding to the Jedi. "Good to see you again. We certainly do seem to have a penchant for crossing paths, don't we?"

I then settled back comfortably, nodding politely to the Twi'lek who seemed to hunker closer to Shawn in bewilderment.

If only I could let her know I'm smiling, I thought to myself before turning once again to the young and dark haired man.

"If being led here in the security of an honor guard is not enough to persuade you as to our sincerity, why then, there is nothing for it but to see to your wishes.

"You are free to go... but I would like to speak further with Paul and Shawn, if they would be so good as to remain behind."

I raised a hand at that, and a Reborn stiffened, coming alongside the dark haired one with the intention of seeing him to the door...

...and to his freedom from us.

"I'm not leaving." The dark haired boy began once again, his voice strong as ever.

"The Twi'lek and I we're key to this mission you sent Paul on, and we're not leaving until either one of them do."

The Lumbia wiggled in his seat once more, and continued on with eating and drinking the food that had been kindly given to them by the lightsaber wielding guards.

He knew now that it wasn't an integration act, but he still didn't trust this man one bit. He just seemed to mysterious for him, by the hiding of his helment.

Good... he's not afraid....

"The key to this mission, as you state it to be, is currently having a full-memory scan," I said affably enough, referring to the ricketty droid my troops had carried off to the techs. "But then, since you have just now so much as stated your importance in this entire affair, why then by all means please remain and discuss matters with us."

Suddenly I straightened, then leaned forward over the desk. I pinned my visor on the group as a whole.

"I have already deployed more forces to Tatooine," I said earnestly. "But since you have been there in person, and going by the implications stated moments ago, I am asking you now to reveal what you have learned of the status of the Hutt's presence there."

I fell silent, waiting for an answer from anyone, when understanding suddenly dawned. Throughout the entirety of my little speech, the young man who's name I had yet to learn had not taken his eyes -- nor the remnants of his scowl -- from me, and quite suddenly I realized what was at the root of his rather vocal hesitation.

"Ahhh," I purred, reclining again just a bit. "You fear this."

I raised a hand to my helmet... and with no further ado removed it. Gently I placed it atop the table, running a hand over my close-shaven head, letting it fall from there to run down the scar which zig-zagged from my left eye to my jawline, and pinning my icy blue eyes directly into the dark pair of the young man who, surprisingly enough, refused to take his freedom when handed to him on a silver platter.

Patience now, Lumbia. You've already taken this too far...

"It is not fear, Tarnus," Paul said, removing his hand from his companion's shoulder. "Rather its curiosity as to the man who wears the helmet."

He had been developing a plan ever since they left the freighter and, if it works, it will possibly save the scant remnants of the Jedi Praxeum.

But he has to report Tatooine's situation first.

"The Hutts on Tatooine have lost most of their grip on the planet. Most of them have been killed by that new fleet that invaded the system. When your forces arrived to confront them, the survivors fled underground until it was over."

"I...we've recovered the droid. The data it carries will give you the excuse to crush the Hutts for good. But tell me..."

Paul leaned forward slightly, an inquisitive look in his eyes. "What do you intend to do with Tatooine? Make it another "grand conquest" for the Empire? It's practically a dead rock; no minerals, no strategic importance. It doesn't even have a dominating species!"

"The Hutts were the true rulers of the planet, but they only held control over the visiting populace. If their disposed of, the masses of travellers and tourists will be gone as well. The spaceports will be covered up in dust..."

Then, as Lumbia took in another sip of his Corellia Ale, he suddenly gained an idea that the Tattoine grounds were helpful for. Placing his cup down quickly to allow his presence to be emphasised, he moved his eyes up to the scarred face of the Imperialist.

"Do you want to use this in a plain to create a trade route. Rebuilding the population there. If not, it'd be a great idea." Lumbia's voice was soft, kind, but with a hint of mystical presence.

The young lad reached for some bread and began chewing once more. A smile came to his face as he devoured the nurishing food, staring up at the ruggid faced man.

"This food, it's very nice." He said, only to continue with his eating afterwards. Leaning back in his seat, he began fiddling with the cups, just as he did in the ship with the block. The item slowly floating above his hand, steadily rising toward the ceiling before it dropped down. It was a process that excersised his Force ability, but it had also become a habit.

Then suddenly, the force awakened in him--it was a disturbance. They're was something within these walls in paticular that had to dealt with something important, and it was drawing Lumbia to it like a magnet.

It took a few seconds before Lumbia could finally come to a conclusion of where it had come from. The boy's eyes darted over to Paul without anyone else noticing, as he drew in his thoughts.

"Hmm...Soemthing about the Jedi Praxuem." He murmured silently to himself, as his head moved back to the subject at hand. The cup that floated over his hand, which had seem to ease his mind a bit.

Or me....

I let a slow smile curl my lips.

"If you must know, a military take-over of Tatooine was never the objective here, Mr. Arakeen, but merely the eradication of the Hutt's control of it. The planet has no populace to speak of, as you so eloquently point out, neither does it possess much in the way of barter or export other than an occasional Krayt dragon pearl. It did indeed attract others to gamble at the Pod Races, but that was under the control of the Hutts as well. It certainly does seem that the planet would now be just another forgotten rock drifting in the forgotten corners of space, only one without anyone present to make certain its population, small and insignificant as it is, remains alive.

"Wrong."

I stood up then, taking a breath and now sending a look directly into Shawn's eyes. Something seemed to pass between us, a memory of sorts of perhaps a better day.

"The Empire will be leaving a small police force in Mos Eisely to assure that the people will not be, ahh... taken advantage of by any other encroaching faction while the last of the Hutts are pursued and eliminated. Also, Tatooine has always been a place where those who wish to disappear travel to do so; this makes it all the more imperative that a solid police force is emplaced there.

"Whether the people still present wish to gather together and form their own governing body will be up to them to decide, not the Empire. We will just be present to ensure that whatever path they choose to follow would indeed be available to them without mishap from others."

Once again I paused, debating with myself as to how much more I should say. Then I decided to continue on, if only to show that the current Empire was a far different beastie than the heartless one in the days of Palpatine. This, if anything, was the bottom dollar all along as far as Admiral Actar was concerned, and I'd be damned if I'd let things slip out of control into any other direction.

"Merchants on Tatooine still have their shops, their connections, their homes. The spaceport, weather-beaten as it is, is still in operation. Our fleets are in pursuit of the remains of that one with initially attacked Tatooine, and hopefully that threat will not return. Only the backbone of illegal trade routes is being crushed, has been crushed; something of an infrastructure still remains in Mos Eisely, and it will be looking for direction.

"Perhaps you would care to assist in that direction, while the people there decide which it is that they wish: a coming together as a planet under the peaceful auspices of the New Empire... or the complete abandonment of an otherwise worthless hunk of rock in the armpit of space, as some would say...

"...unless you have something other in mind, Mr. Arakeen? Something about the planet's usefulness toward another faction?

"If you'd care to elucidate at this point, I am most interested to entertain your suggestions. But bear in mind, in any case a police force will remain on Tatooine to make certain the planet does not slide back down into the depths of lawlessness from which it had functioned for far too lengthy a period of time."

I fell silent then and sat down, reaching now toward a plate of sweetmeats and offering it to the group. My gaze swept over them, one at a time, lingered a moment on the form of the Twi'lek who was looking more and more uncomfortable by the minute. It was obvious to me that her transparent emotions were the ones by which I should guage the group; I nodded politely toward her and finished with a comment in her direction.

"You are free to travel wherever it is you wish miss, whether to Ry'loth or back to Tatooine... or you may take up residency here on Coruscant. We are not monsters here, as some would think of us...."

Lumbia alerted the Reborn guards with a single stand, his eyes darting over to Sorbern, as he slowly placed the cup down. Getting in a formal stance with his hands behind his back, he headed toward the door. The very expression on his face had grown timid, but the aura around him seemed to be dark for some reason.

"Die Bafoon!." The words rattled in Lumbia's soul, as the conflict between light and darkness continued on. A sneer growing on the silhouette figure as dashed flung forward in the void of light. Slicing and cutting out the shell that incased him for far too long.

The attacks were meanginless it seemed, for the shell that was light kept holding on. Regrowing it's torn parts like a lizard in only a matter of seconds. Darkness found itself just slicing out of insanity, meanwhile his invicible slashes whispered inane.

A flood of emotion rushed out the gates of darkness as he screamed. The very sound shattered the light that could move through space faster than the fastest speeder. The unbetable became beatable, and eternity of light seemed to pummel. The falling towers star fields we're absorbed into the interior of this darkness.

And the existence of the black hole was complete. The undestructable foe was created through the shape of light, and it took it's place in space.

Lumbia suddenly fell onto the ground, becoming unconscious as the race of emotions flooded over him. He was placed in a immobile state, with his hands on his head, and tears running from his closed eyes.

"Take this man to sick-bay A-16, and quickly," I ordered, then watched as the honor guard of Reborn promptly used their force powers in synchronization with each other to elevate the stricken body entirely from the floor. Forming a protective box around him they quickly but calmly took him from my ready room.

I sat back down, opening a communication with CCHQ, and ordered a replacement guard of Reborn. I then contacted the sick-bay where I had sent the stranger, and waited with the frequency open until a med-tech confirmed his safe arrival there and placement into a diagnostic room. There the Reborn doctors were beginning to determine just what had happened to him, whether the affliction was something physical, mental, emotional, Force-induced... or any and all combinations of the variables presented.

Nodding in satisfaction, I regained my seat and once more sent a quiet look to those yet remaining. Mr. Arakeen had yet to reply, and while Petrolu was being as reticent as I remembered him as being I did expect some comment or other from him, while the Twi'lek...

