Jasra's eyes narrowed at Kira. If Kira wanted a fight, then shards or no, she would give it to her.

"Then let us end it now," she said, and ignited her sabre.

"You're a fool, Jasra." Kira growled, and called her saber to her hand, where it activated with a hiss and she spun it round, lighting up a circle of blue in the gloom. As it came to rest across her body, Kira fell back into a fighting stance, the faint yellow glow that now came from her blade illuminating her face. Apparently, her namesake crystal was also being effected by the Shards, just as she was.
With out further warning, the Exile jumped at Jasra. She slammed her upper blade down on Jasra's, sweeping the lower around at her feet, causing her to jump.
Jasra took a chance, and went on the offensive, bringing her saber sweeping around at Kira's stomach. Her yellow blade clashed with the Exile's blue, and Kira spun, pushing the yellow blade with hers as she did so. With a final snap of her wrists, Jasra's saber was knocked from her hand, flying across the room and deactivating when it hit one of the bunk supports and falling to the ground.
Kira continued her spin, kneeling down and sweeping at Jasra's knees as she went. However, as she spun, her opponent jumped into the air, using the Force to bring her against the wall, where she sprung off the durasteel and tumbled over to where her saber lay on the ground, picking it up, and standing again.
"Perhaps he taught you more than I thought." Kira murmured, resetting herself as well.

~*~*~
"Atton! Come, quickly!"
The Scoundrel spun the captain's seat around, to face a distressed Karda behind him, framed in the doorway.
"What, what is it?" he asked, standing.
"No time, just come on!"
He stood, and rushed out the door with the Jedi, Disciple meeting up with them after a moment.

~*~*~
Jasra watched warrily as Kira stood motionless across from her, her saber held at the ready. Her Master's yellow blade swung from side to side as she looked for any slight movement that would alert her to Kira's next move. As of yet, there was none.
Kira sneered. "Well. Shall we continue?"
She ran forward, using the Force to part the air around her and quicken her pace. She held her saber down as if it were a battering ram, and aimed straight for her right shoulder.
Jasra had gotten her saber up just in time, and was able to knock Kira's first saber away to the right. As her saber was moved off track, the Exile stepped out to the right, bringing her left foot spinning round. She swept at Jasra's head with her lower blade as she passed. Her opponent ducked the spinning blade just in time, and her gauntlets raked Kira's arm.
Ignoring the blood that now wetted her robes, the Exile brought her saber down on Jasra's, locking them together in a battle of strength.
"You haven't a chance." she growled. With inhuman speed, Kira brought her boot up, and planted it firmly in Jasra's gut with a sidekick, which sent her crashing to the ground, and skidding across the room.
Proceeding over to her, the Exile kept her blade raised over her head, poised to strike down at Jasra.
"And he obviously didn't teach you enough."
"KIRA, NO!"
Karda came speeding into the room, and grasped the wrist of Kira's saber hand, holding it in place, and his free hand grabbed her shoulder, holding her body in place.
With a sneer and growl of anger, Jasra stood, and raised her saber, but could do nothing as two strong arms threaded under her arms, and pulled up, locking them. "Don't do it, Jasra." Atton's voice said in her ear.

"Kira, no." Karda's voice was soothing as he used the Force to enhance his persuasiveness to calm Kira's anger. "She's not worth it."

Not worth it? Hearing Karda's words, Jasra's anger boiled over. She was tired of these people thinking she was scum! She let out a scream of anger, then stomped hard on Atton's foot, hard enough to make him wince, and with him distracted for that split second, she drove herself backwards, slamming Atton hard into the wall behind her. His grip loosened and she twisted out of his grasp. Sabre raised and eyes burning, she lunged at Kira.

In the doorway, Tegan looked on with wide-eyed horror as Nyssa screamed. "Kira! Look out!"

Having little choice, Karda released Kira, and used a Force Wave on Jasra. But Jasra countered by using her technique of Force Reflection to send the wave straight back at Karda, catching Kira in its wake.

But while Karda was pushed back into Nyssa and Tegan in the doorway, Kira was only set momentarily off balance. She deflected Jasra's charging slashes, then went on the offensive again.

Their sabres clashed and sparked and grated against each other, as they met one another blow for blow.

Atton shook his head to clear it, and seeing the two women still fighting furiously, he pulled out his blaster.

"No!" Karda shouted at him. "You'll hit Kira!" And Karda used the Force to send Atton's blaster flying out of his hand and sliding across the floor to the opposite end of the room.

Jasra's fury flared again, thinking Karda again valued Kira more than her, and her attack increased. She took a swipe with her gauntlet, not at Kira, but at her sabre, remembering how Brax had disabled her lightsabre at their first encounter. A direct hit, one of Kira's blue/gold blades sparked feebly, then died.

Jasra grinned with satisfaction. Now evenly matched with one blade each, she felt she was on equal ground. Again they parried, blow for blow...

Until, Jasra felt something sting her in the back of the leg. Her leg went suddenly numb and she stumbled to the floor. Kira swung her blade down. Jasra met it just in time, and the two blades grated and sparked, hovering over Jasra's neck as each woman pressed for dominance.

Suddenly the pressure lifted on Kira's blade, as Karda and Disciple both grabbed her and pulled her back. "No, Kira!" Karda said. "No! Leave her!"

Jasra started to rise, but once again, Atton came up behind her, kicking the butt of her sabre from her hand, then circling his arms around her in a tight hug, pinning her arms to her side. "That's enough!" he growled softly in her ear. "Enough!"

Jasra looked down at her leg. There was syringe sticking out of it. She looked at Disciple, wondering if he had used the Force to send it to its target. As Brax had taught her to counteract the spider's venom, she began to concentrate on burning out the strong sedative from her blood. Even so, it was having some effect on her and she felt herself involuntarily relax.

"I'm sorry," she said weakly, her breaths now coming in shuddering gasps as she leaned against Atton's body for support. She met Kira's eyes, still glowing with golden light. "I yield," she said to her. She bowed her head. "I yield."

Crystal appeared in the doorway, crying.

"All angry bombardments of thoughts and words," she cried. "No, no! Think to yourself..."

A look of intense rage passed over her face, but it passed quickly and she walked away muttering something entirely unintelligible.

