((OOC: Send Me a PM if you'd like to contribute, I'll provide information on the basic idea of the storyline))

The hypnotic hum of the lightsaber broke the silence of the abandoned courtyard as it came to life. It's green hue accentuating the features of his face. Awesome the power of the force was, but even the most knowledgeable of its manipulators had at one point in time almost been dispatched by the simple mechanical device that was now firmly gripped in Mareks hands, others unfortunately, had fallen victim to it. Once locked in a defensive position, he lashed out at the invisible opponent before him. Swinging and parrying near fatal blows, the fierce battle raged on this imaginary battlefield. Zolar in theatric fashion twirled his weapon as to mock the fleeting foe, following with a flip and decapitating blow. This exercise continued for several moments, each time a challenger fell; a new enemy joined the fray. It would have made quite a sight, had someone come across him and his day-dreaming antics, which made him resemble more of a child at play, than a Jedi in training.

In his mind, he was magnificent, an army of one. He could take on anything and anyone, the feeling of invincibility that he had felt on Felucia swept over him once more, which if it had signaled anything, meant he was about to be humbled, which, with his luck meant in a humiliating way, not long after, he was. During the course of his latest assault on the "weaker" rival, he threw a barrage of strikes at his incapable prey seemingly backing him into a corner, of course because Marek was so involved with his whimsical battle, he wasn't very aware of his footing in the real world, as he plunged his weapon forward into a killing strike, he caught an above ground root from one of the nearby trees. His reflexes weren't quick enough to compensate and the momentum of his attack shifted into a downward push as he face-planted in the ground.

With his face half implanted in the dew dampened ground, he let out a groan. His face stung, but his pride hurt more. The fight had gone his way the entire time and what did he have to show for it? He was bested by a mere root. Choosing not to lie embarrassed in the ground until stumbled upon by some else, he rose back to his feet. Rubbing the right side of his face where the grass and ground debris had scraped him, which also happened to be the main point of impact, he spoke to himself.

"Fragging Root."

There were many unused wings in the Academy, the complex being vast and the number of Jedi residing within these ancient walls small, and they provided a refuge away from the rigors of teaching. As he sauntered through the dust covered corridors towards one of his favorite hiding spots, he became aware that he wasn't alone in this abandoned area of the building. Curious, the Jedi Knight followed the strong presence in the Force and as he neared one of the old courtyards, which were probably as numerous as the old rooms, his ears gradually picked up the unmistakable hum of a lightsaber.

Stepping into the shadow of one of the giant pilliars that boxed off the area, Kenshin leaned against the sun-warmed marble as he watched a Padawan unknown to him, which was a rarity as he spent practically every waking hour with the Academy's students, wielded a shining green blade in a sporadic dance against an army of invisible enemies. His strokes with the blade were swift and sure, he noted, but he also quickly discovered the young man's weakness: his footwork. He took to many unnecessary steps and the steps he took were too close together to give him really good stability.

Immediately following his analysis, the young man charged into the fray with a fatal strike only to have all the momentum pulled out from under him as his foot snagged a tree root that had forced its way up from under the ancient cobblestones. Kenshin cringed at the fall, the Padawan had landed face-first into the dirt, but the young man seemed unhurt, or rather still alive and kicking as he managed to groan and force himself up onto his feet. As the young man cursed at the root, he gave a laugh.

"Roots do that you know..." Kenshin called out with a grin from his end of the courtyard. "I suppose they don't have anything better to do when it comes to lightsaber training."

"Roots do that you know..." Kenshin called out with a grin from his end of the courtyard. "I suppose they don't have anything better to do when it comes to lightsaber training."

The voice startled him at first and he turned to face its origin. Marek didn't recognize its owner, but he could feel his cheeks begin to redden as embarrassment came over him.

"Uh...Yeah I suppose they do," he answered back, hoping the other man hadn't been watching him the entire time. He felt foolish now that he had stumbled and made a complete imbecile of himself, especially because some one had been there to watch it, not the most honest display of skill from a man who at one time was a renowned highjacker of the galactic trade ways.

"Hopefully, you haven't been standing there the whole time."

Kenshin nodded, a slight grin on his face, "Long Enough."

Zolars flushed face, wasn't all that obvious in the darkened courtyard, but it was enough to give him a feeling of discomfort. He moved towards his audience, to get a better look at the spectator.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before Mister ...?" Marek spoke, awaiting the others response.

"Katarn." He said with a slight nod, finishing the young man's sentence. "But Kenshin will do."