I took up my glass of ruby-red liquid, removed the straw, took a great draught of it, and sat back with a patient smile on my face, waiting. That smile neither slackened or broadened when the door slid smoothly open and a fresh group of Reborn replaced the ones I had sent out upon their small errand of mercy.

His face grew pale as he held his right hand on his forehead. He didn't say anything, nor even looked, as the Reborn levitated Lumbia's body out of the room.

The visions were long gone by then, along with the pain in his mind and the discoloration on his face.

Paul finally noticed the shadow that followed Lumbia, but inside the room full of Dark Jedi Reborn, it was very hard to sense it. To follow his worries, his right hand had grown numb.

I will have to talk to Lumbia about this...if he returns to consciousness.

After a while, Paul sat up straight and removed the hand from his face. Then he started to clench and unclench it, trying to get feeling back.

"What I am about to say," he started, not meeting the gaze of the Imperial officer, "is strictly my idea. I have not talked this over with Master Petrolu, nor anyone of the Jedi Council...which is impossible considering its been destroyed."

"By now most of the foreigners on Tatooine have jumped off planet, so even if you wanted a governship there, it wouldn't work. However, if the Empire were to announce that Tatooine will become an asylum to all Jedi and Force-sensitives, survivors of the Jedi Praxeum or otherwise, you WILL have a suitable population then."

Paul waited for the words to sink in, not just to the Imperial officer but to Master Petrolu as well, before he continued. "This IS possible to accomplish. You'll have no fear of retaliation from us on Tatooine; revenge isn't an idea of the Jedi. What was done at the Praxeum back on Yavin was war; you had a tactical opportunity and you took it. We would have done the same."

"Loyalty will be hard to come by, but if I'm able to convince other Jedi to follow my plan, the rest will follow as well. What type of government we'll have, however, we may have to discuss later. Until then, though, I recommend I'd be in charge of reconstruction...under the supervision of your police force, of course."

Paul sensed the growth of concern and suspicion in the room, but decided to go ahead and finish what he was saying anyway. "The Empire faces new threats on its borders as well. The most dangerous of all would be the resurfacing of the Sith. The Empire would surely need the aid of well-skilled, fully-trained Jedi to face this threat. Sure, you have these..."

Paul waved a hand, motioning towards the newly-arrived Reborn guards. "...things at your disposal, but not even a dozen of them will stand up long against a battle-hardened Sith warrior."

"Listen, Tarnus..." Paul again leaned forward, and the volume of his voice went down so that it was barely above a whisper. "I have seen visions of the future. I have seen Tatooine...breathing with millions of people. The spaceports we see now have turned into massive cities, whole fleets land and take off from them, and there is no more fear within every citizen."

"If you agree...if you allow this to happen...Tatooine will have its own civilization."

As would my response to them.

With great care I set my glass back upon the table, sniffing a bit as I then settled back in my chair.

"Your statement regarding the Sith interests me, Mr. Arakeen," I finally said. "Tell me, what exactly do you mean by their resurfacing?"

He...he doesn't know about them...

"Surely you've heard the rumours? Or at least seen first-hand accounts of their appearance?" Paul responded. "Look...ah...I don't know all about the facts myself, but I have been sensing their growing presence for some time now. I've even tried searching for them, but to no avail."

Paul's eyes averted to the floor before he continued. "Its possible that some Sith still live in the galaxy, and that right now their trying to revive whats left of their race. Ah..."

He sat up again as he relaxed and his shoulders slumped. "I'm...I'm not sure if I believe it myself, and I'm not asking the Empire should as well, but its a threat that can't be ignored."

Sith...as in Vader and Palpatine...rivived...?! What the hell was this Jedi talking about...

...that was, if he was a Jedi at all.

With that final little thought, Kia'ra turned and leveled darkening indigo eyes upon the shorter Jedi who was looking for all the Universe like he was as calm as an ocean after a storm. Then she turned and gazed at Arrakeen a moment...

...and finally shifted her eyes forward. They were impossibly dark. She didn't mean for them to, but two words finally slipped from her lips in a whisper: "Revived Sith...?"

It was a bout that seemed to take milluems to near it's finish. The world the two emotions faught in were his soul, sliced evenly in half like the ying yang. The two clashing at the center...

"You will die.." The words of darkness we're spat out, as his body flung at the speed of light, only to be matched with the very speed he conquered in his strike. The light that was pure enough to rip through any darkness that the galaxy could bring onto him, other than this silohutte figure.

The haunting eyes of the dark one seemed to reach new intensity, but the pure being seemed to equal that with his calmness. Defensive move after move to the offense of the dark. Slash after slash, the fight seemed to take new degrees of power every motion, and not one seemed to tire.

It was sudden though how it did end, with endurance meaning nothing. Only the blood that dripped from one's frame meant anything. The sticky gray liquid trickling from the sliced figure, as it came to a kneel of defeat. The arm of the man was severed, along with a deep cut in his shoulder blade.

The one who stood was light. It's calmness drawn into one compact place with a sigh of the being. It was only to be contrasted with the vigorous and barbaric slash of the head.

It slowly rolled...along with the times of darkness..

"AH!!" It was like the refreshment of reality from a dream. Lumbia was once again up, sitting on the table in sick bay, his eyes wide as he inspected his surrondings.

He wasn't in the room anymore!

"Hey, could someone get me back to the ready room!" He hollered aimlessly to the few people in the room

"Sir, if you would be so good as to recline once again, we can proceed with our diagnosis to determine exactly what it is which seems to ail you," it said in a soothing tone of voice. "While we have yet to completely run every test sample we have taken thus far, preliminary testing would suggest that your epinephrine metabolysis is functioning at an accelerated rate, and your testosterone level seems a touch too high. There seems as well to be an actively functioning midichlorian count, which although is not the highest level on our scales is still not to be lightly dismissed. I'm sure that with your cooperation we can finish our procedures, and come to some solution which will balance out your biochemistry once again."

"I've spent countless hours meditating on these 'rumours', and every time I do I would see something...but would never understand fully what it was. Yet as time goes on...it becomes clearer and clearer..."

The medical droid unit quickly was rearranged through seconds of work. It's body twirking from the action, only to suddenly stop and freeze in spot. The droid had been taken off line by an anonymous being.

Lumbia casually jumped off the platform he once unconsciously laid upon, and headed through the chamber to the main door. He was aiming back for the ready room, which he could feel the presence of all the people he left there.

"Hmm...I hope the guards aren't doing their duty on this medical chamber." The black haired youth thought aloud, while his hands were placed behind his back to keep a formal posture.

...and to the fact that his sister was associated with them. He didn't doubt Arrakeen's sincerity regarding what he was feeling or seeing in his meditations, for he too could sense darkness, albeit unspecified. And he did know that there were those who intended to revive the Sith civilization...

...but those beings and people were few and rather secretive. So just who knew wnough about the Sith to spread anything regarding them? "Where have you heard these...rumors?" Shawn asked in a deceptively serene voice, then waiting to see just how the other Jedi would reply.

Even if he did know for a fact that the Sith had indeed returned to the Galaxy, as I knew altogether too intimately, what would it gain us? The fact was that they were indeed here... and the fact that this jedi was having intuitive nightmares about them didn't make me feel much better about it.

Not one little bit.

I shifted a bit, and cast another look round the group, raising a hand and cutting my eyes to Shawn for a moment to halt any response anyone might now make.

"Do I understand correctly that it is your desire to use Tatooine as a base of sorts from which to revive the Jedi Praxeum, which was destroyed when Admiral Actar initiated his first wave of blockades upon the Galaxy?" I asked, turning my eyes back into Paul's.

For a long time, Paul didn't say anything immediately. He knew what the answer was, but he was afraid to say it. Knowing that he had no choice in the matter, he pushed himself to go ahead.

Paul closed his eyes along with his hands into fists. Instead of answering Shawn's question aloud, Paul thought-spoke to him instead.

I have heard these rumours...from my Padawan.

Paul opened his eyes, leaving his answer alone for now. There was still the issue of Tatooine he must deal with...

"What would your jedi do then?"

...and had been totally fair in his dealings with Shawn, for that matter. "I think you misjudge Mr. Tarnus's intentions," he finally said, his greeny-blue eyes still directed towards the other Jedi. "i might not agree with everything that has been done to bring this Empire back into power...

...but I've yet to see it do a thing aside from establishing blockades to prevent bloody uprisings. And Mr. Tarnus has already stated that the Empire will back off Tatooine to allow her peoples to establish their own government, so I'd presume the same goes for any other planets in the known galaxy."

I picked up my glass and raised it in a toast to the Jedi Master in appreciation for his calm ability to cut quickly and easily to the chase and point out the same answer to Arakeen which I had been forming in my own mind. Although a smile graced my lips, my eyes were dark and flat, and inwardly I was beginning to heat up with something a bit more intense than mere anger.

How absolutely impertinent of this Arakeen! I mused as I took another drink. First he presents the Empire with a request of such magnitude to be laughable under any other circumstances, that we hand over a planet so he can re-establish the Jedi foothold in the galaxy once again. Then in the next breath he oh so graciously grants that same Empire, who indeed would have been the causal factor in the re-establishment of said Jedi foothold, the assistance of his happy little troop when and if it would be necessary.

And during that little about-face he so stubbornly refuses to see that which is indeed being acted out throughout the galaxy, right beneath his very nose. Insurrections indeed...!

Enough was enough. This was not something to bring to solution in such short order.

"The Empire will consider what you have asked, Mr. Arakeen," I finally said, finishing my drink and setting the glass down upon the desk. "In the meantime, won't you and your party stay as our guests; I will have your quarters shown to you now."

