After everyone had left and the Organa troops that Armond had volunteered to help guard the base had settled into their patrols and patterns, the Sith Hunter base was silent, calm even. I wandered the halls mostly, checking in on everything I could think of. My mind was full of thoughts, of Syn and our new daughter, of the implications of a New Empire, but mostly about how this would all turn out. My whole life until just before the war had picked back up, I'd had one goal, to find my father and get to know him. Then, when I'd managed that, I moved on to preparing to care for a strong, brave, and intelligent young boy who's father had met an unfortunate end as my own.

I chuckle as I think back on some of the memories I had with HJ and smile. That I wouldn't change any of for the world, except maybe give the lad back his dad. The things we'd do for love... Raising HJ after the end of the war, that had been nice, no ambushes, external threats or anything of the sort had come out of the blue to try and send us all screaming into the afterlife. Sure, I had never really liked the crowd he and Hayden had picked to hang with, but Gavin, Cosen, hell, even Gendry, didn't seem like much more than your average kids with bad attitudes to match.

I stop outside the mess hall, watching several Organa soldiers joke around while enjoying a drink and smile wistfully. Alderaan in particular had enjoyed the peace that had come with the end of the Great War, with House Thul being forced to help repair the damage they had caused and House Ulgo shamed by the Usurper King's actions against House Panteer. They had taken time to heal from the loss of the queen and her son all those years ago, but they had come out stronger for it. Organa had done well for themselves as well, having spearheaded the charge to push the Empire off the planet and Thul down from their high horse.

"And now there's this," I say quietly as I turn to head towards the training room.

It had begun with Hayden acting out more, egged on by Gendry and encouraged by Cosen and Gavin. Cosen had briefly managed to drag HJ into it, but he figured out that everything was less than OK. Entering the room, I set the training bots for level 3 and draw my blasters and stand in the center, waiting for the countdown to resolve itself to begin. Gressh's return and reveal to be heading the Revolution hadn't been fantastic, but that had ended itself, after Hayden had first stripped Jaesa and then Marek of the Force respectively before and after supposedly killing Jorg Sucal and then joining the Revolution after the Republic turned on her. The first few droids came out of their charging decks, stun bolts flying and I dove to the left, returning fire and downing two of them.

With Gressh and Marek dead, we'd turned to Xanthippe Naberrie for help, but she'd had her own agenda, especially after finding out Sucal had used the Force to impregnate her handmaiden, a young girl who'd done nothing wrong, only gotten caught in the crossfire between two scheming Sith and a family who'd spent their lives fighting off the darkness in the galaxy and now just wanted peace in their lives in exchange. Another flurry and the last of the droids went down and I sighed, thinking about the others and their missions. Luci's getting taken by the Kiliks after a failed attempt to rescue Hayden from herself had been a double edged sword while it lasted, getting us the information we'd needed to find the Tempest Eye, but nearly at the expense of a dear friend. I made a mental note as I started picking the droids up and putting them back to consider tossing napalm on the next Kilik nest I saw, though there was a time and a place and soon wasn't either.

Heading out of the training room, I head for the hangar and the speeder bikes. I needed to talk with Iwan and Jude about something, and if they were alright with it, then I needed to speak with Korre as well. I couldn't shake this feeling that Jorg Sucal wasn't going to let us hide here so easily.

I walk through the gardens outside Organa Palace, admiring the well manicured topiary and flower beds. I hold my belly, trying to feel the baby still growing inside me. He’s been quiet ever since we left Dantooine. I can’t decide if I should be happy or concerned by that.



I am patrolling outside, mostly trying to kill time, when I notice Korre by the garden. After a moments hesitation, I approach her. “Hey, Korre!” I wave, trying to look as non-frightening as possible.



I smile and wave back. “Oh, hello Iwan. I was just taking a short walk. Care to join me?”



My heart quickens a little. “Really? I mean, I wouldn’t want to disturb you...”



“Nonsense. I welcome company.” I continue on my walk. I’ve been trying to remain active, despite the increasing aches and pains brought on by my pregnancy. I guess I’m just stubborn that way. Defiantly, I walk towards a set of stairs that lead into the hedge path.



“Those look a little steep. Let me help you.” I offer a hand to help her down the steps.



I instinctively pull away at first, then offer an apologetic smile and take his hand. “Thank you. I probably shouldn’t even be out here; my ankles are hurting me badly. But I just can’t stand to stay indoors all day.”



