Garren immediately started sifting through the cabinets, spotting the files he needed. On quick examination, he surmised that this was exactly what he needed. Signed forms, security holos, audio recordings. An utter jackpot. He stashed it all in his pack, and left for the front. Remembering his cover, he told the receptionist, "You passed inspection ... this time."

He took off in his ship, headed for the Executive Office Building. Once he made it to Onasi's office, he set the datapads down on his desk. "Everything I gathered from Miracle Metals on Skelch. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do." He explained, leaving as soon as he arrived. He had to confront Skelch over this.

Zen nodded his head as Juhani left to go about her business. He looked at the door before opening it and stepping into Perdante's room. Juhani wanted him to watch over her and he planned on doing just that. He wasn't sure exactly what Jedi were fully capable of but he figured his best bet of watching her would be to be in the same room with her. Though when he did step inside he found Perdante sitting on her bed with her head down. He looked over at her and just stared at her for a few seconds.

"Jedi Knight Perdante, what exactly did you do? Whatever it is, you are still my sister and I will still stand by you."

Dominic's eyes widened when she fell, his reaction time too slow to catch her before she hit the floor. All he could do was get his hands under her arms and slow her descent so she didn't fall quite so hard.

She didn't look like the Arai that he had known; her exile had clearly taken a toll on her. The regret in her eyes was tangible, which meant that she hadn't been corrupted just yet...but when that lightning sparked in her hand, there was a weight in the air that reminded him of a very, very familiar feeling. The oppressive weight of the Dark Side of the Force.

Getting a better hold on her, he started to lift her to her feet, no longer paying any attention to the tattoo on his right palm. Lifting her up, he placed her arm over his shoulders to steady her. "Come on." he said gently, directing her towards the door and tossing credits on the table for their drinks. Everyone had turned to watch the fight, so now that they were leaving, those that were in their way quickly sidestepped.

"I'm getting you out of here."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Salvatore waited for several long minutes for the Captain to show up, assuming that the Cathar would go straight there to talk to her. But...when ten minutes, fifteen minutes ticked by, no one came. Not the captain, not the Cathar, not even a messenger on behalf of the captain. He frowned in confusion...but he wasn't going to waste any more time. He turned to the door and left; it was getting close to curfew anyway.

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PERDANTE'S QUARTERS

No longer did the young Jedi Knight care about keeping her emotions in check. Not in front of Zen, her Sangheili brother, who had betrayed his allegiance to the Found and rescued her from the Throne of Gain when, by his own right, he should not have. She told her story, with tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't care if Zen saw them. "I'm such a terrible Knight," she spat ruefully. "The moment some man strikes my fancy, I lean in and kiss him, losing my head. What have I done, and what have I become? Certainly not a Jedi. I'm supposed to suppress my emotions, and I let them take full control of me. I'm so ashamed!"

REPUBLIC HQ, OFFICE OF ADMIRAL CARTH ONASI

"Wait." Carth held up a hand, his voice stern. "Don't go anywhere yet, Shain. Take a look at this." He had skimmed over some of the files and documents that the spy had handed him, especially the massive file called THRESHOLD. "You might have been exposed to ostanovium while you were at Miracle Metals and not even known it. I want you decontaminated fully before you go." He gestured toward the file, and what Shain saw made his blood run cold.

The THRESHOLD file was full of medical charts--chart after chart after chart, endlessly--documenting the various thresholds at which ostanovium was Effective, Mildly Toxic, Dehabilitating, and Lethal. Carth had noticed the batch of "Human" charts, and he shoved them into Shain's hand.

Zen stared at Perdante as she told him what had happened to her. He couldn't help but pity her once she had finished speaking. A simple kiss was the rule Jedi should never break? He never quite understood why Jedi forced their followers to suppress their emotions rather than use them to their advantage. He did agree with not allowing emotions to control the user like what happened to him when his clan was killed. However the desire to protect his family was one of the reasons he won so many battles. Zen shook his head slightly and knelt down in front of Perdante. He wiped away the tears on her face with his left hand and looked at her.

"You are not a terrible Knight. You are one of the most honorable human warriors I have ever met and I am honored to call you my sister. You just got caught up in the moment, it happens to us all."

Zen got up, only to take a seat right next to her. Perdante truly was a noble warrior however with most warriors her age she was still young. She hadn't seen the things he had seen, and experienced the thins he had.

"It even happened to me when I was about your age. I had been recently promoted to a Major in the Sangheili army. I was a bit reckless back then and liked to show off my skills. We were practicing in hand to hand combat one day and I took it a bit too far and knocked my opponent out. I was given a new partner and she was breath taking. I found myself almost in some sort of trance and before I knew it I was kissing her. I was punished by my superiors but I earned their praise once more in the next battle."

He gave her a few seconds to take in his similar experience. He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Do not worry too much of what Grand Master Juhani will say. She has to remember you were a Sith once and haven't gotten the experience that most Jedi have by the time they are Knighted. You do still deserve the title though. You showed great bravery in the Found's base and you gave me a second chance. You are a great warrior Perdante and don't you forget that."

Garren was unsettled by what he read, but his concerns lay elsewhere. "If I've been exposed, you should be more worried about the workers. There's no telling how much longer they'll last." He pointed out. "It's unlikely my exposure this time will be debilitating, but I'll play it safe." He then left, headed for the decontamination chambers.

