Duality

Posts: 1584

Based on the events of Bent from Broken Darkness Still Life is Born Anew.

Taking place some convenient time not long after Cataclysm...

The Korban Household
Capricia

She awoke to the familiar sight of the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table, and the sound of Tyscio’s soft rhythmic breathing as he slept beside her. Leia squinted at the clock, attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes with one hand. It was only… 5:04am?

She frowned at the clock, puzzled. Normally she wouldn’t have woken up for another hour or two, and thanks to the twins she certainly hadn’t gone to bed early last night. Was something…?

The Force suddenly brushed her mind, a faint tickle. The sensation quickly vanished and then returned as a stronger pulling sensation, as if she were being drawn somewhere. Leia’s frown deepened, worry lines creasing her aging features. The last time she had woken up to disturbances in the Force, a Sith intruder had been mere steps away from either killing or kidnapping her children.

With the memory of the Sith attack on their home still fresh in her mind, Leia’s reaction was instant. She stealthily slipped out of the bed without the slightest jostle to disturb Tyscio; or more importantly, alert any invaders to her movement…

After grabbing her lightsaber from the nearby dresser she crept into the hall, instinctively reaching out with her senses for the slightest hint of trouble. With the rest of her family still asleep, the house was silent. Normally Leia would have relished in the quiet of the morning, knowing that soon the house would be hectic with the daily training ritual of several Jedi apprentices and the adventures of two Force sensitive toddlers. But this morning Leia strained her ears to detect even the slightest sound as she moved down the hallway, lightsaber at the ready.

The Force flowed around her: peaceful, strong, and completely devoid of threatening presences. She could sense nothing wrong in the house or its’ surroundings, and yet the Force seemed to beckon her…

She had reached Jacen and Jaina’s room. Tensing, Leia peered through the open doorway at her children, who each lay in bed sleeping peacefully. Satisfied that her children were safe for the moment at least, Leia moved on to investigate the rest of the house. A twenty minute search that included the grounds around the house likewise turned up nothing.

Working to control her frustration, Leia returned to the kitchen to brew some tea. Tyscio and the twins wouldn’t be up for another hour or so, giving her some time at least to sort through her feelings. At the very least, she knew that if something were truly wrong Tyscio would have awoken as well.

Clutching a steaming mug she settled onto the sofa in the living room and opened her mind, letting it wander freely in a manner that Leia generally allowed to pass for meditation. It wasn’t long before she found herself reflecting over an odd dream she remembered from last night. She was fairly certain that was the dream she had woken up from, as a matter of fact.

Ahnk turned back from the water, looking at Leia directly. “To satisfy what exists inside me, requires that I forgive… or avenge. I do not know everything, but I know this.

It ends tonight.”

As far as she could remember, she’d been sharing drinks with a house full of Ahnk clones. The dream had seemed unusually vivid and real, like a waking dream, and in fact had felt more like a Force vision than a harmless dream. The whole thing had been so bizarre, and so cryptic…

Ahnk let out a deep sigh. “You don’t remember… but I was a very different person then. Not… what I am now, or even what I was that day in the woods, all twisted and dark… I barely recognize myself, some days.” Ahnk looked back at the glass… then back at Leia. “The truth is, for all these years, I’ve wanted to kill the messenger.”

Ahnk let himself grin. “Of course, even beyond that simple act, of telling me, I did harbor blame for you… did you do enough to secure Naboo? To train my mother? To help the Jedi learn how to fight the Sith?” Ahnk said, pondering. “But… you’re right. You were rushed… your training was incomplete. You weren’t prepared…”

Ahnk had… spoken of his mother. As if she had known his mother. As if he had expected her to know something that she didn’t.

Leia was still sitting on the sofa in her pajamas contemplating life, the universe, and everything when Amalia arrived several hours later. After waving a brief greeting to Tyscio and the twins in the kitchen, Amalia sat down next to Leia on the sofa and quietly studied her for a moment. Leia’s eyes were closed and her body relaxed as if she were asleep, but her Force presence was calm, centered, and fully aware… she was clearly meditating. Amalia gently touched one of Leia’s arms, not wanting to bring her out of her meditation trance too abruptly.

“Leia… Leia, the Apprentices will be here soon.”

Leia’s eyes fluttered open and she turned to regard her friend with a detached look, her thoughts still centered elsewhere. “Ahnk… we trained his mother as a Jedi on Naboo. But I can’t remember her…”
Amalia frowned. “What?”

A sudden light seemed to dawn on Leia, and she stood up from the couch. “My personal records from the Academy, maybe there is something in there…”

Leia disappeared into the study just as Tyscio emerged from the kitchen, holding Leia’s lightsaber in one hand. He shook it at Amalia.

“Do you have any idea what she’s up to? I found this on the kitchen counter. She was already in her trance when I found her.”

Amalia simply shrugged, and then moved to follow Tyscio as he entered the study. They found Leia sitting at the computer, staring intently at the display screen.

“Mind filling us in?” Tyscio prompted, setting Leia’s saber down on the desk in front of her.

Leia did not look up from the computer screen. “I can feel something calling me through the Force, it started in a dream I had last night. I think it has to do with a Sith I once knew… named Ahnk Rashanagok.”

“But Ahnk isn’t a Sith anymore…” Amalia pointed out mildly, remembering a recent contact from Irtar.

Leia nodded. “I know, but… I think he has unfinished business with me. I need to figure out what it could be, before he decides to find me. He may not be a Sith anymore, but I don’t want the children anywhere near him. It feels dangerous.”

Tyscio was leaning over Leia’s shoulder, squinting at the computer screen. “What is this? I don’t recognize any of these people…”

“These are my personal records from the Academy. We kept official records on all of our members in the Jedi Archives, but I also kept personal notes on each of them as well. Back then I had to oversee the training of every Jedi that passed through the Academy, as well as fulfill my duties to the New Republic… it was the only way I could keep track of everything.”

“What are you looking for?” Amalia seemed puzzled.

“Ahnk was in my dream. I could sense that he was conflicted; like he felt attached to me, but hated everything about me. He seemed to blame me for something very close and personal, but I can’t figure out what it might be. I can’t remember...”

Leia was silent for a moment as she contemplated the computer screen. “I think we trained his mother, at the Academy. If I can figure out who she was, maybe I can figure out why Ahnk has such a special interest in me… and why I feel so closely connected to him.”

There was a loud crash from the kitchen, as one of the twins had apparently decided to see what it looked like when a plastic breakfast plate hit the floor. It bounced much to their delight, and the sound of their cackling echoed from the kitchen.

“I’ll go check on them” Amalia volunteered, leaving Leia and Tyscio alone in the study.

Tyscio moved to rub Leia’s shoulders, his fingers coaxing her tense muscles to relax under his grip. She smiled unconsciously, and tilted her head to look up at him.

“I can’t find anything in my records; the only other place I know to look is the Jedi Library on Ossus. Zark managed to recover most of the Jedi Archives from Naboo before the Temple was broken into…”

Leia Organa Solo

Posts: 1584

Inside the Korban household
Capricia

“I don’t sense anything” Tyscio remarked as he followed Leia into the kitchen, where Amalia was attempting to scrape a puddle of oatmeal off of the floor with a baby spoon and a bowl. Leia did not immediately reply, instead grabbing a nearby towel to help with the mess.

As Leia knelt beside Amalia, the two Jedi Masters exchanged a meaningful glance.

“Amalia…?” Leia prompted.

The bond between Amalia and Leia was such that Amalia didn’t have to hear the rest of the conversation to know what she was being asked. Her gaze did not waver from Leia.

“Something does feel a little off, but I’m… not sure. I’d have to meditate on it” she answered slowly. “We can try later, if you want.”

“It feels so personal. It’s… unsettling.” Leia ventured thoughtfully. “I think Luke described a feeling like this once… it drove him to confront Vader on Endor.”

