Onboard the Narcissus

Enroute to Bonadan.




The Vinda-Corp leader stood facing the window, looking out at the shapes and swirls of the Hyperspacial continuum , deep in his own thoughts.

The whirls and eddies before him matched his thoughts swirling about his head, as he tried to compose himself to gain some kind of order.

The small cloud of cigarra smoke hung around him like a mini fog…

The talks on Ession had been a success , but they were now the farthest things from his mind.

Vinda was troubled, and trying to sleep just seemed like an absurd idea at this moment in time.

It seemed that for everything that went right, about tenfold went wrong in return.

There had now been an incident at some research lab, some science assistant had been murdered or something to that effect…

…Probably some lab experiment gone out of hand… (he thought to himself dismissively)

Leantre Vio was now on planet too; there were obviously things to discuss…

He rubbed his temple with his free hand and took another drag on his cigarra…

His thoughts drifted to that of his daughter, and his eyes narrowed as they stared out into space.


…she has taken her Mother’s name…

…just how much does she take after her?…

…she’s out there somewhere…alone!


Vinda cursed his uselessness once more, and his thoughts drifted to Natalya’s mother…and that fateful day…


....And once again the past rose to the surface....




(Taken from ‘Conquest of Capricia: Part IV - Leveller of Empires’)





"...Natalya!..."

"...I can't believe it I finally found you!..... I thought you were dead!..."

The two embraced passionately in the middle of the crowded spaceport, their joy interrupted only by a slight cough from one of the two that had risked their lives to save her...

Turning around to face them both sheepishly, Vinda , shook the man's hand with both hands and with such vigour it shook his whole body...

"...thank you, whatever you want or need you shall have it!, we both owe our lives to the two of you..."

The man and the woman glanced at each other , and smiled...The man spoke, his voice, articulate...

"...sanctuary..."

The businessman laughed, his joy clearly evident

"..Then you shall have it!...Mr...."

Vinda's face looked questioningly towards the couple, as he realised he didn't know what their names were...
As the man went to speak, an aide ran up alongside them, and breathlessly interrupted the foursome, gushing with enthusiasm...

"...Mr Vinda sir!, they've just announced it! You’ve become the governor of Bonadan!, they want you to make a speech!..."

The businessman looked stunned at the news, and could only gape, it had been something he had worked tirelessly for, but it had still come as a shock... Natalya hugged him and whispered into his ear, a slight hint of bemusement in her voice...

"..Congratulations....Governor...."

Turning to face her he lost himself in her eyes, their deep brazen allure seemed to transfix him, the surroundings and the people inside it, all but melted away...
He felt....complete now... happy that they were finally going to be together after so long....
Only her voice broke the spell...

"...go make your speech, your public awaits....and when you get back I'll be waiting for you.... I have something very important to tell you Seth....something wonderful..."

Picking up on the undercurrent, Vinda cocked his head to the side, as she let slip a warm smile...
The moment was once again interrupted, as a comms alert started to sound, cursing, he rolled his eyes, as the voice of his pilot came through...

"...We are way overdue!, there is no way we will catch the trade summit..."

Vinda raised his hand to gently caress the side of Natalya's face, she turned to kiss it tenderly on the palm as he talked..

"...then cancel it!...something more important has come up"

"..Cancel it!?, but this has been planned for over a month!..."

"..change of plans, we'll be going home instead, I'll be sending some ...friends on first, I'll be there in about quarter of an hour..."

"..whatever you say man, rodger that, the shuttle is prepped, and on standby..."

As Vinda switched off the comm-unit, he kissed her gently on the lips, his voice low, and reassuring...

"...Go ahead of me, take our two mutual friends too,
(he glanced up at the couple still beside them),
it shall be the quickest speech I have ever made!, I shall meet you onboard...we have almost a year of catching up to do!..."

As she laughed he felt a certain happiness he had not felt in almost an entire year, since she had been gone, he had felt lost without her...

The aide, picked up their luggage, and while trying to be as patient as possible could not be any less obvious. Vinda could not let Natalya out of his sight, and as he watched them start to walk away she stopped, leant forward and reached out with an outstreched hand , a small giftwrapped box, lay upon it...

"Seth..I almost forgot, this is for the one I missed..."

Taking the box from her hand, he smiled...

"...happy birthday Seth...."

..as he opened the box , the flash of metal glimmered across his face. Before he could thank her, he felt the warmth of her embrace, and her lips as she kissed him tenderly....Her voice close to a whisper ....

"...you mean everything to me..."

As the aide ushered them on the way to their shuttle, Vinda, was fixed to the spot, he could not take his eyes off her, and as the small party melted into the rest of the population of the spaceport, his grip tightened on the small chrome Cigarra lighter within his hand...

The very last sight he saw of Natalya, was as she turned to look over her shoulder towards him, through the melee of people meandering past, and he caught her smile...


...it was the very last time he ever did...


Waiting until he could no longer see her, Vinda picked his way through the crowded spaceport to the media-crew that had been waiting...

In the moments that followed everything seemed to happen in slow-motion...


...as if time itself had been caught by surprise...


The explosion ripped through the spaceport's main lobby, injuring hundreds of people in the blink of an eye....

...Almost everyone hit the floor in reaction, people started to panic and run for the exits...their screams and shouts only drowned by the noise of the fire-alarms inside the complex...

Flames had engulfed the interior in an instantaneous flash...

...some people had been flung against the wall by the force of the blast, most suffered deep cuts from the shrapnel and flying glass, which seemed to come from nowhere...

Vinda himself was knocked to the floor, and as he painfully rose to his feet, disorientated, he clutched onto the side of a wall...

..As his eyes became confronted at the carnage that played out before him, a terrible feeling of dread, gripped ahold of him, as he realised to his sheer horror where the blast had originally come from....


....His personal shuttle, prepped to take him to the planet's surface, had been obliterated in an explosion so powerful hardly any of it remained...





Closing his eyes in an effort to shut the past away Vinda took a long drag on his cigarra…

So much had happened since that day and yet its repercussions were still being felt now. After the chaos , and after he had returned to Bonadan, he had been shocked to find Miles had handed in his notice, and even more shocked when he had learnt the reasons why.

Miles’s office was still as he had left it , Vinda had ordered it untouched , perhaps in the vain hope that he might one day return.