“I spent most of my life indoors. Myrkr isn’t the type of place you go wondering around.” I reach the bottom of the stairs, then help Korre down. “Now that I’ve seen what the rest of the Galaxy has to offer, I can’t imagine staying in one place for so long.”



Once I’ve reached even ground, I lead Iwan into the hedge path. “Do you like it here on Alderaan?”



“Oh yes. I love the wide open fields and valleys, and the mountains in the distance. And the sky... I could never see the sky through he tree tops back home. Too dense, you know?” I take a couple more steps before asking “Do... you like Alderaan?”



“I do. Very peaceful and beautiful. I couldn’t have picked a better place to hide away....But, there is one thing I don’t like. The nights are far too dark. My homeworld, Naboo, has three moons that always keep even the darkness the night bright. But, Alderaan has no moon, so the nights are pretty black. And it’s also too quiet. Back home, I’d open my window and listen to the crickets and frogs as I went to sleep. But here, I can’t hear anything except the wind.”



I crack a smile. “You aren’t saying your afraid of the dark, are you?”



“No, of course not! It’s just... mild Nyctophobia. It’s a real serious condition. Ask anyone!”



I laugh out loud. “Right. Whatever you say, my lady.”



Iwan’s laugh is an unashamed snorty cackle. It’s a such a ridiculous sound that I can’t help but laugh too. For a few minutes, we stand there in the garden, laughing like idiots. The longer it goes, the more historical it becomes. Then, without warning, I feel a kick. My heart leaps as my son finally makes himself known again. “There you are! Did you think it was funny too?”



The humor drains out of me, and is replaced by astonishment. “Is that... the baby?”



I can feel the child moving more. “Yes. He hasn’t been this active in a long while.” I take Iwan’s hand and press it to my belly. “Here, feel.”



I am reluctant at first, but then I feel the child lightly punch at my palm. I can also feel through the Force the raw energy coming from it, even without having to reach out with my sense. In fact, it might be more accurate to say that the child was reaching out to me. “That is... amazing.”



“I think he likes you.” Let Iwan remove his hand, and I give a slight frown of guilt. “Iwan... I think I should apologize. For how I reacted when I first saw you...”



“You screamed and nearly fainted.” I say, feeling a bit awkward. “It’s okay. I understand...”



“No, it’s not okay. I shouldn’t have over reacted like that. What’s worse, I spent the first couple of days here purposely avoiding you. I judged you before I got a chance to know you, and that wasn’t fair.”



“I can’t exactly blame you. My mad clone has been hounding you for so long, it’s only natural you’d hate this face.”



“I do not hate your face! What an awful thing to believe.” I look him in the eye. “It’s a nice face. Don’t be ashamed of it.” I try to look reassuring. “When the Sith Hunters are finished saving the Galaxy, you will have plenty of time to make everyone love your face. You’ll make them all forget Gendry, and get to know the real Iwan Starsnow.”



I feel a swell of emotions, though I try to hide it behind a smile. “Thanks you... You have a nice face too.”



Giggles. “Thanks.” I don’t move to return to walking, even though I probably should. Instead, I remain looking into his eyes. They are a beautiful shade of blue, my favorite color. I don’t realize it at first, but Iwan is leaning closer. I let him, and a moment later, his lips are pressed against mine. Iwan wraps his arms around me, and I allow myself to be pulled into the embrace. Closing my eyes, I give myself fully to this very sudden, yet extremely passionate,l moment.

Then, as our lips parted and my eyes opened, I found myself staring into the grinning face of Darth Hexxus. My mood suddenly swinging to panic, I swat his arms away and scream, “STOP!!!”



I feel something hit me square in the chest; an invisible blast of conclusive energy that sends me flying back into the hedges behind me. I collapse in a heap of branches and twigs, dazed and very much confused.



I grab the spot on my belly where my baby had just kicked hard, and I take a moment to steady myself. I almost fall to my knees, but I am able to keep on my feet. Still breathing heavily with dissolving panic, I look down at Iwan. My face reddens with shame. “I’m sorry. I... I have to go. I’m so sorry.” Picking up the hem of my dress, I run as fast as my swollen ankles will carry me, back towards the castle.