Seeing Crystal so upset and sensing her pain, Jasra felt angry tears begin to stream down her face as well. "It's those damn shards!" she said, turning her face into Atton's shoulder, finding his hold on her suddenly comforting and warm. "They're driving us all insane."

Atton faultered as Jasra burried her face in his shoulder, but he wrapped his arms tighter around her, more out of natural instinct than anything else. He felt Kira's eyes on him, and he shifted his arm, slightly uncomfortable. But what was he supposed to do? Push Jasra away?
It didn't matter anyway, because after a moment, Kira left the room, sweeping past them. She hadn't even looked at him as she left.
He sighed, knowing he was probably going to pay for it later.

~*~*~

Disciple watched after the Exile as she stalked out of the room. He shook his fist subtly at his side as he fought to work up the nerve to follow her. He took a breath, and followed.
He found Kira sitting at the controls of the Ebon Hawk, busily plotting a course for who knows where. He moved across the room, taking a seat in the co-pilot's chair.
After taking a moment to see if Kira would acknowlage him, which she didn't, he asked, "Where are we going?"
"Yavin IV."
He didn't say anything, waiting for her to elaborate. As he figured, she didn't.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine." she answered, perhaps a bit too quickly.
After another few moments of silence, he had worked up as much nerve as he had figured he would at the moment. "I...I know what it's like to be betrayed, and I--"
"I'd rather not talk about that." she said, cutting him off.
Disciple looked up at her. She hadn't looked at him once since he'd entered the room. Seeing as his attempts at conversation were futile, he stood, and proceeded to leave the room. However, at the door, he paused, tapping a finger against his leg.
She's going to need to know she can trust you...How can I trust you when I don't even know your real name?? The Doctor's and Kira's words played through the man's head. He looked at her over his shoulder, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find what to say.
"Mical."
Kira stopped what she was doing, her fingers freezing in the process of entering cooridinates. She turned to him, a questioning looking her eyes. "What?"
"That's...that's my real name. Mical."
She smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks."
He nodded, and left, a new feeling of accomplishment coming over him.

Karda let out a painfully long sigh as Kira left the room, then turned his attention to Atton and Jasra. "Can you hold her there for a moment?" he asked the scoundrel.

Atton nodded. "Sure," he said, rather uncomfortably but confident enough to satisfy the Jedi.

"Good," said Karda, using the Force to call Jasra’s lightsabre to his hand. "I'll be right back." He motioned for Nyssa and Tegan to follow him out of the room.

Atton frowned with concern as he held Jasra, keeping her from totally sinking to the floor. He was uncomfortable at being this close to her, especially given the look Kira had shot him before she had left the room.

But in a moment, Karda was back. “You grab one arm, I’ll grab the other,” he said to Atton, and between the two of them, they hauled Jasra out of the room.

“Where are we taking her?” Atton asked Karda.

“The brig.”

“The brig? But we don’t have a brig.”

“We do now.” Coming through the main hold, Karda nodded at the storage area near the corridor to the cockpit. Bao-Dur and T3 were making the finishing touches on the new force field that filled the doorway.

Karda guided them into the room, where he deposited Jasra unceremoniously on the floor. He and Atton stepped out, and Karda nodded to Bao-Dur.

The force shield shimmered in electric-blue light as it covered the entrance. “There,” Karda said to Jasra. “That should hold you.”

“Don’t leave me in here all alone,” Jasra pleaded, as she struggled with the effects of the narcotic and tried unsuccessfully to stand. “I said I was sorry.”

“Well, sorry just isn’t enough, now, is it?” Karda said brusquely to her. “Maybe after having some time to think about the choices you’ve made, you’ll understand that.”

Jasra hung her head, then backed herself against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest.

Karda sighed. “You’ve fallen to the Dark Side,” he said, kneeling to her level. “But you’re not unredeemable. You can still come back to the Light.”

Jasra shook her head in disbelief. “I’m not evil,” she said quietly.

“No, you’re not,” Karda agreed. “But you have fallen.” He stood. “We’ll talk again later. After you’ve had time to think about where your true allegiances lie.”

Karda nodded to Bao-Dur and Atton that it was time to leave her alone. Bao-Dur, T3 departed for the garage, Karda for his own ship, still coupled with the Ebon Hawk, leaving Atton standing dumbfounded in the main hold.

Crystal approached the storage area where Jasra had been dropped and sat down there, just outside the door, in plain view of Jasra. Without saying a word, she sat there, staring through the force field at Jasra. For a long while, they sat there in silence, neither one saying a word. Finally, Crystal cleared her throat.

"You... you..." she murmured. "Anger, sadness, twisting together, confusion, dominating glassy-goldens..."

She shook her head sadly and in what seemed to be perhaps a more sensible moment, she said, "We were fools, all of us. Kira for touching the first shard, me for touching it second, you for trying to help me, the others for being near us."

All sense then abandoned her and she reached forward to touch the force field. Drawing her hand rapidly away from it, she murmured, "Ugly biting piece of techstuff..."

Jasra slowly looked up with watery eyes at Crystal. "Karda's right, isn't he?" she asked Crystal quietly, as to not alert anyone else. "I've fallen, haven't I?"

She let out a long, sad sigh.

"I didn't even feel it coming. I thought I would, you know? Feel it? Know I was on the edge enough to at least step back from it?"

She shook her head slowly. "But I didn't." She laid her head back on her knees.

"All I wanted to do was help Kira find the shards. And I've failed miserably."

"That's the hardest thing about something you don't want," Crystal said quietly. "You never see it coming."

"What should I do, Crystal?" With pleading eyes, Jasra looked up at the woman who looked so much like her old Jedi master, Kelva. "Please tell me what I should do?"

Crystal teleported past the barrier and gave Jasra a big hug. "The biggest mostest important step has already been made," she said happily. "You don't want to be angry. Good, good. Let it go."

Karda took a sip of Juma inside the comfort of his ship. The situation was lovely; Kira turned into a dark side monster, and Jasra picking fights and being taught under some creature, falling to the dark side. If she would just listen...

Hopefully, Jasra would calm down inside the makeshift brig, and they'd be able to work this whole mess out. And hopefully, he could blast that Shard into oblivion, next chance he got. As long as Kira didn't kill him for it, as connected to the object she seemed to now be.

