The electric shocks began to bypass Aurora's barriers. She bit back a scream as it began to burn her skin. "I....will....NOT.... tell....you....anything, fool."

* * *

Arion was forced back several steps by the shockwave. "Whoa, you've got a lot of power there, friend."

"Well, I can see your power hasn't reduced a bit, friend." CSI smiled.

"Oh yeah, so aren't yours. By the way, who is that tall and handsome man?" The Newcomer noticed Arion.

"Oh, that's Arion Starfire, like you, he's a Jedi Weapon Master. Well, I met him on Naboo, briefly. I can sense that a great crisis is approaching. Arion, this is Vergil Descartes, my friend. But he's a Jedi Weapon Master."

Vergil bowed to Arion: "Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi, especially a Weapon Master."

Arion bowed in return. "The pleasure is mine, Vergil. What brings you to this corner of the galaxy?" He froze as he felt that Aurora was in pain. Blast, I should be doing something instead of waiting around here.

"Then pledge your loyality to me... and then escape. Mother, I will not argue with you... Either do it this way or I will take father's punishment for forcing you to escape. Our time is almost up. Decide... Now. Please." He said, only caring about his mother right then and there.

"I can not escape, he will kill you," Sarela said looking into Ben's blue eyes, "And you are all I have."

******

"As much as I love pain, I must go and tend to another...'friend' who is enjoying my hospitality. I shall return later to see that you are still enjoying yourself," Darth Kelion said as he walked out the door. He used Force Sense to see where Darth Saaron and Sarela were and he started for Darth Saaron's quarters.

Darth Saaron looked into his mother's eyes and pleeded one last time while embracing her... closely. "Mother... I am in love with a Jedi... only she does not know it yet..." He paused. "Do not worry about me, she will rescue me from myself. I want you to live. Please." He said... feeling his father getting closer. "You have run out of time... I... am sorry. But father will kill me, and I must do what I need to survive. You of all people should know that I will do what ever it takes for me to ensure survival." He said as his expression came back to being cold. "I... I- am loyal to Darth Kelion and I must obey him to survive. I am sorry I could not save you mother. I- I did try. But- but you refuesed my help. Forgive me."

Darth Kelion entered the room, "Sarela, I suppose you know your fate?" "Sarela stood, "I know what you would like my fate to be, yes." "Then let us proceed," Darth Kelion said drawing his lightsabers. Sarela held two blue lightsabers in her hands and said, "If that truly is to be my fate, then at least our son will get to see how he should die, when his time comes: like the good person he is." Darth Kelion sneered, "If he is my apprentice, his time will never come." "All things must die in the end you know that," Sarela replied, "Have you fallen so far as to think you can out run death? You are so much less then you were when last I saw you." Darth Kelion struck out crossing his blades with hers, "I have more power now then you could ever imagine," he growled. "Then why is there fear behind your eyes? We fought once before, do you remember?" Darth Kelion struck again but Sarela blocked it easily, "It was when I took Ben, you tried to stop me, you almost killed him then. You haven't forgotten." "Maybe not, but this time you will die," Darth Kelion snarled. He struck blow after blow and Sarela blocked them all, "I beat you once, I will do it again, as long as there is hope for the future," she paused and looked at Ben.

Ben looked at his mother and teared, but dared not go against his father's will. "Mother... I- I'm sorry. Forgive me." However he was enraged with his father. "YOU NEARLY KILLED ME? YOU SHUTTA!" He continued for a moment to curse various insults people had called him over the years. "One other thing, father. If you kill her now... She will be with me for the rest of my life, in spirit, if not in person.... Although I would like her to attend my wedding when it happens."

"Hey Arion...Do you know who got your sister?" CSI suddenly asked, thoughtfully. Vergil rolled his eyes: "Hey, CSI, I never know Arion has a sister!" CSI patted Vergil's shoulder, "Now you do. Go on, Arion." CSI narrowed his eyes.

Darth Kelion snarled, "You aren't getting married, I killed the Jedi, and your mother is LYNG! She has always been lying." He clashed his lightsabers back at Sarela, "I will be there either way, Ben, and you know I don't lye." She blocked Darth Kelion's blows, and said, "You are afraid, that is why you can not defeat me. I do not fear you." Darth Kelion froze Darth Saaron with stasis and said, "I am not afraid, I am never afraid!" "You might as well say you're lying to yourself, because we are still bonded, even though it has been many years," Sarela replied with a smile.