Deep down he knew that to be naive …

He had hoped to perhaps hand down the reins to him, Mile’s had turned out to be the son he had never had…

All that changed now with discovery of his daughter.

would Natalya follow his legacy?…

His thoughts returned to the present, and as he walked over to his seat and sat down stiffly, his mind raced with the many suspects who might be behind her abduction, and their possible motives…

A deep frown embedded itself across his brow as no obvious candidate sprang to mind.

Sighing loudly the Corporate mogul stubbed out his cigarra , breathing out the last vestiges of the cigarra smoke that still filled his lungs through his nose, resembling small jets of exhausts…

Leaning back into his chair Vinda slowed his breaths , and relaxed himself…


…there was perhaps one person who could help…


Someone whose powers surpassed his own…

Someone who he had, until recently , long thought dead…


Slowly he felt the force begin to coarse through his veins, his whole being, and he once more felt that peculiar feeling of fluidity…and despite his eyes being closed he could see the stars that flew past him outside….


…only one way to find out for sure…


As Vinda felt the force flow and pulsate through him, he concentrated and focused his thoughts…

It was time to call on an old friend…

It was a one word message, a name.



Ahnk…

Bonadan




Leantre looked at the classified document before him knowing that it really was not all that classified. Various functionaries must be talking amongst themselves as the reality of the beauracracy of the Commonwealth was being born.



A 'Genesis' of sorts.



Capricia was an old planet. Older than most though much of their antiquated history was lost to them during the Molinjar reign a thousand years ago. He wondered what entities lay buried in the long forgotten Houses, out of the way districts just biding their time. Historical forces and ancient traditions, perhaps ancient mistakes? just waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting Commonwealth Government.


For this was a Genesis of sorts for Capricia. For this was the first time the planet was breaking out of its self imposed exile from the galaxy. If Tyscio Korban was to be believed, this would be the second time Capricia set out onto the galactic stage.


And what secrets lay behind the Vinda Corporation? What skeletons lay in the upper echelons of power of the seemingly invincible economic power?


Was not also the past seething just behind a closed conference door, hidding documents, classified corporate secrets just waiting for the right time to blind side the Commonwealth?


Unseen enemies and unknown enemies lurking behind each breakthrough.



Leantre felt a slight giddy feeling at the paper before him. History, Tradition and Corporate secrets be damned!

The Commonwealth represented a life of it's own.


It was a movement that would not be stopped easily, having gathered enough momentum so as to no longer need props.


All that was waiting was the doors to be opened and the beauracracy to be unleashed.













FIRST MINISTER

Represents the head of the Ministry, designed to see to the needs of (to minister to the needs of) the people and of government. Elected by the Ministry.



SECOND MINISTER

Direct aide to the First Minister and Successor. Elected by the Ministry.



MINISTER OF STATE
- Diplomatic Affairs
- Treaties
- Intelligence Gathering

MINISTER OF DEFENSE
- Commonwealth Military
- Reserves
- War Initiatives
- Logistics
- Defense Initiatives
- Intelligence Gathering

MINISTER OF SECURITY
- Homeworld Securities
- Commonwealth Interior Securities
- Technology Securities
- Security of different Ministries
- Intelligence Gathering

MINISTER OF ECONOMY
- Trade & Commerce Issues
- Ratification of Trade Agreements
- Protection of Natural Resources
- Protection of Technological Resources
- Science Initiatives

MINISTER OF ENERGY
- Energy Initiatives
- Environmentally Safe Initiatives
- Alternate Energy Initiatives
- Homeworld Energy Issues
- Commonwealth Energy Issues

MINISTER OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
- Science Initiatives
- Research & Developement Initiatives
- Long Term Technology Initiatives
- Short Term Applicable Technology Initiatives
- Technology Use & Distribution Initiatives

MINISTER OF CITIZEN SERVICES
- Housing Initiatives
- Low Income Funding Initiatives
- Food Use & Distribution Initiatives
- Labor Initiatives
- Utilities Distribution
- Citizenship Services
- Elder Security Initiatives

MINISTER OF INFORMATION
- News Services Initiatives
- Propaganda Initiatives
- Commonwealth Information Intiatives
- Homeworld Information Intiatives

MINISTER OF JUSTICE
- Legal Representation Initiatives
- Homeworld Law
- Commonwealth Law
- Law Enforcement Initiatives
- Law Education Initiatives
- Law Application Initiatives in all aspect of Citizen Services and Ministries
- Governing By-Laws

MINISTER OF EDUCATION
- Education Assistance
- Education Funding Initiatives
- Excelling Education Intiatives - Commonwealth; Homeworld

MINISTER OF FINANCE
- Government Funding Intiatives
- Citizen Financing Initiatives
- Ministry Funding Allocation
- Civilian Funding Allocation
- Finance Securities
- Liason to Vinda Corporation
- Insurance Initiatives

MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION
- Civilian Logistic Initiatives
- Government Logistic Initiatives

MINISTER OF HEALTH
- Commonwealth
- Homeworld
- Interspecies Studies
- Disease and Control Intiatives
- Technology Initiatives
- Drug & Care Distribution Initiatives




The Ministry would be elected by three completely separate representatives of the Commonwealth (elected by the citizenry):


Hall of Voice - Outer District
House Parliament (Caprician System)- Caprician
Corporate Sector Parliament - Bonadan

These representatives work in tandem to fill out the various agencies carrying out the functions of the different Ministries.



****



Leantre stared at the docket one more time. There were changes that would inevitably be made before the beauracracy actually took charge.


But it is coming!



He walked across the hall to stand in the gathering line waiting entry into the unofficial Corporate Sector Parliament debate room.

“I apologize for my… condescension… earlier. The truth is, I’m not very good at… this… talking, thing. I’m used to telling people what I want and getting it… a powerful man in your position certainly understands that.”



Ciscero's eyes narrowed at the sudden change in demeanor. His first instinct was his mind shouting:

He knows!!



And if the man before him did know, then Ciscero's position suddenly was very precarious.


He might scoff at the high handedness of Force-users and think them overblown fools; and, truth be told, he'd probably be correct, but on rare occasions they could also be very insightful.


Was Ahnk's insightfulness serving him now or was he just a lucky guesser?