He took a large sip, grimaced, then swallowed it and looked at his cup. Since when did I start drinking Juma? "Atton." He got up and moved to the other ship. "Where's Kira?"

"In the cockpit," Disciple said, joining the two other men. "She's planning a course fo--"
At that exact moment, the engines whinned louder and the ship jolted forward, forcing Atton to fall back against a pannel and the Disciple against the doorframe. "For Yavin IV." the man finished.
"Thanks for the heads-up." Atton growled.

((OOC: Like the Doc asked, I'm keeping his charrys going while he's away.))

Standing just within hearing range of the guys, Nyssa frowned and looked at Tegan. “Yavin IV?” She grabbed Tegan by the arm. “C’mon. We’ve got research to do.”

Inside the TARDIS, Nyssa called up data for the planet called Yavin IV.

“A jungle moon that orbits the gas planet Yavin in the…"

“Great. Another jungle,” Tegan moaned.

“…Uh-oh,” Nyssa said, then paused.

“What is it?” Tegan asked.

“It appears that Yavin IV used to be a stronghold for the Sith Empire.”

“That’s bad, isn’t it?” Tegan said, more of a statement than a question.

“Yes. Very bad.” Nyssa cleared her throat. “It says here that Exar Kun, who was a fallen Jedi that became a Sith Lord and eventually elevated himself to the stature of a god, had slaves build temples for him on Yavin IV. And the complex of massive temples were then used for Ancient Sith Alchemy and ceremonies that focused on the Dark Side.” She turned to look at Tegan directly. “And it’s said to be haunted by Exar Kun’s ghost.”

~~~~~~~~~

Jasra closed her eyes, feeling comforted by Crystal's closeness to her. It reminded her of how Master Kelva used to soothe her during times when she felt afraid. That seemed like so long ago, but in reality it was only six or seven years ago.

But when she heard the Disciple say, "...Yavin IV," her eyes suddenly popped open.

"Yavin IV!" she said outloud. "Yavin IV?" She broke free of Crystal's hold, and struggled to stand upright. "We can't go to Yavin IV," she said to Atton. "Not now. It's an evil place. A Sith place," she added. "If Kira goes there she'll...." Jasra looked down at the floor, unable to finish her sentence. "You have to stop her, Atton. Let her rest for a while before going there. Please," she added quietly.

"There's no convincing her." Atton said, shaking his head solemnly. "I know, I've tried. Once she has her mind set on something, anyone who thinks any different can go to hell, for all she cares."
"But she'll listen to you," Disciple pointed out, "You two do have your...connection, as it is."
Atton heard the slight tint of bitterness in his voice, but ignored it, staring down into his drink.
With a sigh, he put it down. "If I get my head bitten off, I'm blaming you." and with that, he headed to the cockpit.

"Kira?" he asked tentatively. She didn't answer. He came up behind the pilot's chair, looking over at her. "Answer me."
She continued to ignore him.
"Hey," he said, and spun the chair around.
"What?" she asked.
"Are you alright?"
"Never been better." she tried to swivle forward again, but the Scoundrel held tight to the armrest, holding her there. She sighed, her expression slightly ticked off. "Atton, what do you want?"
"I'm worried about you." he said, kneeling so he could meet her eyes.
"Join the club, we've got jackets." she said sarcastically, and tried to turn again without success.
"I'm serious, Kira. You haven't been sleeping, you barely eat-"
"You know what," she said, standing and struting past him, "Go find someone else to worry about, like maybe your girlfriend in the 'brig', because I'm sure she'd appreciate it more than I do."
The pilot stared after her for a few seconds, utterly bewildered at her last lash. With a grunt, he stood, and went after her.
"Kira!" he said, jogging past the others as he followed Kira through the main hold and into one of the side corridors. "Listen to me!"
"Go away, Atton." she said, not turning to face him. Her longer strides kept her slightly ahead of the man, but he wasn't about to give up.
She reached the dormitory before he did, and was about to key the door shut when he came launching in, grabbing her by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall.
"Kira..." he said, saying her name for the fourth time in as many minutes. Even at this proximity, her expression didn't change. He ran his fingers along her cheekbone, and she didn't tremble. The Jedi simply looked back at him, his eyes cold and indifferent, her face set in stone.
"I really am worried about you." he said, his voice low.
"I'm sure you ar--"
Her voice was cut off as his lips closed over hers. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before sliding closed and giving herself into the kiss and the man's arms. She slid her hands around his shoulders, joining them together at the back of his neck as he braced himself against the wall with one hand, the other wrapped tightly around her waist.
After several moments, he pulled his face away from hers, both gasping for air. "And I love you, Kira," his fingers once again danced across the skin of her reddened cheek, "You have to believe me."

Crystal remained seated when Jasra moved to speak with Atton and Disciple.

"Can't stop time," she murmured. "Keeps spinning and knitting and twisting together. Sky darkens as day grows old... lightning strikes best in darkness... most visible."

She wrinkled her nose and complained, "I don't know what I'm saying... I never know what I'm saying!"

Tears began to fill her eyes and she drew her knees up to her chest, securing them there with her arms.

Feeling Crystal's pain and confusion through their link, Jasra knelt down beside her.

"Let me help you," she said quietly, and she softly laid her hand on Crystal's forehead.

"Jasra, what are you doing?" Karda asked, stepping closer to the force field that barricaded her inside the storage room to see what she was up to.

Jasra ignored him. She closed her eyes and began to search through Crystal's mind, seeking out the golden threads that the shard had created, that were tangled and interwoven in Crystal's essence. Latching on to a golden strand, she began to untangle it from the rest.

This time, Jasra made up her mind that she wasn't going to stop until most of the gold strands were gone--no matter how tangled she got herself.

"Jasra?" Karda frowned, as his finger hovered over the switch that deactivated the force field. Getting no response again, he concentrated, seeking out Jasra's mind through the Force. "Jasra!"

Suddenly, Jasra felt herself being tugged away from Crystal. "Karda, no! I'm not finished!" Tangled in the golden strands, Jasra felt as if she was being choked. Then darkness enveloped her...

When she opened her eyes, Karda was standing over her. He looked concerned.

"I'm sorry, Jasra," he said to her. "I had to pull you away." He paused a beat. "What were you doing?"

