A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

Raven-12C · Mar 29, 2023

"As do you," I replied as I settled into another stance. "If you would do me the honour, I wish to see the face of the man I fight."
He stepped back, though his posture did not relax, and remove his helmet.
His hair, while greying, still held hints of blonde around the temples and his dark, heavy-set eyes bore into me as I noted a scar running down his cheek from the ear to his mouth, drawing attention to the angular nature of his chin. I could only assume he kept the scar as a mark of honour, or some such nonsense, instead of having it healed with medical technology.

wait what?
weren't they supposed to keep thier helmet on at all time ?!

Raven-12C · Mar 30, 2023

Moran said:
Children of the Watch, and their strict adherence to never their helmet in front of another sentient being, are of Disney's canon. This story, while borrowing elements from canon, is based on Legends.

I thought that would be the case
SW is kind of infamous for changing what is canon and what is not, on a dime
but to be honest i like the idea of a 'War like people' having such a strict culture

USSExplorer · Mar 31, 2023

Raven-12C said:
SW is kind of infamous for changing what is canon and what is not, on a dime

It wasn't. Yes, some of the earliest stuff had iffy lore, but the books and other media were relatively stream-lined for what was and wasn't possible/doable. Far more so than say Marvel or DC in the same time period.

Raven-12C said:
i like the idea of a 'War like people' having such a strict culture

The do, but most is based of EU lore here, which can be learnt from books such as Republic Commando and others that centre on Boba Fett (not the bs Disney did with him, but the EU stories) and the like.

USSExplorer · Mar 31, 2023

Stats, Skills, Powers, Perks and Player Powers 4
This is just a listing of the current level, stats, skills, powers, perks and titles of Cameron.
If you are not too interested in the values that run behind the scenes, then you don't need to bother reading.

Current date: Month 11 Year 966sRR (since Russan Reformation)
[Or 34BBY in the canon timeline]

Stats Skills Force Powers Perks/Powers/Titles Active Quests

Cameron Shan
Species: Human
Title: The Player
Age: 15
Level 28
HP: 270/270
FP: 18200/18200
(-10% due to bond with Raven)
PP:56/56
XP [7432/36000]
STAM [1213/1213]
Hunger [67/100]
STR: 21 +
VIT: 22 +
AGI: 22 +
INT: 40 +
WIS: 30 +
CHA: 30 +
Luck: 10 + [+10]
SP: 4
SKP: 425
PerkP: 0
PPP: 0
Credits: 292463
Lightsaber Forms Weapon Styles Physical Skills Riding/Piloting Skills Rogue Skills Technical Skills Lnaguage Skills Medical Skills Combat Skills Mental Skills Social Skills Adult Skills Miscellaneous Tiers
- Form I: Shii-Cho
  Prodigy 12
  Form II: Makashi
  MAXED
  Form III: Soresu
  Master 63
  Form IV: Ataru
  Professional 99
  Form V: Shien
  Professional 83
  Form V: Djem-So
  Professional 92
  Form VI: Niman
  Professional 75
  Form: Jar'Kai
  Novice 97
- Lightsaber [Standard]
  MAXED
  Lightsaber [Shoto]
  Adept 34
  Marksmanship
  Savant 96
  Melee Weapons [1-handed]
  Master 1
  Melee Weapons [2-handed]
  Adept 1
  Melee Weapons [Thrown]
  Professional 64
  Ranged Weapons [1-handed]
  Savant 34
  Ranged Weapons [2-handed]
  Savant 33
  Ranged Weapons [Heavy]
  Adept 2
- Athletics
  Master 7
  Damage Resistance [Bio-Chemical]
  Novice 54
  Damage Resistance [Energy]
  Savant 6
  Damage Resistance [Physical]
  Adept 75
  Damage Resistance [Sonic]
  Novice 2
  Damage Resistance [Thermal]
  Novice 2
  Hand to Hand
  Master 79
  Martial Art: Beskar'pel
  Professional 92
  Martial Art: Beskar'rev
  Professional 92
  Martial Art: Teräs Käsi
  Adept 76
  Swimming
  Professional 62
- Astrogation
  Professional 75
  Piloting [Atmospheric]
  Professional 17
  Piloting [Space]
  Master 56
  Riding [4-legged]
  Novice 73
- Lockpicking
  Novice 16
  Sleight of Hand
  Novice 53
  Stealth
  Master 5
- Computer [Electronics]
  Professional 94
  Computer [Programming]
  Professional 98
  Computer [Slicing]
  Professional 95
  Mechanics [Blasters]
  Professional 25
  Mechanics [Droids]
  Professional 99
  Mechanics [Engines]
  Professional 74
  Mechanics [Fighters]
  Professional 43
  Mechanics [Lightsaber]
  Professional 23
  Mechanics [Speeders]
  Adept 52
  Mechanics [Starships]
  Master 69
- Language [Basic]
  Prodigy 67
  Language [Binary]
  Professional 1
  Language [Durese]
  Novice 13
  Language [German]
  Adept 12
  Language [Huttese]
  Professional 21
  Language [Mando'a]
  Professional 91
  Language [Rodese]
  Novice 17
  Language [Ryl]
  Adept 27
  Language [Shaddaboranese]
  Professional 27
  Language [Sullustese]
  Novice 25
  Language [Togruti]
  Adept 4
- Anatomy [Duros]
  Novice 17
  Anatomy [Human]
  Professional 27
  Anatomy [Ithorian]
  Novice 13
  Anatomy [Rodian]
  Novice 13
  Anatomy [Sullustan]
  Novice 15
  Anatomy [Togruta]
  Novice 12
  Anatomy [Trandoshan]
  Novice 12
  Anatomy [Twi'lek]
  Novice 35
  Anatomy [Yuuzhan Vong]
  Novice 36
  Anatomy [Weequay]
  Novice 2
  Anatomy [Zabrak]
  Novice 37
  Forensics
  Adept 28
  Medicine [First Aid]
  Professional 89
  Medicine [Hospital]
  Adept 12
- Combined Arms Warfare
  Adept 52
  Planetary Warfare
  Novice 46
  Small Unit Warfare
  Master 78
  Warfare [Space]
  Adept 1
- Concentration
  MAXED
  Composure
  68/100
  Danger Sense
  59/100
  Meditation
  MAXED
  Teaching
  Savant 76
- Deception
  Master 51
  Intimidation/Taunting
  Master 39
  Lie Detection
  Master 49
  Musical Instrument [Synthtar]
  Adept 79
  Negotiation
  Professional 91
  Perception
  Professional 77
  Persuasion
  Savant 12
  Seduction/Flirting
  Professional 27
  Singing
  Professional 64
  Survival
  Master 5
- Foreplay
  Adept 65
  Kissing
  Adept 92
  Massage
  Novice 75
  Oral
  Adept 69
  Sex
  Adept 82
  Sexual Endurance
  Professional 27
- Cleaning
  Professional 42
  Cooking
  Adept 58
  Economics
  Adept 34
- Novice -> Adept -> Professional -> Master -> Savant -> Prodigy
Control Sense Alter Odds Restrictions
- Absorb Energy [Tutaminis]
  Novice 1 [LOCKED]
  Alchaka
  Master 75
  Breath Control
  MAXED
  Control Pain
  Novice 57
  Dark Side Suppression
  Savant 76
  Enhance Senses
  MAXED
  Enhance Skill
  MAXED
  Enhance Stat
  MAXED
  Empathic Shield
  MAXED
  Force Aura
  Novice 45
  Force Enlightenment
  Novice 1 [LOCKED]
  Force Fury
  Novice 98
  Heal
  Professional 67
  Negate Hunger
  Master 76
  Purge Toxin
  Novice 87
  Restore Stamina
  MAXED
  Silence
  MAXED
  Speed
  MAXED
  Serenity
  MAXED
  Tapas
  MAXED
  Telepathic Shield
  MAXED
  Valour: Active
  Adept 97
  Valour: Passive
  MAXED
- Bullet-Time [Reflex]
  MAXED
  Comprehend Speech
  MAXED
  Detection
  MAXED
  Empathy
  MAXED
  Force Attune
  MAXED
  Force Fear
  Novice 1 [Locked]
  Precognition
  MAXED
  Psychometry
  Novice 15
  Sever Force
  Novice 1
  Sight
  MAXED
  Sense Force
  MAXED
  Shatterpoint
  Professional 1 [LOCKED]
  Telepathy
  Master 59
  Vision
  Novice 28
- Aerokinesis
  Professional 15
  Alter Mind
  Novice 1[LOCKED]
  Barrier
  MAXED
  Battle Meditation: Active
  Adept 81
  Battle Meditation: Passive
  MAXED
  Blast
  Professional 22
  Camouflage
  Professional 1
  Cloak
  MAXED
  Compulsion [Mind Trick]
  Master 97
  Control Beast
  Master 1
  Cryokinesis
  Professional 56
  Deadly Sight
  Novice 1 [Locked]
  Deflection
  Professional 23
  Dominate Mind
  Novice 1[LOCKED]
  Electrokinesis
  Professional 21
  Force Affliction
  Novice 1
  Force Crush
  Master 10
  Force Drain
  Novice 1
  Force Persuasion
  Savant 6
  Force Plague
  Novice 1 [Locked]
  Force Scream
  Novice 1
  Force Slow [Force Weaken]
  Prodigy 12
  Geokinesis
  Professional 15
  Hydrokinesis
  Professional 15
  Illusion
  Master 86
  Inanimate Conversion [Matter Rearrangement]
  Savant 1
  Inertia
  Prodigy 89
  Ionize
  Novice 84
  Jump
  MAXED
  Levitation
  MAXED
  Lightning
  Novice 97
  Lightsaber Telekinesis
  Novice 1[LOCKED]
  Mind Probe
  Novice 1
  Object Enhancement
  MAXED
  Oral Projection
  MAXED
  Phase
  MAXED
  Plant Control
  Savant 41
  Physical Enhancement
  MAXED
  Pyrokinesis
  Professional 65
  Restore
  Novice 17
  Repulse /Shockwave
  Novice 1[LOCKED]
  Stun
  Master 61
  Suppression
  MAXED
  Telekinesis
  MAXED
  Teleport
  Master 85
  Wave/ Whirlwind
  Novice 1
- Oneness
  Novice 1 [LOCKED]
- Tutaminis: Until Deflection = Master 1
  Alter Mind: Until Compulsion = Savant 1, Mind Probe + Telepathy = Professional 1
  Dominate Mind: Until Telepath, Alter Mind and Mind Probe = Master 50
  Lightsaber Telekinesis: Until TK, Lightsaber [style], Makashi, Soresu, Shien, Djem-So are all = Master 1
  Repulse/Shockwave: Until Wave =Professional 1
  Deadly Sight: Until Force Sight is Prodigy 1, Pyrokinesis to Savant 1 and Force Plague is Master 1
  Force Plague: Until Force Affliction is Master 1
  Force Fear: Until Compulsion is Master:1 and Alter Mind is Pro 1
  Force Enlightenment: Until Valour: Active is Savant 1
  Psychometry: Locked at Professional 1 unless a Perk is taken to gain a natural affinity for the power.
  Shatterpoint: Locked at Professional 1 unless a Perk is taken to gain a natural affinity for the power.
Perks Player Powers Titles
- Ambidextrous
  Boosted Growth [2/3] [20% extra XP]
  Eidetic Memory
  Empathy
  Enhanced Regeneration
  Heart of the Force [1/2]
- Heart of the Force [2/2]
  Inventory
  Observe
  Player's Body
  Player's Mind
  Silent Interface
  Upgraded Minimap
- Jedi [2/5]
  Leader [6/10]
  Mando'ade
  Mtael
  The Player
(Letter under a quest is its rating)

Cash in Hand [¤]
[ B]
Time to earn some cash

Changing Fate [Anakin] [¤]
[S***]
Can you prevent the rise of Darth Vader?

Changing Fate [Dooku] [¤]
[A]
Can you change the fate of the Jedi known as Count Dooku?

Changing Fate [Giiett] [¤]
[ B]
Ensure that Master Giiett lives long enough to be useful to you.

Changing Fate [Qui-Gon] [¤]
[ B]
Can you delay the death of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn?

Changing Fate [Sifo-Dyas] [¤]
[ B]

Can you prevent or delay the death of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas?
Flight of the Owl [¤]
[ B]
Prevent Bo-Katan Kryze from joining Death Watch

Force to the Max [¤]
[C]
Max out your abilities Force

Forge your own Path
[N/A]
What will you do with your life?
Unlike most quests, some of the objectives here are mutually exclusive.

Hope of the Borans [¤]
[ B]
Can you help save a race?

Just Don't Get Caught [¤]
[C]
If you want to read secure files, you need to be better with computers.

Knight Before Queen [¤]
[C]
Can you beat Padmé to rank up?

Pre-emptive Strike [¤]
[ B]
Find a way to handle Pre Vizsla before the outbreak of galactic war

Rebuilding a Hunter-Killer: Part 1 [¤]
[C]
Restore the legendary droid, HK-47, to basic combat ability.

Skilled to the Max [¤]
[D]
Max out your skills

Sister of the Night [¤]
[A]
Deal with Asajj Ventress before the outbreak of the Clone Wars

The Promise of the Fallen [ꝏ]
[ B]
Prove yourself to the one who was known as Revan

Training Superiority [¤]
Variable
Win some training duels while a Padawan.

Tremors of the Ancient Sith Empire
[S***]
Investigate the former capital of the Sith Empire that Revan tried to end then which later launched an all-out war on the Republic.

You Can't Hurt Me. [¤]
[ B]
Time to be (almost) unhurtable.

[ƍ] = Mission Quests Given when assigned a mission by another (HC, Senate, etc) Evolves as time passes
[ꝏ] = Revan Quests Quests linked to Revan, his history and the path he wishes to guide Cam towards Cam be granted by other Force Ghosts?
[ ] = Incident Quests Quests generated by the interface to reward/punish Cam for how he handles a situation/battle/event. Also used for quests given to suggest a path to take.
[¤] = User Defined Quests Quests Cam creates for himself. Generally short-term goals that the interface uses to reward Cam for an action he chooses.
[ɸ] = Challenge Quest Generated when someone challenges Cam to a duel/complete a task. Generally, this relates to something that must be done in a certain timeframe.
...
Training Quests
Training quests will not be listed below. These quests are linked to a skill's stratum and level, with no quest for the next stratum being available if the skill is level 50 or higher in the current stratum. There are 6 strata;
Novice, Adept, Professional, Master, Savant, Prodigy
...
Training Quests are only available from the Adept stratum upwards. The names of the quests based on strata aimed for is as such; Training Quest name:
Trainee, Competent, Expert, Generational, Legendary
targeted Strata aimed for:
Adept, Professional, Master, Savant, Prodigy

Ayashi · Mar 31, 2023

It'd be nice to have the description of the perks/powers. For example i don't remember what heart of the force, battle meditation (passive vs active), or Mtael actually do.

TriedgeThePK · Mar 31, 2023

Kinda thought he would be a bit higher in level after the shit with the Vong went down, at least low to mid 30s.

USSExplorer · Mar 31, 2023

Ayashi said:
For example i don't remember what heart of the force, battle meditation (passive vs active), or Mtael actually do.

Heart of the Force was the Perk/Player Power combo that lifted his Force Potential from Very High to Extreme. (though still just under Anakin's)
Battle Meditation: Passive is what Bastila does in KOTOR (and the more common use of the power)
BM:Active: Has less range and costs more, but can be used while doing other things, like fighting.
Mtael is the title the Lokella gave to him. It's in Togruti and means Nature's Chosen.

TriedgeThePK said:
Kinda thought he would be a bit higher in level after the shit with the Vong went down, at least low to mid 30s.

PArty mechanics devolve combat XP (intentionally done to avoid insane levelling by warfare) but the quest gave a huge XP reward. At lower levels, that would've meant 2-4 levels easily, but each level costs more than the previous one.

That said, he's got to quests due up early next year with one, Hope of the Borans, offering massive potential XP based on its initial setup. (which, looking back on it, was too generous, but not going to retcon it).

JohnSmithMIB · Apr 1, 2023

Great story, I'm really liking how you've balanced skill growth with increasing challenges and problem scope. You've also done a great job explaining why most shortcuts using future knowledge wouldn't work out as cleanly as other fics wish.

As far as this last arc, good location and enemy. The Vong are always tough. I am a bit disappointed Cam didn't try to take out the crew of the second scout ship/transport after his team had cleared the first one. Or have a sequence where they scout that Vong ship during the first encounter. Some internal/detailed scans, video, or skills related to their tech (since stealing the whole ship would be unlikely at first) could have come in handy. Refrigerated sample for Vong weapons, body armor, or the poison also would have been nice long term sort of things to have at some point from the arc (worst case having large chunks inventoried seems like a decent fallback). Samples for cloning, grafting, growth tests all would have helped whichever scientists Cam thought best. Look what I found in my new ship's freezer, the locals must've done it

As his own ship matures it'd be cool if he's able to work with some bio specialist Jedi and figure out how to create offspring. Something like a copilot/astromech droid that gradually grows to fighter sized would be really neat.

I'm also surprised he didn't try to do some more teleportation, having a decent feel for a ship configuration + thermal detonators that'll destroy anything in a 6m radius feels like it'd be able to gut a "power-plant" or conference room. With force camo more infiltration feels like something he'd attempt. Depending on his TK and focus; planting a thermal detonator in a landed ship and then triggering it after takeoff could have been an option (it being the Vong maybe targeting the main Dovin Basals would work better for disabling them). Unrelatedly, stealing a small Dovin Basal and grafting it to his ship would have been an unbelievable haul. I also would have thought he'd have gotten a YV language skill at some point or lip-reading.

In general the only two gripes I had were I wish he'd spent more time grinding his healing and damage reduction abilities. Volunteering with healers or at some sort of clinic would probably be good PR with the council too. In any RPG I boost healing so I don't have to pay for healing potions and I can kite my way through dungeons between heal breaks. With the amount of combat he sees and number of times he's mentioned it I'd think he'd get serious about it now if only so he can help his companions. For the damage reduction, self-harm at night seems quiet and easy to grind (outside of sonic). Do we know what the 6th DR category is?

I'm also surprised he hasn't used matter conversion more. A power that let me eventually create beskar, cortosis, knockout, laughing, or nerve gas, or possibly anti-matter feels like it'd be pretty OP when combined with shatter-point. He could convert layers of his own armor or clothing to have specialized weaves. A bunch of beskar spikes or knives also seem like they'd be useful in an ambush for disabling (or distracting) enemies when boulders aren't nearby. Water and Air also can come in handy from time to time.

If Cam's rolling in money some orphanages on mando planets to pump population and small business investment where he doesn't advertise his involvement could also be useful. I don't get the impression he's got terraforming money quite yet but if the Lokella don't have the industry, schools, or resources to support a bunch of orphans it could be something. Ditto help with resource surveying.

TLDR; glad I stumbled onto this story, hit the spot. Good luck with the move. Also glad he finally had sex. His avoidance was becoming tiresome given all the death he was surrounded by.

USSExplorer · Apr 1, 2023

Moran said:
Now he's 15, the quest

Quest Alert!
Just Don't get Caught [User Defined]
If you want to read secure files, you'll need to be better with computers.
Rating: C
Objectives:
Get all 3 Computing skills [Slicing/Programming/Electronics] to Master 1 before your 16th cycle.
Bonus: ?
Bonus: ?
Rewards:
1000XP
Penalties:
Computing Skills are locked for 5 years at their levels at the end of the quest.
Accept?
Yes/No

is close at hand. Does the Interface gives any notice when a longterm quests almost reaches its deadline?

No, it doesn't. Would spoil TPTB's fun if it did. Though that was the other quest with Hope of the Borans that's due up early next year (in-story). Mentioned it a message or two before yours, iirc.

Moran said:
A clear indication that he picked Boosted Growth Mark 2 offscreen(?). Shame he didn't pick Bookworm.

A poll for it was taken on Discord a long while ago. Boosted Growth Mk2 won in a landslide...

Moran said:
You forgot to add Force Aura. If it counts as a Force Power.

My bad. Added in now to Control powers

JohnSmithMIB · Apr 1, 2023

Outside of the order hacking also seems to be a good money cheat and/or way to screw over bad guys from a distance.

a) I'm sure internal affairs would like to know this
b) I'm sure this new politician would like a tip with proof on a corrupt incumbent they can start verifying
c) personal files suggest his datapad spent a lot of time near Y, might be a secret base

USSExplorer · Apr 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: 1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

Knightly Diplomacy 1
… …

"Ah, there you are Cameron. I was beginning to fear you'd gotten lost somewhere in the Temple."

Master Giiett's words made the others in the room with him turn toward me and scattered chuckles echoed across the room as I entered. We were all here for a lesson with the Council Master and I was the last to arrive.

When I first arrived at the Temple eight years ago, I'd thought that all the training of a Padawan was handled by their Master. However, I'd soon learnt that this wasn't the case. Many Knights and Masters, while capable of handling the majority of a Padawan's teachings, couldn't explain everything about every subject. Thus, classes with other Jedi Masters took place wherein any Padawan was free to join a lesson, though the sizes were kept low and the Padawan's Master needed to be informed before they joined the class.

Currently, apart from time spent with Battlemaster Drallig in the training area as one of his assistants, I attended lessons with around eight other Jedi. Three of those eight stood out as they sat on the High Council; Saesee Tiin, Plo Koon and Micah Giiett.

Master Tiin's were focused on piloting smaller craft, with a focus on the few starfighter models the Order currently had. Of the group of eight, I was by far and away the weakest pilot, lacking the natural inclination toward it that most of the others had. However, Master Tiin had explained privately that he'd asked for me to be assigned to this class because of the bond I shared with Raven. That would, he felt, grant me an edge in piloting that few others in the Order could match; at least not those with a natural inclination toward flying.

While all that made sense, and I'd seen a big improvement in my piloting skills, I suspected one reason he'd made sure I was assigned to his class was to gain more access to Raven. He'd even had me pilot the ship several times for the class to show them what a bond between ship and pilot could look in a way they'd never considered before.

Oddly, Tiin wasn't the only Council member who enjoyed flying on Raven and as such, I'd become something of the de-facto pilot for the Council whenever one or more of them needed to travel somewhere on the planet. Usually, that was just to the Senate building, but I enjoyed getting to fly with Raven and she adored being airborne. Hell, each time we flew I could feel her wanting to go higher, to leave the atmosphere, and feel the unfiltered solar rays of the stars upon her skin once again.

While I'd only been able to do that a few times, mainly when Tiin was onboard as he seemed able to sense Raven's delight at entering space, I'd made so many trips to the Senate building over the last few months that the guard there knew me by name. Still, while waiting around in Raven for whichever Council member I was ferrying was boring, it still gave me time with her, and it was better than about sixty per cent of the things I did in the Temple.

Of the classes I took with other Jedi, Master Koon's were the most normal. At least in the sense of what I'd expect we'd be getting taught if we couldn't use the Force. I'd been asked to join this class by the Council after Zonama Sekot, and at first, I'd wondered why, but the reason had become apparent quite quickly. Master Koon taught classes on the sciences in this universe. What we were learning was far and away beyond anything I could've potentially learnt on Earth, but they were only the equivalent of secondary-school-level science in the Republic.

However, one of the major benefits of the lesson was that they explained, in scientific terms, how my elemental powers, in particular Electrokinesis, worked. It'd also given me new ideas about how to use them, and Force Lightning, though I'd not tried out the ideas for the latter power since using a Dark Side power in the Temple would be beyond stupid.

I also discovered that Master Koon had a form of Electrokinesis himself, which he called Electric Judgement, and through a few private lessons, I'd been shown new ways to use the Force to control the power I was unleashing.

The classes with Master Giiett were odd, though not in a way I didn't enjoy. He seemed to enjoy teaching skills and approaches to problems that were geared towards those who couldn't or wouldn't, use the Force. All in all, the lessons reminded me of some of the base training programs with the SAS for their unorthodoxy. Though Giiett was far nicer and more patient than any of my former instructors had been. Plus, while his lessons all obeyed the Code in how they were to be used, I could see ways to use them that might be used that certainly didn't. Thus, as usual, I was curious about what we'd learn today; at least after whatever little test he'd arranged to start the lesson with.

"I'm sorry, Master, but Master Bestom wished to speak with me regarding Raven. We became a little lost in conversation and I lost track of time," I replied.

Master Bestom was one of the Jedi responsible for maintaining the small fleet of vessels the Order had, and the one most responsible for looking after Raven when I wasn't around. Other than coming to adore her almost as much as I did, he was a fairly nondescript Jedi; only standing out due to his orange skin, which was less common for an Iridonian Zabrak.

"Quite understandable, she is a marvel," Giiett spoke with a wide smile and indicated the cushions set in a semi-circle around a small table that was between him and the Padawans. The table held four cups, though there appeared to be nothing in them.

I moved forward and took a seat next to Sia-Lan Wezz. She was the only person I'd known personally when I'd first started attending these classes as we'd been in Dragon Clan as Initiates. While she was closer to Serra than she was to me, I still considered her a friend; just not a very close one. Of the other four, I'd sparred with three at some point over the last few years. They had all been easy to defeat, much like Sia-Lan – who hated that I was not only better than her but improving faster – but since I'd not gloated about it, and often offered hints to help in later sessions, none seemed to dislike me.

"And here I thought you and Serra had snuck off somewhere," Sia-Lan teased in a voice just loud enough that I was sure the others heard. I rolled my eyes at the girl's behaviour. While she was close with Serra, she did enjoy needling us about how close we seemed. Or at least trying to. Thanks to Darihd among others, I knew that when Serra had first come back to the Temple after her Verd'goten, Sia-Lan and Rachi Sitra had both angered Serra.

That was in the past now though as in my time back in the Temple, and after getting reacquainted with Serra, I knew she could handle the teasing. Hell, she often shot back that the other girls were jealous of our friendship. While that didn't seem to irritate Sia-Lan, I had sensed some interesting emotions from Rachi. Then again, I sensed some from Serra as well, but I'd not acted or asked about them. Mainly as, for the last week or so, I'd been keeping my distance from Serra while she worked through the knowledge that I'd fucked Bo regularly while on Zonama Sekot.

Serra had, much to my surprise, not lashed out upon hearing that. Instead, she'd seemed relieved to know it wasn't just her imagination. Yet even though she seemed outwardly fine, through the emotions I sensed from her through our bond, and with liberal usage of Observe, I knew she was conflicted about things. Hence why I was giving her space to work through her issues privately.

"Why? You thinking of joining us?" I shot back at Sia-Lan, letting my eyes wander over her ample frame. While she was attractive and had some enticing assets, I wasn't that interested in her. Still, I wouldn't stop her if she took her shot, and I enjoyed the rush of blood that came to her face.

"What are the cups for, Master?" The question came from Veeps, a Gran, and cut off anything that Sia-Lan might contemplate saying back.

The question drew a smirk from Giiett which had me interested if not a little apprehensive as some of Giiett's lessons were odd. Enjoyable, but odd. "Just a simple game, Veeps, to pass the time." That did nothing to ease the growing apprehension in me. Giiett picked up one of the cups and held it so we could see there was nothing inside, he then repeated this with the other cups. "As you can see, each cup is identical," he turned each one upside down, which reminded me of an old con game from Earth. One hand slipped into a pocket. "Here I have four pebbles," he continued as he opened his hand. "Three white and one black."