“So you think you are being called to confront Ahnk?” Amalia asked; placing the oatmeal covered dishes in the sink.

“I don’t know” Leia admitted. “That’s why I want to go to Ossus and look for clues in the Academy Archives. I don’t want to waste time sitting around here waiting for something to happen.”

Before Tyscio could contribute his thoughts on the subject, Amalia gestured towards the clock. “Uh… speaking of time, the Apprentices will be here soon and you’re still in your pajamas…”

***

Leia returned her toothbrush to it’s holder on the bathroom sink, and studied her reflection in the mirror. Several strands of hair had already managed to escape the pins which held them in place on her head, and she brushed at them absently.

“Ossus isn’t that far away, I’ve been meaning to pay the Enclave a visit anyways…”

“You should at least let Amalia go with you.” Tyscio was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. Though his posture was casual, his voice was full of concern.

Leia gave up on her hair, and shook her head. “Natalya could really use some one on one time with Amalia, this will be the perfect opportunity. During the Sith attack I could feel the anger in her. She needs to improve her control over her emotions, and nobody is better at handling that subject than Amalia.”

“I have a bad feeling about this…” Tyscio grumbled, and Leia moved to embrace him in a brief hug.

“You just don’t want to change diapers all by yourself” she teased.

As their eyes met, they both knew they were thinking the same thing: they wanted to stay together. But Tyscio had obligations to fulfill on Capricia, and the twins would be safer at home, separated from Leia when trouble hit if possible…

Slipping out of her husband’s grasp, Leia pulled on a long white hooded cloak and slipped her lightsaber into a hidden pocket within its’ folds.

“I don’t sense any immediate danger, everything should be fine. I’m not going to go looking for trouble; I just need to know, Tyscio… I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“When do you want to leave on this trip?” Tyscio sighed, reminding himself that the Force had generally served them well... so far, anyways.

“Tomorrow” she answered resolutely.

***

Meanwhile, in the yard outside the house…

Jedi Apprentice Karah, student of Jedi Master Leia Organa Korban, nervously brandished her training saber as the small remote droid hovered before her. From the nearby deck, Jedi Master Amalia watched her curiously.

“Karah, calm yourself… remember the mental techniques we’ve taught you. Concentrate.”

Karah glanced over to the other side of the yard, where her fellow Apprentice and training partner Natalya Vinda was deftly dodging and blocking a flurry of laser bolts fired from her own remote droid. Karah paled slightly, wondering if she was about to face the same onslaught. Trying unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in her throat, she reluctantly turned her focus towards the droid hovering in front of her. She took a deep calming breath…

“Ok… I’m ready.”

Amalia casually waved her hand, and the small silver droid suddenly came to life before Karah, pitching upwards sharply to a height well above her head. Karah kept her eyes locked on the tiny droid, unsure of what to do. Of course, her soldiers’ instincts knew exactly what to do: draw her gun and shoot the damn thing.

But she wasn’t a soldier now, she was a Jedi.

And she didn’t have a gun.

Without warning, the droid fired a single low powered laser bolt at Karah. She swung wildly in an attempt to block it as a Jedi was supposed to do, but it whizzed right past her blade and struck her shoulder. Despite the intensive training she had received to enhance her focus and concentration, Karah found herself immediately overwhelmed.

So far, she had learned how to use the force to find a needle in a haystack. Now, she felt like she was being asked to use the needle to block the haystack from being blown into her face by the wind.

“Ahh! These sting!” Kara shook her arm, trying to shake the numbness out. As she did so the droid pitched again, this time diving low and to her right. It hovered for a moment, as if mercifully giving her time to set up a defense before firing its’ next shot.

Regardless of the extra time allotted, the second shot struck Kara’s left knee. She hopped backwards reflexively in response to the stinging pain, which quickly turned into a tingly numbing sensation.

“You’re depending too much on your eyesight” Amalia observed. “Remember, the Force is what guides a Jedi’s lightsaber… open yourself to it, and let it guide you.”

Determined to succeed, Karah resumed her defensive stance and concentrated on the droid, trying to open herself to her senses as she had learned through long hours of guided meditation.

She failed to block the third shot with her saber, but did manage at least to avoid being hit by it, if only by a hair.

The droid pitched for several moments; finally settling on a position directly in front of Karah, at her shoulder level. Karah’s saber moved even as the droid’s fourth shot discharged, and the laser bolt deflected wildly off towards the sky.

Her confidence bolstered, Karah deflected a slow series of three shots before the droid deactivated.

“Nice work!” a voice that was not Amalia’s praised; and Karah turned to see Leia standing next to Amalia on the deck, watching her. “You’ll be making trouble for Natalya in sparring matches in no time.”

“Thank you, Master.” Glancing over at Natalya, who was still engaged in a complicated looking dance with her remote droid, Karah secretly hoped that time was still far off…

Turning her attention back to the two Jedi Masters on the deck, Karah watched Leia briefly confer with Amalia in a hushed tone she couldn’t quite hear. Amalia nodded in what seemed to be agreeance, and Leia gestured towards Karah.

“Come with me for a moment, we need to talk.”

“I’m not in trouble am I?” Karah asked, drawing a smile from her Master.

“No, you are not in trouble. Come with me.”

Leia ushered Kara into the house, and instructed her to take a seat at the kitchen table. Karah obediently took a seat, torn between trepidation and excitement as she tried to imagine why she had been pulled aside.

Leia did not speak immediately, instead moving to pour herself a cup of some steaming beverage from a pot on the counter.

Well accustomed to Leia’s deliberate pace (no doubt a product of a life spent in politics), Karah spent the time studying the folds of Leia’s crisp white hooded robe. The fabric appeared to be heavy and soft, and Karah realized that she had never seen her Master dress in such a manner before. Very occasionally, Leia and Amalia both wore brown hooded robes that they had explained were the traditional garb of the Jedi. Usually they just wore un-noteworthy civilian clothes. The white robe Leia wore now closely resembled the brown Jedi robes Karah remembered, and it seemed to add a regal quality to Leia’s already commanding presence. Well, commanding from Karah’s point of view anyways… she truly did not know how Leia’s strength matched up with other powerful figures in the galaxy.

At any rate, the change in Leia's appearance had to mean something bigger was afoot! Before Leia even began speaking, Karah’s excitement began to build.

After a long moment in which Leia was content to simply sip the steaming liquid in her cup, she turned to her apprentice and spoke.

“There are some errands I must run that will take me to the Jedi Enclave on Ossus. You are coming with me…”

Ahnk Rashanagok

Posts: 5387

“You know, I’m probably always going to wonder what Sith have against fish.”

The man said. In minutes when the waves of air passed from his face pushed against the water, they would displace it ever so slightly; another ripple lost amongst, or against, the ripples already present. One thing bleeding into another; not always deep enough to leave the expected stain.

“You have… a world… full of fish. All kinds of fish. Red fish, blue fish. Yellow fish, green fish. Fish that get up, walk around. Fish that talk and form government. Fish that make speeder boats and ion cannons. For the most part, though, they just do fish stuff… float, swim around, breathe underwater…”

The man reached down the edge of his foot to brush against the water. Slowly, softly pushing in a toe. It made a ripple. It had to; that much size and volume displaced more than enough water to be noticeable. Generally speaking, human intrusion into natural environments was always noticeable.

“So, then The Sith show up. And they’re badasses in leather as well you know. They just can’t have a bunch of fish swimming around in fish ponds doing fish stuff on their planet,” the man said, lamenting. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder. “So they set the place on fire. Burned them. All of them. Ruined their cities. Scuttled their boats. Even smashed their ion cannons. And why did they do all of this? Why did they feel so insulted by the presence of the fish on their own fish planet that they needed to destroy everything they’d built, and kill them by the thousands?”