Although frozen, Darth Saaron began to project extreme annoyance through the force. ::If you killed the Jedi... why do I still sense her? I NEVER TOLD YOU WHICH JEDI I AM IN LOVE WITH. Now, father. Why AM I FROZEN WHEN I ALREADY TOLD YOU I WOULD STAY WITH YOU JUST TO KEEP MOTHER SAFE!! DO YOU NOT EVEN TRUST YOUR OWN SON FOR FORCE'S SAKE?::

Darth Kelion sneered, "I am not sure you would stay out of my business till I am done, so when this is over I will release you. And you don't know any other Jedi, so who else would you be in love with? And love is far over rated." "That's only because you have never felt love," said Sarela, she released Ben from the stasis, "You have no right to hold him."

Aurora continued to be electrocuted by the force cage. By this time she had several burns, both internal and external, and was only hanging on to consciousness by sheer force of will. She wouldn't be able to remain conscious for much longer, though.

* * *

Arion was silent a long while, thinking. "It has to be the Sith Lord we saw in the street, and his son. Our.... mission, was to get to him before the Sith did. Aurora isn't one to give up, so..... I bet she tried to go after him."

Darth Saaron screamed in anger. "Fine! I will be visiting our guest in the detention block. If you two want to fight... DO IT OUTSIDE OF MY QUARTERS." He then turned to his mother, "Thank you, mother. I- I hope you are able to... survive. If you cannot, I hope to see you again... soon." He stormed to his door, angry and unable to control himself. He walked up to Aurora in the detention chambers, and watched her torment for a few minutes. Once satified, he turned the current in the force cage and... tried a different method of persuasion. His yellow eyes locked on Aurora's eyes through his raised black hood, he greeted her, "Hello, sweetheart. How is my Jedi today?". He then walked up to her and reached out with a black gloved hand, and touched her face. Then proceded to lean in and kissed her for a minute or so, and then pulled back. "Did you enjoy that, my Jedi friend?" He wispered into her ear.

"Sith? Hope they're not with that assassin who needs plastic surgery," CSI scoffed, and Vergil rolled his eyes.

"I think the Sith would gather up at Korriban, since there is still a Sith Academy there, maybe we should check it up?" Vergil suggested.

"But what if they're not there?" CSI wondered.

"Easy. Every Sith Lord has his/her own mothership, right? And they're usually HUGE. So that shouldn't be an issue to locate a such a massive ship orbiting on which Sith Planet, for example, Korriban, Ziost..." Vergil explained.

"Vergil, you know what? You're a genius." CSI smiled, "You should be a Jedi Watchman, not a Weapon Master! Now...we need to go to the Royal Palace and do a proximate search at surrounding area on these planets: Korriban, Ziost, and...Let's go!"

Darth Kelion invaded Darth Saaron's mind and inflicted severe pain, "You should have left him to me," he snarled at Sarela. "If I had done that he would be dead by now," Sarela retorted, "And I have had enough!" She hit his head and knocked him out and stalked out of the Academy.

Darth Saaron suddenly dropped to his knees, but however used the force to reactivate the forcecage. He felt his father enter his mind and began to inflict agonizing pain, which he only began to convert to hate and anger, driving him further into the Dark Side's grasp. He felt his mother leave the acadmey, and left him behind, and this enraged him further. He turned on his heel and ran back to his quarters and woke his father. Once he was awake, he submissively knelt down in front of him, lowering his head.

Darth Kelion stood and looked at Darth Saaron, "I have a new lesson for you, you must learn everything the Jedi knows about the Republic and what the Jedi order's plan is to catch you and save the Republic. Use the shock switch and report back to me when you are finished.

Aurora opened her eyes, weakly. "Ben..... didn't expect to see you here...... what- what happened to your face?" She winced involuntarily from pain when he touched her. Then, just as suddenly, he was gone again, leaving behind the backwash of his rage and darkness. Overwhelmed by it, and exhausted and in pain from her burns, she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Arion nodded his agreement. "Sounds like a plan, and it's certainly better than just sitting here. Let's go."

"Arion, do you mind we hitchhike your ship to the Royal palace?" CSI asked Arion, and he said, "We might need a couple of Bounty Hunter outfits, and some Sith Robes. Where we are going to is not going to be a safe place."

Vergil shook his head, "Nope. Wait, CSI, don't tell me you lost my gift!"