Either way, the fact that Ahnk had positioned himself out of sight from the sniper positions outside gave credence to the "insightful" opinion.


“I’ll be straightforward. I am looking for Chang, someone who as a former aid of mine during and after my Empire’s collaboration with your order, I would assume that you would occasionally keep tabs on. If you haven’t… then I’ve wasted your time and I apologize.”

Ahnk leaned forward.

“But if you have any information regarding his whereabouts, then let it be known that that is information I value very highly. And if you were to give me such information, I would provide you with any means of compensation I have at my disposal.”



The scales had suddenly shifted.



A sith is his most dangerous when they are humble.


For a Sith is never humble.


Ciscero sighed. It was time to head into dangerous territory which only reinforced his earlier bias regarding Sith.



"Look." he said, as the other stood up and slowly made his way to a liquor cabinet.


“Would you like a drink?”


"Sure," Ciscero shrugged and continued his talking, his eyes ever watchful. "Listen, we both know that you are a Sith Master. A major player and while you might come at me with attitude regarding your personal life.. fishing or whatnot, the fact remains that you are still a very formidable man. I wonder, if you walked into Lord Lupercus' hall, who would emerge the victor if you suddenly decided to have your way with him?

So, here I am, sitting in a room with one of the most powerful people in the Galaxy and I wonder to myself, what happens to me if I devulge my information, whether good or bad? What's to prevent you from slitting my throat and moving on?


You mentioned your 'empire'. By all appearances it is dead. But is it really? When Palpatine died, The New Order was thought finished. It has come back.

Might not you do the same?




The Return of Sith Master Ahnk.



You were thought dead. And now you are here.


You are revered somewhat in the Empire. You could have demanded and received many accolades and help in your search.


The fact that you haven't; the fact that you are travelling "under the net" as it were, frightens me."
<!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->

Ahnk grimaced slightly, back still to the agent, as his history as a Sith Master was run down to him, and his power was questioned. He tried to interject but the agent was not finished, and so Ahnk merely poured the drinks, and listened.

Turning back to the agent with a roguish grin, Ahnk set down the pair’s drinks as it was questioned why he did not attempt to merely command a search and did, instead, try and conduct one himself. He sat down, sighing.

“I will level with you… agent… and I do hope that you will be above offense… but I despise your Empire. Even before mine was only whispers in your halls I hated everything the Empire stood for. You have set up a system of lies, a system where you manipulate the access of your citizens to a media in which you control, you present good news when none exists, and silence when catastrophe strikes. One day your Empire will be gone, wiped out by someone or something, and your people will be lost without the blanket of false hope and fiction you have created for them.”

Ahnk paused, taking a drink. He set down his glass, sighing again before continuing.

“As to why I didn’t command your help… I don’t want it. I don’t want to charge in and damage my own Imperial Protectorate. I don’t want anything… I don’t want an Empire, I don’t want fame and fortune, I don’t want to make Lupercus Darksword my manbitch… I just want to find my so… Chang. I want to find Chang and then I want to go back, disappear again, live under the net as it were… it’s probably for the best.”

Ahnk had to stop himself. He had no intention to hurt the agent but there was a frustration with his inferior position. Ahnk was growing tired and he tried to soothe his nerves with a drink, but his nerves would have none of it and his mind continued to seethe until his mouth did as well.

“Have you ever felt that you did nobody any good? That you had no purpose for existing? I feel that now, and I’ve felt it for a long time. I look back at my life and all I see is that I have been a corrosive influence; everything I have ever laid my hands on has turned into shit. I have ruined worlds, galaxies, families… and people continue even now to do so in my name, and why? Because I wanted power? Control? Money? Admiration? Recognition? Justification? I had some of it, for mere fleeting seconds, but it wasn’t worth it. Not even close. If you have aspirations of command I advise you to abandon them now because the price is too high… far too high.”

Ahnk sat back. He looked at his drink and strongly considered picking it up and hurling it against a wall to assuage himself of something… instead, he lifted it without his hands and poured it into one of the room’s sinks, dropping the cup gently to the counter when he was done.

“I’m sorry… I am frustrated. I have been chasing phantoms for months. I misspoke earlier… I do need your help. I don’t command it… I request it. I want to find Chang and I want to do it without ruining any more lives in the process.”

Ciscero watched as the former Sith Master went on about the Empire...

“I will level with you… agent… and I do hope that you will be above offense… but I despise your Empire. Even before mine was only whispers in your halls I hated everything the Empire stood for. You have set up a system of lies, a system where you manipulate the access of your citizens to a media in which you control, you present good news when none exists, and silence when catastrophe strikes. One day your Empire will be gone, wiped out by someone or something, and your people will be lost without the blanket of false hope and fiction you have created for them.”

Ciscero grinned for a bit as Ahnk was winding down. "You arent' the first person in the galaxy who's hated the news before. And the New Republic couldn't foretell the weather to save their lives. Of course, neither can we but in reality, what you, I or others may feel about the Empire is really immaterial.

It is here.

Tomorrow, it very well may be gone and I would have to find a paycheck somewhere else. That is the nature of empires and kingdoms."

He shrugged and Ahnk continued..

“As to why I didn’t command your help… I don’t want it. I don’t want to charge in and damage my own Imperial Protectorate. I don’t want anything… I don’t want an Empire, I don’t want fame and fortune, I don’t want to make Lupercus Darksword my manbitch… I just want to find my so… Chang. I want to find Chang and then I want to go back, disappear again, live under the net as it were… it’s probably for the best.”



Ciscero's eyes narrowed but he remained silent at the near verbal blunder. Then the former leader of the Brotherhood of the Sith did something that surprised the agent. Did something that he never really expected of the former Master of the Dark Force arts.

He allowed self pity..


“Have you ever felt that you did nobody any good? That you had no purpose for existing? I feel that now, and I’ve felt it for a long time. I look back at my life and all I see is that I have been a corrosive influence; everything I have ever laid my hands on has turned into shit. I have ruined worlds, galaxies, families… and people continue even now to do so in my name, and why? Because I wanted power? Control? Money? Admiration? Recognition? Justification? I had some of it, for mere fleeting seconds, but it wasn’t worth it. Not even close. If you have aspirations of command I advise you to abandon them now because the price is too high… far too high.”



