"Get her up and bring her with us," Petre said from below. "Make sure you don't try to make trouble," he added, waving his blaster at Syrenna again. "I have no problem with killing you if I have to."

Callista waited until they had dragged Syrenna to the door and slipped out into the street. Stepping to the edge of the platform, she somersaulted to the ground, using the Force to cushion her landing. Re-attaching her lightsaber to her belt, she sprinted to the door and leant against it, opening it a fraction to catch a glimpse of the men heading towards a street seven metres further down on the right. Wrapping the Force about her to mask her presence, a technique she had learnt under Master Kieran's guidance, she stepped out into the street and followed them.

Several streets later, and after having to duck into hiding twice--no matter how much she used the Force, she had not fully given it her trust--Callista saw them enter a storefront. She dropped the Force cloak, assumed the posture of a shopper trawling through the streets and entered the store. It was selling material for clothing, rather drab and unremarkable, but Callista made a pretence of examining it as she watched the men disappear into the back room with Syrenna. Cursing that she couldn't follow--she could see at least one guard on the door--she slipped back out of the shop. Walking casually down the street until she rounded the corner, she ran down an alley beside the store. On one side was a dumpster, tall enough that it would give her access to the roof if she could jump high enough. Using the Force she reached the rooftop and crept along until she could see the back entrance to the shop. She watched for the next five minutes to make sure that the men didn't leave. Convinced that this was their base of operations, she vaulted to the next roof over and set off for the building that contained the other refugees and her fellow Jedi.

"Unidentified freighter, this is Lurio Control. Identify yourself and reduce your speed."

"Lurio Control, this is the freighter Angelfire, requesting immediate clearance for docking at Gratiln Station."

"Negative, Angelfire. The holding pattern for docking at Gratiln Station is full. Please maintain your orbit. You will be contacted when the pattern has room for you."

"Not good enough!" Kieran said, flicking off the comm switch and bringing the Angelfire up to full power.

"Angelfire, Lurio Control. Reduce speed and heave-to immediately or we will be forced to fire upon you."

Kieran checked the sensor readings for the orbital defence platforms for Lurio. Several were within range of his ship, but the power readings indicated that he could probably withstand a couple of hits before his shields buckled. Dialling up the power to his thrusters again, Kieran slid back into the pilot's chair and held on as the Angelfire plummeted through the defence line.

"Repeat, heave-to immediately or we will open fire. This is your last warning."

Ignoring the incoming message Kieran kept on course for Gratiln Station. He saw the first lances of light spray out from the defence station nearest him, but whoever was firing had not allowed for his speed and the shot passed harmlessly behind his ship as it drove towards the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the next shot was on target and sparks flew around the cockpit as the shields tried to compensate for the amount of energy that had just piled into them. Kieran checked his readings and whistled. The hit had been more powerful than he had expected. Either the Angelfire's sensor package was faulty, which he doubted, or the Lurio techs had been deliberately emitting a reduced power signature. Bleeding some of the energy from his laser power bank he transferred it over to the shields, boosting them back to full strength. He bled some of it over to his engines as well, dialling them up to 120 percent. The additional boost carried him past the defence perimeter range in a matter of seconds.

Kieran checked his sensors again as he entered the atmosphere of the planet. Three blips had appeared, indicating that several ships had been dispatched to deal with him. Ignoring them, since they were still too far away to reach him before he touched down, he drove onwards towards the station. Flicking on his comm switch, he changed over to the Jedi comm frequency and began transmitting.

"Kieran to Syrenna, come in Syrenna."

Only static came back across the airwaves.

"Repeat, Kieran to Syrenna. Come in Syrenna."

Kieran waited again, trying to reach out to her through the Force.

"Master Dreen, this is Padawan Arn. Please follow the beacon to the landing port. I will clear this incident with the Lurio Planetary Patrol."

"Understood. Syrenna?"

"Once you are on the ground. Arn out."

Kieran grinned despite himself. Arn had always been one of his favourite apprentices at the academy. Pragmatic and to the point, the young Bothan had often alienated many of the senior Jedi Masters. Kieran had liked him for that very reason. In recent decades the Jedi had become even more pompous than before and Padawan like Arn gave him some hope for the future. Switching over his ship's beacon to track the landing beacon Arn had activated, Kieran guided his ship down to the planet's surface and landed. Activating the auto-shutdown procedure he pulled on his robe and sprinted to the airlock. In minutes the ship was locked behind him and he was in a cab heading towards the refugee building.

Pulling up outside a small entrance Kieran paid the cab and walked to the door. As he was about to knock it opened and he saw a young woman arguing with another man behind the young apprentice holding it.

"Finally," she said, turning to him. "It's about time you got here. Syrenna is a hostage in a building on the other side of town."

Kieran sighed, feeling the tension build in the back of his neck again. Checking his lightsaber, he looked at the girl as he strode back out the door.

"Coming, Callista?"

Callista nodded once and followed him out into the street.

"This way."

The first of the twin suns had already dipped below the horizon of Annuvasa, leaving the second balancing on the edge, ready to drop. Vader stood alone on the battlements of the ruined Sith castle, his cloak flapping about him in the breeze that raced through the dusk air. In the distance he could see the lights of the Imperial compound, and the occasional shuttle making the journey to the gathered ships in orbit. It was strange how this planet, having twin suns so much like those of Tatooine, his home, could have such a different climate. Trees abounded, as well as great grass plains, and the temperature stayed more within human norm. Sometimes he missed that place, missed the simple life he had had there, with his mother.

Ignoring the continuous hustle of activity he turned his concentration to the holo-picture in the palm of his hand. He had started to take off his glove to hold it, but the scars on his hands had made him cringe and the glove had remained on. Pushing the on switch, he waited the moment it took for the image to form.

"Ah, my sweet Padm?, how I miss you," he whispered, staring into her face, his eyes drinking the image, trying to capture it and give it life.

"Where are you now? With Kenobi, hidden from me behind his shield, his lies?"

The image flickered for a moment, as if caught by some great wind, before stabilising again. Vader used all of his willpower to calm the seething force that threatened to consume him at times. He sealed the anger away, forcing it down despite the pain it caused him to remain calm, the pain he always felt whenever the Force didn't rage through him.

"Lord Vader, we have an incoming transmission from Alpha-Seven Grand. Priority one."

Vader thumbed the switch on the holo-picture and then activated his comlink.

"Acknowledged. I am returning to base."

Minutes later, Vader strode into the comm centre of the Imperial base. Display screens, coding and de-coding systems littered the space, testimony to the Emperor's need for secrecy at this time. One of the technicians in the far corner waved him over. Angered by the familiarity of the man, Vader pushed him away, putting the Force behind the move, sending the man flying across the room.

"Lord Vader, we have that transmission for you," another technician said, standing to stiff attention, not even letting his eyes stray towards the groaning technician lying on the floor several feet away.

"Very good, Technician. Decode and display."

One of the comm screens shimmered for a moment before activating, displaying Commander Petre.

"Lord Vader. We have captured the woman, Syrenna Dreen, and are currently interrogating her to obtain the location of the Jedi refugees and the Jedi Kieran Dreen. I will report on our progress in three hours. Transmission ends."

"Where are they?" Vader asked, turning to another monitor that had a map of the galaxy on it.

"Lurio, near the Rim."

Vader looked at the screen and let the Force flow through him, let it take him into its echoes, trying to discern what he really wanted to know.

"Dispatch the Eye."

"Lord Vader?"

"They are there, all of them. The Dreen woman would not be far from them, not this soon after fleeing the Jedi Council. Send the Eye to gather the Emperor's children."

"At once, Lord Vader. You do understand that it will take at least a week to reach completion on the project before launch can occur."

"I understand," Vader said, not even looking at the technician. "Lurio is simply a starting point. The Eye will go where we need it to go, whether it gets the children there or anywhere else they run."

Vader looked at the screen again, clenching his fist at his side. He fought the urge to run from the room, to board the first ship he could find and go to Lurio himself. His Master had tasked him with completing the fleet, preparing the last of the ships for deployment to Coruscant, ready for when he would seize power. Besides, Kieran would not be far from his wife, and when they provided word that he was found, the word of his Master would be as nothing. Kieran would be the last, the last reminder of those he had been closest to growing up, the last of those he had spent time with during his years as an apprentice. Once Kieran was gone, only two would remain. Two that he would need to find, to destroy. Two to end the cycle, to leave only him and his Master.

Whirling from the console, Vader strode from the room, intent on pushing forward with the task of completing the fleet.

Syrenna clutched her knees to her chest to try and calm the shivers. What little remained of her ragged clothing she had arranged to maintain some level of privacy from the two men who had interrogated her.

The cell she found herself in was dark, dank and cold, a condition not helped by the shock her system was going into. Her left eye was swollen shut, her lips were split and dried blood covered her lower jaw and neck. She could sense the welts on her back, gladly free of material. She wasn't sure she could face having her back touched again.

It had seemed so easy when she had outlined her plan to Callista. Allow one of the three men to capture her and use that opportunity to gain information about why they were after her and the others. Callista would be nearby and ready to come to her aid if things went wrong.

From the beginning it hadn't been right. The death of the man she had fought, by his own commander, had not really surprised her, though she had wanted to avoid bloodshed. Many military organisations were quite brutal with the way they dealt with failures.

What had happened as soon as she entered the building had surprised her though.

The door closed, and she felt her balance go as the man pushed her from behind. The push was harder than she had expected, and her face slammed into the wall in front of her. The world exploded in pain as she felt her lips split open. She could feel the blood dribbling onto her chin. The blow to the back of her neck dropped her to the floor, trying to clutch her face and neck at the same time, a task she found impossible with her hands tied. Before she had a moment to catch her breath, she felt hands grab her by the hair and drag her upwards along the wall.

"Come with me," Petre snarled, dragging her to another door towards the back of the room.