I watched as he showed the stones to us. The game I'd played in my former life had been favoured by Jimmy, one of my former squad mates. He'd often played his game to kill downtime and we'd wager on duties around the base camp or HQ that we didn't want to do. It seemed that Giiett was about to play the same game, but with the Force to help him. While I had little interest in playing anything like Sabacc with any regularity, learning how to subtly use the Force to help my odds wasn't a lesson I was going to turn down.

"Each white stone goes under one cup," Giiett continued as he did exactly as he said, which only increased my curiosity and I began reaching out with the Force, trying to sense what was under the cups. "As does the black one," he added as he slipped the last stone under the last cup. "The object of the game is to keep track of the cup with the black stone."

"That's easy," muttered another of the Padawans, a Human male named Calard Aseld, however, my attention wasn't on him or Giiett. No, it was on the cups. Giiett hadn't started to move them, but I knew he was up to something; likely he hoped to shift our attention away from the cups and then use the Force to distort our ability to track the cup with the black stone.

As much as I wanted to, tracking the stone via its colour was beyond me. Hell, it was beyond my masters and from how they'd phrased it, to use the Force that subtly was an ability that required a connection to and trust in the Force that few ever achieved.

"Then let us see if it is." With that, Giiett started moving the cups. "It may require all of your powers to keep track of the right cup," he added as his hands moved rapidly. The Force was enhancing his reflexes as the cups were all but a blur unless one also drew on the Force - or were from a race with massively superior eyesight than a Human. "This game, among others, is popular in the Outer Rim with gamblers. Often huge sums are wagered on the outcome, even the fate of entire planets on occasion." My brow rose at hearing that, and I almost took my attention from the cups. Surely, he was teasing as the idea that the fate of a world could be determined by a simple back-alley game was… disturbing.

"Of course, as Jedi, it would be unethical to engage in such acts willingly. And certainly not if we were to use our training to help alter an outcome in our favour." My mind instantly recalled Qui-Gon's trick with the chance dice as proof that wasn't true. "However, there is a chance that, on some future mission to some random point far in the Rim, you may be placed in a situation where you are forced to engage in such a game of chance against more ethically-challenged sentients." Yeah, that was a good way to describe Watto I realised as the cups continued to move at incredible speed, though it wasn't anywhere near fast enough that I struggled to track the correct cup. Nor did I think my fellow Padawans were struggling to do so either.

"There! Done!" Giiett called out as the cups suddenly stopped moving and he removed his hands from them. "Where is the…" He couldn't finish the sentence as five hands thrust out, pointing at the cup that held the black stone. "Oh my, it seems I'm losing my touch," he muttered with a smile which set off alarm bells in my head and made me glad I'd held my hand back enough that I wasn't pointing at the cup, though it was clear I thought the cup everyone agreed upon with the correct one.

"N-no, Master," Replied Sia-Lan with uncharacteristic weakness. "You moved the cups quickly. However, as you said, we have training in the ways of the Force to help us."

Giiett smiled, seemingly accepting her words. He moved his hand toward the cup that had the black stone only to stop about halfway there. "Is something the matter, Cameron?"

That had everyone looking at me, making it obvious my hand hadn't fully pointed at the cup where the black stone was. Or should be at any rate.

I took a moment to gather my thoughts before replying. "This is too easy. You used the Force to move the cups faster than any of us could track if we also didn't use the Force to guide us. Yet, you could've gone faster. I'm sure of that. That is the cup you placed the black stone under, yet at the same time, it can't be. It's far too obvious."

Giiett's smile grew wider, though it offered no hint if my thought process was right or wrong. "Then let us see." He picked up the cup, showing that the stone under it was white instead of black.

"How?"

The Council member laughed at the confused comment from Calard and the expressions the other Padawans wore. "As Cameron said, the game was easy," he explained as he started turning over the other cups. "Even for a Padawan, tracking the location of an object moving at great speed and hidden is a relatively simple exercise. Though you cannot track the colour as that is something few Jedi can."

"They're all white!" Sia-Lan spat out as the last cup was overturned, which drew another chuckle from Giiett.

"But where is the black stone?" Veeps asked as confusion radiated off the other Padawans.

"Either he never put it under the cup," I began slowly, once more drawing everyone's attention as I voiced my suspicions, "or he somehow used the Force to trick our senses into believing there was a black stone where there wasn't."

"He used the Force to hide it from us! Most impressive Master!" That came from Shim Pod, who until this point had been quiet, and made me shake my head.

"Did he? Or did we just assume, having seen the black stone earlier and the three white stones go under the other cups clearly, that the last stone must be black?" I reached forward and with my outstretched hand, tapped one of Giiett's. The same one that hadn't turned any of the cups yet had been the one that moved the black cup around most of the time.

Giiett's smile grew wider and he laughed as he turned over his hand and opened his palm, revealing the black stone within. "Well done, Cameron. It's a rare thing when a Padawan sees through the trick," he said as the others all looked on with various expressions of disbelief. He then looked at the others. "Cameron didn't use the Force to determine where the black stone was. He instead questioned his assumptions and expectations of what he thought he knew instead of trusting them blindly." Giiett tossed the black stone up and caught it when he fell. "Sometimes a trick is just a trick."

The other Padawans looked among themselves, taking on board the lesson. As they did that, Giiett collected up the cups and other stones, and after stacking them, placed them slightly behind himself. "Now, for today I'd like you to think about how, like with that game, one can be blinded, whether by the Force, nature, or others, when we assign what we believe should happen to a problem."

I smiled as he spoke. Giiett was different from the other teachers I'd had in the Order, offering lessons that most wouldn't think about yet were critical to surviving the galaxy that existed outside the hallowed walls of the Temple. Yes, he was a devoted follower of the Council's decisions and an ardent believer in the Code as it currently was interpreted, but he was such an out-of-the-box thinker compared to the others, that I couldn't help but enjoy his classes.

Sometimes I did wonder if I'd have been better served by becoming his Padawan. However, when I arrived at the Temple, he'd already taken Bultar Swan. Plus, if I'd somehow been assigned to him, I'd have gone mad at the idea of being stuck in the Temple and unable to do anything.

… …

… …

I scampered back, my lightsaber coming up and tapping away the probing thrust of the blue lightsaber of my opponent. However, they were ready for this and as my blade touched their azure one, they twisted their wrist and slid their blade down mine.

One of my feet shifted, and I turned to ensure the attack slid away from me and then pushed the blade away. That created an opening for me, and I flicked my wrist, redirecting my lightsaber toward them. However, before my blade was even halfway through the move, they leapt high, the Force pushing them upward.

Their blade moved, as even while they were airborne, it attacked, dragging toward my shoulder as its wielder sailed over me. I was forced to drop low and pivot to avoid the tip of their blade, and the shift meant that I wasn't ready to counterattack before they'd landed with a grace few beings could match. Still, there was a small chance I could score a strike against them, which would be my very first, and I thrust forward, aiming low for their legs.

Yet even as my blade moved, so did theirs. It came from higher, aiming toward my exposed head. The velocity it moved meant I barely had time to stop my attack and withdraw, the heat of the blade near my cheek making clear just how close I'd come to getting a minor burn.

The blade came down, hoping to catch me somewhere else, but my lightsaber was back in time to push that probing strike aside. Sparks flew between her blue blade and my dual-cored one. Those almost distracted me with the way they seemed to enhance her beauty, drawing attention to the colour of her skin and the way her robes caught against her skin, hinting at the figure that was under there.

I didn't get lost in the view as she shifted her wrist and her blade stabbed forward. I tapped it away even as I slid back, regaining my stance as I left my crouched position. She stepped forward even as her arm and blade moved as one. My blade came up, deflecting one attack, then gliding around another. Her attacks increased in speed, forcing me to my limit and if not for being able to use the Force to enhance my reactions and body, I'd have been skewered so many times in under a minute I'd look like a pin cushion.

Eventually, I was able to generate some space between us, granting me a moment of reprieve. The only reason I wasn't blinded by sweat was Gamer's Body. Still, it was clear to me, as it had been in each of our previous three dozen spars over the last few weeks, that I was going to lose badly. While I had the technical ability to keep up with her, I lacked the grace, fluidity, and instinctual connection to the Force she, like almost all Jedi Masters, held. Though she was beyond others in that grace, being almost mesmerising as she moved around me, guiding me to where she knew the kill strike would come.

The short reprieve ended when she surged forward, her blade whipping in low to my leg. I slid the leg back, yet as I did so, her blade shifted direction, the tip now bearing down on my gut. My lightsaber came down, applying just enough pressure to ensure the tip of her blade wouldn't land. Her arm and wrist moved, turning the blade, and even as I attempted to guide it away, it slid under my blade.

Left with no choice, I leapt back and spun, using the Force to try and restore the distance between us. My lightsaber trailed behind me, shielding my back from the likely angles of attack, though none came as I landed and whipped my lightsaber around, generating speed. Dooku would likely have disliked my usage of that manoeuvre, but I wasn't staying as a pure Makashi practitioner like him and it'd felt like the right move to use at that point in the spar.

However, before I could bring my lightsaber around for a Djem So strike, my eyes widened. The tip of her blade was sailing toward my face, aimed for the bridge of my nose. I altered the angle of my swing and brought my lightsaber around, slapping away the attack. However, that left me off-balance and all it took was the seemingly simplest of flicks of her wrist for me to feel a burst of pain from my wrist. Having grown used to the stab of pain, I retained control of my lightsaber, but I knew there'd be a slight burn against my skin that I'd need to heal. Along with four others from her earlier strikes.

"And that is the spar," I grunted in annoyance at once more losing to master Shaak Ti. My free hand slipped behind me and I used the Force to push myself forward slightly, preventing me from ending the spar on my arse. Though if she'd used another move with more power behind it, I'd have not been able to prevent that from happening.

Her blade pulled back and she depowered it and I did the same, once more glad for Gamer's Body and the way it altered how I reacted to being tired. Without it, I'd be doubled over panting, however, I was able to remain standing. Even if my breathing was faster and deeper than when the spar had begun.

She stepped closer, a smile spreading across her face. "You are getting more comfortable with adapting velocities into your base form," she said softly. "However, always remember that the best option is often the simplest one. There is little need for anything extravagant unless it is designed to disorient your opponent. Being overly complex or flashy may expose a weakness that an opponent can exploit."

I nodded in acceptance of her words. "Yes, Master." Even as she spoke, my mind was replaying the spar for the first time – though not the last – to see what I could've done better. I picked out one such moment, back when I'd only been losing two-zero – the final score, as always, was five-zero – where I'd chosen to leap over her, twisting as I'd done so. However, unlike her doing that near the end of the fifth point, I'd spun too rapidly and left myself unstable, which had allowed her to score an easy point. Just comparing what I'd done to what she'd done made it clear how I'd fucked up, and how a simpler, more basic slide withdrawal would've left me in a more defensible position.

Shaak's smile grew, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with attempting something new in the sparring ring. That is, after all, why they exist. You just need time and practice to better feel the flow of the Force in a battle; to sense when to attack, when to feint, or when to defend. That said, your Makashi is, as always, technically flawless. Plus, I saw more hints of the adaption of various Ataru and Djem So stances and velocities in your style today. While you still have some distance to go until they feel as natural as they should, your progress, as always, is nothing short of remarkable." She withdrew her hand and shook her head gently, making her montrals shift. "The only oddity to your form, which you are well aware of, is how you always feel mechanical; as if the Force isn't able to guide you properly. However, like Master Dooku, I am sure this is a simple mental block you will eventually overcome. You know and can complete velocities from the base five forms that almost all Jedi, even Masters on the Council or with decades spent in a sparring ring, struggle to perform. Once you learn to trust in yourself and the Force and add some flair to your movements, I have little doubt you will join the ranks of our greatest lightsaber duellists."

I nodded at her words which, while kind, were the same ones she had been saying since our first spar. And carried the same gist as Dooku when he commented on my lightsaber skill, even if they came in a sweeter tone from a far more attractive visage. However, the fact that even with a maxed Makashi skill, and others in the high Professional range – at least – that I couldn't even score a point against either was driving me to fucking distraction. Now, against other Padawans, or the handful of Knights I'd sparred with, it wasn't obvious. But against anyone on Shaak Ti's or Dooku's level, it was beyond a fucking joke.

Hell, barring Master Donjo Hipato, I'd failed to score a point against any Master in the ring. The only reason I'd managed to do that against Hipato was that he was newly risen to the rank and focused more on his studies than on using a lightsaber. However, of all the Masters I'd sparred with since returning to the Temple, Shaak Ti was the dominant one. Hell, I'd sparred more with her than every other Master put together, which wasn't a surprise since the idea – if one could call it that – to spar with her came from Dooku.

During one of our holocalls, in which he'd spoken with some optimism that Komari Vosa might be approaching a point where she could be of use, he'd insisted I speak with and spar regularly against Shaak Ti. He considered her one of the predominant Makashi practitioners in the Order, which was high praise, and while he disliked her adapting Ataru footwork and velocities into Makashi, he felt she'd be a useful tutor and sparring partner for me to learn more about the style I was developing for myself.

While I hated losing every damn time, I couldn't deny that the sessions were helping; to the point where the only reason to spar a new Padawan was for the small amount of XP that I got from the Training Superiority quest. The only time a Padawan spar had pushed me in any way was when I took on two or more at the same time. Though Battlemaster Drallig wasn't keen on me doing that regularly because it might be seen as arrogance by others in the Order.

"Hmm, perhaps…"

"Master Ti." She was cut off from whatever she was about to say by the new voice. As we turned to them, I saw it was blue-skinned Duros. An earring marked him out as a Padawan, but I couldn't remember meeting him previously. As bad as it sounded, I struggled to differentiate one Duros from the next, save for skin tone, as they had near identical physical features across the entire species. A quick usage of Observe confirmed he was a new Padawan for me to meet, and his name went on the mental list of those I'd yet to spar with. While I could try to get to know him, there were simply too many Padawans, Initiatives, Knights, and Masters in the Order for it to be feasible to become friends with them all. "Forgive the interruption, but the High Council wishes to speak with you when you are free."

"Of course." Shaak turned to me, a smile revealing the sharp teeth of her species. "Until our next spar, Padawan."

I bowed and watched her walk off. Once she was a few steps away, I turned to the Duros, wondering if I could convince him to spar right now. Hopefully, he would as I'd rather not add another name to the nearly thousand-long list of people I'd still had to spar with and defeat; a list I honestly doubted I'd clear before The Clone Wars, or whatever they might be called here if my actions did enough to disrupt what sparked the war, began.

So far, in my time back at the Temple after Zonama Sekot, I'd sparred with a little over a dozen new Padawans, and as expected, defeated them all. Though two older Padawans that should be close to being knighted had taken a second spar to gain the victory. I'd also sparred with a handful of Knights, winning three of those spars. The rest, bar one, had been close enough that I felt I could take them if I sparred them a second time.

While I could've sparred with more Padawans, I'd made sure to keep time set aside for spending with my friends such as Serra, Sia-Lan, Darihd, and Aayla; at least before she'd left with her master on another mission. Often that involved sparring and tutoring them, but it had since moved into discussions on the issues within the Republic. Those had started from a talk with Serra and Darihd about issues they'd seen on Coruscant and beyond. Now our little sessions had about twenty Padawans, with the core coming from Dragon Clan, and we were roughly split in our opinions between seeing a need to do something or following the Council's and Senate's will.

Yet, even without sparring with as many new Padawans as I could, I'd earned nearly 7000XP since returning from Zonama Sekot. When added to the fact I'd passed my sixteenth birthday – and the chunk of XP I regularly got then – and the fact both the Hope of the Borans and Just Don't Get Caught quests had been completed, I'd reached level 29, though only by a few hundred XP.

Reaching level 29 had me curious about what would happen at level 30. Back when the system had updated, it'd told me a final update would take place at level 30 or when I turned eighteen, depending on which came first. It would also be a point when I'd gain a new Player Power Point and I hoped there'd be some new options as while those from last time were interesting, new choices were never a bad thing.

"Padawan Shan," the Duros called out when my mind wandered for a second. "The High Council also wishes to speak with you."

"Huh, ok."

That was a little odd, at least the timing of it. I doubted they wished to speak with me and Shaak Ti at the same time and had merely sent word for both to come to their chamber with Shaak going first due to seniority. The Duros had gotten lucky to find us together in this sparring hall, and as I jogged to catch up with Ti – who'd just reached the doors of the hall – I made a reminder to thank the Duros for this by beating him with ease in a spar.

As I reached the doors and saw Shaak turning back, wondering why I was following, I hoped the Council had a mission for Fay and me. While I was enjoying my time in the Temple, thanks to Shaak and my friends, I knew it wasn't going to be much longer before I started running up the walls wanting something to do. Plus, it'd allow Fenrir a chance to stretch his legs as, ever since we'd left Zonama Sekot, he'd been angsty. To the point that he either spent his time on Raven, with either Simvyl or me. I was growing worried that after the battles with the Vong, he was no longer able to find any sense of peace within the Temple's walls, so a chance to get off-world would do both of us some good.

… …

… …

"Cameron, you were unusually quiet in the Council Chambers," Fay began just after the two of us had followed Shaak Ti into the elevator leading down to the Temple. "Are you comfortable with the mission given to you?"

I looked at her and saw Shaak Ti was also watching me. "I think so. Though given the last few years, and how they've played out, I'm not sure I agree with the Council's choice for it." Instead of, as I'd expected, having different assignments for Shaak Ti and me, they were giving us a joint mission. One on which Fay would not be accompanying us.

In their infinite wisdom, the Council had decided that I was to act as a Senate-approved negotiator for a diplomatic and economic matter deep in the Outer Rim. Shaak Ti was to come along officially to advise me, but I wondered if the Council hadn't sent her to take over if I was unable to handle the assignment. Which given my lack of experience in such matters, was, unfortunately, possible.

Both Jedi Masters smiled at my reply. "The Council often makes choices that can seem, at first, to be perplexing to the Jedi involved. However, I've found that with time to reflect on them afterwards, their choices were generally the correct ones to take." That came from Shaak Ti, though her smile slipped slightly before she continued. "However, I must ask if your companions will be travelling with us as I'm unsure how wise it will be to bring a tuk'ata to diplomatic talks."

I smirked. "He will be coming with us, Master, unless you are entirely set against it. I would prefer not to leave him in the Temple without me as he's been growing agitated ever since our last mission." If Bo was around, I'd happily drop him with her for a few weeks as Bo was the only person outside myself who'd shown any ability to control Fenrir when he didn't want to listen. Thankfully, there'd not been any issues with Fenrir in the Temple, but it was only a matter of time until his patience slipped. Hopefully, he wouldn't try to eat a member of the Order, though if he did, I had a few beings I'd like him to go for simply for the amusement factor.

"It would be best if Fenrir accompanied you, though perhaps exclude him from the talks, if at all possible," Fay offered as the corners of her lips twitched upward. I barely held in a laugh at seeing how a bunch of diplomats would react to Fenrir walking into the room and growling at all of them. "Still, the Force has guided the Council to assign you to this mission, Cameron. While you've shown yourself to be a young man of incredible strength, both physically and mentally, over the last few years, that isn't all there is to being a Jedi. If one's prowess with a lightsaber was what defined a Jedi, I likely wouldn't be considered one." I chuckled at that, though it did bring to mind a discussion I'd had several times with Fay since we'd returned from Zonama Sekot.

I knew she wouldn't pick up a lightsaber again; her reason for lying it down was extremely personal. However, that didn't mean she couldn't take something that wasn't designed to be lethal such as a collapsible baton. Sadly, she'd yet to show any interest in my idea though she wasn't outright dismissive of it.

"It would also do you good to retrain yourself in how you approach this mission," Fay continued. "While I have little doubt that you'll be able to resolve the situation, finding a less antagonistic way to do that would likely please the Council more. It would also show that you can discover solutions that don't require aggressive negotiations."

I smirked at the turn of phrase she'd used there. "I'll try Master, though I worry our hosts won't make that easy." Actually, I was all but sure of it as not only had the Council given me a diplomatic mission, but they'd decided to have me cut my teeth on a real challenge. We were heading to Zygerria; a planet that would, as the Republic slowly unravelled, return to their old ways and attempt to build a slave empire in the Outer Rim.

Just hearing this mission was taking place on Zygerria had me contemplating intentionally torpedoing the talks. However, Fay's words, when coupled with how Windu had phrased the mission as a chance to prove myself, had me wondering if there was more to the Council's choice than I could see. Plus, sending Shaak Ti instead of Fay was a strange play, as with no disrespect to Shaak Ti, Fay was the more renowned diplomat.

Thus, while I disliked the idea of working to help the Zygerrians, I'd do so. At least so long as blame for the failure of the talks couldn't be laid at my doorstep. And if things did require a more aggressive approach… Well, I was sure Fenrir would enjoy the exercise.

… …

… …

I couldn't help but smile as I finally, after over an hour, piloted Raven beyond the range of Coruscanti Planetary Flight Control and she bathed in the solar energy of the planet's star. Because of the sheer number of ships coming, going, and crisscrossing the planet, it took nearly three hours to reach a point where ascending into space was possible. Scarily, if we weren't coming from the Jedi Temple and on Senate business, it may well have taken twice as long to reach a non-reserved climb window.

"This is a truly marvellous vessel," Shaak Ti said warmly with a smile as she sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Not only can one feel the Force flowing through it, but the joy it radiated as we left the atmosphere…" She looked at me, a sense of wonder in her eyes. "Is it true you share a bond with it, similar to the one you share with Fenrir?"

I turned to face her, letting the ship continue on her path. This would take us past the massive Golan Space Defence Platforms (or GSDPs for short) that ringed the capital of the Republic. Those stations dwarfed any ship that approached and, if angered, could reduce anything short of a Star Destroyer to atoms with contemptuous ease. Once we passed the nearest platform, we'd receive our flight path for the system to a point safe for us to enter hyperspace.

While most systems weren't this structured for coming and going within their space, with support for the trillion-plus beings on the planet below having to arrive and depart every hour of every day, it was required here. It was also true in other near-Ecumenopolis worlds such as Corellia which had insanely high population density.

"We do, Master Ti." That made her smile grow, exposing the sharp teeth of her species. I'd seen them on other Togruta and they could look intimidating, but on Shaak, they simply added to her presence; granting her an animalistic beauty. "I had thought the Council had shared that fact with other members of the Order?"

"I was told of it as part of the general information I received concerning you," she chuckled as I felt my brow crease. "Don't worry, there was nothing there that makes me feel you will be unable to complete the assignment given to you. Indeed, hearing of your difficulties on Zonama Sekot, I must congratulate you on how efficiently you did what was needed. It is impressive that you not only survived but also secured the safety of the colonists. However, the report failed to mention the full truth of this wonder of the Force you currently pilot. I was told it was sentient, but I had thought they meant in the way a plant might be. It's clear to me already that it-"

"She. Raven is a she."

Shaak's lips twitched as she inclined her head. "That she is, in many ways, sentient. And that feeling her joy at being free to soar between the stars is something I shall treasure for the rest of my days."

One of my hands stroked the console of the ship, feeling the energy shift underneath in reaction as if Raven was trying to reach out for me. Continual flickers of power caressed my hand, making it clear Raven was overjoyed to have me back piloting her, taking her into the depth of space.

"The inhabitants shared a… unique bond with Sekot," I began slowly, wanting to give Shaak a brief overview of where Raven had come from. "The world they'd found was already connected in ways within the Force that I… cannot describe with words. Even Master Fay had never experienced anything like it, becoming almost giddy with the sensation." Shaak laughed softly at the image I'd painted even as I continued. "We got to understand some of that bond when we began the process that would develop into Raven." Around us, the lights pulsed rapidly, though softly, making clear Raven was just as happy with the outcome as I was. "However, when she was finally ready, not long after she'd first danced among the stars, and I kid you not, the planet jumped to hyperspace."

"I read that in the report, but I admit I'm still struggling to understand how that could even be possible."

I chuckled. "I was there, as was Master Fay, and we still don't fully understand how it worked, so I can understand why the Council struggled to accept this. However, once you eliminate the probable, whatever remains, however impossible, must be the truth."

"Yes, I've heard phrases like that before, though I do believe this is the first time it has ever been applied to a planet."

"Aye. Though when Sekot jumped, Raven… she started to die. The Force, as incredible as it sounds to me even now, guided me to form a bond with her; to save her and us." I shook my head and closed my eyes, letting Raven's presence wash over me. "I mean, it is similar to what I share with Fenrir, and other Jedi share with animals they might have bonded to; yet it's not. It's so much more than…" I sighed and laughed softly, finding a sense of contentment from what I had with Raven. "It's intense, different, and if I had to do it all again, I wouldn't change anything and risk losing this."

Shaak watched me closely, the smile still on her face. "Yes, being here does bring you a sense of peace that I felt was often missing while we were in the Temple." She glanced toward the back of the cockpit, to where Fenrir was happily lounging on the floor in the spot he'd all but claimed as his ever since we'd left Sekot. "And it seems that sense of peace is shared by Fenrir." I couldn't deny that, as the only place Fenrir didn't feel agitated within the Temple was when he was aboard Raven. Hell, even when he was with me in my quarters, whether I was alone or with friends, he was never as relaxed as when he was here.

"I still maintain that there is little need to bring him along; however, I can't deny that it is better that he is here than left behind in the Temple with Master Fay." Shaak's eyes narrowed as she continued, "A legacy of what you experienced on Zonama Sekot?"

"Aye, probably Master." I sighed, and as if knowing I was watching him, Fenrir opened an eye, taking in the room. "The war was difficult on all of us." Fenrir closed his eye and returned to his snooze. I looked away from him and Shaak, gazing out into the void of space. The memories of what we'd endured, what we'd done, came easily to me but I didn't want that; not with Shaak around. I couldn't risk her sensing the well of fury that rested deep inside me. Nor could I consider using Adas' holocron while she was onboard.

It'd been months since I'd last spoken with his gatekeeper, and while I was hesitant to learn too much from him, I knew there were secrets he held that I needed to discover. I didn't plan to turn to the Dark Side – but then again no one ever did – but I knew that to find my path in what was to come, I couldn't limit myself to the teachings of the Jedi. Which I suspected Dooku understood with his comments about me gaining access to holocrons once I was made a Jedi Knight.

Shaak's hand on my shoulder broke me from my thoughts. "War is never easy," she said as I turned to face her. "Still, you should take pride in the fact that not only did you survive when many would not, but you did so while saving your Master and others." Her smile returned as her eyes drifted from me. "Not to mention, you gained a unique vessel that many in the Order are jealous of, as well as a new friend in the Cathar."

"Simvyl is here because of the threat of the Vong," I replied with a frown as I wondered if he was as comfortable as he claimed to be in accompanying me to Zygerria. I could tell he wasn't happy about it, but as he'd said, he'd sworn himself to my side and would go where I did, even if that meant a planet where many of his people had once been enslaved.