"I was trying to heal Crystal," Jasra said, rising slowly. Her eyes scanned for her friend. Crystal was lying beside her, her eyes open, but looking a bit confused. Jasra's heart sank, thinking that she had been unsuccessful in her attempt to heal her. "Crystal?"

Crystal's hair was a slightly duller blonde and a little straighter than it had been. Her eyes remained dark blue. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Jasra.

"Differences of mind," she murmured. "Changes, yours more twisted, mine less so. I..." She closed her eyes and sat up.

"Head-burning," she whispered, getting to her feet and lurching off somewhere. "Drunk without drinking... ugh... need water..."

"What does it mean to fall?" The words echoed through the small brig, Karda, Jasra, and Crystal hearing them in their heads, but somehow outside of it as well. And then Brax apeared, there was an odd quality about him, kind of like a hologram. But more solid looking.

"Something else I can teach you Jasra, projections. I'm not really here, but I wanted to talk to you three, and The Doctor ... but you three will do." He nodded sloly, and looked Karda up and down, Jasra felt him more fimrly than the others, words whispering in her ear. I am using you as a focus Jasra, I hope you don't mind, it is a great distance to where you are in Hyperspace.

He ran his hands through his hair slowly, pacing back and forth through the chamber a few moments.

"I understand your Anger Karda, more than you do I believe, you think that what I did was wrong, that Killing 'the great revan' was some horrible deed. That I am a monster, and animal. I almost wish I was, if I was what all of you Jedi call 'fallen' if Jasra was, then this would all be a lot simpler, I'd just rampage around killing whatever happened to get in my way."

He closed his eyes, and was silent a few seconds, but not long enough for any of them to take up the conversation. "I killed Revan because my he was a murderer, many years ago, after your mandalorian war, when the Jedi and the Sith fought, Revan was looking for somethign near y planet. A forge or something, I do not know what this was ... all I know is that the leader of my people was outint he galaxy, and that Revan found him, and his partner ... and Revan killed our leader's partner, and corrupet him ... turned him to what you call the darkside, taught him to use his emotions only for evil deeds."

"Karda, the flaw in the Jedi is not that they abhor evil, it is that they abhor good as well. Inaction is not the way of the galaxy, protection and defense will never win out, not in the long run. And hidin your emotions makes you no better than the droids that serve you. Why not just make machines that can use the force, would they not be more effecient than all you little Jedi drones?" He paused now, letting a responce come.

Crystal nodded slowly, her quest for water abandoned for the moment. Sounding surprisingly sane for recently, she said, "It makes sense, your motives... but you seem to have ignored the fact that people can change. Had it occurred to you that..." She wrinkled her nose suddenly and sneezed abruptly. And that ended her scolding speech.

"Tricksy," she murmured, again picking up her quest for water and leaving the room. "Tricksy mind..."

Moments after Crystal had turned, a double-bladed blue lightsaber, its blades active and humming, sailed through the air and through Brax's 'chest'. As its blade plunged into the wall, the others turned to see a distressed Kira standing in the corridor, tears pouring from her eyes.
As soon as she had sensed Brax's presence, she had come running out into the corridors. Standing in the shadows for several moments, her chest heaving as sobs racked her body, the Exile eyed Brax with hate flowing from every pore in her body.
"Revan was not a murderer!" she cried.

"Revan was a murderer, Exile. I'm sorry that you lost him, but our fight was honorable, wether you want to believe it or not. I called him out, and he met my challenge. He did not back down, he knew that his fate was in the hands of the force." Brax turned looking at the saber in the wall, then looked back at Kira. "I do not want to be your enemy Kira, YOU make me your enemy. My only fight was with Revan, and he met me in my challenge."

"You...you think it's so easy, to forgive and forget." she said, her voice wavering as she stared down 'Brax'. "It's not. Revan might not have remembered me, but I sure as hell remembered him." she blinked hard, trying to shake away the tears. "I loved him." she said quietly, "I loved him, damn it!!"
She called her saber back to her hand, but did not deactivate the blades. "I could have made him remember...I would have...but you destroyed my hope. You took him away from me, and that is unforgivable."

~*~*~

Atton stood a bit further down the corridor, staring surprised at Kira. So she did love him. he thought, his eyes drifting to the durasteel floor. Would she ever fight for him one day, like she was fighting for Revan now? Did she care enough to?
Probably not... he thought despairingly. He had known since they had first met on Peragus that he had nothing to offer a woman such as her. Revan on the other hand...hell, he was the saviour of the galaxy! How could he even hope to measure up to that?

"You have no idea what I think, or what I feel, or anything about me. You are upset because the man you loved is dead." Grey eyes flared with anger, staring at Kira. ["Well I was upset when Revan killed the man I love, so if revenge is what you want, come and find me. I took out the man who was supposedly the best fighter your people had to offer, and now you think you can take me? Well, then Atton can continue to wonder how much you really love him."

He frowned darkly. "I will see you at Yavin IV." And with that he was gone.

"Oh don't worry, Brax, I'll be there." Kira murmured to herself, as she extinguished her saber, "And Yavin IV will be your grave."
She ignored the wondering eyes of the others, and turned back into the corridor, roughly shoving past a speechless Atton.
She needed to settle down. She was afraid that if her temper kept flaring as it had been for the past few hours, she would eventually loose control completely...

As Kira stormed off, Karda turned towards Jasra and gave her a hard stare. Jasra began to back away.

"Jasra," Karda said, in a quite easy but inquisitive tone, "could you explain exactly how Brax knows that we're going to Yavin IV?"

She shook her head, averting her eyes to the floor rather than meet his gaze. "No."

"No?" Karda gave her an extreme look of doubt. His eyes narrowed inquisitively. "Do you have some kind of link with him?”

Jasra shrugged. "I don't know," she said, as she backed away from him.

"You don't know?"

"What does it matter anyway," she said hurriedly. “You all hate me because of what I….”

“I don’t hate you,” Karda said, sighing.

“Yes you do,” she said, backing further into the storage area. “You locked me away in here.”

“I locked you away for you to cool off and think,” he said. “Not because I hate you.” He sighed. "I just want you to understand that it is a mistake to trust Brax.”

