The Jedi had been careful to estimate all the possible outcomes of confronting Subcommander Tevone Lelaix with their information. He might try to commit suicide. He might try to deny everything. He could call in his superior and forced their hand in revealing the precarious nature of their “facts.” Or he might simply have tried to run at the first opportunity.

They hadn’t expected him to fight back. Much less with Republic soldiers.

“I don’t care what you Jedi think of yourselves,” said Lelaix, “or what information you may have on me. You are not going to be divulging it to anyone.”

The three Jedi looked at one another. They were facing fifteen Republic guards. In small quarters like these, the fight could conceivably be theirs. The problem was that they didn’t want to fight Republic soldiers. Not only would that be bad for the Jedi, but deep down, they knew that the soldiers were doing their duty--as were they.

“So, now what?” asked Jann rhetorically.

“Now, you will die,” said Lelaix. “On my mark, fire,” he instructed to the soldiers. “Three, two, one. Fire.”

However, the soldiers never fired. They didn’t move or blink. It was an unusual sight, specially for Lelaix. “I said fire!” he yelled. “What is wrong with you people?!”

Krokukkon roared three times. The soldiers immediately dropped their weapons and turned around. The marched out of the office and, as soon as they were outside, dropped down unconscious. Lelaix noticed that the Jedi then relaxed and turned to face him. “You may not care what we think of ourselves, but you really ought to remember what we are,” said Jann with a bit of smugness in his voice.

Lelaix dropped to his seat. He then reached for a drawer and pulled out a blaster. But, as he turned to fire the Jedi, the blaster suddenly flew out of his hand and into the Wookie’s. He then proceeded to crush the blaster--glowering eyes never leaving the Subcommander. Lelaix now began to accept his defeat. “What are you going to do with me?” he asked.

“We were going to ask you to reveal your connections’ name and location,” said Serania. “But given the current circumstances, I think we will get it ourselves.”

Before Lelaix could retort, the three Jedi entered his mind. It was easy to use the Force to move others or place orders in. However, it was more difficult to enter another’s mind and try to force something out. The Jedi became rigid and their eyes never left Lelaix. The Subcommander tried to protest, but it came out as blabbering. Eventually, he passed out.

“He’ll be all right, unfortunately,” said Jann as they broke off their connection. They had found what they had been looking for--and then some. Looking past the window and the vista, the young Jedi said a name, “Darth Masterna.”

“Yes,” agreed Serania, “this ‘Darth Masterna’ is probably the new Sith lord we’ve been hearing about over at the Inquisitors’. Whoever he is, he’s someone with power. However, did you sense the information on the latest orders?”

“He said that Allas Kine was lost--for the moment,” replied Jann. “I’m guessing he meant Kaffa is out of office or something. He also mentioned that he wanted the patrols moved out of the Otlomein system in this sector for today and tomorrow. That’s odd. I wonder why that is.”

Jann went to Lelaix and, using his Force-abilities, asked, “Why does Darth Masterna want the Otlomein patrols removed for the next two days?”

Lelaix was slow to answer, but he did. “There will be a Sith transport passing through. Very important people.”

The words struck the Jedi cold. “What’s in the transports? Where are they headed?” asked Serania.

“Passengers,” replied Lelaix. “They are going to Coruscant.” These words made the Jedi shiver.

************************************************************************

Upon hearing of the Jedi’s presence, Commander Ragon had them brough to him immediately. Their words were not what he had in mind--Subcommander Lelaix’s treason, the missing patrols, the Jedi’s tricks. He had Lelaix arrested at once and doubled the patrols at the Otlomein sector.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” asked Ragon--a much more approachable man than Lelaix, noticed the Jedi.

“We need our ship refueled,” said Jann. “And we need to contact our superiors on Coruscant.”

“Done,” said the base commander. “You can talk in private over there,” he continued, pointing to his holographic communication station. As the Jedi moved, he asked them, “Did you find anything else in Lelaix’s mind? How did he come under this Darth Masterna’s influence?”