He's been broken! Ciscero's mind wanted to shout. But the analytical part refused to believe it. It was too convenient. But then, Ahnk's voice did carry a certain sincerity.


With some faint ire, growing as Ahnk's frustration was growing, Ciscero replied,"I am not some Coalition Priest, Master Ahnk. Or Former Master Ahnk. So you find the frustration that with great power comes great need but it is a need that is never and can never be filled yes? I see such thoughts in the eyes of those force users on both ends of the spectrum. All hoping their religion will carry the day with something resembling satisfaction. Only, it never comes.


And so you begin to look for those things that you don't have, have never had. You want to be close to those you were never close too before... why?

For some desperate grab for happiness?


I really do not think you'll find it, Master Ahnk. If, throughout the years, you not learned to be happy with what you have but lost everything because you dared to want more, then what makes you think you'll magically find it now?


You say you hate the Empire. Well you are the personal embodiment of the Empire. You feel everything you've touched is corrupted and turned to ash, well what is the Empire's record? You think that this next quest, this quest to find Chang will lead to some glorious happiness? Well the Empire thought that crushing the Rebels once and for all would do that. Guess what? It didn't. The Empire is still restless and still casts it's eyes about for some other form of satisfaction.

You're right Ahnk.

It will never come and the Empire will eventually die.

You hate yourself? The Empire feeds upon itself.


Aspirations are for dreamers and idealist. I live and work in the real world. I know the Empire for what it is and for all it stands for. Perhaps with better knowledge than you."


Ciscero's voice quieted as Ahnk stared at his drink.


“I’m sorry… I am frustrated. I have been chasing phantoms for months. I misspoke earlier… I do need your help. I don’t command it… I request it. I want to find Chang and I want to do it without ruining any more lives in the process.”



The admission drew both disgust and pity from Ciscero. Another of those who once played on the galactic level brought low by their own insecurities.

Life is war. And in war there are casualties.

It seems, you, Ahnk are one such casualty but in a war of your own making.


There is no use to be gotten from a self defeated man. And if Ahnk was any study, Ciscero began to wonder if the same would eventually take Lord Lupercus.

Perhaps the Ice Queen, Isard, might find the prospect delicious.


After a long time, Ciscero pulled out a paper and utensil and began writing on it. Was it all an act? Or have I just witnessed the future of the Sith right here?


"Here is your location, Sith Ahnk." There was no attempt at the term 'master' for the man was not even master of his own life. He folded the paper and placed it on the armrest of his chair.


"Do with the information what you will." he said as he stood up. He began to walk to the door and punched the exit code.


"Die in peace, Ahnk." and the door opened, letting the agent out into the hall.<!-- / message -->

Chang growled to himself as he sat back in his chair, kicking at a stack of datacards. So far his attempts at locating Ahnk had failed. For some reason, the Yuuzhan Vong just couldn't break through the veil his former master had cast upon himself.

I can't believe he's managed to elude my contacts for this long.

Shaking his head, Chang pushed up to his feet. Stalking toward the safe house drink distiller, the Vong took a moment to fix himself a glass of water. Gulping the clear liquid down, Chang moved back to the makeshift lounge of the small apartment. Walking to the single window on the city facing wall, he could only sigh as he stared at the dark sky beyond the flexiglass.

Prior to his returning to the safe house, Chang had visited some of the local bars. Pushing contacts and information brokers, he was disgusted to find that he was no closer to finding his old master than before arriving on the planet. Hell, Chang knew that the chances of Ahnk actually being on Myrkr were as slim as his stumbling across his prey, but one could never be too sure. Being the home planet of the Ysalamiri creature meant that a Force User could hide easily enough from those with that means of tracking.

Chang doubted Ahnk would be in hiding.

No. He's looking for me, just as I'm looking for him.

A knock on the door brought Chang around. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly adjusted his arm within his right sleeve, the Tsai coiled against his skin becoming prepared. Chang carefully paced to the apartment door, shouldering against the wall to its immediate left. Keeping quiet, Chang listened, waiting for some word from beyond his door. If it were a contact, he would receive the password before he would respond.

"Open the door, Chang."

Chang did not know the muffled voice from beyond, and that sentence was not even close to the passwords he had given out to different contacts. In turn, the Vong stayed silent, the Tsai staff sliding down to rest in his palm.

Something about that voice...

Needless to say, the sudden appearance of a lightsaber blade stabbing through the wall at chest height caught Chang by surprise, the blade directly opposite Chang, on the other side of the door. It seemed whoever was knocking had taken a guess at which side to stab at a paranoid being. As the azure hued blade was pulled back through the small hole almost instantly, the hum of the weapon filled the outside hallway, as if the user was spinning it quickly.

Chang's eyes widened.

Leaping away from the wall, Chang landed hard on the duracrete floor. Spinning, he saw the blade stab through where he had just been, before it was pulled back once more.

"Fierfek!" Chang cursed, stumbling to his feet as quickly as possible. With a flick of the wrist, the coiled Tsai staff came free of the inside of Chang's tunic, ready to attack. Suddenly Chang was afraid Ahnk had found him, somehow. That the dark Jedi had managed to sneak onto the planet and find his, now not so secret, safe house! Swallowing, Chang prepared himself, watching the doorway as all fell silent...

The faint groaning of metal began to grow in volume, followed by the cracking of duracrete and eventually was drowned out as the apartment door was ripped from its housing. Chang blinked, shifting his head so he could look at the discarded door smashed across into the other wall of the hallway.

"Chang..." The hollow voice filled the air again, but this time a shadow accompanied the steely tones. There was no room for error now, Chang knew exactly who had come calling - and the very realization filled him with dread...

Stepping silently through the ruined doorway, a cloaked figure emerged from the dust floating on the air. In a gloved hand was a lightsaber handle, no doubt the same weapon used prior. Within the shadows of the figure's hood, no trace of feature could be seen, almost as if the darkness which covered the man's face was a black hole. Coming to a stop, the Sith remained still, undoubtedly staring at the Vong...

"Jas!" Chang shouted, gritting his teeth. "What are you doing here?" He asked, taking a step back into the room. Of all the people Chang could have handled seeing, this man was not one of them.

Vance Jas slowly raised his head, taking a step forward. "Ahnk." He said in a low voice, taking another step forward. "Where is he?"