The man waited. A throat cleared behind; a second man, now under the gaze of the first, felt it necessary to break the silence.

“I don’t know,” he said. “You’re asking the wrong man looking for the motivations of either humans, or force users.”

The man with his foot in the water only smiled softly. “In truth, I don’t know that anyone knows,” he said, musing idly. “I imagine The Sith themselves are the only ones and they aren’t exactly the pleasant chat over tea type.”

“Indeed,” the other man offered. “You weren’t very rosy back before you ditched the black robes, as I recall.”

“I’ve never ditched black robes,” the other corrected, “and nor will I ever. Black is definitely my color. Regardless of alignment, black leather just works for me.”

The other chuckled softly. “Hello again, Ahnk.”

“Chang,” Ahnk said, coldly. “After Varonat I didn’t expect I’d see you again.”

“I’m still somewhat surprised you let me live, on Varonat,” Chang replied. “I figured…”

“History, Chang,” Ahnk said. “What happened, happened. I took a hike into the mountains and blew off some steam. Everything in the past is now in the past. But that doesn’t explain why you’re here now.”

Chang nodded. “No, it doesn’t,” he said, but then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small storage device. “But this does.”

“Sihoyguwa,” Ahnk said, speaking softly into the bracelet on his wrist. “Lower the cloak and extend a docking ramp.”

Above the lake, the ship shimmered into view as the cloaking field it projected slowly ceded and allowed the natural flow of light through the space it occupied. The ramp began lowering but Chang immediately came to the conclusion that it would never reach the shore.

“It’s still in the…” Chang began when Ahnk started walking towards the ramp regardless. “Right,” Chang said, scoffing. “I forgot you could walk on water.”

“I’ll swing by and pick you up once I get inside,” Ahnk said, smiling.

“You’re just a bloody showoff, you know that?” Chang shot back.

“Good seeing you again too,” the Rogue Jedi replied, walking up the ramp and into the ship.

“This broadcast is a declaration of war. Not of war between myself and any government, or between my military and theirs. This is a war against those who would cause a continuing, devastating war to continue. I hereby declare war on Force Users everywhere. Be they Jedi or Sith. From this day forward, I decree that the difference is negligible as both will be considered enemies of the free people of the galaxy. The time of the dominance of Force Users over the civilians of the worlds of this galaxy is henceforth declared dead.”

Chang pushed a button and the playback stopped.

“That’s all?” Ahnk asked.

“It goes on for quite some time,” Chang replied, “but that’s the gist of it. The Dominion have arrived, and they’ve taken over Coruscant, run The New Order out of the core, and declared war on Force Users.”

“We knew this was coming,” Ahnk said. “Back when Skye Keller introduced me to Zeratul Daz’da’mar, and he used me to get information from my databases. I knew something like this would be the result. Montague and you joining up with them likely allowed them better access to more current information.”

“Indeed. What you saw on Varonat is just one planet amongst… dozens, maybe. There are rumors they’ve allied with the Black Dragon Empire, and those guys had entire sectors under their control,” Chang added. “This could be bad.”

“Could be,” Ahnk nodded. “If we let it get worse, could become irreversible.”

“It sounds like there is a proposition in there somewhere,” Chang said.

“This isn’t your fight,” Ahnk countered. “You don’t have to be involved.”

Chang nodded. “I know,” he said, “but these are the same people who more or less exterminated my race. They used me. They killed Montague, one of my closest friends. These are not nice people, Ahnk. I understand if you don’t trust me, and don’t want to have me involved.”

“I don’t trust anyone, Chang,” Ahnk countered. “But for this, we’ll need as many people as possible. I need you to go to Ossus.”

Chang nodded. “To do what?”

“Just watch,” Ahnk said. “Watch, listen, and learn. Stay low, under the radar. Just keep tabs on who comes and who goes. Much of the Jedi Order is fractured and splintered across the galaxy. Trips like the one Irtar and I took on Sinsang are more commonplace than grand temples these days. But if a Jedi wants to find other Jedi, he’ll go to Ossus. So you go there and keep track of who else goes there. We can see what kind of organization we can summon up.”

“But… you aren’t going,” Chang asked.

“No,” he said, “at least, not yet. If there is going to be an organized Jedi response to this situation, it’s going to begin on Ossus. But they don’t need me to get started. They’ll do what they can do regardless. There’s something else I need to do first. Somewhere else I need to go. There’s someone I need to talk to before I can go into another war. You just get to Ossus. I’ll be along when the time is right.”

“Is this a secure line?”

“It is. Please verify your identity with the provided passcode.”

“AMR 0001. Zanzibar.”

“Password accepted. Is this really you? Ahnk Rashanagok, former Sith Master?”

“It is. But you’re speaking off protocol right now.”

“My apologies; I was just caught a little offguard. When these protocols were established we all thought they were never going to become an issue.”

“They’re emergency tertiary protocols. In ideal circumstances they wouldn’t be needed. But we live in desperate times. I’m sure you understand.”

“Indeed. Alright, AMR 0001. Your identity is confirmed. All systems standby to enact your protocols as you order them.”

“Transmit to all operatives on secure channels: Initiate Protocol AR 001, and AR 002. Standby for further instructions.”

“Will comply, AMR 0001. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s going on?”

“Sorry, Fondor. Information is on a need to know basis only. But feel free to speculate; wild guesses are always amusing watercooler talk.”

“Affirmative, AMR 0001. Will speculate freely. Fondor out.”

“Alright, Sihoyguwa. Overlay all reported data of spatial disturbances consist with those readings.”

The computer did as he asked, overlaying the map with the charting of the recorded data.

“Okay, now limit the results to reports recorded after the first appearance of the Reavers,” Ahnk added. The map was adjusted, removing a lot of blips located within Black Dragon space. It seemed likely that the Dragons had been, or were currently, using a similar method of technology to move their vessels. “Re-add data for one week prior to the Reaver appearance.” The map was adjusted again. “Two weeks.” And again. The peak appearance of blips now, as it seemed that the Black Dragon Empire had been doing a lot of traveling leading up to the appearance of The Reavers. “Okay, now remove reports chronologically, one at a time, one every ten seconds, until the map is empty.” Blips on the map began to disappear, slowly revealing a pattern to their appearance. “Sihoyguwa; closest major inhabited system to last five reports?”

“Including only unique reports, and not duplicates?”

“Yes,” Ahnk said, and the five blips reappeared on the map.

“Yavin, Ithor, Rhen Var, Minos, and Coruscant.”

Yavin he knew well. Ithor as well had been a planet under his old Empire. Rhen Var was a world at the edge of Black Dragon space and Chang had said there were rumors they were allies. Everyone in the galaxy knew Coruscant was a staging area for the Cree’Ar. But where was Minos? “Sihoyguwa, available references to Minos in your database.”

“Minos; a world located within the primary geographical and political reaches of The Caprician Regency. As per your directives, information extraction from Commonwealth…”

“Yeah, well, hooray for directives,” Ahnk said. “I mean, I put that in place so as not to disturb the natural evolution of the alliance between the Vinda Coproration and the Capricians, but how did I know I could trust them? Could I really trust them?”

“Would you like me to answer that?” the computer asked, being the stereotypical sarcastic ass it usually was.

Ahnk smirked. “No, you can’t,” Ahnk said, putting his hand on his chin. “But I do know who can. Sihoyguwa; plot a chart around Reaver space and take us to Capricia.”

Leia Organa Solo

Posts: 1584

Zark San Tekka

Posts: 2440

Great Jedi Library, Ossus

“There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.”

It had been a long time since Zark Ekan had heard the Jedi Code chanted with such grace. There were a paltry few in the sizable chamber, but somehow their voices seemed to rise up as if in an entire chorus. The chambers were still littered with debris here and there. Being near the top of the highest tower of the Library, it had taken them weeks to even stabilize the structure so that they could restore them.