“No sir,” replied Serania. “We try to be real careful, when we enter people’s minds, to not touch any information that is not pertinent to our mission. Besides, it’s not our job to care about such things.”

“Subcommander Lelaix is a widower,” said Ragon. “He has one daughter--who is the universe for him.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “I’ll see what I can do for her. But you’ll have to do something for her too. Promise me that you’ll get whoever is behind all this. Lelaix was a good man once. For him and his daughter, get this scum!”

The Jedi stood there, unblinking to Ragon’s speech. “Alright,” finally answered Jann. They continued on their way to the terminal.

***********************************************************************

“Are you sure about this?” asked Ulric’s hologram. “Tonight?”

“Yes, Master,” replied Jann, “that is what the Sith contact said. “This new Sith lord--Darth Masterna--is going to come out of hiding tonight for a rendezvous with the main Sith faction. The meeting will take place on Coruscant.”

Weighing this information heavily, Master Ulric looked up to his knights and said, “Well done. This is the chance we have been waiting for. We’ll be able to take out the Sith leadership and this new offshoot with one sweep. Jann, Krokukkon, Serania, you have all done us proud.”

Both Jann and Krokukkon stood elated at hearing their master’s words. Serania, meanwhile, just stood there. “So, we’ll be on our way to join you on Coruscant,” said Jann.

“No,” replied Ulric. “You have done far too much. Stand down and get back in your own time. We shall handle this here.” Ulric’s hologram dissapeared.

“OK,” said Jann, “let’s get going.” He and his Wookie partner began to walk back.

“Wait,” said Serania, “Master Ulric just ordered us to stand down. Why do you guys want to go get to a fight we’re going to miss?”

“Who said we’re going to miss it?” asked Jann. “The Star Flame is fast enough to reach Coruscant in half a day from here. Besides, we’ve known Master Ulric enough to know when he wants us to be somewhere and when he doesn’t.”

Serania wanted to protest further, but her partners simply ran towards Zenrya’s starport. “I can’t believe them,” said Serania to herself and hurried after the guys.

*********************************************************************

The transports were quickly reaching Coruscant. As far as she was concerned, Lady J’Brar was walking into a trap. Her Force senses were telling her she was moments away from either death or capture--choices that were not appealing. She walked away from the ship’s windows and tried to look fearsome and dangerous. The knights around her could smell fear and, if they felt it on her, would not obey her orders. She looked back to where Darth Belian was sitting on the command chair. His voice was low and muffled as he conversed with Darth Rahn. She didn’t trust them any longer. It was like they were slowly moving her aside. More importantly, she did not like this Darth Masterna. No, that was incorrect. She hated Darth Masterna. Her reasons, however, were deeply rooted inside of her and would never be known to anyone but her.

***********************************************************************

Meanwhile, also speeding towards Coruscant, was the Star Flame and its occupants. Realizing that they were most probably heading into battle, the three Jedi partners were resting in the cockpit. Serania was, once again, doing her mind exercises. Jann was quietly staring into space--allowing Zee to pilot the craft. Krokukkon was attempting to sleep, but having difficulty in doing so. Eventually, the absence of sound, drove them almost insane.

“So, who was your Master?” asked Serania to her companions.

Jann turned to face her and said, “Master Ulric.”

Turning to the Wookie, she asked the same question. His reply was translated by Jann before it came. “The same.”

“Wait,” said Serania, “you were both Padawans to Master Ulric Tronos? How was that possible? The rules clearly state ‘One Master, One Apprentice.’ How did that get by the Council?”

Jann smiled and looked at his partner, before beginning to answer her questions. “You remember how I said way back on Coruscant that both Krokukkon and I were demons during our stay at Yavin? Well, most of the teachers couldn’t stand us. They quickly realized that the best way to keep us down was to pair us up. The problem arose when we became of age and training to become Padawans. At first, they did try to do the classic thing and separate us with different masters. That didn’t work. My first master had me as Padawan for about a week, when I...ahem...torched our ship on Kessel.”

“That bad?” asked Serania--her eyes darting between one Jedi and the other.