When Salvatore returned to his room, he found that his younger brother had already returned and was laying on his bed, reading from a datapad. The blue light of the screen reflected off the black, square-rimmed glasses he wore just for reading.

"What happened to your contacts?" Sal asked lightly, closing the door to their twin dorm behind him. He wasn't looking at his brother, but was instead busy undoing his belt.

"I lost the one." Mica answered with a shrug. "So they're kinda useless now."

Sal rolled his eyes. "You would lose just one. How was your evening with Melany?"

"Entertaining." he answered nonchalantly, his brother in the midst of kicking open his foot locker and tossing his belt in on top of his other clean clothes. The uniform jacket came next, but he took time in the silence to hang that up. Finally, Mica broke the quiet by saying, "You're getting in later than usual. And you've been away from your post all night." He lowered the datapad and pulled off his glasses, looking up at Sal. "Where've you been?"

It was Sal's turn to shrug. "With the Jedi, mostly."

Sal's back was turned to him, so he didn't see Mica's sudden spark of interest. "Which one?" he asked, sensing that he wasn't with both of them for long.

"The younger one. Perdante, I think, is how you say it?" Sal finished changing into his pajamas and flopped down on his bunk. Closing both of his hands over either one of his wrists, he rested his joined arms over his forehead; he stared at the ceiling, a little sigh of satisfaction escaping him. "I can't help feeling bad for her. She really started off on the wrong side of the bed with the captain...and she's really not that bad of a person. Her bad impression is almost completely undeserved."

Mica sat up, propped up in the corner of his cot by a pillow, his arms folded over his chest as he looked at his brother. "Sounds like you really like her."

Another shrug, though this one came more as a way to escape a direct answer rather than anything else. Silence fell again, and Mica lifted his glasses onto his nose again, returning to reading. Salvatore was the one to speak first this time, starting with a rather abrupt statement.

"She used to be a Sith, you know."

The reaction was immediate. Mica's eyes turned up again, and he kicked his legs over the edge of his bunk and sat forward, his elbows on his knees, datapad hanging limply from his fingertips. The reaction was adequate for someone who hadn't suspected the Jedi woman to have been a former Sith...but there was no one to notice the glint of calculation in his blue eyes.

"You're kidding."

Sal shook his head, still looking at the ceiling. "She was talking to me today about it...right before we..." No, no, he really shouldn't mention that.

"Before you...what?" his brother urged with a slight edge to an otherwise gentle voice.

Well, maybe he should tell him. It was killing him not to brag, anyway. "Kissed."

Mica's datapad hit the ground, but it was a feigned expression of surprise. While it was a shock to hear that his brother had kissed a Jedi, he wasn't paying attention to what Salvatore was saying; only to the implications of the words. "How in hell's name did that happen?"

"We were sparring, and I was teasing her a bit. Y'know...I guess tempting her might fit. And at one point she knocked me down, went to help me up...and it just kinda...happened. I dunno." He rolled over on his side to look at him. "I know I shouldn't have done it, Mic, but...it felt right."

Tempting. It was the only word that lodged in the communications officer's brain. Slowly, he sat back. "You're right, you shouldn't have done it." he said, but his voice was distant, not scolding. His mind was elsewhere and, sensing this, Salvatore stopped talking, turning back over. His datapad had delivered orders that he was to get some rest for the remainder of their jump, because he would be needed to set new coordinates once they dropped. Then, that rest would be much-needed.

Mica sat up reading until he was certain that his brother was asleep. Then, once the officer shifts had taken place and curfew fell, he pulled on a sweatshirt and his boots and slipped outside. He had some communication business that needed to be taken care of.

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PERDANTE'S QUARTERS

Perdante Dareva smiled, crossing her hands over her heart and bowing her head humbly. It was a salute that she had learned as a Sith, not a Jedi, but Zen didn't need to know that. Besides, before her former Master she had knelt, and the salute was for a worthy conspirator--or a worthy opponent, who were sometimes one and the same. "Thank you, Brother Zen," she replied. "However, if I'm such a great warrior, why did I find it so necessary to draw my sabers against the Captain? Why, as well, was I so tempted and compelled to kiss Sal? I should have more discipline than that, after all I've learned from Juhani. Not only have I disappointed her, but I also seem to have disappointed everyone else on this ship--except for maybe Melany, Sal, and you." She gave a wink, and then had a sudden thought. Zen could help her...

"Tell me: how did you deal with your masters' disappointment before you redeemed yourself in the fight? How did you bear their glares and pointed remarks? A warrior is supposed to take such things in stride, but I feel nothing but shame and contempt for myself right now. I should be utterly emotionless, for that is what we Jedi preach. However, I find I cannot..."

REPUBLIC HQ, OFFICE OF ADMIRAL CARTH ONASI

After Garren Shain had gone through the long and complex process of full decontamination, Admiral Carth Onasi sought him out once again and summoned the spy to his office. "Skelch is done," he said gravely. "Once this evidence hits the holonews--and the listening ears of every politician in the Galactic Senate--she's going to lose her seat. She might even be executed, if not imprisoned for life. No one is going to let the woman who's primarily responsible for this ostanovium contamination get off easy. Nor should they. However, before you go to confront her, I want to come with you."