Shaak leaned back into the chair; the slight twitching on her face made me suspect she enjoyed as much as I did how the chairs adapted to whoever was sitting in them. "He may have sworn himself to your side because of the Vong, but after what you've shared, it's clear he considers you a friend." She turned back to the viewport. "While he might have little to offer directly to this mission, the Force has guided him to your side. To deny its will and reject the differing voice he can offer in certain situations, would be unwise."

"Yes, Master." I didn't have anything to add, and a comfortable silence fell over the cockpit which was broken by a soft beeping from one of my consoles. "We are cleared to jump," I said as I read the message from Coruscanti Orbital Control.

"Then by all means do so. I am curious to experience how this wonder of the Force reacts to hyperspace."

My smile grew as my hands moved over the consoles. I could feel Raven react as I directed power to the hyperdrive engine. She desired to fly between the stars, to taste the exotic energies as we raced along at faster-than-light velocities. I laughed softly as the engines flared to life and we slipped into hyperspace. While I was apprehensive about the mission, Raven's enjoyment of flying was bleeding into me, and I didn't mind in the least.

… …

… …

I sighed as I leaned back in the pilot's chair of Raven's cockpit. While there was nothing for me to do regarding our flight path as we raced along the Perlimian Trade Route toward Lianna, I had to review the data packet provided by the High Council – via the Senate and Zygerrian government – regarding the situation we were flying into.

In truth, most of the nearly one thousand pages I'd read were completely boring and things that I, quite frankly, didn't give a flying fuck about. After all, why would I want to know the difference between Besh-18 and Dorn-6 power generators, or why two of the parties in these talks were proposing their usage if they won the contract? And what this was, when you boiled it down, was nothing more than a contract offered by the Zygerrians. What made it so important was that instead of offering up hundreds of small contracts for various sectors and interests, the Zygerrians had bundled it all into one massive contract covering everything to do with regenerating their planet, system, and sector.

From building new industrial foundries in certain systems to locating and extracting resources, from regenerating spaceports of various sizes, scopes, and functions across the sector to all but building a self-reliant farming industry; the contract covered it all. Even with my limited understanding of the majority of what the deal entailed, I could see the contract was worth easily northward of a trillion credits a year, spread over ten years, to the winning bid. This explained why the Zygerrians had received over a hundred offers for the contract, which was now filtered down to four.

The length of the contract had caught my attention even before I'd gotten to the players in these talks as ten years would take right up until the eve of the Clone Wars. That meant this contract, while on the surface perfectly fine, was designed to help the Zygerrians regenerate their economy before they moved to re-establish their slave empire. However, as much as I'd like nothing more than to tank the talks simply because of that fact, I couldn't.

With a few more days to think on the matter, I'd become convinced this was a test of some sort from the Council. There were far better choices who were Padawans than me for this, never mind Knights or Masters. Thus, I'd come to two reasons why the Council had given it to me. Either they expected and wanted me to fail, or they wanted proof I could solve issues without resorting to my lightsaber. While I didn't particularly care why they were doing this, Dooku's words about the Holocron vault still rang around my head and were a major driving force in my determination to become a Knight; at least beyond finally getting the freedom to do what I wanted while still being considered a member of the Order.

Therefore, I'd committed myself to somehow finding a solution to these talks. Though after discovering the four players at the final table, I wondered if the Council or the Force was actively trying to fuck with me. Two of them were unknown to me, but the other two were known, although for very different reasons; though both would no doubt be important in the decades to come.

The first, and the one the Council would also be aware I held a tentative connection to, was Mandalmotors. Seeing them at these talks was odd. Not to say that they weren't a powerful company, but compared to the other players, they were a small, regional factor with a very narrow scope of experience and expertise. Outside of being able to help build new starships and atmospheric flyers for the sector, there was little they could handle about the contract.

Of course, what would have concerned the Council was my connection to Mandalmotors, and not just because of my time spent on Mandalore. During the Battle of Keldabe, I'd been the one to end the siege of Mandalmotors headquarters. While I could do nothing about the death of the former CEO of the company, Arde Yomaget, I had avenged his death and that of most of the board of the company. An act that the new head, Dred Yomaget – Arde's son, since the company was controlled by a small number of clans with Clan Yomaget being the dominant one currently – had personally thanked me for.

Dred pushing for this contract had to be a power play. The Mandalore sector was a mess after several years of war, and while there'd be numerous contracts available for Mandalmotors there, Dred was, in my opinion, trying to take the company from a sector-based power into, at the very least, a regional one in the northern arm of the Outer Rim.

While Zygerria was a good distance from Mandalore, the two sectors sat between two of the super-hyperspace lanes of the galaxy: the Hydian Way and the Perlimian Trade Route. Zygerria sat at the northern end of both lanes, connecting to them via the Shaltin Tunnels and the Listehol Run respectfully; with Lianna being the start of the latter. The Mandalore sector sat between them as well, though while there were no official hyperspace routes connecting the sector to the super-hyperspace lanes, I had little doubt the Mandalorians knew of ways to get from one to the other.

Because of my connection to the company, I considered Mandalmotors the most trustworthy of the players, but the least likely to earn the contract. At least if it stayed as one massive one without plans for sub-contracts.

The one company that easily had the financial muscle to take the contract on, and the sub-companies that could likely handle all aspects of it even if I wondered about their quality, was the InterGalactic Banking Clan: or IGBC for short. Since they were, for all intents and purposes, the bank of the entire fucking galaxy, they wouldn't have any issue handling contracts worth as much as this one was. Or bringing in sub-contractors for a fraction of the price they received from the Zygerrians. However, with knowledge of what was to come, the issue with them was obvious.

While they'd been officially neutral in the Clone Wars, IGBC ships had formed a large section of the CIS forces and at least one Muun – who controlled the IGBC – had sat on the Separatist Ruling Council. Having them involved with Zygerria would undoubtedly lead to the pair allying once the war began, which may have been what happened in the canon timeline. However, without the knowledge of what was to come, it was clear the IGBC were the most logical to award the contract to if it couldn't be broken up into smaller parts.

The other two players at these talks were essentially unknown to me, though I'd at least heard of SoroSuub Corporation in passing from reading news feeds. Still, before we'd raced along the Perlemian Trade Route, I'd downloaded everything I could about all four companies from the Holonet, with more focus on SoroSuub and The Adasca BioMechanical Corporation, or Adascorp for short.

SoroSuub was headquartered on Sullust, and given the number of Sullustans they employed, they were likely the unofficial government of the planet and system in all but name, if not the sector. SoroSuub employed somewhere between eighty and ninety per cent of the population of Sullust, and apart from the monopoly that gave them regarding everything in the Sullust system, it made them a well-established mega-corporation. One that was founded before Revan had been born.

Their primary focus was on mineral extraction and refinement, but they held sub-companies that manufactured everything from farming equipment to starships; though those were several steps below those built by Mandalmotors. Still, from what I'd learnt, they'd be able to handle about fifty to sixty per cent of the contract without outside help. The same was true for Adascorp.

Once I'd gotten over the small joke that their shortened name bore a similarity to King Adas – one I knew he wouldn't have liked – I'd dug into their history. They were founded - and still controlled - by the House of Adasca from Arkania with twelve of fifteen senior board members being from the House of Adasca. Though the more interesting element of that was what I'd discovered about the Arkanians.

The Arkanians were heavy into genetic and cybernetic modifications on themselves, with it having reached the point that there were numerous sub-races. Each of them was above a Human baseline, but save for the upper levels of society, most were, in all but name, slaves. However, from what little I could find on the matter those lower classes either weren't aware of this or didn't care, having such dissenting or revolutionary thoughts engineered out of them. The cybernetics they used were always hidden beneath their skin, giving them secret abilities that most wouldn't know about. Thankfully, with Observe, I should be able to determine what implants they – or any delegate at the talks – had, if not the exact nature of those implants.

The race was known throughout the Republic as being incredibly smart, beautiful and graceful with their only psychological weakness, if one could call it that, being the sense of entitlement that came with believing they were superior to every other sentient. While, as a race, they probably were, that wasn't always true on an individual basis. They also had a physical weakness, though they didn't consider it a flaw, in that because their home star was duller than most, they needed to wear blinders in bright light and could easily be blinded by strong flashes. However, the counter was that they could see into the infrared spectrum.

Returning to Adascorp, like SoroSuub, I felt they could handle most of the contract by themselves, though up to perhaps eighty per cent of it. Of course, all players would claim they could manage all of it, but getting an idea of the truth would help me see through the bullshit they will undoubtedly throw around during the talks.

Yet, the more I went over the Zygerrian contract, the more I wondered why they were placing it all in one basket. It would be easy to split it into four, or more, contracts and give each company at the talks one of those. I'd have to speak with the Zygerrians once we arrived about that, but, as HK had put it – while trying to be polite with Shaak around – expecting logic from meatbags was about as wise as expecting a bantha to win a swoop bike race.

I couldn't keep him turned off or hidden in my Inventory as I enjoyed his company far too much, but thankfully he understood that with Shaak onboard, he had to tone down his usual commentary on meatbags. He still used that term though, and Shaak had asked about it. HK had given her a condensed story – omitting names – about it going back to his creator and the creator's assistant, which had been enough for Shaak to accept it, though it was clear she didn't approve of the term. Nor of the fact I had HK, but since he mostly stayed in my quarters and Fay and Dooku were aware of HK, and that it had been a personal gift from Duke Torrhen and that HK had belonged to my family in the past, she accepted the matter. Even if she felt it was a personal possession I shouldn't have.

Simvyl got on with her easier, though he too kept his distance after Shaak had suggested that a peaceful solution with the Vong might have been achievable. That comment, when coupled with others he'd heard around the Temple, had him questioning his choice to become a Ranger. Though it did make him glad he'd sworn himself to the side of one Jedi that knew that sometimes words had no place in a situation.

I'd also spoken with HK to let him know I was almost ready to build him his first new body. That had him excited, even after I explained I wasn't as skilled as Revan when it came to droids. Still, his mood had improved upon hearing that, and he accepted it was wiser to wait until I was knighted and could speak with Bo and Anakin about the plans one final time.

Oddly, HK considered Anakin more useful than Bo, as while the Mandalorian knew her weapons, Anakin was the one who kept suggesting small alterations to improve HK's efficiency. Though it had been some time since I'd discussed the matter with Anakin as I'd rather not do so over the Holonet since I suspected the Sith were monitoring my conversations. While I couldn't cut Anakin out entirely, so long as I kept the topics away from HK and Anakin one day becoming a Jedi, I felt things were as safe as they could be without cutting Anakin out of my life entirely. Which was the last thing I wanted to do. Not least as I couldn't wait until I could hear HK's remarks on the Trade Federation battle droids once he engaged them. Those were going to be priceless.

I chuckled at that thought once more as the doors to the cockpit opened and Shaak Ti entered. I already knew she was coming as the ship was aware of where everyone onboard was. Simvyl was enjoying a quiet meal in his quarters while Fenrir was currently bounding around the cargo bay, burning off some energy.

"How goes the research?" Shaak asked as she moved to the co-pilot's chair, a cup of warm caf in her hand.

My stomach grumbled at the smell. "Slow. On paper, I can see a way to make everyone at least semi-happy, but it would need them to work together and I'm unsure if they'll go for that. Not least, according to the files I've downloaded from the Holonet, it seems there's possibly some bad blood between the IGBC, Adascorp, and SoroSuub. However, I can't find any source of what that might be."

Shaak took a sip of her caf, which irked me as I'd run out about an hour ago and forgotten to grab a fresh cup. "It could be from any of the hundreds of contracts they've competed for over the last few years, or it could go back further. There is little way to know without asking them and somehow drawing an honest answer from them." I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. "However, their issues aren't for you to solve. Your purpose is to find the solution that is most beneficial for the Zygerrians. The Force may offer hints toward how to achieve this, as will I when you require. However, in the end, you are the one who must pass the final judgement on the path Zygerria will take."

That only made me groan again, this time louder and more drawn out. This was going to be a boring as fuck assignment – one I couldn't solve with my lightsaber barring something extraordinary – that I had to endure.

Suddenly leaving the Order and joining Bo on Mandalore didn't sound like such a bad idea.

… …

… …

"How incredibly droll, a threat of violence from a being little better than a thug employed by the Hutts." That harsh comment had come from Hara Adasca, board and House member, and lead negotiator for Adascorp for these negotiations. The delivery made it clear she was far from amused by the previous comment that'd come from Rhork Struur; lead negotiator from Mandalmotors.

Rhork leaned forward, his unarmoured hand slapping the table in annoyance and the vambrace he wore barely avoiding scratching the dark wooden surface. "It was nothing of the sort, though I can't say it is unsurprising that one such as yourself is unaware of how the galaxy works. Have you ever deigned to leave the isolated bubble your house resides in to experience how the galaxy truly works or did you simply believe whatever your family fed you to believe like cin'gaan scripture?" My brow rose at the slip into Mando'a from Rhork as so far, he'd stayed exclusively in Basic. Though I couldn't deny suggesting the Arkanians considered themselves holy didn't have some truth to it.

While Hara, and her two attendants, were undeniably attractive – even the male in the group would put many Holonet actresses to shame – they carried themselves with such disdain for everyone here, including Shaak and myself, that I'd not want to touch any of them with a ten-foot barge pole. Or an ISD if they existed. Their clothes, like those of the other parties, were made of exquisite fabrics that made the robes worn by Shaak and I look little better than rags. Well, bar the cloak I wore that was made of the skin of the greater krayt dragon.

When he'd seen that, and the bracers I wore, Rhork had been pleased and greeted me in Mando'a. The other parties had wondered about that, and Rhork had happily explained who I was, and my role in avenging Mandalmotors after the cowardly attack by Death Watch. Hara had complained to Shaak about this, but the Jedi Master had shut her down elegantly by saying I had her full trust, along with that of the Jedi High Council and Galactic Senate.

"If you could refrain from carrying out this strange mating ritual you appear to be involved in, perhaps we might return to the discussions." That came from Ce Serd, the Muun representative and Director of Negotiations of the IGBC. He looked as disinterested in these talks as I felt, though he always looked that way; as if this entire process was somehow distracting from something more important. "We still have to reach a consensus on how the various elements of the deal shall be discussed."

I barely resisted the urge to slam my face into the table as I listened to the delegates continue to subtly, or not so subtly, insult each other. It'd been three days since we'd begun and so far, we'd only managed to resolve two things. That was, as pathetic as it sounded, the shape of the table we were using and the seating arrangement around it, plus the order in which any party could speak, for how long and the time limits for any rebuttals or challenges from the other delegates. And even that had taken a day of holocalls as they refused to all be in the same room until these matters were resolved.

Force help me, but I was starting to miss the shabyr Vong! At least with them, things were less tedious, and I got to work out my issues by killing them when I saw them.

"Yes, we must reach an understanding on our proposal for the extraction and refinement of minerals and alloys from various celestial bodies in the sector to be given greater importance. If we cannot learn which the Zygerrians desire the most, it will be impossible for that section of the contract to be fulfilled efficiently." I wanted to roll my eyes at Vundu Plast, board member and senior member from SoroSuub responsible for negotiations, for bringing that up again. He'd pushed that topic or one similar to it almost every hour on the hour since we'd begun speaking in the same room yesterday afternoon.

Now, supposedly Vundu was female, but without sounding speciest, I hadn't the faintest idea how you could tell her gender – or that of the two Sullustans with her – simply from looking at them. They all looked the same. At least, thanks to Observe and Eidetic Memory I knew that answer and had avoided causing a scene like one of Hara's adjuncts had when they'd inadvertently called Vundu a male. At least I think it'd been a mistake; it was hard to tell with how disinterested the Arkanians looked. Though at least now that wouldn't happen again as only the direct representative from each delegation, along with myself and Shaak Ti, were allowed to speak in this room.

Hara rolled her eyes at Ce before looking at Vundu. "I find it hard to understand how a species that claims to be intelligent seems more preoccupied with what is in the ground than a common nerf." Vundu sneered, or at least I think she did as it was hard to tell with a Sullustan. "At least show some decorum and let that section of these talks occur when they are scheduled to. That way we will all be saved from seeing your inferior desires."

"Without first establishing how the most basic element of the contract, one that will affect almost every other section, is to be handled, and what the Zygerrian's wishes on the matter are, whatever is discussed before then will be wasted," Vundu shot back, her voice remarkably calm after the insult toward her species. "One cannot build buildings that touch the heavens without first ensuring the foundations are solid, otherwise we end up with fatal flaws in the construction. I had expected someone from the famed House of Adasca to be aware of this."

I could sense there was more to that than a simple barb, but I hadn't seen anything in the files I'd downloaded from the Holonet that mentioned what it could be. Hara's eye twitched, which was the only outward response to the comment, however, within the Force I sensed agitation and some anger from her delegation toward the Sullustans. I couldn't tell if there was more to it than that, as I wasn't as skilled in using the Force like that as many others. Hell, I didn't even have a direct skill to cover it. Still, I would speak with Shaak Ti later about it to see if she'd felt anything more to the moment.

Before anything else could be said, soft wind chimes sounded in the room and I sighed in relief. Those signalled the end of today's third, and final, session, meaning I was saved from any more of this annoying prattle until zero-eight hundred tomorrow.

"On behalf of our hosts, we thank you for your efforts today. While it may seem little has been achieved, every session brings us one step closer to the resolution that the Zygerrians desire," Shaak Ti said as she stepped forward and placed a hand on the back of my chair. While she could've sat beside me, she chose to stand further back, making it clear to all that I was the one they had to convince to gain the contract.

"And we are grateful that members of the esteemed Jedi Order are leading these talks. With your guidance, we can be assured that the outcome will be most beneficial to all," Hara replied, showing once more her oratory skill. "Perhaps it might behove the lead negotiator to review several factors brought up today before we resume tomorrow. I feel that would smooth many of the issues we encountered today and prevent similar moments from occurring in the days ahead."

Force, she was beautiful, but that cruiser up her arse really was a turnoff. Shame I couldn't suggest a suitable method to remove it without causing the talks to descend into anarchy. Instead, I offered a smile that I knew wasn't genuine. While that might not be the best response, it was the only one I was going to give her as Force choking the bitch out of her wasn't something Shaak would allow me to do. No matter how much she shared my dislike of the Arkanian.

Hara's group was the first to leave, as had been agreed on the first day, followed by the SoroSuub and IGBC delegations. Before Rhork led his group out, he lowered his head. While there was no need for him to do so when I'd asked him about it privately on the first evening and he'd explained that apart from being a clan chief – even if it was a clan of one – and allied with Dukes Torrhen and Adonai, Alor Dred had made it clear I was considered a friend of Mandalmotors.

Once even the Mandalorians had left the room and the doors closed behind them, my head sunk to the table and sighed loudly. "Why me?"

Shaak's hand came to rest on my back in support. "The Council assigned this mission to you as they have faith in your abilities to manage it. The Zygerrians accepted your position of leadership in these talks, showing they accept and agree with the Council's judgement. The Force is here to help you, to guide you, to an outcome that benefits the most beings." She removed her hand and started moving around the table I was sitting at. "I suggest you meditate on this and seek clarity in your thoughts. A clear and centred mind will help greatly when dealing with beings only concerned with their own interests."

"Yes, Master," I replied, my head still resting against the table. The words were nice, and I would meditate as she'd suggested, but it was the same basic thing she'd been saying since we'd left Coruscant; and similar to what Fay often offered as support when I needed some. There was wisdom in their words, I didn't deny that. But after years of it, and days of these irritatingly stupid talks, they were starting to lose their effectiveness.

Once Shaak had left the room I stood and offered the empty chairs a resigned sigh. For a moment I considered returning to the room the Zygerrians had assigned me. However, that place was so lavishly decorated that I just didn't feel comfortable there; not when I had a bed big enough for five and my thoughts kept turning to Serra and Bo. Plus, the room was near the royal chamber, which increased the likelihood I'd run into Princess Miraj Scintel, who I'd rather avoid if at all possible.

No, for tonight at least, I'd return to Raven. Fenrir would be there and having him near while I meditated and slept brought me more comfort than however many hundreds of thousands the Zygerrians had spent on my room. Plus, Raven was less likely to be bugged, allowing me to vent some of my distaste at the talks without having to worry about being overheard by one of the damn Zygerrians.

… …

… …

"While this is a different situation than you've faced before, I have faith in you to find a solution that is acceptable not just to the Zygerrians, but to everyone involved in the talks," Fay said as I looked at her hologram from Raven's main gathering area. "The Force, while not able to offer direct intervention, is always an ally that can be looked to for guidance, as is Master Ti. However, the Council trusted you to complete this mission; trust neither I nor Master Dooku feel is misplaced."

"Yes, Master, and thank you for the support." After my reply, and her giving me a final smile of comfort, the call ended and I was left alone once more. I sunk back into the sofa that I was in. Initially, I'd hoped to contact Dooku for advice, however, he'd been unavailable to take the call. I didn't know why, but the most likely reasons were that he was still busy with Komari Vosa, he was asleep, or his Holonet connection had been disabled for some reason.

Therefore, I'd reached out to Fay in the hope she could offer some constructive advice. Sadly, she'd instead given suggestions and general Jedi expressions in line with what Shaak Ti had already offered. While the 'trust in the Force' spiel and its ilk were expected for Jedi, I'd hoped for something more concrete. She should know after centuries of negotiating with far more adversarial individuals that just trusting the Force wouldn't always bring the results you wanted.

I sighed and looked up at the roof of the room, taking in the lights that danced around Raven's frame as she sat patiently in the bay given to us by the Zygerrians. "Why can't these morons get it through their thick skulls that the best path is to work together?" I muttered.

The lights shifted pattern and I felt a mild soothing presence from Raven as she tried to comfort me. That had me wondering if she could sense my mood, or if she had moods of her own. Did she, when not flying, dream? I supposed she might, as she was sentient, even if it was in a different way from anything else I'd ever experienced. She wasn't sentient like Fenrir, but they both shared a connection to the Force that allowed me to sense their feelings.

I shook my head, clearing that string of thought. I wasn't philosophically inclined enough to offer judgement on the matter. Though even so, I'd say she was alive. This, like most things, wasn't a black-or-white issue, but one with shades of grey; a philosophy that guided my actions. The problem at the moment was that, to the delegations, things were starkly black and white. They either got the contract, or they didn't.

Still, at least for the next few days wouldn't have any talks. While that would normally be something I'd enjoy after seven days of mainly fruitless talks, the reason for the temporary cancellation wasn't one I was looking forward to.

Tomorrow was the fifteenth birthday of Princess Miraj Scintel and her official ascension to the position of Heir to the Throne. And ever since arriving on Zygerria and confirming she was present; I'd been doing my level best to avoid the young Zygerrian. And not just because of who she'd one day turn into.

When we'd first arrived on Zygerria, Shaak Ti and I were brought before the royal family, with Fenrir in tow. Simvyl had stayed behind on Raven to ensure the Zygerrians didn't do anything to her while we were away, but also because Simvyl had similar issues with Zygerrians that he had with Mandalorians. Well, except for Bo as he'd grown to accept and trust her on Zonama Sekot.

When Shaak Ti had explained that I'd be the one leading the negotiations, King Medes had stared at me. I'd thought he was going to complain about a Padawan being in-charge, but after a long silence, he'd simply nodded and given his agreement with that. That had caught me off-guard, though not nearly as much as Miraj's behaviour.

The princess had left the side of her mother, Queen Radej, and stepped down toward us. My hand had drifted toward my lightsaber, resting just above the hilt, in a clear sign I didn't approve. However, that only made the young princess smile. She then continued forward, though she did slow when Fenrir's ears had gone back and he'd dropped lower. While she, like Shaak Ti, had descended from a predatory species, she understood Fenrir was the greater threat and had lowered her eyes from him. That had calmed Fenrir slightly, though she'd continued to approach, this time making sure I was between her and Fenrir.

Once she was about three metres away, with her guards just behind her, their hands on their weapons, she'd smiled at me. When she'd commented that I smelt of power and danger, I'd blinked rapidly, trying to process what was happening. Even now, over a week later, I was still struggling to accept that she was interested in me. Though at least I now understood why she was interested, and why her father hadn't minded me leading the negotiations.

As Shaak had pointed out, I'd come back from Zonama Sekot with a more aggressive outlook on life; understandable due to what I'd endured. However, to predatory species, or sentients who'd evolved from such creatures, it made it clear I was a fighter, a predator. One that Medes respected, and Miraj, much to my embarrassment, was intrigued by.

Still, even though King Medes had accepted me, he'd insisted that Fenrir remain on Raven, claiming that having such a dangerous beast in a room where people would likely be agitated and temperamental was a risk he was unwilling to take. While I'd have enjoyed seeing the delegations react to a tuk'ata standing behind me, I knew it was better if Fenrir wasn't around, thus he'd returned to Raven with Simvyl. Though that was also because I was concerned about someone trying to acquire him for their collection.

Throughout the royal palace, servants were moving around. Almost none of them were Zygerrians, and all did their absolute best to stay out of sight unless called for. I'd complained to Shaak that these servants were clearly slaves and railed at how the Republic and the Jedi could allow this to exist. However, while Shaak had shared my distaste for the situation since the servants were classed as indentured workers and not slaves, there was nothing within the framework of the Republic we could do about it. She'd even explained that any complaint to the Senate would be about as effective as tossing a bottle into a river to stop it from overflowing in a storm.

One of the doors to the central area opened and Fenrir came walking in. He seemed happy about something, likely as he'd likely just had his evening meal, though this faded as he saw me. "Hey, boy." He lowered his head and turned it slightly to one side as if trying to read me. Then, before I knew it, he rushed forward.

"Oof! Fenrir!" I called out as he pushed up against me. Still, his action made me smile and I patted his head between his ears. However, that wasn't the end of things as he turned and swatted me with one massive paw. Not expecting it, I'd fallen onto my side which was when he'd decided to leap onto the sofa. "Get off!" I called out as I struggled to shift his bulk from trapping me against the sofa. While he'd not be able to break the sofa, I hoped he didn't use his claws as the thing was expensive. The Sekotans didn't use simple or cheap materials in outfitting their vessels.

Eventually, he was able to roll us off the sofa, where he promptly crashed against the table with the holocall projector. Still, it only took him a few moments to pin me to the ground. While I was older, he was larger and stronger, so there was little I'd be able to do to escape. And as his maw came over my face, his tongue hanging out, a sense of dread washed over me. "Fenrir! No!" He ignored me and ran his tongue over my face, covering me in drool "Ugh, fucking gross!"

He pulled back, snorted, and then climbed off me. As I pushed myself to my elbows and began wiping his slobber off my face, he leapt onto the sofa I'd formerly been on and settled in. "Oh, so that's why you did it?" I asked with a chuckle as I continued wiping my face. His head turned my way and he snorted and exposed his teeth. That was his version of a grin. "Cheeky bastard." His head came to rest on his crossed paws and his eyes sparkled with mirth as he watched me clean my face.

Laughter slipped from me as I looked at him. He'd done this to distract me, sensing the mood I'd been in when he'd arrived. I stood, most of his slobber now soaked into my robes and then scratched him behind an ear. "Thanks, boy." Fenrir leaned into my touch, which was when I pulled my hand away. He slipped on the sofa, one leg sliding off, and as he glared up at me, I laughed. "That's for the drool." He grunted out a huff and resettled onto the sofa.