“He wouldn’t have minded,” replied Jann, “if he hadn’t been flying it at the time. Anyhow, the same thing happened to Krokukkon. His master couldn’t control him. So we were both shipped back to Yavin. About this time, Master Ulric was selected for his status as Jedi Master. When he arrived on Yavin, he took a liking to the both of us. He said that he would take us both on as Padawans. Well, the Council went up in arms. They refused till their faces got blue. Unfortunately, Ulric said that the whole thing had been the teachers’ fault. They hadn’t wanted to teach us properly, so they had forced us to depend on one another. This meant that anyone who tried to make Jedi out of us would fail unless we were taken together. The Council disagreed and tried once again to separate us. Of course, once we had met Ulric, we didn’t want to go with anyone but him. So, we went back to our old tactics and, within a few days, the Coucil gave in. Master Ulric took us both all over the galaxy. It was because of this ability to train us together that, once we became full Knights, he was selected for his first short term on the Council. Though he hadn’t wanted it, his prowess came through with us.”

“That is why you guys keep getting the plum jobs, right?” asked Serania, jabbing her feet into Krokukkon’s side. The Wookie roared in laughter.

“Actually,” said Jann, “for the first assignments we got, they wanted us as far away as possible from anything big or important. We were jokes. But, our great luck always dropped something on our laps. It wasn’t till an elder Jedi Master helped us on a mission to Sirla that we kind of grew out of our naivette. He helped us grow by teaching us that we should always be prepared and we should face every challenge with honor.” Hearing a beeping, Jann turned and asked Zee, “Are we there?”

“Coming up on destination target: Coruscant,” replied Zee. “The ship capably made the long trip in eight hours. Local time, I believe, is 23:44.”

“Great,” said Jann. “Jump back and establish contact with Coruscant control.”

After a few moments, the glitter of the Republic’s capital was obvious. Zee contacted the control center for Coruscant and, through Jann’s orders, asked of any incoming ships from the Otlomein system. Control answered that two transports were arriving from the other side of the planet. Upon hearing this, Serania thought of contacting the Inquisitors’ offices and ordering a full batallion meet them at the landing platform. Krokukkon’s roar reminded them that the Jedi were already there. Jann added, “It’d be too many people pulling on too few threads.” She did call them anyway--as backup. Her Jedi companions didn’t like it, but it was her call. They began their descent into Coruscant--secretly hoping that Ulric had mustered enough forces.

“Here we go,” remarked Jann.

************************************************************************

The Sith had landed a few moments after the Jedi--feigning ship malfunctions and demanding a new landing platform. Darth Masterna, it seemed, had been once again ahead of the Jedi. The Inquisitors had arrested a droids’ parts shipment from Malastare--and seemed happy with their catch. The Sith could not be happier for them, thought Darth Belian. The fools always fell for the quickest bite.

“So, where is Masterna?” asked Adea to her companions.

“He’ll be here shortly,” replied Belian. “Be patient, Lady J’Brar. All will be revealed soon.”

Suddenly, the doors flew open and seventy robed figures entered the platform. The Sith knights and guards immediately reached for their weapons, but the Sith Lords bade them keep them not to fire. “Let’s see if they are friend or foe,” remarked Darth Rahn, his own emotions ready to explode.

The Jedi were, meanwhile, observing this from behind a few crates. Arriving first, they quickly learned of the feigned malfunctions and transferred to the platform before the ship arrived. Serania had told the Inquisitor forces to remain behind and capture the ship that landed on the other platform--to pretend ignorance. In reality, the bulk of the troops was a few meters--and one call--away.

Quietly, from within the hooded figures, one clear one stepped through. He wore the robes of the Jedi. It stepped forward and asked, “Is the Sith Triumvirate there?”

Darth Belian replied, “Yes, we are here. Who are you?”

The Jedi figure removed his hood and revealed himself. Jann and Krokukkon immediately recognized it and were delighted. It was Master Ulric. That meant the other figures were Jedi as well--ready to capture the leadership of the Sith order. Without hesitation, they leapt from where they were and said, “We hope you had a nice trip, because we’re they’re sending you doesn’t allow paid vacations.” They removed their lightsabers and stood ready to fight.