The door led to another room, this one with several computer terminals and some comm equipment. Syrenna tried to take in as much information as she could as they passed through. A second door loomed. Petre opened it and shoved her through. As soon as she entered the room, she panicked. On one side, against what she assumed was the back wall of the building, was a torture chair. Twisting her wrists to try and break the ties they had bound her with, she ripped her head away from Petre's grip and ran for the door. The second of the men in the warehouse was waiting for her. He punched her right across the face as she tried to struggle past him.

She had blacked out, that much she remembered with clarity. When she came to, she was strapped in the chair. Her clothes lay in a pile off to the left, and the straps were so tight they were cutting into her skin. She glanced across towards the door again as it opened to reveal Petre and the other one.

The other man had changed. He was now dressed in a single-piece black jump-suit, emblazoned on the left breast with a bright red circle, an inner pattern marring its perfection. The pattern was strange, a series of block spikes at regular intervals. She glanced across to Petre and noted that he also had the same logo, though not as pronounced.

"Now, Syrenna Dreen, we will discuss the location of your friends," Petre said, stepping forward and switching on the main device panel of the torture chair.

Syrenna shied away from remembering what happened next as she lay clasping her knees in the dark. The pain had been beyond anything she had experienced before, even the birth of her beautiful daughter. She had passed out several times, especially after they had activated the elements in the back of the chair. But she had not told them what they wanted to hear, and now she waited.

Her hopes lay with Callista. There was nothing she could do for herself. The room was locked, and she had found nothing to help her. She wondered for a moment, as she rocked away from the wall to make sure her back would not be hurt further, how long she had been in there.

Kieran stood in the shadows of the street across from the shop front of the building that contained his wife. Callista hung back a little behind him, watching the street.

"How long has she been in there?"

"Four hours, twelve minutes and several seconds," Callista answered.

"Estimate?"

"More or less."

Kieran shook his head. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Callista had made every effort to lighten the mood for him. It had taken them twenty minutes to get here, and he had wanted to storm straight in. Callista had persuaded him to wait, at least for five minutes, to make sure no one else came.

Those five minutes were now up. Kieran stepped out into the street, his cloak tight about him, but his hood down. He crossed the street in ten strides and placed a hand on the door. Twisting the handle, he found the door was locked. As Callista approached behind him, he tapped into the Force and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he slipped inside, Callista closing the door smoothly behind them. The room was dark, but not dark enough that they couldn't see. It was also empty.

Kieran glanced across at the window and recognised a projection screen, used to display information for customers. Whoever owned this building had rigged it to display the interior of a shop with staff working. Ignoring it as no danger, Kieran let his senses spread out, discerning the location of people within the building. Two lights in the Force marked the location of two men in the next room. A third light, slightly discoloured, indicated a human woman on a lower level. Kieran felt his anger levels rise.

"Anger leads to the dark side," Callista said from behind him.

"I know. So Yoda reminded me, many times, " Kieran said through gritted teeth.

Grabbing his lightsaber from his belt he stepped lightly to the door at the rear of the room. The lights in the Force gave no sign that they were aware of his presence. Signalling Callista to be ready, Kieran smashed the door open and stepped in, igniting his lightsaber. Callista was right behind him, her own blade hissing into life as she stepped away from him to gain room to fight.

The two men reacted very differently to their arrival. The shorter man backed away, moving towards Callista's side of the room and away from Kieran. The larger man simply reached for a weapon leaning against the desk. It was a staff, not too long, not nearly as long as the blade of a lightsaber. The man held it lightly in his hands, pressing two neatly hidden buttons. Two metallic blades popped out of the staff, one on each end. Kieran dropped into a fighting stance and brought his blade to the fore. The man began twirling the staff, not in large, showy movements, but in controlled steps, as if settling his grip.

"I'll deal with this one," Kieran said, shadowing the man. "You stop the womprat over there."

Callista only nodded her concentration on the man stepping carefully towards the back of the room.

The room was quiet for a moment as if in anticipation of the violence to come. Then suddenly it arrived, in the form of a command from Callista's opponent.

"Kill him, Aridon, now!"

The large man took two huge strides forward and swung in with the leading blade of his staff. Kieran swung out with his own lightsaber, confident that he would simply remove the staff's blade and then move in on the man. As the blades met, Kieran's balance slipped, his timing knocked off by the resistance he met. Whatever that blade was made of, it could resist a lightsaber.

"Petre, go! May the Empire shield you," Aridon cried, disengaging from the lightsaber and bringing his staff's other blade through on the backstroke.

"I don't think so," Callista said, using the Force to slide past Aridon and block Petre's exit. Her blade waved back and forth in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

Kieran regained his balance to block Aridon's next stroke. Changing the angle of his strike, he brought his blade in almost horizontally. Aridon slide-stepped away, spinning the staff in his right hand before steadying it with his left to block the attack. Kieran bounced away from the attack, with no intention of maintaining the strike, using the Force to spin across from Aridon in the blink of an eye.

Kieran ducked as he came to the end of his movement. He stared in shock, amazed that Aridon had been able to anticipate where he would be. The blade of the staff whipped through the air above him, screeching as it cut the atmosphere. Kieran lashed out with his blade, catching Aridon on the thigh. Aridon flinched away from the strike, his face screwed up for a moment, clearly in pain. The staff twirled down into a vertical position as Aridon paused for a breath.

That pause was all Kieran needed. Dropping himself into the flow of the Force, Kieran let it guide him, let it anticipate the next attack. Aridon settled his staff into his hands and then led with the left blade in a stabbing thrust. Kieran ignored the attack, anticipating the spin away that Aridon affected before the thrust was complete. As the staff blade whirled in at chest height, Kieran stepped inside the attack, thrusting forward with his blade. He felt a moment's resistance as the blade pierced Aridon's chest, then nothing.

Aridon looked down at the glowing azure blade, his face creasing as his jaw dropped open. His hands twitched and the staff fell to the floor, rattling as it landed.

Kieran turned off his lightsaber, letting Aridon slip to the floor. Turning to Callista he stalked towards her and her captive, Petre.

"No, Kieran. Aridon's death was in self-defence. Kill this man, and you take your first step."

Kieran looked at Callista, surprised again by her insight and understanding of the Force. Her ability to see so clearly the moments when a Jedi could take that step, that single step that would doom them, was a Force-given gift.

Kieran nodded. "Tie him up and gag him. I don't want to hear a word from him."

Using the Force to guide him, he stormed through the next door, past the torture chair and down a flight of steps. A single, very solid door waited at the end. Not even bothering to check if it was locked, Kieran simply shattered it with his will, expending more Force energy in containing the explosion than it did to actually destroy the door. Letting the splinters fall to the floor, he stepped into the darkness.

His heart clenched as he stared at the rocking image at the rear of the room. Without pause, he removed his cloak and knelt to wrap it about his wife. The flinch and shrug of her shoulders surprised him until he looked at her back. Another flash of anger ran through him, directed entirely at the man still standing in the room above.

"Sweet Syrenna, hush, hush," he whispered, using the Force to create a cushion of air between his cloak and the welts on her back.

Syrenna looked up at Kieran, and he could see the recognition spring into her eyes.

"Kieran! Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"Hush, Syrenna, hush."

Holding her close, Kieran brushed her hair away from her eyes, bending forward to kiss her on her forehead.

"I love you, my sweet wife, more than you will ever know."

"Just hold me, Kieran, please?"

"Whatever you say."

Kieran sat up on the edge of the bed, placing his feet flat on the cold floor surface. He reached a hand up to his head, his other gripping the bed frame as the headache threatened to send him unconscious again. He glanced at the time readout to the side and noted that it was still late at night. The sun wouldn't rise for several hours at least.

Clutching his head as he rose to his feet, he used one hand to guide himself along to the door. Touching the control panel the door slid open to reveal a well-lit corridor. Two Padawan dressed in standard soft brown robes were stationed outside the door. Arn was one of them.

"How is she?"

"She's doing better. The bacta is making good progress on the burns on her back. She should be up and about soon," Arn replied, his gaze scanning Kieran from top to bottom. "Clothes?"

Kieran glanced down, just realising that all he had on were his shorts. Whilst being this undressed didn't bother him much, each of the cultures that made up the Jedi had their own take on modesty, and he knew he should make the effort to respect at least a few of them. Reaching back inside the room he grabbed his cloak off the wall-hook, slipping it over his shoulders and tying it closed.

"Better?"

"Much," Arn said, smiling. "We'll escort you to the bacta room."

"That's fine, Arn, I can handle it myself. Send for Callista, would you?"

"At once, Master."

"Stop that, Arn. You should never have to call me that."

"Alright, uncle."

Kieran had tried to break him of that habit, but Arn insisted on calling him uncle. It was just a term of endearment, but Kieran knew that he could not be more proud of the young man even if it were true.

Arn set off down the corridor towards the nerve centre of the relocated Jedi children whilst Kieran used the wall to balance himself as he entered the room that held Syrenna.

She was dressed in shorts and a top, enough to maintain her dignity whilst she hung in the bacta tank. The marks on her back and face were already fading, after only a day, but Kieran worried for her internal wounds. Nothing physical, but the emotional damage that would have been caused by being at those men's mercy.

He walked into the room and touched his hand to the glass, pushing out with his feelings. He stopped after only a moment, still weak from his exertion.

Destroying the door, and keeping it from going anywhere, had cost him dearly. He'd used the Force before on some major tasks, but never like this, never in the heat of anger. He felt weaker now than after the trek through the Kathorn Mountains on his home planet, his final test to become a Jedi Master. He had used the Force almost constantly during that trip, and still felt vital and alive at the end.

Now, he felt weak, tired, and his meditation of the day before had shown him something new, something dark on his soul, a stain on the Force of his own making. Master Thanus, even Master Yoda, had warned him several times of the danger of the Dark Side. Now, he knew. He had taken the first step towards a terrible future, a future that he could only avoid if he turned away from the Force, away from the source of everything he was and might be in the future.

The door to the room opened behind him. He didn't need the Force to know who stood there.

"Callista, come in, please."

He turned to look at her as she entered. She was fully robed, as she had been every time he ever saw her. Her Padawan braid hung over her right shoulder, coming almost to her waist.