The room they sat in now had once been a temporary location for the Jedi Council to convene when away from Coruscant, and before that it might have even been their permanent seat. Much information had been lost in the years the Library had laid abandoned, but much more still had been discovered and salvaged. There was a full time of Ysanna and a few Jedi scholars that had managed to survive in the Outer Rim and made the journey to Ossus, searching for lost relics.

Zark himself sat upon a slightly crumbling central throne, the white hood of us robes pulled back in a rare sign of comfort. Around him sat two Jedi Masters, not including Okko the Wise, leader of the Ysanna people and nearly a Master in his own right. The rest of the chamber was filled with several Jedi Knights.

Behind them, and facing Zark, the far wall was duraglass, providing an absolutely breathtaking view of the city of Knossa far below, and the Ossan countryside beyond. Leaning forward slightly in his chair, he rested his chain upon his fist, deep in thought.

“What news?” he asked at last, drawing the other Council members out of their meditation.

“The restoration of the Library nears completion, Master Ekan,” Okko was the first to speak, tugging his long beard absentmindedly as he did, “The finishing details will take months to complete, but most areas have been cleared and reinforced.”

“Very good, my friend,” he nodded, smiling, “What of the city itself? How fares your people?”

“The Ysanna are a strong people,” Okko said, proudly, “Ossus is our home. Giving up our ancient ways has been difficult, but we serve the Force. Already trade has begun with Orilcia. Knossa will be once more the jewel of Ossus.”

“I trust that you speak the truth,” Zark nodded, “And what of our defenses? Jedi Bokonon?”

Bokonon was the other Ysanna in regular attendance of Council meetings. He was a recent Knight, and showed a natural ability to lead. Zark had appointed him Captain of the Knossan Guard, upon approval from Okko.

“Our walls are strong; our warriors well trained, Master Ekan,” Bokonon replied, his voice resonating throughout the chambers, “No Sith will penetrate our defenses. Checkpoints guard the way from Orilcia to Knossa, with Ysanna sensitives stationed at each to detect Force signatures.”

“I hope a time will come when that is not necessary,” Zark said, sighing as he slumped into his seat, “But for now, your service and the service of your men is much appreciated, Bokonon.”

“Thank you, Master Ekan,” Bokonon stammered, bowing his head in a gesture of thanks.

“Any word from Teros?” Zark asked, searching hopefully for an affirmative.

“I’m afraid not, Master Ekan,” Kal Sho answered. A recent arrival, Sho was a surviving Kel Dor Knight of the Jedi Order, and a fearsome warrior. He had lived in exile for years, defeating any who discovered him. Zark had tasked them with coordinating Enclave refugees abroad, “With the HoloNet down, and communication frequencies a danger so far into Reaver space, no word has reached us since his last.”

“I understand,” Zark nodded, the hints of a smile lost on his face. Over the past months, Teros Tre’Na had quickly become one of his closest friends and confidants. When he had received the message from Ossus, he had immediately returned to the planet and Teros had volunteered to accompany Regrad’s fleet in his stead.

For a while, no one spoke. Zark seemed almost lost in reverie, and the other Jedi, while capable, were new to the Council. In the best of times, most of them would not hope to gain a Council seat for years, if ever. But they were far too few.

“I have never been one to avoid a problem,” the Jedi Master said, finally. The Council chamber grew absolutely quiet, “Especially now, we can ill afford to ignore a crisis. By now, you have all heard the broadcast from this…Cree’Ar Dominion.

As of yet, we have detected no activity from Coruscant on a large scale, but we cannot take this as an empty threat. As of this moment, the entire galaxy may be on the brink of war. We all know what happened at Coruscant. These…Cree’Ar are an unknown to us. They are very powerful, and relentless, but they underestimate the power of the Force.

For millions of years, the Jedi have stood as guardians of peace and protectors of this galaxy. As long as there is one of us left, we will not be defeated. We are Jedi. We are hope. I have spent my entire life believing that we can make a difference; that we can leave this galaxy better off than it was before.

We have faced terrible foes, survived decimation after decimation. As long as the Dark is there, the Light will not extinguish. I promise you that I will give my life to make sure it does not.

Meditate on what I have said. Each of you is stronger than you know. I can sense it, and that is why I have chosen you to sit with me on this Council. In times of great strife, you can surprise yourself. I am always here to talk, if you have any ideas or concerns.

This meeting is adjourned. May the Force be with you all.”

One by one, the Jedi filed out of the room. Not for the first time, Zark Ekan wondered if he was really fit to lead them. He hadn’t been lying. There was a strength inside them all, an inner peace and sparks of genius. In a moment, all had left the chambers but himself and Okko.

Okko had become another close friend over the months. He was both kind and insightful, it was no wonder he had been elected tribe leader at such a young age. He was also one of the few people funny enough to make Zark laugh. Right now, however, there were no smiles to be had.

“You are worried,” Okko said. It was not a question.

Zark nodded wordlessly.

“You doubt yourself,” the Ysanna said, again with no doubt in his voice, “You are not sure that you are a leader after all.”

“Yes,” Zark confessed, cursing himself for not guarding his thoughts. Okko was one thing, but if the other Council members found out…he needed them to believe in themselves, and in him. That was their true hope.

“For a Jedi Master, you can be a fool,” Okko said, shaking his head. Zark’s eyes widened in surprise, before he noticed the grin on his friend’s face, “You, too, are stronger than you know. They do believe in you, my friend. We all do. You are Searthen’s apprentice.”

“I will need a lot more than a famous Jedi Master to lead these people through a war,” Zark replied, sighing once more.

“You misunderstand,” Okko said, shaking his head, “We Ysanna did not worship Searthen Jiren. We respected him, because of who he was, and what he did for us. The Ysanna respect you too, Zark Ekan. Because of who you are, and what you have and will do for us.”

Zark did not know what to say. He had loved Gash as a brother, but never had he hoped to be compared to the man in terms of his deeds. Looking out on the rebuilt Library towers and the city of Knossa below, for the first time he marveled at what he had done in the past year. Perhaps he was stronger than he knew.

“Thank you, Okko,” Zark said, clasping the Ysanna’s forearm in a firm shake, “You truly are a wise man.”

“That is what they tell me,” he winked, grinning through his beard, “Shall I leave you to your meditations?”

“Yes, thank you,” he nodded.

Okko was almost out the door when he sensed it.

“Wait!” Zark called out. Okko stopped and turned to regard him, his eyebrows raised as if in a question, “I sense…I sense something. A presence…I have not felt it in a long time…”

Hello, Zark.

His eyes widened, and then he smiled.

Welcome to Ossus, Master Leia.

“Okko, contact Knossa Spaceport,” he said, his entire body tingling with energy, “Allow priority landing for a passenger ship transmitting Leia Organa’s registration. Tell them that confirmation comes directly from me. And prepare to receive visitors!”

“Yes, Zark,” Okko nodded, pausing for one moment, “Is she…really coming here?”

“She’ll be here in moments,” he smiled, “I must don my armor.”

“Very well, Master Ekan,” the Ysanna Master nodded once more, “Preparations will be made at once.”

A short walk later, he had arrived at his personal quarters. It was sparsely decorated, with a simple bed and an empty corner for meditation. The only thing of real value was a couple of holopads on a desk and a suit of white armor with the old Rogue Jedi Order symbol emblazoned on the chest piece in silver.

Two months ago, they had discovered a buried holocron with the secrets to the ancient ways of Jedi armor crafting. While Zark had been away with Regrad’s fleet, Teros had ordered a special, updated suit to be crafted for him. Zark had been furious at his friend, but he had been unable to deny the gift.

He had an old friend to see, and he would need her help in the months to come. She, above all others, he needed most by his side.