With that I nodded toward the Reborn, who bowed slightly in returning salute, then formed the same honor guard about the party as they had in bringing them. They were in the process of leaving when I halted them once more.

"Please, Mr. Petrolu, I would appreciate it if you stayed a bit longer to... chat."

"I must admit my curiosity as to how you've managed to cross paths with this Paul Arakeen," I began without preamble. "I am also curious as to how long you have travelled with him, and the others, and would appreciate any insights you might provide me concerning them. Your observations of them, your past history and so on; anything at all, Shawn.

"For what he is requesting is no light matter; of course you surely appreciate in turn the Empire's desire to be fully informed of the widest extent of all variables concerning the possible granting of his request."

I paused briefly, then went on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The flock was in hush by the presence of the Reborn, who had been escorting them to their quaters. Kai'ra had already been lead into her chambers and it was only Lumbia and Paul alone. Two force-users, silent and very calm, though in the presence of such powerful guards.

"What went on in there?" Lumbia finally began, his whisper catching the observant eyes of the Reborn. "I sensed a disturbance in the force from the room when I was wandering the halls. Did it come from you." He asked.

The young force-user turned his head, drawing his vanilla white robe closer to his body, as he began to close his eye in meditation. He searched for an answer from the Jedi Knight before it could come out his lips, but it was clouded in the man's thought by Sobern.

It was clear the man was intimidating, but no real Jedi Knight would hold fear in their life. The very idea would bring them closer to the dark side, as it did Lumbia when he was an innocent child. Held as a pawn to a Dark Jedi..

"The Worst Era of my life." He recalled saying in silence when reminsicing the past times. Lumbia was just a boy in that time of his life, and he was filled with so much hate, crave and frear. The perfect target for any Dark Jedi..

Beep!

The sound of a Reborn's finger clicking against the key code at the quarters awoke him from his meditation. The young black haired man eyes open to be filled with suprise. When heading into the chambers, he glanced over his shoulder at Paul.

For a moment, Shawn hesitated, if only for a moment. “...turned to the Darkside, or so it would seem. After finding him, for him to then only to run, I crossed paths with Arrakeen by chance. He told him of his mission for the Empire, and we traded our concerns about the strange attackers on Tatooine as well. In exchange for my assisting him with his mission, Arrakeen was to help me with dealing with my wayward and possibly now dark Padawan. And, actually, I share Arrakeen’s desire to bring the Jedi back to some semblance of order and was the first to mention it to him. That order will help us deal more adequately with any dark users, and will most certainly help us deal better with the status of our padawans. Paul and I haven’t specifically spoken regarding an actual Praxeum...

...but the unity we’ve discussed can only happen via a Praxeum and a council or some body of leaders to guide learners.”

Shawn paused then, pursing his lips thoughtfully for a moment, then continuing. “What I know of Paul is pieced together from a dozen conversations. I’m uncertain as to what transpired between he and his padawan, but I don’t believe he was killed in cold blood, but because Arrakeen had no choice. I sense the incident rather rocked Paul; in fact, having to kill his padawan, if if for a justifiable reason, may be why he is so hesitant to face assisting you in any battles which may end in civilian casualties. Jedi Masters tend to grow very close to their padawans, so losing one to the darkside, let alone having to fight one only to then kill him, would be a very tramautic experience...we see as much in that relationship between the famed Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Having to do such a thing has a permanant impact, and it takes some time to deal with it. I’m not so certain Paul has done just that yet, and it may be affecting his vision here.”

Shawn paused for another moment to let these words sink in, then went on with, “The dark-haired Force-user I only met in Grakko’s palace on Tatooine. He came in rather abruptly, assisted there, then travelled from Tatooine to here with us. He’s a cocky, uses his Force-abilities arbuitrarily, and definitely has not established emotional control...

...but that’s all I can tell you of him thusfar. The Twi’lek is a dancing girl who has little self-esteem so far as I can tell, and likewise has little trust in anyone. That probably comes from her being Grakko’s personal slave; Hutts don’t respect their living “property” very much, after all. She’s quiet and hesitant and very uneasy...

...and I think she hasn’t a clue what she’s doing here now that she’s free of Grakko.”

With all this said, Shawn quieted once more and leaned back in his seat, waiting to see just how Tarnus would respond to all he had spoken.

I rose from my chair, and extended a hand to Shawn.

"Thank you for your honesty, and when you see Mr. Arakeen please extend my thanks for his as well. I will certainly keep all you have said here under consideration while I decide how to conclude this little matter.

"But now, if any resolution is to come of all this, I need to attend to it. I hope you enjoy your stay here as guests of the Empire; I will contact all of you when I have come to a decision."

Nodding again to Shawn, I indicated the door. A Reborn entered from the corridor without, stiffened to attention, and waited in silence to escort the Jedi Master away.

When this was accomplished I regained my seat, there to mull over what had been spoken of, and in the process finding myself wondering as to the progress of the hunter I had set out to bring back the computer files stolen from the Empire by the traitor we had had in our midst at that time.

Then he quietly thought across a link with the other jedi: I want to talk with you about the Sith...later.

The Imperial shuttle exited hyperspace, along with about a dozen other vessels from different parts of the galaxy, some military and some trading. The usual procedure occured: pilot talks to an officer on one of the guard ships, he talks back, gives access codes, blah blah blah, we're clear to dock, land, submerge or whatever.

Romanus didn't pay attention, and didn't really give a damn. He was busy trying to wipe off the remaining dried blood on his neck with his hand, thinking aboutthat one Jedi back on Sullust.

Dammit, who was he? I've never seen him in my life...but it was like I knew him years ago...

"Sir."

"Hmm?" Romanus looked up slightly at the pilot's call.

"Should we make arrangements for you to receive medical assistance?" he asked. Romanus shook his head.

"No, just take me to your HQ so I can speak to General Tarnus."

There was no reply from the pilot, but again, Romanus did not put much thought into it. Roughly fifteen minutes later, the shuttle had already passed through Coruscant's atmosphere and heading for one of its many spaceports.

Soon, Romanus was being escorted to the General's ready room. Along the way, he spotted a couple of people wearing robes and sensed the Force within them.

Great. More Jedi. Bloody hell, this is one of the strangest days of my life...

Finally, he passed through the doorway into the office, and tossed the data chip onto the desk in front of General Tarnus.

And perhaps here lies a beginning to that order of Jedi...

Nodding his head then to Lumbia, Shawn answered in the affirmative. "Certainly, though we won't be going far," he said even as he nodded. Then he turned to regard the Twi'lek, who was being distant and very aloof. "And would you like to accompany us as well?"

A Twi'lek girl, scantily clad, going out to dinner with three jedi...?

A part of her couldn't help but withdraw from the very idea, though another part was trying to point out the fact that these guys were seeing more than her outward appearance. Still, she'd been raised to believe her worth lay not in who she was, but what she was and how she looked.

She turned her indigo eyes to the shorter of the three jedi, never quite directly meeting his gaze. "No, I think I'll just take a stroll around here on my own," she said, standing and heading for the door of the guest suites.

"Uh..." he finally turned to Lumbia, then to Shawn, and a smile crossed his face. It had been a long time since one appeared.

"I'm sure the guards won't mind if we find a diner with at least a few windows..."

It would be nice to see the city outside these claustrophobic walls...

Placing on his robe over his garment, he headed forward, turning back in await for the others.

Names and serial numbers of every trooper in the Alpha and Omega fleets, going back fifteen years showing who had been assigned where and how lengthy a term of service he had given.

And that was it.

Public record.

It was with a great effort that I kept my hand from shaking as I popped the data chip out and held it in my palm. My helmet tipped upward as I now directed a gaze into Romanus's eyes, a gaze which although he probably didn't see, I'm more than certain he could feel.

"This-- is it?" I asked in a low tone of voice. "I was under the impression that there was more to the stolen data then... this. Perhaps you have overlooked some of it somehow?

"Be that as it may," I continued on, now raising a gauntleted hand against the growing ire I was seeing in this hunter's eyes. "The death of the traitor is worth something to the Empire... and the fact that you did indeed bring this to our attention is as well. You will find an additional two thousand placed in your account; I'm afraid that, as the information on this data chip is a matter of public record, it is really quite worthless and could have just as well been pitched into the nearest garbage chute you might have found along the way."

I rose to my feet, nodding to the Reborn who came to a stiff attention on either side of the hunter.

"If you will pardon me now, there is a matter of business I need attend to. Please do not keep your availability from us; I may be calling upon your services again in the near future."

That was close...too close.

A second passed before a smirk appeared. He slapped the Reborn that escorted him out of the room on the back of his shoulder.

"Right, soldier! Think you're relieved of your duty now."

The excuse for a Jedi glared at Romanus, but decided to let the offense go and return to staring at the wall.

Romanus straightened up and saluted him, then turned away to walk down the hall.

Well its not much, but those credits should keep from being evicted for a couple of years. And if I left a good impression, there might be work for me with the Empire after all!

He was only about to take his first step when he spotted a greenskinned Twi'lek, wearing a bikini-style outfit of gold, disappear through another doorway. A mere glimpse of her had frozen Romanus in place, his foot still only a few inches up from the ground.

Wow...this day might actually be my lucky one after all...

A laugh escaped him as he completed the movement and continued walking down the hall...heading for the door the beautiful creature had gone through...

...a return to her home planet of Rhyloth. Though she hadn't seen her family--

--who had probably disowned her by this point anyway--

--for years, Kia'ra didn't think she could face them with the occupation she now held. She couldn't face them...

...and she couldn't deal with the fact that she had no other skills to speak of, and would have to return to the dancing-girl's life whether on Rhyloth or not. And it would be far more difficult to be a dancing-girl who earned her living in the darker side of the night on her home planet rather than on a planet where no one knew her...

