There's something definitely odd about this guy. Kalla thought to herself as she and Tonatius followed Kavrik. He looked human, but his presence in the Force, or lack thereof, was like that of a Yuuzhan Vong. How was that possible? Naturally, she drew her lightsaber, and attempted to Force Push the assailant away from the door, only to hear another two lightsabers ignite from the other end of the corridor. Her father's two.

"Stand down. You're hopelessly outnumbered, and you lost any element of surprise when you attacked Velerc." Komad shouted out the assassin.

Kavrik rolled under the assassin's blow and brought his sword up to block the incoming second strike. Hissing in displeasure, the assassin ignored Komad's comments, trying again and again to land a blow on the man he couldn't sense. But Kavrik matched him effortlessly, seeming almost to enjoy the assassin's growing fear. Then abruptly, he slipped his sword inside the assassin's guard, severing his hand first, and quickly finishing the job with an efficient sweep of his arm, severing the man's head.

Holstering his blaster, he took a moment to wipe the assassin's blood from his sword. Then, he sheathed the sword as well, turning to face the newly-lightsaber-scarred door. He glanced first to one side at Komad, then to the other at Kalla and Tonatius.

"Assassins averted," he said casually. "Would you all like to tell Admiral Belina the good news, or should I?"

Ackbar

Tavaryn looked at Alriana and replied, "Yes."

He couldn't say more since the alarms were going off. He put Kaillian on the couch and sprang off it in one fluid motion. He then said something in Avalonian and Kaillian nodded and tottered off towards her room. He glanced at Alriana and said, "She's going to play hide and seek for a while."

Jun-la followed her daughter along with Matton. They knew the inner workings of the ship as well as the crew and a few extras. She nodded at her uncle and he nodded back. Matton followed her with their daughter into Kaillian's room and went about in preparation.

Tavaryn pulled out his own lightsaber and turned it around in his hands. He then held it in one hand, ready to ignite it.

That doesn't sound good.

"I'll say," he replied. He was a bit uneasy now but he had to keep his belief in her. He sent, I guess the fun will begin eh moi chroi? His nervousness filtered through but also reassurance that he believed he would be careful.

**********

Tonatius pulled out his blade and held it ready. He retorted, "Coming from you, I'm guessing your brand of good news includes death."

Ackbar

I guess the fun will begin eh moi chroi?

Alriana no longer heard the sounds of combat out in the corridor. She turned to the Admiral. "I think the battle might already be over. But from what little I heard it sounded pretty intense."

Belina looked down at her comn device. She had to admit she was a bit worried. What little she had gotten out through the static made her think that someone aboard her ship had run into the agent and was now in critical condition. She opened a panel on the side of the door and pulled two wires apart and the door opened.

What she saw disturbed her.

There were two bodies on the floor that looked like they had been killed by blaster shots and one that was missing it's head. She looked down next to the headless body and saw the head. The face still had a fearful look on it's face.

"Coming from you, I'm guessing your brand of good news includes death."

Belina looked over at the man was holding a sword and a blaster and than at Tonatius. "Easy there...I think I have an idea of who this is."

She turned to him and extended her hand. "Kavrik I presume?" She asked as she looked down at the bodies again. "I'm going to assume that they were trying to get at me?"

"Coming from you, I'm guessing your brand of good news includes death."

Kavrik eyed Tonatius for a moment before saying, "Where Sith assassins are concerned, absolutely."

"Easy there...I think I have an idea of who this is. Kavrik, I presume? I'm going to assume that they were trying to get at me?"

Kavrik took her hand in his and nodded. "That they were, Admiral." He gestured to the two Dark Jedi. "Those two, I believe were to be distractions while this one here," he pointed to the headless one, "got after you."

"It's just as well, really. Knowing the Sith, he'd probably have killed himself before we could interrogate him." Kalla commented.

"Those were cryogenically frozen Dark Jedi we found, along with a Shinigami from over a century ago. From their point of view, this was just an opportunity that presented itself to them." Komad explained. "They wanted to prove themselves to the Undying Sith Empire."

He then turned to his daughter, "Your brother said something about you and Tonatius having an announcement to make?" He asked.

"This really isn't the best time. We'll talk about it in the morning." Kalla replied.

Ackbar

"Those two, I believe were to be distractions while this one here, got after you."

Belina looked down at the bodies and frowned. She would have liked to have captured the sith agent but from what she had heard through the door she knew that he had no other choice.

"Excuse me for a moment." She said as she opened up a comnline to the bridge. "Bridge, this is Belina. Please send a team down here to get rid of a few bodies down here. They are directly outside Lady Jun-la's quarters."

"Admiral!" Garja's voice sounded relieved. "We assumed that you had been killed when we recieved no response to our earlier message."

Belina frowned. She had heard a few words through the static that had her worried. "Status report. Was anyone injured by the sith?"

Garja's voice sounded hesitant. "Admiral...Grand Admiral Velerc has been badly injured. The sith managed to sneak aboard the Death's Head and attacked him. Right now he is in critical condition aboard the Imperial medical frigate.

Belina dropped the communicator on the ground as her hand went numb and her face turned an unnatural pale color. Dad...she thought urgently. Not many people knew that the Grand Admiral of the imperial fleet was her father, For a long time she had hated him. Much earlier in her life, when she was younger her mother had been part of a convoy that had been destroyed by him. He hadn't known she was in the convoy but still Belina had hated him. It was only recently that she had started speaking to him at all.

"First off." She said quietly. "Thank you Kavrik for saving my life. If you want to you can take the night off. If you want to I can have you meet my bridge crew either tonight or in the morning. But I need to get going. Grand Admiral Velerc is in critical condition. If you have any questions feel free to ask Garja."

Ackbar

Belina's reaction to Velerc's condition wasn't lost on Kavrik, and neither was the fact that she said almost nothing about it. When she offered him the night off, he nodded.

"I'll meet your bridge crew in the morning," he said. "After a night like this, I think we can all use the extra time. Goodnight, Admiral."

And with a two-fingered salute, he turned to go. But instead of going directly to his ship, he made his way to the repair bay Garja had told him of. There, he rummaged through all the available parts, finding only three to his satisfaction. With these three parts in hand, he returned to his ship.

"Got a few more parts for you, Lys," he said. "We'll have you up and about again sooner than you originally projected."

"Partnering with the Resistance does look to be a profitable venture for the both of us," Lysandra answered. "But install the new parts later. You've got some heavy reading to catch up on."

Kavrik chuckled. "Yeah. How many years have I missed?"

"You were killed in the year of the Battle of Yavin," Lys replied. "Essentially year one of the current counting scheme. You were resurrected five years ago, which ship's computers place at 108 ABY."

"Which makes this 113 ABY," Kavrik surmised. He heaved a weary sigh. "A hundred and thirteen years of history."

"That's where you're wrong," Lysandra said cheerfully. "You asked Garja for a history of recent events. He sent over information regarding the last year, starting from the Sith taking Coruscant."

Kavrik grimaced. "Request access to the ship's historical databanks. I want everything, if I can have it."

"I already have most of that," Lysandra said. "I suffered my accident at roughly 87 ABY, but I was able to keep a backup data collection unit running between then and 109 ABY, when you managed to bring me back online."

Kavrik scowled. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

"Twenty-seven years of constant data collection is a lot to process, even for me. Then it was a matter of filtering all that information for data regarding historical landmarks. Finally, I had to arrange it in the proper order. Uploading the full history of the time since your death to your datapad now."