"Your lightsaber?"

Callista released her lightsaber from her belt and handed it over to Kieran. He examined it, noting the simplicity of the design, closely resembling the blade of Adi Gallia.

"Good work, Padawan. How long did it take you to construct?"

"Two days, on and off."

Kieran nodded and handed the lightsaber back to her. As she clipped it to her belt he reached forward and touched a hand to her hair. As he pulled it away it held her braid, separated from her with a small use of the Force.

"Master?" Callista asked, her eyes wide.

"You proved yourself more than ready yesterday," Kieran said, holding the braid out to her with his left hand. "Do you accept your role?"

"Master, what of the Council? They must raise a Jedi to the ranks of Knighthood."

Kieran took a deep breath. He did not want to do this, not to someone so new to the responsibilities that would be asked of her.

"The Council are gone, Callista. I came here from Arramon. Someone," Kieran saw an image of Vader flash through his mind, drawn from the words of Master Thanus's shade, "or something destroyed the entire Council. We are all that is left."

Kieran had expected several responses from this vital, powerful young Knight, everything except the calmness that she radiated at his words.

"I understand, Master. I will ensure the others are made aware as best as possible."

"Thank you," Kieran said, holding out her braid.

Callista took the braid, smiled briefly, and then left, leaving Kieran alone with his wife and the medical droid. Reaching a hand out to the glass, he held it exactly opposite his wife's.

How do I give up the Force, he wondered, when it is so much a part of who, and what, I am?

He looked at the lines of his wife's face, her eyes closed, her muscles relaxed. He drank in the beauty of it, the same beauty that had led him to see the strength in her spirit.

"Help me, Syrenna, please. Help me find and hold the light."

It was dark. Kieran felt around for the light switch, but his hand met nothing but dangling tendrils of plant, lichen growing from the dense forest he suddenly found himself in.

He was robed, dressed in his full Jedi regalia, as he had been the day he had reached knighthood. In the distance was another person, a young man, concentrating on a training probe. He moved from one form to another as if flowing, his body a fluid rather than solid form. No stinger shot even came close to his body.

Kieran settled his belt and sash, as he always did before approaching students, and crossed from the dark edge of the forest into the open light of the fields. As he neared the boy he recognised him.

"Anakin! Anakin!"

The boy glanced up at him, smiling as he deactivated his lightsaber. Kieran waved at him as he approached, then reared back as the sky darkened. From the edge of the forest behind the boy a figure stepped, dressed head-to-toe in black, his face obscured by a dark mask covering his mouth and nose. His hair was shorn away and a livid scar played upon his face; stretching from near his nose across his left cheek towards the back of his head, the scar seemed to seethe in the dim light.

"Anakin, look out!"

Too late, Kieran realised that he would never reach the boy, never be able to save him. The dark figure drew forth a lightsaber, its handle a series of black, vertical ridges to provide grip, its head in shadow. He couldn't tell if the emitter was sheathed in black or silver, but he could make out the curve of the design.

The scarlet-aura blade extended in silence, its glow making no impact on the gloom forming about the clearing. The dark figure reared back and brought the blade down in an arc to strike into the boy's back. Anakin fell to the ground, the blow clearly fatal.

Kieran reached for his lightsaber, to draw it and take vengeance for the death of the boy. His hand fumbled along his belt, trying to find the hilt. Glancing down at his belt, he realised that the lightsaber no longer hung there. He looked at his clothes. Gone were his Jedi robes, replaced by the black pants and shirt he commonly wore under his tunic. That same tunic was no longer there. Instead of a lightsaber, a holstered blaster hung from his hip. Reaching for it, he drew it in a fluid motion and fired, the blaster bolt flying across the clearing at the dark man, who raised a hand and deflected the bolt harmlessly into the trees. Kieran felt the tug of the Force on the blaster and saw it fly off across the clearing. He reached out to it, tried to call it back with the Force, but there was nothing there. Where once the Force had hummed inside of him, there was now only a hole, an emptiness unlike anything he had felt before.

The clearing went dark again, leaving him alone. Both Anakin and the dark man were gone. A single point of light moved towards him, growing in the darkness, until the glowing image of Thanus stood before him.

"I couldn't save him, Master Thanus. I was powerless," Kieran sobbed, dropping to his knees.

"The past you have seen, Kieran. Already happened, has this," Thanus said, resting a ghostly hand on his shoulder. "Already gone, is the boy."

"The Force, it was missing, empty."

"The future, that was. You have forsaken that which drives you, that which makes you who you are."

"But the darkness..."

"In all of us it is!" Thanus said, his tone sharp. "In each of us the forces of good and evil do we balance. For too long have we held the balance on the side of light. To right this does the Force move. Balance it seeks to restore."

"What are you saying, Master?"

"Embrace who you are, embrace the Force and accept what it offers. Only through this the future before you can you hope to face."

"The dark man. Who was he?"

"Darth Vader, the Apprentice. Face him you must, or all is lost."

"Face him?"

"For you he waits, burns with the need to face you he does. Your light he fears, your essence he is jealous of. Quench that fire we must, before the galaxy he burns."

"Where is he?"

"That we do not know. There is one, a man who aided you before. Seek him out, he will show you the way."

"Who?"

"Seek him out."

Thanus faded away, the lingering motes of his essence spreading away on the wind. Kieran stayed bent on his knees, his face in his hands. The footstep in front of him made him look up. Darth Vader stood over him, his lightsaber ignited. Kieran screamed as the blade descended.

Sitting up straight in bed, Kieran felt the sweat trickling down his spine, his bed shirt damp and clinging to his back. Syrenna stirred next to him before settling back into sleep. Gently touching her hair, he stroked it back from her face to kiss her lightly on the forehead.

"The man who helped me?" he murmured to himself.

Reaching for the comm link next to the bed, he activated it.

"Yes, Master?" a young voice said on the other end.

"Contact Callista. Ask her to get a trace on a man called Erinan. He was on Aridon three days ago. When she finds him, let me know."

"At once, Master."

Kieran clicked off the comm link and turned back to look at his wife. He wondered how he would tell her he had to leave again.

Syrenna brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face as she looked through the small window in the door. The room on the other side was full of children, ranging from two years old through to their early teens. Each one of them was dressed in comfortable clothing, as was allowed them before they reached the level of Padawan. In the far corner, floating some alphabet bricks between her hands, was Mara. Syrenna regretted that she hadn't had much time to spend with her since they had arrived on Gratiln Station. Once the refugees had settled in the lessons had begun again, led by the senior Padawan and the few Knights who had made the journey. Those lessons had taken Mara away from her, keeping her in seclusion with the other Jedi apprentices. Syrenna knew this would come, that one day she would have to let her daughter go, let her join with the Jedi as her powers begged her to do. It hurt to think that it would be so soon.

A scuff of the floor behind her made her turn away from the door. She smiled as she saw Kieran standing there.

"Thank you," she said, touching a hand to his face.

"For what?"

"Being there. Just always being there," she said, smiling at the sheepish look on his face.

"Syrenna..."

She looked up into his face, trying to read the new look she saw there. As understanding came she stepped in to him and wrapped her arms about his body.

"No, Kieran, not again, please," she said, talking into his shoulder. "Don't leave us."

Kieran's hands came up and around her, enfolding her in his arms. He held her for a moment, and Syrenna could sense some hesitation as he drew a breath to speak.

"I have to do something," he said, pushing her away so she could look into his face again.

"What? What is so important that you would leave me, leave your daughter, again?"

"I'm...I'm not sure."

Syrenna turned away from him to look back into the room where Mara was training. She could hear Kieran shuffle behind her, closing the gap again to look over her shoulder into the room.

"She needs you, Kieran. Not because you are a Jedi, but because you are her father. You can't leave her."

"Syrenna, I have to go. The Force is guiding me now."

Syrenna looked at Mara again, studying the shape of her face, the joyous smile as she noticed her parents at the window. Syrenna waved and smiled back, unable to laugh when Mara dropped the bricks as her concentration wavered. The rueful smile on the girl's face made her heart want to burst.

"If you go, we are coming with you."

She said it quietly, with a simple force behind it. She turned to face Kieran again, looking straight into his eyes.

"Do you understand, Kieran? You chose us, remember? You chose Mara and I ahead of the Jedi." Syrenna grabbed Kieran by the arms, holding him tight in her grip. "You can't change that, no matter what happened on Arramon. I grieve for those that died there. I had friends in the Jedi ranks, even Thanus, but I cannot change the destruction, the loss. I understand that, and I am not even a Jedi. Surely you can see that as well."

Kieran lowered his head, staring at the floor. Syrenna thought he was about to explode when she realised he was shaking under her hands. She ducked a little to look up into his face, and raised a hand in surprise to wipe the tears away that were flowing down his cheeks.

"Hush," she said, wrapping him up in her arms, whispering into his ear. "Hush, Kieran. Come, let's go back to our room. The other Jedi should not see this, not now, with them so scared already."

Syrenna led him back down the corridor and through the complex to their room. Saying a silent thanks to anyone who would listen that the Padawan guards were no longer on the door, she touched the panel and guided Kieran through. He collapsed onto the bed, his head in his hands.

"Talk to me, Kieran, tell me what happened."

He sat there for a moment, his head buried, unwilling to speak. Syrenna went to move to him again, but he sat up, turning to look her directly in the face.

He started speaking, haltingly at first, before breaking into full flow. As his description touched on what he had seen on Arramon, Syrenna felt a great pit of despair open up in her stomach. No matter her feelings towards the Jedi and the conflict between them concerning her husband, she had always believed that they were a force for good in the galaxy. That someone had destroyed them so completely, so callously, left her shaking.

"Oh, Kieran, I am sorry. I never realised it was so bad."

"There's more."

Kieran began speaking again, describing his dream of the night before, his acceptance of Thanus's words and the darkness he had seen in the Force that permeated his own essence. Syrenna said nothing as he finished, just stepped close and took hold of his shoulders, his head resting against her stomach.