Kia'ra's indigo eyes darkened as this realization hit home, and it was only then that she broke from her thoughts long enough to realize that there were footsteps behind her...

...close behind her.

So she whirled, her dancing outfit sparkling and her indigo eyes ablaze as they fell upon a man dressed in a trenchcoat, his head completely shaven, and his eyes positively glued to her trim and taught form. Suddenly sure that perhaps this was more than the man whom she could earn a credit or two with by "pleasing him"...

...she could tell by the look in his eyes that she had seen all-too-many times before...

...every muscle in Kia'ra's body tensed. Feeling absolutely cornered, she did the one thing she could think of to do.

"Somebody...help!" she cried even as the clean-shaven stranger seemed to drink her in with his eyes as she then proceeded to turn and begin to run. Might not get her far but...

...she was a dancing girl living on the darker side of life...

...but that didn't mean she liked being taken advantage of any more...

...a female who was considered a guest of the Empire and thus under the auspices of its protection.

Thus it was they turned into that particular hallway in one smooth and synchronized motion, and soon came to the room from which the cry had issued. They didn't pause to even knock but entered with all the authority they knew they possessed.

A clean-shaven and trenchcoated man whirled from where he had been approaching the dancing girl.

Only on this particular day, the contracting wasn't so quiet.

Her indigo eyes grew even more vague. All she could see was the battered and bloodied body of the superior Imperial officer...

...and the wide and furious eyes of his attacker...

...whose own eyes were now boring into her own, seeming to see through her. Kia'ra's lekku twitched, and she shuddered.

She wasn't mistaken. It was him...

Unconsciously beginning to back away even though the Reborn had her trenchcoat-clad pursuer surrounded, Kia'ra didn't stop til she was forced to a halt by the wall behind her. She wrenched her eyes away from those of that mysterious stranger, and directed them towards the Reborn guard. She was trembling. "He...he...

...was following me..."

"I have sent for some back-up to escort you to your guest quarters, Miss," he said calmly, although his eyes were once again affixed upon those of Romanus. He then remained still as stone for the indeterminant amount of time it took his ordered troops to arrive. Arrive they did, however, coming up and saluting smartly.

"See that this lady is escorted to her quarters, or wherever else it is she may wish to go. And see that you remain with her at all times; the Lt. General would be most displeased to discover that any ill had come upon his guests."

The Twi'lek gone now, he decided to head back to his hotel and pretty much sleep for the rest of the day.

As he sidestepped past the guard to continue walking down the hall, the Reborn didn't make a move. The slap of his boots upon on the solid floor echoed throughout the corridor, until Romanus left only silence behind.

Perhaps he was a bit unnerved at that... but it was not as so readily assumed by Romanus. It was instead merely an acknowledgment of the darkness that flowed within the trenchcoated man so greatly, and recognition of the fact that instead of standing in unspoken brotherhood with another dark one, he appeared to be seeking some sort of conflict with the Reborn instead. That sense had flowed out from the dark hunter in a degree even a baby could feel; the Reborn merely blinked and lifted his comm-link to his lips to report this entire event to Lt. Gen. Tarnus.

Then with a nod and a wave of one hand, he led his small squad onward, to follow in the footsteps Romanus had taken.

Meanwhile, elsewhere....

The Reborn squad sent to assist K'iara moved with smooth efficiency down the corridor, not heading for any place in particular, just keeping her moving and keeping their eyes alert for any possible danger to their charge. Their lightsabers hung within easy reach, as did the blasters which they used in a pinch. At the moment, however, no such weaponry was necessary; their presence was enough to send those non-Reborn Imperials who they chanced upon in their trek into a hurried exit from them, at least those who may have had the audacity to raise appraising eyes in the Twi'lek's direction during such a brief encounter.

At length one of the Reborn spoke, never varying his pace.

"What happened in there? What did you talk about aftered I fell unconscious?" He asked in a curious, but very soft voice.

His eyes drifted to the buttons, clicking one that beckoned the lift to reach their levels. When it did come as requested by the dark brown haired man, the three entered after the sound of the quickly opening door. The two elders seem to still wander for an answer to the question of the youngling, for the silence had been broken by the boy seemed to meld itself back together.

A smile came to hsi face, but his curiousty had only taken his snack when the lift came to a slow stop on the hangar level. The youth's eyes back to directing to the green-blue eyed Jedi.

"So, why did either of you choose to place the Jedi Praxuem on the planet of Tattonie?" The brown haired boy began, his voice as curious as ever.

"Was it that their has no rule, and it isn't going to be much population soon on it, or what?" The boy paused for a matter of seconds, his eyes drifting once more to find the question he had lost during his statement. "Also, how was Mr.Tarnus so persuaded to even give you a feel he'd think about it?"

The youngest of the group looked around, trying to brighten his mood that had been grown by the query of the Jedi. Shawn had asked a question that deserved an answer, but the problem was if he was prepared to give him his worthy reply.

His brown eyes drifted off into space even further as he pondered what he would do. The pros and cons of the two straightforward answers known as 'no' and 'yes'. Two things he had to choose from, and after much thought in a quick time he gained his answer.

"You mean the unconscious condition I was put in." Lumbia said as if the topic had yet to be brought up. It was a stalling beginning for a well-meditated answer.

"It was an inward conflict. I don't know really how it affected my consciousness, but it did stress me. The conflict between evil and good, something that brewed on inside of me since the day I choose the path of using the force." The young one reminisince, his eyes slowly becoming slits, letting darkness consume them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You must absorb that anger. Use it as a tool to push out." The words of his Dark Master ran through the barren terrian, while the youth stood motionless with his eyes closed.

It was the item before him that caused him to meditate, and be in the motionless state. He had been attempting to move it, and penetrate it with all he had. To use the force as a weapon that could be beckoned at any time. The force was his slave, and he'd use it as he pleased.

The tool known as the Force was used fluently and currectly, witht he box like item being pushed forward along the tough surface.

"Great, Great...again!" His master screamed, with the training session continuing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The young man shoke his head in despair, but he knew this negative lifestyle pushed him to do better. To grow as a man and help the universe through the work of protecting to peace, or at least trying to....

Standing in the middle of the hangar, the group watched as the speed-cab slowly came down before them. The back seat doors automatically opening for them to enter.

"Shall we?" Lumbia said, with a curtious toned smile on his attractive face. With the genorous gesture the group entered in the back seat of the topless speeder, and entered the traffic of the sky.

Shawn frowned very briefly, then his manner returned to an aura of complete calm as he considered something.

A Force-user with inward conflict so obvious was not the sort to be left to his own devices, no matter how good his intentions might actually be...

"Have you considered what you shall do after this affair is over?" Shawn queried. "If the Praxeum is reestablished, you'd be more than welcome..."

Shawn quieted then, waiting to see just how Lumbia would respond...

If he was to live alone, in the galaxy of enternal darkness and light he would learn from his own mistakes. It would be a learning expirence that would provide for his life, and he would also be in control of his own destiny. The life he would life would be hands-on control, without the supervision of a Jedi Master.

The void of silence after Shawn's statement grew longer, but was broken unexpectedly by the droid who had been driving them during this conversation.

"Excuse me, but would you like to tell me where you want me to stop."

The youngest of the group quickly blurted out, as if the long thought of the other subject seemed to be shifted at light speed to the topic of their stop.

"Yes I would like to tell you. Stop at the closest restuarant to where we are stationed as of now." The conflicted one ended, his eyes drifting back over to Shawn, with a curtious smile on his face. "I have a response to your comment." He said in such a way that another statement would come after, but their was none.

Not even an utter..

It was a weird silence that could have made the idea of seeing the air around them less akward. This silence though didn't last very long, for the youngling began once again, his tone firm but gentle.

"I know I would go the Jedi Praxuem if it was reconstructed and I was welcomed as you said." At the end of statement the speeder came to a gradual stop. When it did finally stop, the three were able to see the beautifully constructed three story high restuarant.

He supposed this was where the guest service of the Empire was going to end. This could be a problem...

Shawn directed a greeny-blue gaze to Lumbia once more. "Might you happen to have some credits to pay for the speed-car trip? I'm afraid that, as a Jedi, I haven't anything to offer as payment..."

Then he glanced to the resturaunt in front of them.

Haven't got anything to pay for THAT either...

Heading along the left rim of the car, it came to the front seat where the droid sat frantically. Barely staring down on the droid, it began with his statement after he cleared it's throat.

"Excuse me, I have a bargain for you." It's masculine voice exposd him to be a male, and his features were that only homed by a Squib. During the blue furred Squib's pause he reached into his bag, taking out a few droid parts.

"Take this and the robed men your driving can go." He paused again, giving the men in the back a genorous wink. Placing his furry hands against the car, he began once again. "So, what will it be?"

The droid at first replied with startle look as if he had just seen a Rancor. It was probably the fear of the blaster that was seen on the Squib's belt, but none the less the droid grabbed the parts and opened the doors.

"Good, now scram." He ended, taking advantage of his intimidation. Laughing as he watched the speedcar race into traffic at full speed before he took a look over the robe men that had stepped out of the car.

"So, who are you guys?" He paused for a second, before he said humorously, "Jedi?"

The question rang throughout Kia'ra's brain as she wondered precisely that. Where was she going? In all honesty...

...she simply didn't know. Not yet. But as a guest of the Empire, she had some time to actually think about this...

"Actually," she said then, her indigo eyes not quite meeting those of the Reborn, "I'd like to go somewhere to get a little something to eat and drink. Somewhere...

...quiet...

If, that is, the question in mind had been preconsidered, and orders given in reply.

After a bit they jerked their heads; the squad leader turned toward K'iara with a politely cold little smile planted on his face.

