Forgeting What I am...
Chapter One

The gray lights exploded and it was like he was in a different place. It felt like floating, then he saw it images swirled in his head. They collide and collapse, blood trickled from his nose. What felt like a massive headache rushed in for seconds and at once was gone as quickly as it came. The Jedi looked up into the mirror and and down at the water, he splashed his face, but blood ran up from his hands. Shaking he ran his hands under the cold water

and then splashed his face once more.

"Tell me Kolar, I'm tired of this."

"I...I-don't know anything."

"Stop lying. I can tell when you are."

"I swear, it was just a stupid comment."

The Jedi raised his hand and it seemed like he transcended from his body, an open palm flew across the air and smacked him hard enough to turn the chair over. He grabbed the man by his collar and yanked him back up, and as if he had left the room and returned the calm Jedi paced around the information broker.

"Just tell me Kolar, I am trained to do this. I was taught by the Intelligence office how to get my information, I am patient enough to wait for you to break. Make it easy on yourself and tell me what you know."

He kept silent. Kolar wasn't the type of man to give up anything and the fact that he once was trained in the Jedi arts didn't help. Though his skill were meager, he was resisting quite well and his ability to transcend pain was staggering. Ganner wasn't liking the way things were going, this artifact was important, too important to let some scum dealing slime like Kolar keep it a secret from him. For long.

"Alright I'll tell you." Kolar said breathing heavily.

"Do you know of the Charros system?"

"Of course."

"Well I heard they have the cutest little--" The smell of burning flesh cut him short.

Before he noticed, his lightsaber was at hand. Before he felt the anger, the blue blade was extended. Before he even realized who or what he was, the piercing sound of searing flesh broke Ganner into consciousness. The blade fell.

He collapsed.

What was he doing? He was a Jedi. He is a Jedi. Before blacking out all he could remeber was meeting Kolar inside the Kej-Kej Rat cantina somewhere in the slums of Nar Shaddaa. What was he even thinking? Was he even thinking clearly now? Was he dreaming? Ganner blinked his eyes open and closed several times before slamming his fist to the ground hard. It wasn't a dream, he himself was doing this, but why? This artifact, this holocron he was told of couldn't be that important... for him to touch the darkside? What would the Jedi Masters say? What would they think?

"What am I doing?" He whispered softly to himself.

"Touching the d--" Kolar coughed through the blood. "--darkness, from what I c-can tell."

He looked down at his still wet hands, now spalltered with cold, black blood. Like shadows on his fists, they seemed to be tools of the darkside. He crawled over to his lightsaber and clasped it to his belt before standing up. He walked over to Kolar and unbound him, before helping him to his feet.

Then it happened.

The grey shadows enveloped his visions and he fell, taking Kolar with him. The image was massive. He couldn't hear the sound, but he could read the lips. It was Kolar and some tall Zabrak. Enforcers they had to be, but someone else was with him. His lips were hard to make out, and the face was shrouded in the dark night of the large metropolis. Kolar began to crawl away. Blood rushed out of the Jedi's nose and the grey lights pulled away and Ganner could see again.

Declan.

"Who is Declan?"

Kolar stopped crawling and turned around. "Declan? Well it seems you aren't what you appear. You're a Jedi seer. And here I thought your kind was dead."

"How do you know about the Seers?"

"Its easy, I was apprenticed to one long ago. A human male, Jedi Master."

"Master Rhysode?"

"Y-yes... how did you know?"

Kale Rhysode is my father."

"It is a small galaxy. Ahhh.. Declan. Smuggler. Scum, my kinda of scum though. Good guy, like a brother to anyone willing. Best pilot around even now. You want your artifact he's the one to talk to. Where I don't know, but I'd say Nar Shaddaa's refugee sector is a good place to start."

The search in the refugee sector turned up close to nothing, a few places Declan could have been, but nothing solid. Ganner was foolish enough to let Kolar go, he should have sensed the scum was lying, but he must have been trained better than he could have forseen. After questioning dozens, Ganner didn't think he would ever find sight of Declan, but luckily for him someone knew something solid.

"...he traveled offworld to Almas, ya know the Jedi compund there. He got Jedi friends I heard, better watch your back there buddy..."

"Ya, ya heres your credits thanks."

Ganner looked off into the bustling skyline, the tangled web of never ending traffic only made Ganner dizzy as he looked on. He turned away just in time to catch the frantic yell of his lead and a blaster handle flying at his head. Ganner jumped backwards, with split second reflexes aided by the Force and rolled to his knees. He fumbled his belt for his saber and ran his fingers along the side, but quickly changed to his blaster pistol.