I turned and took a step away, only for a random idea to form in my mind. "Huh, why not," I muttered. I turned back to the Holonet console and sent off a request for communication with someone I'd have not thought of if Fenrir hadn't distracted me. While it was unlikely that she'd be able to respond any time soon or offer anything useful, it was probably a good idea to check in with Padmé and see how she was doing in her new job.

… …

… …

I jerked awake in my seat as a loud beeping echoed in my skull. After blinking to figure out where it'd come from, and then groaning as I shifted in my seat, I stood and walked toward the Holocall display. Before answering it, I turned the display away from Fenrir, who looked unamused to be woken by the call and settled into a sofa on the other side of the table. After that, and reading where the call was coming from, I opened the channel.

"Cam!" I winced at how loud Padmé was. "Oh, sorry. Um, what time is it there? Also, where are you?"

I looked down at the console to see the time. "It's about oh-two-thirty locally, and I'm currently on Zygerria." She frowned, struggling to work out where Zygerria was, which made me smirk. "It's a long way from Naboo, out near the corporate sector. Also, nice to see you too, princess," I added with a chuckle, enjoying her reaction.

Even though I couldn't see any pigment change through the hologram, the way she looked away from me made it clear she was embarrassed about it. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? Aren't you a princess now?" I shot back, knowing full well she was. In a message to me just before the turn of the year, she'd explained she'd been elected governor of Theed, which carried the honorary title of Prince or Princess depending on the holder's gender.

"I-it's not like I'm someone important," she replied, seemingly unsure of herself and wanting to deflect the attention to her new role. That drew a snort of laughter from me, which Fenrir did not like if the glare he sent me was any indication.

"Padmé, you're governor of the capital of Naboo at twelve. That's beyond impressive and something to be proud of." She looked down and away again, which made me shake my head. "Oh, did you get my gift?" After learning of her position, I'd gone hunting for something practical and useful for her. In the end, after talking with Dooku about a suitable gift for a noble, I'd managed to find a lightfoil.

While not on par with a lightsaber, they shared similar roots, though now lightfoils were used by nobles throughout the Republic. A normal one, even with a discount due to Dooku's connections, would've cost about three thousand credits, however, I'd ended up paying around triple that.

The reason for that was that I'd had very specific and expensive changes I wanted made to the hilt of the lightfoil. Instead of a gold or electrum finish, I'd asked for one done in silver with a tree engraved of white gold placed upon it. That tree was styled after the tree of Gondor, which I knew Padmé would love as she adored her copies of Lord of the Rings, and it was circled by small gemstones to make the hilt even more unique.

"I love it!" Padmé all but shouted, her face breaking into a wide smile. A second later she was holding it in her hand, the tree of Gondor clear to see even through the holocall. "I… Thank you!" Yeah, even if I couldn't see it, I knew she was blushing. The gift was an impressive one, but apart from wanting to congratulate her, I'd wanted something she'd keep with her for when Naboo was invaded.

Lightfoils couldn't stand up to a lightsaber for long, but critically, they didn't require a strong connection to the Force to use. They were designed for duelling, meaning there were similarities in the fighting style to Makashi, which would allow me time, if I could find it, to tutor her in its use. And if I kept my lightsaber on a low power setting, she'd be able to spar with me.

Her smile fell slightly. "My father doesn't like it though. He says it's not something I should have, but he's allowing it because it came from you." She smirked as she turned it on, and while I couldn't see the colour of it through the holocall, I knew the blade was red. While it might cause an issue if the Council ever found out, I'd swapped the cheap focusing crystal for one designed for a lightsaber and gone with red simply because it would go well with her future clothing as Queen. "He's even arranged for a tutor to come to Naboo and teach me how to use it!"

I laughed as she moved the blade around slowly in front of her face. "Good. I'd hate to think that something I'd picked out wasn't something you'd like or use."

"I'd love anything from you," she blurted out. A second later she blinked, the lightfoil disappeared and she looked down again. "I, uh, I, um, I mean… thank you."

I kept the laughter inside as I didn't want to embarrass the girl anymore. "You're welcome," I replied, pretending not to catch her slipping up. "When we next meet, you'll have to show me how good you've gotten with it," I added with a smirk; one she quickly matched.

"I will, and when I defeat you what will I gain?"

That made me chuckle. "My eternal respect, princess," I bowed extravagantly, which made her laugh, though she sounded nervous. "Anyway, while I wish I'd simply called to ask about that, I need your help."

Her brow creased and she leaned closer to her display. "Does this have to do with why you're on Zygerria?"

"Yes. The High Council has assigned me a mission here, and frankly, I'm out of my depth."

Padmé's frown deepened. "Then why not ask them to assign it to someone else?"

"Because I think it's a test of some sort; one they'll consider failed if I pull out." I chuckled and lifted my lightsaber into view. "One that, sadly, doesn't require me to use this, but my words to solve."

A second later, Padmé was laughing loudly. While I was a little offended at that, I'd wait until she stopped and explained things before commenting on it. "Yeah, that sounds like what I've heard." My brow rose, wondering who she'd been talking to. "Serra's told me bits and pieces about your adventures. Something about preferring the direct approach to problems."

"Aye, that sounds about right." Still, I'd have to thank Serra for this when I got back to the Temple; perhaps even be direct with her about certain things and see how she reacted. "But anyway, this mission is this…"

I leaned back in the sofas as I detailed the mission, and everything I felt safe stating over a Holonet call; even one that was meant to be secure.

"And that sums things up as well as I can. Sadly, I can't reveal exact details of the negotiations, such as they are, as it would violate the temporary NDA contracts we were forced to sign before we began." I added once I'd given her a reasonably short – about thirty minutes with most of it being ranting about the delegations and their stubbornness – explanation of the situation.

Padmé had sat quietly throughout, not interrupting once, which was a sign she would be a good ruler. One should listen to all that was said before offering a judgement. Though just because I knew this didn't mean I was good at it. At least, not all the time, and certainly not with how mind-numbingly boring these negotiations were.

"From what I can understand, I'd have to agree that each party can't cover the entire contract. They have to know this as well. Yet, they're not going to come out and state that, and will be hoping, maybe, to use the contract to show their company can handle sections of the contract that they're not normally known for, or to open new markets up for them." She shrugged and looked away. "I can't guess more without knowing who they are, or the details of the contract on offer."

That was about as useful as the Jedi platitudes Fay and Shaak Ti had offered, and I wondered if this call had been a waste of time. However, she then looked back and appeared to lean closer.

"You have to get them to understand, without threatening them, that it'd be better for them all to work together instead of fighting amongst themselves. Perhaps talk with them privately, though not too privately that the other parties think you're trying to make a side deal, to learn about what their base-lines are for the negotiations. That will give you starting points to work from, as well as learning if you can, what exactly they hope to gain from the contract. Now, it's likely there'll be some overlap in their red lines and the wants of others, but that's good. It means there are places for real negotiations to take place instead of, and I'm sorry to say this, the dancing around nothing you've so far done." I grunted in annoyance even if I couldn't deny the last week or so of talks had been nothing more than a waste of time and a test of my frayed patience. "I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's what, I think, you need to hear. No matter how much you'd like to, you can't go around negotiating aggressively with everyone you want."

"But it's oh so tempting," I replied with a smirk. One that drew on images of the reactions most of the delegates would have to finding a lightsaber pressed against their throats, and at Padmé making an unintentional reference to something she'd said herself in another timeline. It seemed she understood that you did sometimes have to fight for what you wanted even if you'd prefer not to already. That fire would serve her well with what was to come.

Padmé laughed. "I understand that and know how it feels." Hmm, so it seemed she was dealing with issues on Naboo of her own. Interesting. "However, if you use the same approach, be it a passive or aggressive one, then people will begin to expect it from you. They'll learn to plan and adapt to your tendencies, making it even harder for you to gain what you want from any talk."

"I'm sure I can find other ways to make them talk," I commented with a dark chuckle.

"Cam! You're a Jedi! You can't go around threatening people!" She shot back, which made us both laugh. That said, the idea of Force choking the delegations, or roasting them alive with Force Lightning held a certain appeal. "What you also need to understand is that everyone expects to be disappointed. They have to know they can't handle the contract themselves, but to give up even a centimetre of ground in public will make them act as if they've lost a loved one." I'd debate if some of them even understood what love was. "However, you've got to make it seem that even when they lose ground in one place, they gain it in another way. Overall, they'll come out ahead. Of course, for that, you need to understand their needs and wants better."

I nodded as she spoke and, much to my annoyance when I realised I was doing it, started tapping my chin. After removing the offending finger, I gave her a wide smile. "Thanks, Padmé. While this isn't what I'd hoped for, and it'll more than likely make these talks even more boring," she giggled at that, "I know it'll help."

"No problem, but I'd better let you get some sleep. It won't do for you to turn up at the negotiating table tired because we spent all night talking."

"And here I thought you wanted to talk with me," I mock-huffed, making her giggle again.

"I do, I… You need to sleep." She changed her line of thought quickly, which made me smirk. "And when you have time, we can talk again. I… I've missed talking with you." She smiled and looked away again.

"Same here." That seemed to bring a light to her face. "And once this mission is over, I'll call you and thank you profusely for your help."

She rolled her eyes even as the smile on her face grew. "Fine, be that way."

I leaned forward, annoyed that I couldn't hug her in thanks; and see how flustered it'd make her. "Seriously, Padmé, thank you. I… I needed someone to talk to outside the Order about this. And when we next meet, I'll make sure to thank you properly."

That may well be when Naboo was invaded, but she didn't know that. And clearly, she had some ideas about how she wanted me to thank her and her mouth bopped like a fish before she looked away from the camera. "Y… you don't have to."

"Padmé, you're my friend. If I didn't thank you personally, I'd be a shit friend," I shot back with a wide smile. "Still, I do need to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long, long day." That made her giggle.

"OK, bye."

"Bye Padmé. Take care." With that, I closed the channel and leaned back into the sofa. It was odd that I'd turned to a twelve-year-old for help. But outside of Palpatine, there wasn't anyone from outside the Order that I could've asked. Plus, this was another little moment in building a bond with Padmé that would be very helpful with events to come in the next year or so.

Though, even with her ideas being sound and logical, it didn't make my more aggressive approach – as she'd put it – any less appealing. Even if I knew, deep down, that it was utterly the wrong approach to take.

… …

… …

As the music in the hall died down, I bit down on the sigh of relief I felt. Instead, I took a small step back from my dance partner for the song, and the previous four, Miraj Scintel. "I'm honoured that you've allowed me this dance, princess, however, I feel it may be wise to not monopolise your time. Otherwise, people may begin to wonder and those also wishing to dance with you may feel aggrieved." I spoke as quickly as I could without making it too obvious that I wanted away and after I'd finished, I bowed and kissed the back of her hand just above the knuckles. While I'd not seen anyone else do that here, it was something I felt might help ease any annoyance at me all but abandoning her on the dance floor.

When I came up from the kiss, she stepped into my personal space. A single claw from her other hand came up and traced my jawline. "I will allow this for now. However, I expect further dances with you before the night is through, and perhaps, more of your company during the celebrations." There was some different colouration under the fur on her cheeks, and her eyes seemed worryingly alive with desire, but I'd take it if it meant getting away from her for now.

"If the Force wills it." Normally I was against using such bland Jedi platitudes, but in this case, it was the ideal way to set up why I'd not be around for the later dances she wanted. Or anything else she desired from me. Hell, if I could manage it, I'd cause an incident – one I couldn't be tied to – to ensure I'd be unavailable for her for the rest of the celebrations this week.

Before she could make any comment in response, I slipped to one side, giving a Zygerrian male near me a gentle shove with the Force so he slipped between me and Miraj. It couldn't be denied that the princess was an exotic beauty. However, after a week of boring-arsed talks, the last thing I wanted to deal with was a love-struck princess. Or at least another one since I supposed Padmé qualified as one now.

Now, I did understand that perhaps there was a chance while I was here that I could work on, if not turning her away from following her father in restarting the slave empire – if it was him that began the moves to return to their old ways – then at least make her more open-minded about the topic. However, I wasn't in the mood to deal with it now, not after five straight dances with her. And the sense of superiority that she had, enhanced past that of other Zygerrians due to her status, making it even harder to want to be in her presence for more than a few minutes at a time.

Sadly, for me, it seemed I was still the thing that caught her eye. Though at least I'd managed to escape her clutches before the next song, one far slower that would involve standing closer to your dance partner, began. I smirked at the timing of that as I slipped from the dance floor. At a table near the Royal table, Shaak Ti was sitting, sipping on some Zygerrian nectar wine while some random Zygerrian male spoke to her. I couldn't help but chuckle that she was facing a similar issue to me, though judging by her expression, she was doing a far better job of hiding her distaste for her potential suitor than I'd done.

Passing by the tables with the delegations, I gave each a nod. Rhork gave me a knowing smirk, seemingly enjoying the fact that Miraj was enamoured with me. Hara smiled back, some of the distaste she'd displayed for me during the talks not evident in her body language. Vundu and Ce returned my nod with one of their own, but neither seemed in the least bit interested in the goings-on. Heck, Ce was distracted, though he hid it well. If not for the Force, I'd have likely missed the subtle signs in his body language.

"Ah, Cameron. I see the princess has finally decided to offer her hand for a dance to others," Shaak commented as I reached our table. The Zygerrian who'd been talking to her looked offended and glared up. I glared back at him, my hand sitting near my lightsaber and a moment later, the Zygerrian, after offering Shaak a mumbled apology, slipped away. "Did you really have to scare him away; I was enjoying his rambling."

"I'm sorry, Master. If you'd like, I could ask him to return." I chuckled as I sat down and picked up my goblet. The sickly-sweet smell of the wine assaulted my senses, though I still took a sip. Since this came from the king's private winery – no doubt made by indentured workers – it would be rude to not have some. The taste was pleasant enough, but not something I particularly enjoyed.

"That won't be necessary." Shaak smiled and tilted her glass toward the dance floor. "Though I believe your time here may be short." I followed her glass and almost groaned as I saw Miraj. While her partner was holding her close – though not too close nor placing his hands anywhere that might offend – her gaze was constantly on me. "It appears another has fallen into your web."

"What?"

Shaak laughed softly, and before explaining, took another sip of her wine. "It hasn't gone unnoticed that many of your friends, inside and out of the Order are female, Cameron. Indeed, I recall a few whispers that you'd grown attached to the Mandalorian female you'd travelled with. I, and others, were glad to see you proved that rumour wrong by allowing her to leave; though I believe Master Drallig was entirely unamused by the commotion that she caused at the Temple entrance."

"I have little control over how Bo behaves, Master," I replied with a laugh and took another sip of my wine.

"No, you don't. Nor can you control the princess, or simply ignore her interest in you." I looked at Shaak, figuring she was making a point. "She has spent her life isolated here in Zygerria; surrounded by the same potential suitors since she was but a child. Now, barely a week before her ascension to adulthood and the position of heir arrives a young man from a mysterious Order. One who carries himself with a hunter's confidence and bares the scars of battle proudly." I felt the heat build in my cheeks as Shaak said that with her eyes locked on mine. "You have a beast of legend at your side, one that is, like you, battle-hardened. With all that, is it any wonder that the princess, and those from species who are, like hers and mine, descended from hunters, would be attracted to you?"

I looked away, unsure of how to answer her. Everything she'd said was true, yet I dearly wished the parts about Miraj being attracted to me weren't. "Thank you, Azen'Zode," I said as a young Twi'lek female arrived to refill my glass after using Observe to learn her name and more details about her status. She was another one enslaved by the Zygerrians but was too scared to say anything to me, to us, as she'd been warned and – in a move that made my blood boil – beaten to ensure she didn't speak to us. Still, the green skin of her cheeks darkened, and she looked down before moving over to refill Shaak's glass.

My eyes followed her as she walked away, burning her face, along with that of the other 'servants' into my mind. One day, I swore to myself, I'd return here and end their slavery. Even if I had to kill every Zygerrian to do it.

"When you first mentioned and demonstrated this ability of yours to gain an insight into others, I thought perhaps you were just naturally attuned to the Living Force. I know now that isn't the case, but it is clear you find certain details about this planet as uncomfortable as I do."

I nodded as I took a sip of my now-refilled goblet, noting how a Zygerrian observer leaned in close and whispered aggressively to Azen'Zode. She shrunk in on herself as she shook her head, and when the Zygerrian let go of her elbow, she scampered off. "Yes, Master. And while I understand there is little we can do about it, it's… difficult to not act to correct the issue."

"As it should be, but we must trust in the Force that there is a plan for why these things exist," Shaak leaned closer, drawing my attention from the servant and her boss. "Has this ability of yours led to any new insights into the various delegations?"

"Not yet Master, though I may have an idea that I hope will help smooth things out going forward." Well, Padmé had given me the plan, I was just going to run with it as it's not like things could get much worse and still have the negotiations continue.

"That is pleasing to hear, but don't become disheartened if this new approach is slow to bear fruit. One doesn't catch their prey in the first hour of the hunt after all."

"Yes, Master." It was an odd metaphor to use for a Jedi, but Shaak Ti had never shied away from being a Togruta, and the way her species saw the universe. Even if the metaphor failed to land, at least it was just different enough from the usual Jedi speeches to feel fresh.

"Ah, Jedi Shan, I do hope I'm not interrupting anything?" I smiled as sincerely as I could as I turned my head and looked up at Hara Adasca. The dress she wore gave just enough hint to the figure she had without coming close to being anything but classy, though my eyes went straight to her face, avoiding the rather tempting curves on her chest.

"Not in the slightest, Justicar Adasca. How are you enjoying the festivities?" I asked back, being as polite as I could. While I'd prefer to sit back and relax, preferably as far away from Miraj as I could, I was curious as to why the Adascorp representative had approached. Perhaps this might be the chance to learn more about what her company wanted from the negotiations.

Hara's eye twitched and she looked over the dance floor where, even as Miraj pushed away her dance partner, another Zygerrian took his place before she could get more than two steps toward me. "It is… quaint. However, now that the princess has allowed you to slip from her clutches, oh, and well played with how you ensured another would take your place before she could protest. I was hoping we might speak more socially. It may allow us to reach an agreement that benefits both of us." She leaned down, lowering her head to whisper in my ear. "The Adasca BioMechanical Corporation is a very powerful entity within the Republic. With the support of us and other Arkanian companies, your goals would be far easier to achieve." As she spoke there was little I could do but look at her dress. Or more specifically, down it. The view on offer was tempting, but since Hara's attitude was somehow worse than Miraj's, I had little interest in pursuing whatever she was possibly offering.

To be sure she wasn't actually trying to seduce me within earshot of Shaak Ti, I used Observe as she stood up. I was relieved to discover this wasn't the case, though it seemed she was impressed with how I carried myself when out of the negotiations; at least for an inferior Human. And while she felt bedding me was beneath her, she was more than willing to throw her adjuncts at me if that would work.

"That sounds like a good idea, Justicar, however, it would be wise if we stayed within sight of the other delegates, lest they believe we're engaging in actions detrimental to the negotiations." Her lips twitched upward, suggesting she was glad I was turning down her seduction ploy.

"Of course. Would you and your Master be willing to join me at the Adascorp table?"

"Certainly," I got out quickly before Shaak could try and weasel out of this. "Shall we Master?" I asked as I turned to her. While I did want to speak with Hara privately to gain insight into what she and Adascorp wanted, there was no way I wanted to sit there and listen to her full speech about why Adascorp deserved the full contract alone. Plus, Shaak may hear something that I'd miss about what they were willing to accept as a bare minimum and likely make them less likely to try any obvious attempts at bribery or coercion.

As Shaak and I stood, I saw the other delegations looking our way, and I had to suppress a sigh. Once we were finished with Adascorp, it would be a safe bet the others would want to talk with us semi-privately as well. Still, at least this would be a more constructive use of my time than dancing the night away with a love-struck princess.

If only barely.

… …

… …

"Bah! Enough about these talks and the boring debates," Rhork stated, swirling around his goblet with his hand. He looked around, as if checking no one not at the Mandalmotors table was listening, before leaning in close. "I've heard rumours that the reason Alor Adonai's youngest was absent from the war was that she'd sought out a mate in her travels." He pulled back a little, a smirk coming to his face. While I'd rather not deal with gossip and innuendo, especially when it involved me, it was still a far better topic than the negotiations. That might be why I'd gone to the Mandalmotors table last, as I knew I'd enjoy sitting here as I'd be in the company of warriors instead of bureaucrats.

I chuckled as he watched me, waiting for an answer and took a sip from my goblet. The wine wasn't growing on me, but it would do for tonight, and thanks to Negate Poison, I didn't have any risk of getting drunk – or worse – from it. Unlike almost everyone else in attendance. "She's not my mate, though Adonai did allow her to travel with me for a time."

"Ah, so she's unmatched, interesting," Rhork rubbed his chin. I let a low growl escape through my exhale and Rhork held up his hands. "Perhaps not for long, eh?" He laughed and waved off the topic. "Still, what about the tales she has told of your duelling an enemy to determine the fate of an entire world?"

He said that just loud enough that I saw heads turn our way at the Adascorp and IGBC tables. Which may well have been his intention. I took another sip of my wine, milking the moment to see if they'd continue listening in. While I'd have preferred Bo kept the tales of our adventures private, I'd known that was unlikely. However, I'd not expected the topic to come up on my first mission after Zonama Sekot. Still, this might allow me to get a general warning about the Vong to other parties around the galaxy, ones with greater reach than I had, and it was at least an enjoyable way to wind down the banquet, which was still going strong after five hours with the sun having set about an hour ago.

Between my stops at the various delegation tables, Miraj had dragged me back onto the dance floor for a handful of dances and even made me sit with her during dinner. However, her presence was now at least a distraction from boring discussions about what each delegation wanted and hoped for from the contract. Plus, King Medes made sure she didn't monopolise my time. And speaking of Miraj, I could see her drifting closer, her eyes tracking me as she tried, and failed, to slip through the crowd of Zygerrian suitors.

"That's about right, though there are a few reasons why that came about," I finally replied, having dragged the moment out long enough. I leaned forward, seeing his face – and that of his assistants – light up in interest. However, before I could regale them with the tale of my defeat of Feir Kr'Lenah, the Vong commander on Zonama Sekot, a loud high-pitched chime sounded three times. That signalled the King wished to speak to us all, and so as one, the room turned his way.

I leaned forward, slightly disbelieving who I saw standing with King Medes and beside me, Rhork inhaled sharply. For some reason, Dred Yomaget, CEO of Mandalmotors and chief of Clan Yomaget, had decided to come to Zygerria. That showed how important this contract was to him and the board, as did his choice of dress.

Unlike the two guards near the rear of the room, who were outfitted in full beskar armour, though they didn't have a blaster in their hands, or Rhork and his group who wore most of their armour – they skipped the gauntlets and helmets – Dred was wearing only the breastplate, vambraces, greaves and boots. Under the armour, covering the rest of his frame, was an expensive-looking shirt and trouser combo and a cloak Dooku would've approved of fell from his shoulders. It was an interesting mix of Mandalorian armour with high-class clothing and gave Dred a look of a prince from a distant, warring people. Which in many ways, he was.

"Your majesty, honoured guests, please forgive my late arrival to this celebration on the elevation of Princess Miraj Scintel to Heir of the Zygerrian Empire," Dred began, showing remarkable calm at having several hundred sets of eyes on him. Including the glares of the other delegations. "Unfortunately, I was delayed with internal matters for my people. However, on behalf of Mandalmotors, I wish to offer Princess Miraj a taste of the high quality our company is known for." A servant stepped forward, carrying a case that was, perhaps a metre long. Once the servant reached Miraj, she stopped and opened it.

The princess gasped and there were murmurs from those nearby. I couldn't see what was in it until Miraj lifted it high into the air. Dred had gifted her a beskad, one with what looked like an engraved hilt if the stylised lion – or big cat I supposed – was any indicator.

"From one warrior culture to another, I present to your daughter, a beskad. A weapon of Mandalore made of beskar, meaning it can stand up to blaster fire, and even the legendary blades of the Jedi." At that, he glanced my way, and I grunted. While the gift had been for Miraj, that was him making clear he knew I was here, which had me wondering if that had weighed into his decision to come and, more than likely, take over negotiations for Mandalmotors. As, while Rhork seemed a fine negotiator, the other representatives all held board-level positions. Thus, his arrival now, with that gift, was a powerplay of impressive scope.

"On behalf of my daughter, and my people, we accept this offered blade graciously," Medes replied after a round of clapping – some more enthusiastic than others – at the gift. Miraj was struggling not to jump up and down, and only a hand on her shoulder from her mother stopped her from rushing Dred and likely demanding the start codes. "Though that still leaves the matter of your late arrival."

Dred bowed even as he laughed. "Yes, it does, your grace." He stood up and pointed an arm toward the doors where his guards were standing. The doors opened and servants began to roll in large cases and caskets. "From my personal reserves, I bring twenty casks of the finest Ne'tra gal Mandalore has to offer, along with twenty cases of wine distilled on Mandalore during the reign of our last Mand'alor."

My brow rose at hearing that, and more than a few people gasped. I'd had some of that wine during the feast to celebrate my verd'goten and knew a single bottle sold for upwards of five thousand credits. Each case looked to hold about twenty bottles, and assuming the Ne'tra gal was of similar stock, then Dred was offering drinks worth more than five million credits to the banquet. That put to shame anything the other parties had offered.

I did wonder if he was overplaying his hand in making such grand gestures as if he wasn't careful, it would look like he was trying to compensate for the lack of size and scope of Mandalmotors compared to the other players at the negotiating table. Still, if they got even a tenth of the overall contract, then the investment would pay for itself within the first few months.

"A most generous gift, and one, on behalf of Zygerria, I accept as your apology," Medes said before the two clasped arms. "Though don't think that drowning us in alcohol will influence the negotiations."

Laughter, more genuine than the earlier clapping, rippled through the hall, though the tables of the other delegations sounded far quieter to me than anywhere else. I glanced at the tables while the laughter continued and Medes shared a quiet word with Dred as Miraj gave her new weapon a few experimental slashes. The SoroSuub and Adascorp groups seemed perturbed, which I confirmed was due to Dred's appearing here through Observe, with the Sullustans feeling more pressured than the Arkanians. Oddly though, the Muun delegation from the IGBC seemed entirely unconcerned about Dred's arrival. Observe let me know Ce Serd was more concerned about the special representative from the IGBC who'd be arriving soon, which had me curious about who they were calling in for support.

As the laughter died down, and people began to sit down, I turned to Rhork. "Did you know about this?"

From the shock that was still on his face, it was clear he didn't. "N-no." He turned to face me as we sat. "I mean, I tol… That is to say, even as lead negotiator for Mandalmotors, I'm not made aware of the comings and goings of the Ol'averde Alor."

It was clear Rhork didn't know anything about Dred being here, or at least that someone from the company was going to arrive and Observe confirmed that. Piecing together what it told me, it seemed Rhork had contacted the board and informed them I was leading the negotiations. Whether he knew directly that Dred would come here, Observe wasn't able to tell, since it was limited in what it revealed, but he held himself accountable for this and was concerned about how I'd feel about it.