“A mistake?” Jasra shook her head. “Brax is not the enemy. The shards are. And whoever else is after them,” she added. “Brax is helping me.”

“He is not helping you,” Karda said bitterly. “He’s of the Dark Side.”

Jasra shook her head.

“He is,” Karda continued, moving closer to her. “He teaches you to use fear and hate and anger to bolster your connection with the Force. The Sith teach the same thing.”

“He’s not a Sith!” Jasra insisted, suddenly finding herself backed up against the room’s back wall. “And emotions aren’t all bad. What about love, and passion, and joy….”

“Love? What do you know about love? You care only about yourself!”

“That’s not true!” she said defensively, now only inches away from him. “I care about Crystal, and Kira, and…and….” For a reason she could not explain, she suddenly reached out, her hands cradling either side of his face, and she kissed him hard on the lips. Then, shocked by her own actions, she ended the kiss as abruptly as she had started it.

Karda appeared dumbfounded. “I’m sorry,” she said to him. “I don’t know why I did that.”

“It’s the shards,” Karda said softly, although he didn’t back away from her. Instead, he laid his hand on her temple. “Sleep, Jasra,” he whispered, as he slowly drew his hand down the side of her face, using the Force to make her relax. She slowly slid down the back of the wall, her eyes heavy. “I’ll wake you when we get to Yavin IV.”

With Jasra asleep, Karda approached Atton. “I’m worried,” he said to the scoundel. “The shards are affecting all of us in different ways, though Kira seems to be the worst affected. When we get to Yavin IV, we must keep a close eye on her. Don’t let Kira out of your sight. And try to keep reminding her that we all care about her,” he added. “’Love’ might be our only weapon against the effects of the shards.” He shot a quick glance at Jasra. “We’ll deal with Brax when it comes to it.”

"I'm scarred for her." Atton said, leaning back against the wall, looking in the direction of the dormitory, as if he could see Kira through the walls, "Something's happening to her. I'm beginning to think that these Shards may be too strong. Even for her." his voice trailed off as he thought about the implications of what he had just said.
The Scoundrel's eyes turned to look at the sleeping Jasra, then passed back over to Karda. The question he was tempted to ask repeated itself in his head, but as he looked at the Jedi, he could tell that he was just as confused about it as the Scoundrel was. He let the topic be. There would be another time to ask questions...but this, for the moment, wasn't it.

"He's waking up." Nyssa nudged Tegan, then nodded to the Doctor as his eyes fluttered open.

"Ah, Nyssa. Tegan. Did I miss anything?" the Doctor asked innocently, as he sat up, apparently completely healed from his last regeneration ordeal.

"Well...," Nyssa said hesitantly.

"Kira and Jasra went beserk and had a lightsabre duel," Tegan blurted. "But it's over now."

"We think," Nyssa added cautiously. "Although, the shards seem to be affecting nearly all of us now. In different ways," she added.

"Oh, dear," said the Doctor. "That's not good. Not good at all." He got up and paced around the TARDIS for a moment, then suddenly brightened and snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"

"Got what?" asked Tegan, giving a look to Nyssa who answered her with a shrug.

"A way to shield ourselves from the effects of the shards we already have."

He punched a few buttons on one of the consoles of the TARDIS and waited for a moment. "Ah!" he said triumphantly as he read the results of his query. "That should work." He began to punch some more buttons.

"What should work?" asked Tegan, frustrated that he hadn't really answered her first question to her satisfaction.

"Adjusting the frequency of the protection field around the strongbox to encompass the higher points of the multi-fluctuation of the shards' radiative field qualities." He gave Tegan a look. "It's terribly complicated, I'm afraid."

"That's quite alright, Doctor," Nyssa interjected before Tegan could say another word. "You just keep right on working."

In a moment, a hazy green shimmer encompassed the strong box that held the crystal shards.

The Doctor let out a sigh of relief. "I'm feeling better already," he said. "What about you?"

"I don't feel any different," said Tegan.

"Ah, well, of course you wouldn't," said the Doctor. "You and Nyssa seem to be the least affected." He started towards the door. "Come," he said to them. "We'll seek out Crystal. Perhaps she can feel the difference."

"What about the shard that Kira is wearing around her neck?" Nyssa asked. "How are we going to get that one within the field?"

"It appears that the shard's effects are amplified when they are near one another. With most of them now shielded, Kira's one lone shard shouldn't have as much effect on the rest of us." He paused. "At least, not until we find the next one. Did Kira say where the next one was, by the way?"

"A place called Yavin IV," said Nyssa. "I took the liberty of doing some research on it and...."

"Oh, dear," the Doctor interrupted. "I know all about the history of Yavin IV. Evil place, or at least it will be for the next four thousand years. Oh dear, oh dear.... Well, we can't worry about that now. Come, we must seek out Crystal. See how she's faring."

And with that, the Doctor headed into the Ebon Hawk, closely followed by Tegan and Nyssa.

"Mi-Lord?"
Thanatos turned slowly to face his Admiral. "What... is it....?"
"We believe we have found a way to capture this 'Doctor'."
"Explain."
The Admiral consulted his notes. "When his ship, this 'Tardis', flies, it... it combines intense gravometric pulses, accompanied by nelactic particle emissions to create a stable wormhole through space and time. It generates a field of opposite polarity at the targeted destination point. Like a flake of metal placed in a whole, drawn towards a magnet."
"This is... possible?"
"It would require great amounts of power, but it is possible."
"Make it so..."

"Not quite as twisted, my brain, Doctor," Crystal said, seeing him approach with Tegan and Nyssa. "Still some twisting, still loose thoughts that are not mine..." She cringed. "But more me than before, there is here." She wrinkled her nose. "Must I continually speak backwards?"

She sneezed and grumbled about needing water. She glanced at the Doctor and his companions. "If you'll excuse me please, I really must find some water... not sure why, but I sure know I need some..."

With that, she headed off to find the water she'd been searching out for almost a half an hour.

As Jasra slept, she dreamed. Of Kira's golden eyes. Of a deserted temple, surrounded by jungle, but not overgrown, and echoing with the ghosts of those who had breathed their last breath there. Of a jewelled pendant hanging around the neck of a corpse. And as she reached out to touch the sparkling gold stone in the centre, the corspe opened his eyes.