It wasn't a time to be exposing himself as a Jedi.

"HELP!" The young twi'lek hollared in desperation.

The blaster shots rang clearly, three at a time. The first thug's legs collapsed out from under him and he fell to the ground in agony. The second dragged his informant off into the alley and Ganner took off to follow. He fired a shot and struck the second in his arm taht held him by the neck. He dropped him and put his hand up to show he surrendered.

"Wait. Wait. I'm here on business."

"What business?"

"Exchange."

"Go on." Ganner said ushering him into a corner with the blaster.

"I'm here representing Korume Kon. Boss of this sector, a big and influential boss. I'm here on business of illegal information trade and that pile of filth. He is wanted bounty, alive by Korume himself."

"Take me to him."

"I can't. No one gets to him, no one knows where he is. Except him, I guess."

"You aren't taking me informant."

"Him?" The weequay said jokingly. "He's a liar, thats why he's on bounty. He said he worked for Korume, direct informant, made creds and made alot of people mad."

"How do you contact him?"

"He contacts me, through holotransmission. His closest confidant is a Kiffex named Korto Jos. You can find him in the Kej'Kej Rat."

"Ok, you'd better be right." Ganner said with an empty threat. "Give me the holotransciever he contacts you on."

The weequay handed the small device over and Ganner looked at it for a moment. It was altered, one way communication feature and no signal tracer. He'd have to be patient and wait for Korume to contact him, Ganner was many thing, but patient is not one of them. He grumbled and popped the transciever in his belt pocket.

"Get out of here, both of you."

Ganner scowled as the two dashed off, the twi'lek was running a fast as he could in an entirely opposite direction of the weequay and after a few meters of jogging the weequay stopped and casually walked off into the distance. Ganner caught up with himself for a moment and contemplated contacting the Jedi Masters. He held his own holocoder for a few moments, but pushed it back onto his belt and walked out of the alleyway.

Forgetting What I am...still.
Chapter Two

The stench of the cantina was unbearable, but Jeren pushed through it. This was the kind of place where the scum of scum came to discuss whatever trivial business they had to. This Korume was far smarter and more organized, it was a shame the Jedi would have to shut down his operation. Well maybe not that big of a disappointment to Ganner, but to Korume it would be devestating. As he passed the bar patrons, they glanced up and scowled in distaste, Ganner would have done the same; however he had a higher degree of civilized thought so he just nodded to them casually.

He hadn't seen sign of Korto so he decided it best to ask the bartender, a savvy looking Rodian. He approached and ordered a drink, he sipped at it with an occassional 'ahh' to make him looked interested in being refreshed, but he knew he wasn't and the bartender must have been getting a sense about it too.

"What is it you need stranger?"

Ganner was luckily familiar with the Rodian language one of the few he picked up from his father. "Information."

"What kind?"

"Korto Jos, where is he?"

"I wouldn't be making trouble with him if I were you. He has his own personal army, a bunch of thugs and idiots, yes, but armed and dangerous ones. And Korto has higher contacts, ones you just don't go around making enemies with."

"Just tell me where he is, I want in on Exchange business."

"Its your hide, he's in suite nine, just at the back of the bar."

Ganner craned his neck and took a peek at the door, marked nine in basic and a few other languages. Without finishing his ale he began walking over, but he was stopped by both a humming noise and a vibration on his belt. He grabbed the weequay's holotransciever, it was pre-recorded. Smart. No trace from a message like this, but this way he could catch a glimpse into what Korume looked like, without him knowing his group has been comprimised.

The flash of blue light brought a hooded figure, one the Jedi Seer didn't get quite the good feeling from. It wasn't Korume, that was for sure. This man from what Ganner gathered was old and very wise.

"Bora, Korto has grown out of control and Korume has recieved word Korto plans to assassinate him. Kill him and his group with whatever way you see fit, leave none of his gang alive or on Nar Shaddaa."

The image faded out and Ganner pushed the holotransciever to the side of his belt and grabbed his blaster. He turned to the bartender who had grabbed a blaster rifle and pointed it at his head.

"That was Korume's bodyguard, your in on Exchange. Get out of my bar!"

"Do you want the heat?" Ganner said with a vieled threat and hoped the Rodian would agree.

"No."

"Then leave and take all the patrons outside of suite nine with you."