Lady J’Brar was ready to pounce on the Jedi--her instincts had once again been proven correct. “I told you, Belian. This Darth Masterna was nothing more than a sham. He doesn’t exist and we have been played for fools.” She began to walk back, when Master Ulric yelled out, “Wait!” He turned to face his students and said, “Krokukkon, Jann, I told you to remain on Zenrya.”

“We couldn’t let you go into the fray alone, Master,” replied Jann with a smile on his face. He could notice the Sith guards and knights were almost ready to start fighting, but were being held at bay by their masters. Both he and his partner wondered why.

“I told you to remain there for your own safety,” said Ulric. “Because now I will have to kill you.”

The words didn’t sink into either Jedi Knight. “What?” they asked, after a moment of thought.

“Estero, Melos,” ordered Ulric. “Kill Jann and Krokukkon.” The stunned Jedi saw two figures break from the group and reveal themselves. They were also Jedi knights. What was going on here, they were thinking.

“Lord Belian, Lord Rahn, Lady J’Brar,” said Ulric. “Allow me an introduction. I am Darth Masterna.”

This revelation stunned everyone present--including the still-hiding Serania. She broke out of her trance first and ordered the Inquisitors to move in. However, the Jedi were ahead of her. The doors were bolted and sealed--making this a really unfair fight. The two rogue Jedi were still advancing on Krokukkon and Jann--who were catatonic from the revelation. Estero and Melos thought they had easy kills and lit their lightsabers and swung. But, where their foes had been, no one was anymore. From behind them, they felt the sting of lightsabers running them through. They fell to the ground dead and neither Krokukkon nor Jann waited for a sign of death on their parts. They turned around and faced their former master head on.

Belian took in all this and asked across the platform, “If you are really Darth Masterna, how can we be sure?” Ulric simply removed something from within his robes and threw it across to Belian. The Sith lord caught it and examined it. It was an old Sith relic--last beleived to have belonged to Darth Venom, two hundred years ago. How Darth Masterna had obtained it, he did not know. It meant one thing though--he knew Sith lore and history. This was a symbol of power, given only to the Sith with true power. He was Darth Masterna all right--Jedi or not.

Meanwhile, the rogue Jedi were charging past Ulric and attacking his students. Jann and Krokukkon, once again, resorted to working as a team. They allowed strikes and let the figures fly past them before delivering unblockable damage to the attackers. Some fell dead, while others were merely injured.

“What are we doing here watching?” Adea asked before charging. “Attack, knights!” She saw Serania and immediately lunged for her. The female Jedi, however, was not caught unawares. She saw the Sith lord feign a strike, then bring her lightsaber down. Serania blocked the strike and kicked her down. She would have pressed her attack, but one of the rogue Jedi immediately charged her--forcing Serania to release her prey. The Sith knights had never moved.

“Stand down,” said Darth Rahn to the knights. “Return to the ship. Now.” Outside, the Inquisitors had almost brought the door down--they’d be in soon.

“What are you doing, Rahn?” demanded Adea as she stood up.

“What you cannot do, Adea J’Brar,” declared Belian. “You are weak and that has no place in the Sith. Darth Masterna,” he said facing the new Sith lord, “kill Adea J’Brar.”

Ulric simply removed his lightsaber and leapt high into the air. As he came down, he ignited his lightsaber and brought it full-force down on Adea. She stepped back and blocked the blow. Ulric became a tornado--throwing swings left and right. Adea J’Brar blocked most of the blows, but a few got through and injured her. She fell to the ground--defeated. Ulric brought his lightsaber above his head and brought it down to kill her. It, however, was blocked by a red blade. Master Ulric turned and faced Jann--whose eyes were full of rage.

“Jann, you are losing control,” said Ulric mockingly. “That could prove fatal.”