"Thanks," Kavrik said, heading for his room. "I'll be catching up then. Don't hesitate to interrupt if you need something."

Ackbar

Alriana slowly stepped out of Jun-la's quarters and looked down at the bodies that littered the floor. She turned back to Jun-la. "I think it would be a good idea if Kaillian were to stay in her room for a bit. There's a bit of a mess out here."

She turned to look at the man who had apparently killed all three sith without much effort and watched as he left. She couldn't sense him in the force at all."

She turned to Belina who was leaving. Her face was pale and her hands were shaking. Something must have happened. She opened up a comnline to the bridge.

"Admiral Garja, this is Jedi Alriana, what happened? The only thing I could tell was that there was some sort of emergency."

There was a slight pause. "A sith agent managed to sneak aboard the Death's Head and badly wounded Grand Admiral Velerc. Admiral Belina is heading to the shuttle bay to head to the medical frigate that he is being treated on. As far as we can tell the sith agent was after Belina as well."

"Was anyone aboard the Ackbar injured?"

"We're still getting reports but so far only a few guards outside the brig were stunned but it looks like they'll recover shortly."

She turned to Tavaryn. "Should we follow the Admiral?" She asked quietly.

RSS Ackbar, Kalla and Tonatius's quarters

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've asked you to come here." Kalla said to her father, her stepfather, and her brother, holding Tonatius's hand the whole time. "And the reason is ... Tonatius and I ... are expecting our first child. Doctor Pradhes confirmed my test results shortly before we left for Naboo."

And then came the awkward silence. She expected it; it was a lot to take in, but it still made her more and more anxious.

"Congratulations." Her father finally said.

"Have you thought about names at all?" Iyav then asked.

((OOC: Yeah, first official RP post on LF! I'm sorry about the long post. Wait, actually I'm not. :xp:))

Eldravin

Eldravin was a planet in the Mid Rim, with a climate of forests and clearings. Valek Thegas found himself stationed here, at least until the Sith rained their forces onto the planet. The sounds of battle were no foreign thing to Valek. He had unwittingly found himself on the business end of a blaster pistol on a few occasions, and had been no stranger to conflict on the ground.

He grunted as he put on his armor, first the mesh, then to put all the armor plates on, then helmet. Tedious, but quick. He grabbed his knife, vibrosword, blaster, and lightsaber, and strode outside of the bunker. The first thing he heard was a Sith mortar destroy a Resistance tank. He quickly ran into one of the Officers.

"What the hell are Sith doing here?"

"No idea-" The Officer paused, looked to his right, and fired his pistol at a Sith soldier still alive on the ground.

"I have a hunch that they're here for the Jedi Artifact that the miners found in the ruins."

Of course, Valek thought to himself, they came for the artifact.

"Do you have any idea what the artifact is?"

"Nope, only the mining team knows, but they're all dead." He heard a message on his comlink, and then relayed it to Valek.

"Delta and Gamma squads are down, and the Sith just reached the artifact! Listen, you have to protect this briefcase. Don't let them take it, with this, they will be able to access the artifact."

He handed the briefcase to Valek, but the Officer was impaled in the back by a soldier. Valek instantly put the briefcase on his back (much like a weapon) and pulled out his vibrosword. But the soldier did not look like an ordinary Sith, not even a Death Guard. They look like Spec-Ops, Valek thought. However, this is not the time for thinking, this is the time for action.

Valek swung his sword at the man's shins, but the soldier jumped and delivered a spinning hook kick with his right leg. This made Valek unbalanced, and grabbed his rifle in his other hand. He fired at the soldier, hoping the blaster shots will pierce the armor. They did not, the armor was made of a cortosis-durasteel alloy. As if things could not get worse, two more showed up, one with a sniper rifle, and one with two SMGs.

He ran towards the man with the sniper rifle, who fired two rounds at Valek. The first missed, but the second pierced his shoulder. He dropped his rifle and attempted to stab the soldier's stomach, but he grabbed the sniper rifle by the barrel and swung at Valek, like if it was a club. It hit Valek's side. He felt some pain, but swiftly turned around and cut the rifle into two.

One thing he did not notice until now was that all three of the soldiers wore jetpacks, and the soldier with SMGs flew into the air above Valek, which fired a barrage of blaster bolts at Valek. He clutched his vibrosword, held it in a reverse grip, and stabbed the sniper soldier in the back. It caused something to go haywire in the jetpack, as it swerved uncontrollably and crashed the soldier into a tree, with an explosive, fiery death.

The SMG solder dropped behind him and attempted to grab the briefcase. Valek turned around, dropped the vibrosword, grabbed both of the soldier's wrists, and pulled the solder's chest into his knee. The soldier felt disoriented, and Valek used the moment to grab his vibrosword, and bring it to the solder's neck. Taking the chance, he moved the vibrosword with a motion that sliced the solder's throat.

The last soldier charged at him, did a roll over him, and grabbed the briefcase. Valek spun around and kicked the soldier in the face. The soldier held both hands to his face for a moment, activated his jetback, and tried to swing at Valek's side with the briefcase, which Valek barely dodged. Valek performed a spinning crescent kick, which the soldier ducked, and then the soldier swung at him. Valek blocked it, and attempted to use his knife to stab him, in which he blocked, and countered with a kick to the groin. Valek moved backwards, as if recovering to the pain and building up energy, and swiftly grabbed the back of the soldier's head, and drove it into his knee. He noticed it did a fracture on his visor, and the soldier activated his jetpack in an attempt to tackle Valek.

Valek spun out of the way, and grabbed the briefcase on the ground. This guy and I are evenly matched. I have to get out of here before the Sith forces overwhelm us. As he ran towards the bunker - briefcase in right hand, a pistol in left - numerous Sith started opening fire at him. His armor shrugged off most of the shots, and Valek fired a couple rounds at them with his pistol. When he reached the bunker, the briefcase was snagged by the Special-Ops soldier. Dammit. As he turned around and sprinted towards the soldier, a Sith with a vibro-ax swung at Valek's shins.

Valek could not dodge it, and he felt himself fall to the ground. Still on one knee, he used his left arm to grab the back of the Sith's right leg, and pulled him onto the ground. He turned, grabbed his vibroknife, and sliced the Sith's throat open. He turned around to see few Resistance troops, who tried to cover Valek and bring him to safety. The last thing he remembered were explosions, and then blackness.

Ackbar Med-bay
Valek woke up to find himself inside of a ship, and in a room that appeared to be a med-bay. A Doctor walked inside.

"What's the damage Doc?"

"Not particularly pleasant. A sniper round dislocated your right shoulder, you have burn marks on your left arm, shrapnel in your right hip, and... your tibia has been fractured."

Valek sighed.

"What was the outcome of the mission?"

"The Sith overwhelmed us and acquired both the artifact, and the briefcase that is able to activate the artifact. What few soldiers there were left, attempted to haul you onto a dropship and escape from there. They barely did, as the Sith artillery decimated what few that were left."

"Total loss then?"

"Not total. You're still here. And a few dropships were able to leave before the battle escalated into... this."

"Forgive me, but what exactly was the artifact? No one down there knew what it was."

"I'm only a doctor. I merely read the reports and relayed them to you. Besides, you were down there. Weren't you allowed to enter the dig site?"

"No, they quarantined it for some reason. The only people that knew were the mining team - obviously, the Colonel - who is dead, and his officers - who are dead."

