A light breeze rustled the foliage of a small forest on Naboo, a few leaves drifting down to the earth below. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, its rays bathing the land in a red glow. Most inhabitants of Naboo were still sound asleep, dreaming what dreams they would.

Sleeping songbirds shifted in the branches as a young man quietly made his way through the undergrowth, down an old path that the forest had begun to reclaim for its own. He seemed to be in no hurry, carefully deliberate with his every step, his eyes scanning the horizon in front of him, as though silently taking in all that the scene had to offer.

Clothed in a somewhat tattered brown cloak, with a tan jumpsuit on underneath, he carried nothing else; a hook on his belt was glaringly bare, and as he continued onward, his hand drifted there, then moved away, as though from some old habit.

Months before, this young man had set out on a journey, a journey to try and find himself- to try and deal with the way the life he'd known had been shattered within a few short weeks.

Those long months, he'd traveled back to the planet that was his birthplace, the planet blazing of twin suns and baking heat, blinding sand and a great deal of scum and villains from various places in the galaxy.

Unknowingly, he'd followed in the footsteps of a great Jedi-Master long dead before his time; the young man made his home in what was little more than a cave furnished with a sleeping mat and only equipment that was essential for life on such a planet. In this humble abode, he'd lived as a veritable hermit for over half a year.

From time to time, he went into the nearest town; he told himself it was to buy or trade for supplies that he needed, but in truth, it was for the human contact. It as because he needed that contact, though it was little more than a curse thrown in his direction, or a pick-pocket's vain attempt to pilfer what few items of value he possessed. Even without a weapon, he still caused these petty thieves to walk (or limp) away empty-handed. He'd watch them go, his hand on his empty belt once more, his expression hard to read. Then he turned, and continued on his way.

Such was the young man's existence until he realized that he could gain nothing by such an isolated existence- he wasn't ready to settle down, not yet. A part of him knew he still had a purpose, a duty to fulfill, and it was that part of him that led him to sell or pack his belongings and take the next starship to Naboo.

He stepped out of the forest, and saw a cottage in front of him; it seemed to be slightly weather-worn, as though the occupant had not been there to keep up with repairs for some time. But it was still in good shape, and the corners of the young man's lips turned up slightly, in a smile.

"Home sweet home." Kahn murmered, his words little more than a whisper

Naboo, a place of tranquility, a place to take a break from the rigors of leading a life of hardship and pain. Leading a Republic was not an easy thing to do. He needed a break and his obvious choice of a place to go was Naboo because there he could be left alone for a period of time. Besides, he was an avid nature lover and Naboo had a lot of places to explore.

It hadn't taken long for the Hope to get him to the planet and land. AFter a little bit conoling the ship, he had to assure it that he would come back, he went to a bar and got a drink before setting off into the woods and fields nearby. He wanted to get as far away from civilization as possible and his trek would take him that far away.

The trees were a slow deterent to his path as he walked through them and all the undergrowth amongst them. Eventually he got to a large plane and walked across it slowly. There was a pond in the middle but he ignored it as he walked. All he had with him was his cloak and his lightsabers. One of which was a gift from Gash Jiren. The other from Cole Donovin. Both of them were peers and friends of his.

There was an abundance of wildlife on the planet and he passed by many of the more docile ones on his path. He figured he was about an hour out of the city and needed a rest. Of course he'd come upon a likely spot with shelter underneath a tree and some berry plants near it. He picked a few and sat under the tree eating them. The berries must have had a natural sleep agent in them as he soon fell asleep.

Kahn's home was, on the surface, precisely as he'd left it. A fine layer of dust covered most of the furniture, and he went through each room, checking to see if there was any disturbance during his absence.

When he got to his bedroom, he immidiately noticed a lightsaber on the bed, the lightsaber Amalia had taken from him during their last encounter. He'd been without it for months, and he approached it slowly now, lifting it and gripping it with his hand, the cool metal feeling good against his palm.

A hum filled the air as he brought the blue blade to life, taking a few experimental swings with it, as though becoming reacquainted with an old friend. He wasn't sure what it meant, that Amalia left the saber for him- whether it was a sign of hope, or one that she was leaving her life in the Light entirely behind her. Only time would tell. He clipped the saber to his belt, after deactivating it, in better spirits now.