Leia Organa Solo

Posts: 1584

Passenger Ship Defiant
Ossus Orbit

The Force worked in mysterious ways.

In choosing to travel to Ossus to pursue answers regarding her visions of Ahnk, she was effectively choosing to involve herself in Jedi affairs once again.

With recent developments elsewhere in the universe, she was also inevitably choosing to involve herself in galactic affairs once again.

The ironic part was the truth: really, she hadn’t really been given a choice. The Force had summoned her, and she had responded.

It had been a matter of time, really.

She had regained her strength, and her Apprentices were ready to put their knowledge into practice. It was time to stop hiding on Capricia. After all, it was impossible to hide forever…

Welcome to Ossus, Master Leia.

Welcome to Ossus, indeed.

***

Leia clasped her hands behind her back as she addressed her Apprentice, an old habit that she had developed long ago…

“Up until now, all that you have learned about being a Jedi, you have learned from the safety of Capricia. You learned basic Jedi philosophy and mastered basic skills. Every time you put something into practice, there was a safety net to catch you if you failed.”

Leia paused.

“Once you step on Ossus, all of that will change. Now, you actually become a Jedi.

The next several days will be a crash course in Jedi politics and galactic affairs. I will guide you when I can, but there are many other matters I will have to attend to. What I can do, is give you this…”

Leia removed a long cylindrical object from the folds of her robes, and dropped it into Karah’s outstretched hands.

The Apprentice simply stared down at the object she held in wonder, its’ silver casing gleaming in the artificial light…

A real lightsaber. The hilt was clearly worn but well cared for, as if it had once seen heavy use. On one end, the initials “LOS” had been engraved into the metal.

“Until you find the time to build your own, you can use one of mine. Carry it with you at all times, and always remember that even on Capricia we weren’t truly safe from the evils in the universe.” Leia smiled, “go ahead… see if it fits.”

Slowly, Karah picked up the saber. The hilt was smaller and lighter than the training sabers she had grown accustomed to, and had clearly been built with Leia’s build and fighting style in mind. Finding the activation switch, she easily thumbed it and a bright green blade of plasma flashed into existence with a customary hum.

As Karah admired the blade, Leia also produced a holocube and set it on the table.

“You need to watch this.”

Before she could explain further, a tone sounded from the comm system.

They had their landing clearance…

***

Knossa Spaceport

Ossus

Pulling the hood of her white robes up to conceal her head and most of her face, Leia descended the boarding ramp of her ship to be greeted by a lone waiting Ysanna.

“Welcome to Knossa, Leia Organa” the Ysanna announced as he briefly bowed his head in a formal gesture of respect.

“Thank you” Leia responded, returning the gesture with ease.

“You may call me Terok. I have been instructed to see to your safe arrival at the Jedi Library. We will have to travel by speeder... the only open route to the Library is by ground.”

Leia nodded and gestured to Karah, who stood off to the side a short distance behind her.

“If it is not a problem, my Apprentice will be coming with us…”

“Not at all” Terok waved his hand dismissively. “Follow me.”

The Ysanna guide ushered his two Jedi charges into a sizeable speeder waiting for them outside the spaceport, and they were soon on their way.

As the speeder maneuvered through the city and into the surrounding countryside, Leia and Karah admired their surroundings in silence.

While Leia seemed content with the silence, Karah was decidedly uneasy. She restlessly fidgeted with the holocube in her pocket, trying to come to terms with the message it had contained. If only there had been time to talk before they had left the ship...

It was not until they neared the Great Jedi Library, that Leia suddenly felt obliged to break the silence.

A strong, resonating, familiar presence had suddenly enveloped her with it’s warmth and power…

She could feel a faint part of herself in that presence. And parts of many other Jedi, living and dead alike...

"What is that?" Leia demanded anxiously to a clueless Terok, who merely shrugged.

"Master Ekan will be able to answer all of your questions, I am sure."

At last the small group stood at the base of the library, craning their necks to see the towering spires that seemed to disappear into the clouds themselves...

Zark San Tekka

Posts: 2440

The Great Library looked a far cry from what it had when Zark had first returned to Ossus. For thousands of years, it had laid abandoned, slowly giving way to the fury of the elements. The cracks had been repaired, the rubble had been cleared. It was amazing what one could accomplish in so little time with determination and an army of men devoted to a cause.

But this place was unlike any Jedi Temple that had existed before. The Enclave was, for all intents and purposes, at war. The Library itself even reflected this. In the lower towers, close to the entrance, which had once only served an aesthetic purpose, there could now be seen turrets protruding. In many places, the ancient stone had been reinforced with durasteel. And those that walked the perimeter were no group of mingling scholars.

The guards were almost entirely Ysanna. They patrolled the Library outskirts day and night, armed with their projectile slugthrowers. Zark had offered Okko to outfit his men with the latest in blaster weaponry, but the Ysanna preferred their weapons of old, and soon Zark had understood that this was not merely due to tradition. The Ysanna had long ago learned to use the Force to augment the path of their projectiles in the air, to deadly effect. Such a practice was impossible with the speed and nature of laser blasts.

A few Ysanna, here and there, also could be seen carrying lightsabers at their waist. This marked those who had progressed sufficiently in their training to be able to wield one effectively in combat.

As Leia and her apprentice approached the Temple, each Ysanna she passed bowed their heads in the same gesture of respect that Terok had. They knew who she was, and what she represented.

As they reached the base the great staircase that led up to the Temple, the massive gates that stood at the top slowly creaked open, and for a long moment the lone figure that stood behind them was bathed in a light so great that only his outline could be made out.

Then he stepped forward, and the features of Grand Master Zark Ekan came into focus.

His traditional all-encompassing white robes had been discarded in exchange for a long white hooded cape. His armor shined in the sunlight, almost seeming to glow. In his right hand, he held a great silver staff, its headpiece the symbol of the old Jedi Order. On his belt was clipped the lightsaber he had forged in the Library, his old saber gutted for the parts to create the saber that lay within his prosthetic hand.

He descended the steps, and each Ysanna guard he passed bowed their head deeply in a show of utmost respect. As he reached the two visitors at the base of the steps, he pulled back his hood, and his pure white eyes almost seemed to glow.

For a moment, no one spoke, and then Zark bowed low, a gesture Leia and her apprentice returned. Then, with a small effort, the Grand Master shoved his staff into the earth and embraced his old mentor.

“Master Organa, it has been far too long,” he said, a wide smile upon his face, “I trust you and your husband are well? And the twins?”

“Yes,” she responded, smiling in turn, “Though not for lack of trying on the part of the Sith.”

Zark’s face clouded in concern before sighing.

“The Sith,” he repeated, shaking his head, “With the state the galaxy is in, it is sometimes easy to forget that they are still out there as well, lurking in the shadows.”

His gaze shifted from his old friend to the Jedi at her side, his eyebrows raising in a quizzical fashion.

“Ah, forgive me,” Leia said, gesturing towards her companion, “Allow me to introduce my apprentice, Padawan Karah.”

“A pleasure,” Zark smiled, almost seeming to stare through the young woman, “I sense great potential in this one, Leia. But then, you were always able to choose them. I suppose that’s why you never trained me.”

He laughed.

“But come, come!” he gestured towards the gate, “We have much to discuss, but first let me show you around. If you can believe it, it is even more magnificent inside.”

“When we arrived, I sensed a presence…” Leia stopped, unsure how to proceed.

“Yes, I know,” Zark nodded, smiling ruefully, “Come, all will be explained in time.”

Ahnk Rashanagok

Posts: 5387

“And… now.”

Beyond the bow of the ship, space itself seemed to quiver and bend. The effect was almost subtle; a small white wave, like surf from a pounding ocean against the sand, rippled from the hole, not visible such as it were, but notable by the spiral that which formed around it.

