::Execelent, my apprentice. You are trembling, whats wrong?:: He motioned for her to follow him back to his couch in the common area. "Tell me, what is troubling you. This is not like a Sith apprentice. However, you are still learning." He paused, and then added darkly, "You will not hesitate in the future, it will be your undoing."

Darth Maera shook her head. "It- it's nothing, master." She was ashamed for showing such weakness, but knew she could not hide it from him. "It's just.... I've never killed someone before." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry for disappointing you, master. It was inexcusable."

* * *

Arion sat in the pilot's chair on the Jedi Phoenix, trying to meditate. He thought perhaps if he could attain clearer focus, he could penetrate the darkness surrounding his sister and figure out what had happened, but so far, no luck. The navicomputer beeped, and he leaned in closer. Whoa, time flies while you're meditating, he thought, and keyed the comm. "Dropping out of hyperspace now, guys. Might want to strap in."

Darth Saaron watched his apprentice and said, "Indeed you are right, it was inexcusable. Especually if you are to be my empress one day." He paused, letting that sink in for a moment, "Know this, my apprentice, you can never hide something from me, the real question is if I am watching or not. But have I once punished you for a failure yet?"

"Yay! It makes our day!" Vergil sprang to life, and checked his inventory: "A combat Shotgun, Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon, dual Blaster pistols, 5 Thermal detonators, 5 plastic bombs, 5 EMP bombs, and 5 Flash bombs. You?"

CSI checked his: "Well, I don't have my bomb on me, but I got several big crates on me. Since you took my only Z-6, so I think I'll take a Combat shotgun, dual blaster pistols, and a DC-17 Sniper Attachment. And...don't forget our ego."

"Oh, yeah." Vergil smiled, "Yeah, we'll bring them."

"Oya! Oya! Let's go kick some butts, gentlemen!" Suddenly he noted Sarela, "And lady."

Darth Maera stared down at her lap, still filled with shame. "No, master, you have not." After a minute, she looked up, cautiously. "Empress, milord?"

* * *

Arion guided the Phoenix up and docked in the larger ship. He set down, lightly, and then walked in to join the others. "So, everyone ready?"

Sarela nodded. "I believe so."

"Let's go, then. We've got a lot of ground to cover." He rested his hand on the hilt of his saber staff, grimly.

Just as Darth Saaron was about to respond to Darth Marea, the ship's computer sounded through out the ship. "Intruder Alert in Docking Bay 2, all security personel secure the area. Automated launch of the Emperor's Yacht in progress. Sections sealed, launching in 5 seconds."

While the warning was issued, Darth Saaron continued to show no worry about what was going on. He looked Darth Marea in the eyes and said "My mother and your brother have come to try and stop us, I will not let them." he paused, "I want you to be my Empress when I become the Emperor." By the time he had finished his setence, the yacht had launched and automatically engaged its cloaking device. He began to hide his presence in the force and set a random course, not knowing where he wanted to go yet.

Darth Maera looked up at him in surprise. "I- I don't know what to say, milord. I am not worthy of such an honor." She followed his lead by concealing her Force signature, and thought about what he had said. "My brother is here?" she asked, in a low voice. "And your mother? I mean no disrespect, milord, but is that why we are leaving rather than to stay and fight them?"

* * *

The ship rocked heavily, and Arion had to fight to maintain his balance. "Uh oh, what happened?"

Darth Saaron chuckled when he heard Darth Maera's denial of her honor. Gently he reached up and forced her to look into his eyes, firey eyes looking into firey eyes. "If I did not think you were worthy, I would not have made the offer." He paused and added jokingly, "Who is the apprentice to question the amount of honor that the master has given her?" He chuckled. "We are leaving because your training has not been completed and you are not ready to face them... yet."

Darth Maera looked into his eyes, slowly losing herself in their depths. "Thank you, master. I- I'm sorry, I did not mean to question your judgement. Whenever you deem fit, I am eager to learn more. I- I want to be worthy of you, of the honor you have given me, to one day rule at your side."