CSI scoffed: "That? How come I'll throw away that suit? I like it very much, and it saved my butt for a lot of times."

"Yes, master." Darth Saaron replied, before he got up and headded to Aurora's cell again. He chuckled when he got back. "My Jedi dear... You fell asleep on me. Oh well, makes it easier for me to try to see what you are thinking." He used a quick jolt of the shock switch to wake her back up and then was once again infront of her before she was alert. "Did my presence scare you or is it the fact of my black robes and my hood... Jedi? As long as you tell me what I need to know, I assure you... you will enjoy yourself. Now before we begin." He leaned in again and kissed her for another minute and then pulled away.

Aurora struggled to focus, to drive back the pain from her burns, and the confusion she felt inside. "Wh- why do you kiss me?" she asked uncertainly, looking up at him.

* * *

Arion led CSI and Vergil on board the Phoenix and fired up the controls. "Next stop, Royal Palace Landing Dock. We'll be there in a minute." Soon, they touched down again. "We're here. Lead the way."

Darth Saaron gave her a amused look and said "What? Do you have a problem with it?" He smirked. "First few times.. you seem to have enjoyed it. I wonder about the fourth." He mused to himself, his attraction for Aurora growing with each passing moment, and then leaned back in and kissed Aurora again. Through the force he asked, ::What is the republic planning since I have come back from being a orphan, and why were you looking for me on Naboo?::

Aurora let him kiss her, too tired and in too much pain to resist him, even if she wanted to. Faintly, she heard his questions in her head. ::I spoke the truth when I said I wanted to help you. It didn't have to end this way. When.... when I first saw you, I could tell you were different from most other people I had met. And when you chose to go with your father, I- I knew I had to try to save you somehow. But I failed. And now look what has happened to you.:: She touched his face, weakly. ::What has your father done to you? What have you done to yourself?::

::I- I was only trying to survive.:: Darth Saaron replied through the force. He stopped kissing her and pulled far enough away to grab a batca container, and administered it into her. Then he continued, ::I mean you no harm... I- I love you, Aurora. But I need something to tell my father if I am to live.:: He then got up and looked her in the eye.

She looked up at him, able to focus better now that her burns were being healed. ::I... it was Ben that I had feelings for. Is he still there, somewhere? Am I to have no hope?:: She sighed. ::I don't know what the Republic plans to do. The mission I was given was to find and protect you, and I have failed in that. It's likely that I won't live to see the Council again, however, so it will be left to my brother to bring news of my failure to them. I'm sorry, but that's all I know.::

Out loud, Darth Saaron said "There is always hope, and I will not allow you to me harmed anymore. Let us find my mother." Ben led Aurora to a shuttle, and masked its signature. "I love you." He wispered into her ear as he sat down at the controls. He reached out through the force and called his mother. ::Mom... Where can we meet you?::

Sarela looked up from the controls of her ship, ::Ben? And the Jedi... interesting. Meet me on Corescant, or you can join me on my ship that is currantly orbiting space above Korriban.:: She was surprised that her son had left his father and wondered if Kelion knew.

******

Darth Kelion felt the change in his son and made his way toward the detention floor. When he arrived he was furious, his son and the Jedi had left.

"Vergil, get us into that Palace." CSI smiled while they walked off the loading pad. An officer walked up and greeted the three, "Greetings, Master Jedi. How can I help you?"

Vergil walked up: "Yeah, we need to locate some heat signatures, to eliminate potential danger to this planet."

The Officer said, "Yes, Master Jedi. This way." The officer led them to a huge computer room. "Take your time."

"Potential danger to this planet?" CSI burst out an laughter when he made sure the officer didn't hear their dialog.

Vergil ignored him, instead he was taping keyboard rapidly, the monitor showed various images.

------

"Aha, got it!" Vergil exclaimed, and pointed at the vast red on the monitor, "Look, Korriban. It indicates at least 1 Executor class Star Destroyer lower-orbiting there."

"Good. Now we go to my shop...We need to get some Sith Robe." CSI walked out of the Computer room. Vergil patted Arion who was standing there, admiring the computer room, "Time to go, Arion."

Aurora sat down in the seat opposite Ben, wearily. She felt better as the bacta did its work, but was still a little shaky. She watched Ben as he manipulated the controls of the shuttle, with a quiet happiness in her heart.

