Crystal stared after Atton for a moment with an amused smile on her face. When he was definitely out of hearing range, she said quietly to herself, "No, Atton. No, I don't want to stay." Then, she laughed and settled into the pilot's seat and stared out at the only slightly familiar look of hyperspace.

“I really don’t know anything about it,” said Jasra. “Only what Togo told us, and I wouldn’t trust anything he said, even though he is a droid. As far as I recall, what he said to us was that this crystal, once whole, has the power to regulate the harmonics of every living thing in the Galaxy. And…”

She related what Togo had told her and Kira about the crystal in the inner sanctum, what Togo wanted Kira to do, and that there were 'others' after the pieces as well.

“Then," Jasra continued, "Kira got all…weird when she was holding it. I mean, she didn’t want to give it back. Not at all.” Jasra paused. “It was scary, Doctor, that’s all I can say. That shard wasn’t something ‘good.’ Of course, it’s only one piece, so I can’t say what the other shards will be like for Kira. But she’s the only one that’s supposed to be able to ‘feel’ where they are located, so you’ll need to ask her about the other shards when she finds them. But, try not to let her handle them. Best to let a droid do that, in my opinion.”

*Or Tegan, Nyssa, or myself. We are unaffected by the Force,* he said distractedly. *The great void cuts your galaxy off from the living force of the rest of the universe... perhaps that is why the Key was created. Perhaps the guardians...* he trailed off. *Jasra, have you ever heard of and legends that mention a White or Black Guardian?*

Jasra thought a moment. "I... I don't think so. I was only a Padawan learner so there's a lot of things I had yet to study. But..." She bit her lip. "I vaguely recall Master Kelva telling me a story once that mentioned a Guardian of Light and a Guardian of Darkness. But she didn't refer to them as 'white' or 'black'." She considered for a moment, then looked over at the Disciple. "Perhaps you should ask him," she said, nodding to the blonde Jedi. "He seems to be a neverending fountain of knowledge."

*Then perhaps the guardians created this key as well so that ife in this universe could be sustained...* he said, more to himself than anything. *Thank you,* he said.

*Discilpe?* he said, approaching the young Jedi. *Have you ever heard of a White or Black Guradian?*

"The White and Black Guardians?" Disciple repeated, "Not much. There are scattered variations of myths and legends about two great warriors, who some believe to be the first Sith and Jedi, who called themselves the White and Black Guardians. The main legend is of how the two joined together and created the universe."

"That's pretty much the story my master told me," Jasra offered. "Although I don't quite see what this has to do with this crystal the Exile is supposed to find." She shook her head at them. "I'm sure you two can work it out between yourselves."

She headed off quietly to Kira's dormitory.

Kira was still sleeping. Atton was watching over her.

"Why aren't you at the helm? Is she alright?" Jasra asked him in a whisper.

"She's...alright." Atton murmured, "I think. Every once in a while she'll convulse--" and at that moment, Kira shifted, her face screwed up as if in pain, and her hands clutching the sheets in a death-grip.
"No..." the syllable, slipped from her lips in a whisper. Atton stroked her hair from her face, and she laid still again.
"And then she'll be fine." he finished.

"I'm sorry," Jasra said, frowning worriedly as she watched Kira. "For...well, for dragging her into this mess, for one. It was just a job, you know? Better than dancing anyway," she said with some disgust. She took a deep breath. "And," she added slowly, "I'm sorry about something else, too. For not telling you the truth about...that night three years ago."

"Kira chose to go." Atton said quietly, still stroking the Exile's hair, "You didn't drag her into anything."
"I'm sorry about something else, too. For not telling you the truth about..." Jasra said slowly, "...that night three years ago."
Atton's hand stopped immeditatly, his expression darkening as his eyes locked, staring straight ahead. "Look, I don't want to hear it, alright? It's caused me enough trouble already. I just want to forget, you know?"

"That's just it," Jasra said. "There isn't anything to forget." She inhaled. "Nothing happened. I drugged your drink. You passed out on my floor pretty much after you got there. I...." She bit her lip. "I gave you a suggestion through the Force while you were unconscious. I couldn't have done it while you were awake as I wasn't very good with Force Persuasion then. But I did it so you would think something happened. So you wouldn't take the hundred credits back when you woke up." She gave him a weak smile. "I needed the money. I'm sorry."