* * *

Arion scanned the sensor readouts, anxiously. "It looks like part of the ship has broken up, but..... where's the rest of it, then?" He frowned. "I don't like the feel of this. I'm lifting off and moving back a safe distance while we try to figure out what's happened."

"Look closely..." CSI narrowed his eyes, "Look!"

Vergil joined in: "Yeah, the stars looks distorted...why?"

"Very smart idea, indeed." CSI narrowed his eyes, "They want to escape from us, right? Let them. Abort Mission, I repeat, abort mission. Now we wait."

Vergil asked CSI: "What do you mean?"

"Look, they cloaked themselves. That means they're abandoning this ship. And I know typical Siths--they're always kind enough to send us transmissions before they escape. So let's wait." CSI took off his ARC outfit, and put on his trademark white robe.

Darth Saaron looked at his apprentice's eyes and smiled, "You are worthy of me, my love, that is why you will be my empress, nobody will stop us. One day, we will rule the galaxy, and make things the way we deem fit."

He got up off of the couch and placed his mask back on. He walked over to a communications platform and stepped onto it, motioning for Darth Marea to follow. Once she was there, he masked the comm frequency to appear as though it were comming internally from the bridge of the super stardestroyer, and activated a signal to the Jedi Phoenix and stood perfectly still, hands folded across his chest, glaring behind his mask and not making any sound at all. :: Do not make a sound, my apprentice. I want to supprise them.:: He directed the signal to appear in the common room of the Jedi Phoenix and waited until someone noticed him and his apprentice.

Darth Maera pulled her hood down lower, further shadowing her face, and nodded. ::Yes, master. As you wish.::

* * *

Arion was still running sensor checks, when the comm blinked. "We're receiving a transmission, just like you predicted, CSI. It's running to the main hold." He walked swiftly into the room, and keyed the comm. "Unidentified vessel, this is the Jedi Phoenix. What is the purpose of your call?"

Sarela shivered, but whether it was premonition, or paranoia, it was impossible to tell. She simply stood there, waiting for the response, anxiously.

CSI simply shrugged: "That comes with experience." Then he narrowed his eyes, "Let's see what they will say...but be warned, don't expect good news."

Vergil agreed with CSI, and said to Arion: "Yeah, we're ready when you are."

Then the duo grabbed two bottles of Juma Juice and began to enjoy the transmission.

Darth Saaron smiled darkly behind his mask, looking at each of their faces. Coldly, darkly, he spoke after a few minutes. "It seems that you two," he pointed at CSI and Vergil, "want a show. Let me give you one." He used the force to open a hidden detention cell and pulled out two Jedi, one about 19 years old, and the other in his mid twenties. He then used Force Crush on the older Jedi, killing him, and then began to use Force Choke on the younger one. "I would suggest that you take me sersouly, or this young Jedi over here will face a fate far worse than death."

Darth Maera glared at the viewscreen from within the shadows of her hood, furious at the two Jedi for mocking her master. She released her rage in a blast of lightning at the younger prisoner.

Arion stared at the transmission, unable to tear his eyes away from the grim spectacle. Finally, he said, "Darth Saaron." He lowered his voice, deadly quiet. "What have you done with my sister?"

Sarela turned cold inside, horrified at what her son had become, and simply watched, waiting to see what he wanted.

Darth Saaron smiled behind his mask, "If you truly wish to know Jedi, ask her your self." He turned to look at his mother, "I've seen the Jedi Order, I know they want to hunt me, punish me, imprison or even exile me. So it seems pointless to say anything to you, you are the one responsible for breaking up our family in the first place." He turned back to Arion and watched him in amusement. Through the force he said to Darth Marea, ::Good work, my apprentice.::

"Oh, yeah, I think I'll send a letter to Jedi Council to mourn for a fallen Jedi." CSI muttered, "And I'll double the bounty for Darth Saaron."

Vergil said nothing. He looks like a statue.

"And I used to destroy things before, but now...I'm addicted to restore things." CSI said, "And...don't say I'm a Jedi. I'm a Sith Ma-rau-der."

Darth Maera gave him a small smile. ::Thank you, master.:: She returned to his side, watching Arion's reaction.