"Don't go, Kieran, nothing good can come of this. The Jedi are gone, their light has been extinguished. The few we have here are all that is left. Facing Vader will only put you, and them, at risk."

"I have to," he said, looking up at her again. "If I do nothing, I am no better than him. To stand aside, to let the darkness win by not fighting, would be as bad as embracing the darkness myself."

"Kieran...." Syrenna started, letting the words fade on her lips as she looked into his eyes. "I understand. But...."

"No buts, Syrenna," Kieran said.

"Then listen carefully, Kieran. I am coming with you. Mara will be safe here. Have Callista keep an eye on her during training."

"Callista is coming with me," Kieran said, his hand darting out to grab her arm as she pulled away. "Listen, Syrenna, please. I trust you with my life, but I trust you more with the life of our daughter. No matter how good Callista is or may become, she is not you and she is not Mara's mother."

"Please, Kieran," Syrenna said, knowing already that he had made up his mind.

"Syrenna, I love you, more than I love anything in this world. But...."

"No buts, Kieran," Syrenna said, smiling at him despite the sadness in her heart. "I understand. I will stay with Mara whilst you take Callista with you."

"Thank you."

"Promise me you'll come back, Kieran, promise me."

"I promise that I will always come back to you, no matter what."

The platform on Gratiln Station was filled to capacity. The Angelfire hummed on the deck, her sub-light engines warmed but not ignited. The repulsorlift coils could be heard whining to life. Callista was already aboard, continuing with the pre-flight checks, preparing the ship for her next trip into space.

Kieran stood on the platform, his arms wrapped about his wife. They stood together, Mara clasped between them, heads buried into each other's shoulders. Kieran listened to their breathing, letting it calm him and lend purpose to his life and mission. If Thanus had told the truth, and he saw no need to doubt him, then he needed to go, needed to face this monster, for the sake of his family.

"Don't go, papa," Mara said, tears dripping from the tip of her nose onto his shoulder.

"Hush, Mara, I'll only be gone a few days. I promise."

"You see that you keep that promise," Syrenna said, pulling away and lifting Mara into her arms. "We'll be waiting with the others."

Kieran glanced at the crowd. Mostly older Padawan, and a few Knights who had made it to the planet some time after the initial arrival. They had come to see him off, to wish him good luck on his journey. None of them would admit to luck existing, it was merely an aspect of the Force, but he knew that was why they were there. Even for the Jedi superstition could still be a powerful force, enough to rival the power that bound the galaxy.

"We'll expect you in five days, a week at most," Arn said, stepping forward. Kieran smiled at the boy, really a man now and beaming with pride, clearly trying his best not to be obvious about the missing braid. Another Knight to protect the children. Kieran regretted that the full Council had not been able to witness their elevation. He was sure they would have agreed with his choices.

"May the Force be with you, my friend," Arn added, clasping Kieran's forearm.

"And with all of you, Arn. Remember my words," Kieran said, returning the clasp.

"I will, Kieran, I will."

"Ready?" Callista called from the boarding ramp of the Angelfire.

"Just a moment."

Kieran turned back to his wife and daughter. Lifting Mara from her mother's arms, he lowered her to the floor and then knelt to be on the same level. Enfolding her in his arms he kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Let no one tell you who you are, my sweet child. May you shine like the jade you are named for."

Mara continued to sniffle, sucking back the tears as only a child could. Kieran stood and tussled her hair in an attempt to lighten the mood. Her sudden smile lit up her face, leaving his heart a little lighter than before. He turned to Syrenna and wrapped her in his arms again. He kissed her with a passion, letting himself drink of her warmth, the love he felt radiating from her through the Force. Not for the first time he was amazed that she had no ability in the Force herself. He smiled as he pulled away, accepting that he had absolutely no regrets that she did not. He would have her no other way.

Lifting his pack onto his shoulder he turned and walked up the ramp. As he reached the top he hit the door seal button, causing the ramp to raise and the airlock to slam closed. It took every bit of willpower he had to walk down the corridor, past the gun mount, to the cockpit. Callista was already in the co-pilot chair, completing the pre-flight checks. Kieran stowed his pack behind the pilot chair and slipped into it. Picking up the headset and mic, he tucked it over his right ear and activated the comms. He watched out the cockpit as Syrenna activated the receiver on the platform.

"I'll be back sooner than you think," Kieran said, trying to make his voice sound carefree and unconcerned. "See you in a week at most."

"I love you, Kieran."

"Me too, papa."

Kieran smiled at Mara's voice.

"I love you both, too. See you soon."

De-activating the comm to Syrenna's unit, Kieran switched over to the tower frequency. Only days ago he had been dodging his way through a hail of fire trying to get to the surface. Now, thanks to Arn's success in clearing up the incident with the authorities--he still wondered how he had done that so smoothly--he would have a safe ride back out into space.

"Freighter Angelfire prepared for departure."

"Angelfire, this is Lurio Control. Your departure corridor is clear. You may leave when ready. Lurio Control out."

"Ready?" Kieran asked Callista, echoing her earlier comments to him.

"Whenever you are," she said, feathering the co-pilot controls to cut in the repulsorlifts.

Kieran drifted the Angelfire up until she was well over twenty metres in the air. Satisfied that the platform was clear of people, he punched in the sub-light engines, driving for space.

"Next stop, Aridon," Callista said.

Aridon Central was a dive. That was the only way to describe it. Frequented by the lower level of customer, ranging from smuggler to thief and any field in-between, it had a reputation for trouble. It was also the last place anyone expected to see a Jedi. That was why the refugees had used it as a message point on the last stop, and why Kieran had returned here now, in search of the man who had aided him in his search.

They had landed just before sunset, as the moon was rising in the northern sky. Kieran had greased the palms of the local port staff, asking them to watch the ship, and had activated the most lethal defence setting he had on the ship's intruder detection system. He didn't trust those men any further than he trusted Vader.

A quick trip through the bustling port in an open-top airbus had deposited them just outside Slurr's Tapcaf, the same place he had last seen the man he was looking for. Now he stood at the door, Callista standing just behind him, watching the street. Taking a deep breath, sensing the stirring in the Force that indicated he was doing the right thing, he stepped through the door into the tapcaf's interior.

It was dimmer than he remembered it. It looked like several lights had been taken out in some of the booths, to give them a quieter, more private feel. Some of them now had curtains hanging across them and Kieran sensed several aliens in one booth, but no noise issued from it.

He looked away from the booths to the bar running along the edge of one wall. Sitting at one of the stalls was Karon, the man who had sold the location of his wife to Petre. He walked up behind him, Callista shadowing him as she had since they had arrived, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Karon, don't make any sudden movements."

Karon moved very slowly, turning just his head until Kieran was sure he could see him clearly.

"That's far enough," he said, leaving his hand resting on the man's shoulder. "I need your help, Karon. Do you want to help me?"

Karon nodded once, slowly, his lower lip trembling.

"Tell me where I can find the man who helped me. The man called Erinan."

Karon glanced beyond Kieran for an instant, enough to warn him that someone was approaching. Cursing himself for concentrating too much on Karon, he turned slowly to face the other direction, projecting an aura of calm confidence. Callista was already facing the newcomer, her hand resting lightly inside the fold of her cloak, obviously on her lightsaber.

"You came back then?" the approaching man said, a smile on his face.

"I had to come and say thank you," Kieran said, releasing his hold on Karon and extending an arm out towards the man. "You saved my life, and the lives of those I love, Erinan. I am in your debt."

"Interesting choice of words, Jedi. In my debt. Well, let's see what I can do to help you pay that off, shall we?" Erinan turned to the barkeeper and waved him over. "Bring me a Lomin Ale and whatever these guys want. Give Karon his usual."

"At once, Mr. Azzameen."

"Just water for me," Kieran said, unwilling to drink whilst he faced this man. He sensed a keen intelligence behind those eyes, a mind he would have to be awake to spar with. For what this man had done, Kieran had no doubt he would demand a high price.

"So, join me in my booth."

Kieran inclined his head, recognising the demand for what it was. He had already sensed the other men in the room. Despite their outward appearance of disinterest, he could sense their minds, their awareness of exactly what was happening between him and Erinan.

"Glad to. You own this place now?"

"I decided I liked it after that little fire fight the last time you were here. I paid off the law, then bought out the owner."

"Well, you never said you were a legitimate business man the last time we met, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"Ah, that may be the case, but I am building all this for my sons, Tomaas and Antan. I don't want them in the smuggling trade with me. They're better than I am."

"We all believe our children to be better than us. I think Mara will be one of the greatest Jedi we have seen, if the Order continues," Kieran said, taking a seat on one of the benches in the booth.

He motioned for Callista to join them, but she refused, shaking her head and taking a stance a meter to the side of the booth, her arms loose at her sides, but her entire body warning that action could come at any moment.

"Your bodyguard is very good," Erinan said, accepting his Lomin Ale from the barkeeper.

Kieran accepted the small glass of water, taking a sip from it first to test its purity.

"Ah, so the Jedi doesn't trust me. Surely you should have had your bodyguard try it first?"

"She's not my bodyguard," Kieran said, glancing at Callista. "But she is a Jedi. I'd be careful of what you say around her. She might take offence."

"Right you are," Erinan said, leaning back and smiling. He took a long drink from his Ale and placed it back on the table. "So, what really brings you to this dive?"

"I need your help, again," Kieran said, taking another sip from his water as he gauged Erinan's response. "I need to find someone, and I think you will be able to point me in the right direction."

"Now that depends, you see, on whether you have something I want or not, doesn't it?"

"As I thought. What do you want, Erinan? What is it that only a Jedi can offer you?"

The smuggler-turned-tapcaf owner sat in silence opposite him for a moment, turning the glass about in his fingers.

"I have a daughter, a young girl, much younger than her brothers. My sweet Sarina. They don't know about her, since they never met her mother. Let's just say I had an indiscreet liaison about four years ago, and now I have a sweet, three year-old daughter."