"So you spiked my drink, then gave me a notion that something happened that night so that I wouldn't take my money back?" Atton asked, careful to keep his voice down. Then, he did something strange...he laughed. "You know, I don't think I ever would have thought of something like that if I were you. Hell, I wouldn't be able to think up something like that if I tried."

"So...so you're not angry?" Jasra asked with trepidation. She exhaled with relief. "You know, Atton, beyond the tough exterior and biting comments, you're not so bad for an old guy." She turned to leave, then paused in the doorway. "By the way, why did you choose Manaan to go to? Doesn't the Jedi Council on Dantooine still want to talk to Kira? Isn't that why Karda's here?"

The Doctor looked at Disciple. *The Guardians are not the creators of the universe. They are the self annointed protectors of it. I don't know about their species, but they are the only two I have ever met - though they are rarely the same in appearence each time...
*You see, the Guardians created a Key known as the Key to Time. The holder would have unlimited control over the time matrix. The Black Guardian once tricked me into assembling it for him - it was spread across Time and Space in an effort to prevent it from ever being used. I was able to find all six pieces, and assemble them. Only destroyed it just in time, actually.
*I believe that they also created this Key to the Galaxy, as well.*
((I need to get a certain point across that will vital for later in the story (something that you don't know yet, Jasra), so I'm going to control Disciple for a single line, if that's alright)).
"Why would they do that?" asked Disciple, furrowing his brow.
*It's difficult to explain, and I can only guess, but I beleive it has something to do with the uniqueness of your galaxy.
*You see, your galaxy is surrounded by a... a void, almost 600 million lightyears across. This void, being devoid of life in any form, or even energy, seperates you from the life force of the rest of the universe. You may know this force as... well... the Force. Your galaxy is the only one that has anything like Jedi because, unlike the rest of the universe, the Force is spread throughout a very small area, concentrating itself in places. Or shall I say, people.
*I believe that the Key to the Galaxy may be what allows life in this galaxy to survive. It's like a generator, one that generates power wnough to sustain all life in this galaxy. If it were to be destroyed, all life in this galaxy would cease to exist.*

"Hey, I'm not much older than you, so I wouldn't be talkin'." Atton murmured, a smile still haunting his face.
"By the way, why did you choose Manaan to go to? Doesn't the Jedi Council on Dantooine still want to talk to Kira? Isn't that why Karda's here?" Jasra asked as she turned to leave.
"Like I said, a random jump. Manaan's coordinates are almost identical, so they're the first pair that popped into my mind. If Kira still wants to go to Dantooine after we complete our jump and loose our little friend, then we can go to Dantooine."

~*~*~

"But what if it is assembled? The holder would have the power to control all of life, if theory is correct. And yet if it is destroyed, all life would die with it?" Disciple cast his gaze downward, the gears in his mind beginning to turn, "So what would be the best solution?" he murmured to himself, "Do we collect the shards, or leave them hidden where they are? If we collect them, what would we do with them? Re-hide them? Keep them? Or reform the Key?"

*I believe we should collect and assemble the shards, but we should proceed with extreme caution,* responded the Doctor. *I think that only Tegan. Nyssa, myself, or one of the droids should actually handle the pieces, judging by the effect it had on Kira. Droids, preferably, as Tegan, Nyssa and I may not be completely impervious to it's effects.
*There is no telling what this Togo has done to ensure that Kira follows his instructions. I fear we have have no choice - for now - but to bring the shards to him to be assembled. Though we should be careful when handing it over - there's no telling if Togo is working for anyone. It could conceivably be a trap set by the Black Guardian, but it's highly unlikely.*

Jasra shrugged. "Manaan's not my favourite place, and I'd rather not go to Dantooine, but wherever Kira wants to go, I'll go with her. If feel...sort of guilty about what's happened to her. I just want to make sure she's alright." She frowned. "And there's someone else I wanted to check on." She turned and left for the cockpit to see Crystal.

Kira tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep...flashes of battles, duels with lightsabers flying, screams of pain, her own voice cackling maniacally...
"Kira, listen to me, you have to put the shard away!"
"N-no...Atton...run...p-please..."
"Not without you! C'mon Kira, you can do this! Fight it!"
"Atton...g-GET AWAY FROM ME!"
She felt the strength of a shard flow through her body, and all went black. However, in the void between slumber and wakefulness, Kira caught Atton's yell of pain...
With a shocked yell, Kira woke, breathing heavily. After a moment, her mind registered that she was back in the Ebon Hawk. Realizing that, she relaxed her tensed muscles, catching her breath. After a moment, she kicked her legs over the edge of the bunk, and began to dress, splashing some water over her face afterwards.