Arion shook his head, wordlessly. "N-no, Aurora, no! It can't be.... you're a Jedi. It- it's not possible...."

Darth Maera shook her head. "No, Arion. That is not my name, nor is it who I am any longer." She slowly lowered her hood, revealing her changed appearance. "I am Darth Maera, apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Sarela bowed her head, with grief. The son has become the father..... as I feared it would be.

Arion stared at her, horror in his eyes. Finally, he managed to say, "Saaron..... Saaron, you've corrupted her. You said you loved her, that you would protect her! How could you destroy her like this?!?"

CSI and Vergil frowned and narrowed their eyes. "We need to go to Coruscant. Right away."

::Arion, don't give in your dark side. For our sake, don't.:: CSI warned Arion, ::And I can assure you, we can find a way to find your sister, and Darth Saaron.::

Then Jedi Phoenix flicked into hyperspace, with a small humming.

Darth Maera cut Arion off with a wave of her hand. "He did not corrupt me, I chose the path I am now on." Her eyes narrowed. "I gave you a chance to stay out of this, Arion. You should have taken it. If you are wise, you will quietly go into exile somewhere and meditate. Not that I expect you to, I know you too well. But do not interfere with my master's plans, or he will end you, and I would be powerless to stop him." She eyed CSI and Vergil. "That goes double for the two of you."

Arion shook his head. "No. I'll find a way to save you, Aurora. I know you're still there, somewhere. I can feel it. We will meet again, and I will never give up on you, I promise." He broke off the transmission, unable to endure any more. "I.... I'll be in the cargo hold. CSI..... would you please get us on our way, to- to Coruscant, or wherever we're going next?" He turned away, and walked slowly to the cargo hold, his mind numb with the shock and horror of what he had just seen.

Darth Saaron smiled under his mask as he led Darth Marea back to the couch. "Great work, my love. Your brother is a fool and will try to stop us, no doubt we will see him again." He paused, "Now, my apprentice, it is time to plan our take over of the republic. What are your suggestions?"

Darth Maera smiled, glad to have pleased Darth Saaron. She was quiet for a while, thinking about his question. Finally, she said, "The backbone, the heart of the Republic is the Jedi Order. Without the Jedi, the Republic will crumble. But with them, they could hold out indefinitely. If we're going to take the Republic, we have to eliminate the Jedi threat first."

Darth Saaron smiled, "Right you are, my apprentice." The Jedi who was still being held with the force finally spoke up. "You... will... never succeed."

Darth Saaron turned and looked at him and used the force to bring him over to him. "That, my Jedi friend, is where you are wrong. You see, we will succeed, and my apprentice here will convince you to join us, my any means neccessary." He smiled and turned to Darth Marea, ::Proceed, my apprentice. I am curious as to how this will turn out. He may have information which will help us.::

Darth Maera stared at the captive Jedi for a long time. Finally, she told Darth Saaron, ::Master, Jedi are very difficult to interrogate unless there is some other incentive involved. Torture almost always fails, unless used against someone they care about. As a conversion tool....:: She paused. ::We might have slightly more of a chance of success. But it is far from certain.::

::Very well, my apprentice. Proceed with your attempt.:: Darth Saaron said through the Force as he looked at Darth Marea. He then turned to look at his captive Jedi again, watching and evaluating his apprentice.

::Yes, master.:: Darth Maera rose, and began to circle the prisoner, never taking her eyes off him. She forced her way into his mind, and began to speak to him. ::You think you will be able to resist my master, don't you? You're wrong. I was once a Jedi, just as you are, and I soon came to see the truth. The Jedi teachings mislead Force users, keeping us from realizing our true potential. They ask the impossible, the unnatural, from us. Surely you've felt it. You know how impossible it is to avoid feelings of anger, of hate.... even of love.:: She stopped behind him, and leaned in close to his ear. "You feel anger now, don't you?" she whispered. "Anger against us, for killing your friend, and for torturing you. You feel it. Now let it flow....."