"If I were to guess, I'd think it was a holocron or something."

"No, it had to be much more than a holocron. It had to be something big to have had all that attention. It could be a Sith Temple, as there was a briefcase needed which 'unlocked' the artifact. I've never heard of keys or whatever to have been needed to access artifacts. Also, I've had brief glances at the dig site, and I've read some of their logs. The dig site was large, which meant either temple, a bunch of artifacts, or - something else."

The Doctor shrugged.

"Anyways, did any of my injuries heal?"

"Most of the shrapnel has been removed, and your burn marks have been treated, but they are still there. Your shoulder has been re-located, but pain might still be there. I do not recommend you walking, however."

"Can't I just use my force abilities to heal myself?"

"Your connection to the Force was very weak, now it's even more weak. I think you should wait until a Jedi gets here. And who knows, maybe your force signature is tipping them off that you're in pain?" The Doctor shrugged, and walked out of the room.

Valek looked around, and saw his armor on the other side of the room. It looks like it went through a lot of wear-and-tear in the battle, but it's nothing he should not be able to fix. Let's just hope a Jedi walks in here so that I could be able to walk again. He slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

"We haven't really talked about it, but I did have a couple ideas. I was thinking Beran, after Tonatius's uncle, if it's a boy, and Arren, after my great-grandmother, if it's a girl." Kalla suggested. I don't even show yet, and they're asking me about names? She thought to herself.

Death's Hand

Doctor Lenatha Pradhes approached Admiral Belina and her party, her eyes visibly baggy. "I wish I had better news, Admiral. He was badly wounded in the attempt on his life, and we did all we could. Only time will tell at this point." She explained.

Death's Head

"I wish I had better news, Admiral. He was badly wounded in the attempt on his life, and we did all we could. Only time will tell at this point."

Belina looked at the doctor and than back at the door that led at the medical room.

She could feel tears begining to form as she thought of what this could mean. She would be the last living member of her family if the Grand Admiral died. She brought her hand up to her face and wiped away the few tears that were going down her cheek.

"Can I see him?" She asked quietly. I swear, if he makes it through this I'll try to forgive him, try to get along with him!




Ackbar

Xeran muttered angerly under his breath as he limped into the medical bay. That last sparring match against Xandros had left him feeling drained and humiliated. The shinigami from the past had been a worthy opponet and had been honorable but he still didn't like it when he lost a sparring match.

I can't believe I actually lost against him. Xeran sighed heavily as he limped in and sat down on one of the beds and waited for the doctor to come by.

He turned to look at a figure that was sleeping on one of the beds nearby. Xeran looked him over. It looked like whoever it was had taken a bit of a beating.

Xeran took a quick look around the room and his eyes locked onto a set of armor that was on the other side of the room.

Wow...not a bad looking set of armor. He thought to himself as he limped over and took a closer look at it.

"I'm sorry, Admiral, visitation rights are restricted to his immediate family." Lenatha replied, silently guessing at the truth. Confidentiality was part of being a doctor, but she was rarely happy about it when it involved people she knew. It was tempting enough knowing that her wife's best friend was pregnant, and not being able to say anything about it. Kalla will let people know when she's ready. As her doctor, it's not my place. She reminded herself.

Ackbar

Valek's head felt like a flashbang once he woke up. All he could see was a big blur, and his ears were ringing. Did I get... drugged while I was napping?, Valek thought to himself. Valek tried moving his left leg, but to no avail. The wound was left untreated, and it swelled up and made his leg stiff. Valek tried to call upon the Force to try to heal his leg a bit, but the doctor was right, his connection to the Force is still very weak. Valek glanced to his left and saw a figure, but could not make out what he was doing due to the blur in his eyes. He turned to the left side of his bed, and made a sitting motion. He kept his left leg straight, and he bent over and rubbed his head with his right hand, with his elbow on his thigh.

Death's Head

"I'm sorry, Admiral, visitation rights are restricted to his immediate family."

"In that case I'm going to have to speak to him as Commander of the Republic forces." Belina lied as she opened the door and quickly closed it behind her. She looked down at the man who had once been in love with her mother. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow.

"Why?" She asked quietly. "Why did you sound the alarm that allowed us to capture the sith before he could get to me? I always thought that you hated me."

The Grand Admiral's mouth moved and she heard a faint sound escape. Belina looked down at him in suprise. She had assumed that he was resting.

She leaned down close to him and a small sob escaped as she heard him repeat the words. "Proud...of my daughter." He whispered as his eyes closed and he fell asleep. Belina looked at the equipment monitoring him and sighed in relief. He was still alive.



Medbay

Xeran turned around as he heard a noise and smiled as he saw the figure on the bed move. He looked at him and grinned. "If that's your armor over there than I envy you. I took a look at it and it's a beautiful set of armor."

He walked over and extended his hand to the stranger. "The name's Xeran. You don't look familiar, are you new to the Ackbar?"

Ackbar Medbay

Valek looked at the figure before him, smirked, and shook his hand. "Name's Valek, ex-Jedi and former commander of the now-destroyed Gamma Squad." Valek took a pause as his vision slowly cleared up. "And you'd be right. I've never been here before, so I guess I'm the 'new guy'." Valek smirked at this statement, and then continued. "And you're envious of my armor? It's not so beautiful now, the visor's fractured, the shoulder guard has been blown off, and a whole bunch of blaster scoring. If you want, I could commission the old man to make you a set of armor, but there may be a problem with that." Valek rubbed his shoulder, which to his relief, was not dislocated anymore.

"I think it would be a good idea if Kaillian were to stay in her room for a bit. There's a bit of a mess out here."

Jun-la replied, "Don't worry. Matton and I will stay. We have a whole plan worked out. Belina knows too." She then gave a gentle pat to Alriana's middle and whispered, "Just be careful with what you do. He tends to become an old married woman about people he cares about the most."

She turned to Tavaryn. "Should we follow the Admiral?" She asked quietly.

Tavaryn gave a nod as he checked to make sure that the lightsaber was on his belt. he left his blade behind but he had some weapon. He replied, "Lead the way moi chroi."

As they were walking down the corridors, he fished out his comlink and called, "Alpha Team, this is Alpha Leader. Upgrading status to alert. Be on standby."

Alpha Team. Copy that.

Tavaryn then switched to another link and contacted Fen'Harel, "Sir, we should have the brothers on alert."

I will alert Xandros.

Tavaryn out away his com and gave a side glance to Alriana. "Always be prepared."

**********

The announcement went rather smoothly at least in Tonatius' mind. Andros actually gave a hand shake but it had the little brother glare that clearly said he better stay Mr. Honorable or else. They shared a silent look of understanding on that. Tonatius would try.

He did find it amusing that everyone was asking about names and Kal wasn't even showing yet. He said, "Look at it this way Kal, time will go by quick. Better to get an early start."

"Just be careful with what you do. He tends to become an old married woman about people he cares about the most."

Alriana couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks for the heads up. At least now I know what to expect."

She waited outside the room that Grand Admiral Velerc and Admiral Belina were in and stood at attention as the door opened and Admiral Belina walked out. Alriana could see that she had been crying.

"Jedi Alriana and Tavaryn." She said quietly. I plan on meeting with Kavrik soon. I would appreciate it if you could join Garja and I in meeting room three."

"What about the Grand Admiral? Whats his condition?"

"The Grand Admiral is in bad shape and everything that can be done by medical science has been done. Even a very experienced jedi would have a hard time fixing his injuries."