Crystal was still staring out the front of the cockpit when Jasra entered. Without turning, she said, "Hello, Jasra."

Jasra swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure quite what to say to the ‘new’ Crystal. “Hi,” was all she could come up with. She sat down in the navigator’s seat. A thick moment of silence passed between them, as they each stared out at the surreal vista of hyperspace.

“So,” Jasra started, without looking at her. “What did it feel like? The shard, I mean.”

Crystal was silent for a long while. When she spoke, her voice was hushed. "I felt a jolt of energy flash through me," she said slowly. "Then... it felt like I was on fire... and after that, I lost consciousness and woke up outside the little room."

Jasra nodded. "So, how do you feel now?"

Jasra could sense that Crystal was different somehow, but she wasn't sure in what way. And she was still puzzled by why she now looked so similar to her old Master.

Jasra suddenly felt guilty for all of the things she had done in the past six years. It was bad enough that the memories of her old Master had begun to surface recently, but now it was like her Master was right there watching her. And disapproving of her.

(((Argh, I hate my laptop. It won't let me respond to your PM, ForceFight. But anyways, I just got way behind. I'll just do a long post and assume that Karda hasn't been with everybody else, just listening and meditating... er... for a very long time)))

Karda broke in on The Doctor's and The Disciple's conversation. "The black and white Guardians, huh? I've never heard of that legend before. I've never heard about these Keys, either."

*****

Karda had decided to be absent from the rest of the crew during their trips into Taris, helping Bao-Dur out with repairing the ship, and listening to what was happening through Kira's mind, and her meeting with "Togo".

He had also gotten a glimpse of the fight between the strange alien creature, Crystal, and Jasra. The wierd pulse that he felt through the Force caused him to shift his attention to her and the "new" Crystal. It seemed he was after something else, or somebody else other than them.

He had just checked on Kira to make sure he was all right, since he had sensed the change after she grasped the shard. He was worried. This shard might have done something serious to her. And what happened when they found these pieces, and supposedly destroyed it? (If they every did) What would she feel?

Jasra puzzled him. He knew that she must have been Jedi-trained, and had even eavesdropped on her conversation with Crystal a bit; Until Nyssa, or Tegan, had been discovered, and he decided to leave.

He had approached her once with these questions.

"Jasra, could I ask you something. Have you ever been approached by the Jedi before, or learned something about the Force? I can sense it-"

"So? It isn't any of your business, so quit prying into my mind."

At which she left him to meditate. She looked familiar to him, maybe a padawan he had once seen on Dantooine. Regardless, he determined to find out. Perhaps Crystal or the Doctor would know. But for now, he wanted to focus on these Keys, and the mission Togo had sent them all on.

*Ah, Karda, I was wondering where you had got to!* said the Doctor, smiling. *Yes, well, believe me, the Guardians are very important to you and everyone else in this galaxy. They are responsible for your existence - though the Black Guardian most likely wishes to extinguish all of you.*

((OOC: Hey, 800 posts! *parties* ))

IC:

"And the Keys are real enough..." Disciple said, "If you don't believe me, just look at Crystal..."

~*~*~

Kira meditated in the dormitory, trying to find any meaning in the dreams and nightmares she had just recently experienced. What did it all mean? It had something to do with the Key, she knew that...but still...
The sensation of the jewel's energy washed over her, and she shivered...but wait. She wasn't anywhere near a shard...
At that moment, the Hawk rocked, and the Exile heard the hyperdrive power down as they exited hyperspace. The sensation was stronger now...she reached out with the Force and actually found that the power was coming from across a great distance...following its channel through the Force...she found it led to the planet below. Manaan...

Her eyes snapped open, her senses tingling. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. She wanted the power of that shard. She had to feel it again!
The Exile hurriedly stood, and rushed past the Disciple, Doctor, and Karda, and into the cockpit.
"Atton," she called, coming into the cockpit to see Crystal and Jasra, but a missing Scoundrel. A moment later, his dark-haired head popped in, quickly followed by the rest of him.
"Yeah?"
"Land on the planet."
"What? But wh-"
"Just land. Please."