"It's mine!" he hissed through a lipless mouth. His eyes flickered to grow into blazing gold fire and a nearly skeletonised hand reached out to her. "Join me...."

Jasra's eyes popped open just as the Ebon Hawk lurched out of hyperspace. "We're here," she said.

Kira's eyes darted restlessly beneath her closed eyelids. Even as she meditated, she could hardly control her mind darting quickly from one thought to another. Brax, Revan, the Shards, Yavin, the activities of the crew, Atton, Revan, and back to Brax again. However, the moment the ship lurched from hyperspace, her eyes blasted wide open. "We're here." she said, unknowingly echoing Jasra's words.

~*~*~

"She's been acting very strange," Disciple said, joining with Atton in the conversation. "She's become short-tempered, and her actions seem to have no life to them...almost as if they were mechanical."
"Or that they were controlled." Atton commented, staring down into his drink again, "She hasn't been sleeping or eating...hell, I can't remember the last time she laughed...I would have remembered." the last statement came out as a whisper that was hardly audible by any of the others.
"Where is she?"
No sooner had the words left the Disciple's mouth as the ship jerked, announcing their arrival at the planet. Seconds afterward, Kira quickly appeared in front of them. Her eyes darting quickly to each of their faces, she said, "Land. Quickly."

The Doctor entered the room from the TARDIS.
*Ah, Kira, I have a request. Perhaps we should land on the surface of... where did you say we were landing?*
"I didn't," said Nyssa. " But we're landing on Yavin IV."
*Yes, well then-* he spun aorund to face her. *Did you say Yavin IV?*
"Yes... We read that-"
*I'm sorry, Kira, but I'm afraid I must go on ahead of the Ebon Hawk in the TARDIS alone. There are dangers here you can't even begin to fathom. Secrets only meant for the eyes of a Time Lord.*
"Doctor, what-"
The Doctor pushed Tegan gently out of the way, and entered the TARDIS, closing the door behind him.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor sealed the doors, and prepared for take off. He set the coordinates for a familiar temple on the moon's surface, down in the southern polar region. He flicked a few switches, and pulled a lever. The column began to move, and the engines began to grind.
Suddenly, the lights went out, and the room was lit only by the red lights on the console itself. The engines began to whine, and the grinding raised in pitch until it sounded like a scream. The TARDIS shook violently. Then it all stopped just as fast as it had started. The lights returned to normal, and the room hummed pleasently as it always did. The Doctor examined his instruments - he was nowhere near where he had intended to be. He activated the view screen, but it just buzzed with static. An ominous thump sounded against the door, and the Doctor turned towards the exit. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, pointing it at the door.
*K9?* he said quietly. *K9? K9, can you hear me?*
There was no answer. He spared a look over at K9, and saw that his power pack was lying in front of him, pulled open, its circuits strewn across the floor. Nyssa must have been repairing it before they had landed on Dagobah. Realizing that he was alone here, the Doctor walked slowly to the door lever, and pushed it down.
The doors swung open, and he was greated with a horrible sight. The room beyond the TARDIS was a dark and dingy brig, a pile of humanoid bones lying in a corner. He walked towards them slowly, the sonic screwdriver poised for activation. The room was emtpy except for the bones. He bent down in front of them.
*Twi'Lek...* he muttered. He pulled a femur out of the pile. *Except for this...* he said, throwing it aside.
"Correct."
He spun around to face a tall man in a dark grey uniform. The uniform of a sith soldier. But not from this era...
*Who are you? Are you Sion's remaining men?*
"Stand, human," said the man, ignoring the question, his red eyes gleaming.
*Oh please, don't call me human: Just 'Doctor' will do nicely, thank you.*
"You will come with us," said the man darkly, unlocking the cell with a keycard. The forcefield dropped, and he stepped in, flanked by another uniformed man on each side of him. One of them ripped the sonic screwdriver from his hand.
*I would like that back sometime, if you don't mind," said the Doctor politely. *It's the only one I've got left, you see.*
The man threw the tool onto the ground, and it skidded across the floor to the closed TARDIS door.
"Stand," repeated the soldier.
The Doctor did as he was told. They led him through a series of tunnel like corridors, finally coming to an ominously blood stained door. The door opened, and the soldiers pushed him into a dark room. The man with the red eyes stood in front of him.
"We know who - and what - you are. Doctor."
*Yes, well, now that you know my name, perhaps-*
"What are you doing here? The last time 'the Doctor' surfaced, he aided the Republic against Lord Malak, bringing the mighty Sith empire to its knees."
*Ah yes, that would be the last time I 'surfaced' from your perspecitve, I imagine. I was actually here three years from now, but-"
"Why have you returned? What do you intend to do?"
*Ah well, I'm here on a purely personal trip, I assuer you. That business with the Daleks... I need a vacation. This galaxy always provides a healthy distraction. Though I dare say that you wish to secure me to a crude torture device and beat me with your primitive weapons, correct?*
"You dare mock us, Doctor?" said the man dangerously. "Do you know who we are? Do you know how close to death you are at this very moment?"
*Yes, I know who you are. You are the Sith who the Daleks attempted to aid during the hyperspace war. The 'True Sith', I believe is what you will be referred to. But there is something I do not know: How did you survive the Time War?*
Another voice filled the room. A dark, quiet voice that was barely more than a whisper, but still carried the weight of a life time of evil. "They survived.... through me."
The Doctor spun around, and saw another man entering the room - a tall man in a solid black cloak, the hood pulled over his head, masking his face in shadow. He towered over the Doctor, who was not a short man by any definition.
*Who are you?*
The man weezed, and the Doctor assumed it was his version of a laugh. "I am... the beginning.... the end... all that was.... that is... and what will be. I am the Force."
The Doctor looked up at him evenly. *Most likely nothing more than another twisted Sith Lord that the archives of the Time Lords seemed to overlooked.*
The new man seemed to grow taller in his rage. "Watch your tongue, Time Lord... or I will remove it."
*I'm sure you will,* responded the Doctor dismissively. *YOu didn't answer my question: Who are you? You can't possibly be Darth Vanextros: he won't be around for almost ten years. The galaxt should be at peace at the moment. There's no Sith activity logged in the-*
"I am the beginning.... The end. All that was.... that is... and what will be. I am the Force," repeated the man. "I am Darth Thanatos."