The young Jedi glared at Darth Marea and tried to shut her out of his mind, but utterly failed. "You- you are Aurora Starfire, arn't you? You actually have feelings for... that... thing?" He continued to glare at both of the Sith Lords and was barely able to control his rage, "You- you killed my brother and master, I... I...No, I am above these emotions."

"How would you know anything about it?" she snapped. "I am Darth Maera, and that 'thing' you speak of is my master. And soon to be yours. I can feel your rage, your hate. Use it! My master killed your brother, simply because the other Jedi were annoying him. The Jedi cared nothing for either of you.... they never sent anyone to try to save you, or to find out what had happened. They abandoned your brother to die."

"Well, Vergil always do the talking." CSI laid back onto the chair, and strentched himself, "Then we can make some tweaks to this ship, right?"

Vergil's eyes flashed a passionate smile: "Really? I'm listening."

"Well, it's like this..." CSI whispered to Vergil.

"Great! Let's do it!"

----

After a while, Jedi Phoenix came out of hyperspace. "Here we go," CSI landed the ship to the landing pad. "Then I'll fly her to mechanic room and do some tweaks." Then he flew away.

The captured Jedi felt a dark rage filling inside him, but was not willing to give into it... yet. He searched inside himself and found her words to be painfully true, the Jedi did not care about his well being, and had indeed left him and his brother to die. "Did I strike a nerve, Sith? You actually have feelings for your master?! Do you love him?!" He began to laugh, "thats the most amusing thing I have ever heard of!" He said mockingly and then began to laugh again.

Darth Maera glared at the prisoner, and began to shock him with lightning, but keeping it at a controllable level, merely causing pain, not serious damage. "My feelings..... are none of your concern, Jedi." She stopped shocking him, and smiled wickedly. "Did I strike a nerve, Jedi? You feel it, don't you.... the truth..... and the rage is growing within you. Release it!"

* * *

Arion looked up from his meditation as they dropped out of hyperspace. He sighed, and walked to the cockpit. "Where are we going from here?"

"Jedi Temple. We meet Jedi council first. Then Vergil and I would go to the Machanic Room to do some tweak." CSI landed it in another loading dock, and turned the engine off, and walked into the Jedi Temple.

"Come on, Arion, we need to go in together." Vergil signaled Arion to follow him.

The captured Jedi screamed in agony as he was shocked with force lightning. After what seemed like forever, it stopped and he felt a new, irrestible rage inside him now. He finally gave into it and tried to attack Darth Marea, but Darth Saaron prevented him from doing so and dropped him onto the ground and got up. He stared at his appentice and said through the force ::Good job, my apprentice. I will reward you later, for now, we must make him kneel before me, and call me 'Master'. You have done so much, now finish it!::

::Yes, master.:: Darth Maera nudged the captive with the toe of her boot, and said through the Force, ::If it had not been for the Jedi Order, your brother would still be alive. Only my master can help you avenge his death. Only with us can you make the Jedi suffer for your suffering. Kneel before Darth Saaron, and swear allegiance to him, and he will reward you with the vengeance you desire.::

* * *

Arion reluctantly followed Vergil and CSI into the Jedi Temple. They were met almost immediately by a Jedi. "The Council has been expecting you. Please follow me." He escorted them to the Council chambers, and left.

Master Trayn leaned forward in his seat. "Jedi Starfire! It is good to see you back safely. We had feared the worst."

Arion bowed. "Thank you, Master Trayn. I have returned, thanks to Jedi Vergil and his friend CSI."

"Did you discover what has become of your sister?" Master Vor asked, gently.

Arion bowed his head. "We did, master. She... she-she's fallen to the dark side, and apprenticed herself to Darth Saaron." His voice broke, and he stopped.

"Yeah, here is the whole conversation." CSI tossed a small hologram projector onto the ground, the hologram of the conversation began to play.

The whole atmosphere was heavy.

After a while, the hologram vanished after it finished his job telling what happened. "Here it is, Masters." CSI bowed politely.

The masters' expressions were grave. "It is as I thought," Master Tevis said, flatly. "We shouldn't have sent her back. Her feelings for the Sith Lord have corrupted her."