“I trusted you,” said Jann, as he and Ulric stopped pressing down on their sabers. They stood straight and faced each other. “How could you?”

“I have my reasons,” replied Ulric, “but I don’t have to explain myself to you.” That said, Ulric swung his saber against his former pupil. Jann backflipped--amazed that Ulric had actually meant to kill him with that blow. The Jedi assumed a stance and ignited the other end of his lightstaff. Ulric simply smiled and said, “It is time we saw what you have learned, Jann Duvey.” With that, he began to strike to and fro. Jann blocked him at every step, but was being drawn back into a wall--and he knew it. The Jedi Master, however, was giving him no time to mount an offensive.

At the same time, Krokukkon had kept the brunt of the Jedi attack present. He had already killed ten of his former partners and more kept coming. Serania, realizing that a double-edged attack would benefit them most, had reached the Wookie Jedi and was fighting back with all her might. Lightsabers clashed and dissapeared from sight as the attackers ran up, struck and leapt out of sight. They would soon be overwhelmed. They needed help--now.

Adea J’brar, meanwhile, was finally recuperating from the attack of Darth Masterna. She got up when her senses warned her of danger. She jumped from her spot just as blaster shots filled her position. She spun to face Darth Belian, who was using the cannons on his saber to keep her at bay.

“You will not get rid of me so easily, Belian,” exclaimed Adea as she avoided his laser fire.

“You are the single, most pathetic person to have ever joined the Sith Order,” shot back Belian. “Vassoran should never have made you a lord.”

“Made me?!” screamed Adea. She somersaulted from her position and delivered a strong kick to Belian’s head. The Sith lord recoiled back and fell. Adea ignited her saber and tried to swing. However, as she did so, she was turned around by strong hands. She saw Darth Rahn’s face a moment before his steel-clawed fists met her face. She reeled back and landed with a hard thud on the ground--totally unconscious. Belian got up and tried to kill her, but Rahn turned and said, “We are quickly losing our advantage. Order our retreat. Now!”

Belian faced him and said, “What? Retreat? This is our moment of glory!”

“No, it is not,” replied Rahn. “We have won this day a major battle and got what we came for. We should make sure we live tomorrow to reap its benefits.”

Belian met the cold stare of Rahn’s unblinking orbs, before turning and yelling, “Sith! Board the ships! We leave at once!” That said, the two Sith lords walked back into their ship. The Sith Knights and the rogue Jedi began to board. Jann and Ulric, however, were still in the middle of their death dance.

The young knight delivered a kick to Ulric’s head. The master flipped with the kick and avoided greater damage. Facing Jann, Ulric stroke low to get the lightstaff horizontal. Jann didn’t give him that--he placed it vertical. So, Ulric swung at Jann’s hands. Before the strike landed, Jann gave a piece of the lightstaff to the hit. Ulric’s blade tore a piece of Jann’s lightstaff and the upper blade flew out in pieces and sparks. The Jedi reeled backwards--stunned by the strength and fury of the strike. Ulric saw an opportunity there and lunged to kill his pupil. At the last moment, a blue blade struck his down. This time, it was Krokukkon coming to the rescue.

“Masterna,” said Belian, “if we are to leave it is now.”

The Jedi Master flipped three times and out of the Wookie’s ferocious attack. He landed next to Belian, who led him into the ship. Once closed, the ships lifted off, as the Inquisitors finally broke down the door and began to fire at them. Their blast shots were, however, in vain. The ships tore out of Coruscant spaceport and quickly made their jump to light speed.

The Inquisitors’ leader--a lieutenant--approached Serania, who was standing over the unconscious body of Lady Adea J’Brar. “What are we to do with her? What happened?”

“Patience, lieutenant,” replied Serania. “Take her and throw her into the most secure cell--and quickly. Meanwhile, order fighters to pursue the two ships that just blasted out of here. I want them brought back alive.” She watched as they lifted her, placed a Force-dampening collar on her, and took her away. She turned to see Krokukkon cradling the unconscious head of Jann. Then, without warning, the Wookie began to roar. She did not know it then, but Serania Burtell, heard a Wookie cry for the first time in her life.