* * *

Arion started at Vergil's touch, having been distracted for a moment. "Oh, right. Let's go, then. Where's this shop of yours, CSI?"

Ben took the shuttle up to his mother's ship in orbit around Korriban and docked with it. "We have arrived, Aurora. This is my mother's ship." He reached out with the force, ::Mother, we have docked, and I am waiting for your arrival.:: He could also feel his father's anger, and debated weather or not to reach out to him. ::I will come back, milord. This I promise you.:: He also sent a vague feeling to him, indicating that he was still loyal to him.

Aurora seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then reached out and touched Ben's arm, tentatively. "Ben.....what are you going to do?" She looked up at him, a little concerned, both for his physical and his spiritual wellbeing.

Ben felt Aurora's hand touch his arm and looked at her through his black hood. "I... do not know yet. I am of the dark side, to be honest... I am... drawn to you. I... I love you, Aurora. But... my family is broken, and I... I am too far involved with my father... to pull out and live.... I needed to get both you and my mother... to safety." He paused for a moment and then continued... "I love you too much to let anything happen to you. I know you probally don't feel anything for one such as I, but I had to tell you... in private."

Aurora shook her head, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Ben....... no, I refuse to believe that you are so far gone there can be no return. You- you have done some terrible things, and hurt people, including me, but..... you can still change. I can see it in you, even if you cannot see it in yourself." She paused, uncertainly. "I.... the first time I saw you, something..... changed, in me. It's taken me the past days to understand what had happened, and during that time...... the feeling has grown. I... I love you." She looked away, shy, and a little afraid now that she had actually said it.

"Not very far away. You can park your ship here, or we can fly to my shop--It takes about 30 minutes' walking, from here, I think." CSI touched his chin.

"Walking is good for you, Arion...As a Jedi Weapon Master you need some strength. But if you want, you can fly your ship there." Vergil added.

Darth Saaron looked at Aurora in shock, he never expected her to love him back. He looked at her for a minute, admiring her beauty, and then leaned in and kissed her... passionately. Through the force he said to her ::Oh, Aurora... I love you do much.::

Aurora, after a moment's hesitation, gave in to her feelings. Her heartbeat quickened, and she willed the moment to go on forever, just the two of them, together. ::Ben.... please don't leave me here. You don't have to go back to him, I can help you. Please, I *want* to help you.::

* * *

Arion shook his head. "I don't mind walking, usually, but I want to get to Korriban as soon as possible. I.... I felt Aurora was in pain, before. C'mon, won't take as long this way." He went to the cockpit and fired up the controls. "Where's it at?"

"Let me drive the ship." CSI said and the ship roared and hovered above a pretty big house. "Here we are." Then he landed the ship on the roof and jumped off. "Let me gather some gear and I'll join you shortly."

Vergil jumped off, too, "I still have some gears in his shop," Then he jumped off, too.

------

After a while, CSI and Vergil came back to the ship. "What's your equipment?" CSI checked Vergil's equipments, some Sith Robes, one Bounty-Hunter armor that looks like ARC troopers with blue stripe, and some various equipments. "That's it? You don't even have your favorite Cip-Quad?"

Vergil scoffed: "Heh. Cip-Quad. Of course I have it." He put on the bounty hunter outfit, and began to assemble the equipments together. After sometime, a Cip-Quad is equipped at Vergil's shoulders. "Satisfied?"

CSI nodded: "Very."

Vergil checked CSI's, and scoffed: "Don't you have your favorite Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon?" CSI smiled and assembled the chaingun in amazing speed. "How can I go to battlefield without my baby?"

Suddenly, Vergil saw a long package, wrapped in plain cloth. "You going to take that, too?" His looked into CSI's eyes, asking him seriously.

"Yes." CSI replied simply, before Vergil can reply, CSI said, "Arion, let's go to Korriban. Oya, oya!"

Darth Saaron wished this moment would go on forever and unknowningly cracked open one of his mental barriers and part of his former self came out. ::Oh Aurora... I wish I could. But my father will hunt you, torture you, and maybe even kill you until I return to him. I have a permnant force bond with him, he is my birth father and I cannot hide from him. The only way I can be saved... is if he is redeemed or killed. I am sorry.::

A tear rolled down her cheek. ::Then I'm going back with you. And no, that's not open to discussion. I- I'm not afraid of suffering, or even death. But I will *not* let you go back alone to face his punishment.::

* * *

Arion powered up the Phoenix's controls. "Next stop, Korriban. We should be there in a few hours, so, uh, you might as well make yourselves comfortable."