Belina turned to the two of them. "The meeting is going to start in twenty minutes. I just need to get ahold of Garja and we should be set."

Belina opened up a channel to the bridge of the Ackbar and waited for a moment before Garja's voice came through.

"Admiral. What are your orders?"

"Get ahold of Kavrik and let him know that we're going to have a discussion in meeting room three in twenty minutes. I'd like it if you could show up to the meeting as well."

"Yes Admiral. I'll let him know right now and I'll be there soon."



Ackbar bridge

Garja opened up a comnline to Kavrik's ship and waited a moment before speaking. "Kavrik. Admiral Belina is setting up a meeting in meeting room three in around twenty minutes and would like you to attend."




Ackbar Medbay

"And you're envious of my armor? It's not so beautiful now, the visor's fractured, the shoulder guard has been blown off, and a whole bunch of blaster scoring. If you want, I could commission the old man to make you a set of armor, but there may be a problem with that."

Xeran laughed. "The blaster scoring gives it character!" Xeran said still laughing. "Sure it might need some repairs but the blaster scoring shows that you've seen combat with it so I'd leave those on...but hey, it's not my armor so do what you wish."

"So...you were a commander? And an ex-jedi at that? You must have had an interesting career. Tell me more about this...Gamma squad. what happened to it?"

Tavaryn was no fool when it came to emotions. He noticed that the admiral had been crying and guessed that something was bothering her. he could also see that she was trying to be the tough soldier. He gave Alriana's hand a gentle squeeze. I'm being nice moi chroi.

At that moment, he focused and remembered what his mother had taught him about sending waves to people he wasn't bonded with. He gave a tentative and gentle reassurance while paying attention to the situation at hand. He said, "I have Alpha Team on alert Admiral. Any orders and we're ready to go."

**********

Fen'Harel activated his comm and said, "Xandros, one of our brothers has requested you be on alert."

"Sure it might need some repairs but the blaster scoring shows that you've seen combat with it so I'd leave those on...but hey, it's not my armor so do what you wish."

"Why do you think I left all that blaster scoring on there?" Valek allowed a smirk to cross his face, and continued. "But, what I meant was that you can't see through the visor due to that huge crack in it."

"So...you were a commander? And an ex-jedi at that? You must have had an interesting career. Tell me more about this...Gamma squad. what happened to it?"

"Technically, I'm a First Lieuteneant, but yes, I was a commander-of-sorts on the squad." Valek leaned back onto the wall. "Few Jedi treaded the path between Jedi and soldier. Revan and Anakin Skywalker were prime examples. They fought in the thickest of battles like a typical marine would, unlike other Jedi, who simply stayed back. But none had served as a soldier in the Republic after being exiled. I think I was the first."

Varik paused, and cleared his throat.

"Oh, right, Gamma Squad. In the Resistance, there were three squads that were on top of the others: Alpha, Omega, and Gamma. Gamma was that one squad that fought in the thick battles, and were very effective. There are no Jedi affiliated with the squad, so having all this manpower with no Jedi involved was one thing that set us apart from the others. We don't rely on the Force during battles, or at all, in that matter. We suffered heavy losses during the Fall of Coruscant, and our fragments were destroyed on Eldravin. What was left were sent off to other squads, and Epsilon Squad took our place as the third most elite squad, though they have more of a black-ops style fighting technique than ours."

Freedom - Akbar Hangar

"Kavrik. Admiral Belina is setting up a meeting in meeting room three in around twenty minutes and would like you to attend."

Startled, Kavrik jumped back from the table at which he sat, stumbling over the chair, but managing just barely to stay upright. For a moment, he simply stared at the datapad still resting on the table. It was showing blank now, though just a moment ago, it had been scrolling rapidly through a detailed history of the last hundred and thirteen years. Checking his memory of what he'd been reading, he realized he had indeed been near the end.

"I'll reset the datapad to where you left off," Lysandra told him. "For now, you'd better get that."

Kavrik nodded and crossed the room to the com panel. "I'd like nothing better, Admiral Garja. Thanks for the heads up."

He snatched the datapad up from the table and moved to leave his ship. Just leaving the common room, he hesitated. "Uh, Lys, seeing as I didn't really sleep..."

"You'd like a stimulant," Lys filled in. "You've only got one hyper-caf left. Use it well."

"This is using it well," Kavrik argued. "If I come off as a half-asleep lunatic to the Admiral, how could she seriously feel at ease with hiring me?"

"Well you did save her life," Lys countered. "Never mind. Hyper-caf is where you left it. Panel's unlocked."

"Thank you," Kavrik said, moving into the galley. One panel was slightly popped and he pulled it open, retrieving from it a small, cylindrical container. Dropping it on the counter, he ripped the top off and smiled in satisfaction at the quiet hiss followed by an immediate upward draft of steam.

"Oxygen and hyper-caf powder mix," he said. "Hot, energizing beverage in a split second. Could there be anything better? Lys, don't you dare comment."

Snatching up the container, he kicked the wall panel closed and headed out, datapad in one hand and hyper-caf in the other. As he walked, he ordered his datapad to resume playback. The information on its screen scrolled past with astonishing rapidity, but he did not order it slower. In just a few seconds, it was over and he tucked the pad under his arm. Not much later, he arrived at the assigned meeting room and entered, finding again that he was the first to arrive. So much the better, he thought, again choosing a seat that faced the door, its back to a solid wall.

Seated, he waited, sipping his hyper-caf slowly, and with each sip, looking more and more alert and energized.

Ackbar

"I have Alpha Team on alert Admiral. Any orders and we're ready to go."

Belina turned and nodded. "Good idea. If what I suspect is true then we might need you to deploy in a few hours. I plan on getting in contact with the jedi to see if they have any elite units they want to send in. Jedi Alriana, I want you and Tavaryn to join us in meeting with Kavrik." The Admiral headed for the turbolift and waited for the others to join her.


Ackbar corridors

"Xandros, one of our brothers has requested you be on alert."

Xandros had been walking towars the quarters he had been assigned when his comnlink went off. He quickly reached out through the force and sensed no danger but he still kept his guard up.

"As you wish sir." He said as he quickly turned around and headed for the turbolift. He suspected if any trouble were to occur he might be needed either on the bridge or possibly the hanger deck..




Ackbar Medbay

"What was left were sent off to other squads, and Epsilon Squad took our place as the third most elite squad, though they have more of a black-ops style fighting technique than ours."

"Sorry to hear that." Xeran said and he really was sorry to hear that. He had been in a few squads that had lost people before being assigned to the Ackbar and it was never easy to lose friends and Xeran had lost quite a few.

"Well, now that your aboard the Ackbar you might be assigned to Alpha Team. They're the top squad aboard the Ackbar right now. If you want, I can ask the Admiral if there's an opening on the team."


Ackbar Bridge

"I'd like nothing better, Admiral Garja. Thanks for the heads up."

"Not a problem." Garja said as he closed the comnlink and headed for the turbolift. "Let me know at once if anything suspicious happens. Keep scanning and let me know if anything is detected."

After her family had left, Kalla commented, "I'll be honest, I was most worried about what my brother would say. My father and Iyav are generally pretty understanding." Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Do you like my ideas for the baby's name?"

Emperor's Tower, Sith Palace, Coruscant

"My lord, our work at the site on Dagobah is complete." Darth Vokun explained to Darth Pestilus.