Before I could push him for details, someone approached the table. Rhork and his assistants shot to their feet, clasped a hand over their hearts and lowered their heads. "Alor Dred. You honour us with your presence. If I had known…" Dred raised a hand which stopped Rhork mid-sentence.

"If you were aware, then I suspect one of our competitors on this deal may have made arrangements to, at the very least, delay my arrival until after the banquet." Dred stepped forward and placed a hand on Rhork's shoulder. "You've done well so far, I'm merely here to help ensure your efforts are not in vain." At that, he turned to me and lowered his head slightly. "Alor Cameron, su cuy'gar. It has been some time since we last spoke."

He extended his arm and I clasped it near his elbow. "su cuy'gar, Alor Dred. Aye, that it has." His smile grew slightly as I returned the Mando'a greeting. "Though I'd hardly expected this to be where we'd next meet."

Dred laughed as we broke the arm clasp. "I had expected to meet you again before now, but once I heard you were the Jedi leading the negotiations, and after learning that members of the boards of our competitors were present, including a member of the House Adasca," he glanced over my shoulder at that moment, "I felt these talks required a more hands-on approach." He patted my arm in an overly-friendly gesture; something that wasn't missed by the other delegates. "Plus, I've heard tales from Sundari of your adventures in the Outer Rim, and still remember watching the recording of your verd'goten."

I rolled my eyes as I worked out his plan. One of the servants approached, and I happily exchanged my nectar wine for one of the Mandalorian stock. "I see Bo-Katan has been unable to refrain from discussing our travels," I muttered with a smile. Dred smirked at that and then took a sip of his wine. I did the same and savoured the familiar, and not sweet, taste of the Mandalorian vintage. "I must remember to… speak with her about that."

Dred laughed at that, as did Rhork and his team, and patted my arm once more. "From what I've heard, she would be amenable to that." With his hand still on my arm, he guided me back into my chair. "Still, that is a personal matter between you and her. What I'd rather hear about, at least tonight, is this tale of your duel to save a planet from invasion. According to Lady Bo-Katan, it is a tale to rival that of the Battle of Keldabe."

"I have heard of this battle, but details are surprisingly scarce outside of the Mandalore sector." That comment made me turn and look up at Hara Adasca, who'd come closer while I'd been greeting Dred. Not far behind her was Vundu Plast and Ce Serd, though what caught my attention was that Miraj was now making her way toward us, the beskad in her hands; thankfully for those in her way, it was sheathed.

"Justicar Adasca," Dred began as he stood and bowed. "Tales of your beauty have reached even the war-torn surface of Mandalore," he continued as he took her hand into his. "However, they fail to do justice to the angelic form before me." Hara didn't react beyond a slight twitching of her lips as Dred kissed her knuckles. For my part, I was impressed with how smoothly he said that and how believable it was.

"I would be surprised if such tales came close to describing an Arkanian properly," Hara responded as Dred released her hand before she turned her gaze upon me. "Now, what is this I hear of the Battle of Keldabe, and the implication our Jedi negotiator had a role to play in the battle that began your latest civil war?" There was slight disdain to her tone as she referred to the war being a recurring feature of the Mandalore sector, which was understandable as, from my research before going there, some form of semi-serious conflict broke out between clans about once every thirty years or so.

Dred smiled and gave me a gentle – for a Mandalorian – punch on my upper arm. "Alor Cameron here was responsible for single-handedly defeating the aruetiise that attacked our company headquarters and the city of Keldabe; slaying in combat the leaders of that assault."

For a moment I was annoyed at Dred as it felt as if he was trying to intentionally damage my standing as a neutral party by playing up my links to Mandalore. However, with a little time to think about it, I saw what he was doing. By not hiding there was a link between us, he was making it clear he wasn't looking for a favour, and if, as was possible, Mandalmotors failed to gain the contract or much of it, he could easily say it was proof I wasn't biased toward his company. Now, there was a chance the other delegates asked for my removal, but that would push the process back and so far, I'd not heard of any complaints from King Medes.

"Is that so?" Hara said slowly, her eyes wandering over my face, searching for something. "I was under the impression that Jedi were required to not join other organizations or cultures."

I shrugged. "The Order is open to understanding all cultures, both those within the Republic and those who keep their distance. It encourages its members to learn about them, though our vows to the Order must always come first while remaining a part of it." That might not be entirely true, but it was from a certain point of view. "As for my connection to Mandalore, I travelled there with another Padawan several years ago to learn about their culture. While there, we both completed trials that made us Mando'ade. It was the will of the Force that this happened, just as it was that I would be the Jedi assigned to handle these negotiations. While on Mandalore, I was able to help with, shall we say, an internal matter. A group of terrorists, ones who chose to ignore the teaching of the resol'nare – the core tenets of what it means to be Mandalorian – tried to overthrow the government and return their people to ways not followed since before the time of Revan." I gave Dred a glance as I finished, trying to ensure he got the message to not bring up my connection to Revan.

"Ah, interesting." Oddly, Hara did sound interested. Or at least not as bored as she usually sounded. "So, do you consider yourself a Mandalorian?" Well, at least the matter was being addressed right away instead of being left to fester.

"I passed the trials to join their ranks, yes. However, I am a Jedi first. If you are concerned about my loyalties being conflicted, I can assure you that they aren't. The Senate and Jedi assigned me to handle these negotiations fairly, to determine the deal that provides our hosts with the greatest benefits, and that is what I will do. Both bodies were aware of my status in Mandalorian culture yet were confident enough in my impartiality to not let it affect their decision. Chief Yomaget understands that even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't grant Mandalmotors unfair consideration."

From somewhere else in the hall, I felt a sense of reassurance and relief at my answer. That had to have come from Shaak Ti, which meant she was monitoring the conversation while engaged with Queen Radej at the royal table.

"Your words are good, but we will see if your actions match them," Hara commented. It looked like she wanted to speak more, but that was the moment when Miraj arrived.

"Cameron! Is it true this can match a lightsaber?" She asked, waving around the thankfully sheathed beskad. It was shorter than mine, though since mine was more of a short sword than a beskad that wasn't a surprise. Up close, I could see the hilt with my eyes drawn to the pommel which was indeed stylised with a large cat. The eyes of that cat were yellow gems, mirroring Miraj's golden eyes.

"It is, Princess. Something I know well since not only have I fought Mandalorians with them, but I have one myself. A gift to celebrate my trials," I explained as I glanced at Hara. She nodded in thanks at the free information even as Miraj's eyes lit up and she came closer.

"Then you will be the one to tutor me on its use," she stated with a smirk, her free hand coming to rest on her hip. Behind her, several male Zygerrians glared at me; annoyed at me continually gaining the attention of what they wanted.

"I am uncertain if I'll have the time to do so, unless your father is willing for the negotiations to drag on for several months. However, when I can, I will try to find the time to offer pointers." While the idea of teaching her was more appealing than sitting around a table each day listening to the delegates talk, I was reluctant to help her of all people become more dangerous. Still, I couldn't outright reject her request, not without offending her and her father.

"Perhaps you would like to hear a tale of Cameron using his blade?" Dred cut in before Miraj could respond; likely with a complaint or two. "While I've already heard and seen the recordings of his verd'goten and the battle he fought in Keldabe, I'd enjoy hearing them from the man behind them. And perhaps, if time allows, he might deign to tell us of a duel he fought to save a world from enslavement."

Miraj's face shifted in an instant. Gone was any anger at my gentle rejection, replaced now by curiosity. "Yes, I'd like to hear that." Before I could say anything, she moved toward a chair next to me, the one Rhork was in, and waited. Rhork understood what she wanted and stood, offering the seat to her. As she sat, she pulled it closer until she was, perhaps, too close. However, no one was going to call her on this. "Regale us with the tales of your battles."

I glared at Dred. While I was glad that he'd diverted Miraj's annoyance at me not wanting to tutor her or get dragged back to the dance floor for a fourth round, I'd now be forced to sit here and retell war stories. While that was the better choice, it wasn't something I particularly wanted to do so publicly. And of course, there was a good chance that no matter how much I tried to undersell my battles, Miraj's interest in me would only grow because of this.

Fucking wonderful.

… …

… …

Several hours later, with the banquet still going strong, I slipped from the hall and stepped onto an isolated balcony. The cool air of the night was refreshing and, if one ignored where I was, the sight of the city bathed in moonlight was enchanting. However, it only took one look, and the sight of a random Zygerrian somewhere far below scalding a servant, to shatter that illusion.

I glared at the Zygerrian and considered for a moment using the Force to remove him, however, I decided against it. Even if the servant somehow avoided punishment now, because there'd be no way for them to explain what had happened to others, they'd be punished worse later. I wasn't happy about that but knew I had to accept it.

The sounds of the banquet filtered out from behind me, filling the air with soft music, though not everyone was still there. Queen Radej along with the assistants from SoroSuub, Adascorp, the IGBC and about half the Zygerrians. All four negotiators were still present when I'd slipped away for some air, with them, Shaak and Dred joining Medes and Miraj at the royal table.

We'd ended up there as Miraj, after hearing about the Battle of Keldabe, had insisted I recount the story to her parents. Radej had left after the re-viewing of my verd'goten – I'd have to think of a way to thank Dred for having that with him – though she, along with her husband, had been impressed that I'd taken down the greater krayt dragon alone. Given the way that Miraj was all but hanging off my arm after that, and the fact her father didn't mind, I was growing concerned about how the royal family regarded me. Thankfully, Shaak was still around, having been at the royal table when Miraj had brought me over and had made it clear that once the mission was over, we'd be returning to the Temple, or I'd have been worried Medes might try to betroth me to his daughter.

Medes had particularly enjoyed the telling of my duel on Zonama Sekot and spoken about how he'd heard of the incredible starships they produced. Shaak had then revealed Raven was one such vessel, and Miraj had all but demanded a flight or two in her. While I'd prefer to keep the princess as far away from Raven – not to mention Fenrir and Simvyl – there was little I could do to deny the request. Not after Shaak had given her approval to the idea, so long as I didn't mind.

Honestly, I wondered if Shaak wasn't enjoying the attention I was getting in some way; almost as if it diverted attention from her.

Still, after more time drinking with Medes and the others, I'd asked to be excused for some fresh air. Though I was giving serious consideration to simply teleporting back to Raven and calling it a night. Yes, it would be rude, but with Medes having insisted that I and Shaak join the royal family on a tour of their summer palace tomorrow, I wanted some hours away from Miraj.

"Ah, Master Jedi. I was hoping to speak with you privately for a moment."

I looked upward, wondering just how I'd pissed off the Force this time so that it'd decided to bring Ce Serd, the IGBC delegate, to the same balcony I was currently enjoying my solitude on. I considered using the Force to either make him forget I was here or perhaps, even arrange an accident for him. However, Detection confirmed his guards were only a few metres away and, as always, would be on the lookout for anything untoward.

"Director Serd," I said slowly as I turned, pushing aside my weariness with this evening, "how may I help you exactly?" My tone wasn't as calm as I'd have liked and the Muun oddly flinched as I faced him.

"While I understand you'd prefer some solitude, and personally, I would enjoy retiring to my quarters, I'm afraid there is, ah, a private matter I must discuss with you." He paused and looked around the balcony as if wondering if there were spies nearby or something. "One that cannot take place here."

My brow creased at the odd nervousness he was displaying. During the negotiations, he was always in control of himself and seemingly disinterested in everything, so for him to be this unbalanced was odd. Observe gave me nothing, other than hinting the representative of the IGBC he'd been worried about had arrived, so I could only assume that someone higher on the food chain at the IGBC wished to talk with me. Which sounded about as much fun as a five-hour meditation session with Yoda.

"Oh, is this the moment where you take me somewhere and either coerce my cooperation or move to remove me from the talk?" I asked with a chuckle to make clear I was teasing. However, my joke landed like a wet brick.

"Certainly not! To insinuate that…" He snapped, only to blink, which was always an odd thing to see on a Muun. "Ah, yes, a joke. My apologies for missing that." He coughed out one of the fakest laughs I'd ever heard before shaking his head. "No, as I said this is a private matter concerning you and the IGBC. One I can assure you has no bearing on the negotiations."

"Oh?" Yeah, it had to be to do with whoever this representative was. Other than the IGBC being large backers of the Lord of the Rings series of holomovies, with the first one only now entering principal production on Alderaan, I couldn't think of what connection I had to them. Hell, the movie connection was tenuous at best as my identity was kept hidden from everyone bar my agents with secure holocalls and voice distortion tricks. Now if my agent/publisher had revealed my identity that would be a breach of contract – as I'd ensured if they did leak that info they'd be cut out of any further profits from the series – then there couldn't be any way the IGBC knew who I truly was.

"Yes. It is a relatively minor matter, but still, not one best carried out near the ears of others." He stepped back, one arm indicating the door off the balcony. "If you wish, you could speak with your Master first. I believe she is still in the banquet hall."

That calmed my nerves immensely, not that I was overly concerned about going somewhere alone with the Muun and his guards. While they were considered a threat, if things somehow got too hot, I'd simply teleport away. "No, that won't be necessary. Please, lead the way."

The Muun blinked again before nodding and then stepping through the door. As I followed, I reached out through the Force.

[Master, Director Serd wishes to speak with me about a matter he claims is not linked to the negotiations.]

I sensed Shaak's confusion as she replied mentally. [About what specifically?]

[He won't say, but I believe it might have to do with a special representative of the IGBC who has possibly arrived this evening.]

Shaak seemed to chuckle through the link. [I could've sworn someone said their ability wasn't offering insights into the delegates. Do you need me to join you?]

[No, Master. I simply wished to let you know on the off chance this was a prelude to something else.]

[Hmm, is that Master Dooku I hear in you?] I smirked at that. [Regardless. If you feel comfortable handling it alone, do so. However, if things turn out unexpectedly, let me know. I will try to keep Princess Miraj occupied until you return, but sadly I seem far less interesting to her than you.]

I bit back a groan at her joke as I felt her mind close the connection. I had no intention of returning to the banquet now, planning to use this meeting as the excuse I needed to slink away into the night. Given Miraj's behaviour today and tonight, I doubted it would take much to have her forget about my disappearance. Though to ensure that I wasn't intercepted by a servant, the moment this meeting was over, I'd be teleporting back to Raven.

As I followed Minister Serd through the corridors of the palace, I took note of his guards. Currently, there were four of them, two in front of him and two behind me, and all were Iotan. It wasn't a species I knew much about beyond them serving the IGBC as personal guards and sometimes a small private army if there was a need. Observe told me that each on their own was a moderate threat to me, but since none were Force-sensitive, I felt I could take them with relative ease if the need arose.

Still, the guards were good, working in their pairs to ensure no one came upon us, be they servants or would-be assassins. About ten minutes after leaving the balcony we reached the small area of the palace given over to the IGBC for these negotiations. After passing another four Iotans, Serd stopped outside one door and lowered his head.

I reached out with the Force and sensed only one being inside the room. With that known, I stepped forward and walked through the doors as they slid back silently to allow me entry.

The room inside was dark, lit only by moonlight that slipped in through closed windows. However, I knew I wasn't alone as the sound of someone breathing slowly, steadily through a mask. For a split-second, I had a wild fear that I'd somehow been led into a trap with Darth Vader before reason reasserted itself. This was shortly followed by a shiver racing up my spine as I realised who it was just before they stepped out of a shadow.

"Ah, Cameron Shan," Hego Damask began as he approached, a hand outstretched, "It's been some time since we last spoke."

I shook his hand while trying to calm my nerves. "Magister Damask, this is unexpected; so much so I was concerned for a moment this was some sort of ambush," I added to hopefully hide the shifting in my emotions at seeing him here.

Damask laughed, a sound that sounded off because of the mask. "Nothing of the sort. I was following these negotiations closely since Damask Holdings would be a major part of the contract once it's earned." He broke the handshake and used the arm to indicate a sofa. "When I learnt you were the Jedi responsible for brokering an agreement, my interest was piqued. Then, when I heard that Dred Yomaget was on his way, I felt it wise to do so as well. Between the three of us, I'm sure we can come to an amicable agreement, however, that is for tomorrow. For tonight, I'd hoped to simply catch up with the young man who saved my life."

"There is no need for that, Magister, though I am grateful for the distraction," I replied with a smile that I hoped didn't appear forced. Having Darth Plagueis turn up for these negotiations was almost the last thing I wanted to happen. Particularly since I suspected his interest was less in the contract and more in me. That had me wondering just what about Zonama Sekot and the Vong had Sidious told him and how much of that story, if any, he would try to draw out of me tonight.

"Was the banquet as unenjoyable as I suspect?" He asked with a chuckle that sounded odd as fuck due to his mask.

"The banquet was fine," I said slowly, trying to play the role of someone not knowing the truth. "I simply grew tired of the attention of a particular female Zygerrian."

"Oh?"

I leaned back on the sofa, doing my best to appear relaxed and ignore the insanity of the fact I was about to complain about her interest in me to Darth Plagueis. Hopefully, this assignment didn't get any weirder than this as I wasn't sure I could survive that.

… …

… …

As always, this story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our Own (and hopefully soon Royal Road) and you can find me (and the backroom team who help with this) on Discord at:
For this series: Heart of the Force
For general chaos/Gamer stories: Shiro's Gaming Omniverse

If you wish to support my writing, gain access to 1st drafts of chapters (where every level bar the lowest has access to at least the first draft of the next chapter and all got the redraft ~2 weeks early), consider supporting me on Patreon:
USSExplorer

Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

Qwerty1234 · Apr 16, 2023

I wonder if this is where he hints at teaching our mc some forgotten/forbidden knowledge? knowing as he does some ancient stories about the great feats of the Sith and being a collector of all things arcane and force related of course.

Marcrawsky · Apr 16, 2023

You know what would be a good idea splitting the contract between all four of them with the 3 lesser getting what they can actually do with the banking clan getting anything else.
With a quick suggestion to the mandalorion that counter measures be put in place to destroy there section if the slavery empire ever returns.

Pax Humana · Apr 16, 2023

Going to one Sith Lord for help in the last chapter and bonding with the other one over crazy women in the next! What is a Jedi to do when THAT is your best option?

alec_potter · Apr 16, 2023

Firstly thanks for the wonderful work.
Cam's puberty and development has been well taken. Along with that of his contemporaries.

Cam's discussion with Padme was nice, though him not being about to think of that line of thought was very uncharacteristic. The attempt of the chapter (I think) to show Cam's growth in non-fighting line was weak in that sense.

Really excited to see what Plagius will impart to Cam. Potentially could be as valuable a learning as becoming Knight.

USSExplorer said:
Now our little sessions had about twenty Padawans, with the core coming from Dragon Clan, and we were roughly split in our opinions between seeing a need to do something or following the Council's and Senate's will.

Hope his oratory skills are improving.
Required to form his own faction/ lead others.

USSExplorer said:
"It would be best if Fenrir accompanied you, though perhaps exclude him from the talks, if at all possible,"

Well Mandalorians would enjoy meeting him

Moran · Apr 16, 2023

Honestly, I was hoping somehow Cam getting involved in the tensions leading to the Yinchorri Uprising. But that will have to wait.

USSExplorer said:
Hopefully, this assignment didn't get any weirder than this as I wasn't sure I could survive that.

Let's hold on to that and take your word for it, shall we?

A Gamer in South Blue by LordVishnu. One Piece SI. MC wants to avoid the canon, but…..
While I know little of the franchise, it's an entertaining read.

Goudeauboywade · Apr 16, 2023

Cat waifu get? Lol our boy cam now has 3 princesses after him. I feel like cam would have done very well in the old Sith empire or the Jedi Lords era of the republic

LetMeRead · Apr 16, 2023

You know…. My favorite part of these chapters is the last line.
May the Force be with you. Always

it is just so soothing.

Prognostic Hannya · Apr 16, 2023

Hah! I just knew Demask would turn up when I saw the IGBC mentioned!

Doc Sithicus · Apr 16, 2023

Prognostic Hannya said:
Hah! I just knew Demask would turn up when I saw the IGBC mentioned!

Same here.

Ayashi · Apr 17, 2023

Pax Humana said:
Going to one Sith Lord for help in the last chapter and bonding with the other one over crazy women in the next! What is a Jedi to do when THAT is your best option?

The same thing as always: nothing useful.

LuciferBael · Apr 18, 2023

Ayashi said:
The same thing as always: nothing useful.

Are you insulting Cam or the Jedi?

Ayashi · Apr 18, 2023

LuciferBael said:
Are you insulting Cam or the Jedi?

Yes.

LuciferBael · Apr 18, 2023

Ayashi said:
Yes.

-.-

Pax Humana · Apr 19, 2023

Ayashi said:
The same thing as always: nothing useful.

I just remembered another SW story where the SI becomes a Neimoidian and my idea, well request is for a story where the protagonist gets some (enough) Force that they use on acquiring resources. Not a combat build but a business/gambling/whatever works build.

So their Force abilities are devoted to money and defences such as not appearing to have a Force presence (announcing you're a player to the Sith is suicidal), setting up a SEP field on yourself, appearing to not be the ruler or important figure in whatever organisation.

And precognitive stock market abuse. Precognitive gambling. Telekinesis etc. Drop in as a kid in Ep 1, aim to disrupt both Orders by the time of Ep 2 or 3. And maybe romance Padme or someone else along the way.

Ranan · Apr 20, 2023

Just read the first chap of book 2 and Camerons visceral anger about relationships seems absurd, at his age he I can understand not wanting to get physical especially with the mental component but a relationship isnt just about the physical and him swearing off relationships and being all angry is just off putting to me. Id like to understand the authors thought process but to me it seems like the author forgot that relationships consist mostly of trust and affection and arent just about sex.

noya · Apr 21, 2023

Love the chapter, am kinda hoping that Cam can change the Cat girl Princess to not be awful. Also I believe it would be extremely funny if he ends up having sex with her during the negotiations.
Either way this arc is gearing up tombe interesting.

USSExplorer · May 16, 2023

A/N:
As always, thanks to those helping me write and plan out this story and checking it for continuality and logic errors.

This chapter was released at least 2 weeks ago to my Patreons (with them seeing a draft version around 2 months ago) and on the story's Discord server (in GDoc form) about a week ago.
Links for both are at the end of the chapter.
Hopefully, all the little mistakes have been found and removed.

Current Date: 1 year until the Invasion of Naboo

Knightly Diplomacy 2
… …

"I must admit, when you asked for a private meeting without anyone else, I was curious as to why," Hara Adasca said as she leaned back on a sofa in the quarters assigned to Adascorp. I sat on a sofa on the other side of a small table that separated the two couches. "I can say that you being forthcoming and, dare I say it, blunt about wanting to understand my company's requirements for these talks wasn't what I expected." She chuckled at some private joke.

"I've dealt with Jedi before, you know, as has Adascorp. Until you, the pattern they've followed is predictable. Manipulable. Allow them to mumble on about how the Force guides their actions, how it seeks a path of balance, and you'll normally be able to come out of the negotiation with more than you'd expect. You, however, are a refreshing if confusing change. Initially, your understanding of how negotiations such as this worked was limited – understandable due to your age and training – but you have seemingly figured out the key fact that all negotiators know: Everyone is out to get more than they deserve or expect. That I would see a Jedi of all people learn that lesson on this pitiful backwater is an unexpected delight to what has so far been a rather dull negotiation."

I chuckled as I took a sip of the water I held in my hand. "Not all Jedi spout such jargon, though I will admit that many do seem to meditate for hours, if not days or weeks, before deciding on what to do." That drew a smirk from the Arkanian noble. "When I was travelling here, I had hoped to quickly get everyone to see that each party wasn't suitable for handling the entire contract. I had expected everyone to know that and work from a common ground."

Adasca chuckled and replied, "It's understandable for one so young to have overestimated your abilities and underestimated the tenacity of the negotiators here."

I nodded in agreement, "Yes, it seems like this is no easy task."

Adasca continued, "That's why the opening sessions of negotiations like these may seem trivial, but they are crucial for gaining a measure of understanding about any new faces at the table, including an independent arbiter. This way, when the real negotiations begin, we are better informed about our competition and their strengths, vulnerabilities, and other relevant factors."

I laughed along with her. "Yeah, I'm sure I looked like bantha fodder." I was glad when she had the grace to not agree with me verbally, choosing only to nod. "Thankfully, after some soul searching, and, I'll admit, some meditation, I realised I was out of my depth and reached out to a friend. She's a rising star of a politician so she understands a little of how all this works and offered me some advice, hence this meeting."

Hara leaned forward. "Then I must offer a thank you to this friend. Though I am surprised you asked for the meeting during the celebration. I'd have thought Princess Miraj wouldn't let you leave her side for anything bar sleep."

I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "She has been quite insistent that I accompany her during the week. Thankfully, King Medes understands that my purpose here isn't to serve as his daughter's escort. Though it seems several members of his court, specifically the younger males, appear not to understand this."

Ever since the banquet several days ago, Miraj had gone out of her way to not only ensure that I was escorting her family around, but that she was on my arm. I'd been dragged to various cities all over the planet, forced to sit through some of the most mind-numbingly dull arse-kissing speeches that I'd heard this side of the Senate and at every meal, been her first and last dance partner. And on those moments when she didn't drag me around in public, she kept asking when I could begin instructing her on how to use the beskad Dred Yomaget had gifted her.

While I wasn't enjoying Miraj dragging me around like some new trinket to show off, nor Master Ti's amusement and comments about my new friend, it hadn't been all bad. Miraj continually asked for my opinion, which made me think there was an opportunity. After a little research on Zygerrians, it was apparent they respected power and strength – something that helped explain why King Medes had taken a long look at me when we'd first met and accepted me as the negotiator – and since it seemed Miraj felt I was powerful, I took my shot. Plus, with a new quest, Changing Fate [Miraj Scintel], generated and accepted, I had a plan in place.

It was a long shot, something the Interface agreed with by making the quest B-rated, but since the penalty was only turning a potential future slaver into an enemy or seeing her die – along with a small loss of XP – it was worth trying. If I could pull it off, then I would potentially have a new ally in the Outer Rim; one that would one day control a sector connected to two major hyperspace lanes and near Sith, Mandalorian, and Mon Calamari space. Yes, I'd not had any dealings with the Mon Cala yet, but I did plan to visit them and examine any fledgling starship industry they might have.

"Yes, they do seem to be acting incredibly territorial toward the princess, which might be why she's making sure to keep you close." Hara takes a sip from her glass, one filled with the local nectar wine. "Still, with you coming here today, something I expect you shall do with the other delegations; I hope that the pace of our talks will accelerate. While I expect them to take time, I do hope to return home before the year is up."

Hara was taking a shot at me there, yes, but it was one I deserved. Trying to dive right into the negotiations without getting to know the various delegations and their needs beforehand had been a foolish move. One that wasted all the time we had before the celebration paused the talks. In hindsight, it was obvious I should've reached out to the delegates on the first day, but as always, hindsight was a bitch.

"If they do, I suspect King Medes will request Master Ti take over the talks. Which is something I believe you and the other delegates would prefer."