A black hole.

Perhaps, more accurately, a wormhole. Black holes were slightly different, but in reality, both were, to the eye, similar. A hole in space through which space itself seemed to bleed.

And then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. The spiral of space stopped and a second, larger wave rippled out from the center of the dissipating hole as the conduit closed and space was returned to its normal state.

“Sihoyguwa; analyze the data,” Ahnk said, hand on his chin. He had a pretty good idea of what he’d just watched, but he might as well have it officially confirmed.

“Analysis indicates an artificially generated tear in realspace, through which energy was directed to a conduit behind. Aperture artificially collapsed through manipulation of gravity and removal of negative matter. All readings consistent with known scans from the Arbiter you tested.”

Ahnk nodded, remembering back. When Zeratul had arrived on Yavin, Ahnk had welcomed him. The lust for the power he promised had made him blind, and easily manipulated. No time for self loathing now, though. “Sihoyguwa; speculate as to the purpose of such a tear, given available evidence.”

“Data retrieval from localized relay station or sensor array,” the ship concluded. “Given the lack of a sensor array within the area, perhaps a cloaked relay.”

“Can you locate it?” Ahnk asked, knowing that the ship’s sensor package could cut through many antiquated cloaking devices.

“I suppose your next question is whether I can generate an artificial tear in space so that we can follow whoever retrieved that data burst,” the ship answered back, sarcastically.

“I figured given the money I spent upgrading your sensors you might be able to cut through whatever it was keeping the device cloaked, that’s all,” Ahnk said, calmly.

“Right, but without any idea of how their cloaking systems operate, it could conceivably take hours of analyzing different sensor sweeps looking for inconsistencies,” the ship replied, “and there would be no guarantee of ever finding anything conclusive.”

“Very well,” Ahnk said, with a sigh. “I don’t really have time for that. That declaration makes it seem like things are in motion. I can’t sit here waiting for the sensors to process one batch task after the other. Sihoyguwa, take us to Capricia.”

Getting punched in the face is always somewhat jarring. Moreso when one does not expect it.

He fell back, backpeddling instinctively from his attacker. His arm shot up to block the next punch, but the one following that landed in his abdomen, doubling him over. Ahnk realized he was fighting a force user; no normal human could move that fast.

He took a deep breath.

The man attacking him seemed to slow down. Ahnk took a moment to look at him. Human, or close to it. Likely Caprician. Male. Indeterminate age, but still in physical condition that represented a considerable threat to most in unarmed combat.

Ahnk was not most men.

He threw up his forearm to block the next punch and then stepped to the side, shooting out his foot at the man who was attacking him. The foot landed hard in the ribs, causing reverberating impact. Many would have been felled, but the man had anticipated the blow and pushed himself back; not enough to avoid entirely, but he definitely deadened the strike considerably. He wasn’t moving as fast as Ahnk, but he was definitely moving faster than normal men could muster.

Ahnk’s eyes surveyed his body again and he saw the lightsaber dangling from his hip. Well, that answered that.

The man launched himself from his position, attacking again with a fist. Ahnk didn’t block it this time, instead raising a hand and setting it on the man’s sternum, taking a deep, long breath.

When he let it out, he reached out to the man and pulled the lightsaber from his belt. “This,” he said, “this is a Jedi’s weapon. Constructed by a warrior when he advances beyond the apprentice level. You’re fast, and in tune with the flow of the force, but this isn’t yours.”

The man tried to move, but found himself stuck; frozen, as Ahnk used the force to keep him exactly where he was, mid punch, in mid air. “I should be the one asking questions of you, intruder.”

Ahnk nodded. “True enough,” he admitted. “Then I have a question for you, before I answer any of yours. If I let you go, and let you settle to the floor, do you promise not to attack me again?”

“That depends,” the man said, expression on his face the dictionary definition of serious. “Are you a Sith, here to threaten my children?”

Ah. That explained a lot. “No,” Ahnk said, his face matching the serious of the man before him. “If your children were my target, would I not be in their room at present?”

“Maybe you don’t know the layout of the house,” the man said.

“I don’t, but it’s fairly easy to tell from the doorway of each room what is inside,” Ahnk countered. He relaxed his hand, and the man slowly fell to the ground. “In any event, I mean you no harm.”

The man rubbed his ribs softly. “Then why break in?”

“I lacked a formal invitation,” Ahnk said, matter of factly. “I would hardly call it breaking in either; the lock on your door only has 256 bit encryption. I could break that tapping on it with a rock.”

“Other than demonstrating the lapse in our security,” the man shot back, frustrated, “what are your intentions here?”

That was a good question. “To be honest, I don’t really have any intentions,” Ahnk confessed. “I sort of do things by the seat of my pants. Often, violence is involved. Take this situation. I break into a house without any real idea of what to do once inside, and you punch me several times as a result. I’m sure eventually I’ll figure out why I’m here, but for now…”

Ahnk trailed off.

Standing in the doorway was a face he had not seen in a long, long time. There were more lines around the nose, mouth, and eyes, then previously had appeared. Battle marks could be spotted from errant blows, either in training, or in war. Her eyes, though covered by rippling lines drawn into her skin by age, were no more dull then when last he’d seen her, what must have been decades previous.

She was why he was here.

He offered her a deep bow. “Amalia,” he said, hands folded behind his back.

She snorted. She threw him a small cloth. “Wipe the blood off your face and meet me outside,” she said, shortly. “Tyscio, you can put the lightsaber away. I will handle him.”

“Who is he?” Tyscio asked. He took a cloth Amalia offered and wiped his hand clean of Ahnk’s blood.

“His name is Ahnk Rashanagok,” she said, glaring at the man in question, “and if you ever see him again, don’t punch him; kill him immediately.”

The two were sitting just outside of the Caprician house that Leia and Tyscio cohabitated when she was on the planet. She wasn’t on the planet… when Ahnk arrived near Minos he would have already been able to tell, but he hadn’t felt but the remnant of her presence; she had been here, and her… essence… remained, but her physical form was somewhere else.

Amalia he hadn’t been expecting.

He should have; they had always been close, if not emotionally, than at least physically. The two most prominent Jedi Masters who had outlived Gash Jiren, and the two who had stood by and watched The Jedi Order lose its strength and eventually it’s very life in the face of the galaxy around.

Not a pleasant legacy when worded as such.

But realistically, Amalia was one of few people Ahnk was positive could kill him. She had mastered the force before Ahnk had learned to channel his emotions and by the time he felt confident enough to declare himself a Sith Master, she had promoted several Jedi to the same rank. They’d fought before and Ahnk had won. He never knew how.

He had a theory, of course.

Amalia let him win. She wanted Ahnk to take Kahn away. She wanted to test the boy.

Her foresight had likely told her that Ahnk was not strong enough and far too arrogant to truly convert the apprentice Jedi. She likely saw an opportunity to allow Kahn to glimpse into the abyss, knowing that, when the time came, he would emerge and wander back to the light.

A hellacious journey to put someone through. But the Jedi Code did not permit for love. It was tough love or abandonment. That was the way of things.

Of course, that was only a theory.

“If you’re here to steal any of my apprentices,” Amalia shot out, breaking the silence as simply as she had broken into his mind, “you should know that most of the more promising students are currently offworld. The remainder are either very young, very inexperienced, very limited, or a combination of the three.”

Ahnk smiled, tapping on his head. “I’m not used to people who can read my mind.”

“You’re not used to people being stronger than you,” Amalia said, face still deadly serious. “It’s good to know that you are still as arrogant as ever.”

Ahnk scoffed. “Probably moreso,” he said, leaning back. “Having died and come back now several times has removed one more fear from an already short list.”

“What are you doing here, Ahnk?” she shot back, not softening whatsoever.