"And no, I don't hang around out here much." He waved a hand motioning at the abandoned area of the Academy grounds they stood in. "Most of my time is consumed in the more frequented areas of the complex..." He added with a grin.

The Jedi Knight was a bit surprised the man didn't know who he was. It wasn't that he was some great Master of the Council or anything but the current number of teachers within the walls of the Academy were few at the moment and he was one of the most active. He was also surprised that he didn't know who this student was. Being an active teacher, he knew most of the students.

But there was also the thought that this man hadn't spent much of his time on Theed. Perhaps he was the Padawan of one of those Jedi Knights back from a mission. Maybe that was why they didn't recognize each other. Regardless, they were both here now and they would leave having that remedied.

"What do you go by?" Kenshin asked, offering the man his hand. "And do you come out here often?"

Marek returned with his own hand and completed the pleasantries.

"Zolar, Marek Zolar, but you can call me Marek," he answered.

"As far as my patronage here is concerned, I frequent quite often, that is, when I'm not off Planet. I'm not much of a sleeper either, so it lends a great deal of extra training time."

Of course, he could have done without the tripping incident.

"Currently I'm serving as a padawan learner of Master Dolash, but due to the increase in Order affairs our lessons have become fewer and fewer," Zolar trailed off.

Jokingly he spoke again in reference to his fall, "Before I forget, did I mention I do all of my own stunts, especially those involving any type of bodily injury to the face? Because what you just witnessed was just me practicing my falling technique."

It was a sad attempt at humor but both men got a quick chuckle out of it, proving it wasn't completely dumb.

"How about you? What are you doing around and about this time of night? In what capacity do you serve this fine establishment of ours?"

"What am I doing out here...?" He echoed with an amused expression. "I was running away from my students. But to be truthful, a number of these abandoned chambers and courtyards hold fond memories for me and I visit them when I'm on break from my duties."

"At the moment, I serve as one of Academy's few resident instructors so, in hindsight, running away from my students is quite possibly a valid explanation for my presence here." He added with a grin. "But, as a Jedi Knight, I just may be booked for a mission and unexpectedly disappear. So far, that hasn't happened to me though."

"Master Dolash did you say? A good teacher." He had heard much about the Jedi Master Dolash and understood that he spent much of his time attending to duties away from the Academy. If Marek assisted him in those missions, it would explain why the Jedi Knight hadn't seen him around. He barely knew the Jedi Master himself.

Marek nodded in agreement with the fellow mans remark concerning his master. Dolash was a good teacher; his commitment to the Order alone was something to be admired by everyone.

"The Force is something very personal in these dark times, Marek. Where once there were masters and teachers to light a particular path for each student, now all we have is our unifying sense of justice. Let the Force guide you in it's own way, and it will be your greatest teacher." Lessons well taught and hopefully for his sake, well learned.

"Is it fulfilling? I mean, dedicating your life to a cause such as the Jedi is a tremendous responsibility, ever question your choice?" Thoughts of his master’s steadfast devotion razed such questions in Mareks mind.

He listened intently for the Jedi's response.

"Oh yeah." Kenshin answered with a slightly sheepish grin. "Used to question it all the time. Still do once in awhile..."

Kenshin hadn't been a very confident Padawan and with all the hardships he had encountered throughout his training - the loss of two Masters, running off on a mission not sanctioned by the Council, failing the Trials - he had questioned his path many, many times.

In his darkest moments, he had harbored thoughts of perhaps going Rogue, Observer, or simply quitting. But in the end, his memories of Master Wade, his thoughts of Master Amalia, and his need to prove himself made him stay and stick it out. It took forever, but he made it. And he was glad he did.

"Is it fulfilling..." He echoed quietly, trailing off as he mused. "I suppose it depends on what you find fulfilling. I've spent some time wandering, before and after I was Knighted, and during those travels I learned that it is the smiles and laughs, from sometimes the most common of people, that made it all worth it."

In his time, he had worked for and with people from all walks of life. He had dealt with royalty, acting as a bodyguard, he had traveled with smugglers and aided in their shipment, and he had helped with a family of farmers with their yearly crop. In the end, everyone just wants a good time and he made sure they had the capacity to do so. That was how he knew he got the job done.

Time was quickly passing and Marek was beginning to feel like rest was his top priority. He had enjoyed the brief encounter with Kenshin and had hoped to speak with the man more, but tonight wasn't going to be the night, or at least that’s what Zolar had originally thought.