Hara swirled around her glass, watching the wine as it spun around inside without ever spilling out. "I admit that the Togruta would've made for an easier read to begin the negotiations. While I haven't dealt with her personally, Adascorp has, and she is well-known enough that details of previous talks where she was a leading figure are available for the right price. I am still confused as to why the Jedi felt you should lead instead of your master."

"She isn't my master, per se, just the senior Jedi on this mission," that made Hara's brow rise. "The High Council felt I should lead the talks, which to any who don't understand the Force, could seem an illogical choice. However, as much as it can confuse other Jedi as well, from the decisions they've made regarding my friends and me, they often make the correct call." That was grade-A bull, but it was the same basic spiel I'd given to Ce Serd and Hego Damask when I'd spoken to them earlier today.

The IGBC had been the first group I'd spoken to, simply so Plagueis wouldn't know what to expect from my request for a private discussion. Hara, and through her, Adascorp, was the second delegate I'd spoken with and so far, the requests and demands were logical.

As I had half-expected beforehand, the IGBC had a baseline requirement for accepting any part in the combined contract of having the controlling financial stake. They could manage that with ease as none of the other delegations could match their size and financial power. They also wished for favourable tax breaks and trade status for a select list of companies under their direct control for the length of the contract. Those were all reasonable, while their request to be the Zygerrians' first port of call for financing for any future projects over the next one hundred years was a smart one as it guaranteed them a place at the next negotiation table without having to jump through any hoops placed on them by the Zygerrians.

One thing that wasn't directly stated, but seemed to have been implied by Ce Serd, was that the IGBC didn't want direct control of any particular section of the contract – outside of financial sections – merely requesting that companies under their control were brought on board in every sector as a junior partner at a minimum. I felt I could get the others to agree to that, but since I still had to speak with SoroSuub and Mandalmotors, I hadn't implied it could be done, merely that I would consider it.

Adascorp's redline – not that they called it that – was controlling interest in all sections of the contract that dealt primarily with medical and bioengineering elements, and at least junior interest in any section where those two areas were mentioned as secondary requirements. They also wanted to be the first port of call for any new contracts dealing primarily with medical issues with the promise that such deals would be profitable for both parties. Like the IGBC, those requests felt doable and made logical sense given their company's fields of expertise.

The biggest surprise of Hara's requests was for a subsidiary of theirs to serve as at least a junior partner on any terraforming efforts that the contract specified might be enacted if the initial half of the contract was completed on time and under budget. That wasn't taking a step too far outside their supposed comfort zone, but it would give them expertise in the field which I assumed they'd use in future to take control of similar agreements with other galactic sectors.

Their other requests, such as being made favourable trade partners, becoming the supplier of Zygerrian medical products to the wider galactic market and minor – between five and ten per cent – stakes in several local companies with interests aligned with Adascorp, should be doable. Though the request for minor stakes was something I'd have to speak directly with King Medes about.

With those details in mind, and having estimates of what SoroSuub and Mandalmotors would consider redlines, I felt the talks, once they resumed, should progress much faster. It would still take considerable time as there'd be a lot of haggling over the smaller details, but much of the final contract would be split along company interests with only minor overlap. Or so I hoped.

"Since the workings of the Jedi are a mystery to me, I will have to take your word on the matter." Hara leaned back and took another sip of her glass, seemingly finishing it. "I prefer to place my faith in science, facts, and figures." I nodded in agreement, as I could understand that logic. Even after eight years of interacting with the Force, it still confused the hell out of me at times.

The Force might have a plan for the galaxy as a whole, but it was indecipherable to me – and others, I suspected – not least as the Force wasn't alive in a way most would understand. Oddly, I was fine with that as I had little interest in understanding its plan, nor, at least fully, knowing what it was. So long as its goal, whatever that truly was, wasn't diametrically opposed to mine, I was happy to let it do what it did. Hopefully, it would agree and never work directly against me.

My vambrace beeped just as an attendant came over and refilled Hara's glass. I sighed as I saw who the message was from, and what it was about. "My apologies Lady Hara, but it seems Princess Miraj has once more requested my presence."

Hara laughed gently as the attendant moved away. "Of course, of course. While I would have enjoyed speaking with you further, it wouldn't be wise to insult the daughter of our host. Nor deny the young princess the pleasure of an admittedly handsome young Jedi such as yourself."

I nodded in acceptance of her comment, especially the hint that she found me attractive. Like much of this talk and the times around the negotiating table, I felt that it was designed simply to unbalance me and allow her the upper hand. It was something the delegates all seemed to do instinctively, and I found myself unwilling to take anything they said at face value.

"I suspect that once the talks resume, her interest in me will shift. I am, to be blunt, nothing more than a new bauble for the princess to be enamoured with until her interest passes." I placed my glass down on the table and stood. "Thank you for allowing me this time to smooth out the issues you and your company have with the current status of the talks," I said as I extended my hand to her.

She rose to meet me, and as she did, I gently took her hand and brought it to my lips, kissing the back of it. "It was my pleasure. I am grateful for you doing so, and now understand our positions. I look forward to seeing the talks accelerate once they resume," she replied with a smile.

"As do I, my lady," I added as I released her hand. As I turned, one of her assistants stepped toward a door. They'd guide me from the room, much as they'd escorted me in.

While I disliked these talks, as the finer points of business negotiations were about as much fun as taking a lava bath on Mustafar, I accepted I had to endure them. The discussion I'd just had with Hara, along with the one I'd had with the IGBC and those to come with the other delegations, would move things along. And once I was free of this, I'd be able to focus on next year and the invasion that would occur.

… …

… …

I moved to one side, letting the thrust from the Zygerrian attacking me miss so badly that the gap left was big enough that I could fit Miraj into it. The male was skilled enough to at least adapt to that, and started to shift his momentum. The blade curled in the air as it shifted direction and came at me, though, by the time it did, I'd already leapt clear. The Force propelled me further than otherwise possible and I landed with ease about five metres from him.

"Stand still!" That snarled demand came from Dist Traldal, my impromptu opponent as he gnashed his teeth in anger at missing yet another attack. "Fight back!" He added as he rushed toward me, his latest attack piercing nothing but air as I glided around him.

"Why would I do that?" I asked as I slid back from a light slash aimed at my thigh. He thrust forward again, his anger unbalancing him. This time I didn't pull back, moving to the outside of his arm and driving my elbow down on his arm, just above his wrist. He stumbled but retained the grip on his blade even as I shoulder-checked him and he moved away, struggling to keep his balance.

If I'd had my beskad out, I could've easily removed the arm if I'd wanted, which would've ended the duel, though calling it that was overly polite to Dist. Or I could've drawn blood and scored one of the three points needed to win this little exhibition. However, as with the last six times I'd landed a strike against him since we'd begun, I hadn't drawn my blade, only using my body to land a blow. Each time, that had angered the Zygerrian further, which was my intention along with showing everyone how dreadfully outmatched he was.

I sensed a lingering sense of displeasure from Master Ti at this duel taking place, which had started when I'd accepted Dist's challenge. Given her love of unorthodox combat, she seemed relaxed about my taunting of Dist. Or at least I felt she didn't mind as there'd been no hint of anything whenever I commented on his inability to strike me.

Off to one side, I could see Miraj and others watching, the princess cheering every time Dist missed, which seemed to inflame his rage more than me making him miss. Miraj had insisted I take this challenge, even though Dist and his friends – though most seemed to be enjoying watching him flail – had interrupted my training session with Miraj. I'd been teaching her some basic velocities that worked with a beskad when they'd arrived and Dist had begun stage-whispering comments on my teaching and skill. I'd let them go as a quick use of Observe had listed him as a Low threat at best, but Miraj hadn't. She'd responded that I was far beyond his slight skill with a blade, and when Dist had challenged me to prove that Miraj had accepted on my behalf.

As Miraj explained the rule to me – either draw blood three times or get your blade into a killing position without doing so – she'd imparted more information about my opponent. Dist came from a semi-important family with his father being the duke of a major city on another continent. He, like the other males in his group, was jockeying for Miraj's hand to improve their status and that of their family.

This might've been something that actually happened in canon, but I'd never know. Plus, Miraj disliked Dist after he'd done something she wasn't willing to comment on, and wanted to see me defeat him badly. I felt she hoped that my doing so would end his attempted courtship of her, though I hoped this didn't increase her interest in me.

Yes, I had the quest linked to her, but I didn't want her to get the wrong idea about why I was tutoring her. While I'd yet to let her use her blade against anything more than air, she listened intently and took every criticism I offered without complaint. That was a good sign, and I expected this duel, which hadn't generated any quest since Miraj had accepted it before I could, would further help improve her opinion of me. Though Force help me if her physical interest turned into anything more than a teenage crush. I didn't need to deal with more of that.

Nor the growing desire I could sense from the few female Zygerrians in the room. The males seemed conflicted, not enjoying seeing one of their number being soundly handled by me, but also enthused; probably as they felt Dist being embarrassed here today would remove him as competition. There was some worry as well and all that made sense. Zygerrians were a predatorial species and believed that 'Might makes Right'. Yes, I might be an off-worlder and a Jedi, but I carried myself like a warrior, and as they were seeing now, could back it up.

I turned my attention to Dist as he regained his balance and turned toward me once more. His face was marred with rage. Rage that he was unable to fulfil as for the five minutes this duel had been going on, he'd not even managed to slice my robes. If I wanted to, I'd already seen four moments where I could've drawn my beskad and ended this duel, but even without the quest linked to Miraj, I'd have drawn this out. His overall attitude and behaviour in the brief time I'd known him had soured my opinion of him and I wanted to ensure he understood he was nothing more than an insignificant footnote on a backwater planet.

Dist swung low, aiming for my knee. The move was slow; sloppy. However, I had no interest in pointing out his flaws, preferring to exploit them to further his humiliation. I lifted my leg with plenty of time remaining to avoid the swing and then brought it down sharply. Sparks erupted as the blade screeched against the floor. His shoulder tensed, planning to pull the blade free and attempt to unbalance me, but I was already airborne before he could move.

As I sailed over him, the Force taking me higher than I could otherwise do, I let my foot trail behind. A resounding crunch echoed around the room as my heel collided with his face. I landed with ease, the striking foot sliding behind me as I dropped low, adopting a rather dramatic pose. Dooku would chide me from here to Coruscant for the unnecessary flamboyance of the landing, but it served its purpose.

I stood and shook the foot that had struck him. "One," I called out loudly and clearly as Dist lifted a hand to his face. As his eyes flickered in anger as he saw the blood on his hand, I tapped the sheath of my beskad, making it abundantly clear I'd scored without the need for a blade.

As I'd expected and hoped, that enraged Dist. After another loud snarl, he rushed toward me, his blade lifted high above his head. The strike was so pathetically predictable that even a Youngling just starting to use the Force could avoid it before it landed. Hell, I could've avoided that in my old life even before I'd joined the military.

The wild overhead slash missed badly, and even as he struggled for balance, he yanked his arm back, forcing the blade into a wide, almost uncontrolled slash. I smirked as it sailed harmlessly between us. "Stop cheating!" He snarled as he brought the blade around, slashing again even as balance further eluded him.

"How exactly am I cheating?" I asked as that slash again cut through only air. I added to his rage by slapping his arm as it flew past, and smirked as he stumbled away, barely avoiding face-planting into the floor.

Dist's head whipped around, his free hand having been forced out to stop his fall. "You're a Jedi! All you do is cheat!"

I laughed at that. "Dist, let me be clear. I'm holding back. My lightsaber is resting over there," I pointed toward Master Ti who was holding the weapon for me, "nor am I using the Force against you." I extended my arms and smirked. "The fact that with me holding back, you can't even cut my robes… That reflects more on your lack of skill than any abilities that I possess that you don't."

Dist snarled and once more charged. I could see the thin line of control he held over his animalistic nature was slipping, which was exactly what I wanted. Yes, the angrier he got, the more uncontrollable he'd be, but it would ensure his reputation would be shattered among the Zygerrians. I didn't want this duel to somehow blow up on me and whenever I returned here to discover he'd somehow risen to rule. No, I needed him embarrassed so badly that no one would consider him worthy of any position of power ever again.

Dist's arm surged forward, attempting to skewer me with his blade. Though like every attack he'd tried since this duel had started, I was able to avoid it with ease. "I mean, I haven't even drawn my blade, and already I've made you taste your own blood. This fight was over before it began, you are simply too blinded by your rage and ego to see it."

A flick of his wrist had the blade's tip race toward my wrist. Wanting him to fully commit to the attack, I pulled my arm back at the last moment. As the blade sailed past, and he rotated his arm to arrest the weapon's momentum, I grabbed his wrist. Sending my forearm up into his elbow and wrenching his blade out of his hand before reversing my momentum as I spun him around and over my shoulder.

"Two," I proclaimed as I saw his arm. The expensive-looking clothing he'd been wearing was cut and a deep gash had appeared near his elbow. Dist lifted the arm, the wound dripping blood onto the hard floor, and then, with rage dominating his thoughts, leapt at me.

Without the Force, those claws would've struck my face. Zygerrians were stronger and faster than baseline Humans. However, with the Force providing only moderate boosts to my reflexes and sight, I could pick out small cracks in two of his claws and see the veins in his hands as they surged toward my body.

I leaned back and turned, ensuring his claws wouldn't strike me if my next action failed. It didn't and I easily gripped one of his arms. I shifted my rear leg and pulled on the arm. The shift in position, which took place within a second, caught him off-guard, and as his feet left the ground, I rotated my shoulders.

He landed face-first on the ground even as I maintained my lock on his arm, and a crunch echoed around the room as I drove my foot into his jaw. Seeing his body twisting, trying to get his free arm around for a strike, I rolled over him, keeping a grip on his arm. His body twisted awkwardly as I pulled the arm behind his back, and I smirked as I heard the shoulder pop.

Before he could shift around, I let go of his arm with one hand and drove the elbow from it down into his back, a faint crack just reaching my ears as my joint crashed into the back of his ribcage. I then pushed the arm I was holding down and stepped back. "Three," I called out as he turned, blood flowing profusely from his earlier broken nose and merging with a trail coming from a shattered eardrum.

That meant the duel was now over, but the bloodlust in Dist's eyes made it clear he no longer cared. Rage surged from him in waves, consuming any control he'd once held. My hand drifted to the hilt of my beskad as he spun round, grimacing as he tried to move his dislocated arm, and then leapt at me, his good arm leading his body. Yet before he could reach me, he stopped in mid-air.

"This fight is over," Master Ti called out loudly as I saw her walking toward us, one hand extended out from her body, aimed at the floating Dist. "Accept your defeat and learn from it." With that, she lowered her hand and Dist dropped unceremoniously to the floor, groaning as he came down heavily on the dislocated arm.

I turned and offered Master Ti a nod of thanks, yet as I did the Force rippled with a warning. I pivoted, returning my attention to Dist, part of the blade of my beskad coming into view as I moved to pull it free. Dist was closing fast, his face contorted by fury as his working arm rushed toward my face. At this range, I knew I had no choice but to remove his hand to avoid another set of facial scars. Yet, as the beskad slid from its sheath, Dist tumbled away to the side; slammed into by a blue bolt.

"Enough!" I turned from him to see Miraj holding a DH-17 pistol, smoke rising from the barrel as she aimed it at the downed Zygerrian. It took a split-second for me to realize that the bolt wasn't lethal as she continued, "Dist Traldal, you are banished from my presence and these royal grounds!" Dist hissed on the ground, which made Miraj narrow her eyes. "Leave now before you embarrass your house further and force me to speak with my father about their position of power!"

After a few moments to regain his senses after the stun blast, Dist blinked in shock at her threat and slowly moved, showing impressive resilience to a stun bolt. I didn't understand much about the power dynamics of the Zygerrian people, but if things were even semi-close to what I know of feudal-styled societies, kings and queens often removed power from lower families over trivial issues. Dist's attack on me was far from that, and it seemed the young princess knew this, and that the threat of his family losing influence and power would be enough for Dist to withdraw.

Dist snorted in anger and spat blood at my feet even as his eyes narrowed as he glared at me. For a second, I wondered if he wouldn't take the warning, but he did. Without any look at the armed princess, he turned and stalked from the room, his good hand cradling his damaged arm. A small group of Zygerrians rushed to help him, including one female. She reached out to him, but he snarled and slapped her hand away hard enough that she stumbled. Instead of following Dist out, the female snarled at Dist's retreating form and then turned. As she marched back to the other Zygerrians, fire in her eyes, I turned to Miraj and smiled.

"My thanks, princess," I began as I walked toward her even as she holstered the small pistol. Now that I knew it was there, I could see how she'd hidden it, and why she'd need a holdout blaster. "Sadly, it appears Dist has yet to learn to control his more... aggressive nature."

Miraj smiled as her eyes found mine and I sensed a spike in her desire and arousal. "No, it is I who should apologise. You and Master Ti are guests on our world. Dist Traldal has always been… overly sure of himself. Safe in the knowledge that his father's influence allows him much leeway. He often duels what he considers easy opponents or rivals, and goes further than needed to prove his superiority." She stepped closer, a hand coming to rest on my forearm. "Today, he learnt that he isn't the duellist he believes he is." Her eyes drifted down, though thankfully to my beskad and not my groin. "Still, I had hoped to see you use your blade today. Or at least your lightsaber."

I smiled as my eyes darted to Master Ti moving slowly toward us. "A Jedi only draws their lightsaber in combat if left with no other choice, princess. As for my beskad, Dist was never a threat, not until it appeared he might lose control and give in to his baser instincts." Miraj almost purred as I said that, and even without the Force, her desire was easy to see. "Even then, doing so would only have served to prove how unworthy he was, and possibly embarrass him to a point he might never learn from today." Behind Miraj, I saw Master Ti give me a slight nod of possible approval. "However, if Master Ti permits, we could spar with our lightsabers as it has been some time since we'd trained. I should warn you, princess, that the spar would be as one-sided as the duel you just witnessed; with me taking the role of Dist."

"Padawan Shan is widely recognized as one of the Order's most exceptional young duellists, yet he is correct in stating that he has not yet attained the level of skill required to challenge a Jedi Master." A smile danced on Master Ti's lips as she spoke, and I knew that while offering me a compliment, she was also driving home just how far I still had to go. Which was fucking annoying as my skill with the first six forms were at least in the high Professional range, yet I felt as if I was still missing something. It was almost as if the Interface was somehow limiting what I could do with a Lightsaber and the Force, but that just had to be a trick of my mind. "Still, he has defeated several Jedi Knights in spars; something few Padawans are ever able to claim at such a young age."

"Master Ti is kind with her words, but I'm still far from challenging her or Master Dooku." that drew a tinkling laugh from Master Ti. "I hope with time and experience I might one day be able to do so. However, I fear it might take decades to achieve that."

"It is good to have goals, Padawan, and I am glad you understand what it will take to achieve that goal. To think otherwise… can lead to embarrassment, as we have just witnessed."

"Yes, Master."

"I hope that before the negotiations are concluded I might observe a spar between Jedi," Miraj said slowly, her hand still resting on my arm, a slight edge to her tone that likely came from being ignored for a few moments. "However, for now, I wish to return to my lesson."

"As you wish, Princess," Master Ti replied with a bow before turning to me. "Once the lesson is concluded, please return to your chambers, and contact me. We must review today's negotiations and determine which areas to discuss tomorrow." I nodded in agreement, glad to finally see the talks not only resume but get somewhere.

It'd been a week since we'd resumed the talks, and with me now armed with ideas of what each party wanted, it hadn't taken long to work out a basic schedule. Each day brought progress, though some of it was minimal. Still, armed with an understanding of what each delegation wanted from the talks at a minimum, and what they hoped for, I had the wiggle room I needed to lay out the general areas of the massive contract the Zygerrians were offering and know roughly how each delegation would regard those areas.

Things were still slow going, but so long as there were no major setbacks, I felt we could be concluded in around a month. Though I was now in the odd place of wanting to keep the pace slow. I'd started making what felt like genuine progress with Miraj – something shown by Dist risking a duel with me – and if the talks progressed too rapidly, then I might struggle to leave enough of a lasting impression on her to have anything more than an outside chance of success at her linked quest.

That said, I wasn't going to purposely sabotage the talks simply for a possible future benefit. No, given the choice, I'd choose to leave this system as soon as I could. Time was slowly turning against me as the starting gun towards the Naboo conflict was, at best, not much more than a year away and I needed time to prepare for that.

… …

… …

"Arrgh!" I growled in frustration as the doors to my assigned quarters slid shut behind me. Stomping toward the small sofa, I threw my robes on a nearby chair and sunk into a comfortable seat.

Since resuming the talks, everything had been going decently. Yes, there had been some days where barely any progress had been made due to vibrant discussions over the finer details of a certain section of the contract. For example, yesterday had revolved around the distribution of processed food from a colony about two lightyears from Zygerria, centring on where the food should be sent, which companies and sub-companies should be used, and the exact nature of the division of control. It was a minor thing, but with the size of the contract, even something like that could take hours, or in yesterday's case, a day, to sort out.

However, today was the first time that negotiations had ground to a halt. Vundu Plast had wanted to reopen the discussion on control of the local manufacturing of cargo vessels for several mining operations in remote systems. This had been sorted weeks ago, with Adascorp and Mandalmotors agreeing on a joint venture, yet Plast wanted to renegotiate to gain SoroSuub full control of the venture. That made no sense since there'd been no hint at the time it had come up, nor when I'd spoken to her privately about SoroSuub's requirements for a shared contract. And then, when the other companies rejected reopening the matter, Plast hadn't let the matter go, threatening to reopen every part of the contract already agreed upon. The impasse had dragged on all day, until, in the late afternoon, with hours still available in the day but no progress on anything being made, Master Ti had suggested we retire for the day and return tomorrow with cooler heads.

I really hoped whatever bugs had crawled up the Sullustan's arses left as if this continued tomorrow, I knew my temper would begin to fray. Hell, if it kept up for more than a few days, I'd consider suggesting to King Medes that he remove them entirely from the talks. Yes, that would force some elements to be reopened, but gaining consensus from four groups was easier than doing so from five.

"Ah!" I slapped the sofa's arm, hearing it creak at how hard I'd smacked it. "Why do they have to be so kriffing stupid?!" I raged to the empty room. It wouldn't offer a response, but there was something therapeutic in yelling out my frustrations over these talks. It wasn't the Jedi way of handling things, but it worked for me.

After some time, with my rage slowly calming, I sat up and poured myself a glass of mando papuur'gal Dred Yomaget had gifted me with a case of and I'd found myself enjoying a glass each night to take the edge off. Now, I'd have preferred some Ne'tra Gal, but Master Ti had been adamant that I didn't need hard liquor in my quarters. Until today, I'd been fine with that, but right now I could do with a few stiff shots of something stronger than wine.

I tilted the glass back and grunted as I realised I'd downed the whole thing in one go. I leaned forward to refill the glass, only to stop. Getting drunk was tempting, but even though I could easily clear the hangover and other effects of the alcohol, I was sure Master Ti would sense if I became inebriated and I'd rather not have a talk tomorrow about being mindful of excess. Not to mention, however unlikely it was, there was a chance that getting drunk would somehow make Dark Side Masking slip. It was in the high Master range, meaning it seemed to be enough to fool even Master Fay, but no power was fool proof.

Thus, with a growl of frustration, I placed the glass back on the table and then stood. I began pacing the room, trying to drive the anger over SoroSuub's odd behaviour from me. My eyes lingered on a jug of water, and I considered spending some time working on Inanimate Conversion, as I'd done on some other evenings, but decided against it. Given the mood I was in, it probably wasn't wise to consider changing water into anything else, as the urge to create a poison that worked on Sullustans held some appeal.

Instead, after lifting various objects in the room closer to the walls with the Force, I moved into the cleared space and began moving meditation. Alchaka wasn't yet Maxed out, and I had no need to refresh my FP, but I'd long since started doing this as a way to unwind and centre myself.

My body moved around slowly, taking its time to draw out the moves and velocities of the half-dozen styles of fighting I knew. My eyes closed and I tempered my breathing, getting into a calm, steady rhythm. Like always, the air around me felt as if it was reacting to my movements, and I soon felt something which I believed to be the Force begin to not only sense my movements but mimic them.

Time slipped away as I let my mind clear, gliding around the room with the Force as my only companion. I felt the eddies of the Force shift around me as I moved, brushing against my skin and providing a calming, relaxing presence for my turbulent mind. Letting m….

"…we're not afraid to die for a worthy cause."

I stumbled forward, the voice floating to me through the Force disturbing my thoughts and forcing me out of Alchaka. I blinked, remembering where I was, and whose voice that was. "What?" I muttered as I realised that I'd somehow heard Master Giiett through the Force. His words sounded fatal, and I felt a hand clench around my lungs, which only increased when a small red blinking dot appeared in the corner of my vision. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I opened the notice and groaned.

Quest Failed!
Changing Fate (Giiett)
Result:
-800XP
Loss of an ally on the High Council.
...

"Fuck." The word slipped easily from my mouth as I stepped back and slumped onto the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. Giiett was dead, but I didn't know how or why. This might've been the canon event that had killed him, or something else brought on because of my existence. Either way, he was gone, and I'd failed the quest linked to him. As bad as it sounded, this helped highlight the flaw I'd made early on at the Temple of accepting every quest offered by the Interface. Still, that was secondary beyond learning how and why Giiett was dead.

I stood and strode for the door, pulling my robes to me with the Force. They slipped over my shoulders as I stepped into the corridor and my arms were inside them as I reached Master Ti's door. I pressed the buzzer, and a second later the door slid open.

"Pada…"

"Something is wrong, Master," I said, cutting her off. She frowned and stepped back, allowing me access to her quarters. "I was meditating, using Alchaka to clear my frustrations from today's talks," I began as I walked into her small sitting area, which was a mirror of mine, even down to most of the furniture being close to the walls. "I was forced out of it when I heard a voice in the Force, one I kno…" My words trailed off as I turned to face her and saw she wasn't wearing her robes. Or much of anything for that matter. All that she had on were undergarments that were akin to skin-tight workout clothes that did nothing to hide the shape of what lay underneath. Putting that from my mind I continued. "I heard Master Giiett's voice. . . " I said trailing off as I felt my throat clench slightly.

The slight frown she had deepened. "Might I ask what you heard him say?"

"We-" I paused slightly, clearing my throat" We're not afraid to die for a worthy cause," I repeated slowly. "I, I think he might be dead, Master."

She shook her head and stepped closer. "I find it highly unlikely both that a member of the High Council is dead, and that you sensed it and I did not." She slipped past me and as I turned, my eyes drifted lower, taking in the way the shorts she wore hugged her arse. "Still, I will contact the Temple to confirm if anything is amiss. First, however, perhaps you might explain why you believe you sensed the death of a Jedi Master when I have not?"

"I…" I licked my lips and raised my eyes to her face as she turned and settled into her sofa. I took a moment to consider how I wanted to explain this to her. I knew Giiett was dead, but I had no way beyond the Interface to confirm that. Getting my thoughts in order I sat, though not on the sofa next to her but on a seat nearby. While I knew nothing would happen, being close to her in her current state of undress was a situation I'd like to avoid.