"This way, Miss," he said briefly, his one hand held out stiffly to jab in the desired direction in which they now needed to travel. The Twi'lek's deep indigo eyes seemed just a touch wider as she smiled back and stepped forth, once again ensconced within a "box" of retentive Reborn guards.

They seemed to march up one corridor and down another for an hour, taking byways and walkways and lifts and once a short-range shuttle; however at length the appointments about them seemed to change from the austerely militant to the frankly opulent, and they finally came to a halt before a pair of richly gold double doors. A small placard imbedded into the wall beside them quietly proclaimed, "Red Carpet Room."

The squad leader made a short bow, then palmed a hidden switch. The double doors promptly slid open to reveal a poshly furnished dining establishment, clearly one not intended for the hoi palloi. Several mutely garbed Imperials were scattered about with their significant others, partaking of exotic foods and drink. Yet the tables were so cleverly placed that the place seemed to be entirely empty.

The squad leader merely bowed again, and waved his one hand.

"Here is the finest cuisine we have to offer our guests, Miss," he profferred unexpectedly. "The food is exquisite, the decor sublime, and you will not find anyone coming to bother you here.

"Please, as our guest, enjoy."

With that he straightened up, his eyes suddenly growing dark and robotic as he whirled in tandem with another of his group, to take a position against one side of the double set of doors. On the other side the remaining two Reborn mirrored the act, as all quietly took up sentry until their charge finished with the business of her dining pleasure.

Saying no more than that, Shawn kept his greeny-blue eyes pinned on the Squib for another moment before turning towards the resturaunt. "Unless the Empire is gonna pay for this," he commented lightly to his companions, "I think we're gonna be washing dishes after we eat..."

"I mean no you won't. I'll manage to help you out, since my friend is the owner of the restuarant." The blue furred creature said, with a smile coming to his face. "I'd do anything for you Jedi."

"You know, the Jedi Order protected the Squib's world during the Clone Wars. I'm forever indebt." The Squib said as he headed toward the door. Opening it, he gestured the force users to enter before them.

When they did, he rushed ahead of them, leading the group to the lift. Clicking the coordinates needed for their reservation number into the panel beside them, they slowly were pulled up to the second story.

During their wait in ascending lift, the curious short creature began with his curious query.

"So, why are you guys on Coruscant, and where are you heading after your visit here is over?" He questioned in a smooth, unrushed tone.

They intimidated any foe that came at them when it came to bargaining and everyone knew that. Even the conductroid that was driving them to the restuarant.

Placing his hands behind his back, he gripped tightly upon them, as his eyes closed in contemplation. He wondered how he would reply to the question that the Squib had thrown out, which seemed very outlandish and one that caused the Rogue Jedi to think in more futuristic terms.

They're seemed to be no where to go after this situation, even if the Jedi Praxuem was to be reestablished. It would probably take at least a month to establish any true basis and along with that would be students. He alone couldn't satisfy all the needs of planet or keep it under peace, let alone a whole galaxy.

"Oh, sorry..I normally always introduce myself." He began, "My name is Lanlif. Lanlif Berayen."

The Squib began shaking their hands, as he gave every one of them respectful nods and smiles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. From what planet are you from?" He asked as he backed up, only to hit the door as it slowly opened. Falling forward, he nearly stummbled over his own feet, but even without that he fell flat on his back.

Slowly gaining his feet, he laughed at the humorous mistake.

"I'm from the planet of Urika."

At that he trailed, the smile fading from his face, his eyes still calm but somehow a bit distant. For a moment he stood that way, then quietly spoke once more. "Enjoy your meal, my friends" he said, "I suddenly feel the need for some quiet meditation. So I bid you a good evening."

With that, Shawn nodded politely to the Squib,then to the others who were with him. Speaking not another word then, he turned on his heel and walked back towards the guest suites they had been given, focusing on the Force to begin ascertaining whatever it might be trying to tell him...

He glanced at the Squib, only giving half a smile as he answered his question.

"Ah...I'm from Corellia. Before it was taken by the Empire."

There was bit of silence after he said that, then Paul suddenly found his appetite was gone. "Excuse me."

He got up and followed the same path as Shawn to the guest rooms.

"Hmm...Squib, I'd like to ask you a favor, since I can tell what buisness your in." The young Rogue began, his voice clear and procise though his face was complicated by his emotions.

The Squib only nodded, but Lumbia did not see it with his own eyes, for his back was to him. The Rogue was exiting toward the lift, yet he still knew of the nod, implying it by finally speaking.

"Meet me later at the Empire's headquaters. May the force be with you." He ended with a simple waver of his hand and Lumbia vanished along with the descending lift.

Exiting the restuarant, he drifted into the horizion.

I'll give the Reborn colonel who passed the news on to me credit for his unflappable demeanor, however; it couldn't have been easy to inform the third in command of the vast Imperial domain that the trooper entrusted with his daughter's life was not only missing...

...but so was his daughter.

I bridled, letting my feelings show only with the clenching of one fist, and it was only with the greatest of efforts that I refrained from hitting something. Not only would that have proven nothing, it would have revealed me to the silent Reborn, and that was something I couldn't afford to do.

Not even if that exposure was due to the fact that my daughter seemed to have entirely disappeared from Coruscant altogether.

At long length I unclenched my fist, rose quietly from the chair in my ready room. The colonel stiffened to attention, and finally ventured, "If there is anything I can offer you, Sir. I will scour the very planet for her, and the traitor as well; should I come upon them--"

I raised my hand in seeming indifference, although my thoughts were filled with stormy ones indeed, all centered around the long demoted Private Edgar and what I had planned for him when he finally showed his face.

He'd be better off facing a herd of stampeding reeks, I mulled in low fury. Then I waved the Colonel into silence.

"Thank you for the information," I said briefly, motioning to the door. The Colonel bowed his head, turned smartly, and left, leaving me to my own thoughts.

Beneath my visor I bit my lip so hard it bled. The taste of my own blood a living entity in my mouth, I came to a conclusion. For while I knew with a certainty what I would do had I been free to follow my own devices, I could not afford myself that luxury. Thus it was I lifted my gauntlet, and quickly dialed in the connection to the hunter, Romanus.

But it was good to flex out his strength in the Force into something different, even if it was as small as turning on the lights. He had spent the past hour trying to block out the prodding of the Reborn squad trailing him, and it was hell to do so while trying to remember the cash he owed the speeder cab driver.

Nonetheless, he lost them, and was finally able to get some sleep. Romanus walked over to his bed and was a fraction of a second away to collapsing on it when his terminal began beeping. The monitor switched on automatically as it received a new transmission.

Better not be another spam holo...

Tired and a little agitated, Romanus yanked out a seat under the terminal and connected to the other end of the sender...

And was greeted by a Mandalorian helmet he was very familiar with.

General...

Or could it..

The closest thing that man had ever held close to the vibrations and the emotions of tranquility where the Jedi. Lanlif knew this so and he also knew that the Jedi had done great things for his people. Protecting it from the destruction that had been caused on so many other planets during the time of the Galatic Civil War.

He as a Squib was very indebt to the Jedi and this was one more favor he was doing not only for his new aquantince, but for his ancestors. The ones that lived on Skor II during the horrible times of the galaxy. When turmoil had reached it's peak in physical, emotional and spirtual for every being, even in the Outer Rim.

The galaxy had changed, but it would never clean every scar that had been created.

He hoped.

Lanlif walked along the shadows of night to the door, two guards staring down at him, puzzled mainly by his arrival. Reaching back into his memory, he tried to capture some information on the Jedi to help him describe his reason of arrival.

The warriors growing like all men did, but it wasn't that which made the physical altercation less destructive. It was that the light had conquered the darkness. Light had taken the role of regulator of the field, darkness had become just a trival rebel group rebelling against the government. The head of all it's leaders being chopped off everytime it took a snear.

It was a nice time...a pleasant time

Disturbance!

The Jedi became alert, his body being flung up by instinct. Lumbia searched the area with his force senses, prepared to barrier his body for the reason of this oncoming disturbance.

Then it came to him suddenly, being reminded by the visions of the Squib and the conversation they had earlier that day. It became clear to him that it was a disturbance of alertm not fighting.

But he had performed flawlessly in the other demands I had of him, and there was something that seemed to flow from him, something I seemed to connect with on a visceral level, something which said there was more to him than what he had shown me thus far. I was willing to give him another chance, knowing that this unseen yet instinctively recognized something would be what it took to bring in the bounty I was about to set him upon.

"My daughter is missing from Coruscant," I began without preamble. "She was last seen in the underworld of Imperial City in the care of Lieutenant Avid Edgar... who at the moment appears to have gone AWOL and is no longer an officer of the Empire."

I paused a moment, watching Romanus carefully, looking for the slightest change in body language which would tell me what he thought of the mission he had to know at this point I was going to demand of him. The man was good; other than the first flash of surprise at receiving my comm, he remained absolutely inscrutable.

I pressed on.

Rescuing his daughter could open new doors for me in the Empire...

He straightened himself in his seat, easing the weariness from his body. He knew he would have to work immediately. "I'll do it. But there's three things I have to know: One, the last location your Lt. Edgar was at before he disappeared. Two, if you want him dead or alive. And three, the name of your daughter."

"Oh, and if your officer had skipped Coruscant, I'll need a ship as well."

"Private Edgar was last seen at a private condominium in the underworld sector of Imperial City, a residence called Blue Asteroid Estates. He was accompanied by a squad of Reborn, whose task was to assist him in keeping my daughter safe. They are still on the site; you may wish to begin by interrogating them."

I typed a rapid succession of coordinates into my gauntlet, and pressed enter, sending the street address of the condo directly to his hard drive. He tilted his own head as the information came in, then raised it to face me squarely once more.