Carth's eyes were sad. "I've seen a lot of combat in my day, and something tells me Senator Skelch might be cut from the same cloth as the late Seeker Adeline of the Found. Plina probably won't surrender and come quietly, but I don't want her committing hara-kiri on us, Shain. Who knows? If she testifies against the man she's working for, this Khristoff, then maybe she'll escape the firing squad. It's a distinct possibility if that happens." He sighed.

Weakened by resisting the Dark Side, Arai was grateful for Dom's solid support. She let him lead her away without a fuss, barely even realizing that people were staying well clear of her after her unexpected outburst. She didn't even care where he took her, just so long as she had a place to meditate, to rest and restore herself. As they walked, Arai still leaning on Dom, she realized that she'd been silently crying since just after they'd left the cantina. Half-heartedly brushing at her cheeks, she tried to remove her arm from Dom's shoulders, but found he wouldn't let go and gave up.

"The Council was right to exile me," she said, her voice wavering. "Look what I'm becoming. Imagine what that would have done to the Order." She paused, considering.

Then, through her tears, she looked up at Dom and asked softly, "How long have you been with the Found?"

"You would never have reached this point had they actually taken the time to help you." He said, his voice flat, words terse. "But instead, they tossed you out to deal with it all on your own."

Just one more reason to hate the Jedi. Arai wasn't a bad person; she just had a temper. But even that being said, when they were younger, it very rarely got her in trouble. The darkest act he had ever seen her commit, aside from tonight's, was a prank - and even then, it was only because the prank went wrong. That track record indicated only that her exile had done this to her. She had been allowed to do exactly what she wanted, rule-free, for a long time. And that was a very difficult position for a Force user to be put in. He knew from experience.

Dominic had been looking at her as he responded...but the new turn in the conversation caused him to look away. So he hadn't fooled her after all.

It took him a long time to find his voice again - and all the while, he was leading her back to the docks, back to his ship, without looking at her. Finally, his adam's apple bounced as he gulped and his jaw unlocked.

"About seven years now." He said finally. "They saved me, and they can save you, too. That's why I want you to come with me."

Gently, she reached over and squeezed his arm. "It's why I want to come," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Every time I go dark like that, it takes a significant effort, a lot of energy to come back. I'm killing myself and I know it, becoming someone I don't want to be. It scares me to think..."

Again she choked up, exhausted and emotionally drained. Leaning on Dom and letting him lead her wherever he would, she whispered through her tears, "You're an incredible friend, Dom. I'm so glad I have you."

"Hey, if you can manage to put up with me, then that is incredible in and of itself."

The Pilgrim led her through the courtyards of the Selkath city at a brisk pace, wanting nothing more than to get her to a place where she could safely sit and recuperate. Seeing as he had no idea how she managed to come to this planet, the only place he could think of that would allow that was his own ship.

When they reached the docking bay where the little freighter was nestled, night had fallen and a storm system moved in, making it almost impossible to see without the artificial lights. Outside of their glow stood a Selkath, apparently waiting for them by the boarding platform, although Dominic could not see him until he had nearly stepped foot onto the gangplank.

"Excuse me, human," said the fishman as he stepped into the light. The surprise put Dominic immediately on guard - especially after that bit of violence Arai had nearly involved herself in - and he automatically shifted to face his addresser in such a way that his body was a barrier between her and the Selkath. It wasn't until the alien started speaking that he noticed the silver case glinting in his three-fingered hand.

The expression on the Selkath's face suggested that he might have been raising an eyebrow, had he had one. "You are Mr. Travesty, are you not?" He proffered the case as Dominic nodded.

"I am."

"Then this belongs to you. At this time, I would like to say thank you, on behalf of my employer, for your business."

"Of course." He extended his right hand to take the case as he nodded. Despite his words, his tone was still less than cordial. "Thank you very much."

The Selkath seemed to smile, his black eyes wandering over the woman behind the man momentarily. "Wouldn't want you to forget." he said lightly, switching for the first time from Basic to Selkath, and then turned and took his leave.

As the fishman walked away, Dominic turned without a word and took Arai's hand, leading her pointedly into the ship.

Zen was unsure of how to answer Perdante. One second he was ready to speak and the next he found himself trying to think of what to say next. He remembered how easy it was when he was in the Sangheili army. This was partially because he left when there was no fighting going on so he was not being dishonorable. Why had he left the Found, and how did he deal with his former brothers and sisters?

Zen shook his head slightly and faced Perdante once more. She had not only been willing to speak with him but wanted his guidance on something as well. He would answer her to the best of his abilities and he would make sure not to leave anything out.

"As you know I turned away from the Found because you made me realize I was fighting on the wrong side. After Juhani took you away I tried to share with my fellow members what you told me, but they would not listen. Suddenly I saw the Found members becoming sick and dying from the metal. Fortunately your friend Meta had some type of healing device which rid the metal out of my system. It was then I realized we had all been tricked by our own leader."

He felt himself starting to get angry at the Prophet of Truth once more but he quickly calmed himself down.

"As for worrying about Adeline's disappointment...well it appeared she too realized what had happened and she took her own life. As corrupted as she was, Adeline was not truly evil. I gave her and all the Found members who died at the battle the proper burial they deserved. They were all good people, they just were following in the wrong footsteps. They're also the reason I created the Reclaimers."