Ahnk leaned back again, feigning surprise at the question. “What, I can’t just drop by, to visit, and chat with an old friend?”

Amalia narrowed her eyes, making her glare even more intense. “We’re not old friends, Ahnk,” she said. “You hit me and threw a table on me, then stole one of my pupils.”

Ahnk sighed. “Stealing isn’t exactly the word I’d use…” he said, trailing off.

Her glare stayed constant. “And what word would you use?”

He put a finger on his chin. “Well, I put him in a situation where if he didn’t do what I said, I would kill the person he cared about most,” Ahnk said, remembering back. When he said it aloud, though, his face twisted in revolt. “That doesn’t really make it sound any better, does it?”

She crossed her arms, making her entire posture now entirely unfriendly. “I’ll ask you again, since you dodged the question the first time. What are you doing here, Ahnk Rashanagok?”

“You know, I’m not a Sith anymore,” he said. He wasn’t sure if she’d heard. “My name is Andrew, if you want to address me as a person instead of as a monster.”

She curled her lips at the corners; it seemed a restrained snarl of sorts, as if she was incredulous at his assertion. “Changing your name doesn’t change who you are, or what you did, Ahnk. I’m not suddenly going to forget who you were just because…"

“Stop,” Ahnk said, forcedly. “Now, I know there’s no forgiving what I did. That’s not why I’m here. I can never put the past behind me; not with you, not with the people I’ve hurt, but most importantly, not with myself. Do you think I can ever forget? Do you think that I sleep peacefully? Do you think that there’s a single solitary second where I can close my eyes without the faces of the dead being reflected in my eyelids? I can’t ever bring those people back from the dead, and nothing, no matter how much I might want to do, can ever bring me even on the karmic wheel of life. And if you want to continue to look at me as the monster I was, then I can’t blame you. But it’s not who I am and it is not why I’m here. And if all of my interactions here are going to be hostile, then I might as well let that Caprician in there use me as a heavy bag for another half hour before I leave the planet.”

Amalia blew out a sigh. Her posture softened a little, but her expression still remained hard. “You have to understand, the last time I saw you, you were trying to do considerable harm to me, my students, and everyone I cared about. Now, I have Gash Jiren’s word that you’re a changed man, but you are an enigma; more of a rumor now than a real person. No one has seen or heard from you in decades, and suddenly, you’re here,” she said, summing it up quite well. “I want to know why.”

Ahnk nodded. “It’s a fair question,” he said. He sat forward. “There are two reasons I came here. The first is the recent declaration by this… Artanis fellow. I don’t know him, but I know his ilk. There was a Sith, Zeratul, who was one of his kind. I’m trying to do what I can to follow leads in terms of where they might be and, if possible, how we can defend ourselves, proactively. One of those leads led me to Minos, a planet under Caprician control.”

Amalia was confused. “But the Capricians have nothing to do with the… Cree’Ar, they were called. I don’t think they’ve ever even met.”

“Do you know that?” Ahnk said. He saw a flicker of hesitation in her. “I don’t know anything about these people. I don’t know what motivates them, what drives them, anything about their moral code or ethics or intentions.”

“I do,” Amalia countered, firmly. “They’ve been entirely welcoming of The Jedi, and of myself. They’ve protected us. They fought against the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong and repelled it by pure strength of will and character. These are the people we want as our allies. I do trust them.”

“Well, I still have reservations,” Ahnk said, shaking his head. “I don’t have as much experience with them as you do, so nothing is a certainty. All I know is that the Cree’Ar, or someone using very similar technology, has taken a great interest in the Caprician people. What that interest amounts to, or whether it is reciprocal, I do not know. I felt it worthwhile to investigate.”

Amalia seemed more curious than hostile now. “What have you found?”

“Nothing,” Ahnk admitted. “I don’t have the contacts here necessary to do any under the radar information gathering and my… above the radar methods tend to be somewhat messy. I try and avoid that with friendly governments unless the situation is dire.”

Amalia turned somewhat bitter again. “The ends justify the means, then?”

“Sometimes,” Ahnk said, seriously. He leaned forward a little more. “You can decry my methodology though you may, but there are times when lives have been lost because good people stood by on the sidelines waiting for something to happen. Sometimes, something happening is somebody dying who didn’t need to die. I’d rather be a step ahead of the curve then a step behind the bloodshed.”

“You would rather initiate the bloodshed?” Amalia countered.

Ahnk leaned back again, blowing out a frustrated sigh. “It’s very clear to me, now, that you and I have a massive psychological and philosophical rift between our approach to doing what we feel is morally right. I don’t see the benefit of you raking me over the coals for everything I say.”

“I’m still waiting,” she replied back, and Ahnk’s face told her what to say next. “You still haven’t told me the reason you’re here.”

Ahnk nodded. He clasped his hands, folding them in front of him. “I came here looking for Organa Solo.”

Amalia nodded. “I was afraid of that.”

Ahnk allowed himself a slight smile. “So that’s why you’re so on guard,” he said. “That means she saw it too.”

Amalia did not let any surprise register on her face. “She has been disturbed by many things lately. She felt it prudent to travel to Ossus to look for clarity in the face of the arising situation.”

Ahnk nodded again, understanding. “Yes. Clarity. It’s an important…”

Amalia raised a finger. “You should know, that if your intent is to harm her…”

“Tyscio will kill me?” Ahnk said, face cocked slightly. He could see the serious face of Amalia almost crack, but she held in the urge to laugh. “I know. She is well protected, here, in the garden of the force she has sewn about. Were my intentions hostile, I would not stand much of a chance.”

“Just so you know,” Amalia said, sternly. “But…”

Ahnk perked up slightly at that. “But, you were about to say?”

Amalia, now, did smile. Only a little, and only with her lips. Her eyes remained serious and focused. But those soft lips of hers curled just enough for him to detect before she told him, “if what they say is true, and you are indeed a knight of the light at present, then I take great pity on anyone who declares war on force users.”

Then it was Ahnk’s turn to smile. He made no attempt to hide it.

Ahnk declined offers to stay inside a house. Amalia had offered a room at hers, presumably so that she could keep an eye on the former Sith, but he would have felt an intrusion there. Tyscio, perhaps in an attempt to apologize for the cut he had left under Ahnk’s eye, had offered a room in his, which Ahnk would have also felt inappropriate given the tension and mistrust between the two.

Ahnk had a ship. The ship was parked on a rock.

He looked down on the city below. It was different from most; more muted, almost, when compared to other cities within the Commonwealth, and nowhere near the violent vibrancy that assaulted your eyes when one looked over Coruscant. It made sense, why Leia stayed here of all places. Overlooking the hill, Ahnk almost felt… home.

This was not Naboo, of course. The air was slightly drier here; not as many lakes and oceans on the horizon. But it was still crisp, and fresh. Different from other worlds, surrendered over in the name of progress. This was still a planet, living and breathing, not in spite of the people on it, but together with the people on it. Society here was different. Simpler was not the word. One struggled to find one; Ahnk softly sighed and settled on better.

He didn’t belong here.

He would stay; by the time he made it to Ossus, Leia likely would have found the means by which to track Ahnk down, and likely would return here anyway. It made no sense for them to zig zag across known space in an effort to track one another down. If she had had the dream of him as he had dreamt of her, it meant that the force was pushing them together. For what reason, he did not know. But he would wait here long enough to see it out.

The long term, though, held no home for him here. This world was peaceful. Calm and serene, enjoying the silence after the crushing weight of enduring a war against the Yuuzhan Vong. They had earned their peace. And Ahnk was not a beacon of peace. He would not come here and have peace follow. That was not the way things worked.

Ahnk would stay long enough to absorb the peace he needed, and then move on. He would set his mind at ease with the beckoning the force had sent him, and then he would go.

The truth was, Ahnk wouldn’t know what to do in a world full of peace.