For months, Vance had searched for his Master. Having become a Sith Knight in his own right, the young man had fallen from the face of the galaxy to further improve upon his abilities. Now, with news of Ahnk having returned, this had caused the Sith to come out of his secreted existence.

"I haven't seen him, Jas." Chang replied quickly, his eye shifting to take in the lightsaber. "He's been hidden as well as you, it would seem." The Vong continued, lifting his hands up to show peace, the Tsai staff being placed on the table to his side.

"You have been searching." Vance stated, his words holding no hint of question. "What do you know?"

"I said I know nothing." Chang repeated, growling. If the man didn't believe him, then Chang knew he was in for an unpleasant time. Short of diving out the window, killing Jas or getting away there was nothing Chang could offer which would ensure he was telling the truth.

"Ahnk has been elusive. He remains hidden in every action he takes." Chang muttered, taking a slow few steps back until he bumped into his desk. "But, none the less, please... come in. Make yourself at home." Walking around the desk, Chang sat in his chair with casual grace. Offering with a hand, Chang raised his eyebrows. "Would you care for a drink? Perhaps a seat?"

The air before the desk rippled with invisible energy, the desk being grasped by the Force. Pushing his arm outward, Vance sent Chang and his desk backward until it slammed into the wall, pinning the Vong in his chair as he hissed in surprise.

"Do not play your games with me, Chang." Vance growled, stalking forward. "I know you pushed the alert button beneath your desk."

"Heh." Chang sighed, pushing against the edge of the desk that pinned him in place. "Just a precaution, I guess you could say..."

"You should not have done that." Vance continued, inclining his head. "Now, I am forced to take what I need from you." Reaching out, Vance's gloved right hand hovered before Chang's face. At the action taken, Chang felt a slight pressure around his artificial eye. As the pressure began to increase, the pinned Vong knew exactly what was happening...

"No!" Chang shouted, pushing at the desk to move it, but it was still held firm. Lashing out, Chang's fist caught the edge of cloak, the Sith beyond reach as Vance shifted his arm up. Closing his fingers, Vance smiled to himself as he twisted his wrist. Finally closing his hand into a fist, Vance pulled back toward him, the Force following his movements from within Chang's eye socket - the acid sac was ripped from the other's head, tearing at flesh in its wake.

Growling, Chang bit his tongue at the fresh pain which flowed through his body. He was no stranger to such pain, but still it was uncomfortable.

"Now." Vance began, sending the acid sac to the side without any more thought. "Speak." Activating his weapon, the lightsabers snap-hiss filled the air, before following into a low hum. Twisting the weapon around in a blur, the tip came to a stop within an inch of Chang's good, and only, eye. "Speak..." Left with no other option, Chang spoke of what little he knew, all the while making sure his head did not shift. The blow from the 'saber handle was unexpected, but still managed to do its job. The last Chang saw was Vance standing before him, a smile on his lips.



Blinking, the Vong sat up, eyes wide. Looking about the room, Chang saw no trace of the Sith, nothing except the damage done to his apartment front.

"Are you alright?" Looking to his left, Chang saw one of his bodyguards beside him, blaster rifle held ready toward the door. "We've got men searching the rest of the building..."

Nodding, Chang stood, the desk having been moved as he had been out cold. "Don't bother. He's long gone by now, he got what he needed." He said, feeling anger growing inside of him. Stalking to his personal room, Chang closed the door. "As always, Jas, it was a pleasure..." Chang muttered to himself. He would have to relocate now, his safe house obviously not as hidden as he would prefer. Gathering his travel bag, Chang started packing what little he had...

Ahnk said nothing.

He sat, silent. And not for a time. As the agent deconstructed his life and his future prospects word by word, he found himself frozen to his seat.

He had been broken. Not by the agent or his words. Ahnk already knew everything he had to say.

Regardless, the words hit in a way he hadn’t expected. He felt he was on the Sihoyguwa again, watching pieces of the Ntchwaidumela rain down in a glorious shower of fire. He felt he was in the bay again, looking up at his tutor Kahn after his betrayal. He felt… decimated.

He had been broken.

As the agent left, Ahnk reached for his drink. It helped. A little.

And with a slow and shaking hand, he unraveled the note, and upon seeing it’s contents, allowed a smile to cross his face. Upon second glance, he brought himself to laugh.

The note was but one word.

Ossus.






The agent was making a rapid exit from the building. Still groggy, his pursuer struggled to match his brisk stride. He briefly considered grabbing his shoulder, but his self-preservation instincts told him that if he valued all of his limbs it was probably a bad idea.

He elected to simply come out and say it.

“Excuse me sir…”

The agent pretended he hadn’t heard him. Or maybe he actually hadn’t heard him; he wasn’t sure. But he was compelled by that indecision to step on and ask again.

“Um, excuse me sir…”

In a second… perhaps less then a second, the two were face to face, the one hundred and eighty degrees between them cut with the quickest combination of steps a man had ever dropped. And though the agent stood with hands calmly folded at his waist, his gaze almost felt constricting around his pursuer’s throat, and the man found himself gluping involuntarily.

“Yes?”

Came the impatient inquiry from the agent. Meekly, the follower offered his own note.

”I think this is yours.”

The agent gave it a cursory glance. Effortlessly, he had it in his hand, and then it was gone, down pocket or up sleeve, down boot or up nose… it disappeared into the agents person, and it did so so quickly the man was left wondering if he ever held the note at all. Afterwards existed a moment where the agent regarded his follower wordlessly and without outwardly evident emotion.

Bill could only smile in return.

Then the agent was gone, back to Bill once again as he calmly and expediently left the building.

Bill shook his head, and turned towards the stairs.






“Why me?”

Ahnk merely shrugged.

“I needed someone to give him the note and I didn’t want to wake the hotel staff.”

“Okay, well if that’s the only reason….”

Bill allowed his voice to trail off and Ahnk shrugged again, this time allowing his face to contort into something resembling the cornered prankster.

”There may also have been the small motivation that after you let him in without even checking him out I may have wanted to place you in a tiny bit of mortal danger yourself.”

”Oh thanks, very thoughtful. I can see this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Ahnk allowed himself a sly grin, before taking another sip of his drink. Bill took up a seat beside… still warm, he noted, from its former occupant.

“So, he tell you anything useful?”