Crystal twitched slightly. Then, very slowly, she stood and faced Kira. After a long while of staring into her eyes, Crystal turned to Atton. "Don't land."

Turning back to Kira, she said, "Neither of us should ever have touched that thing," she said. "But I can tell you for sure my reaction is much more favorable at this time than yours. If you insist on Atton's landing on Manaan, I'm leaving. I refuse to be anywhere near that thing... any of them!"

*Crystal,* said the Doctor, entering the cockpit. *We must land. This Key is dangerous, and must be locked away. We need to collect as many of the pieces as possible. Before someone else does.*

Crystal shuddered and stared at the Doctor. "Yes, I see your reasoning!" she snapped. "Get as many of the pieces together, make it easier for those that want it to get it... to get it all!"

Her expression turned from great anger and fear to reluctance and dislike. "And yet, the only part of my mind that retains sensibility tells me you are right."

She looked to Kira and attempted a smile. "It seems we must both learn to restrain our feelings. I must go along with getting these shards and you must hesitate to touch them." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Can we agree to this, Kira? Together, we can lead the others to the shard, but I don't think either of us should touch it."

Fear crept back into her face. "Land quickly, Atton. Get it over with!" With another convulsive shudder, she left the cockpit.

*Yes, that's another thing,* said the Doctor, *I believe that we should all refrain from touching the Key. It would be best if a droid were to handle them. Either that, or we can use the TARDIS - materialise around them.*

"But what if you and your companions cannot resist the temptation to touch the shard, Doc?" Karda asked. "I think some kind of non-organic being - in short, a droid - would be our best bet. Perhaps we could find one on Manaan."

*Or, even better, we could use the ones we already have,* said the Doctor, smiling. *Now, we need to find a place where we can put the shards where we won't be able to get to them,* said the Doctor, rubbing his chin thoughfully. He snapped his fingers. *I've got it! There is a room in the TARDIS that I can program to only allow a droid to enter. From there, I can also program it to only let a droid alter it's programming further! It's perfect!*

"Good. So, do we have any droids on the ship?"

*Yes, I believe T3-M4 would do nicely. HK-47 is also quite capable, and will do it if ordered,* said the Doctor. *We could use K9, but I'm not comfortable with that. He's not exactly a droid, so I'm not sure how he would react.*

Kira had to bite back a protest against letting the droids handle the Shards. But I am the only one who can find them! she wanted to shout, And they are mine!! but, with great difficulty, she agreed with the Doctor, not even bothering to ask how he knew about T3 and HK.
"The Doctor's right," she said, choking slightly, "Who knows what would happen if one of us...touched the Shards again..."
I have to fight this! This is NOT how a Jedi should behave!
But it's mine!! I will find them, they belong to ME!!
Damn it, Kira! Get yourself together!! What am I thinking?...
"Take her down, Atton," Kira said, touching the pilot on the shoulder, "I think docking bay 63 is open in Ahto City," she added, after glancing at a screen on the dash.

The Doctor stared at Kira, wondering how she would react to his suggestion that only droids handle the shards. Her jaw was set hard, and he could see a dark fire in her eyes. The fire faded a little, and she said
"The Doctor's right. Who knows what would happen if one of us...touched the Shards again... Take her down, Atton. I think docking bay 63 is open in Ahto City."
*Kira? Are you alright?*

"Kira, are you alright?"
The Exile came out of her revier at the Doctor's question.
"Yeah...I'm fine." she said, not entirely sure of the words' truth, "It's...just being so close to a Shard again...so soon..."

*Perhaps you should rest for a while before we disembark. The galaxy can hold itself together for another hour, I'm sure.*

"No, that's alright." Kira said, shiftering her eyes from the Doctor's scrutinizing gaze, "I'll be fine."
I'm not sure I could sleep anyway. she thought to herself.
"Well, while you two are babbling so intently," Atton said jokingly, "You might want to take a seat."
A moment later explained why. The ship once again rocked as they entered the atmosphere of Manaan.

The Doctor sensed something fundamentally different in Kira - and he didn't like it. He turned to Disciple and said, almost inaudibly *Can I speak to you alone for a moment?*

Disciple nodded, and headed back into the security room, signaling the Doctor to follow.
After keying the door closed, the Jedi turned to the Doctor. "What is it?"