************************************************************************

Days later, the three Jedi knights stood in front of Master Ebbo Zommo. He had been named interim Council Leader. “This is an outrage,” said Master Zommo. “The Senate is calling for hearings. The Inquisitors are calling for justice. The people are calling for our heads.” Pausind defeatedly, he said, “We are fast losing face with the Republic.” The Jedi knights simply nodded.

“What Ulric Tronos did is unforgivable,” continued Zommo. “We have reports of massive high level information and technology stollen--the most secret. There’s incredible damage to Coruscant main starport. High level security breaches and compromises--among them the now-incarcerated Subcommander Lelaix and the recently-deceased Governor Kaffa. The worst, however, is that we have lost over seventy of our best students and knights. Early reports count about fifteen dead--killed by their inefficiency, your blades and their own sacrificial suicides. To put it bluntly, this is one hell of a mess!”

“Master,” asked Serania, “what are the Jedi to do?”

“For the moment,” replied Zommo, “we are to stand down. A massive inquiry within us is to be conducted. Any and all things touched by Ulric Tronos are to be investigated. We want no leaks into our Order from the likes of him.” Giving himself an even longer pause, he continued, “That is why both Krokukkon and Jann Duvey are to stand down immediately. You will have no more missions until we are clear that you are clean of Ulric’s influence.”

Neither Jann nor Krokukkon objected to these orders. Serania, however, fought back. “Master Zommo, Jann and Krokukkon have not done anything wrong. Why are they to be punished?”

“Because he selected them personally for this mission,” replied Zommo. “Which means he knew them enough to trust them. He knew you two would obey his orders to remain on Zenrya Base and enabled him to make a clean getaway. That you didn’t, may make it easier for you to return to active duty. Anything else?”

“No sir,” said Jann in a quiet tone.

“Very well,” said Zommo. “Dismissed.”

************************************************************************

After leaving Zommo’s offices, the three Jedi moved to a balcony overlooking the city. Dusk was upon them and night was falling more rapidly. The cars and starships streamed past the buildings in a lightshow completely unique in the universe--even after the thousands of years that Coruscant had stood as capital. No one was speaking--their silence became palpable. Serania, not certain what to say, tried to comfort her friends. “I’m sure Master Zommo is only doing what is best for all of us.”

“He is now the trapped one,” said Jann to the sky. “Now, he’s certain he’ll never return to Yavin Academy. He’s now trapped behind the mess Master Ulric left behind. Unfortunately for him, it is a big one. Don’t worry though. Your friends, the Inquisitors, will gain handsomely from this.”

“How?” asked Serania.

“With this event, the status of the Jedi will fall from its perch,” replied Jann. “Soon, the people will ask if there is really such a big need for us Jedi. You and your detachment may be the only ones spared. The rest, well, will not be so lucky.”

“You’re just being pessimistic,” said Serania as she jabbed her partner. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew Jann spoke the truth. “How are you guys handling it?” she asked.

“How do you think?” asked Jann. “The person we trusted and cared for years is gone. He betrayed us, lied to us and tried to kill us. He is no longer the man that first took the leadership of the Jedi five years ago. Now, he’s...he’s a member of the Sith.”

Krokukkon roared something and then broke away, shoulders slumped and tired. Serania watched him leave, before asking Jann, “What did he say?”

“He said,” answered Jann, “‘if the highest angel can fall from the heavens, what prevents us mere mortals from doing the same?’”

Serania then watched as Jann left her alone on the balcony. He mumbled something about a certain job, but she didn’t catch it. She turned around and watched the sun set over the distant skyline of Coruscant.

**********************************************************************

“The Sith are pleased, Darth Masterna,” said Belian to his new counterpart. “With you at our side, things are certainly lookin up.”

Darth Masterna simply stood next to his new partners in the Triumvirate chambers on Dunalg. He now wore the robes of the Sith--dark, ominous. The pendant of Darth Venom now worn around his neck. His eyes looked straight back at Belian, no longer radiating their soft glow, but a fire to burn everyone.