I watch her leave, wanting to go after her but knowing it might only make things worse. This wasn’t my fault, I know. It as Gendry’s fault. Darth Hexxus’ fault. I can feel the anger and hatred filling my heart, and I allow it. When I finally meet up with him, and I know I will one day soon, I’m going to make him pay.

The Cora flies down over Alderaan towards Organa Castle. We were going to land at the old base, but a tip from the Organa guards there suggested we land at the castle instead. Te ship lands outside the castle. The ramp lowers and I step off the ship. I look back at Jakito, who is standing at the top of the ramp. "You're sure you want to go through with this alone?"



"It'll be fine. I'll just slip in past the fighting and..." Something catches my attention; Korré running up from the garden. "Hey now, what's going on here?"



I take a few steps in her direction. "Korré? What's wrong? Are you okay?" I start speed walking towards her.



I slow to a stop when i hear my voice being called. I turn and see Becca Twilight coming in my direction, and I break into a relieved smile. "Oh! Thank goodness you're alright!" I run over and give Becca a big hug.



I hug her back. "It's good to see you too. What's going on though? You looked upset."



"It was... nothing. Just..." I shake my head. "I'm just stressed out. My hormones are out of control and... Im just having a little trouble. Nothing to worry about."



I nod, not entirely buying it. "Alright, well, I'm here if you need me. And Synclair is too, though she still needs a few days to recover strength."



"She's here?! Oh, I can't wait to see her and baby Rosalie!" I look up at Jakito and wave.



I wave back. "Don't get too attached to me being here. I'm just dropping the girls off before I head to Coruscant. Have a bit important mission I gotta carry out." I smirk. "Reminds me of my smuggling days. Flying through warzones to deliver cargo..." Looks off wistfully.



"There he goes again." I roll my eyes. "Where are Jude and Iwan?"



My eyes widen briefly. "Jude is inside. Probably in his quarters again, as usual. And Iwan is... in the garden."



I walk over. "Jude's in his room? Damn, does that kid not know what 'guard duty' means?" Sighs. "Well, come on. Let's go inside." I motion for Korré to lead the way castle, and Becca and I follow shortly after.

END OF SCENE

At the Beach House on Coruscant’s moon, I stand over Gavin Greshh as he lays unconscious on the table. I hover my hands over him. “Much of his strength has left him. Whatever happened to him much have involved some powerful Force energy.”



I stand nearby. “We found him in the tomb of Freedon Nadd on Dxun. You think the dark side there might have done something?”



“The dark side alone could not do this. It is like he has been drained of life. Either somebody did this to him... or he did it himself.”



“Why would he do it to himself? Some ritual gone wrong?”



“Very possible. Now, give me a moment. I believe I can heal him.” I close my eyes and channel healing energy into Gavin. My face contorts into a sour grimace. “I can sense a lot of darkness here. This may very well be the result of a dark ritual.”



“Just do why you can for him, please. Mand’alor needs him for a special assignment.”



“While I do not agree with her methods, I believe they may be our best option at the moment. I will do what I can.” The next few minutes are long and deathly silent as I channel light energy into Gavin, forcing the dark taint out. Eventually, I can feel his own force essence beginning to return, slowly repairing the spiritual damage done to his body. Whatever had happened must have been blocking out his focusing points, making it difficult for him to draw on his power to heal himself. With my help, he can finally begin to wake.



My eyes begin to flutter open. “Uhhh....C...Cosen?” I glance around, beginning to realize I’m no longer on Dxun. I shoot up to a sitting position. “Father!”


I rush over to help Satele restrain Gavin. “Woah! Easy, kid. We’re here to help.”



Tries to stand up. “Where is Cosen!? What did you do to my sister!? And where is my father!?!”



“Your sister is safe... well, relatively. She’s helping us take Coruscant back. As for your father... well, don’t you remember? He’s dead.”



“He.... he was, yes. I remember.” Finally takes a deep breath and willing sits back down. “But Cosen and I... we had a plan. We brought his body to Dxun... to the Tomb of Freedon Nadd. We dressed him in the Armor of Tepes.”



“Tepes? As in Darth Tepes?”



Nods. “Cosen and I’s grandfather. Legends said that he imbued it with Sith Alchemy to give it special healing abilities. Supposedly, the armor could keep a Sith alive even if he were an inch from death. So we thought...”