With all the info about him out of the way, he could focus on helping out Perdante again. He remembered certain comments some members had made about him leaving. He not only ignored such comments but pitied the ones who spoke those harsh words. They had no idea that they were living a lie and like him at one point believed they were doing the right thing.

"You wish to know why you did the things you did, and it is because that is who you are. You are a warrior who not only fights with understanding and reason but with compassion as well. However the jedi do not fight in such a manner as we all know. If you truly wish to become a jedi then you must learn to control you emotions. If you are finding it too hard for you to do such a thing then perhaps the path of a jedi warrior is not right for you. You must follow a path that you truly believe in and stick with it."

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PERDANTE'S QUARTERS

"I do believe in the Jedi Order," Perdante answered, "but I do not believe that trying to deny and suppress all of one's emotions, whether positive or negative, is necessarily a good thing. For instance, how could I have truly been willing to make the sacrifice that I did in the Gathering Place of the Found without feeling courage, compassion, and love above all? The Jedi say that love leads to folly, but how can my actions be considered such when it led to our victory there? Some may say that I should not have risked my life like that, should have let a more experienced and wiser Jedi take the lead and storm the Foundation Complex, but then how could I have truly contributed in the battle? I am not as skilled a fighter as some of my brethren and sisters," she admitted.

"So, in my heart, I believe in the Jedi and what they stand for, but the emotionlessness and 'serenity' that they preach? I do not believe in that."

Arai ignored the Selkath entirely, fearing that if she did not, she would lose it again. The fishman soon departed and Dom led her into his ship. He left her in a small bedroom, almost as if he understood she needed a space to herself for the moment. She sank to her knees and closed her eyes there in the center of the room. Vaguely, she felt the ship lift off the surface of Manaan, but then she was lost in her own meditation.

These days, meditation was not a peaceful prospect. Because of her tangles with the Dark Side, meditation had become a battle for control, with the two opposing sides of her personality taking on distinct voices and sparring within her mind. The battle was brutal, with each side taking serious injuries throughout. Then, it took an interesting turn.

"Dom was right about the Jedi," her dark side said. "They failed when we needed them most."

"Can't hold that against them," her light side replied, blocking a saber blow from her dark side. "Check their archives. They have no experience with members who've fallen away that didn't want to. They've been trained to think there's no hope for those of us who go dark."

"And after all, why not?" her dark side asked. "Look at what's happening to us. I'm getting stronger; you're getting weaker. It's only a matter of time before you are destroyed and I am all that's left."

Her light side smiled faintly. "I won't give up easily. I can't, especially not now. Dom is investing so much in me." She glared at her dark side. "You nearly killed him."

"I wouldn't have done it," her dark side answered defensively.

"But you would, though," her light side shot back. "And I stopped you."

Her dark side remained silent, drawing her lightsaber once more.

"That's the ultimate test, isn't it?" her light side murmured. "Show restraint." She switched off her lightsaber and watched with a mixture of uncertainty and eagerness as her dark side drew near and heaved back for a strike.

"You can't kill me," she said confidently. "I am the master here."

Scowling, her dark side growled, "Master this," and her lightsaber came down. A blinding white light drowned them both out...

... and slowly, wearily, Arai opened her eyes. She hadn't moved in... a while. Her stiff joints told her that. And now, she needed sleep. She dropped into the bed in the little room and drifted off quickly.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep when she came back, but she could feel that the ship was still in flight. Taking a deep breath, she left the room in search of Dom. She found him in the cockpit and sat down next to him.

"How long have I been locked away?" she asked him, staring out at the flickering tunnel of hyperspace.

((No, we aren't warping time; simply fixing it so that everything that has happened to Dominic and Arai prior to this occurred before the Millenial left Coruscant =P))

The pilot's chair was tilted back on its axis, Dominic's boots up on the dash and crossed lightly at the ankles. He had been in the midst of studying a datapad when he heard footsteps, causing him to look up and turn to see her enter.

Glancing at the clock readout on the datapad's upper corner, he quickly did the math. "About two days." he said, looking back up at her. He'd hardly shifted from his position, his jaw resting on his closed fist, his elbow on the arm of his chair. The look in his eye was one of uncertainty, of caution, even. As if he was waiting for her to either collapse or attack at any given moment. "I checked on you a few times, but...you were dead to the world. Are you...?" Okay didn't seem to fit the situation. He had a feeling that, no matter how well she was doing, she wouldn't be quite okay until she was rid of the Force.

After walking for a few minutes, Juhani finally arrived at her apprentice's quarters. She didn't know exactly how this talk would with her apprentice would go.

I hope this goes better then the talk I had with my old master, I ended up severly wounding her I can only hope my apprentice will not do the same.

Juhani took a deep breath and then knocked on the door. "Apprentice. I wish to speak with you about what happened...earlier."


Republic HQ

"I've seen a lot of combat in my day, and something tells me Senator Skelch might be cut from the same cloth as the late Seeker Adeline of the Found. Plina probably won't surrender and come quietly, but I don't want her committing hara-kiri on us, Shain. Who knows? If she testifies against the man she's working for, this Khristoff, then maybe she'll escape the firing squad. It's a distinct possibility if that happens."