"Get to the point Erinan, please," Kieran said. He already had an idea where this was headed, and he wanted to ask his own questions.

"Very well, Jedi. She has shown remarkable insight at her age, she seems to be aware of things before they happen to her."

"You believe she can touch the Force?"

"I know she can touch the Force," Erinan said, sharp and fast. He reached out and grabbed Kieran's hand across the table, enfolding it in his own. "I heard about the Sith, about the dark side of the Force. I do not want her to face that. Take her to join the Jedi and I will find anyone in the galaxy for you."

Kieran sat still for a moment, considering Erinan's request. She was young still, only a little older than those that would normally be accepted. Anakin had been much older when he started, and until he was lost he had been one of the most promising Padawan for years.

"I cannot take her in person," he said, "but I can record a holo-letter for you. If you take her to Gratiln Station and show the holo to the Jedi there, they will take her in and begin her training. I promise you this."

Erinan's face crunched for a moment, his forehead crinkling as he considered the proposal. Kieran waited, holding his breath. If necessary, he would take the girl himself to gain the information he needed, but returning to Gratiln so soon after that hard departure was not something he wanted to do.

"I accept," Erinan said, holding out his arm.

Kieran clasped forearms with him, sealing the agreement. Erinan signalled to the barkeeper to come over.

"Bring me a holo-recorder immediately."

The barkeeper nodded once and disappeared again, leaving Kieran and Callista alone with Erinan again.

"So, who is it you need me to find?" Erinan said, looking from Kieran to Callista and back again as he asked. "State a name and the information will be yours."

Kieran glanced out from the booth to see who was close enough to hear. Checking that Callista was maintaining her Force-enhanced awareness, he turned back to Erinan.

"Darth Vader."

Kieran studied Erinan as he lifted his drink to his lips. His face had gone pale, almost white in the subdued lighting of the booth, and his hand shook the slightest amount as he took a sip from the glass. Kieran suspected that there were few things in the galaxy that Erinan found frightening. Vader was clearly one of them.

"You don't know what you're asking for, Kieran," he said, putting his glass back on the table, careful not to knock it over as he let go. "Vader is not someone you want to face."

"I have to," Kieran said, holding up a hand as Erinan began to respond. "Don't ask me to tell you why, I don't know why. Simply accept that the Force is telling me to go to him, to face him."

"It's your funeral."

Kieran was sure it was intended to be inaudible, but the words struck him somewhere deep inside. The finality rang through the recesses of his mind, waking new images, new visions supplied by the ever-living Force.

He was standing in a corridor, though it was hard to see much else. The small, simple wall lights did nothing to strengthen his view. Kneeling below him, his head bowed, was the form of Vader. The blond hair was short, unkempt, and he was breathing hard. Kieran looked in shock at the lightsaber in his hand, lit and poised, ready to strike. Knowing that this was what he had to do, he sliced downwards, the blade descending down and through the person below him. Vader collapsed under the attack, the wounds sealing as his head fell away from his body.

Kieran started back from the image, from the darkness he had felt inside at the moment he struck. He sensed a lingering presence, that of his master, Thanus. He could not sense whether he approved or not.

"Hey, you all right?"

Kieran looked up to see Erinan staring at him, a puzzled look on his face. Seeing that the bar was emptying, he checked his chrono, stunned by the time.

"Four hours?"

"Your lady friend here was worried for you, as was I," Erinan said, pushing a glass of water in front of him. "We tried to wake you, but we couldn't."

"Sorry."

"I need to discuss something with you, Kieran."

Kieran picked up on the serious tone of Erinan's voice, calming himself and putting the dream behind him.

"The holo-recorder is not enough. Not for the information you want. You will have to contact them directly, I need to know that she will be welcome before I send you off to face him."

"I can't do that, Erinan. It's dangerous, it could expose them."

"If they haven't moved yet, then all of this quadrant knows where they are. Use this as a chance to get them to move."

Kieran considered it. He knew that contacting them would not put them in further danger than they already were. It may expose them more, but the people Petre worked for already knew where they were.

"Very well. Do you have encrypted systems?"

"Of course."

Kieran followed a smiling Erinan to a small room in the back of the bar where several comm stations were installed. Erinan tapped a few keys and one of the systems flared to life. Kieran sat in front of it and removed a small data disc from inside his robe. Inserting it into the access port of the comm system, he tapped a few keys and an encoded message was on its way to Gratiln Station.

"Arn here. Go ahead."

"Arn, it's Kieran."

"We didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Trouble?"

"No more than usual. I am sending a new trainee your way. A young girl called Sarina Azzameen. She will be on the next transport in. Once she arrives, you are all to get off planet. Understood?"

"Understood."

"I'm going to get off now, before this is traced to your exact location. Give my love to Syrenna and Mara."

"Of course, uncle. Good journey, and may the Force be with you."

"Always, nephew, always. Kieran out."

Kieran de-activated the comm-channel and removed the encryption disc from the terminal port. Turning to Erinan, he stood and stretched out his hand.

"We have a deal?"

"We have a deal." Erinan said. Kieran could see the acceptance in his eyes before he spoke. "The man you are looking for, Darth Vader, is on Annuvasa."

Syrenna stood in the darkened room, glancing through the mirror at the man who had brutalised her and left her in so much pain before Kieran had arrived. Petre was his name, a Commander of some kind, a fairly high rank in the military structure he represented if he was to be believed. He had remained close-mouthed throughout his interrogation, ignoring the Jedi as if they hadn't even existed. He was lying alone on a small cot, his clothes removed and replaced with a single-piece jump-suit. Syrenna sensed that he wore it with pride, as a badge for what he had accomplished here at Gratiln Station.

Turning to the young Padawan next to her, she motioned for the screen to be dropped. The mirror coating on the prisoner's side shimmered and faded, revealing those watching him from the darkened room.

"Commander Petre, stand up."

Petre casually moved his feet off the end of the cot and rose to his full height. He was not an exceptionally tall man, but he obviously stayed in shape. His body was lithe and toned, his muscles honed to sharpness rather than bulked to appear more than they were. Despite that, Syrenna was sure he was strong enough to face any man here, even her husband had he still been around.

"We'll begin again, shall we?"

"But of course, sweet lady, why not?"

The smirk on his face told her more than any words that he was unlikely to talk again. This had been done every two hours since Kieran had left. Arn had decided that they needed the information this man had. Someone was looking for the Jedi; someone who wanted them destroyed. Arn felt that was enough of a threat.

"Name?"

"Commander Kellan Petre."

"Whom do you work for?"

"The Imperial Navy."

"Who are the Imperial Navy?"

As it had every time before, this question caused Petre to smile, before he sat back down on the bed. This time, Arn had authorised several Padawan with sensitivity to other's feelings and thoughts to be present. One of them stiffened, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Syrenna waved the screen to be opaque again and turned to the young man.

"Ru-Nea, what is it?"

"A moment, please, Syrenna. The image was dark, painful."

Syrenna waited, her fingers tapping her arm as she tried to control her patience. It was another minute before Ru-Nea was ready to speak.

"I saw two people, one kneeling, the other standing tall. The kneeling one was dressed in black, his face masked. The other was a man I had never thought to see in such a dark vision. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was standing there, his shadow casting a pall over the entire galaxy."

Syrenna felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of the Supreme Chancellor. The name of the force Petre belonged to slipped into her head again, and she felt her breath catch as she made the connection. De-activating the two-way mirror again, so that Petre could see her, she leant close.

"How long before Palpatine declares himself Emperor?"

Syrenna felt little satisfaction at the guilty start from the man lying on the cot. She would have preferred to be wrong, to believe that Palpatine was still the visionary who had taken over from Valorum, that he was still the man who had saved the galaxy from destruction in the Clone Wars. Re-activating the screen, she left Petre to think about what she had just said. Suddenly her husband's instructions to leave were foremost in her mind.

"Ru-Nea?"

"Yes, Syrenna."

"Go to Arn. Tell him I've learnt enough of what we need from the prisoner. Tell him we are to be prepared for departure immediately. We are no longer safe."

"Here, Syrenna?" Ru-Nea said, heading for the door, his face pinched in worry.

"I'm not sure, Ru-Nea. Here, or anywhere."

Syrenna watched the young man leave, her attention returning to the man sitting on the cot, his eyes burning into the mirror.

Kieran sat alone in the pilot's chair of the Angelfire cockpit. His eyes roamed over the controls, the familiar upholstery. Images of Syrenna smiling back at him as he ducked them through the edges of asteroid clusters, using the Force to guide his path, taking her to the brink of destruction. Even now he could see little wrong with it. He had never felt that same destructive urge as her, but he had wanted her to feel it, knowing she would relish it, would revel in it. He wondered now how long ago he had first stepped onto the dark path. How long he had trod the path of so many before him, those that tried to follow their hearts only to stray from the path, to fall to the dark side.

"Republic credit for your thoughts," Callista said, entering the cockpit behind him and taking her place in the co-pilot seat.

"Nothing," Kieran said, staring out the view port at the mottled background of hyperspace. "Just thinking about the past."

"Syrenna?"

"Yes, among other things. I was wondering where I lost the path."

Callista's eyes widened a little, her mouth dropping slightly open.

"Kieran, you are one of the greatest Jedi Masters I have ever known. I use you as an example of what I want to be."

"No, Callista, I am not a great master. I've strayed. I've touched the dark side."

"Who hasn't when they go as far as you?"

Kieran glanced back up at her, surprised by her words. He heard an echo of Yoda and Mace in there, when they had spoken to Obi-Wan after his battle with the Sith apprentice, Maul.

"Touched the dark side, have you?" Yoda had said, Mace standing a little behind him. Kieran had been standing in the background.

"He was strong, Master Yoda. Master Qui-Gon had just fallen to him and I was angry."

"Anger is normal, Padawan Kenobi," Mace had said, not moving from his place behind Yoda. "But you have been trained, Master Qui-Gon considered you to be ready for the tests. And yet you could not control your anger, you could not put it aside and fight with the calm that is our way."