“You we’re trying to bring your dad back to life?” I frown. “Not sure how to feel about that, to be honest.”



I glair in her direction, but make no retort. “The armor... requires fueling though. Cosen and I hoped the power from Freedon Nadd’s tomb would be enough... but it wasn’t. The armor needs to take life in order to give life. A sacrifice. So... we thought that if we split the burden, if instead of draining a whole life, we each gave half...” I leave the rest unsaid.



I wait a few seconds for him to continue, but when he doesn’t, I ask, “So, did it work?”



“I do not know. Neither of us were prepared for the magnitude of power required to preform the ritual. Cosen was nearly consumed by the power, and I was forced to intervene and draw cast her out of the circle.”



“And That is why you suffered far greater than she did. You gave far more of yourself than she did.”



“I’ll say. We could see the flashing lights all the way from our camp. Our scouts found you both half dead in the main chamber of the temple, though you were way worse off than your sister.” I pause, thinking a moment. “But... there was no trace of your father or his armor.”



“Then we failed, and his body was destroyed entirely. Our father would never abandon us to die in that forsaken place.”



“That’s a shame. We should have used his help organizing the Revolution. I walk up close to Gavin. “We have Cosen trying to rally them now, but we need your help too. From what we hear, you had a lot better command over the people than she did.”



I think about it for a few seconds. “You’re really trying to liberate the planet now? The Mandalorians and the Revolution are on the same side?” I think a little more. “I don’t fully believe your intentions are as noble as you claim.... but you did save my life and the life of my sister. For that, I will willingly help you... for now.”



“Great! Because option two was this shock collar.” I hold up the collar, which draws a disapproving look from Satele and my mother. “But... since your cooperating, I’ll just hold onto it... for now.” I give him a look that I hope is intimidating. When he doesn’t react, I turn away and activate my commlink. “Temari, this is Kamari. Gavin is awake at last. Give us you and Cosen’s location and we will meet you there.”

Cosen and I are in the Works by this point, working our way towards the depths of the Jedi Temple where we were supposed to meet the other resistance cell leaders. When Kam's call comes in, I grin. "Tell Gavin we're going to The Hidden Place. He'll know what that means." Looking at Cosen, I smile wider. "Well, Cosen Gressh, it would seem your brother is awake. Think our odds have improved?"

I give a slight smile. “I would say so, yes.” I was actually feeling optimistic, despite my rather precarious situation. Speaking of which. “Say... I’ve served you well so far. Haven’t tried to deceive you at any point. How about you take this collar off, huh?”

"And will you continue to be as honest if I remove the collar right now?" I let the unspoken threat hang in the air a moment before sighing. "Cosen, I want you to understand that Manda'lor has left your freedom and the return of your lightsaber to my discretion and so far, I have seen only actions that, as you say, should be rewarded. So I will make an agreement with you on this, so long as you keep working with us, I will remove the collar and return your lightsaber to you. Besides, if this Draxxel is indeed another Gendry, you will need it."

I sigh. "Again, you show yourself a reasonable person. After how most of your brothers and sisters have treated me, I half expected you to respond to my request with violence. As much as I want to hate you... I can't." I look Temari in the eye and try to appear sincere. "My honor isn't worth much, but I swear to you on..." I think about something that would make the Mandalorian trust me. "I swear on the soul of my mother, Ce'na Greshh, that I will not betray you if you allow me my freedom."

"Good enough for me." Walking over to Cosen, I fiddle with the remote a moment before the collar pops open and I grab it. "I learned a long time ago that holding a grudge of the kind that our Manda'lor does is not worth it, for any man, Mandalorian or otherwise."

"That is very wise. I wish more of your kind thought that way...and more of my kind of that matter." I continue to lead the way towards the Jedi Temple ruins. "The Sith and Mandalorians have had a long history. Exar Kun and Mandalore the Indomitable were allies during the Great Sith War, then Emperor Vitiate's influence prompted Mandalore the Ultimate to start the Mandalorian Neo-Crusades. Then, of course, there was the Sith Empire's puppet Mandalore, who they installed to force your people to follow their orders." I can see the ruins up ahead. "Hell... I even heard a Mandalorian helped raid this temple along with Darth Malgus."