"In that case why don't you let me take care of her?" Atton asked. "I can most likely hold my own against her as long as she doesn't suprise me."

"Dead to the world," Arai murmured. She nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

She noted his unwillingness to ask if she was alright and smiling faintly, she understood why. She had been far from herself last time he'd seen her conscious. It was only logical that he'd be wary of her after that. No telling whether she'd flip out at the drop of a decicred or not.

"I'm myself again," she answered softly, looking over at him. "Dom, I'm going to need your help until we can get me some ostanovium, in whichever form it isn't toxic. Being able to see shatterpoints in people leaves a lot of room to walk the paths of the Dark Side. At the cantina, we saw that your intervention was enough to stop me."

She put a hand on his wrist. "I need you, Dom. Will you be my conscience for the time being?"

He looked down at her hand as it touched the bare skin of his right wrist, and then back up at her again. So she was definitely serious about this ostanovium thing...which made finding Pauel all the more urgent. The amount of the mineral that Dominic had was far too insubstantial to do any sort of permanent severing...but Pauel had a store of it. He was the main shipper of the mineral for the different branches of the Found. If anyone could help her, it was him.

With a slow smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Dominic turned his right hand around and grasped her wrist in return, in a silent sign of camaraderie. "Of course I will." he said lightly, "I mean, I've gotta do something around here, don't I?"

After a moment, he leaned a bit further back in his seat and removed his feet from the dash, sitting upright as he swiveled to face her. "Now," he said, by way of subject change. "We're currently en route to Nar Shaddaa." She wasn't conscious, so he couldn't really ask her permission to take her there...but he had had a feeling that she wouldn't mind. And the faster they made it planet-side again, the better. "I have a friend there, another member of the Found, that will be able to help you." He turned his right hand palm-side up, exposing the black eye tattoo. "He's the one who gave me this. But...I have to admit, I haven't been entirely truthful.

"Pauel will be able to help you; there's no doubt about that. The man knows more about ostanovium than half of this galaxy...but he also knows about another subject that is very important to me, and I'm beginning to think that he's the only one left that does know. And I need you to help him tell me." Everyone had ulterior motives to doing something, right? And it wasn't as though he lied to her...it was merely a request.

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PERDANTE'S QUARTERS

Perdante Dareva bowed her head. "I know. I admit that during my sparring match with Sal, in which I was practicing the Juyo form, I lost all control of my emotions and kissed him. The passion of the moment had simply inflamed me. I make no other excuses, and no other pleas. The way of the Jedi is the way of serenity, of self-restraint, and I abandoned my dedication to the tenets of our Order in a mere matter of seconds! I am not the Knight that I should be."

REPUBLIC HQ, OFFICE OF ADMIRAL CARTH ONASI

"She may end up surprising you in more ways than one," Admiral Onasi replied. "Even though I know you can do more than hold your own in a brawl, I'm nervous about sending you alone. Who knows how many security droids, bodyguards, hitmen, and other innocent personnel Skelch has at her disposal? All of them may come swarming down upon you at the slightest suspicion that you're not what you seem. It's better if all three of us go. Shain? Agreed?"

The first two fingers of Arai's right hand traced Dom's tattoo as he told her where they were headed and who they were looking for. She was still staring at it when he asked her to "help" his friend tell them what he wanted to know.

"You help me, I help you," she said, smiling faintly. "It works. I get my ostanovium, you get what you want to know, and your friend keeps his head." Her smile broadened as she looked into his eyes. "Sounds like about the perfect deal to me, hey Tink?"

Republic HQ
"Agreed." Garren replied. "Remember, we can't let her know what we know until it's too late. She could still make an attempt at covering it up. On the bright side, security seems tight to the untrained eye, but as I figured out from posing as Skelch's assistant, it has some gaping holes we could easily exploit."

Dominic looked down when he realized that the movements of her fingers against the palm of his hand had a pattern. He watched her trace the tattoo's black lines for a moment, and then looked back up at her. The movement felt...intimate, somehow.

His hand shifted, taking hold of her hand as if making an agreement. "Perfect, indeed." he said with a small smile, and then stood up. "We'll be dropping in about fifteen minutes...just enough time to make something to eat, if you'd like."

SENATOR SKELCH'S OFFICES, GALACTIC SENATE BUILDING

"Whatever we do," cautioned Admiral Carth Onasi as he turned toward his allies Atton Rand and Garren Shain, "we should do whatever we can to try and keep this low-key. Remember, Skelch is a Galactic Senator, and not a mere remote-world politician whose views only affect a few rare species. Her various decisions are going to affect the entire cosmos, and if she dies under any hint of foul play or suspicion, the repercussions for the Republic will be tremendous. We're the good guys here, so let's do everything we can to solve this in a diplomatic way. We've got some solid evidence against Skelch, and if she doesn't try to assassinate us on the spot, all might go well. Even the most corrupt of politicians try to sweep their underhanded deeds under the rug! Besides, I believe Senator Skelch'll think twice about murdering an Admiral."

"I know. I admit that during my sparring match with Sal, in which I was practicing the Juyo form, I lost all control of my emotions and kissed him. The passion of the moment had simply inflamed me. I make no other excuses, and no other pleas. The way of the Jedi is the way of serenity, of self-restraint, and I abandoned my dedication to the tenets of our Order in a mere matter of seconds! I am not the Knight that I should be."