… …

… …

I watched, trying to not fidget in agitation as Vundu Plast added her seal to the five copies of the contract. Hara Adasca, Ce Serd, and Dred Yomaget had already added theirs, but until Plast and King Medes added their seals, I wasn't going to hope the negotiations were over. It'd been a little over a month since the celebration for Miraj's ascension to heir to the throne, and the talks were finally, barring anything insane, done and dusted.

After Plast attached her company's seal, she stood. I moved forward and collected the five copies of the contract, which rather amusingly were actual paper cover pages for the digital contracts and walked toward the royal table. Around me, various cameras flashed, and drones buzzed, recording this moment for news reports across the galaxy and records in the Senate archives.

"Your Majesty," I said with a slight smile as I slid the documents in front of him. He smiled back as he picked up the royal seal and I moved to one side, granting him the spotlight. I watched, my relief at this mission almost being finished growing with each document he affirmed his seal upon. He paused at the final document and looked at the cameras, reporters, and various assembled dignitaries from across the sector and beyond. "With this seal, Zygerria and her tributaries enter a new era. One in which, with the help of the corporations gathered here today, and the work of the Jedi to my left, will lift our sector from a remote outpost of the Republic in the Outer Rim into a major centre for trade and commerce for centuries to come!"

As he affixed the seal to the final document, the gathered crowd, myself, Master Ti, and the delegations burst into applause. While ours were reserved, the crowd was much more enthusiastic about it. In the corner of my vision, a small blue dot appeared, signalling the quest linked to this mission was complete. The quest's name – Knightly Diplomacy – hinted at this having something to do with me becoming a Jedi Knight, but nothing in the description, objectives or requirements backed that up.

I had to close my eyes for a moment as the flashes from the various cameras and drones drowned the area in light. I strained to keep smiling as even with my eyes closed, I could see the flashes going off and as I slowly opened my eyes, I had to resist an urge to slap away two drones that had floated too close to me.

I turned away as the flashlights dulled and blinked, trying to clear my sight. A hand came to rest on my shoulder, and I turned back to see Medes standing close to me. "I am wise enough to admit that when I was first informed you would be leading the negotiations I was… uncertain about it," he began, a wide smile on his face exposing most of his sharp teeth. "Yes, you carried yourself as a warrior should, and bare the scars of previous hunts, but I had little understanding of how you would perform at the negotiating table."

I bit back a chuckle. "I was even less sure of that than you, your majesty. However, the High Council and Master Ti had faith in me to complete the talks, and I was reluctant to let that faith be misplaced."

Medes laughed, sounding like a relaxed lion and he patted my shoulder. "Yes, it seems they saw something that neither of us did. At least not at first." He turned slightly, removing his hand from my shoulder. "A great warrior doesn't always make a good leader, which is why even great leaders surround themselves with advisors wiser than themselves." He glanced past me, in the general direction of Master Ti. "If I might be so bold, our sector has been without a Jedi since the reign of my father." He looked at the gathered crowds for a second. "We Zygerrians are a proud people, disliking outsiders interfering in our affairs and telling us how we should behave." I slapped down an urge to comment about them used to be a slaving empire as he continued. "However, after your help, I find myself open to the idea of the Jedi returning to the sector."

I lowered my head. "I'm sure Master Ti and I could add some backing to such a request, your majesty." Even as I replied, I suspected he had a certain Jedi in mind and while that would make convincing Miraj easier, it would leave me trapped at the very edge of the galaxy, unable to influence events as the drums of war began to sound across the Republic.

"Ha!" Medes took a half-step back and seemed to examine me. "From what Master Ti has told me, only Jedi Knights and Masters are allowed to be assigned as sector guardians. I wonder how much longer I should wait before submitting my request?"

I smiled and bowed. "You honour me, your majesty," I said before rising, taking the time to fine-tune a reason to reject his offer. I couldn't turn him down flat as that would insult his race and position, and I didn't want to offend him as there was a chance that I might be able to use Miraj and her people in the years to come. "However, I haven't given much thought as to what I might do whenever the Council deems me worthy of promotion. I suspect I will have several more years, at least, to consider that."

Yes, Knightly Diplomacy by its name alone hinted I was close, and I had a quest to become a Jedi Knight before Padmé became queen, but if I pulled that off I'd be an outlier. Most Jedi weren't knighted until their mid-twenties, though exceptional cases did exist, something proven by Mace Windu being made a Master and given a seat on the Council at an age many were just becoming Knights.

"True. Still, I hope that when they see the wisdom in promoting you, you might consider returning to our sector. Even if you aren't assigned here, many in my court, and family, would be disappointed if you forgot about us." He turned and made me do so as well until we saw Miraj talking with her mother, Master Ti, and Hara Adasca.

"For the most part, I have enjoyed my time on your world, your majesty. Far more than I initially expected I would," I said slowly, watching Miraj try to keep her boredom with whatever Hara was discussing from her face. "However, a Jedi goes where the Force and the High Council guides them." As I continued, Miraj caught us watching, and a smile came to her face. Her mother and Master Ti turned to see why she was suddenly smiling, and upon seeing us, both women smiled as well. "Still, whenever I am knighted, if the position is still unfilled, I will meditate on the matter and ask the Force for guidance."

Medes chuckled deeply. "That is all I can ask. I understand the… temptation of exploring the galaxy, of challenging yourself against worthy adversaries and proving yourself superior, or discovering about how much you still have to learn." I nodded and my mind drifted back a few weeks.

Back then, Miraj had finally convinced Master Ti to allow me and her to spar with our lightsabers. And when it was time for the demonstration, Miraj corralled not only the rest of her family but the delegations and other prominent figures into watching. As I'd warned Miraj, Master Ti had won, though she had gone easier on me than in the Temple; almost as if she found it amusing to see Miraj's interest in me.

Afterwards, Medes had asked to spar with Master Ti herself. Again, Master Ti had won with ease, though Medes had done well enough to land a blow on the agile Togrutan Jedi. Rhork had also challenged Master Ti, but instead, she'd suggested I spar with him and perhaps demonstrate some Mandalorian fighting styles.

Rhork was older and more experienced in the Mandalorian martial arts than either I or Bo were, and I refrained from using the force, thus it had been my loss. Thankfully, neither of us emerged with anything more than some mild injuries that healed in a few days – bacta and the Force helped there – and no delay to the negotiations was required.

"Your majesty," Medes turned as his Prime Minister, Ardis Crelat, approached. Crelat leaned in and whispered something into Medes' ear.

"Yes, yes," Medes said as Crelat pulled back before he turned to me. "Forgive me, but my duties as head of state require my attention. I hope we might return to our conversation at the closing banquet?"

"Certainly, your majesty," I replied with a bow. As the pair walked away, I turned, hoping to slip away and read the quest completion notice. However, just as I reached a spot where I could disappear for a few minutes, I sensed someone approaching.

I turned to see Ce Serd. "Representative Serd."

"Padawan Shan," Serd looked around, "my congratulations on bringing the talks to a successful conclusion. The contract, while not one I had hoped for, is one all parties can profit from, and provided we all are forthright in our dealings, improve cooperation between the IGBC and the other corporations. Even the Zygerrians gained more from the deal than they might otherwise have."

"I did what I could, Representative," I replied slowly, wondering why he was seeking me out. He appeared nervous, and I was concerned Damask had returned. "And I'm looking forward to returning to Coruscant and the Jedi Temple."

"Yes, I too am looking forward to returning to my home." Again, Serd looked around, and an odd expression came over his face, one that had my hand drift toward my lightsaber. "However, before the closing banquet, I have been asked to pass a small token of esteem and thanks from Magister Damask. Both for you successfully completing these talks and for your actions in saving him several years ago on Mandalore."

"While I'm honoured the Magister is happy with the completion of the talks, and is grateful for what happened in Keldabe, as a Jedi, there is no need from him to provide a reward." That and I was reluctant to take anything from Plagueis as, even if it was a seemingly innocent gift, it was a gift from a Sith Lord.

Serd smiled. "The Magister predicted you might say that. He requested that I be clear in saying that this is more a thanks for your actions on Mandalore than these talks. To quote him, he wouldn't be alive today if not for your quick and decisive actions in Mandalmotors tower. Additionally, he was quite insistent that I was to deliver this token of his esteem to you regardless of the outcome of the talks."

I sighed softly and nodded as I accepted the praise. There was little it seemed I could do that wouldn't have me accepting Plagueis' gift. Yet I had to wonder what his angle was. When he'd arrived on Zygerria during the celebration of Miraj's birthday and ascension to the position of heir to the throne, I'd expected he, like Dred Yomaget, would remain until the end of the negotiations. However, after speaking with me a half-dozen times during the celebrations, he left before the talks resumed.

Ever since his arrival, I'd been on edge. Hell, even with him leaving I'd stayed concerned. I knew he and Darth Sidious were monitoring me, but I hadn't expected Plagueis to do so publicly. From the light research I'd done – I'd avoided delving too deep into the Hego Damask persona on the off chance it was monitored by the Sith – I'd discovered that until his appearance on Mandalore, Damask had become something of a recluse. Hell, even since then, there was no record of him moving in public. At least not until his arrival on Zygerria.

Even that would likely not become public knowledge as, apart from myself, Ce Serd, and King Medes, I was led to believe that no one knew he was on-planet. If people did, then there was a chance they'd link me to Damask as I'd been at both known locations where he'd been in the last few years. That would generate confusion for sure as if I didn't know he was Darth Plagueis, I'd be confused by the interest he was showing in me.

"What happened that day on Mandalore was beyond my control, though me being there was the will of the Force," I replied, hoping he'd pass on my words directly even as I once more cursed the insanity of me having to 'save' a Dark Lord of the Sith. Well, better to call him a Banite Sith as King Adas had been quite insistent that neither Plagueis nor Sidious were worthy of being called Sith Lords. The memory of his anger when I revealed how the Sith in this era were behaving brought a cold shiver, as it did every time I remembered it. "Any thanks regarding my actions that day should be offered to it and not me."

"Yes, quite," Ce said, clearly uncertain of how to respond to my remark about the Force being responsible for Damask's survival. "Still, the Magister was insistent that upon completion of the negotiations, I inform you of his token and arrange delivery of it to your vessel, which I have already done." He paused and looked around before leaning closer. "On that note, several members of the IGBC board are curious as to how your Sekotan vessel survived while every other known one, for lack of a better term, died."

"I can't go into details regarding the matter, Representative," I replied slowly. "The matter is one your board should discuss with the Jedi High Council and Senate directly if you wish to know. While I am aware of the reasons for the death of most Sekotan ships, I'm under instruction to not speak about it to non-Jedi." That wasn't technically true, but I'd rather not have the Sith looking into the bond I shared with my ship. They might well try and use that bond as a way to manipulate or control me or even hurt Raven: which was something I'd never allow. Plus, as a bonus, I could stick it to a bunch of insanely rich bankers by simply having something they couldn't. "As for the token. Since the Magister has already arranged for its delivery to my vessel, it appears there is little I can do but accept it graciously. Please pass along my thanks for it and a reminder that as a Jedi I don't require gifts for doing what I do, to the Magister the next time you speak with him."

Serd nodded. "Certainly." With that, he moved away, yet my thoughts were on Damask. This gift had to be some sort of trap or ploy. Possibly it might even contain a tracker so he could monitor my movements. Yet, there was little I could do about it for now. The idea of accidentally spacing it did occur, but that might raise more suspicion than placing it in a sealed container in Raven's cargo hold. No, I knew I had to hold onto it until I next ran into him.

Though I did wonder if I would as, going by canon events, I felt he had to die before, or not long after, the invasion of Naboo and Palpatine's ascension to Chancellor. Yet something that kept me up at night whenever I wondered about the steps the Sith would take after Naboo was the thought that because of my presence, Sidious might not be able to kill his master as he had in canon, which was frankly terrifying.

Dealing with Sidious alone in the war to come was concerning, but add in Plagueis and things felt exponentially worse. Two fully trained and experienced Sith Lords was something I doubted the current High Council could handle even if they engaged them twelve to two. Yet somehow I might well have to do it alone, or at best, with Anakin by my side…

I was pulled from that spiral of despair by someone grabbing my arm. I blinked and looked down to see Miraj was trying to pull me. "Come on," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "The banquet is about to begin."

I allowed her to lead me this last time to the banquet hall, ignoring the amused look Master Ti sent me as I was led past her and Miraj's mother Radej, who wore a far more tender expression. As we moved, I saw several Zygerrian male nobles glare at me, but I ignored them. None had dared try anything since I'd demolished Dist Traldal, and I only rubbed in their ineptitude by smiling at them as we moved past.

I took Miraj's hand into mine, making their glares intensify, and the princess gasped before smiling up at me affectionately. It might give her the wrong impression, but this would likely be the last time I saw her for years, so I felt showing a hint of extra closeness was a risk worth taking.

… …

… …

I eased back on the engines as Raven slowly lowered toward the landing pad in the Jedi Temple hanger I'd been assigned. As I touched her down and powered down the core, I could feel Raven in the Force. She wanted to fly again, to dance among the stars, to prove she was built for it more than any other vessel.

"Soon," I murmured as I ran my fingers over the console, drawing a colourful display from the organic sections as Raven responded to my touch and comment. "I doubt we'll be here long, and even if we are, I'll find the time to let you fly." A gentle, pleasant tingle echoed in the Force from all around me.

I couldn't help but smile at how comfortable I felt talking to the semi-sentient starship. If I'd been told before the voyage to Zonama Sekot that a year later I'd share a bond with such a vessel, I'd have laughed in their face. Yet, much like with Fenrir, though the bond was massively different, it felt entirely natural to share a connection with Raven. As if she was, in a way, simply another part of me.

"Are you ready to depart, or should I leave you two alone?"

I looked over at Master Ti as she sat in the co-pilot's chair, a soft, friendly smile making clear she was simply teasing me. She might not share the same connection with Raven as I did, but she enjoyed being onboard the sentient starship. Master Ti had remarked that Raven reminded her of Felucia where she'd spent considerable time. Though when she had mentioned that I sensed some faint wisps of regret from the Togrutan Jedi. I was curious, but unless she wanted to bring the subject up, I wasn't going to pry.

"I'm glad to be back, Master. While the talks were interesting, they weren't something I'd enjoy having to engage in regularly."

That drew laughter from Master Ti as she stood. "Yes, you certainly aren't built to be a Jedi Consular. Still, after some early stumbles, you handled your role excellently. The final agreement was one that everyone seemed, if not pleased with, then accepting of, and I dare say you left a lasting impression on Zygerria. Or at least their future monarch." I cringed at further teasing about Miraj even as the doors to the cockpit opened as she approached them. Fenrir lifted his head from the corridor outside, and as I stood to follow Master Ti, he did as well. His tail wagged wildly, making clear he was looking forward to getting off Raven.

"Yes, you can go and stretch your legs, but we're back in the Temple," his ears drooped slightly, and the tail slowed. "So, no biting anyone," I added with mock seriousness. He whined at me before making a sound that was a cross between a scoff and a bark. He then turned and bound away, making for the central area and then likely the exit ramp.

Master Ti paused as Fenrir bounded away and waited for me to catch up to her. "It still confuses me at times to see such a large, battle-bred beast act no different than a domesticated animal," she began as she resumed walking. "Especially one larger than a Kath hound."

"While Fenrir is comfortable being on the Raven, he dislikes being cooped up," I explained as we reached the central area. "Still, I'd give him a few hours, more if he can find a quiet spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains or one of the gardens before he'll return to the Raven. Outside of those places, and being near a few other Jedi, he no longer finds the Temple as comfortable as he did before Zonama Sekot."

"Sadly, that is understandable. Tuk'ata are bred for battle, so after the trials you faced on Zonama Sekot, it is hardly a surprise the serenity of the Temple offers little respite to him. While he is certainly calmer than I'd expect from a predator that has killed, much like you, he appears to prefer to roam rather than place down roots."

"That's true. And I think he worries that Master Yoda might try to ride him," I added, which made her laugh as we reached the door leading to the exit ramp. "Or some brave Initiate trying to impress their friends."

"The idea of Grandmaster Yoda riding Fenrir around the Temple, while highly amusing, is nothing more than a rumour that will never occur. Though I do believe Master Yoda has, perhaps, encouraged the idea to help others grow more trusting of Fenrir," Master Ti explained as we reached the ramp and I saw Simvyl there. He gave us both a nod but made no move to follow us from Raven as we left. "As for the Initiates, I don't believe their clan minders would permit them close enough to even consider it. To say nothing of Fenrir's reaction if any came too close."

"Yes, Master," I replied with a chuckle as we exited the starship and saw a small gathering waiting for us. Fenrir was there as well, leaning happily into Fay's arm as he stood beside her. The fact that Fay now had to bend her arm upward to scratch Fenrir under the chin was a clear indicator of his size increase in the nearly two months we'd been gone. From the way Fenrir was leaning into her touch, and bushing his shoulder against hers, I don't think he minded the change in her arm position.

With Fay were Masters Windu, Piell, and Dooku, who we greeted by bowing. "Masters," Master Ti said to the High Council members. "I am pleased to report the negotiations, while taking longer than expected due to several unforeseen events, were successful."

"Yes, the Chancellor's office has already relayed a message from the Zygerrian Prime Minister. He expressed the gratitude of the government and royal family for your work in the negotiations," Windu's gaze shifted to me as he replied. "Indeed, they were most impressed with your performance, Padawan. Even hinting that they might be willing to allow a Jedi Watchman to return to the sector for the first time in nearly thirty years."

"An unexpected reward, Master Windu," I said, glad there was no mention of Miraj's affection toward me.

"The Council is also grateful for your work, and we will require a full report in a few hours. Until then, we and Master Ti shall leave you to catch up with your Masters." I gave a nod of thanks, and then a smile to goodbye to Master Ti, which she returned before joining the two Council Members as they walked away, heading not for the exit but toward another ship at the far end of the hangar.

"I have reviewed the final settlement you achieved," Dooku began, jumping straight to business without even a greeting. Though after years of training with him, I expected nothing less. "It is an acceptable agreement that appears to have pleased all parties."

"I suspect the lure of billions of credits had much to do with that, Master," I countered with a smirk, "but, thank you." Dooku tilted his head a fraction before it turned to Fay. "Master, I do hope spending a few months within the Temple wasn't too troublesome."

Fay laughed softly, which was what I'd hoped for. The sound was one I found myself missing whenever she wasn't around as it always calmed me. "Thankfully, it wasn't. While I would prefer to let the Force guide me as it needs, sometime in the Temple has allowed me to reacquaint myself more with old friends, and perhaps, make several new ones." Her smile grew. "And for once, I didn't have to concern myself with worries about your safety."

"I don't go looking for trouble, Master," I mock-whined in reply, which made her smile grow, and drew a scoff of amusement from Dooku.

"No, but the Force does seem to guide you into situations that, shall we say, test you before you are perhaps ready. Far more so than it does with other Jedi." I nodded at Dooku's reply.

"Speaking of which, if I might ask, how goes your special project? Has it reached the point where you are able to return to the Temple?"

My Masters shared a look, one that further grew Fay's smile and brought the faintest hints of one to Dooku's expression. "The project continues, though I do feel progress is being made slightly quicker than I had anticipated. While Komari is far from ready to be brought to the Temple, or anywhere where temptations might exist, I feel comfortable leaving her alone for a short time. Still, once I have attended to some personal matters within the Temple and the Senate, I will be returning to help her progress continue."

I felt myself frown. "If I might ask, what business Master?" I could understand wanting to catch up with myself, Fay and others within the Temple, but I was concerned he would seek out Palpatine when he mentioned the Senate. Plus, I was slightly annoyed he was returning to deal with… her, instead of returning to further my training.

"As I said, they are personal matters. However, I am willing to discuss them after your debriefing with the Council." The hint of a smile grew into a full one, which felt slightly unsettling to me. Dooku rarely smiled, and while this one reached his eyes, and there were faint hints of pride from him, there was something he was keeping from me which had me on edge.

"Until then," Fay cut in, "perhaps you might like to speak with your friends?" Her smile had also grown, and there were murmurs of joy and pride from her radiating within the Force. "I believe that before I arrived here, I saw Padawans Keto, Bykys, and Wezz heading toward the Room of a Thousand Fountains."

I forced down my confusion and worry at the odd behaviour of my masters. "Okay," I said slowly, figuring I might learn more from my friends than my masters, who had decided to be oddly secretive today. "Fenrir," I called as I took a step away from my Masters. He opened his eyes and whined at having to leave Fay's scratching, but after a second, did so and plodded over to me. "What do you think? Should we head to the fountains and meet our friends? Or perhaps you'd prefer a trip to Master Jocasta in the Archives?" While there were a few things I wanted to look up in preparation for Naboo, those could wait.

Mimicking what several masters did, Fenrir's head tilted to one side as he thought on the matter. He then barked once.

"Fountains it is," I said with a chuckle and rubbed him on his neck. Fenrir started moving toward the hangar exit. I followed along after giving my masters a nod of goodbye. As I moved, I saw Simvyl had exited Raven and was speaking with several technicians employed by the Order to maintain the small fleet of vessels used by the Jedi.

I walked toward the door, hoping that my friends might know what my masters were hiding, though I did wonder how Serra would react when I told them about Miraj. Or how much Sia-Lan might tease her. Perhaps it might be enough to finally convince Serra to make a move. I knew she wanted to take the next step, as did I, but I was still doing as Bo suggested and letting Serra set the tone. Though there would come a point where I'd stop doing so and take control.

… …

… …

"The Council has reviewed the report submitted by Master Ti, the one given to the Senate by the Zygerrian Prime Minister, and your oral report," Windu said as I stood in the centre of the High Council Chambers. I'd been here for about thirty minutes now relaying my account of events on Zygerria, though I made no mention of Hego Damask. "On behalf of the Council and the Senate, I express our gratitude for how expertly you handled your first mission as a negotiator."

I nodded in thanks for the compliment, even as I silently prayed to the Force they'd never ask me to do it again, and hoped this meeting would end soon as I'd promised Serra and Sia-Lan spars. Yet, as I looked around the chamber once again, I was once more drawn to the fact that all twelve members of the Council, including Eeth Koth who'd replaced Master Giiett, were present. Oh, four of them were only here via holocall, but it was odd to see all the Council present for a debrief. Or at least it was for the few debriefs I'd had with the Council so far.

"Question, I have." I shifted my focus to Yoda. "Related to the talks, it is not. Sense Master Giiett's passing you did, while others did not." While there was no direct question, it was easy to spot it in his tone.

I took a second to compose myself. "I was meditating to clear my thoughts after a rather stressful day, Master. The talks had been derailed by one of the delegations, and I was… annoyed. While meditating, I… I heard his voice. The words he used; sounded final. Fatalistic. With that, and a faint sense of something changing in the Force, I went to Master Ti. I admit barging into her room was perhaps unwise as I should've taken the time to compose myself and thought more about what I'd felt. However, I was sure what I'd heard and felt was true."

"Sadly, it was," Windu began as the room suddenly felt less relaxing. "During your time away, there was an incident involving a species called the Yinchorri. During this incident, which involved a small force of Yinchorri breaching the Temple's defences, several Jedi both here and near their homeworld were lost. Master Giiett gave his life in the Yinchorri system so that others might live."

I was shocked to hear the Temple had been breached and could almost see Dooku's frown upon learning that. When I'd spoken with my friends, they'd mentioned an incident in the Temple, but no more than that so hearing what had happened was shocking as, from the lessons I'd received, the Temple hadn't been invaded in millennia.

"To hear a connection to Master Giiett you had, surprising it is. That while on Zygerria you felt his passing, more so. Speak later on this, I wish."

"Yes, Master." Ever since the night that I went to Master Ti, I'd been preparing for this conversation with the Council. I had reasons for why I'd been able to sense Giiett's death lined up, all I could hope was that Yoda would believe them.

"Returning to your mission," Windu said, drawing my attention back to him. The hint of a smile on his face was oddly disconcerting, as was the rising sense of amusement I sensed in the room, and it had me on edge. Now, I doubted anything bad was about to happen, but seeing Windu seemingly pleased with my actions was an odd turn of events. "With it completed, and the Zygerrians, the Senate and the other involved parties satisfied with the outcome, the Council is happy to consider the mission a success." He leaned forward, the smile now coming freely to his face. "Which allows us to move onto other business."

He took a moment, looking around the chamber. "When you first arrived at the Temple, we had reservations about admitting you into the Order. With the records on the ship you arrived in as proof, we accepted the authenticity of your claim to be from a time nearly four thousand years in the past. However, your name carries weight in the history of the Order." He paused for a moment as I swore I felt the Force shifting around us. "Your great-grandparents are names that even now, thousands of years later, are known, both inside and outside of our Order. Your niece, several times removed, would serve as Grandmaster of the Order during one of our darkest times." Windu leaned back in his chair. "Many, including myself, feared your age and close connection to Revan made you a risk to the Order, as he was before he was redeemed. However, with each passing year, while you have shown a tendency to approach problems in unusual ways for a Jedi, you have held to the core of what it means to be a Jedi. Therefore, it is the decision of this Council, that you be raised to the rank of Knight."

I felt my mouth slip open as I heard his words. I'd wondered about when I'd be knighted, and the quest name for the Zygerrian mission had certainly hinted I was close, but I hadn't expected that to happen now. "But… the Trials?" I stammered out, wondering why the Council hadn't made me sit one or more of the five trials they usually gave to prospective Knights.

"Due to your experiences over the last several years, from the beginning of the latest Mandalorian Civil War, through your trials at the hands of the Bando Gora, the war on Zonama Sekot where you fought to defend innocent settlers from a terrible, invading force, you have time and again displayed the ideals that our Order holds dear." That came from Oppo Rancisis. "You have protected innocents and faced down dangers that would break others when placed in impossible situations. And through it all, you've upheld the tenets of the Jedi Code."

"While normally we would request a Padawan to complete several, if not all, of the trials under our supervision, these moments you've faced have challenged you in ways the Trials could not," Plo Koon added. "They have pushed you further, harder, and faster than many could survive, and you have proven your abilities are beyond doubt, worthy of promotion." He paused and looked down. "My only regret is that Master Giiett isn't here with us physically to witness this moment. He was your most vocal supporter from before you even became a Padawan."

I lowered my head, sharing in the grief of Giiett not being here. I knew he and Plo Koon had been friends, and it seemed Koon missed Giiett greatly.

"Your ceremony of knighthood will take place tomorrow," I turned back to Windu as he spoke again. "However, you should be aware that all prospective knights are required to spend a day in solitude in the Halls of Knighthood. There, you shall meditate on the Force, and if you are fortunate it may grant you glimpses of possible paths you might walk. You may head there when you are ready, and once your time of meditation is finished, you will be escorted to us. Until then, we leave you in the care of your Masters."

"I… Thank you, Masters." I bowed deeply, trying to rein in my excitement at being knighted. Windu offered me a genuine smile and nodded before I turned to face my masters and Master Ti.

"While I have only spent a short time with you, may I be the first to congratulate you," Master Ti said slowly, her smile matching Fay's. Dooku was smiling as well, though it was more reserved, as I'd expect of him even in a moment like this.