He stepped outside, propping the door open to refresh the stale air. Taking a deep breath, he silently surveyed the landscape in front of him. By now, the sun was up, and it shone brightly, its rays providing warmth and a sense of comfort, unlike Tatooine's twin suns, which kept the planet in a barren, desert-like state.

Kahn could sense beings awakening slowly, the sensation of many minor shifts in the Force around him serving as well as any of his other senses, if not better.

He was also alerted to the presence of another Force-user in the area; the mind-signatures of Force-sensative beings always seemed as shining beacons of light in his mind's eye, when compared to other 'normal' beings of the universe.

Curious, and subconciously needing to reestablish his presence among the many inhabitants of Naboo, he walked along the small forest for a few minutes, staying on the perimeter, honing in on the persona he felt through the Force.

His eyebrow arched slightly in surprise when he came upon a young man, apparently asleep, at the foot of a tree. A quick check with the Force proved that this was indeed the person he had been seeking. Studying him closer, Kahn recalled the man as Kamon, a fellow Jedi, though beyond that his memory was hazy.

Not wishing to awaken the man, Kahn turned his attention to the berries nearby the slumbering Jedi. He recognized them for their sleep-inducing qualities, and quickly put two and two together. The ghost of a smile appeared on his features; shortly after moving into his home on the edge of the forest, he had experimented with the fruit as well, suffering a similar consequence. The next thing he knew, Hanna was lightly shaking his shoulder, and her gentle laughter had filled the air, the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

The smile faded, and Kahn turned to go, letting the berries fall from his hand. Perhaps part of the reason he'd left the planet was because it contained so many memories- so did Tatooine, but at least he could tell himself he'd faced those demons already- here, the pain was still very fresh.

OOC: I believe Kamon knows Kahn from a previous thread.

Kamon slowly woke up. His face was a bit wet, probably from dew, and he wiped it off absentmindedly. The berries had fallen from his hand and he looked at them on the ground with still bleary eyes. He knew he wasn't going to eat anymore berries anytime soon. Sleep had been welcome but not that much. He'd have to remember not to eat these berries.

He looked up and immedaitaly jumped up into the tree in surprise at the sight of a man in front of him. SHaking it off, he lept back down and landed on his feet in the same spot he had been sleeping. Looking at the retreating back of the man, he noticed he looked familiar. Finally he got it.

"Kahn?"

The back stopped retreating and he waited for the man to turn towards him. If it was Kahn then he had just found the long lost Jedi Master and friend. Kamon had worked with him ages before but couldn't really remember anything about him. He stepped forward a few steps and lowered his hood so the man could see his face.

OOC: Apologies if this intrusion is unwanted. Also, let it be noted that I am Zark Ekan both OOCly and ICly. Long story. Kamon, who I had met recently on his birthday ICly knows this, but Kahn, who I am assuming I have met before, if not through a RP then definitely ICly at least since we had the same Master (Amalia), may refer to me as Zark at first and even continue to if he so wishes.

IC:

There. Wait, yes. There! Arix had felt the familiar Force presence for the second time today. He could not tell who it was exactly, every Force presence had become very foggy since the...incident. Arix hated to even think about it, even though it had helped him get in touch with who he really was.

His current life wasn't much better, and that horrible fact sickened the Rogue Jedi. After the mysterious fall of the Jedi Praxeum, Arix had once again become an outcast to society. While he was never offically segregated by anyone else, nothing about life near population centers felt right anymore.

Finally, Arix had given up on society and retreated to the seclusion of the Naboo forests. He wandered them, never straying closer than the fringe of cities. He had been spotted occasionally near Theed, pausing to take in the memories, both good and bad. The citizens had actually created a legend around him, for he was cloaked and hooded wherever he went, and gave of a mystical-like appearance.

The legend said he was the ghost of a Jedi, betrayed by his own people, and ultimately murdered. This rumor had, of course, been created by anti-Jedi activists. He had been redeemed in the eyes of pro-Jedis somewhat when the explanation of his "hauntings" had been added on. It was said that despite the betrayal, Arix had chosen to walk the mortal realm, doomed to forever watch over the city of Theed. The anti-Jedis had often been heard saying "or to prevent those who had wronged him from doing the same again."

Contemplating the legend now, Arix smirked at the similarities between his true life and the legend. Well, beside the whole murder and ghost thing. In a way, he had been betrayed by his own kind...no, he didn't want to think about it anymore. The smirk had faded from his grizzled face, replaced by an expression of pain.