Master Trayn shook his head. "We could not have stopped her, not for any length of time. And then she would only have been given one more reason to hate the Jedi. No, she is right, she chose this. But I sense that not everything is as clear as it appears."

Arion spoke again, and his voice was rough. "I request permission to be assigned to Jedi Vergil's team to stop the Sith."

Master Tevis frowned. "We granted your sister's request of a similar nature, and look what happened to her. Why should we risk you as well?"

Arion's eyes flashed. "Because I promised her I would not abandon her to the dark side. And I will not break that promise. I will redeem her, if it costs me my life. Besides," he shrugged, "they're using my ship."

The Council exchanged glances. "Very well," Master Trayn nodded, cutting off Master Tevis's unspoken protest. "You shall go with them, and aid them in stopping the Sith."

Master Vor looked at the three of them. "Do you have anything else you wish to discuss?"

The captive Jedi could feel Darth Marea's call, and also could now see Darth Saaron standing up, watching him behind some sort of mask. The Jedi slowly got up and walked in front of Darth Saaron and knelt before him. "I pledge my allegance to you and your Empire... my master. I want to avenge my brother's death and my suffering. I want to make the Jedi Order suffer for what they did to me."

Darth Saaron watched the Jedi kneel before him and swear himself to his service. He extended his hand and placed it on the Jedi's head, sending dark energies into him, and then binding him to the Dark Side. "You cannot be turned back to the Light Side of the Force any longer, you are my survant and you would do best to remember that. Now, go to the interrogation room and increase the power of all of the prisoner's shock fields to the maximum setting. Make them suffer, make them beg you to stop, and then go to your new quarters and change into some proper robes and meditate."

The newly forged Dark Jedi responded with a dark glee that filled him now. "Yes, milord. It will be done." He then got up and then quickly walked to the interrogation room on the lower level where all of the imprisoned Dark Jedi from before were held and increased all of their shock fields to the maximum setting and watched them suffer. As he walked back to his quarters, he could still hear their screams of pure agony clearly, and could even be heard by Darth Saaron inside his quarters.

Darth Saaron walked up to Darth Marea and said "I trust that their cries satisfy you, they are the same fools who attacked your brother." Then proceeded to walk up to her and put his arms behind her back.

Darth Maera embraced him, tightly. "Oh, my love....." She was silent for a while, then asked, "Did I do well enough in turning the Jedi to your will, master?"

* * *

Arion shook his head. "I have nothing more to add, master." He glanced at CSI and Vergil, to see if they had anything they wanted to ask.

Darth Saaron took off his mask and used the force to place it on the table in front of the couch. "You did a execelent job, my apprentice. I believe now it should be time to reward you for your accomplishment, and then we will move to crush the republic!"

* * * *

The Dark Jedi now was fully changed in to his new robes, and then began to meditate on his rage, hate, and anger towards the Jedi.

Darth Maera smiled, and turned his face down towards her to kiss him, passionately. :: Do I need a greater reward than your love, milord?::

* * *

Meanwhile, Sarela remained on the Phoenix, meditating, and preparing for the future, for she knew with absolute certainty that their paths would cross with her son's again, and soon.

Darth Saaron gave into the passionate kiss, returning Darth Marea's passion with his own. ::I would certanly hope not.:: He replied through the force, reaching into her mind and letting her into his and sending her the intense sensations to her.

Darth Maera lost all sense of time and place, so absorbed was she in their kiss, and the passion they were sharing. ::I- I love you, so very much. I can't believe how fortunate I am to be by your side.::

Darth Saaron gently pulled out of the kiss and reached into one of the pockets in his robes and pulled out two rings. "This should show you how much I want you to be my empress. The gem in the ring is a piece of my lightsaber crystal, and the crystal in my ring is a piece from yours." He slowly placed the ring he had made for her on her wedding finger. The ring itself was made out of platinum with red crystal dominant on the top of the ring. He also after putting it on her, gave her his ring, so she could put it on him.