The Rodian was silent, and shrugged his head in agreement. He began ordered everyone out, shouting and waving his rifle, the half-dozen or so patrons whipped mugs and glasses around and stomped outside angrily. None more angry than the bartender as he slammed the doors shut behind him and the room fell silent. He stared at the door and pulled two charges off his belt and approached the doors. Instantly an identity scanner came out with the familiar 'chidee wonka'.

"Korto, come out."

Ganner heard laughing from inside and fro the scanner. He sighed and planted the charges on either side of the doors and stepped back. The scanner looked at them and withdrew into the door as if to prepare for the blast.

When the smoke cleared the door ached with a loud piercing noise before collapsing and revealing over two dozen men with the Kiffex in the back laughing as hard as he could. Glyterstym. He reached back and ran his fingers along his blade hilt and without thinking drew and thumbed it to life. The familiar snap-hiss of the blue blade made half of Korto's men backdown and drop their weapons.

"Surrender and leave Nar Shaddaa if you want to live."

The men that backed down shook their heads in fear and tossed their weapons aside before running out of the bar scared out of their wits. The others grabbed their weapons tightly and began to sweat. Korto abruptly stopped laughing.

"Kill him."

The Kiffex took off running through a small hatch while the remaining few guards attacked. Two large Gammoreans were pulled off their feet hard enough to knock them out with a bit of help from the Force. With the back end of his blade Ganner smashed the nose of a human and dropped low to kick his feet out from under him. Ganner fired to blaster shots and took a Rodian's life, the second shot struck a pipe and leaked smoke into the bar. Under it's cover Ganner retracted his blade and knocked the last two out with a smack to the back of the head with his hilt and blaster.

"Korto's long gone by now friend."

A voice peered from what seemed like the bar, but Ganner couldn't feel anyone else inside except for the guards. He swished the smoke around looking for him, but couldn't find anyone.

"Where are you?"

"Close enough." The dark voice said again.

"What do you want?"

"It's a shame another Jedi, turned to murder."

"I haven't murdered anyone, I gave them the chance to surrender."

"I suppose so, but then why didn't you look more carefully."

Ganner squinted and looked around the floor, only one body had the smell of death on it. He looked at the Rodian closely and it came to him. The bartender. But why had he been here?

"In your recklessness to catch Korto you shot and killed an unarmed man."

"I told him to leave."

"What gets you to sleep at night isn't what I have come here to talk to you about. Korume wishes to have a private audience with you."

"Where?"

"Meet me at Dock 21-7 in the Refugee sector."

Ganner waited until he was sure he was alone and then he fell to his knees and a tear rolled down his face. He clenched his teeth hard and looked at the Rodian's body. He thought of what his father would think if he saw his son now. He thought of what his father had said to him, before he died: You will be taken on a journey that will try you and tempt you with the darkness at every moment. Should you survive the temptation you will go on to be a great Jedi Master, but should you fail... you will consumed by your hatred for eternity....

Sins of the Father
Chapter Three

Ganner walked along the sides of the docks every now and then turning to look down at the endless building that disappeared into the fog. He saw a hooded figure with a strong presence in the Force waiting for him directly infront of Dock 21-7. What was odd about the presence was that isn't wasn't tainted by the darkside, it wasn't confused or even mysterious. Ganner had a bad feeling and his stomach dropped. It was odd, at first he thought this could be a Jedi in diguise or infiltrating the gang, but he felt zero deception around the figure. He felt only a deep buried secret.

Slowly he began walking again and came upon the old man, his hair grey and his beard matching. He stopped dead. Looking at the man leaning on his cane, he almost collapsed. This man was indeed a Jedi, a great and wise Jedi. This man was Kale Drayson. Ganner's dead father.

"Father..?"

"Yes, Ganner. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but I am on a mission."

"Why did they tell me you had died?"

"Because it was nessacry so no suspiscion could arise."

"Suspiscion? About what? I don't understand."

"Son, your the first to know I am alive in almost two years."

"Why?"

"I can't speak to you abou that right now. We must get to Korume."

Ganner fell silent and nodded, Kale ushered him aboard his small transport and the ship broke off and flew high up. Ganner stayed silent through the small trip. He just looked over the brilliance of the city's lights, although dimed by the harsh and near ancient age of the city, he could feel its raidiance as if it were alive itself. He peered over to his father once or twice, but looked away when he saw him turning to look at Ganner. The transport reached the building in little time at all. It was Nar Shaddaa's former Nal Hutta embassy, abandoned after the war.