*It's about Kira,* he said. *She's... different... since she touched the shard. My telepathic abilities are fairly limited, but I sense something deep inside her has changed - and not for the better.* he sighed deeply. *We should keep an eye on her. The desire to posses these shards... it's powerful.*

"I've noticed," Disciple said worriedly, "It's almost as if that shard she touched...left something in her, controlling her. It worries me."

*There must be something we can do to... I don't know... contain this 'influence'. Possibly a mind me- no, wrong galaxy...* the Doctor thought for a moment. *Is there anything you can do for her?*

"Not much," he murmured, "Her mind is too strong for any of us to monitor or influence her thoughts without her knowing, and she won't admit that there's something wrong; she's too proud. The most I can think of is to watch her. And hope that she doesn't slip beyond our influence."

*Alright. Keep an eye on her - I'll do the same, and perhaps we should speak to Atton. He's not begun his Jedi training yet, has he? No, I didn't think so,* he said, not waiting for an answer.

Jasra quietly slipped out of the cockpit soon after Crystal did. Everyone seemed on edge as they drew closer to Ahto City, and Jasra wanted to get some gear ready.

Back in the main hold, she picked up the Force Pike she had ‘borrowed’ from the wounded bounty hunter at Sig’s cantina. She tested its weight in her hand. It was well-balanced for a merc weapon. She gave it a flourish. Satisfied, she carried it with her into the garage. It was the best spot to observe anyone with intentions on leaving the ship. Like Kira. Whether driven by guilt or something else, Jasra felt compelled to stay by Kira’s side. No matter what.

She went over to the workbench. Reaching into her boot, she took out her dead Master’s lightsaber. She tried to activate it. It flickered and sputtered, and then did absolutely nothing.

Jasra sighed. She hadn’t been far enough along in her Padawan training to have been given the knowledge of how to build a lightsaber, let alone repair one. Nevertheless, she was intent on taking it apart. She picked up the hyrdospanner on the bench and… She frowned slightly. The spanner fit perfectly along the shaft, without any adjustments at all. Perhaps Karda had been working on his lightsaber when she had seen him in here last.

Karda disturbed her. So did Revan. And the Disciple. She always felt worthless in their eyes. They were all reminders of a life she once had. Reminders of goals she had once strived for. And reminders of the pain she had felt when the Jedi abandoned her.

But Kira and Crystal were different. In some ways, Kira still acted like a Jedi, but not all the time. Crystal wasn’t a Jedi, but she carried a lightsaber. But both seemed willing to teach her. And that’s what Jasra needed. More skills. She was a capable fighter, for the most part, but her command of the Force wasn’t strong enough yet to rely on it in battle situations. She ran a finger over the rips in her tunic. Brax proved that easily enough.

She needed to learn more. And at the moment, Kira and Crystal looked like the best candidates for teachers. And, even though she hadn’t touched the shard, she had still felt its Dark radiations. And through this commonality, Jasra felt a growing amount of loyalty towards them.

Kira looked up as she felt a twinge in the Force. The Hawk had finished her entry into the atmosphere, and Atton was currently setting about bringing her in for landing. So, she decided to check it out.
Coming into the garage, Kira leaned against the door frame and watched Jasra study what she assumed was her master's lightsaber. She tried to ignite it, and got nothing but a sputter and some sparks.
"Need some help?" Kira asked.
Perhaps keeping myself busy will take my mind off those Shards... Kira thought....hoped.

Jasra turned towards Kira, giving her a weak smile. “Help? I don’t even know where to begin.” She handed Kira the lightsaber. “Can it be fixed?” she asked Kira hopefully.

She hoped it could. It was the only part of Master Kelva she now possessed. And Jasra missed her.

"With the right tools," Kira said, crossing to the workbench, "Anything can be fixed. Now, let's take a look..." she took the lightsaber from Jasra, peering at it. She put it down, and removed its outer casing...

A few moments later, the Exile held up the repaired weapon. "There, good as new. Try it." she said, handing it back to Jasra.

Jasra gripped the lightsaber in her hand. She held it for a moment, testing the feel of it, before switching it on. It gave off the familiar hum as the green blade shot out.

"Thanks," said Jasra, admiringly. She gave it a flourish. She wasn't as proficient with a saber as she was with a Force Pike, mostly because she hadn't had much instruction. She kept it more for sentimental reasons, not as her weapon of choice. "I'm not sure what you did, but it seems to be working alright. Although..." She looked at Kira's saber hanging from her belt. "I really should test the blade."