"I have no idea if he has left Coruscant; logic would dictate that he has not, as no vessel bearing anyone with his or my daughter's descriptions have gone off-planet. But so far searches by my Reborn have turned up nothing; as they are extremely thorough in their methodologies, I am led to believe that he has somehow slipped off-planet.

"You are a tracker, Mr. Romanus. In your profession, you must be." I paused, sending a meaningful look his way which I am certain he felt, even through the masking capabilities my visor presented.

"I can give you names of people who may be in association with her. My daughter's name is JhinDarra JhinDarr... Danner," I went on, stumbling slightly over the final surname as I fought down growing ire. "She is my daughter by Galen JhinDarr, who married Terrin Danner of Eagle Enterprises. For all I know they have kidnapped her, and have killed Private Edgar in the process."

I paused a moment longer, waiting as he noted down the information. When he looked up again, I continued, albeit with some hesitation.

"Mr. Romanus, my daughter has an aunt, a-- Jharmeen JhinDarr. She--" I paused, reflecting for a moment upon just how much more this hunter needed to know. Then the thought that Darra could somehow have been taken under her aunt's tender auspices prompted me to continue, as unbelievable as what I had to say would now seem.

"This aunt lives on a remote planetary system, the Khar Delban system. There are two planets orbiting a red dwarf sun... the sister planet is known in ancient history as K'eel Doba." I paused. "In ancient Sith history.

"Mr. Romanus, should your investigations take you there, you must be more than wary. There are strange... powers this woman wields... as well as verification that the Sith population has been returned to life in the galaxy, after being annihilated nearly four thousand years ago. Even now I have fleets massing in the vicinity, waiting to see if there should be anything... underhanded afoot in that system. But so far it seems to have remained relatively quiet.

"Of course this information is top secret, and highly confidential."

I paused again, giving Romanus the time I'm sure he needed to assimilate this incredible news. Then I continued smoothly on, as though I had not just dropped the biggest bombshell of modern times into this man's ears.

"There is a highly modified, Class-A infiltrator, the Usurper, which will be waiting for you in IHQ's private spaceport. Here are your identification and clearance codes...."

I rattled off some more numbers, then went on. "I am placing a retaining fee in the amount of ten thousand credits in your account, to be used as you need in your hunt, Mr. Romanus. Whatever you have left of this upon completion is yours in addition to the hundred thousand actual bounty. And should this task be performed not only smoothly but quickly, well... you may find yourself the owner of that infiltrator.

"And as for Pvt. Edgar... well. Suffice it to say rank can be reinstated; he is theoretically innocent until proven guilty. Thus I desire him being returned alive and as hale and whole as possible. But--"

I paused a moment longer, my eyes darkening behind my visor.

"If he gives you any trouble when you find him, don't hesitate to kill him. The safe return of Darra is the priority here, and what you must accomplish to earn your money."

I clipped off that last statement, waited a moment longer, and closed the connection. Then I sat back in my seat, utterly still save for the one hand which remained on my desk, fisting and unfisting, over and over and over....

"Jedi, where are you going?" The soilders sternly asked, but seemed to put in a genorous note for he was a guest.

"I'm going out to meet the Squib." Lumbia quickly lashed back, his voice much softer than his the quickness of his words.

The two guards seperated, allowing the Jedi to exit. Standing infront of the much shorter blue furred Squib, the two began conversating. Lumbia and his new friend walked slowly toward the speeder, both continuing with the talk.

"Get my lightsaber off the planet of Datooine. I have made a message to Urika's highest presit to deliver it there. It should be on the planet in the highest populated town in a store called "Teras Slash"." Lumbia said, his eyes forward though his words were clearly directed to the shorter Squib.

The Squib only nodded, his eyes filled with an akward confusion, though he knew that this situation was only being carried out because he was indebt to the Jedi race. He did though have questions.

"Why won't you just have it delivered here?" The Squib quickly said, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Well the fact that this is a blockaded planet is one reason and I would think that the Empire might not be fond of a once Rebel having a lightsaber in his hand." Lumbia said, his eyes being directed downward into those of the Squib. A genorous smile came to his face as he drifted his hand over the speedcar.

The engine began suddenly with the movement of the force. The door opened and allowed the Squib to enter.

"May the Force be with you." The young Jedi stated in a dry, but sincere terms. His head went into a bow of respect, replied with the Squibs salute.

It was soon after that the Squib was off into the deep traffic of the skyline on Coruscant. The Imperial City was covered in the traffic, just like in then past of the Old Republic, Old Empire and New Republic. It was truly a fascinating sight.

"Master Berayen, where are we going?" The protocal droid, by the name of C3-K6, curiosily questioned as it headed stiffly behind it's master. A bit ahead of it was the fast moving astromech droid. It's proud attitude and loyality expressed through his haste to get beside it's Master.

The R2 unit's name was R2-T4, a very new polished model that had been acquired in a gamble in the slums of Coruscant. It was a possession of Lanlif he felt had carved a great relationship with, to the point that he could understand it vaguely. It was hard to continue on in trips though without his protocal droid to assistant him with the beeping language.

"We are heading for Datooine." Lanlif said in a stern, but quick voice as he led the two up the ramp. His astromech droid close beside him during their venture toward the frontier of the ship. C3-K6 finally made it about a minute after Lanlif entered the cockpit. Closing the door, which pulled in the ramp, the ships engines began activating.

"I hope their won't be any casualities." The protocail nervously said as he stood stiffened like a statue behind Lanlif and R2-T4 in the cockpit.

Lanlif gave him an assuring smirk and began with the quick exit out of the hangar and into the field of the blockade. Slowing down as he reached the atomsphere, he began with his tranmission over the intercom with the Imperial base.

Seperating all apart, he created a linkage with Lanlif, his Squib companion. A smile curved on his face as he watched his friend do the deed. He felt their was doubt in the eyes of the blue furred creature when he explained the mission, but it seemed his love with the Jedi race drove him to do it.

Yet, that smile became a frown as he watched the Tesk Matter, Lanlif's ship, entered the blockade field, that covered the planet like a jacket. He felt the presence of disturbance and doubtfulness in his friends mind. Quickly shifting in his seat, Lumbia opened his eyes, escaping the trance. Taking in his surrondings for a matter of seconds, he was onto his feet, heading for the door.

Looking at the two Reborns, he began with his stern, but soft demand.

"Could you take me to the lobby room and report Mr. Tarnus that I would like to talk to him?"

The two looked confused, but gestured for a moment of time a firm unwillingness to do anything about this demand. It was later that the Jedi gave them both a curtious and gentle smile that they found trust in the man and escorted him.

On through the hallways and into the lobby room, they went to report the situation while he rested. He watched out through the window as the stars smiled down on him with all it's brillance. It was a time when he cared nothing of the stars, but now they resembled something.

The men, women and children that he had killed in his time along with others. It was a pretty sight indeed, but their was a sense of melancholy behind it's existence. The planets it shined upon, but all of those planets held existences and lost of existence.

Beautiful indeed...

But the specifics weren’t coming just yet. Amongst those images were traces of many different races in many different locations; the only common link seemed to be the implication of fighting via the death and destruction seen in these images...

...but the perpetrator of this fighting, death, and destruction was elusive.

Were these species merely fighting with one another? Was this some sort of Rebellion with the Empire?

Or was it something else entirely...?

This last thought only served to trouble Shawn even more. For he couldn’t avoid the possibility that this was somehow linked to the Sith.

But then, what if it wasn’t? And even if it did involve them, did that necessarily make them perpetrators...

...or just parties involved? And who could say that ALL of the Sith were involved? After all, there did seem to be a split even when he was with them...

Finally opening his eyes, his look admittedly troubled as he realized his forehead and palms were sweaty from the strain focusing on the Force had caused him, he at length stood and headed for the fresher. Suddenly Shawn knew he had to speak with someone about this, and suddenly he knew he would never be at ease until there were a lot more answers to the growing list of concerns now weighing on his mind...

"ICC, out."

Elsewhere....

The senior of the two Reborn cast a sidelong glance at his compatriot, then stiffened a bit more than the scenario warranted. Now on the other side of the dark haired young man, the other Reborn did likewise, one hand straying to lightly lay upon the butt of his lightsaber.

The first Reborn's eyes darkened, and his lip curled into something just shy of a sneer.

"The Lieutenant General will call for you at his disposal... Sir," he ended with, now not bothering to hide the smug look which had crept out upon his face along with his broadening supercilious smile.

GALEN JhinDarr?! It must be the same Galen I met on Sullust...she was having thoughts of someone named Darra...and if that's the case, she didn't knew where she is.

So she couldnt be a a suspect. Nonethless, Romanus felt a bit nervous over the idea...after all, he DID attack her on that planet.

Fate works in mysterious ways. Best to get this investigation going...

Later, at the Blue Asteroid Estates...

"HEY! You forgot my fee!" shouted the driver in his Gran language as Romanus hopped off the speeder. His boots landed with a smack on the wet street ground.

Romanus waved his hand at the drive. "Heard it was free rides for people who don't have any money."

There was a slight murmur from the driver as the Force took affect on him, and within seconds was zooming off for his next customer. Romanus was standing in front of the residence, with a squad of Reborn standing around out front.

He approached casually up to them, and noted the alert look on their faces as they detected the Force within him...

Romanus held up a hand, and stopped just a few feet away. "I'm the one Tarnus sent."

Without even looking at each other in question, their leader walked up to meet the tracker face-to-face. "Romanus, right?"

"That's right. Let's get this started shall we? How did your squad and Private Edgar set up here?"

There was a slight pause from the Reborn at the change of rank, but realization came in as he nodded slightly. "Right, we left the...Private...in a room alone with the baby. We set up a perimeter outside, and had watchers covering the windows from afar."