"Excellent, and yet you seem uneasy." Pestilus commented.

"My lord, with the loss of Naboo, and the incident on Tatooine, it's possible the Resistance may have learned something of our plans. If they discovered the truth-" Vokun said before being cut off.

"You think I don't know that? Why do you think not even our own Troopers know the true nature of our project? No doubt the Resistance will be sending a team to Dagobah. Deal with them personally" Pestilus instructed.

Tonatius replied, "Well your brother and I have a sort of understanding. As to the names, I am content with your choices."

**********

Tavaryn made a motion for Alriana to follow the admiral. It was more out of politeness and old habits in regards to security. Once in the turbo lift, he spoke through the bond to Alriana, I am guessing that if the situation is dire, I would be sent out. Alpha Team is considered the best in you know what. No rest for the weary right?

Ackbar

I am guessing that if the situation is dire, I would be sent out. Alpha Team is considered the best in you know what. No rest for the weary right?

Rest assured, If your going out there then I am as well. If she does try to restrict me from going due to the pregnancy I want to help me convince her otherwise. Alriana send back. She was determined to go out on this mission.

In the meantime...we should probably start thinking up names for the baby. She sent in a joking tine that had just a hint of seriousness. Maybe we could start discussing it after the meeting?



Sith Frigate
unknown location

The cathar that had once been known to the jedi as Varith but was now known as Darth Corial to the sith silently meditated behind the vast viewports that kept him from dying in the cold vaccum of space.

A slight disturbance in the force was the only warning he had that he was not alone. He instantly jumped to his feet and ignited his lightsaber and turned to face his opponet. When he saw who had caused the disturbance his eyes widened in shock.

Varith...what have you done? Asked the blue ghostly figure of his long dead wife Jirla in a voice that was filled with tears.

"Jirla..." He whispered in shock.

You were once a jedi...and one of the bravest men I ever met...but now...you have turned your back on the jedi and became what you were sworn to defend the galaxy against. What happened to you? What have you become?

"The jedi called me back to their temple when I could have saved the people of our homeworld from those pirates! They took me away and you ended up dying because of them!"

No Varith...you must understand. I brought my death on myself. It was the only way to protect our child. If they thought me the only one...then they wouldn't kill our child.

"Child...you mean...We...have a child."

Yes...my time is growing short. I beg you Varith, return to the jedi...and find our child. She is somewhere on Cathar and is in need of her father. if you love me Varith...if there is still good in your heart you will save her!

Varith slowly sank to his knees. "I will...I swear to you I will find out child...but the jedi...I don't know yet."

For me Varith...Please...Find her.

Varith turned to the bridge crew who had seen the exchange between the Sith apprentice and the force ghost. "Set course for Cathar. Engage lightspeed as soon as we are able to."

"But sir...We have been ordered to remain here until Lord Pestilus orders us to go to the Dagobah system."

Varith smiled a very dark smile at the officer and was tempted to choke the man for his question but he thought better of it.

"I am in command of this ship. You will follow my orders. If my Master has a problem with these orders then he can take them up with me."

"Yes sir." The officer said quietly as he entered the coordinates while quietly sending an encoded transmission to Lord Pestilus informing him of the Cathar's orders.

The ship quickly entered lightspeed after the coordinates were entered for Cathar.

Ackbar

Rest assured, If your going out there then I am as well. If she does try to restrict me from going due to the pregnancy I want to help me convince her otherwise.

Tavaryn raised a brow at Alriana. He knew she had a mind of her own and nothing he would say would convince her to do otherwise once it was made up. However knowing that she was pregnant, he wondered about the effects it would bring. They both had high risk jobs that carried the possibility of death. It was something that would have to be discussed eventually. He replied, I doubt I could change the Admiral's mind. I cause too much trouble for her already.

In the meantime...we should probably start thinking up names for the baby. She sent in a joking tine that had just a hint of seriousness. Maybe we could start discussing it after the meeting?

He listened to her conversation and added, We don't even know what 'it' is yet. It's like when Murasaki was picking out names for her first stallion colt and it wasn't even born yet.

He waited while the admiral was waiting for everyone to be present. She appeared to be much calmer now and he voiced, "Press onward is the motto, right Admiral?"

"Well, now that your aboard the Ackbar you might be assigned to Alpha Team. They're the top squad aboard the Ackbar right now. If you want, I can ask the Admiral if there's an opening on the team."

"No. I'm not too eager to join a squad right after mine has been fragmented. Give me a few days."

Valek stood up, and tried to walk towards a water dispenser. During conversation, Valek seemingly forgot that his numb leg was broken. Just as he started walking, he collapsed on the ground. His teeth clenched, and attempted to prevent himself from screaming, especially in front of this man. After a few tense seconds, the pain finally escaped his lips. "Auuuughh!" It wasn't really a scream, more like the phrase that one would mutter when they are in pain. Valek did not want to seem weak in front of this man, and simply said:

"Get a Jedi."

Ackbar
Meeting Room three

Garja noticed the moment that he arrived was that Kavrik was there first. And for reasons unknown to him he had taken a chair that was facing the door. Garja simply shrugged it off. The Ackbar was on hight alert at the moment and he doubted anyone could sneak aboard now.

It was possible that he could be wrong about that but he doubted that he was wrong.

"Kavrik." He said as a greeting. "Admiral Belina and the others will be arriving shortly. I hope that you found everything that you needed. If not we can always see if another ship has the parts you require."



Ackbar

I doubt I could change the Admiral's mind. I cause too much trouble for her already.

Alriana looked over at him and shook her head slightly. "I wouldn't say that you cause that much trouble. She would probably listen to you."

Alriana reached the turbolift and looked behind her and saw Admiral Belina coming up behind them. She apparently hadn't heard the conversation.

"Is everyone ready to get going?" Belina asked. "I have a feeling that Kavrik is already waiting for us and possibly Garja as well."


Ackbar Medbay

"No. I'm not too eager to join a squad right after mine has been fragmented. Give me a few days."

"Alright...but rest assured, Alpha team is always looking for new recruits. If you change your mind let me know."

Xeran watched as valek went down and instantly grabbed him and hoisted him up and made sure that Valek's arm was around his neck.

"Get a Jedi."

"Easy there pal." Xeran said as he helped the man sit down on the bed he had been on a moment ago. "I'll put a request to see if we can get a jedi down there as soon as possible."

Xeran opened up a comnlink to the bridge.

"This is Xeran with the third ground company battalion. I could use a jedi to come down here and give me a hand with something."

The response was immediate. "This is science officer Koral. I'll see what we can do. Please stand by."



Ackbar Bridge

Koral opened up a comnlink to the last known deck that Komad had been on and hoped that he was still there. "Jedi Komad. If you are able to, please report to the Medbay as soon as possible. I repeat: Jedi Komad, if you are able to please report to the medbay as soon as possible."

Akbar - Meeting Room Three

"Kavrik." He said as a greeting. "Admiral Belina and the others will be arriving shortly. I hope that you found everything that you needed. If not we can always see if another ship has the parts you require."

Kavrik rose as Garja entered. When the man was finished speaking, Kavrik smiled. "I found a few things that'll be useful to getting Lys back up and running," he said. "Thank you." He paused for a moment, thoughtful. "She still requires a few things though. I might check with your other ships as well."

Ackbar, Medbay

"I'm on my way." Komad replied, quickly leaving his quarters and heading to the medbay.