Darth Maera looked at the ring he had placed on her finger, unable to speak. She gently slipped the ring on Darth Saaron's finger, and looked up at him. "I- I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," He wispered back. He then rested his head on her sholder for a time and afterwords, slowly lifted his head and wispered into her ear, "Come with me." He turned around and summoned his mask to him and put it back on. He led Darth Marea to the bridge where they would plan out their next move.

Darth Maera followed Darth Saaron to the bridge, and stood near him. "What are your plans, milord?" she asked, looking up at him. She was eager to further prove herself, to show him she was worthy of him.

After a while, CSI and Vergil entered the ship, with Arion. “Hello, Sarela, sorry to keep you, can you wait for us outside the ship? As I mentioned before, we need to do a tweak in this ship.”

Vergil nodded: “And with Arion’s permission, these tweaks are classified with Top-Secret.” Before Arion would protest, Vergil added, “That won’t charge you a credit. No hidden fee, complete free of charges, we promise.”

“Now shall we?” CSI opened the door for Sarela, “Be respectful to a lady, this is Rule Number 2."

Meanwhile, under the vast sheets of ice covering the surface of the distant planet of Hoth, the ancient Jedi Master Ralph of Euripides IV sensed a disturbance in the Force. Ralph, who had for so long enjoyed the solace granted to him by his humble life as a cage dancer at the local go-go bar had finally been drawn back into the fray.

As he strolled towards the local coffee shop, hoping he still had enough credit on the gift card he had received for Hanukkah for a soy mocha latte with a hint of lemon, he pondered the implications of what he had felt, and what his departure from the cutthroat world of cage dancing would mean for the galaxy. There was no time for pondering however, so Ralph hiked up his pink vinyl short shorts one last time and prepared to once more don his Jedi robes.

Arion nodded. "Sure, go ahead, just don't break anything. Er, Sarela, I guess we'd better go do something else in the meanwhile."

"Yes. I wanted to speak with you, in any case." Sarela told him.

* * *

They walked down the streets of Coruscant near the Jedi Temple in silence for a while. Finally, Sarela said, "What are your feelings now?"

Arion glanced at her, puzzled. "My feelings? About what?"

"About my son and your sister. What are you going to do?"

He sighed. "I- I don't know. If I get a chance, I'll kill Darth Saaron for what he's done to my sister."

“Thank you, we appreciate that.” CSI smiled, and flew the Jedi Phoenix away.

----

After landed it carefully into the loading dock, Vergil plugged in various electric cables onto Jedi Phoenix while CSI began to find the appropriate parts in the vault.

“A Flux Regulator!” Vergil shouted in the open Engine bay.

“No, no, no, and no,” CSI threw four parts out, and suddenly he exclaimed excitingly, “Whoa! Wow! A Kuat Drive Hyperdrive!”

“What? A Kuat Drive Hyperdrive? That’s not possible!” Vergil’s head appeared at the door of Engine Bay.

“See for it yourself.” CSI lifted the hyperdrive.

“Wow! Let’s give it a try!”

----

After a few minutes, when CSI closed the Engine Bay door, Vergil came and was holding a small machine, which looks like an airplane joystick. Then he strapped the joystick onto his arm, and pressed a red button.

With a small hum, the Jedi Phoenix’s engine started, and began to hover above the floor. “Great job!” CSI and Vergil exclaimed outside the ship.

Vergil flipped open a small display, and moved the joystick onto right direction. The Jedi Phoenix made a right turn, and when Vergil up-righted the position of joystick, the Jedi Phoenix stopped turning.

“Wow! Now we *changed* something!” CSI smiled and patted Vergil’s shoulder.

“Mmm…Let’s send it into hyperdrive. And let’s test the legendary Kuat Drive.” Vergil suggested.

“Yeah, why not.” CSI shrugged.

Vergil walked outside, and watched the Jedi Phoenix raised into blue space. Then he flipped a switch, inputted some coordinates, and pressed another green button. On the small display, the stars suddenly changed into streaks.

CSI saw the Jedi Phoenix flicked into hyperspace.

"Now...we find Arion and Sarela."

----

At the street, CSI and Vergil found them. CSI ran forward: "We successed! But the problem is...we lost your ship. We're sorry for that."