Arix was thrown from his dreams as his "Force alarm" went off, and the familiar, yet unknown presense was joined by a very familiar one. Kamon Vondiranach, Rogue Jedi Master once of the Jedi Praxeum. They had reaquainted themselves shortly after the...incident, on Kamon's birthday.

With all of the contemplation making him desperate once again for social contact, he slowly made his way towards the presenses. Luckily, they were not far. No more than half a mile. In fact, Arix probably would have been able to see them from where he walked if it was not for the dense foliage.

Trudging toward them, his walking staff leading the way, he would be there in no more than five minutes.

OOC: I did mention that Kahn recognized you, Kamon, just that his memory was a bit hazy. :)

IC:

The Jedi Master halted when he heard his name, hesitating a moment before turning. It had been a long time since he'd had any contact with another being that didn't have some kind of bounty on his head- Tatooine wasn't exactly known for its welcoming population. It would take awhile to shake off the feeling of cautiousness he'd acquired during his stay on his home planet.

As he turned around, the other Jedi lowered his hood, and Kahn fully recognized him; he really had been gone too long, he reflected silently, nodding in greeting.

"Kamon, isn't it?"

The young Jedi Master could sense another presence through the Force as well, one that seemed familiar, though the signature was. . .conflicted, difficult to read. Kahn glanced over Kamon's shoulder at the foliage of the forest behind the other Jedi, aware that whomever he'd felt was approaching closer.

Kamon nodded.

"Yeah that's me. It's been a long time since we've talked Kahn. People were wondering where you'd gotten off to. It's been ages since anyones seen you. Where have you been?"

Kamon felt Arix approaching but didn't say anything yet. He felt strange vibes coming through the Force from Arix and he knew something was seriously wrong with his peer. He didn't look behind him, but when he got close he spoke.

"Good day, Arix. I sense you are troubled. What's wrong?"

"Tatooine."

The planet was Kahn's birthplace, the place he first came into life- and the place his mother died. It was only through Amalia's support and teaching that the Jedi Master no longer felt threatened by the planet; he didn't cringe at its mention, nor did he avoid discussion of it. In truth, he chose to go to Tatooine to isolate himself because the demons of his present were far more threatening than the demons of his past.

"I needed some time alone, with all that happened."

He paused a beat, hesitating. His hand went to the cylinder clipped to his belt.

"Tell me, do you know anything of what's become of Master Amalia?"

It was a question he was almost afraid to ask, but one he could not keep from his lips. Kahn could still sense his Master through the Force, but all the information it yielded to him was that she was alive, and if the Darkness surrounding this information had any truth to it, then she was still on the shadowed path he himself had traveled on not long ago.

OOC: KAHN!!!! i can't believe your back. Great to see ya man. And no worries, i wont be fighting in this thread. Probably if Kahn finds Malice they will just talk.

IC: Theed, the capital city of Naboo. One of the most famous, and maybe even infamous cities in the universe. Sitting in one of it's countless pubs, or taverns. Whichever you prefered, a figure was getting plastered.

It was Malice, the white robed sith master from TNSO. On occasions he would leave the order, go off on his own and drink someplace. Forgetting, for even just a small moment that he was a sith. Or that his mortal enemy the jedi lived on this planet. Or that the force even exsisted.

Though lately he had been escaping realty like this and just putting everything to the side. Malice had changed over the years. His goals, and visions altered as he went. Till the point came when he just didn't care anymore.

His life had had many hardships. Wether he had any good times, that he can't remember. Of course being a sith didn't exactly allow you to have much fun in yourlife.

Taking his 6 or 7 mug of beer, Malice chugged it down all at once. Breathing in heavily as he slammed the mug back onto the bar counter.

*Bartender, give me two more*

The bartender hesitated for a moment, not one to allow any being to get too drunk in his pub. However, the menacing look he had recieved from the dark being told him to think otherwise. By now, Malice was oblivious to what was happening around him. A few fights had already broken out in the bar that he had no interest of taking part in.

Kamon sucked in his breath.

"Last I had heard, she was a Dark Jedi. I've heard nothing of her for a very long time and I'm afraid she's fallen more into that path."

He looked around, feeling a dark presence on the planet. He had felt it before but it had been so long ago he did not recognize who it was. Possibly a Sith he had felt when they were fighting that Sith group. But that had been months ago and now he coudldn't remember who this was.

"You feel that?"