Upon arriving, he was shocked to see who the patient was. "Valek?" He asked, before turning to Xeran, "Before I start, I need to know exactly what's wrong with him."

Ackbar, Meeting Room Three

Garja was soon followed by Kol Skywalker himself, having arrived on board the Ackbar with no announcement or fanfare.

"I've been looking forward to finally meeting you in person, Kavrik. I'm Kol Skywalker, Grand Master of the Jedi Order." He said, holding his hand.

Council Chambers, Sith Palace, Coruscant

"I told you Corial couldn't be relied upon." Darth Noctis pointed out to Pestilus upon learning of Corial's intent to go to Cathar rather than Dagobah. "With Sykal dead, we can't afford just dissent in our ranks, especially not from your own apprentice."

"If he is captured by the Jedi, or if he goes to them willingly, he would most likely reveal the Project to them." Darth Lethe added.

Pondering this, Darth Pestilus opened a channel to Darth Vokun about the Kraken. "Lord Vokun, before you go to Dagobah, I'll need to you retrieve Lord Corial from Cathar. If he refuses to cooperate, kill him."

"As you command, my Lord." Vokun replied.

Ackbar, Meeting Room Three

"I've been looking forward to finally meeting you in person, Kavrik. I'm Kol Skywalker, Grand Master of the Jedi Order."

Rising to his feet and grasping Skywalker's hand firmly, Kavrik laughed. "Well there's a surprise," he said. "I've been rambling about the galaxy for barely five years and the Jedi Grand Master has not only heard of me, but also has been wishing to meet me?" He grinned mischievously and added, "I fear celebrity might go to my head, Grand Master Skywalker, so let's just say this pleasure is all mine."

Ackbar Meeting Room 3

"She still requires a few things though. I might check with your other ships as well."

"Just let our quartermaster know what you need to repair her and I'll make sure that you get it."

Garja then looked up in suprise as the current Grand Master of the Jedi walked in. He hadn't heard any news of him arriving. Still, if the Grand Master was here it must be important.

"Grand Master Skywalker, I didn't know that you were coming to this meeting...in fact I didn't know you were aboard the Ackbar. Is there something we can help you with sir?"


Hyperspace
Arriving at Cathar

Even as the frigate dropped out of hyperspace Corial was scanning through the force for a mind that was identical to his own...not exactly like his own but still somewhat like his.

He knew that he had a limited amount of time to find his daughter before he was forced to return to the sith. But even as he scanned the words of his wife continued to ring through his head.

I beg you Varith...Return to the jedi! Save our child!

Varith's eyes were closed in concentration as he reached through the force and after a few minutes of searching...he found a mind was was similiar to his...A mind that reminded him of his beloved his wife.

A mind that sensed his touch and reached back. Varith pulled back in shock. His daughter was force-sensative! This was unexpected and it added a new set of variables into his plan.

The jedi...they would take care of her...train her and protect her. But the sith...they could teach ther to harness her power and use it for the glory for the sith. Varith sighed quietly. If he brought her to the sith...it was possible she would be killed by the other students if they saw her as competition.

Varith thought back to his days with the jedi. To the joy he had felt when he had created his first lightsaber. To the sorrow he had felt when his Master had been killed. And to the joy he had felt when he had encountered his future wife.

And the rage filled slaughter that had followed when he had found her dead.

Is it possible that they would take me back? No...I am too far gone but my daughter...she still has a chance to have a better life.

Varith turned to the first officer. "Prepare a shuttle. I am going down to the surface and will be returning shortly."

Varith turned and headed for the lift.



Ackbar Medbay

"Before I start, I need to know exactly what's wrong with him."

"Oh the regualr stuff." Xeran said with a smile. "Busted leg and I suspect that he has some stuff he hasn't told me about yet."

Ackbar, Meeting Room Three

"Word travels quickly among the Jedi, and your unique nature with regard to the Force makes you rather interesting to us." Kol said to Kavrik before turning to Garja. "The nature and importance of this mission warrants my personal attention. I will be going with the team to Dagobah myself."

Ackbar, Medbay

"I ask because using the Force to heal wounds is extremely exhausting, but less so if I can focus on specific injuries." Komad explained. "I'll start with the leg though."

Ackbar, Kalla and Tonatius's Quarter's

"Just content?" Kalla asked. "In fairness, even with the morning sickness and everything else, it does seem far off to me too. Though I still can't believe I actually puked in the corridor of a Naboo prison."

Ackbar Lift to Meeting

"Is everyone ready to get going?" Belina asked. "I have a feeling that Kavrik is already waiting for us and possibly Garja as well."

Tavaryn gave a slight nod. "Yes ma'am." He pushed the button for the level. "Admiral is there anything to be expected from this meeting?"

Kalla and Tonatius Quarters

"In fairness, even with the morning sickness and everything else, it does seem far off to me too. Though I still can't believe I actually puked in the corridor of a Naboo prison."

Tonatius gave a thoughtful look at Kalla and then he teased, "I am content since I know you would have bullied me into agreeing with you. However if you wish to discuss it some more, we do have time."

Ackbar, Meeting Room Three

"The nature and importance of this mission warrants my personal attention. I will be going with the team to Dagobah myself."

"As you wish sir. Will you be bringing any additional jedi with you to Dagobah?"

Garja asked.


Lift

"Admiral is there anything to be expected from this meeting?"

"I wouldn't really expect any suprises from this meeting." Belina said that they arrived on the meeting deck. "It's supposed to be a meeting about the upcoming mission to Dagobah so we're going to be talking about what units are going to be deployed, possible resistance that we may run into and things like that."

Belia walked to the door and opened it and was suprised to see Kol Skywalker, the current Grand Master of the Order standing in the room. "Grand Master Skywalker...this is an unexpected pleasure. I take it that your coming along on this mission with us?"

She then turned to Kavrik who was sitting with his back to the wall. "Kavrik. I'm glad to see that you could join us." She said with a smile as she took a seat on the side of the table. "Before we begin this meeting I think we should introduce you to my Chief of Security and the leader of Alpha Team."

Belina motioned to Alriana to step forward. "This is Jedi Alriana, my chief of security aboard the Ackbar. "If you have any security concerns and I'm not available feel free to bring them to her attention."

Alriana couldn't sense Kavrik in the force which was making her a bit uneasy but she pushed that uneasiness aside and smiled at Kavrik.



Cathar

Varith slowly walked through the hallways of the building. He had put his lightsaber away shortly after entering the building as it had frightend the owner. He didn't understand why he even cared what they thought. He was sith, and sith didn't care what the common people thought of them. But still...when he finally found his daughter he didn't want to scare her. He was a bit worried that since his daughter was force-sensative she would be able to detect what he was.

He quietly opened the door that the force signature that so strongly resembled his own and looked down once it was open.

A small cathar girl was looking back up at him. A cathar woman was holding her tightly around the stomach and was glaring at him. "We know what you are sith. She snarled. "If you think you are taking Velra with you then you are mistaken!"

"I have no wish to fight." Varith said as he spread his hands to show that he was unarmed. "I am simply here to take my daughter away from this place."

The Cathar shook her head. "Jirla said that others would come. That people would try to take advantage of her gifts and use her. Before she died she told me that only one could be trusted. That only her father could be trusted. He is a jedi and you are no jedi. I can smell the blood on you!"

"I was once a jedi..." Varith said quietly. "It is too late for me to return to the path of the lightside...but for my daughter it is not too late for her. I want her to have a better life. A better life then both you and I can provide for her.