“Yes and no.”

“He tell you where Chang is?”

“No.”

”Damn.”

”But he told me where he was.”

“Yay?”

“Well, no, not yay. Chang was last spotted on Ossus.”

“Can you back…”

“No.”

“Damn again.”

“Chang is long gone from Ossus, and any trail he left from the planet would have evaporated before now.”

“How do…”

“Well, think about it, if you had to find a Rogue Jedi, where would you look first?”

“…you have a point.”

“In any case, I have eyes there, and Chang hasn’t dropped by since I left Jaminere. Which means…”

“…he dropped by before.”

“Exactly. And that he hasn’t spotted since tells me… something.”

“What are you thinking?”

Ahnk looked over at Bill, thoughtful.

He had stopped looking.

“I think Chang found something on Ossus, something of some significance. And whatever it was he found, it told him what he needed to know about me and allowed him to slide under the radar and wait.”

“Wait for what?”

”I don’t know. Me to find him. Maybe he sent those assassins. Or maybe he was the agent… I can’t be sure. Whatever he is waiting for, I cannot also. I have to go to Ossus.”

“Uh… are you sure? I mean… they do KNOW you’re not a Sith?”

“I can’t be sure of that. But I have to go anyway. I have to know what Chang knows, and the two ways to do that are…”

“A trip to Ossus or continuing the heretofore futile manhunt for the Yuuzhan Vong himself.”

“Right.”

“Well, I’ll book a flight to…”

“No, don’t bother. I have plans.”

“…plans? You? Mr. Holy Quest To Find A Vong, Dance Into The Mouth Of Danger, Dirty Robe And All, you have other plans?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“Yes?”

“Well, it’s true. I have another commitment.”

“What is the nature of this… commitment? I mean, you’ve taken out small legions of Sith and went face to face with an Imperial agent, what kind of life threatening, ill-advised, low chance of success operation have you planned now?”

“If you must know, I have a date.”

“…I see. I echo my low chance of success prediction.”

“Likely, but I feel compelled to meet her anyway.”

“How can you think about a woman at a time like this?”

Ahnk cast him a grin, shaking his head.

“How can you ever not be thinking about a woman?”

Bill raised his hand as if to argue the point, but abandoned any response after a brief consideration.

“Hand me Exar’s Saber, would you?”

“Um… just give me a minute…”

“It’s dull, plain, and it has dual emitters.”

Bill grabbed the saber from the table and threw it to Ahnk, who slipped it smoothly into the belt of his undergarments. Bill shook his head.

“Do you always carry a lightsaber on your dates?”

Ahnk paused. Come to think of it, he had. He shot Bill a bemused smile and shrugged.

“She’ll have one, and if she decides to play rough, the lightsaber is option b.”

“Do I want to know option a?”

“Lay back and enjoy it.”

Bill issued a groan, vehemently shaking the mental image from his brain.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to know.”

Ahnk stood up and shook himself off, as if trying to dust away the past few days from the surface of his skin. He looked over and suddenly remembered that Bill was alive.

“Uh… damn. I kinda forgot about you when I set this up.”

Bill shook his head and sighed.

“That should probably surprise me, but for some reason it seems just like you.”

“Anyway, this isn’t exactly a bring your best friend kind of dinner, so we’re going to have to part ways, at least for the moment.”

“You’re just going to leave me here, in the middle of nowhere, to fend for myself?”

“…we’re on Coruscant Bill, you’ll find something to do. Get yourself a twi’lek dancing girl, or something. You’ve got the cash… bribe an Admiral, restart the war with the Coalition.”

“I think I’d be better off with the dancer, personally.”

“It’s your call. Just… relax, and forget abut all my dangerous quests and legions of Sith. I intend to do the same.”

Bill cocked his head. Ahnk smiled.

“Kinda.”






“Preflight systems check complete. Cloak and sensor disruption fields active. Weapons systems charging.”

“I’ve missed you, Si.”

“Although I do not have emotions, if I had, I imagine I would have missed you as well.”

Ahnk tapped the command console in a gesture of simulated appreciation, as he pulled a lever and began to raise ship.

The Sihoyguwa had been Ahnk’s personal craft for over two decades; give or take the missing years he had spent in stasis and the years before he named it. Upon his return from stasis, one of the first things he did was retrieve the ship, which had been taken to a salvage yard and stripped as a derelict. Getting back what was important, Ahnk felt it was time for an upgrade anyway, and using his channels had slid it in for a coat of the Anthos Republic’s remarkable shadow paint. Tracking down a Dinafet cruiser, Ahnk upgraded the cloak and drive, and paid through the nose for an upgrade on the standard Seinar shields and cannons. Ahnk wagered his interceptor would be a match for any personal yatche and, in a pinch, some corvettes.

As a final touch, Ahnk had decided to get one of the new fangled Vinda Drive Yards IPPs. The Intelligent Pilot Protocol was essentially a droid brain stowed in the ships deck that acted in supplement to and often in place of the standard Seinar autopilot. In addition to automatically piloting, the system was capable of coordinating repairs, fire suppression, decompression and recompression, energy distribution, and the feature Ahnk had decided would make it worth the price, conversation.

Before instructing the ship to prep for preflight, the last thing Ahnk had said to his pal Sihoyguwa was to go ahead and kill anyone who tried to open the door. Knowing that the ship’s cloak and position cushioned casually in the bay of blood would make it impossible for someone to accidentally wander onto the ships ramp, he had decided that what was onboard was more important then some random New Rebellion tech. Since Ahnk saw no (new) skeletons at the bottom of the bay, he assumed the ship had been left alone.

Just to be sure, however, he asked anyway.

“So, any visitors?”

“Not so much as a one. A shame, as well; I wanted to see if my blasters would fire underwater.”

“They will. Any problems from the water, by the way?”

“None whatsoever. The shield prevented any corrosion… killed the occasional fish, however.”

“They’ll survive. Especially with a bunch of yuppies running the planet.”

“Likely. So, when…”

“Don’t worry; when we reach orbit. I’ll tell you the whole story, then I want logs, and then I want a nap.”

“Bed’s still made.”

“Two pillows?”

“The way you left it.”

“Excellent. You remember how to traverse Yavin?”

“Lower then the radar, higher then the trees.”

“Perfect. Try and keep it steady; I need a drink.”