"So no one could come in or go out without being seen?"

"Yes, sir." the Reborn responded. Romanus raised an eyebrow as he asked his next question.

"So how did Edgar and the babe disappear?"

The man simply threw his hands in the air and shook his head. "I have no idea. There was no way he, or anyone else, could have escaped without being seen. We had every entrance, and every POSSIBLE entrance, guarded."

Romanus scratched around the bloody scab at the back of his neck in frustration. This didn't make any sense...

"Alrighty," he began, pulling his hand back down. "Was there anything suspicious going on? Did you sense anything wrong?"

Another pause. The leader looked back slightly at the other hooded soldiers before he responded. "We sensed something...else...moments before we discovered the room empty."

"And...?"

"Well, it was strange, sir. It was like when he sensed the Dark Side within you as you approached, but what we sensed before was...HUGE. It was abnormal, something we never felt before."

Romanus opened his mouth to reply but the Reborn cut him off as he continued. "And the strangest thing is...we knew it somehow. All of us felt it was familiar somehow."

Some members of the squad nodded at that. That last statement simply made things more complicated.

"Okay, thanks for your time. You can go home to your barracks or what not..." At that he turned away, planning his trip to go to the "Khar Delban system"...wherever that is.

Let's see here: Galen didn't have her, and it sounds like Edgar was kidnapped along with the baby. That leaves only one suspect, this Jharmeen JhinDarr person.

Romanus waved at an incoming cab, signalling to come pick him up. On a Sith planet, too...the Sith! From what I've studied I thought they were completely annihilated.

He never was fond of the galatic control, but he had no political place to say anything. Anyways, he was a pilot--who cared about government when you ran through space, working the stars like no other. Yet, it did become tiresome to look up and see a blockade everyday, caused simply by the Empire.

Their were reasons to hate and love them, which at times became very unbalanced.

These were one of those times, where he felt a sense of irritation, but that couldn't cloud his judgement. After a time of non-response, he thought through the answer. Finally coming to a conclusion, he opened the comlink and began.

"Tesk Matter, this is ICC," he began again. "You are to return to point of origin, I repeat. You are to return to point of origin, General Order 73. No further warning or instruction will be given; if this order is not obeyed within the next three standard minutes, you will be hulled."

With that the lieutenant nodded in an almost casual manner to the weapons officer, who twirled a couple dials, zeroed in on the ship, and fired three ion blasts in quick succession: one to the port, one to the starboard, and one directly over the bow of Lanlif's ship.

Now cleanly having bracketed the target, the weapons officer quickly armed a torpedo, then fell into frozen immobility, a finger poised with deadly accuracy over the firing pin. At his communications station, the lieutenant peered into his screen with equal intensity, waiting to see which it would be that the Tesk Matter would choose:

He as a pilot knew when a challenge would only end in negativity, and this was one of those occasions. He'd have to prolong his return to the piloting world, but not before he gave a stern but agitated remark.

Opening the comlink once more before he retreated from the face of battle, he began. "There goes one more citizen you can check off the list who hates the Empire."

He descended back down, heading toward the hangar once more. The Tesk Matter laid motionless for a second longer, as Lanlif took in a sigh and toward the door with his two droid friends.

"Head back to your resting capsules, I'm going back to the city to tell Lumbia of this situation."

"Would Lanlif make it through the blockade?" He said, as if reminding himself of the question. "I feel his presence is uninjured. Maybe he did.."

The retired Rebel opened his eyes, taking his body out the format for meditation. His legs being once again on the surface, while his muscles relaxed. It was a fascinating thing to understand, and feel the Force tingle in him like every emotion.

Lumbia reached once more into the past, remembering the times when he felt what he wielded was a curse. 'It had to have come from the poisionious wound of his mother', he remembered saying. Those days he felt women were inferior, but Lumbia knew now that was all just an influence from society. The female was very attractive being, but their was much more too it than just the job for reproducing and work. They were the more tender, special things the galaxy had ever captured and able to call it's own.

Females of all race, especially humans were angels stuck in beautiful flesh, needed to be placed upon a throne the same size as men. Their was no mistaking it, he had changed from his earlier days, but he still felt so helpess like a child, just like he did in the past. Unable to help those around him, to be as productive as the others were.

He wasn't even a real Jedi. Just a play one, like he was a 6 year old child again dressed in plastic armor in the woods with his friend. Playing like he was a warrior, but he knew he would never be one. It was so apperant now that he wouldn't and it seemed it would be the same for the path of a Jedi.

Their was no possible way Sorbern would expect the idea of Jedi revival. It would create too much turmoil in the galaxy and even if he did, it wouldn't be on Tattoine. The landscape was horrible, but that wasn't his problem and it never would be.

He'd likely just be a drifting being in space, prepared to create turmoil everywhere he went, for he was uneeded. Just as a black hole...

Like a black hole..

He told himself again, his eyes closing as he tried to rejuvenate himself from the depressive state. It had been hard all this time without a family, and had just started to take it's toll.

"The possible future turmoil of the galaxy..." he started in almost a whisper, "I have seen it also..."

"You've only seen a fraction of what I have seen...what I have always seen..."

Paul opened his eyes, but did not look at Shawn. Instead he stared straight ahead as if in a trance. "The visions first came when I was on Hoth. They have become more frequent ever since."

Leaping out of the speedcar, the blue furred haggle raced creature came to the door where two, well-attired Reborn were stationed for guard. Nodding his head as he gazed with his big twin orbs at the men.

"I'm here for Lumbia again, I wish to go to the lobby room and wait for their Cheif in Command to talk about the situation on the blockade." Lanlif dryily stated, his hands being placed behind his back.

After a stall the two guards seperated, allowing him the path to enter. There he was meet by a group of Reborn, in which leaded him to what he had searched for. Walking down the polished, and well architeched hall, painted with romantic pictures of great people in the past.

Everyone that had brought change to the galaxy in one way or another was somewhere on those walls, and he hoped one day they would add him.

Suddenly, his emotions shifted as he reminisced his father and mother's love. When he was a youngling, that they wanted to become great, though in their eyes he already was. He knew he would never get that feeling again, especially froma woman. With his luck, he'd get as far as accidently dropping glass of water on them.

"Heh, when I come back, I'll have to talk somehow to my family." He muttered to himself before he entered the lobby chamber. Sitting down befoe Lumbia, giving him a curtious smile.

It was soon that smile whittered away by the eerie silence. In the eyes of Lumbia were a sense of knowledge, as if he had already known what had taken course without Lanlif getting the chance ot say it. But, Lanlif not being so observant, began with his explaining anyways.

"Master Jedi--",he began, only to be cut off by Lumbia quick tongue, lashing quickly out, "I'm no Jedi."

Lanlif confusingly looked down into his palm, trying to grasp on why the Jedi would say such a thing. It was a matter of seconds that he was able to brush the comment off and continue with his statement.

"Well I couldn't manage to get the lightsaber because they wouldn't allow me to go through the blockade. I'm here to get some clearance." He ended, with a single nod from Lumbia.

Then their was utter silence, which lead for the two to think & mutter quietly to themselves without one another's interuption.

The Captain led his squad on, coming to a landing platform and commandeering a handily present multiple-personnel flitter. His troop flowed in like quicksilver; the Captain himself took control and soon was swooping through the heavy and constant flow of air traffic so unique to Coruscant. It didn't take long for them to find the establishment in which the Empire's new guests were dining; having been introduced to their Force signature it was nothing for the Reborn to home in on them with minimum fuss or scouting.

The flitter came to a determined landing just outside the establishment, sending bystanders and walkers on the street, not to mention airborne traffic en route downward, all flying to get out of its way. The moment it touched the cool duracrete of the street its hatch flew open, and the squad flowed out as efficiently as they had filled the little craft. Moving with smooth synchronization, they entered the facility, and in no time found themselves in front of the table taken by Shawn and Paul, their sudden presence obviously interrupting the jedis' conversation.

The topic of that conversation was of no interest to this particular group of reborn. The Captain broke from the group by speaking in a deep authoritative bass.

"You are to return to Lt. General's ready room immediately. He will be giving you audience within the hour."

Their message delivered, the Captain made a small motion, then turned and led his squad back to the flitter. Behind him remained two Reborn, whose sole task was to see the pair followed orders as given, and without encountering any mishap along the way.

Then he stepped away from the table, falling in step behind the Reborn as they began their journey back to the CCHQ. He couldn't help but frown slightly as that chill which denoted the darkside crept into his Force-senses; with effort, Shawn smoothed the frown over into a look of utter passivity.

The Darkside...it was all about this place...

Where, Kia'ra, just exactly where, are you going now?

She'd been decided that going back to Rhyloth was not in the cards. But did she really want to stay here, on Coruscant? Kia'ra frowned to herself.

Being without a home was getting tiring. Maybe just a brief visit to Rhyloth, if not to visit her family, then to at least collect her thoughts enough to figure out just where she was going next...

Unconsciously, Kia'ra nodded to herself. Then she stood, turning then to her Reborn escort. "Thank you for your kindness," she said to them. "Is it possible that I may speak with the Lt. General? I think I'm going to take the offer of being returned to my homeworld after all..."

I wasted no time in preamble.

"I have decided to grant your request of beginning a new Jedi Praxeum on Tatooine," I began, directing those words to Shawn Petrolu. His signature serenity was broken only by one brow, which raised a bit before settling back to join its mate.

I smiled, leaning back. "Of course I am also ordering for an attachment of Reborn, to act as... liason between this new Jedi school and the Empire... should there be any special requests you might have of us."

As well as to keep an eye on how things develop, I thought, clearly reading this obvious if unspoken thought in the eyes of those before me.