The Cathar girl broke away from the woman and ran towards him. Varith looked at the woman and a slight smile appeared on his face. "Come with me little one...and I promise I will give you a better life."

"No! Stay away from him Velra! He is dangerous!"

Velra looked up at him and Varith could sense the child searching him over with the force...trying to see if he was telling the truth.

For the first time in a long time...he was.

The young Cathar smiled and grabbed his hand and Varith began to lead her away as the older Cathar woman began to sob. Velra turned and looked back at the woman and smiled.

"It'll be okay."

And with those parting words from Velra, Varith led his girl down the hallway and out of the building and towards his shuttle.

"It's supposed to be a meeting about the upcoming mission to Dagobah so we're going to be talking about what units are going to be deployed, possible resistance that we may run into and things like that."

Tavaryn listened. He replied, "Resistance is as only as good as the measures the enemy has taken. Have scouts reported capabilities?"

It probably was not his place to be the annoyance that he could be at times but then again it probably was why Belina appointed him as Alpha leader. He followed her occasionally fingering the sleeve of Alriana's robe. He stopped though when he stood in Kol Skywalker's presence. He gave a respectful bow, "Master Skywalker."

He could sense Alriana's uneasiness and asked through the Force, Something troubles you moi chroi?"

Valek felt himself at ease once he saw a Jedi walk through the door. Of all the people, it was Komad. He hadn't seen Komad in a LONG time, the last time was probably the day of his exile, if memory serves him correct.

"Komad? It's been a while hasn't it?", Valek said with a grin.

"Oh, the regular stuff. Busted leg and I suspect that he has some stuff he hasn't told me about yet."

"Just worry about the leg. My bruises and scars require no healing."

Ackbar, Meeting Room 3

"The pleasure is all mine, admiral." Kol replied, his tone suggesting something outside their working relationship. "Now, after our activity on Tatooine and Naboo, the Sith will be expecting us to investigate Dagobah. We know that whatever they're doing, they've been keeping it secret from even their own Troopers, so this is likely the only way we're going to find out what they're up to."

Ackbar, Medbay

Concentrating, Komad focused the restorative energy on Valek's broken leg, gradually restoring its functionality. "That should do it. It's healed, but I still wouldn't overexert myself if I were you."

Cathar

"My Lord, we've received a message from Lord Vokun demanding you go accompany him to Dagobah at once. What are your orders?" One of the officers aboard Varith's ship sent down, failing to mention that Vokun was ordered to kill him if he didn't cooperate.

"That should do it. It's healed, but I still wouldn't overexert myself if I were you."

"I don't plan on doing so."

Valek stood up and moved his leg around, and paced around the medbay, relived to be able to walk again.

"So, I'd like to meet the leader of Alpha Team. And if I'm not mistaken, Belina serves on the ship also?"

He walked towards his set of armor and put it on. Even though it's damaged, it's still fairly wearable.

"Gotta dress for the part," Valek said with a smirk, "Lead the way."

Ackbar Meeting Room

"Resistance is as only as good as the measures the enemy has taken. Have scouts reported capabilities?"

"Not that I know of yet." Belina said with a shrug. "But I was planning on deploying probe droids from outside the system once we got under way instead of putting some of our scouts at risk. I'm open to hearing other suggestions though."

"The pleasure is all mine, admiral. Now, after our activity on Tatooine and Naboo, the Sith will be expecting us to investigate Dagobah. We know that whatever they're doing, they've been keeping it secret from even their own Troopers, so this is likely the only way we're going to find out what they're up to."

"If they are expecting us we're most likely going to be running into heavy resistance. I'd say that due to Dagobah's terrain we're not going to be running into heavy vehicles, but rather infantry and possibly light air support such as small fighters. I'm not going to lie though...they may have a few suprises waiting for us."

Something troubles you moi chroi?"

Well...yes. Try and sense Kavrik in the force...it's almost like he's not there. At all.



Medbay

"Lead the way."

They are in a meeting right now, but I think they would make an exception for us if Komad were to join us when we barged in. And yeah, Belina is actually commanding the ship."

Xeran grinned as he motioned them to the lift.


Cathar
En route to Sith Frigate

"My Lord, we've received a message from Lord Vokun demanding you go accompany him to Dagobah at once. What are your orders?"

Varith sighed as he quickly began to think of ways to get both he and his daughter out of this situation alive. A sudden idea came to mind.

"I will be docking shortly. After I am aboard this shuttle is to be allowed to continue on it's way. I managed to gain an ally in the battle against the Resistance. If all goes according to plan we should have an inside source within the resistance."

Varith looked down at his daughter and smiled as he reached out and ruffled her hair. "I'm sorry...but you need to leave if you want to survive. Some...friends of mine will pick you up once they hear my message."

Varith began to reprogram the auto-pilot to take the shuttle to the last known location of an abandoned resistance outpost. Velra should have at least a month's worth of supplies to keep her fed. He regretted that it had come to this, but he had no other choice.

He silently reached out through the force and touched the minds of the two that he had fought the first time he had managed to board the Ackbar. Before he had joined the sith.

If you wish to save an innocent life...go to the abandoned base in the Kivoran system and make haste. The sith do not value the lives of the innocent as the jedi do.

He prayed that the message had been recieved by the two he had fought. It was his daughter's only chance to survive.

The shuttle docked with the frigate and Varith walked through the air lock as soon as it was safe for him to go through. He didn't want to land the shuttle in the hanger bay in case someone checked the shuttle over before it left.

Goodbye...Velra. He thought quietly as a small tear appeared in his left eye as the shuttle undocked, drifted for a moment and then took off into Hyperspace.

He opened a channel to the bridge. "Set course for Dagobah at maximum speed and engage the hyperdrive when ready."

"If they are expecting us we're most likely going to be running into heavy resistance. I'd say that due to Dagobah's terrain we're not going to be running into heavy vehicles, but rather infantry and possibly light air support such as small fighters. I'm not going to lie though...they may have a few suprises waiting for us."

Tavaryn gave a slight nod of acknowledgment. Dagobah was one of those worlds that was tricky in any situation. There were some options to consider. He replied, "What about ground forces? Could it be possible to use drop pods or drop ships and move in ground forces? Drop ships are more flexible in terms of mobility. The downside is that they are not heavily armored."

Well...yes. Try and sense Kavrik in the force...it's almost like he's not there. At all.

Tavaryn left off for the admiral's consider his suggestion while he pondered Alriana's request. He could reach out and use the Force, he just didn't do it that often. He tried and he saw that she was right. Thing was he had felt that feeling before and mother once did it. He sent back, I am familiar with the sensation. A few family tricks. My brother would know.

"While mobility is an issue, the environment will certainly help us in getting in undetected. I agree with Tavaryn; a couple of camouflaged ATT's should be enough to get the team in undetected." Kol commented.

At that point, Komad arrived in the meeting room, along with Valek and Xeran. "Sorry I'm late. I was needed in the medbay." He explained. He then asked, "How close to Yoda's Hut can we land? Based on what Iyav and I found on Tatooine, what we're looking for would most likely be in the nearby cave."

Valek walked into the room, with his helmet in his right hand. He had the face of a battle-hardened commando, and tried to easily show that he was more than a standard commando. He did so by his movement, his facial scars, the scoring and broken areas of his armor, and the helmet. Valek looked like he was thrown into a pit full of kath hounds and tuk'ata, and then swiftly dragged out minutes later. He held his helmet, placed it onto the table, and then sat into one of the seats near Belina.