Juhani shook her head. "You are only a knight and not yet a master. It should be expected that sometimes you loose control of your emotions since you were a former sith apprentice."

"I overreacted when I caught you and that republic officer. In fact, many times in my youth I lost control of my emotions. I believe the more experience you gain as a knight the better you will be able to control your emotions. Just give it some time."





Even the most corrupt of politicians try to sweep their underhanded deeds under the rug! Besides, I believe Senator Skelch'll think twice about murdering an Admiral."

Atton personally thought that the Senator wouldn't think twice about murdering an admiral but he kept that thought to himself.

"And what happens if she thinks that she can get away with murdering an admiral?" He asked as he put his hand on his lightsaber and prepared to ignite it.

Republic HQ
"Simple, we prove her wrong." Was all Garren had to say. Far too many people had died for Senator Skelch to simply walk away.

Millennial, Outside Visas's quarters

Niera buzzed the door Visas's quarters again, trying to get a response. Naturally she felt responsible for what happened to the Miraluka. If she hadn't pointed her out in an ill-conceived attempt at flirting, neither of them would be in this mess.

GALACTIC SENATOR SKELCH'S OFFICES, CORUSCANT

A protocol droid was there to greet Admiral Carth Onasi of the Galactic Republic, along with his brothers-in-arms Garren Shain and Atton Rand--both "intelligence officers". "Greetings, and welcome to the offices of Galactic Senator Plina Skelch," intoned the droid. "How may I assist the three of you today?"

Visas was sitting in the middle of what was now her quarters, which was by all purposes the cargo hold. Her power was channeling from her in sort of a blue mist, this happened everytime she reached out with the force but to those around her when she was a sith, the color had changed from red. She had become a Jedi because of the Exile. And she was much more at peace with herself since then.

All of a sudden she heard a buzzing from the door. She did not look but opened the door with a flick of her wrist.

"There is no need to be so formal, this is after all, the cargo hold. A place used by everyone aboard this ship", Visas said as she continued to sit but facing in the direction of the young woman who had just joined her.

"I suppose, but I'm here to apologise. If I hadn't made a pass at you, you wouldn't have been arrested and interrogated." Niera explained. "In retrospect, I'm not sure why I thought I should hit on you in the first place. It wouldn't have bothered my boyfriend, and you're pretty good looking, but Miraluka really aren't my type. I'm Niera Secura, by the way."

"It is a pleasure Niera, I am Visas Marr. The fact that I was arrested was no fault of anyone but my own. Do not be troubled by it, I was a stowaway in a military ship, it was a matter of time before anyone would have noticed a former Jedi Miraluka on board", Visas said and stood up. She wasn't accustomed to laughing or humor in any way but she chuckled momentarily for her remark about her not being her type. "I don't think Miraluka are anyone's type but Miraluka alone. Although I did feel attraction towards a human before".

She was crearly talking about the exile but her attraction was rather more her personality and her actions rather than the fact that she was a female and a human.

"Are you a soldier?", Visas asked.

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, PERDANTE'S QUARTERS

"Indeed," the young Knight responded. "I need to learn a bit more patience. Juhani, thank you for trying to help me instead of...judging me, and saying that I was an unfit Jedi. I've known some people in my life who would have done that," she continued, remembering her old Sith Master for a brief moment. "All the same, no more kisses, with Sal or anyone from now on. A Jedi shall not know anger, nor hatred, nor love. This is the Code that I have sworn to live by, and with the help of the Force, I will fulfill the vow that I've made." She smiled.

It brought Zen some peace to see Juhani and Perdante resolve the problem. Juhani was a good teacher, and Perdante had great potential. Suddenly and idea popped into Zen's head. The whole reason Perdante sparred with Sal was because of her being worried about the fight with the Prophet of Truth. He sat up from the bed and looked at Juhani and then Perdante.

"Perhaps I too can help with that. I can spar with Perdante from time to time," he said to Juhani before looking back at Perdante. "And you shouldn't have to worry about feeling the urge to kiss me. I know I am incredibly attractive but I'm sure you'll be able to resist that temptation." he said with a chuckle, knowing that his race was far from attractive.

Perdante winked at Zen. "I agree, brother, if Juhani also will. Have you heard of the Juyo, or Ferocity, lightsaber form? When Sal and I were sparring, that was the stance I was trying to practice. It is the most potent one of all, and the form that comes the closest to drawing upon the power of the Dark Side. I need someone to keep me steady and balanced, focusing upon my opponent and his or her attack strategy at the exact moment I'm tempted to give in to the lust for battle. The goal of Juyo is to overwhelm one's opponent--not to kill him."

Millennial, Cargo Hold

"Not exactly. Garren and I are smugglers, and following our involvement with the attack on the Found compound two years ago, the Republic decided to hire us to deal with them again." Niera explained. "Truth be told, I didn't have much to do with that attack. Garren called me in at the last minute."

Senator Skelch's Offices, Coruscant

"Yes, we need to speak with her in private as soon as possible. It's a matter of the utmost importance." Garren explained, remaining vague, since Skelch could be watching, and he didn't want to tip her off prematurely.