Tears began to roll down Darth Saaron's cheek. ::Tha- Thank you, Aurora. You have shown me that others actually care about me. I- I love you, so very much.:: "Hide your force presence." He moved closer and wispered in her ear "Save me, please."

He then walked down the boarding ramp to greet his mother and embraced her. "I'm sorry mom, I tried to rescue my true love, Aurora. But she is insisting on occampaning me back. We will deal with... father. We will try to save him. But I- I cant leave him. I love you, and I always will. I don't have much time before I head back."

::No one cares more than I do. No one. Never forget that.:: Aurora followed Ben out, but stopped at the top of the ramp, at a respectful distance from Ben and his mother. She watched them both, sadly noting Ben's Sithlike appearance, and sighed, remembering how he had been when she first saw him. From here, with his back to her, she could almost imagine that he was.... was himself, but his skin, and eyes...... especially his eyes..... were almost frightening.

Darth Saaron had a wispered conversation with his mother that he would reflect about at a later time. He embraced his mother and wispered into her ear "I love you mother, I always will. Aurora or myself will contact you. Promise me... if Aurora fails to save me, or if she needs help, that you will assist her. She is the one mother, I love her... and she loves me."

He then turned around and looked at Aurora for a few moments.

Aurora met his gaze steadily, and gave him a small smile. ::Take as much time as you need, my love. You may not have another opportunity for some time, and where we are going, she should not come.::

* * *

Arion scowled at the navicomputer. "Of course, it had to be clear on the other side of the galaxy from where we were, didn't it? It'll be forever before we get there."

Darth Saaron smiled at Aurora and began to walk up to her. He embraced her, and said through the force to his mother... ::Forgive me mom, but I need to do this so you can survive. I will return... I Promise.:: He led Aurora to the cockpit and sat at the controls. "I feel someone headding towards us... And they are a threat to me. Can you feel it?"

"A threat?" Aurora frowned, as she concentrated her senses through the Force. Suddenly she looked up, in surprise. "Arion? Arion is coming here? And.... he has others with him." She looked at Ben. "They must have figured out where you brought me. He's..... he's not going to be too happy to see you, I would imagine."

* * *

Arion felt Aurora's touch, and followed it back to get a sense of her surroundings. His expression grew grim at what he felt. It's a Sith Lord.... we were right after all.

Darth Saaron began to control the shuttle back to the surface, where he was sure his master was waiting for him. He told Aurora to hide and mask her presence in the force. Once he landed, he walked down the boarding ramp and kneeled submissively. ::Father, I have come back to you. I have the answers you seek.::

Aurora concealed herself, as Ben had wished, but kept him within her line of sight. It pained her to see him kneel before his father like that, and she swore silently to herself that she would find a way to free him.

* * *

Arion kept his focus on Darth Saaron's Force signature, trying to figure out what his intentions were. ::I know where you are, Sith. If you even *think* about hurting my sister, you will regret it, I promise you.::

After kneeling for fifteen minutes, Darth Saaron was completely surrounded by soldiers, at least 30 to 40 by his estimate and was being ordered to identify himself or be taken to detention. This infuriated him to the point where he closed his eyes and freely opened himself to the dark side of the force. He began to not only rip their minds to shreds all at once, but they all started to be crushed and shocked by lightning at the same time. He relished their screams until they all stopped, then he felt that he was contacted by.... a Jedi of all things. ::WHAT IS IT... whelp? I have already hurt your... sister, in more ways than one. It has been... sastifying. Listening to her screams, kissing her, ooh Jedi... you don't know what you are missing. Feeling the power of the force course through your every being. Find me... we have much to discuss. Until we meet... Jedi whelp.::

When he finally opened his eyes again, they were glowing bright yellow. He got up and stalked off to his quarters where he slammed the door shut, and meditated until his father would come and see him.

Aurora slipped into Darth Saaron's quarters, and deactivated her stealth field. "Oh.... oh, Ben. What have you done?" She walked over to him, and touched his arm, gently, pleadingly.

* * *

By the time Darth Saaron broke contact, Arion was furious. Wordlessly, he got up from the controls and left for the cargo hold to practice his lightsaber skills. When we meet, Sith, you will pay for everything you've done to her.