Marek nodded at Kenshins response to his question then began to speak himself.

"I don't mean to be brief, but I'm beginning to feel a bit exhausted and a few hours of rest would do me good."

Zolar extended his hand out once more.

"It was a pleasure meeting you and hopefully we shall meet again."

Once the two men had formally made their goodbyes, Marek started back toward the vicinity of his living quarters. Zolar was quite intrigued with his latest acquaintance and was sure they would meet again. Moving quite briskly, he found himself just a few feet from the door when something struck him. A feeling of uneasiness. It was so strong that the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up, not so much in the sense of being frightened, but rather an overall feeling of insecurity.

Something was off.

The initial wave of feeling stopped him dead in his tracks, while his brain tried to process it. Though not quite attuned to the full power of the force yet, he could hear it speaking to him faintly. Like a million replicating voices whispering at once, that began to grow increasingly louder with every new voice added, until it had developed into a tremendous roar.

Marek was having a hard time making sense of what was being related to him, so he began to focus his concentration on calming the barrage of signals.

It waits...Don't go in there...

...what?...

His hesitation was not unfounded, but the curiosity he could have done without. So in doing the only rational thing from an old pirate’s perspective, he entered the space not heeding the warning. From the initial scan of the darkened room everything seemed to be in order...

Shit...

Out of nowhere and from what direction he couldn't tell a quick flash, followed by immense pressure, sent him flying into a wall. His body struck it hard and slumped to the floor. A smoking muzzle signified the only clue that there had been another being occupying the room.

Should have seen it coming, your losing it...

Time Passes

Eyes fluttering, Marek began to come to. Minutes?Hours? He had no idea how long he'd been out or exactly what had happened. Zolar was sure of one thing though, somebody was about to get a serious butt-kicking. That is, before he realized he was securely fastened to a chair.

"Can it be? The famous Marek Zolar?" a voice spoke to him.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Is it really you? It's hard to believe. After all this time"

"Who are you? Because as soon as I'm out of this chair you’re..."

"Come now, I don't believe you’re in any position to be making threats. Pity, I would have thought that, that habit would have died hard after you started playing hero with the Jedi."

The voice was beginning to sound more and more familiar and Zolar found himself trying to place a face with the voice. Post stun grogginess however, only impaired the process further.

"Still trying to figure out who I am? I'm insulted Marek, we have such history you and I. As a matter of fact, you made me the man I am today."

Zolar was really having quite a difficult time distinguishing who his attacker was. The longer his identity eluded him, the most frustrated Marek became.

"Marek, we'll save catch up for another time, I'm here strictly on business. With that being said, let's get to it. Your family name isn’t the best in the galaxy and quite frankly your brother isn't doing much to change that fact, he's actually elevated things to an entirely new level."

"Whip? What's happened?" The news was shocking and at the same time totally unbelievable.

"Yes, apparently after your sudden departure, baby brother decided to try his hand at piracy, only he's a bit sloppy in his work, seems the shoes you left to be filled weren't quite to his liking."

"Bullshit, you lie."

"Afraid not, he's really become a nuisance for people such as my employer. He's even resorted to measures that even you wouldn't sink too, even at your worst."

Marek couldn't believe the rubbish this guy was shoveling at him, Whip was mischievous no doubt, but a pirate let alone murderous pirate he wasn't. Or was he? What could have happened to cause such a change?

"However Marek, due to a lack of intelligence, mainly concerning your brothers where-abouts, we've decided to entertain a more convenient approach. Your mother is being held captive at an undisclosed location."

"You BASTARD!!" Marek struggled to free himself from the restraints that held him firmly in his seat.

"Can I finish? So much for Jedi patience. Anyways, like I was saying, she is being held at an undisclosed location, you have four days to find your brother and report his where-abouts, or mother will undoubtedly suffer a most unfortunate accident. Honestly, who better to send than his own brother?"

Fists clinched and snarling at the silhouette, Marek was ready to pounce the other figure; he'd rip out his heart if he had the chance.

"Once you've located Whip, bring him to coordinates I've provided on the data pad lying on your bed. Do not be mistaken, we are in complete control."

Marek struggled again, hoping to free himself from his confines, but without any luck he remained tied down.

"Oh and Marek, try to keep a handle on that temper of yours."

The hiss of escaping gas caught Zolars attention as fumes invaded his nostrils leaving zero time to react in any precautionary way. His body numbed, preceding his inevitable collapse back into an unconscious sleep.

The game was just beginning.