"Anger, young Padawan, to the dark side does it lead. Know this you do."

"It seemed so easy, Master Yoda."

"We have all felt the dark side, Padawan Kenobi," Mace said, this time stepping forward to bring the young man up from his bowed stance. "As you grow in the Force, the temptation becomes greater. How you deal with that temptation is a part of your training, a part of who and what we are, as Jedi."

"I understand, Master Windu."

Kieran had left them to finish the conversation, wishing to pay his final respects to Master Qui-Gon before the funeral that evening. They had not been that close, but Kieran felt uncomfortable in large crowds at these sombre events.

Now he was here, hurtling through hyperspace, headed for the shadow of a moon deep inside the Annuvasa system. That moon would be their cover until night came to that side of the planet, so that they could try to slip the Angelfire in undetected. Erinan had provided them with a jamming device that would project a false image of a shuttle on sensors should anything come too close.

"Kieran?"

"Sorry Callista, lost in the past again."

"We're coming up on Annuvasa now. We'll revert to normal space in five minutes."

Kieran looked out at the mottled hyperspace tunnel again. The five minutes seemed to fly by, the counter dropping to zero almost before Kieran was ready.

"Okay, let's do this."

Pushing the hyperdrive lever away from him, the hyperspace tunnel flared back in to star lines. Already filling the view port ahead of them was the lit side of the moon. Beyond it was the planet they were headed for. Feathering the engines, Kieran parked the ship into orbit. Flying in the opposite direction at well under sub-light speeds, he had the Angelfire maintain her place, keeping the moon between the ship and the planet.

"Now we wait."

The Angelfire hovered over the surface of Annuvasa on her repulsorlifts, Kieran's hands dancing over the control console. As soon as he had taken her low enough to cut the sub-light engines he had done so, reducing the noise output as much as possible. They had passed close to an old ruined castle, close enough that Kieran had sensed someone's presence there, someone strong in the Force. Guiding the ship away, he was settling her into a small clearing in the trees a few miles from the base lit in the distance. Once the Angelfire touched down, Kieran cut all power, leaving the entire ship in darkness. Callista already had two pack lights ready to go. Touching the bulkhead once for luck, just as Syrenna had done so many times, he followed Callista back to the ramp and off the ship.

The forest was quiet, any animals disturbed by the arrival of the ship already silent in the darkness. Kieran punched in the code to seal the ramp and turned to Callista.

"It's about four miles in that direction to the base," he said, pointing off into the darkness.

"And it's only three miles in that direction to the castle," Callista replied, pointing slightly to the left of Kieran's original line. "I felt that presence as strongly as you did. Surely he's the one you came here to face."

"I don't know that," Kieran said, settling the trembling in his hands, glad that Callista couldn't see them shake. "Let's check the base first."

"In these?" Callista said, tugging her brown robe. "Obvious, don't you think?"

Kieran flashed his pack light at her.

"Fine. We'll drop the robes."

"At last."

Callista dropped her pack to the ground, shrugged out of her robe and pulled off her tunic. Instead of her inner tunic, she was wearing a plain flight-suit, made of a dark material and adorned with the symbol found in the building that had held Syrenna on Gratiln.

"There's a matching one in your pack," she said, picking her own pack up from the ground. "I promise I won't look whilst you change."

Ignoring her poor attempt at covering up the glances in his direction, Kieran slipped out of his outer robes. Keeping his inner tunic and his pants, he slipped the flight-suit over the top.

"Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Callista said. "So, the base first?"

"Yes."

Petre glanced at the mirrored wall, trying to work out if anyone was still behind there. It had been some time since the last interrogation, when they had extracted the information from him. He still wondered how they had done that. Perhaps some of the things he had heard about the Jedi were true. Maybe they could read minds.

Pushing the thought away, since it meant only his continued capture if he believed it to be true, he stood up and walked across to the window. Despite not being able to see through it, he felt that no one remained in there. They would have guards on the door, to be sure, but they wouldn't bother to watch him every hour of the day. They would rely on recording devices, as did every other civilised race. Turning so that his back leant against the mirror, he reached up to his mouth, putting a finger inside and depressing a small cap on his right upper molar. Trusting that the device would do what it had been designed for, disrupt any recording devices within a thirty-metre radius, he walked across to the main door.

"Please, I need some help in here. Something's wrong. I'm bleeding."

Stepping back away from the door, he waited as he listened to whispered voices in the hall. The voices got a little louder before he heard footsteps heading off down the hallway. Closer to him, he heard the sound of a keypad being punched. Staying behind the door, he raised his hand, ready to render the person entering unconscious. To his surprise it was a young woman, in her early teens at the most. His hand descended with a sharp smack, catching her in the crook of the neck. She went down, but rolled away from the attack, coming to her feet on the far side of the room. Petre felt a sudden pressure on his body, trying to hold him still. Ignoring it as best he could, he kicked the door closed behind him, and forced himself across the room. The young girl was fumbling for something on her belt as he got close. Reaching out a hand, he dragged open her robe. Realising what she was going for, Petre felt a burst of energy that allowed him to knock the girl's hand away and remove her lightsaber before she could grab it.

Igniting it, he stood with the blade mere inches from her throat. The pressure he had felt only moments before was gone, and he could see real fear in the girl's eyes.

"Well, my beautiful young lady, I think it's time for us to have a talk, don't you?"

Twenty minutes later he deactivated the lightsaber and dropped it to the floor.

"Useful tool," he said to himself as he headed to the door. "No blood."

The corridor was empty. Whoever else had been on guard when he first called out had left, and he reflected that discipline was lacking in this new batch of Jedi. Unfortunately for them, they had also neglected to blindfold him when he had been taken, so he traced the path back to the door that led out of the building into the main street. Something was obviously going on in the central courtyard, since the corridors were so clear.

The door to the main street was alarmed, though he had expected that. He looked at the mechanism for a minute or so before accepting the fact that he would be unable to bypass it. Knowing he would have to move fast, he pulled the door open and sprinted into the street, the alarms going off further back in the building. He didn't look back as he rounded a corner and disappeared into a flow of people moving through the station. Turning his thoughts to a shopping list of food and drink, he tried to blend both physically and mentally into the crowd.

Syrenna looked at the body of the young Padawan, her life cruelly ended whilst she was guarding Petre. The way he had killed her was so foul she realised again how lucky she had been to be saved by Kieran.

How the man had escaped she could not fathom. The cameras were all blank for the time period it would have happened in. The only thing she could think was that he had been able to hide a disruption device somewhere on him. If the alarms on the exits to the building hadn't gone off they would never have known he was gone until evening meal.

Now the camp was a shambles, the few Knights remaining doing their best to direct the Padawan and younger trainees as they prepared for departure. Kieran's words had already stung them into motion, but Petre's escape and the girl's death had sent them over the edge. Too much had happened in the last month for even the Knights to cope with. Most of their training had flown, leaving them unsure and afraid. Through it all, Syrenna had kept a close eye on Mara. Her daughter was still so young, despite her growing strength in the Force, and the hustle around her was a source of wonder rather than fear. She was constantly appearing in the most awkward places, under people's feet as they tried to pack the few remaining pieces for the journey.

Syrenna had already made the deal for the ship that would take them away from here. She had used the funds the Council had left for them, as well as trading in the ship that had got them here. Now she had a de-clawed Corellian Corvette to transport them out of system. It still had the upper turbolasers, but the lower ones were gone, and some of the hull plating could do with maintenance work, but it would at least change their profile. She had christened it Salvation as soon as the deeds had been handed over. The name was more appropriate than its previous, Grathen's Rage, a sentiment not shared by the Jedi who now owned it.

"Syrenna, we should be ready to complete boarding and launch by tomorrow morning."

Syrenna glanced up to see Arn standing just to her side. His boyish face reminded her so much of Kieran. It was easy to think that their relationship was so much closer than it really was. He could have been his son.

"Good. Has Sarina Azzameen arrived?"

"Several hours ago. I've already got her a place on the ship and she's logged into our records."

"Keep an eye on her, Arn," she said, turning to look at him directly. "Kieran made a promise to her father that I intend we keep."

"I watch all of them, Syrenna. This is my family."

Syrenna touched a hand to his shoulder in understanding, feeling his worry for the others despite having no sense of the Force. He smiled back at her, the action brightening his face.

"Then get back to it."

Arn nodded once and disappeared back into the crowded courtyard.

Petre sat with his back against the wall in what remained of the communication room he had set up on arriving at Gratiln Station. Arrayed about him were several components, the last few pieces he needed to activate the long distance comm unit that would let him call Annuvasa.

It was another hour before all the components were inserted and he did his first test. The results were more than he had hoped for. On his first attempt to contact the Imperial base he received an answer.

"Commander Petre, we've been trying to contact you for days. What is the status of your mission?"

"Not good." Petre had decided before even attempting to contact his superiors he would tell the entire truth. He wanted the Jedi to pay for his capture, and to ensure that he wanted the Imperials suitably warned and prepared to destroy them. "My team is dead and I have only just escaped capture. My suspicions were correct, the remnants of the Jedi are here on Gratiln Station. They have obtained the deeds to a Corellian Corvette, ID Grathen's Rage, though I suspect that the name will change. The ID code is 874-A-548-GKC. Based upon activity at the time of my escape, I would estimate departure by the group within two days."

The image on the far end fuzzed for a moment before being replaced with the masked face of Lord Vader. Partially visible behind him was what looked like the ruins of a castle. Petre felt a chill run down his spine as he looked into the man's blue eyes.

"Lord Vader!"

"I am disappointed in you, Commander Petre."

Petre was more frightened than before as he heard the words. The calm, icy inflections, disconcerting when backed by the mechanically aided breathing that permanently covered all the words, left him in no doubts of the danger he would be in when he returned.

"Is the child there?"

"The child is with her mother, Syrenna Dreen."

"And the father?"

Petre heard the tone of that question, despite the mechanical nature of the words. Whoever this man was, Lord Vader wanted him.