He piloted the ship behind a freighter, part of a small group of other ships who seem to have been granted access to leave.

"Attention Star Destroyer." he spoke, holding the communications button down. "This is the Usurper. I'm on a special mission to the...uh...Khar Delban system. Requesting clearance to exit blockade."

...Kia'ra hesitated, once more feeling dreadfully out of place, once more feeling like she had nowhere to really go, no purpose for her life whatsoever.

Her lekku twitched a bit nervously before she made enough effort to keep them still. Then she finally spoke up. "If it is possible to do so without imposing upon the Jedi again, I'd like to be taken back to Rhyloth," she started. "There isn't much of a place for me there, but it might be better than the only place I can think of that there would be for me here..."

The order flashed at lightspeed from the command destroyer, relaying onto Romanus's communication screen. It was but mere seconds before an answering communication sped back; the lieutenant at Communications aboard ISSD Catalytic nodded in a satisfied way, turning to the officer on deck, motioning to his own screen as he did so. That officer came over, placing one hand upon the board as he bent over the lieutenant's shoulder, then he straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. He nodded, once.

The lieutenant turned back to his board.

"Usurper, your request is granted. Follow these departure coordinates: X000deg, 12' 38"; Y147 deg, 55' 03"; Z89 deg, 42' 15".

"Enjoy your trip. ISSD Catalytic, out."

With that he turned to intership communications, ordering a particular few ships to drop their crossed tractor beams, and ordering one or two to back off a few degrees from their stringent placement in the Coruscant blockade network. This accomplished, he watched as the small speck of green which was Usurper fled through the opening provided for her.

The moment the infiltrator cleared the outer blockade, all ships moved back to their original coordinates, their tractor beams once again uncompromisingly interlaced. Below them, the entrapped planet whirled indifferently upon its axis, sheening the underbellies of the blockading ships with its ever-present light.

Taking his dark browns onto those of the haggler, he began, still continuing their walk toward the freight.

"Lanlif, are you going to come with us?" He questioned, his eyebrow curving upward only a tad to implicate his confusion. Lanlif only nodded in response though, with Lumbia feeling a sense of timidiness from the Squib.

It was clear why, they were before Reborn, a group that would soon be taken the task of being liaison. The men could end up telling anything they said to Sorben, which could easily place them all in a bad situation. Yet, that sense of fear seemed to vanish when the Squib finally grew enough courage to talk, even though in a whispering voice.

"I'm going to put my ship on sale and get a new one on Tattoine. Yet, I must leave now so I can get my two driods. They are considerably helpful."

"It would appear your little friend has a great fear of us," he said mildly enough, although the very words carried an undercurrent of something dark and foreboding in them.

"I do not see how this is, considering the Empire has so graciously granted your request and is giving you leave of Coruscant. To be able to come and go from this planet is not a common occurrence at this time; the fact that you have been allowed to do so must reflect something of Lt. General Tarnus's feelings about you, and the task which lays ahead of you on Tatooine."

His face resumed its initial bland expression, and he turned to the spaceport ahead.

"There should thus be no fear of speaking before us; there is nothing you could say or do at this point which would cause our Imperial Forces any manner of concern."

It was immeditate that astromech began with curious beeps from the presence of the Reborn. Without response to them, the group headed forward, back into the safe guard of the Reborn at the speeder.

Opening the a comlink to a friend, he began negotiating what the price of his speeder and ship would be. When it came to a conclusion, the credits were high and the craft was on the ground before the hangar.

Jumping out the speeder with R2-T4 & C3-K6 beside him, they entered the freight, greeted by a group of Reborn and the crew.

"I'm prepared for depature, sir." The short rodent said timidly, as he looked up into the face of the Reborn.

The fear in his voice was clear, but it wasn't as obvious when it came to understanding why...

Entering the freight, the Squib sat on one of the luxurious couches, while his two droids, interested in the new group of people, hung near the cockpit.

After a moment of silence, the freight rummbled. Motioning upward, it hovered for a matter of seconds before it blasted off. Heading for the jacket tight blockade that circled the planet, a slow sigh came from the Squib's mouth. A smile coming to his face, he quickly fell asleep--taking a rest that would rejuvinate him for his return to his homeland. Stars, ship and pirates--oh my, the home away from home. Space, where no one could hear his loud snores....

Other then the crew inside..

Inside the confines of coach class travelers, a Reborn was in the process of lowering his arm, his comm-link fading from in-use to shut-off. He rose to his feet, nodding to his companion, then in a motion both swift and unstoppable grasped the Squib by his furry blue arm.

"Orders are orders... sir," he said evenly. "And they are to see that you depart Coruscant with those you arrived here with."

With no other word spoken but those the Reborn ushered the squeaking Squib from the freighter, pausing en route to gather up his two mechanical compatriots. They marched down the gangway and onto the duracrete of the space port; one of the Reborn lifted his hand in greeting to the others who waited in the distance.

Then with no further ado they joined the party of waiting Reborn and Jedi, the thunder of the freighter as it was finally allowed to blast off ringing hotly in their ears.

"Shawn--", Lumbia began, taking a seat between the two Jedi before he continued on. "Since he agreed to place the Jedi Praxuem on Tattoine, do you think he will create a blockade on Illum? Since that is a source for lightsaber construction."

Romanus sat back as the stars morphed into a tunnel. The ship shook as it jumped into hyperspace...

The hunter closed his eyes and, finally, was able to get some sleep. As his conscious began to slip under, Romanus heard familiar voices from his past, signalling the beginning of a dream...or a nightmare...

"The Empire's cancelling Project Resurrection. Lord Desaan is moving funds to the Reborn project."

"They can't do that! We've worked on the clones for years now!"

"There's nothing we can do..."

"...Yes there is. Quickly, shut down the security system..."

((Follow Romanus to The Point of No Return in the Jedi Praxeum and Sith Temple Forum))

"But first things first. We need to make this announcement to every Jedi in the galaxy, and let them know there is hope for us on Tatooine." At that, Paul switched on the ship's comm.

"How are we going to report it to everyone in the galaxy? We'd need to be broadcast all over the galaxy to do that." He said, leaning back in his seat to ponder an answer to his own question.

It had become suddenly clear after minutes of contemplation. Their would have to be someone, if Paul and Shawn didn't broadcast it, to taken missions to sectors and do the job. If not that, the only other alternative was the help of the Empire, which wouldn't fit right. They were beginning to ask too many favors from the government, which would never be the way of the Jedi. Politics were poision to all walks of life in this galaxy and whether the Force was strong in a Jedi, they couldn't defend politics.

"Hmm, Shawn--I wouldn't mind you awnsering this question either. I have made up ways of getting around broadcasting, if we don't do that, but I'd like your wisdom."

Quieting for a moment, Shawn let his greeny-blue eyes go back and forth between Lumbia and Paul. "Secondly, I think before we talk about how to let all possible Jedi in the galaxy know of the rebuilding of the Praxeum, we'd better survey Tatooine, see what shape the planet is in, and evaluation what structures we might be able to use for a base, at least in the beginning. And I see absolutely no reason why we can't broadcast the Jedi Praxeum via the Holonet or even perhaps with the Empire's assistance...

...you act as though they didn't give us the permission themselves to restart it."

Shawn frowned a moment at that, then his look turned utterly calm once more, though somewhat vague as the images of his vision began wandering to the forefront of his mind once more. "You can mark my words on this, I fully believe the Empire is the least of our worries..."

"Then who," He began, his voice projected in a bit of an agitated tone. "Who would it be that could actually care about little ol' us?"

It was something to ponder though, whether he believed their was an adversary out there or not. Lumbia knew from his own expirences that others were always out there, that hated you. Someone that actually cared mainly if you lived, but not in the loving way. He was once one of those people, who cared if everyone in the galaxy lived. It was the fact that he didn't want them to live that made him one with the dark side.

It took struggle to get away from the dark side and it seemed to only continue on within his emotions forever.

"Someone such as a Dark Jedi," He asked, his voiced contorted to be in a more casual tone, though his words seemed much more powerful then his tone let on.

"My apologies Master Petrolu. It has been a while since I trusted the Empire with anything..." he said, still looking ahead.

The sole Imperial dreadnought, Todthund, hovered just beyond the edge of sensor range of the Obra-skai system. Instead, it's eyes and ears were maintained by a small and barely perceptible recon droid it had launched into a polar geo-synchronous orbit of that planet. The little droid, picking up the incoming ship, snipped off an obedient and highly compressed blip to it's Masters, informing them that one ship was entering the system. Then it quieted, tuning it's electronic senses toward the ship Ruhatt and Ken were in, and waited to see if any other newcomers would arrive.

It never rains but it pours, isn't that right, Hunter?

My hand came down on my desktop already fisted, initiating a return communication to Captain Jissel of the Todthund.

"Thank you, my friend," I said, now all icy cool and calm and collected once again. "Please move your ship into closer proximity and keep an eye on things, would you? While that system isn't really of the greatest importance, it should still be... monitored... in case something would occur that would demand our assistance.

"Lt. General Tarnus, out."

Then I headed out, looking forward to a small vacation....

It was soon after that it got it's wishes, with it going into hyperdrive. The stars become blurs of light, reaching back to grasp the back of the freight to hold on, but never managing to do so. It was a ride smooth and nice, with everyone having the chance to rest.

"So, Master Arrakeen, I have a weird feeling that you have something to tell me. What is it?"

((OOC: Head off to Jedi Praxuem/Sith Temple forum where you'll watch as the Jedi Praxuem is to be rebuilt on Tattoinie))

Lt. General Tarnus leaps back into action in Down The Rabbit Hole in the "Jedi/Sith" forums, thank you!))