Stepping outside Kale escorted Ganner to the main entrance. Morgukai, the highest and most deadly of guards stood like stone at the doors. He looked up at his tall father and then at the doors as they opened and a floating holoprojector flew in and examined Ganner. At a glance it recognized Kale. Floating into the center of the room, Ganner caught the eye of three other Morgukai, Noghri and several bounty hunters.

He was surrounded.

The holoprojector shot a blue beam out that in seconds made a life sized projection of a masked figure, totally enigmatic, again Ganner got a bad feeling. The blue and silver image flickered before Korume began to speak.

"Leave us." He commanded to the bounty hunters and guards. His voice was strong and dark.

Everyone left and only the three remained. Kale nodded to Korume and he looked down to Ganner. Ganner tapped a small transciever when he placed his arms on his hips.

"So you are Korume Kon. I have to say I'm not impressed."

"Korume Kon is the name of a dead friend of mine." Ganner turned to his father in surprise. "I will keep my name anonymous for the moment, howevever to the business at hand: private audience doesn't come often and this one I think is a special case."

"Really? And why is it I'm so special?"

"I need a Jedi in my organization, are you interested?"

"Isn't Korume enough?"

"No. Its never enough Mr. Rhysode. And in my business the more the better. Korume isn't your average Jedi, and the particular form he has taken today is most amusing. You father he has model himself after yes?"

Ganner's eyes widened and then shut closed as if suffocating his tears. A few rolled down his cheeks. He grabbed his blade off his belt. He took a deep breath holding back his emotion and spun on his heels. The blue blade exploded from his hilt and he pointed it at Korume.

"You are not my father? Show me your real face."

Korume's face elongated and changed into a gilled, green skin figure. The skin was faded and severly burned, but even though the face had changed the Force signature hadn't. This one was a changeling, Ganner wasn't pleased.

"I am a Jedi yes, but your father no." Korume spoke softly. "I knew him and was there when he died."

"Korume Kon, is that even your real name?"

"No. My real name is Zan Wenzel."

"Why are working with the likes of him?"

"The Order is broken, arrogant and feeble. I have lost my faith in it, but with the help of 'him' I have found a new way."

"By killing and stealing?"

"I am an information broker and smuggler Mr. Rhysode not a murderer."

"Then why did you want your men to kill Korto?"

"Somethings have to be done for the greater good Mr. Rhysode, and Korto was out of control. He murdered, raped, stole, and even tried to assassinate me more than once. The Exchange isn't about petty theievery adn general criminal acts, it is something of a large organization and scale."

"I'm not joining. Until I know who and what you are."

The holotranmission ended abruptly and the floating projector imploded, and fell to the ground. Ganner guessed it was to prevent tracing or evidence. He held his saber tightly and turned to look at Zan, who stayed still and leaned on his cane. Zan looked up at Ganner with old eyes of wisdom, something like his father's, but Zan had tricked him, he wasn't his father. Nothing more than a changeling. Ganner put himself on guard when a set of doors that looked like a wall opened and a dark figure walked in from outside.

Completely shielded, the man's entire body was covered in a black body suit. Ganner eyed him and keep a close watch on both Zan and the man by swinging his body to get the both in view.

"Put your weapon down Mr. Rhysode. I do not intend to harm you."

"We'll see. Now who are you?"

"My identity will remain a secret, but you can call me Hollis. I run the Exchange through various outlets. I am currently a highly respected boss, and a person in my position doesn't give an audience such as this one without some sort of guaruntee. I want you to join my organization."

"If you give me the information I need I will."

"What information?"

"On a man named Declan?"

"Declan huh? Declan is a fool, why do need to see him?"

"He has information I need."

"He is currently unaffiliated with us." Hollis was holding something back about Declan.

"But you know where he is."

"Of course I do."

"Where is he?"

"Almas."

"Then my informant was right. Why was I told he wasn't?"

"I wanted an audience with you. I told them to capture him and bring you to me."

"I'll work for you, but I need to track down Declan first."

"Agreed. You have two standard months, I suggest you hurry. If you fail to comply I will put so high a bounty on your head, you won't be able to step outside without getting shot at."

Hollis nodded to Zan and he to Hollis before he returned to where he cam from. Zan wobbled over to Ganner and put a hand on his shoulder, Ganner knew that was his sign to go. He shrugged the old Jedi's hand off him and walked out of the building. By the time he reached his ship, he was so confused and misguided he needed a few words of encouragement, but none could be found... at least here. Perhaps he could find some solitude on Almas, from one of the many Jedi Masters there... he could only hope.