"Kieran Dreen left planet almost a week ago by my reckoning. I was not able to glean the information of his destination from my captor before she died."

"Very well, Commander Petre. Your service for the Empire is complete."

Petre frowned at the words, unsure of their meaning, until he felt the pressure in his throat. His hands jerked upwards in an attempt to remove the invisible fingers, a reflex action that he knew would not save him. The pain increased, as the air passed less and less through the crushing windpipe. Trying to plead for his life, Petre collapsed forward into darkness. His last vision was of the comm unit turning to static.

It took Kieran and Callista several hours to make it through the dense forest growth to the edges of the base. Wire fences were linked around the entire perimeter, with only a gateway allowing entrance to the North of the compound. A landing field to the East had several Lambda-class shuttles at rest, with several white-armoured troops patrolling the area.

"That building slightly to your right looks a good place to start," Kieran said, indicating a well-lit building with several entrances. "Ready?"

Callista nodded once in assent, following Kieran from the dark edge of the forest and using the Force to aid her jump over the wire fencing. Landing with very little noise, they ran across the small open area between the fence and the building, flattening against the wall to reduce their profile.

We enter the building through those doors on the left, Kieran thought, looking directly at Callista.

She nodded once, her eyes tracking to the double doors he had indicated. In seconds she was off, her dark flight suit hiding her as she moved from patch of darkness to patch of darkness. Kieran was a few paces behind her, watching for any movement from the ripples in the Force he had detected around the camp.

The doors opened automatically as they approached, so they stepped inside. The corridor before them was plain, with white duracrete walls and overhead lighting. Occasional doors dotted the perfection ahead of them.

"Where first?" Callista asked, speaking normally.

Kieran stretched out with the Force, ignoring the strong presence back towards the castle. The greatest concentration of people was in the third room down on the right. Kieran got the impression of people at rest. Senses of food and relaxation washed from the room. Fourth down on the left was different. He could sense only two people there, both attentive and concentrating.

"Fourth on the left," he said, joining Callista in speaking normally. They had decided early that skulking and whispering were more likely to get them discovered than just pretending they were supposed to be there.

Walking down the corridor, Kieran felt someone approaching the door to what he assumed was the common room. A tall, black-haired man, dressed in a flight suit very similar to the one he was wearing, walked out and turned towards them. As he passed Kieran felt Callista manipulate the Force, subtly removing any questions from the man's mind regarding their presence.

"Evening."

Kieran nodded in response, whilst Callista smiled at the man as he passed. He left the building through the doors they had entered by. Keeping his senses extended, Kieran passed the common room and came to the door they were aiming for. He glanced once at Callista to confirm she was ready, then opened it.

Inside was a simple communication room. Several comm units were arrayed along the left wall, along with a holo-projector on the right. Two officers sat at the desk, headsets on, monitoring the comm traffic flashing about the base.

Kieran touched each of them lightly with the Force, sending them to sleep. He removed the headset from one, slipped it on, and turned to the console. Looking at the screen he read the options available. Choosing the Operational Staff option, he pulled up records for the base. It took only moments to confirm that Erinan had been telling the truth. Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, was indeed in command of this base, and records confirmed that he was on planet at this time. He reached out again with the Force, this time deliberately probing towards the presence in the castle. To his shock, it was waiting for him, returning his probe with one of its own.

"He's here," he said, turning to look at Callista.

"That's not all," she said, pointing to a playback on her own monitor.

Kieran stared in horror at the image of Petre, the man that had been captured before he left Gratiln, informing Vader of the most current plans of the Jedi refugees. He looked at the small symbols at the bottom of the image and selected the one that indicated linked information. With growing fear--something he had not felt for a long time as a Jedi Master--he read the technical readout of a ship dispatched specifically to retrieve the Jedi children. He heard Callista gasp behind him as she read the data over his shoulder.

"Come, we need to leave," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the door.

"What about Vader?" she asked, joining him as they checked the corridor.

"I'll deal with him," Kieran said, stepping out and heading towards the double doors at the end of the hall.

"Alone?"

"As it was meant to be," Kieran said.

They slipped out of the building and back to the fence. A second Force jump had them out and clear. Once they were back under the cover of the trees, Kieran pulled her down to the ground and glanced back to see if they had been followed.

"Callista, I need you to go. Back to the Angelfire. Blast off of this planet and go after the Jedi. They must be warned about the Eye, they must be kept safe."

"No!"

Kieran took her by both shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. He was surprised by the depth of fear there, the depth of her feelings for him.

"Callista, please. Go to Syrenna and tell her to get the Jedi to safety. Scatter them. Place them with foster families. Hide their gifts. Darkness is coming, darkness I am not sure we can face. Master Thanus tried to warn me, but I didn't listen." He stopped, shaking his head for a moment, seeing Syrenna and Mara in his mind's eye. "Tell Syrenna I love her."

Callista had tears welling at the corner of her eyes, and her hand raised to wipe them away. A quirky smile appeared on her lips.

"I'll go, Kieran, but I'll be back. I promise."

Kieran nodded once, recognising the promise for what it really was, a chance for her to feel she wasn't truly leaving him behind.

"Now go, and hurry. The Eye left three days ago, so it is already on its way to Gratiln. The Fire is faster, much faster, so you should beat it."

"May the Force be with you, Kieran."

She leaned forward and kissed him quickly on the cheek, before turning and disappearing into the darkness, headed towards the Angelfire.

Kieran waited for several moments after she had left before he removed his flight suit and pulled his robes back out from the pack. Dressing in them felt right for what he was about to do. Checking his lightsaber was secure at his side, he turned towards the castle and the looming presence in the Force that was waiting there for him.

Callista sat in the pilot's chair of the Angelfire, aware that dawn was fast approaching. The engines had just completed their pre-flight check and were now available. Powering up the repulsors, she lifted the ship gently from the forest floor, raising the landing struts. Goosing a little power to the engines, she took her over the tops of the trees, staying low to avoid detection. She reached out for Kieran as she passed over the castle, but he wasn't there yet, only the darkness that she had felt before. Once she had reached the open area beyond the castle she slammed power to the sublight engines on full, causing the Angelfire to rocket spaceward. It took her only seconds to clear the atmosphere. As soon as she did, every proximity alarm in the cockpit went off. Calling up the defensive display she registered three of the large ships that had been at Arramon when the Jedi had been destroyed. Her sensors indicated that they were already spewing forth the small fighters that had been identified as TIEs. Switching the turret guns over to auto-fire, she slaved the side-mounted lasers to her control stick. Whatever was in her sights, they would hit.

Driving away from the planet, she checked the sensors for a hole in the pattern. Two of the large destroyers were close together, the third a little further away. Switching deflector shields to full front, she dove towards the small gap between the two ships. Lances of turbolaser light began to reach out towards her. Settling herself into the Force, she let her consciousness expand outwards, let it read the intentions of the many ships around her. This was something she had never tried before, something she did not know if she could do, but she forced herself deeper, letting the Force guide her movements.

Two TIEs approached hard from behind, lasers flashing out at the unprotected rear of the ship. Aware that they were getting close Callista flicked a little shield energy back to the rear. The turret lasers tracked the two incoming TIEs, lances of laser flaring out at them. The first one took a strike on the upper left panel, sending it careening across to smash into its wingman. Satisfied that the closest threat was taken care of, Callista plunged the Angelfire into the gap between the two giant destroyers.

Turbolaser fire flashed around the ship as it shot along the bottomless trench, but more shots were hitting each of the destroyers than were bouncing from the Angelfire's shields. Callista equalised the shield settings, aware that a quick strike from behind could end her ability to escape, even her life. Several more TIEs were brave enough, or stupid enough, to try and follow her into the laser nightmare. They were quickly destroyed before they reached her. In moments she was beyond the end of the ships, the control stick shaking in the engine wash that was buffeting the Angelfire as she headed for freedom. More turbolaser fire flashed past her as she jinked around. She felt a sudden tug on the ship and was slammed forward in her seat. Checking her sensors she realised she was in a tractor beam.

"Damn. What now?"

Kieran stood in the shadows of the ruined castle. There were no signs of Imperial troops anywhere in the area. Only that presence, waiting in some kind of broken-down antechamber of a roofless great hall. There was a sudden noise from behind him that he had not expected; his attention was too focused on what was ahead. He turned, his lightsaber springing to his hand, igniting with a snap-hiss, its blue glow comforting in his hand. Walking around a corner in the distance were two of the white-armoured troopers. Seeing no threat, he turned off his lightsaber.

In the brief respite he felt as they passed from his view he felt a tremor in the Force, warning him. The snap-hiss of a lightsaber behind him was enough of a warning. Spinning away from the wall he re-ignited his own glowing blue blade.

Standing in front of him, cloaked in black, with black clothes, boots, gloves, was the man of his nightmares. His hair was gone, replaced with a mess of scar tissue that still looked fresh. His eyes were tight with pain as the filter on the mask over the lower half of his face flickered with his breath. Kieran saw the tubes leading from the edges of the mask feed down to a control box of some form on the man's chest. Holding his lightsaber ready, Kieran stretched out with the Force, trying to sense his opponent's move. The echo back through the Force made him lower his sabre and look more carefully at the man standing before him. Despite the scarring, the pain, and the mask, he recognised him.

"Anakin! By the Force, it is you, Anakin!"

The man in black did not respond, merely stood ready, his sabre poised.

"Anakin, we thought you were lost! When Obi-Wan returned without you and then disappeared, along with Yoda, we thought that you had died."

All thoughts of fighting this man were gone. All the words of Master Thanus faded into nothingness as Kieran felt joy at seeing his lost friend.

"The man you knew as Anakin Skywalker is dead, he died in the fire pits," the man said, keeping his glowing red blade centred before him.

"But, Obi-Wan..."

"Obi-Wan!" The anger in Vader's voice was clear, as was the sudden surge in the Force. "He did this. He scarred Anakin, stole his wife, left him for dead. Now there is only me."

"Anakin..."

"My name is Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, Apprentice to Emperor Palpatine."