OFFICES OF GALACTIC SENATOR SKELCH, CORUSCANT

"I'm sorry," the protocol droid replied in its matter-of-fact monotone, "but Galactic Senator Skelch is not in the vicinity of these offices at present. She is giving a speech to her colleagues in the Senate about the dangers of a certain metal called ostanovium, and how a serum has recently been developed to counteract the lethality of same. Would you like to listen to the speech?"

Dominic's Freighter, en route to Nar Shaddaa

Arai rose, stretched, and back down the hall that led to the cockpit. "Food would be good," she said, subconsciously placing a hand on her stomach, which was now complaining to her of how long it had gone without nourishment. "Especially if I've been out for two days." She paused, staring down the hall. "Where's the kitchen?" Another beat. "And can I get you anything?"

Dominic shook his head, standing up as he straightened his shirt. "Don't be silly," he said, "We're on Autopilot until we drop into the system, so I might as well go with you."

For the next fifteen minutes, the two friends chatted over caffe and snacks, neither one having the appetite - or the energy - for a full-out meal. It was nice, Dominic thought; it had been a long time since he had been able to simply sit down and talk to someone, without pretense and without fear of revealing anything. What more could he reveal? She already knew about ostanovium, about the Found, about his past as a Jedi...

When the alarm sounded to announce the drop from hyperspace, Dominic excused himself and went to the cockpit to begin initiating docking procedure. It didn't take long for him to get clearance to the moon. With the number of freighters coming in and out of the system - and the speed and frequency at which they did so - no one blinked an eye at his little battered ship. Within ten minutes, they had established a trajectory for a docking bay in the mercantile sector.

"If he hasn't decided to up and move," Dominic said, sipping at what was left of his caffe as Arai appeared again, "We should find Pauel on the north side of the sector."

"Perhaps I too can help with that. I can spar with Perdante from time to time,"

Juhani nodded. "I believe that would be a good idea. I would like it if you were the one to spar with her instead of that Republic man."

"I agree, brother, if Juhani also will. Have you heard of the Juyo, or Ferocity, lightsaber form? When Sal and I were sparring, that was the stance I was trying to practice. It is the most potent one of all, and the form that comes the closest to drawing upon the power of the Dark Side. I need someone to keep me steady and balanced, focusing upon my opponent and his or her attack strategy at the exact moment I'm tempted to give in to the lust for battle. The goal of Juyo is to overwhelm one's opponent--not to kill him."

Juhani nodded. She had practiced the Juyo form quite a few times and her apprentice was right. It was a dangerous form to practice.

"If you do intend to keep on practicing the Juyo form then I would advise you to only practice it with Zen. If you do lose control then Zen might be the only one besides me who can hold his own against you."

She looked at the door and began walking out. "I think it's time that I speak with Visas. If you two do intend to begin sparring then please be safe."

Juhani walked out the door and headed to the cargo hold, she could sense Visas was in there.

Zen was glad to see that Perdante welcomed the idea of him being her sparring partner. However he was not familiar with the form that Perdante was referring to. He tired to remember his duel with Juhani as he recalled something that sounded familiar. She attacked him with a series of quick strikes and jabs. Could this be the form Perdante was talking about? If it was than he would have no problem helping her improve on it.

"I am not familiar with this Juyo form, but I can assure you it won't be a problem for me."

He allowed a small smile to escape as Juhani left the room. He was glad to see she respected and trusted him just as much as he did with her.

"Well it is wise to seek the help of those who have encountered one's enemy before. You have been with the republic ever since then I presume?", Visas asked but more than a question it seemed like an affirmation. "I was once a Jedi, part of the order until a few years ago. I was with the notorious exile. When she left though, I found myself unable to feel the Jedi Temple as my home. And so I left to seek her out, even though I had promised not to follow her. But somehow I know she needs my help, and my life is bound to her of my choosing, I would gladly die for her".

Millennial, Cargo Hold

"I don't really have all the details, and few people who didn't travel with her do, but I do know she went after the Sith, and it's unlikely the Found have had anything to do with her. And I mean no offense by this, but the whole business with the triumvirate was twelve years ago, and the trail's probably gone cold by now." Niera replied. "How close were the two of you?"

Plina Skelch's Offices, Coruscant

"Very well." Garren replied, turning around to speak to Atton and Carth in private, "I have an idea."

((Could the Millennial Mole please reappear and suggest to Perdante that she start "pulling a Revan" so that she'll be strong enough to defeat Khristoff--strong enough in the Dark Side, that is? Perdy's not going to convince herself...)) :)

OFFICES OF GALACTIC SENATOR PLINA SKELCH, CORUSCANT

"Let's hear it." Admiral Onasi glanced around, making sure no one else, whether a flesh-based sentient being or a droid, was eavesdropping upon their conversation. "At this point, we need all the good ideas we can get. Who knows what kind of bantha dung Skelch is shoveling into the minds of her fellow Senators? I hope to the Force it's not ostanovium is fantastic."

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MAIN HOLD

Perdante bowed to Zen and Juhani as she herself prepared to leave the room. Heading for the Main Hold, she thought about what they had both told her. Mistakes were forgivable, even such an egregious error as kissing one's mission colleague in a fit of blind emotion, but the cause of such mistakes--failing to control one's emotions--was not. She shook her head, taking a seat around the holoprojector, which currently showed Nar Shaddaa.