And so the Sihoyguwa rose again, minus the salutation it once commanded. Shimmering lightly against the gas giant afterglow, the ship accelerated into a blue flash…

Destination, the Astral Astoria…

The Force flowed through all things. It was what bound the galaxy together. Every single being was connected to it, and it to them. For those who could use the Force, who could touch it's power, there was a distinct means of using the mystical energy to hone in on a known being. In truth the ability was complicated, but if one knew the being in which he sought in a high degree, then distance was merely a measurement of time until eventually meeting.

It so happened that during Vance's short amount of time on Myrkr, he had been witness to such an experience.

Between Master and Apprentice, there was always a strong connection that was made, a bond through the Force that was the result of Force sensitive being in such close proximity of another for extended periods of time. This bond, as it were, could vary in degrees of connection. Whereas a link for one group could mean only an understanding of emotion, another companionship could have such a strong link as to be aware of the other being located in the same system.

The latter was what was shared between Ahnk and his apprentice. Vance had always been able to locate his Master over great distances, whether it be a nearby planet or upon entering the same system. Only when he was opened to the Force, could he receive the small sensation sent through the Force that his Master emitted.

Vance had sensed Ahnk. The other had been passing through the Myrkr system, heading away from the core worlds. This information through the Force had caused Vance to end his meeting with Chang, had urged him to heed the familiar feel of presence.

Seated within the confines of the Infiltrator's cockpit, Vance opened himself to the Force, his fingers pressed tip to tip in his lap as he concentrated. With his eyes half closed, the Sith attempted to search the space he had felt his Master passing through. The ships systems, save for life support, remained in standby mode, the craft floating through space like a lifeless rock.

He needed no distractions.

After an hour had passed, Vance opened his eyes, letting out a rushed breath. He had been unable to successfully find the exact direction his Master had taken, save for what he knew already - Ahnk was heading to the Outer Rim.

Reaching out, Vance began tapping a series of buttons on his ships control panel. According to his hypercomputer, he was situated along the Hydian Way, which was a generalized hyperspace route that was the most direct path, which allowed for branching off for single planets, along the entire way to the Outer Rim.

Tapping a few more buttons, Vance activated the ships ID transponder cloak, which effectively created either a random list of information or a pre-made ID of the user's choice. He activated one of the covers he had made through various contacts, which contacted a server in the Coruscant network and supplied information accordingly along the lines Vance wished.

Activating the hypercomm, Vance cycled through the frequencies he had installed until he came to the one he needed. Putting the call through to Coruscant, the hypercomm allowed for near instantaneous communications over long distances, as it was bounced along the distance through various system servers.

<<"Coruscant Space Control. How can we help you?">> The comm crackled to life, the speaker on the other end of the line sounding like a drone.

"This is Detective Vos with Coruscant Port Authority, I request a list of craft that were outbound from Coruscant on this heading," Vance sent across the co-ordinates with a flick of a button. "Within the last three hours. Both public and personal craft." Vance said, watching the speaker of the communications device.

<<"One moment, sir, while we verify your identification.">>

Vance waited, his onboard computer sending across the information through his transponder uplink. According to Space Control, Vance's craft was registered with the Port Authority of Coruscant. A number of files were being activated by sleeper programs in Control's network due to the computer commands being sent from Vance's ship.

Contacts throughout the Imperial network were useful.

<<"Are you there, Detective Vos?">>

"Yes." Vance answered, sitting forward. He hoped the system still registered his fake ID and information.

<<"We will send the information you asked for, please stand by. Space Control out.">>

As the voice cut out, Vance allowed himself a small smile. It was fortunate that the network still had his little virus in its datafiles, even after such a long time. It seemed Vance's slicer contact had kept her warranty of services offered and kept his information updated.

As the file transfer finished, Vance closed the connection to Coruscant. He changed his transponder once again, not wanting to push his luck and preferring to fall off the map after just making contact and having his messages recorded. Opening the datafile, Vance began to search through the surprisingly small list of ships. Most were private transports.

There was also a single public transport. It had been bound on an Outer Rim course, stopping off at a number of planets along the Hydian Way. According to Chang, Ahnk's personal craft hadn't been seen in any major ports, which left the option that Vance's Master was travelling on the public transport. Working out the rough time it would take to pass Myrkr according to the transports timetable, Vance soon knew he was on the right track.

The transports first stop beyond Myrkr was Serenno, followed by Yavin and then intersystem to Elom before turning back on a return trip. Activating the ships systems, Vance typed in his first course. Serenno. If Ahnk was in the system, Vance would know and he would then have found his Master. If not, then Vance would continue until he reached Elom and decide his actions from there...





Vance remained in high orbit, the Infiltrator once again in standby. Serenno had held the passing presence of Ahnk, which had led the Sith to the next destination on the list.

Now, though, Vance could sense his Master. He was below, on the planet. What he was doing, Vance could not say. All he knew was that Ahnk was down there and until something developed, Vance would wait.

If Ahnk's past actions were any indication, he would be moving on soon enough. But if he remained on Yavin for longer than another twenty-four standard hours, Vance would go planet side and search for him instead.

The presence of Ahnk seemed to grow stronger, closer, and Vance knew that his Master was on the move. The distant engine wash of a craft was all Vance needed to see in order to know Ahnk was aboard.

Twisting around in his pilot chair, Vance began starting the ships other systems. Now he would follow Ahnk, and once they were both on the same planet at the same time, without the possibility of missing one another, Vance would confront his Master. Recording the exit vector of the cloaked craft, by recording its ion trail, Vance was soon following Ahnk's passage in close pursuit. According to his hypercomputer, Ahnk was bound for the Astral Astoria.

Interesting. Vance thought to himself, before he too activated his hyperdrive and disappeared in a flash...

“…how many more logs include him?”

“Several. A dozen more, at the least.”

Walking through the antechamber of Yavin’s grand temple was a man Ahnk barely recalled as an obscure figure of his own history… an Admiral Fitzgerald. His first name escaped him… but it was he, looking dirty and disheveled, unshaven, and yet wearing a brand new Admiral’s uniform.

He cast a sideways glance to see if he was under supervision and, with unbelievably quick hands, pocketed a small Sith statuette. Watching it on the monitor, Ahnk could only hand his mouth open in surprise at the unabashed gall the man had possessed.