*Thanatos... Thanatos... are you sure? I've never hear of you?*
"Take him... to the brig, captain. The Exile will come for him. Especially if he has... this."
He pulled from his cloak a long, thing, yellow crystal. The Doctor stared at it in horror. As Thanatos drew closer with the Shard, he felt himeself growing weaker. "She will... come for him... or the Shard. And she will bring the other Shards with her. The G0-T0 droids did their jobs well."
The Doctor's eyes flashed up to Thanatos. *You mean... this whole time... we've been serving... a Sith Lord?*
"Yes. These events were set in place years ago, at the destruction of Telos. If it weren't for Admiral Karath and his fleet, none of what i have accomplished... would have been possible."
The Shard was placed in the Doctor's pocket. He tried lifting his arm to remove it, but he was too weak. *You... will not succeed.*
"I already have, Doctor... The Exile will come to me with the other Shards... and I will use the Key to destroy the Jedi... and rule the galaxy!"
A fist came at his face, and with the Shard weighing his reaction, it caught him full force. Another one came at his chest, and he felt a few of his ribs crack. His nose broke as another punch hit him square on, and someone kicked the back of his knees. He fell to the ground in front of Thanatos in a miserable bow, gasping for breath through the pain. A foot came down on his spine, and he was pushed to the ground on his chest. Thanatos reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. "Remove him."
He could do nothing as he was dragged back to the brig, the TARDIS key crushed to dust in the gloved hand of Lord Thanatos. He was thrown into the cell roughly, hitting the side of the TARDIS. Crumpled, bleeding, and finally defeated, the Doctor fell to the ground and wept.

Jasra suddenly stood up. She sensed something odd, like a feeling something or someone was missing.

"The Doctor," she said to no one in particular. "And the Shard. They're gone." She looked around the main hold. "Can you feel it?" she asked Karda. "Or rather, can't you?"

Ever since she had helped the Doctor and Crystal, Jasra's emotions surged violently inside her--anger, love, fear--they seemed to meld together, washing over her in intense and uncontrollable waves.

"Kira!" she shouted angrily. "What have you done with the Doctor and the shard in the TARDIS?!"

Kira turned to Jasra, the calm on her face far more frightening than any sneer could ever be.
"You think I did something with him?" she asked. "You're a fool, Jasra. Harming the man would have served no purpose, and why would I send the Shards away from me? And you've let your emmotions become the better of you far too quickly. Again, you are a fool."
She turned to the pilot. "Atton, take her down, now. We will find the Doctor later, once this most recent Shard is collected. His unique feeling in the Force will lead me right to him, and the last Shard. I can sense it on him..."

As the Ebon Hawk landed, Jasra quietly seethed at Kira's arrogant tone. She'd show her who was a fool. She'd get the shard first. Prove herself to Kira and the others who thought her unworthy and ignorant.

Join me... the whispery voice from her dream echoed in her head.

Jasra grinned slightly to herself. Yes, she'd show Kira what she was made of. What Brax had made her. What the Jedi had made her. What her years alone had created within her. She'd show Kira and the others.

As everyone was preparing to land, Jasra looked towards Karda. He hadn't put up the force field in the makeshift brig since he had put her to sleep. Now he was preoccupied with the Disciple, probably talking about what to do with Kira. He didn't even notice Jasra's lightsabre rising, then floating through the air and into her hand.

She quietly tucked it away in the top of her boot. As nonchalantly as she could, she inched her way out of the storage area and around to the ramp area, with the intention of being the first one off the ship. This time, she wasn't going to worry about what happened to anyone else. This time, Karda's assessment of her selfishness would be correct.

Jasra didn't find just barren land outside the ship though, Brax had beat the Hawk to Yavin and he sat on a log absently, about fifty feet from the lowering ramp. He was carving a small hunk of wood into something.

The others hadn't disembarked yet. Jasra eyed Brax, frowning curiously at the piece of wood he held in his hands, then looked over her shoulder at the open door behind her. Kira would be coming out soon, and even though it would make it easier for her to get to the temple and to the shard if Brax and Kira were busy fighting, she really didn't want to see them hurt or kill each other. She realised that she cared for both of them, and at the moment, with her mind tainted by the influence of the shards, her emotions were ruling over her logic.

She turned back to Brax. "Come with me," she said, quickly approaching him. "Kira will be here soon, and I don't want to see you or her hurt."

For a brief moment, Jasra wondered if Brax was going to chastise her for being foolish by getting herself infected by the shard from her attempts at helping Crystal and the now missing Doctor, or praise her for her loyalty to him.

"Kira will stop at nothing to gain control of it," Jasra continued. "Come with me, Brax. Help me get the shard before she does."

A man stood on a nearby precipice, staring down at the Ebon Hawk. His piercing blue eyes scanned the horizon for a moment from a face with a large nose, large ears, and a long, sloping forehead.
She's one of his recent companions, he thought. Jasra Lantill. The time was coming where he would be forced to expose himself to her and the others. Without them, he would never reach his goal...
He reached into the pocket of his black leather jacket, and pulled out a small device. There were a set of numbers on it - a hand held chronometer. He placed it back in his pocket, this time in that of his black jeans.
*The time approaches...* he muttered, his voice accented. *I will find you. Doctor.*

He frowned at Jasra lightly, and stood up. "If you think that is best." He nodded and tossed the wooden carving at her. It was simple, done with his claws ... but very well done, a simple female humanoid form. "Lead the way." He motioned for her to do so. He had been looking forward to fighting Kira, but ... he would follow Jasra's lead for the moment.

Crystal came out slowly and saw Jasra talking with Brax. She stared at them for a moment before shrugging and moving off somewhere into the jungle.

"Crazy-making glassy-thingy close," she murmured as she moved away. "This-away, that-away... girl doesn't quite understand why she's drawn to it. Ki-Ki knows the draw. Jazzy tried to understand, but still doesn't..."

The man on the mountain ledge stepped out of site as another female, the one named Crystal, stepped off the ramp. He couldn't expose his presence quite yet. He needed to wait...