Fifteen minutes with Dom made everything alright again. Arai wasn't sure if it was just that the presence of an old and true friend had a calming effect on her or if it had something to do with being in close proximity to his ostanovium tattoo. She still didn't know quite enough about the material to be entirely comfortable with it... but being around Dom, now that she could get used to.

But her fears regarding ostanovium would not let her rest completely, especially not since she'd all but agreed to get a tattoo of the stuff, as Dom had. As they drew nearer to Nar Shaddaa, her discomfort only intensified. When Dom told her they were coming in for a landing where they should be able to find his friend, she felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine.

"Dom," she said, her voice wavering. "I don't know..." She trailed off in uncertainty. But he deserved more than that. She frantically tried to put her fears into words. "I have to be honest, Dom. Ostanovium scares the hell out of me, especially after what happened to the Found on Coruscant. I mean... well, you look well enough, so that's point one in its favor, but..."

She sighed. "I'd just feel a lot better about all this if I knew what it was about the stuff that made it fatal to so many. We'll still see this Pauel and chances are very good I'll go through with this, but I want my questions answered first. You said Pauel would probably know the answer to anything I want to know?"

"There's only one person in the galaxy that knows more about ostanovium than Pauel does - and that's the man who discovered it." He turned in the pilot's chair as the engine ground to a halt, its hum fading to a whine, and then to nothing at all. He stood up and stepped by her, expecting her to follow.

"Oh, he knows it." He said in an undertone, going into the dorm and kicking open his foot locker. "The question is, will he tell you?

"If you ask me," he pulled a worn poncho-style cloak over his head and buckled on his belt. His vibrosword quickly followed. "The difference between myself and the fatalities on Coruscant," - he neglected to tell her that he was actually there - "Is that those on Coruscant ingested the ostanovium in the form of capsules. I think that that was what poisoned them."

"You could say we were very close. I could feel her presence anywhere in the galaxy, and she could feel mine. But all of a sudden, in one fell swoop, her presence disappeared. I can feel she's alive, of that I am most certain. But I need to find these people who call themselves the Found and retrieve information from them. Somehow I sense that these people have some idea of her whereabouts. Nothing matters to me more than the exile", Visas said.

Senator Skelch's Offices, Coruscant
"We hijack the holoprojectors in there, and use them to project our evidence right in the middle of the presentation. She'd lose most, if not all of her support, and noone would even think to listen to the bantha fodder she spews out in her defense." Garren suggested. It was risky, and extreme, but they were running out of options.

Cargo Hold, Millennial
"Then I hope you find her. I know what it's like to lose someone you love." Niera replied, though she honestly thought it would be better for Visas to simply accept that the Exile was gone, and that she should move on.

"We hijack the holoprojectors in there, and use them to project our evidence right in the middle of the presentation. She'd lose most, if not all of her support, and noone would even think to listen to the bantha fodder she spews out in her defense."

"That is a good plan...but what happens when she finds out whats going on? She's likely to come looking for who hijacked the system."



Millennial, outside the cargohold

Juhani stopped outside the door to the cargo hold when she heard two voices speaking. One was Visas and the other was the Twi'lek from earlier. She knocked on the door and waited.

Skelch's Offices

"That's what I'm hoping for. We set a trap, and we apprehend her." Garren explained. "Legally, her guards would be obligated to side against her, and this is something she'd want to take care of personally."

Millennial, Cargo Hold

At the sound of the knock, Niera got up and opened the door. Seeing that it was that Cathar, she said, "Nothing to worry about, we were just talking."

"He'll tell me," Arai said simply. "And you'll keep me from taking his head off in the process."

Since running into Dom again, Arai's life had become almost ridiculously simple. On the one hand, she loved it. No more worrying about falling completely to the Dark Side; Dom wouldn't let her. It was like she'd stumbled into this odd parallel universe where she always got her way and nothing could possibly go wrong. But on the flip side, the thought terrified her. It was too good to be true, and that left only one question:

What would go wrong? And when?

But she couldn't focus on that, not now. It would distract her from what she really needed to know. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "Let's go see whether the man's moved on from this dump or not."

((All right, time to reach Nar Shaddaa and find out who's REALLY preaching...))

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, NAR SHADDAA LANDING PAD

Perdante Dareva had never felt such a terrible, bone-jarring jolt as the one that suddenly crash-landed the Millennial on a rickety landing pad in the common sector of Nar Shaddaa. It had always maintained a reputation as a seedy world, one populated by gamblers, thugs, smugglers, and other career criminals. However, one man in particular aimed to change that. His frame was tall and his gaze stern, unwavering from the unwashed crowd he addressed:

"What is the purpose of life? To live? No, not in and of itself. Not merely to exist. The purpose of life--of all our lives--is to worship our Creator and serve him well. Some of you worship the Force, but that false belief will condemn you in the afterlife! The Force is merely a tool, that and no more. Will you continue to drown in the murky waters of confusion and misguided teachings, or will you finally see the Light and the Truth? It's your choice!"

OFFICES OF SENATOR PLINA SKELCH, CORUSCANT

"Agreed," said Carth, "but if any of the guards of the Galactic Senate are on Skelch's payroll, even on the sly, they may not care what is legal and what is not if their secret salaries are high enough. It could turn into a bloodbath in there, or at least a riot." He squared his shoulders.