"First things first. Eldravin was a failure, as I'm sure you already know. Just to remind you of what we're going against. Not even I, nor Gamma Squad, were able to stop them from gaining this 'artifact'."

Valek paused, glared at Kavrik, then back at Belina.

"But still, it's long time no see. It's good to see you again. You're probably one of the few members of Resistance brass that I haven't been in contact with for a while."

Valek again glared at Kavrik, and suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness slam into his stomach. He quickly shrugged it off, and looked at Komad.

"So, who's the leader of Alpha Squad?"

Tavaryn nodded and added, "Master Skywalker, perhaps we can get several teams in on different points and they rendezvous at a particular point. This could allow for coverage. The only thing would be cross fire issues if they advance in a circle or something."

He had been sensing Kavrik who was an anomaly. Perhaps another time he could strike up a conversation. It would certainly allow for more exchange of information.

"So, who's the leader of Alpha Squad?"

Tavaryn viewed the newcomer with a wary eye. He usually was that way with people he had yet to meet or haven't met before. His presence there though meant that Belina authorized this to a degree. He glanced at Alriana and brushed her fingers with his. "That would be me."

Ackbar Meeting Room

Belina turned to look at Xeran and then at Valek and than snapped her fingers as she remembered Valek. "Oh yes...I remember you now. I also heard about what happened to Gamma Squad. I'm sorry to hear about them...they were a good group of solders."

She then turned to look at Xeran sighed. "And I suppose that you want to be included in the mission as well. I know for a fact that you never back down from a fight."

Xeran smiled and nodded.

Belina sighed again and turned to Grand Master Skywalker. "Well Master Skywalker, I think that we already know what units we're going to deploy, do you have any elite jedi units that you might want to deploy?"




Alriana felt Tavaryn's fingers brush up against hers and she was about to say something when a sudden voice went through her head. It sounded familiar but she couldn't place it but she knew she had heard it before.

If you wish to save an innocent life...go to the abandoned base in the Kivoran system and make haste. The sith do not value the lives of the innocent as the jedi do.

She couldn't help but let a out a sharp breath as the message went through her head. She shook her head and tried to clear her head but she couldn't get the message out of her head.

Did you hear that as well? She asked Tavaryn through their link. A message...I recieved a message though the force.


Ackbar Corridors

If you wish to save an innocent life...go to the abandoned base in the Kivoran system and make haste. The sith do not value the lives of the innocent as the jedi do.

Xeran paused for a moment as a sudden message went through his head. He had no idea who was sending it or who it was even intended for him but he quickly opened up a comnline to Fen'harel.

"Sir...I have just recieved some sort of message through the force. I believe that someone may be in trouble."

Ackbar; Meeting Room Three

Once Belina introduced Alriana, Kavrik nodded a greeting to her. Then, he watched with faint amusement as she tried to hide her discomfort upon realizing she couldn't sense him. He tracked her subtle body language and caught a hint that led him to glance over to Tavaryn. As the other man glanced in his direction, Kavrik stared back, shooting him a knowing grin. From being around other Force sensitives, Kavrik knew how strange he must seem. It was something he'd long since learned to use to his advantage. Once the entertainment of watching their discomfort wore off a little, he'd do his part to set them at ease around him. For now, it was time to focus on the mission.

He listened in silence as the mission was laid out, withholding his questions for the end, just in case some of them were answered by the rest of the briefing. When another newcomer arrived, seemed to know Belina, and reported of a failed mission, Kavrik's interest was drawn. He finished off his hyper-caf in one final gulp, cleared his throat, and looked curiously at Belina.

"For those of us new to the scene," he said, "what's this artifact your soldier man was referring to?" He smirked faintly. "Or is that 'need-to-know'? In which case, how do I give myself that need to know?"

"I don't know, but the mission to Dagobah certainly doesn't involve one." Komad commented. "We're going there to figure out what exactly the Sith are up to, and if possible, stop them."

"The Jedi I had in mind were Master Kaltas and his son, and I trust Tavaryn will be coming as well." Kol explained. "Our numbers are stretched too thin as it is, and the rest of the Order is either occupied or unprepared for this."

"Oh yes...I remember you now. I also heard about what happened to Gamma Squad. I'm sorry to hear about them...they were a good group of solders."

Valek smiled. "I'm glad to see that you haven't forgotten me or the deceased. And since I'm here, I guess I'll throw myself into the fire with you guys."

"That would be me."

Valek turned in the direction of Alpha leader, and studied him. Aside from a wary eye and a cautious glare, this man had the look of a Jedi, yet, soldier? Perhaps he was exiled from the Order also? Valek couldn't tell, so he simply replied to the statement.

"Hmm, you have the look of a leader, strange how I couldn't pick you out from the others. It seems so obvious, if I was still connected to the Force, I would've probably been able to pick you out."

Valek had no qualms about revealing himself as a former Jedi. Perhaps this could make them more at ease? Or will it lead them to distrust? He was simultaneously thinking and talking, so he paused for a second to recollect his mind.

I lost good friends on Eldravin, they were like family. They weren't just a 'good group of soldiers', they were family, some of the closest friends I've had in my entire life. All those men in my squad had a different past, different story. Each had different personalities, and each were sown together. We were like a family - brothers forged in battle. But now they're gone. Pretty strange, how you never miss something, until it's gone.

He started reminiscing on the memories he had with his brothers, the worlds they saved, the Sith they killed. All leading up to the grand finale at Eldravin. Sole survivor, Valek was. One, out of an entire squad.

"To the point, I'd like to join your squad, as I've heard you're taking new recruits. However, I have my own reservations of joining a squad - despite it being the best of the best - so soon after the loss of my own."

"The Jedi I had in mind were Master Kaltas and his son, and I trust Tavaryn will be coming as well."

"And me.", muttered Valek under his breath. Was he still considered a Jedi, despite being exiled? Valek had no idea, and even though he has a new lightsaber, he rarely ever used it. Maybe it's time to change that.

Did you hear that as well? She asked Tavaryn through their link. A message...I recieved a message though the force.

Tavaryn listened and he felt faint stirrings. He replied, Just the part about saving an innocent. What did it say exactly?

Then Tavaryn turned to address the one who was asking for the leader of his team. After giving his response, he was surprised that the same assumption everyone else seemed to make came out of his mouth. Then again it was his own fault that he carried his father's lightsaber.

"Hmm, you have the look of a leader, strange how I couldn't pick you out from the others. It seems so obvious, if I was still connected to the Force, I would've probably been able to pick you out."

"That's because I am no Jedi," Tavaryn replied with a firm stance. "I just happen to spend a lot of time around Jedi and Force Sensitives." He would rather have this guy ask him straight out what he was or try to draw it out by questions. Meanwhile, he focused on the meeting. If he was being called into duty again, he was going to have to get all the specifics. He listened while Master Skywalker gave his plan and input.

"The Jedi I had in mind were Master Kaltas and his son, and I trust Tavaryn will be coming as well."

Tavaryn interjected, "Master Jedi we still have our Avalonian allies both Jedi and soldiers alike. They are still sore about the Sith managing to invade their space and would like any opportunity to help deal a blow. Plus they have some equipment that would be harder to obtain from other sources."

Tavaryn looked around the room. He looked at Belina and said, "That is why I was named the Sentinel. To reiterate this to the resistance."