~~~~~~~~~~

Nyssa and Tegan stepped down from the ramp, squinging in the bright light from the noon sun. Tegan spoke quietly to Nyssa.
"Nyssa? Where do you think the Doctor ran off to? Do you think he's alright?
"I'm sure he's fine," answered Nyssa, looking around. "The Doctor's quite capable of taking care of himself. He'll be back soon. Probably right after we need him most," she added with a smile.
Tegan looked up at the tall cliffs off to the right. The sun was glaring own on her eyes, almost blinding her...
"Nyssa?!"
"What?" asked Nyssa, turning suddenly at Tegan's yell/ "What is it?"
"Up there!" she said, pointing to a spot somewhere up in the cliffs. "I was someone. A man dressed in black. just staring down at us."
Nyssa shielded her eyes from the sun and peered up at the cliffs. "I don't see anything," she said. "It must have been a trick of the light."
Tegan continued to stare up at the cliffs for a moment. "Yes... yes, I suppose you're right..."

Jasra caught the wooden carving that Brax had tossed her. She traced a finger along the smooth curves, then gave Brax a curious look. She wondered about the gift's meaning, but now was not the time to ask him about it.

"This way," she said, and she scurried quickly into the foliage. She had seen Crystal go off to the right. She went straight ahead. The path was overgrown, but without having to look out for anyone else, she navigated it with ease. In a few minutes, she and Brax were well away from the Ebon Hawk and nearing the old temple.

Suddenly, with the movement of a large, leafy branch, the side of the temple came into view.

Join me... The voice from her dreams called out to her.

She stopped and turned to Brax. "Can you hear that?" she asked him. "Someone calling to me..."

Before Brax could answer, a deafening roar came from behind her. She whirled around, but she could see nothing. Suddenly an unseen force hit her hard in the chest, knocking her into the air and throwing her back several feet.

As she gasped to catch her breath, a large shimmer appeared, and a creature of immense size stood over her.

Night Beast... the voice from her dreams said.

The Beast stood there, claws out, growling, its mouth gaping and saliva dripping from thick formidible teeth. But before it could approach Jasra and Brax, a voluminous high pitched sound pierced the air.

The Beast howled, swinging its head wildly. Jasra covered her ears, wincing in pain, while the beast fled into the forest, howling and shaking its head in a frenzy. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the noise abruptly ceased.

Confused, Jasra turned her head towards Brax for an explanation, and as she did so, she saw a figure of a man, dressed in black, approaching them.

"What the...?" She nodded to Brax to alert him to the newcomer.

The stranger concealed his device in his pocket, walking slowly towards Jasra and Brax.
*Stand, Jasra. The creature will not abandon it's prey so easily. We must escape it's territory, before it returns.*

"Why don't we simply kill it?" Brax said, looking at this new figure, then to Jasra. A new player? His voice in her mind, it was getting easier to link with her. He had dropped into a fighting pose, his claws were glowing with anticipation.

"Escape?" Jasra looked at the temple. It was so close! She shook her head. "I don't want to escape. I want to go inside." Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she rose to her feet. "And how do you know my name, anyway?"

*I've been following you - the crew of the Ebon Hawk - since you left Manaan. I am the Watcher. I know a great deal more than you could ever believe possible. But now is not the time. The Shard must be located. Quickly. The Doctor is in danger. Mortal danger.*
A terrible roaring sound filled the forest - he creature was returning.
*On that note, so are we. Come, now!*

"Into the temple then." Brax looked at the man, and then headed for the temple, his feet pushing down hard ont he ground, he slid his thoughts into Jasra's. and showed her somethign new ... teaching her as he himself did it, how to push her body to the limits, to incre3ase her speed, and agility.

(I need to go for a bit, but would like this to proceed, so Jasra please control Brax)

Jasra felt Brax's presence in her mind and immediately understood what he was teaching her. She was growing accustomed to him, and beginning to feel comforted by the feeling she got when his thoughts mingled with hers.

Her speed and agility suddenly increased through the Force, she had little trouble following Brax as he negotiated his way through the remainder of the jungle towards the temple.

The Watcher was following them, but as she and Brax had reached the door to the temple before him, they had time to study the glyphs carved in the lintel above the door.

"Question....Answer..." the voice from her dreams whispered to her.

"It's a riddle," she said to Brax, as she ran a light finger down a line of symbols carved on the wall beside the door. "One of these must be the answer." Her eyes darted back and forth across the lintel, trying to make heads or tails of the symbols.

"Ancient numbers," Brax said after a moment. "One, two, three, five, eight..."

Jasra grinned. "So we have to choose the next in the series," she said, nodding. "Using a combination of these symbols. They must represent numbers as well." She looked up at the glyphs above the door. "But they aren't the same as the ones here on the side."

"Indeed," Brax said with a knowing grin.

Jasra snorted. "You know what they mean, don't you," she said to him, more of a statement than a question. She sighed, then took her task in hand and studied the symbols for a moment. "If that's five, and that's two, then this one must be seven," she thought out loud. "And if that one is eight and that's one, then this one might be nine. Two two's, four. Or is that a symbol for addition? Because if that's one and that's three, this one could be four...."

All the while Brax leaned casually against the wall, grinning at her.

"I think I got it," she said finally. She looked askance at Brax and he nodded for her to continue. Taking a deep breath, she reached out and pushed a combination of symbols. There was the grinding sound of stone on stone and the door to the temple gradually slid open.

Jasra grinned at her success, but her grin quicky faded as she cautiously peered inside, half-expecting to see another Night Beast to suddenly appear. But nothing happened. All was quiet inside. As quiet as a tomb.

While they waited for the Watcher to catch them up, Jasra fingered the small wooden figurine she still held in her hand. Now was as good of time as any to ask Brax about it. "This is lovely, by the way," she started, suddenly feeling rather shy.

She felt her emotions again start to run rampant, the shard still contaminating and tangling her thoughts. Feelings of tenderness mixed with strength, anxiety with hope, fear with security, passion with... She took a deep breath, fighting against the shard's effects as the rush of uncontrolled and unexpected feelings frightened her. "Is there... a special meaning attached to it?" she asked naively.