Kamon looked a little perplexed.

"I told you he was here. What would be in the militaristic archives that he would want? It had to be something to do with an enemy of your or he wouldn't have left Hapes."

He followed behind Dakkon for a moment.

"I would like to go with you yes. I think this matter could turn into a life or death situation for Ren."

<font color=CC3333>Vess watched Ren make his way out onto the balcony, and rising she started to follow but stopped herself. She could sense form him the desire to be alone at that moment and reluctantly she turned back to Kas. " If you will excuse me, Mr. Kata, I would like to freshen up."

Standing inside the elaborate bath room she stared at herself in the large mirrors, her once bright eyes reflecting dim and weary. It felt odd, turning on the ornate faucets of the shower stall. Even those tasks necessary for day to day life seemed pointless now, a waste of time that could be speant searching. Sleeping, eating, her ribs were starting to show beneath her pale skin as she removed the clothing she had worn for days.

Steaming water cascaded over her body when she stepped into the stall and she closed her eyes, letting the warmth wash the tension from her muscles. Her eyes closed, inhaling the fragrant aroma's of the soap , the smell sending her memories back to how it was before.

What would happen if - no, she couldn't think like that. When they found the children, what would happen? They were the heirs to the Hapan throne, but so much had changed. Dakkon had a new life, and she was with Ren now.

And how she needed him! Not just as a means to her children, but he guided her, protected her from the demons of the past, and when they were together he made those demons receed. She felt she could survive this, even if gods forbid she never got her children back, so long as he was beside her.

The water continued to run, as did the thoughts in her head.

What would happend when...

Dakkon shook his head as they begun to walk towards the massive 'space elevator' that linked the palace to the main spacebase of the Royal Family. As he looked to the sky he could already see the massive jet craft shooting the elevators 'shaft' into space.

"Its got to be more than an enemy. An enemy we can fight, together. It has to be something alot more than that..."

They continued on towards the elevator chamber.

Kamon continued to walk with Dakkon but he lost concentration by watching the tube. It was interesting but he couldn't puzzle out what it was.

"Dakkon. What is that thing? Its interesting. Reminds me of some kind of shoot."

He went back to concentrating on Ren for a moment. It was interesting. What kind of deadly danger would he be in.

"There is the possibility that he is helping another Force user out. I have no idea who it could be though."

"Thats the space elevator. Its similar to Xixors skyhook, only slightly more luxurious."

They walked in silence once more as Dakkon pondered Kamons statement. The constant click clack of their heels as they made their way towards the elevators chamber was soothing, allowing Dakkon to concentrate fully.

"Ren doesn't really know that many Force users though. In the 'Forcey community' Ren is still a relative unknown, despite the fact that he holds the rank of Rogue Jedi Master..."

He trailed off in deep thought as they finally reached the skyhook chamber. It was an ornate room, centering on what appeared to be a massive tube up into the sky. Sitting in its base was a small module with a number of concussion couches. Barely breaking stride, Dakkon entered the module and strapped himself into a couch, lying parallel to the ground. With some instruction, Kamon assumed an identical position nearby.

"Its got to be something more. Spice perhaps. It could definetely be drugs, or something clandestine. Why else would he keep it from us?"

Suddenly, with a force of a rocket, which it in actual fact was, the module shot up the tube.

Kamon strapped in and they shot off like a rocket. He had to yell to be heard.

"Not Ren. There is no way he would be involved in the Spice cartel. What about here? Was he in contact with any Jedi besides yourself while he resided here?"

He had to stop talking for a little bit in order to take a breath. He was losing air capacity because of the speeds at which they were traveling. Hed have to work on holding his breath a little longer.

Dakkon nodded, as much as the couch and the velocity would permit as they rocketed towards the space station. He had initially missed Kamons point, but now knew fully what he was talking about.

"Theres Ki Adi Mundi, the Jedi Master from the old school of Jedi and one of the few to survive the purges. Ren trained under him for a while when Gash was away and he was still a padawan...

But i spoke to him and he said he could only just sense Ren in retrospect, and that he was troubled, no more than that."

He paused, mentally trying to control the flow of blood around his body. It would have usually been regulated by a flight suit, but they had no time for such luxuries at the moment. He swallowed hard before continuing.

"There are really no other Jedi in Hapes. Many of the people training under Master Mundi are only children, and many of the adults fled with my brother during his self enforced exile.

I don't know how we are going to find out unless Ren feels comfortable enough to tell us..."

Stumbling back into the empty sitting room, Ren clutched the sides of his head in a vain effort to dull the pounding pain that cracked through his head, blasting every synapse and neuron into a thousand pieces.

He slumped against the wall, tugging tightly at his hair, and then, the pain was gone, leaving Ren gasping for a breath. His eyes widened, his head looking around, homing back in on his surroundings, a look of shock and desperation on his face.


<font color=lime>I . . .I have to get out. <font color=white> Thought Ren.<font color=lime> I have to leave.


<font color=white>Collecting his thoughts and robes he slipped out of the apartment and out of harms way.


............................


The Nerf's Turf Inn, a most downtrodden little keep if there was ever was one.

At the bar, sat a foul looking array of scum . . . Snivvians, Weequay and the odd Nikto or two, all dulling thier respective daily tribulations in the anesthesia that is alcahol, and at the centre of the group was the Jedi Master. The master's eye's locked onto the one glass of ale that he'd grasped tightly without relent for the last fifteen minutes. His gaze sinking deeper into the murky liquid with every passing second.The drink stared back, like a reflection of himself, dark, cold, and bitter. It's fiery centre only contained by the thin glass that surrounded it, a volitile concotion of unstable matter.

The glass, if it were to magically come away, it would release it's foul contents upon the world and leave a black mark.

A stain.

However he could drink the ale, and it would be gone, lost, and forgotten. Just another everyday throwaway commodity. Easily replacable.

Though, before the drink was downed, for that single solitary moment it glided across his tongue, it had fullfilled it's purpose. It quenched and relieved, it had left it's taste, it's mark.


Placing the glass steadily back on the table along with a credit chip, the tiniest of smiles formed across his lips.

Like the glass, he was clear now, more than he'd ever been.

Ren stood up from his barstool, and left the dank little Inn forever.


"What's with him?" asked one of the patrons to the barkeep.


"Hell knows," responded the barman, "Only had the one drink."

Kamon thought for a moment.

"I don't know that he had any really strong ties to Mundi. Was there anyone that he oculd have associated with that you missed? anyone that was here but isn't now?"

He thought for a moment and then he had a sudden flash of inspiration.

"What if it has to do with your borther? What if he's after him? If he is, the question is why?"

Dakkon shook his head, again just as much as the straps and velocity would allow.

"He knows already all the information we have about my brother. If we knew where he was, he'd be dead. It would be stupid to think we would hide any information from him regarding Lupercus.

It has to be something else..."

As they reached the point of terminal velocity, only in reverse, the craft began to rapidly slow, and for a moment everything went black. Suddenly they burst back into the light, only it was artificial. They had reached their destination.