"Emperor..."

"Your time has come to an end, Jedi. Your ways are old, antiquated. It is time for the Sith to rise again."

Kieran barely set his lightsaber in time to block the first blow from Vader, backing away under the hammering onslaught. Despite the obvious injuries from whatever had happened to him, Vader was clearly very strong and very quick. Kieran backed away, using the small width in the antechamber to give him room, blocking attack after attack. Reaching a more open area of the ruin, he dodged one way and then the other. Vader misread his intention, whether by accident or deliberately Kieran did not know, and left enough time for Kieran to recover his balance. Seeing an out-cropping above him that could give him more breathing room, he jumped, using the Force to aid him. He had just landed when Vader was there, his crimson blade angling in again. Kieran exchanged blows with him, his blade dancing to block the angry strikes of the man before him. One particular strike came closer than he had hoped for, and Kieran somersaulted backwards off the ledge into the great hall he had noticed earlier. Long and rectangular, there were two bases of the old support columns left that interrupted the large open, gravelled area.

Vader stopped on the edge of the upper floor, staring down at Kieran.

"Why did you come, Kieran? Why did you need to face me?"

"I didn't know it was you," Kieran said, keeping his saber ready in front of him. "I would never have come had I known."

"That is your mistake then, Kieran Dreen. I would have come for you."

Vader dropped into the hall, his lightsaber ready.

"Now we end this," he said, advancing like a tide of darkness. "Now I find peace."

Callista transferred as much energy from her laser system into the engines as possible, but the ship was still being pulled back towards the two destroyers. She reached out with the Force to Kieran, but she felt only worry and fear from him, as well as a deep sense of sadness. Something was happening on the planet that neither of them had expected. Knowing as soon as she touched him that he did not expect to get away, Callista felt a burning need to reach Syrenna. Turning back to the console, she called up the sensor readings on the ship pulling her in, registering that it was the left one of the two that had grabbed her. She checked the weapon status readouts and nodded to herself. Arming all of the torpedoes she had onboard, twenty in total, she keyed in a firing sequence that would have them re-enter the tractor beam just shy of the actual emitter, giving her a forty metre gap between the explosion and the shields on her ship.

Punching the launch button, the torpedoes shot out in fours, firing out towards space before arcing out two to either side of the ship. She tracked them on the sensors, registering the sudden renewal of turbolaser fire from the ships. Thankfully the torpedoes were too small and too fast for the gunners to accurately track them. Three were tagged before they reached the base of the tractor beam. Callista slammed the throttle to full power and shifted all shields to the rear, bracing herself for the impact.

Three seconds later it came. The Angelfire bucked as the torpedoes hit the shields of the mighty destroyer. The second set hit again, destroying the shields at that point, allowing the remaining torpedoes direct access to the hull of the ship. Explosions rocked along the surface in that area, erupting out into space with spurts of fire. When viewed against the whole vessel it was nothing, but Callista thanked the Force anyway as the Angelfire launched itself out towards deep space again. Her sensors indicated the second destroyer attempting to establish a lock, but the Angelfire was moving far too fast for it to grab her. In moments she was far enough away from the planet's mass shadow to engage the hyperdrive. Reaching out with the Force, she sent a final, reassuring touch to Kieran, letting him know that she was away.

The Angelfire accelerated to lightspeed and punched through into hyperspace.

"Never underestimate the power of the light side of the Force, Darth," Kieran said, blocking the next powerful attack.

Vader was losing all semblance of control now, his lightsaber swinging wide on each pass, power rather than finesse guiding his hand. Kieran could feel the anger boiling below the surface, breaking out with each attack, with each unsuccessful strike.

"The dark side is not the way, Anakin. Come back to the light, come back to your friends."

Vader snarled, before striking out again. Kieran blocked the blow, side stepping the following strike and swinging in with a blow of his own. Somehow Vader's blade was back blocking the attack and giving him time to recover from the strike.

"You can't win, Darth," Kieran said, settling back into his stance, letting the Force surround him, penetrate him.

"I have already won."

Kieran frowned at the words, stepping back from the combat, pushing out with the Force. He felt a brief brush from Callista as she disappeared into hyperspace. That brush was enough to lift his spirits.

"You have won nothing, Darth!"

"The Jedi are gone," Vader said, "Only the young and the weak remain, and soon I shall have them too. The balance will be restored."

Kieran's core belief was shaken with those few words. Not at the loss of life when the Jedi had been destroyed, not from the threat to the remaining Jedi, but the final words, the conviction in Vader's voice when he talked of restoring the balance. Master Thanus's words in his dream came crashing back to him.

In each of us the forces of good and evil do we balance. For too long have we held the balance on the side of light. To right this does the Force move. Balance it seeks to restore.

Kieran shook that away, concentrating on the menacing figure before him. "How does this restore the balance?"

"For too long the Jedi Council have stood in judgement over all those around them. They became so blind to the darkness they could not even see it under their noses."

"Darth Sidious?"

"My master, Palpatine."

Kieran frowned at Vader's tone. Even now, Vader would not admit the link between the shadowy Darth Sidious, the man behind Darth Maul's attack on Queen Amidala, and the now Emperor Palpatine. Kieran wondered if the link truly existed.

"I can't let you do this," Kieran said, resuming his fighting stance. "Balance should not be restored when the cost is this high. It is too great."

"No price is too high to restore the balance."

Vader lunged, his blade coming in straight and hard. Kieran stepped away, his own blade parrying the attack and then darting in for a strike of his own. To his shock the strike connected, damaging the left breathing tube, separating it from the mask. Vader's breaths came in shorter bursts, as the regulator tried to compensate for the damaged tube. Vader spun away from Kieran, his shock palpable through their connection in the Force. Kieran felt his own anger building, the tight rope he had walked across the pit of the dark side swaying alarmingly.

"You feel it, Kieran, you are embracing the darkness, the balance. Cease this fighting and I will spare you."

Kieran snarled, images of Syrenna and Mara flicking through his mind, hurt, tired, in danger. His anger flared, and he consciously drew on the power of the dark side, using its energies to strike out at Vader.

He never saw the strike that came, but he felt the shock in the Force as Vader connected with both lightsaber and the dark side, his opening created as Kieran tumbled into the darkness of his own soul. Kieran screamed as pain fired from every nerve in his body. He collapsed to the floor, his lightsaber forgotten next to him, clasping a hand to his ruined eyes. Vader's saber had cut him horizontally across the face, burning away his eyes and cauterising the wound as it passed. Kieran tried to stretch out in the Force, to use it to augment his lost senses, to aid him. Only then did he realise what the true pain had been. The Force was gone.

"Yield, Kieran, there is no need for you to die."

Kieran could not hear the words; his mind was turning in on itself, grabbing memories, thoughts, feelings of when he had used the Force, when he had been one with it.

Vader stood over the huddled man that he had once called friend. The midichlorians were gone, destroyed in the whirlwind of Force he had hit him with. Activating his comlink he turned away from the shivering wreck.

"Send a transport to the old castle and a detention crew."

"At once, Lord Vader."

"Prepare my shuttle. I wish to return to Coruscant immediately. Have the prisoner transferred to my ship once he has been cleaned up."

"Understood, my Lord."

Vader turned off his comlink and walked past Kieran to retrieve the man's lightsaber. Attaching it to his belt with his own, he used one of the walls to steady himself as the adrenaline from the fight left his body. He would wait now for the prisoner to be taken. Soon, he would be with his Master again, and the balance would be a step closer to being achieved.

Captain Aruwn stood on the bridge of the Palpatine's Pride, waiting for the arrival of Lord Vader. The Angelfire had disappeared into hyperspace nearly an hour ago, and reports from the scouts had found no trace of her along the route she had left by. Word had come from the planet only minutes ago that Lord Vader would be arriving by shuttle for transport to Coruscant, along with a prisoner. Aruwn was feeling extremely proud that his would be the ship to arrive first at what would soon become Imperial Centre.

"Lord Vader's shuttle will dock in five minutes, Sir."

"Thank you, Ensign."

Aruwn strode from the bridge, taking the first turbolift from outside the command deck to the dignitary's docking bay. Already waiting were a squad of his finest men and two members of the detention block team.

The Lambda-class shuttle was settling to the deck in the hanger as he reached his place at the front of the squad. The rear ramp descended slowly to the ground, steam from the frozen hydraulic system billowing out as it re-heated in the confines of the sealed docking bay. In moments Lord Vader appeared, flanked by Stormtroopers in their brilliant white body-armour. Aruwn felt like cringing in fear. Gone was the complex breath mask and tubing. Instead his face was gone, covered in a black, domed helmet. The rasp of his breath was louder in his new helmet. It seemed to drown out the hiss of the escaping gas from the hydraulics.

"My Lord, welcome aboard the Palpatine's Pride."

"Captain Aruwn."

"We are ready to leave on your command, my Lord."

"Good. Try hard not to let your normal incompetence defeat you in such a simple task."

"My Lord?"

"The Emperor is not pleased that the other Jedi escaped. He has foreseen that she may be trouble."

"But, my Lord, she was too fast for our ships...."

"Silence."

Aruwn raised his hand to his throat as he found it harder to breathe. Lord Vader's hand was raised slightly, the fingers clenching towards each other, mimicking the crushing effect on his windpipe.

Turning away from Aruwn as he collapsed to the deck, Vader approached Lieutenant Karan.

"Commander Karan, make all speed for Coruscant, the Emperor awaits."

"At once, my Lord."

Aruwn lay gasping on the floor as the crushing sensation left him. Lord Vader stood over him.

"Be thankful that I am in a forgiving mood today. See the prisoner to the detention block. Do not harm him and see that he is guided carefully."

"As you command, Lord Vader," Aruwn gasped. He turned to look at the prisoner being escorted down the ramp. His face paled at the livid scar across the man's face, where his eyes had once been.

"Who is he, my Lord?"

"The beginning of the end."

Aruwn watched in confusion as Lord Vader swept from the docking bay, leaving him alone with the prisoner.

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