"Shae Vizla. In her younger years, she was every bit about hunting for good, honorable fights and the raid on this temple was a tempting offer." I look at the unfinished reparation work left behind after the surprise attack that had nearly left Kamari in a permanent coma. "I can't say with full confidence that I wouldn't have taken it. The stories told of the Mandalorian Wars on both sides are...inspiring to my people."

"I'd heard a few legends. Revan especially intrigues me. I never considered the possibility that one could master both the light and dark side of the Force. Even my father, who tried on many occasions to use his power for good, often relied mostly upon his dark teachings rather than anything born of the light. But, perhaps if..." Movement above catches my eye, and I look up towards a scaffold near the temple construction site. There is something hanging from a chain, slowly swinging back and forth. My stomach turns over when I realize it's a human body.

More specifically, the body of the construction worker from the Revolution meeting at Billie's. The head of the disgruntled workers union. His eyes wide in terror, and his mouth hands in a silent scream. Laser burned into the wall nearby is a single word: "Traitor".

I hand Cosen her lightsaber as I turn, drawing a blaster pistol in one hand and my beskad in the other. "Someone knew we were coming here. Someone who wasn't in that room."

I look down at the lightsaber, and for a split second, I feel the urge to use it to strike Temari down and escape... but it is only a fleeting thought. It does not take very much willpower to push that dark thought aside, and instead move to a defensive position covering her flank. "I think you're right... though I can't sense anything." I look around, reaching out into the darkness with my senses. I can not feel another presence nearby, though it is possible they are hiding themselves. "What should we do? Call off the meeting? This incident alone might be enough to scare the Revolution cell leaders back into hiding. We'd risk blowing our one chance."

"It would indeed, but we might not have time to warn them." I watch the shadows, listening. "You might not be able to feel anyone with the Force, but my instincts are screaming that we aren't alone."

"If something, or someone is hiding themselves from my Force perception, than you may be more useful hear than me." I look towards the temple reconstruction site. "What do you say we try to divide it's attention. I head to the meeting and spring the potential trap, you keep a look out and see if our stalker reacts." I look over my shoulder and give a slight smile. "I give you permission to put the collar back on me if you don't trust me out of your sight."

"I will trust you, since you've done nothing to prove opposite." I look around for a better position before indicating a balcony that could see into the supposed meeting place. "I'll take up a position there, it gives me a good view of the area around us. I'll also contact Kamari and your brother, to warn them."

"Good idea. Hopefully they get here in time to help." I look up at the hanging worker. It was strange; why would they display the body so obviously? As a warning? Are they trying to give us a chance to turn back, or simply gloating that they already got one of the Revolution leaders, and that it was only a matter of time before they took the rest of us down? Either way, this was a very bold statement, and one that required our full attention.

Carefully, I climb through the abandoned construction equipment and go to the meeting spot, the remains of what I imagine was once an audience chamber, or perhaps a mission briefing room. "Okay," I say to myself. "Now I just have to wait... and see if they come."

Jetting to the balcony I had pointed out to Cosen, I holster the blaster pistol and sheathe the beskad and draw a long blaster rifle with a scope sitting on the top rail. As I set up, I activate my commlink again. "Kamari, this is Temari. Cosen and I have discovered someone was listening in on our meeting with the Revolutions leaders and have killed one of them. I suggest you two come ready for battle."

“We’re on our way!” I say into the dash comm as I fly my shuttle down towards the planet. Even from high orbit, I can see where the Jedi Temple used to be. I can’t help but think of the last time either my mind or my body was here. This was where the boy Hunter Twilight was beaten close to death, and the man Kamari Ordo’s mind was shattered. Now the two had become one, and we were returning to the place that started it all.

Gavin sat as my co-pilot. Mom and Satele Shan had their own mission that they chose not to enlighten me about. Oh well.



I sit on an empty barrel, anxiously waiting for something to happen. Minutes pass in silence, and the worse I feel. What if the others were already dead? What if while I waited, they were being hunted down and killed as well? I felt so... helpless.

But then, just when the silence was really starting to get to me, I hear a noise like quiet footsteps. I look up, and out of the darkness walks a small group of Ugnaughts, led by the little guy from Billie’s place. They squeal something about gathering their tribe, and that more were on the way. “Thank you. I really appreciate your trust in me.”



I stalk along a durasteel beam overlooking the meeting sight. Below, I can see Cosen talking to the little pig people. Nearby, her Mandalorian ally searches for me. She’d seen my handiwork, it seems. Good.