“And he…?”

“Every time.”

”And he never…?”

“Oh, Montague knew. Chang knew. I don’t think Exel knew, but everyone in that temple knew he was doing it.”

“And she never…?”

“Punished him? No, quite the contrary.”

“You mean…?”

“Yes. I have the surveillance of that too, if you want to see it.”

“No…”

“Hey Ahnk?”

“Mmhmm?”

“When next do you plan on finishing a grammatically correct full sentence without trailing off into a train of thought?”

“I’m sorry… it’s just that I feel somewhat, I don’t know, morbid.”

“We can stop if you want.”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll try and finish my sentences from now on.”

”Okay. You’re just lucky I was programmed for the remedial of humanity.”

A grin crossed Ahnk’s lips, breaking the otherwise somber expression etched upon his face.

“In any case, I suppose that explains how Montague convinced Fitzgerald to commit so much of his forces into her power.”

“Yes. I have found in cataloguing the collected surveillance of your former Empire’s capital that Montague was indeed very convincing.”

“Wait… you’re implying that she…”

“Yes.”

“Darkest Sith?”

“He was a man after all.”

“And Chantal Grissom…”

“Terrorized for the other team? Not terribly surprising, considering her upbringing.”

“And Zeta?”

There was a pause. Ahnk felt a tension in the air, one he knew that was from him and him alone. The computer did not respond, and Ahnk imagined that it was looking for evidence, in very much the same way he sometimes sat and scoured his own mind for traces of a time when he was content with who and what he was…

Unlike his own searches, however, the computers ultimately ended with a concrete answer.

“Never.”

“Really? Was Zeta a…”

“Man? Yes. Zeta was a zabrack male.”

“I could never tell under all that paint.”

“You’re one to criticize.”

“Quiet you. Anyway, I don’t know why, but I find that somewhat… comforting.”

“It may further… comfort… you to know that my records cannot find a single face to face meeting between Lord Zeta and Emily Montague.”

“Really? You’d figure with Montague running the show that Zeta would take regular meetings.”

“It doesn’t seem that way. It looks to me like Zeta spent a lot of time working with the students. Montague mainly entertained foreign dignitaries, some of your higher admirals… the regent was quite taken with her… and she and Chang…”

“Whoa, stop for a minute. She and Chang?”

“They often sparred, sometimes inflicting mortal wounds in their vigor. Beyond her interesting personality, she was quite a warrior. May I continue?”

”Of course.”

“In any case, Montague only seemed to take a few students. She killed most of them in short order, only keeping and training a Helliana Dritz.”

“Trained her? Where did Montague learn how to train Sith, anyway?”

“The training was mostly… hand to hand. Ground… grappling.”

Ahnk shook his head in astonishment… she had seemed so timid…

What did I do to you, Emily?

“In any case, it appears that beyond not consorting with Zeta, Montague did not… well, consort with Lord Zeta.”

Uncertain relief played inside the head of the former Sith, and though it was not something he comprehended, it was not something altogether unwelcome.

Though he knew little of the Sith Lord and spent few moments of conversation with the painted warrior, Ahnk felt a link of commonality and possibly camaraderie with the warrior. They had fought… against each other and together, always pushing each other to the limits. Zeta had seen him at his best, and close to his worst.

Truth be told, he was grateful Zeta was not here now. Though he missed the Sith for reasons he could not immediately identify, for the same reasons, he would hate to appear so…

So…

“We’ve entered Vinda Corporation territory. As per your orders, the cloak will be deactivated.”

“Right. Do that.”

Ahnk was perturbed. There was something amiss… but what…

“Ahnk?”

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Listen, I know that it is difficult for you to go over this. And you know we can stop at any time.”

“Yes.”

“But I think it might actually be a good idea. From my limited, logic locked, artificially simulated perspective, you are kicking yourself for things that happened after you died. So take a break, and remember people not for what they did wrong, but what they did right, and how you have done right.”

“Have I?”

“Have you what?”

“Have I done right?”

The computer stopped then to consider the question.

“That is not something that I can answer. Are you afraid?”

“Of?”

“The possibility you have done no right?”

Ahnk said nothing. He simply lay back his head and let out a long sigh.

Somewhere on the Outer Rim



“…sweet dreams…”



It took a great deal of self-control from reacting as Natalya felt her abductor's hot breath barely inches away from her ear as he spoke. The young abductee didn't stir until she was certain he had left the room, then stiffly but quietly she rose to her feet, dusting herself down a little.

Once more, she took a long sobering look around her cage, and tried to clear her mind of the millions of questions now racing through her mind...

This Deed, was obviously working for someone else, and as she tried to guess who could possibly be to blame, her mind drew a blank...whoever it was , they had gone to a lot of trouble, and it seemed personal.

...but personal to who?...

Natalya was getting the distinct impression this whole thing was really nothing to do with her...

...so... this is what it feels like to be Vinda's daughter... huh?... (She thought to herself sardonically...)

...think I preferred being an Aramaya... She pursed her lips ruefully, as she studied her cell for any possible weak point...

Right now , all she could do was try to form some kind of plan....Then Natalya felt her heartbeat quicken in hope as she remembered the last time she was on Bonadan...

...The transponder!...

Hurriedly she searched her back pocket for the transponder Kaneda had given her, and almost as quickly as they had risen her hopes came crashing down back to cold hard reality as she started searching through all her pockets...

The familiar sinking feeling was both accompanied and reinforced by a voice...

"...looking for this?..."

Natalya looked up guiltily towards its direction to see her captor standing in the doorway before her, holding the transponder in his right hand for her to see...

Lux stepped forward , a few feet away from the cage, with the subtle traces of a smile creeping across his thin lips...

"...I almost missed it, took me a while to realise what it actually was...nicely made...built to specification, not exactly standard issue equipment..."

Natalya didn't answer but just scowled towards him...but if looks could kill...

" theres no need for it now anyway, we're almost there.." Lux continued , as he moved his eyes across her body, taking in her phisique...

"..almost where?..." Natalya replied flatly...

Placing the small transponder in his suit jacket pocket , Lux didn't answer straight away, instead, he turned his back to her and started towards the exit ...before stopping last minute to throw her a self-satisfied glance over his shoulder...


"...you'll find out..."