“This has already yielded results,” replied Masterna. “The Jedi are quickly falling from grace. Their demise could come quicker than expected. Word is Coruscant is a city enraged.”

“To the Sith,” said Darth Rahn as he raised his clawed fist.

“To the Sith,” replied his new counterparts with equal fervor.

***********************************************************************

Jann sat at his desk, machine parts strewned all over the place. The mere task of putting together a lightsaber was tedious enough. To do it with the weight on his soul would have been unbearable. So instead, he repaired the front end of his lightstaff. Cutting away the circuits, he had dissected the burnt remains and sealed it off. Now, it was a simple lightsaber--one end only. He ignited it and watched it burn for a while. Suddenly, he shut it off and grabbed his cloak on his way out.

**********************************************************************

“I’m here to see the prisoner,” said Jann to the guards.

“We’ll need to see your identification,” replied the guard. Jann handed him a datacard, which was analyzed to reveal his name. “Very well, Jann Duvey,” said the guard. “Leave all weapons in here. You have twenty minutes.” Jann did as instructed and walked into the jail cell.

Inside, held by magnetic binders, electric chains and Force-dampeners was Adea J’Brar. She sat straight and had her eyes open. The chains did not give her room to stretch or lie down. Nor, she assumed, would there be any forthcoming. Any movement above a simple motion and the chains released a medium shock that hurt her. After the massive influx of political heads, she assumed she was to be left alone. She was amazed when the young Jedi from the starport entered.

“What do you want, Jedi scum?” snarled the former Sith lord.

“To talk,” replied Jann as he took a seat directly in front of her. “How do you like your new home?”

“I hate it,” answered Adea. “But don’t worry, I’ll be out of here soon enough.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” said Jann. “You see, with this little mess Ulric and you Sith have made, the Republic and the Senate are now up in arms. Trust me, they aren’t that far away from leaving you as you are right now.

“They will not be watching forever,” replied Adea, defiantly staring down the Jedi.

“You could bet on that,” said Jann, “and you might get out of here by the time your one-fifty. By then, your Sith friends will be long gone and you won’t get to take out your revenge on them.”

“How do you know I want revenge?” replied Adea.

“Because that’s what I’d want if I were in your position,” replied Jann. “Your options now are simple. Trust no one and stay here to die. Trust the Senate and be made a pawn in their game to destroy the Jedi. Or....”

“Or what?” asked Adea, seeing a new opportunity arising.

“You can trust me,” said Jann matter-of-factly.

“What?!” nearly exploded Adea. “Trust you!!! You have some guts, kid! You are a simple Jedi Knight. What can you do?”

“Enough,” replied Jann. “I’m going after Ulric and your Sith partners. I will track them down to the ends of the galaxy and bring them down. Now, you can help me by cutting the corners and aiding me in finding where they are. If I succeed, you’ll be able to get some perks--maybe even leave this cell. In time, you may get some of your life back.” Giving himself a dramatic pause, he added, “Or you can stay here and rot. But with me, you got a chance.”

Adea simply stood there glowing at Jann, “You think I’d betray my people for you?”

“Yes,” replied Jann, “like you have been betrayed. This way, you get your revenge, I get to destroy the Sith and you get out of here. We all win.”

“Why are you doing this?” asked Adea.

“Because the Sith took something far more valuable from me,” said Jann. “And I’m going to get it back--even if it takes me my entire life.” Standing up, he said, “So, do we have a deal?”

Adea thought it over for a moment before saying, “Yes. But you better be playing straight with me. Or I’ll kill you first.”

“Fair enough,” replied Jann. “If you lie to me, I’ll make sure you never leave this place alive. Deal?”

“Alright,” replied Adea. “I am Adea J’Brar.”

Jann looked at her and said, “I am Jann Duvey, simple Jedi Knight.”

They stared at one another--Jann’s blue eyes and Adea’s green. They knew they had each made a deal with a devil. They did not know who would regret it.

************************************END******************************
Back to the Main Page