It was why he’d left Naboo. Why he’d moved from place to place, never settling. Always seeking out more adventure. One more dangerous future. One more excuse not to settle down. Settling down and being one with himself would make Ahnk face himself. That was something he would rather not do. So peace, for the moment, was not an option.

The only remaining option was the war.

It seemed, given the proclamation he had heard, that war was coming to the galaxy. He’d sparred with Zeratul… knew from experience the Cree’Ar, as they called themselves, would bring force users to their war on force users. How many of them and how skilled they each were was a question Ahnk did not know. He was afraid of the answer. The other question was based on the Reavers. If they were connected to the Cree’Ar, what happened when the Cree’Ar found places with Jedi already in them? Like Ossus? Or Capricia?

The answers would only come with time, and blood. There was no easy way to end a war. No clean way. No fast way. War was a very messy, bloody business.

That, Ahnk understood.

He may have felt out of place in a serene scene overlooking a peaceful city but, throw some rampaging bloodthirsty cyborgs onto that hillside, and Ahnk Rashanagok would gleefully cleave them in half.

War was his way.

And if there was a war coming, Ahnk Rashanagok would face it head on. Amalia was right about him; he did prefer to initiate the bloodshed. He would enjoy the peace while it lasted, because soon, he was going to abandon it again. Ahnk was a warrior. He could change his name, and he could change his allegiance, but he could never change, deep down, what he truly was.

There was no duality in Ahnk Rashanagok.

He was a killer.

Leia Organa Solo

Posts: 1584

At first Karah could only stare in awe at the man clad in glistening white armor and a flowing white cape, with his impressive looking staff. He glowed with strength in the Force, and even his armor appeared to be imbued with light as he stood above them at the top of the steps, gazing down upon his new guests.

After exchanging initial pleasantries the two Jedi Masters fell into step side by side, leaving Karah to trail a short distance behind them as they entered the Jedi Temple. She listened quietly to their conversation as they walked; studying the backs of the two masters.

One thing had immediately caught Karah’s eye: Master Ekan openly carried a lightsaber at his side. That was something she had never seen Leia do, not even during training sessions. Come to think of it, she had never even seen Leia wield a saber for any purpose at all. Supposedly during the Sith attack on Capricia, Leia had fought a Sith Knight named Skygge and even Natalya had participated in the fray. Unfortunately for Karah, she had missed the whole thing.

Even now, it was impossible to tell if her master was carrying a saber concealed somewhere within her robes. Surely she had to be, after their conversation on the ship…

Karah’s own newly acquired saber was stuck awkwardly in her belt, concealed by her loose jacket. She hardly found the sensation of the cold metal hilt pressing into the small of her back comforting; she was keenly aware of the fact that her lightsaber skills left quite a bit to be desired.

“So, what brings you to Ossus?” Zark ventured as he lead the way down a large main hallway.

There was a long pause as Leia seemed to consider her reply. Zark waited patiently; confident that they both already knew what needed to be said and done…

“There have been many disturbances in the Force lately” Leia sighed. “The Sith attack on Capricia was unsettling, but it seems to be the least of our problems. The Dominion, the Cree’Ar…” she shook her head. “As despicable as the Empire was, it did provide a certain stability to the systems under it’s control; systems could share a sense of security and order. The Dominion crushed that stability under it’s heel, and has replaced it with declarations of some galaxy wide religious crusade against Force users."

Leia threw her hands up in the air in disgust. "How can they claim to promote peace when their first act as a dominant government is to declare war? If the Dominion was truly familiar with our ways, they would know that the Jedi would never oppose a government dedicated to upholding peace and justice. I don’t know much about them yet, but I don’t think anything good can come from the Dominion’s rule over this galaxy. Either they are hiding something, or they are some sort of hypocritical religious fanatics.”

Leia smiled bitterly. “And I’m not just saying that because they have announced they want to kill us all.”

From what Leia could tell, they were nearing the center of the Jedi temple. Just ahead of them down the hall, a giant set of closed doors stood in their way. As they had made their way through the temple, the presence Leia had initially felt in the speeder had been growing stronger.

Now, she could sense that the essence of the presence lay just beyond the doors...

Again Leia delicately probed the presence, unsure whether to feel distraught or comforted by it's strength and familiarity. There was no mistaking that it felt most like the old Jedi Council chambers and the Jedi who had occupied those chambers on Theed, but how could that possibly be?

"Zark...?" Leia questioned, abandoning the topic of galactic politics in favor of her curiosity.

Zark San Tekka

Posts: 2440

The Grandmaster had kept his silence through Leia's diatribe against the myriad foes of the Jedi, granting only his attention and occasional nods of assent. The issues she brought up had plagued his mind greatly as of late. Before their emergence as a known power in the galaxy, Zark had only to worry about the Enclave, its people and its challenges.

But now, with Ossus once more a focal point for galactic discourse, the Jedi could not help but feel the burden of an entire galaxy's worth of problems. Was this what Regrad had dealt with on a day to day basis for all those years? Some men possessed a personal strength even the Force could not account for.

As they walked through the halls of the Library, he sensed the young Jedi trailing behind them, her thoughts seemingly running wild in such a foreign setting. His brow quirked almost imperceptibly as he noted that, despite how much her mind races, Padawan Karah's emotions remained relatively stable. Either she was a natural Jedi or Leia had been teaching her extremely well, perhaps both. His emotions had rampaged like wildfire at that age.

Before long, they had reached their intended destination. Once again, Zark could feel that burning curiosity well up within his contemporary. As she reached out, so did he, letting those familiar waves of comfort wash over him. At first, he did not notice her call his name. As her hand touched his shoulder, he broke from his reverie.

"I'm sure by now you've heard that I was on Naboo when Theed fell," he spoke at last, turning to regard the Jedi Master, "How I ended up there is...another story for another time, but the Empire's cover story is even more farcical than usual.

That was a Sith assault. I'm not sure what they were looking for, or if they were looking for anything at all. I barely escaped from Lupercus Darksword with my life, and before I fled the world I...took something with me. I...its easier to show you than to try and describe."

In an almost regal gesture, Zark raised his staff in the air, and slammed it down upon the ground, much as he had done outside the Temple entrance. The echo resonated throughout the chamber in almost musical tones. For a moment, nothing happened. Almost the moment Leia turned to him with a questioning expression, the massive chamber doors slowly slid open from the inside.

Light shot through the gap as soon as it was formed, almost blinding in its intensity. It soon bathed the three Jedi in its light, only dimming ever so slightly as the chamber doors opened fully. Zark stepped across the threshold and, looking back at his companions, beckoned them forward with a gesture and a reassuring smile.

Of all the many things the two visitors from Capricia might have been expecting to lie within the center of that chamber, perhaps the last thing they thought they would see was a massive tree. The bark was pure white, and its leaves were the most beautiful shade of gold, seeming to twinkle in the sunlight emanating from the windows on the far side of the room.

But most amazing of all was the giant crevice within the center of the tree, and the brilliantly shining blue crystal that lay embedded within. The crystal was the source of the energy that Leia had felt from the moment she had set foot on the planet.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Zark said, turning round to face them, the glow of the crystal washing over his outline. He pointed up at the ceiling, which was transparent, "Above are the Council chambers, where in our darkest moments, we can always look down and behold the foundation of our very beliefs."

He could tell from their expressions that their curiosity had only intensified.

"The tree itself was planted here decades ago, in memoriam of Jedi Master Ood Bnar, but the crystal in the center..." he paused, unsure of how to continue, "Well, thats new. I couldn't let them take the Temple, Leia. The galaxy was far too dark already without those...demons snuffing out another light. I couldn't let them destroy it...so I took it with me."

He glanced back at the crystal, and felt the presence of the Naboo Jedi Temple wash over him.