"Thank you, Master Ti. I… I hope we might work together on a mission again at some point, though preferably not negotiations as complex as the Zygerria talks."

Master Ti chuckled. "I look forward to that time." Fay reached forward, placing a hand on my shoulder and as a group, we moved toward the chamber exit.

"Master Ti, please remain. There are some matters, wholly unrelated to the Zygerrian negotiations, that we wish to discuss." Master Ti stopped, and after giving me a final smile and nod, turned back to face the Council.

We exited the chamber in silence, the Council waiting until we had departed to speak with Master Ti. As we entered the antechamber, I saw Fenrir bounding around. It seemed my joy at being knighted had been sensed by the tuk'ata and he'd been excitedly waiting for our exit.

I braced myself as he bounced up to me, petting him happily as Fay started speaking. "From the first day we met, it has been clear to me, to us, that the Force has a path laid out for you. While your ascension to knighthood means our time together will be diminished, we have little doubt our paths are forever intertwined."

"I… thank you," I managed to get out as I blinked to keep back tears of joy and dealt with an overly excited tuk'ata. "To both of you. I couldn't have… have done all this without you."

Dooku came closer, for once unconcerned with the behaviour of Fenrir, and placed a hand on my shoulder. A smile that looked entirely out of place but at the same time made perfect sense, brightened up a face that often seemed dour. "It is we who should be thanking you. Before your arrival, I was disillusioned with the Order while Master Fay was content to keep her distance from the Order and Temple; secure in the belief the Force would guide her as needed. Through you, we have both found a path forward, even as the darkness grows denser around us with each passing day."

"Together, and with others helping us, we will do what we can to guide the Order and Republic through the dark times ahead," Fay added in. I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to voice insincere opinions regarding the Jedi and the Republic, nor hint that the two, as they currently were, might be beyond saving. I wasn't going to mar this moment, and the celebration of my knighthood, with such a discussion.

"Come," Dooku said, his hand helping to push me toward the elevator.

I walked toward the elevator, Fenrir bounding around me with my masters at my sides. Fay laughed as Fenrir leapt over a seat, his excitement at my joy clear to see.

Now, there were still a few steps to go in the process to be knighted. As Master Windu had stated, I needed to spend a day in silent, private meditation, and I wondered what, if anything, the Force might show me by way of visions.

However, that, and the ceremony that came after was all that needed to be done. And by the end of tomorrow, I would be the newest Knight of the Jedi Order. And with that, I would have the freedom I needed to start preparing for what was to come without worrying that Fay or Dooku might be looking over my shoulder.

… …

… …

I knelt and looked around the Hall of Knighthood near the top of the central - and tallest - spire of the Jedi Temple. There was only one point in the spire, and indeed all of the Temple, higher and that was the Pinnacle Room. From what I knew, the room held some of the oldest and most sacred texts in the Order. Supposedly, some even dated back to the Order's founding on Tython.

Currently, the hall was empty save for me, meaning the next twenty-four hours were going to be quiet. Which was helpful as during this time, I was meant to meditate on my time in the Order so far, and what the future might hold. According to the Jedi Path, text which I'd read cover to cover when first given a copy but had barely opened since as I remembered it perfectly, there was a chance the Force might offer glimpses of potential future paths. However, given I rarely received visions – the last being the one I shared with Anakin that I was still trying to fully decipher – I doubted I'd be granted such glimpses. While the Force had worked me into its plans for balance, I felt there was still a disconnect between me and it.

Still, a day alone would allow me a lot of time to simply think about my plans. Not just for Naboo, but for the years after, as while I knew the fight with Maul was going to be hard, I believed I'd win. Otherwise, what was the point of even trying?

…

Shadows swirled around, blanking out all the senses. Yet, as time passed, the shadows seemed to shift, to pull back. Faint, distant sounds started to echo around, though it was hard to be sure what they referred to.

The shadows continued to pull back until a figure came into view. While they had hair pulled back in a simple band that went down just beyond their neck, the way the figure moved made it clear they were male. Something that was confirmed as the image shifted, granting sight of his face.

A scar ran over one eye, though it hadn't cost him his vision and pale green orbs stared back from within the shadows. Around him, shapes moved, and sounds echoed.

The man strode forward, a stylized helmet in his hands. While his eyes were pale, an unquenched fire burned within them. As he stopped at the edge of a platform, more figures could be seen.

The assembled horde stretched as far as the shadows allowed, lined up row upon row, all armoured as the man. The man closed his eyes, taking in the sense of anticipation. He could feel their desire, their lust for the battle that was about to come. A lust he shared.

His lips moved, an indecipherable murmur escaping them, yet to the assembled masses, those words demanded complete attention. Emotions in the crowd waxed and waned as the man spoke, his words manipulating their feelings like a conductor leading an orchestra.

Rage, lust, desire, finality. All these and more sensations rise from the crowd as the man continued to speak. The man ended his speech, fury swirling around his final words. A hand rose, and a distant sound came from a single point in the crowd. Within seconds, the crowd is chanting the same sound, clenched fists raised high. The sound the horde chanted is the same one the man used to finish his speech.

The man looked out over the chanting crowd, taking in all he saw. As the chanting continues, shapes move behind the man. A dozen figures emerge from the shadows, like the man and the crowd, armoured from neck to toe. Some wore their helmets, and others, like the man, carry them under an arm. Some carry weapons in their hands, a few seem to be of species different to the man. Yet all stand behind him, ready to follow his commands. To die if he so deems.

The man raised an open hand, and the crowd, as if gripped by magic, falls silent. Yet the fury, the lust for combat burns within them like the fires of a million, million stars. The flames of rage dance with the man's words, granting rhythm to the beating of their hearts; the pulsing of their blood.

All know this sound in their soul. It was the drums of war, calling them to battle once more.

The man's face twisted, disgust rippling over it. The crowd feeds on this, on his demand to end whatever it is that disgusts him. He pulled something from his belt, and a shaft of light, radiant with a superluminal light, the core dark enough to swallow the light of a star rose into the sky. Behind him, the figures raised their weapons. Some shine with light like the man's. Others glint as light catches the rippled metal of their making.

The crowd joined in, weapons of every kind and shape rising, thrusting upwards in time with the man's words. A tidal wave of fury, of terror, of power not seen in centuries, grows. The man stopped; silence fell over the gathering.

The man lifted his helmet, sliding it over his head. Behind him, those carrying their helmets mirror the action. With the blade of white and black still held aloft, a single word emerged from the now helmeted leader.

"Oya!"

As the crowd chanted the word, the shadows closed in, devouring the scene until nothing remained.

…

The shadows swirl, pulling back once again. A figure can be seen pacing. On his back, a cloak swished about with each step, each turn the figure made. The shadows pull back further, and new figures could be seen. Their faces not quite coming into view as they waited nearby. Some were sitting, others standing, and all waited and watched the man as he paced.

The man's form was tense and tight. As if the slightest touch would cause him to explode. His hands were clutched behind his back so tightly they appear almost ghostly white.

Concern, confusion, fear. All these sensations and more radiated from him as he paced. The figures nearby shared these feelings, though it was diluted. Their focus was on the man, and not whatever had the man on edge.

Mid-stride, the man stopped. His body snapped around as a new figure stepped from the shadows. Their face was hidden, but they were covered in bright white light as if they were an angel sent to speak with the man this day. Murmurs came from the new figure, and the man's emotions shifted as if a switch had been thrown.

The fear, confusion, and concern were gone, replaced now by a delight that could bring life to a barren moon. With joy that would bring warmth even in the depths of deep space.

The man lifted the new figure, catching them off-guard, and twirled them around, showering the angel-like being in his joy. A second later, the man lowered the figure to the ground even as the others in the background stood. Their joy mingled with those of the man's.

The man took off at pace, carried by the desire to find the source of his delight. Around him, figures and objects flew past; not staying out of the shadows long enough for it to be clear who or what they were. He extended a hand, and the shadows in his way parted, bending to his will.

A new figure came into view. They were resting on something. A bed. Their face was hidden even as the vibrant green orbs of the man locked on them. Around the new figure, their hair, dark like chocolate, rested. Like a tree about to flower with life. The man reached forward, a hand coming to rest on the figure's cheek, which they leaned into.

The new figure shifted. They raised their arms, holding something small, precious within. The man reached out slowly, the bundle, along with the figure, the source of the man's joy. As he took control of the bundle, a faint, distant whimper echoed from it. The man's joy took flight, blinding all nearby and forcing them to share in his disbelieving delight.

As he held the bundle to his chest, one hand moving near it, the figure, in a feminine voice, uttered a single word.

"Ressa."

As the word was spoken, the shadows closed in, consuming the scene.

…

The shadows swirled once again. Crackles could be heard as they started to shift, and slowly two beams of sunfire came into sight.

The beams, one black, and one red, crashed into each other. Sparks flew everywhere before they pulled back. The black beam moved; the red shifted as an odd hiss could be heard. As the beams clashed again, and the figures wielding them became clearer, the hissing continued, providing a steady, terrifying beat to the movement of the beams and figures wielding them.

The black blade was being wielded by a figure in armour, a cloak billowing behind him. He leapt back as the red blade thrust forward. Between the blade and the man, the shadows swirled, rushing toward the red blade. The figure holding it, taller than the man, swiped an arm and the shadows settled. This new figure was draped in a cloak that covered their entire frame, though it was now clear the odd, rhythmic hissing came from this figure's head. Or from a strange glinting strip that seemed to cover the lower part of the figure's face.

As the man landed, the figure thrust forward a hand. Long, skeletal fingers pointed at the man. Ripples of corrupted power raced from the fingers and the man blocked them against his blade. Letting the darkness within it suck the power inward.

The man copied the figure's gesture, and crackles of red built up around his hand before racing, darting like bolts sent by a god, toward the figure. The cloaked figure leapt and spun, and the red bolts slammed into the shadows; making them erupt like a volcano.

The figure rushed at the man, the man at the figure. Their blades blurred as they moved. Sparks flew as they crashed and collided with each other. The dark figure pulled back and spun.

As they spun, they shrunk, the hissing slowly fading away. As the spin ended, the figure was now smaller, barely a third of the man's height. Their blade had shrunk with them, turning a comforting green as well.

The man hadn't changed, the stance and midnight blade ready for the new challenge. As he stepped forward, the now much smaller figure leapt. They went higher than the previous figure had, sailing far over the man's head.

The smaller figure bounced around, seemingly using the very shadows to redirect their motion. The man slashed at the air as the figure flew by, sometimes to defend the short green blade as it swirled around the figure, other times trying to swipe the figure from the air.

Red rage surged from the man's hand, slamming into the green blade. The small figure slid back, but they held their ground; their blade countering the rage cascading against it. As the rage died, the figure rushed forward.

The man backpedalled, their black blade swirling around to create a shield of darkness against the piercing storm of green. The man pivoted, an arm extended and the shadows behind him raced forward, forcing the small figure to retreat, to dance between the onrushing shades.

Behind the fight, sparks of colour shot past. Red, green, and yellow spears flew in all directions as shifting shadows moved around. Sometimes a spear struck a shadow, and new cascading colours rippled out from the strike. Yet even as the strikes came faster, as the ripples grew stronger, the combatants only had eyes for each other.

As their blades met once more, a brilliant bright ball of blue erupted, revealing the man's now darkened red eyes and the craggily green skin of the figure. As the blue light faded, the pair disengaged and moved back.

The small figure leapt into the shadows, and once more their form shifted.

They grew taller, dark robes covering them, and their blade once more turned red as it extended. The newly altered figure cackled with almost unhinged delight as the man rushed at them. Two pools of twisted, deranged yellow glared at the man's once more green orbs.

The red blade moved, flicking, slashing, prodding with dizzying speed. The man darted, shifted, blocked, and deflected as the air between them turned black with highlights of sickly red that never slowed, advancing with all the inevitability of time.

Two pairs of hands extended; blue twisted spears slammed into enraged black bolts. As they collided, a sick, warped laugh echoed around them even as the shadows closed in, engulfing the image.

…

The shadows pulled back as a man fell to his knees. An object fell from his hand, bouncing off the ground.

Over him, a spear of purple stood ready. Behind it, around its wielder and the man, blasts of colour, spears of energy, green, red, yellow and blue erupted like fissures of a volcano. As if the world around them was dying in a pyrotechnic display of unrivalled magnitude.

The figure with the purple blade stepped back, leaving the man. He stayed there, kneeling as the colours illuminated the unmoving figure. Shapes shifted in the shadows, brightened at random moments by streaks of colour that raced back and forth. Around the larger shifted shadows, smaller ones buzzed, like mayflies dancing before a light.

The purple blade vanished, the figure wielding it stepping back into the shadows. The man sighed, remorse and regret overriding the pain he felt. Around him, explosions erupted, some of the flames catching his cloak, setting it alight.

A klaxon sounded as a disembodied voice echoed out. "Abandon ship!"

…

Once more, the shadows shifted, and two figures came into sight. Though this time they weren't facing off, but instead walking hand in hand. Male and female, both in armour, walked forward. Around them, other figures could be seen, providing a guard as they walked, though details of the new figures stayed hidden in the shifting shade.

The pair reached a set of steps and walked up together, their movements in perfect rhythm.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the man stopped and guided the female to another figure, another man. The first man stepped to one side, his joy and delight having grown at handing the woman, his blood, off to another.

The female and the new man turned to each other, interlocking their fingers as cloth coloured black and bearing a blurred symbol, was placed over their hands.

In one voice, they spoke. "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."

…

I slumped forward, blinking as the Force released me from my trance. My hands reached the ground, stopping me from headbutting the floor. "Whoa," I muttered as I looked down at the tiles, my eyes shifting to my vambraces. I blinked in shock as I realised that I'd been in meditation for nearly sixteen hours.

The Force… had given me visions, though not in the same way as I'd experienced before. No, these were more like snippets. Of possible futures? I shook my head to get my thoughts straight.

They had to be possible futures as they couldn't all be the same future. Yes, I'd been in every vision, the green eyes and black lightsaber seemed to confirm that, but there'd been enough variance that the odds of even most of them coming true in the same timestream was… unlikely.

While it was possible I would fight Plagueis, Yoda, and Sidious in that order, or that I might well end up fighting all of them in another order, the idea that I'd have to wasn't comforting. I still felt I was a long way from being able to hold my own against someone on Master Ti's level, never mind a Dark Lord or Jedi High Council member. It had felt for over a year now that there was some sort of block on my abilities, at least when it came to using a lightsaber. While I had a few ideas as to why this was, I hadn't yet managed to push beyond it.

Another thing that stood out in the duels was that, while I'd used lightning against all three, and had clearly been wearing beskar armour in all of the instances, my eyes had been resoundingly red when fighting Yoda. Meaning I'd been drawing liberally on the Dark Side, at least in that moment, if not as a matter of course. I didn't deny I would probably have to do that against any of them, but I wondered what could possibly make me so willingly call the Dark Side forth to take on the ancient Jedi Master.

The defeat against Windu was one I didn't understand. Not because I didn't feel Windu could beat me, but for how much it reminded me of Darth Revan's fall against Bastila. Was the Force warning me that I risked heading down the same path he had, that I'd attempt to save the Republic by conquering it?

The clearest vision, which might well mean it was the most likely to occur – though that might just be me misconstruing things – was that of me leading an army. One comprised heavily of Mandalorians and a few other Force users. When added to the vision with Windu, it further suggested my path could potentially be similar to Revan's.

I shook my head, pushing thoughts of what my future alone might be and turned them to those that showed my glimpses of what I might have. Of seeing my wife, or lover, give birth to a child. To my daughter. That brought a smile to my face. I hadn't given any true thought to having children, though if I survived the wars to come, it was likely I'd have some. But feelings, experiencing the moment my daughter was born, and then giving her away in marriage. I'd be holding onto those visions for some time to come. Though any being who showed interest in my future daughter, whenever I might have a child, well, they'd better be ready to prove themselves a million times over before I let them marry her.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. The Force was granting me possible indications of what the future might hold. I hadn't expected that to be the case yesterday, but since I still had around eight hours to go, I wanted to see what else, if anything, the Force might offer up.

Now, I wouldn't place faith in them coming true, but having hints of what might be would, I felt, be useful. I may see something, like the birth of my daughter, that I would be willing to work for. Or in the case of the vision involving Windu and me dying aboard a ship as a battle raged around us, to avoid.

However, the one thing I wouldn't do was expect any of them to come true without me doing anything. As Master Yoda often said: Always in motion, the future is.

… …

… …

I walked into the hall, a single shaft of light illuminating the centre and the tiled symbol of the Jedi Order. Once I reached the light, I knelt and then the lights extinguished. I placed my blade in front of me, resting at the point where the wings bent inward toward the stretched northern tip of the star I was kneeling on, yet I knew I wasn't alone. I could sense movement around me through the Force, and a moment later, a circle of lightsabers ignited with me at the centre.

The blades elevated until they illuminated the faces of those surrounding me. Directly in front, I saw Master Windu, his dark skin bathed in the purple of his blade. To his left, were the diminutive forms of Master Yoda and Yaddle. To his right were Dooku and Fay with Fay's face lit by the green light of a lightsaber, one I suspected was borrowed.

"Cameron Shan," Windu's voice echoed around the chamber stopping me from seeing the other Council members that encircled me. "We are all Jedi. Through us, the Force speaks. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real." As he spoke, Dooku walked slowly, solemnly toward me. "Today, by the right of the High Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee, Knight of the Republic."

As Windu finished, Dooku's blade flicked out. I felt the heat from it as it raced by my ear. Yet, what touched my shoulder wasn't the burning pain of the energy weapon, but something else. The object slid down my chest and into my hands, letting me see it was my Padawan braid.

Windu lifted one hand from his lightsaber, extending it solemnly toward me, as my lightsaber floated up, lifted by the Force. "Take up your lightsaber, Cameron Shan, Jedi Knight. And may the Force be with you."

Barely able to keep a smile from my face, I reached out with my free hand and gripped the hilt. Dooku stepped back and I ignited my lightsaber, letting the familiar, faint roar of the krayt dragon pearl echo around the silent chamber. The dark core of the blade drew in the faint light in the room even as my face was bathed in the cool, white light of the edge. I stood and lifted my lightsaber to the same position that the others held theirs, Dooku having stepped back to reform the circle of Masters around me.

I could feel the faint sense of pride and joy coming from my Masters, though there was no hint of that upon Dooku's face as it was as stoic as ever. Fay wore a gentle smile, one mirrored by Yaddle and Yoda while Windu's expression was closer to Dooku's. A second later, the circle of lightsabers around me was extinguished, with my blade quickly also depowered. Before the darkness could linger, we were covered in strong, white light.

I looked around and saw the other Masters in the circle all seemed happy about my knighting. Even detractors such as Saesse Tiin and Even Piell seemed pleased about my new rank. Yet for the faint sensations of relief and acceptance I felt from the Council, my focus, my senses, were on my Masters as they stepped toward me.

"Masters," I said solemnly, lowering my head to Fay and Dooku.

Fay's smile grew and Dooku scoffed gently. "We are no longer your Masters, Cameron. There is little need for such deference," Fay commented as she extended her hand.

"So long as I draw breath, you shall remain my Masters, Master," I countered. Fay's smile grew wider upon hearing that even as Dooku stepped forward and rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Cameron, while this is a joyful day for you, it is also one for us. Before your arrival in the Temple, I had considered myself finished with teaching Padawans after what happened with Komari Vosa. Master Fay has gone longer than I've been alive without training Padawans." Fay nodded at that, not remotely bothered by any comment on her age. "Yet, despite our beliefs that our time teaching had ended, the Force had other plans. Just as you were drawn to the Temple by eddies of the Force working across time and space, so too were we drawn back here, sensing a shift within the Force that called out to us. While you have many years left before whatever path the Force has laid out for you is completed, it has been my pleasure to serve as your Master on this journey."

"I hope this isn't where our paths fully diverge, Masters. While I'm overjoyed to be knighted, I know that for all I've learnt, far more remains to be discovered."

That made Dooku smile and earned a nod from Fay. "Yes, the trials of a Jedi, of any with a strong connection to the Force, never truly end. Even decades later, I see now the Force still has a role for me to serve. As it has for Master Fay. Even after learning more about the Force and the galaxy than either of us may ever know, there is still much she has yet to learn. All Jedi experience new moments that reveal the wonders of the Force even after decades or centuries of life."

"All that has changed is that now, the Council sees what we've known for several years. That you are ready to learn without supervision," Fay added as her hand came forward and touched my chest. "While we will forever remain with you, the path you must now walk is one laid out for you. It will continue to intersect with our paths, of that I have little doubt, but the path is yours alone to walk." Behind her, I saw that the Council members, and others including Master Ti and Astaal Vilbum, Caretaker of the Council of First Knowledge, who were standing in for the missing High Council members, had started to move away. "Today is the moment your journey as a Jedi, as a servant of the Force, truly begins."

I smiled widely and nodded at her words. While I had reservations about the Jedi Order and the direction I knew it was heading, for today, I wanted to simply enjoy the moment of proving that I could become a Jedi Knight.

As I turned and started walking quietly with Fay and Dooku toward the exit from the hall, I saw a blinking blue notice. That, I knew, was for the quest Knight before Queen, as I'd beaten Padmé to the relevant ranks. Padmé was still serving as the elected Princess of Theed, though I knew it wouldn't be long until she was made Queen.

She'd turned thirteen not long after I'd turned sixteen, which was why I'd sent her the lightfoil before heading to Zygerria. While Ars Veruna was still king of Naboo, and the next expected election wasn't for another three years, Padmé would be queen by this time next year. I didn't know how or why Veruna would step down, or call an early election, but I knew he would lose. I hadn't done anything, at least as far as I knew, to alter Padmé's career arc and from what I'd heard on the Holonet, she was leading protests against Veruna and the Trade Federation.

Doing some quick mental maths, I would now be at about 10,000XP, far short of the 36,000XP needed to reach level 30 and the next update to the Interface. Level 30 was going to be important. Not just because I'd get a new Player Power Point, but because it would bring into effect the last update to the Interface. Or it would so long as I hadn't been lied to back when the Interface had last updated.

A gentle hand on my back from Fay, as we reached the door, drew me from my thoughts about the near future. As we exited the Hall of Knighthood, I smiled, planning to, for today at least, live in the moment and enjoy the fact I was a Jedi Knight at sixteen!

… …

… …

"Stop that!" I snapped out with a sigh as Sia-Lan bowed after I'd finished speaking. This was the umpteenth time that she'd done that today, the day after my knighting, as I'd spent time with her and our friends. As normal, we were sparring, but because I was a Knight, we could use a private sparring room, allowing us some privacy from the other members of the Order.

Of course, ever since my knighting, Sia-Lan, Darihd, and others had enjoyed teasing me by bowing after each pointer or piece of advice I offered. At first, it'd been amusing, but now, a day later, it was rapidly going from tiresome to downright irritating. Which was probably why Sia-Lan was one of the few still doing it.

Of course, my admonishing Sia-Lan was exactly what she wanted. "Yes, Master. Sorry, Master," She replied, punctuating each use of the word 'Master' with another bow. Though even without the extra bows, her tone made it clear she was far from sorry.

Her behaviour drew laughter from those in the room with us which only grew louder as I sighed loudly and ran a hand down my face. As my fingers lowered enough to see her again, she smirked and turned to walk away. My eyes drifted low, and an idea came to me.

My other hand twisted and my lightsaber flicked out. As it contacted her, she jumped, spun, and grabbed her arse. "H-hey!" She whined out, her eyes wide.

"What? You were misbehaving, and as your current Master," I emphasised the word as I twirled around my lightsaber – glad I'd not turned it off after our latest sparring match and that it was at a lower-power setting for training. "It's my duty to discipline you whenever I feel it's warranted," I smirked as I flicked the blade toward her, making her scurry back to avoid it clipping her chest.

"B-But..." She stammered as I waggled my eyebrows. Her cheeks darkened as her eyes scanned the room, looking for help from our friends. Sadly for her, most were laughing at how I'd turned the tables on her. "I…" Sia-Lan spun there, realising she'd lost, which gave me another sight of her arse as she scampered away. While her chest was the more impressive view, I did enjoy watching her leave almost as much as I liked seeing her approach.

Before she'd reached a bench with some other girls or could give them a piece of her mind for their lack of support, I heard a lightsaber ignite. I turned and saw, as I'd expected, Serra had stood and was moving toward the sparring circle. While things between us hadn't moved on much, she had confessed that she was oddly fine with me having fucked Bo. Plus, from what I'd sensed from her – and discovered from Observe – she was curious to hear about what we'd done and was interested in doing the same. Though she hadn't yet made an outward move to confirm that.

"Eager to lose again?" I asked as I turned to face her, twirling my lightsaber as I moved. "Or perhaps you enjoy looking up at me?" I added with a smirk. That made her cheeks redden and her eyes darted to Sia-Lan as our friend sat, twitches of jealousy easy to read on Serra's face.

"No," she stated as her focus returned to me as her grip tightened on her lightsaber. "This time I plan to win… Master." I slid into an opening stance, trying to not let my thoughts linger on how when she'd said Master, there'd been a spike in her excitement and desire. While it was a small thing, it helped settle my resolve.

If she hadn't made it clear she wanted something from me within a week, I was going to force the issue. Yes, Bo had suggested letting Serra make the first move, but I frankly wondered if Serra ever would. Yes, I was a Knight now, but this had been lingering between us for far too long. It needed to be brought into the open and dealt with, one way or the other – and I knew which way I wanted it to go – so it didn't cause us issues going forward.

My biggest issue was finding a way to get her alone, and by that, I meant away from the Temple, for long enough that things could be discussed. While Fay and Dooku had been generally fine with me leaving the Temple unaccompanied at times, or making it seem I was free to go where I wished, most Jedi weren't so trusting of their Padawans. No, calling it trust was wrong. They were concerned that a Padawan who'd grown up in the Temple their entire life wouldn't know how to handle Coruscant. After seeing how fucked things were below the shiny surface – and even on the surface – I could understand the reluctance of other Jedi. Still, that posed a problem as it was difficult to do anything in the Temple.

Now, to be fair, the Jedi were, if not relaxed, then generally understanding of Jedi having short, physical relationships; which is how they regarded what I had with Bo. They weren't exactly wrong about that, even if there'd been moments where I'd considered leaving the Order to keep what I had with Bo going. Still, when something happened between me and Serra, it would be clear to all that it was more than just a physical relationship. And that was where the Order would have a problem.

Thus, I needed a way to get her out of the Temple without us getting into trouble. I had a few ideas on that, but as Serra stepped closer, and ignited her second blade, I pushed them aside. While I knew I'd win the spar, Serra would push herself to the limit to score any points she could.

Hoping to put her off slightly, I let my eyes wander over her frame, which was no longer half-hidden by her robes. While I sensed hints of delight and desire from her, there was no outward reaction to my gaze. Well, unless you considered the azure blade thrusting toward me.

… …

… …

"I admit that, when you mentioned seeing the Holocron Vault, I had momentarily forgotten about this particular holocron," Dooku commented as I set a familiar Force storage device down on the table in front of us. "That said, I can understand why this one would be the first you wished to view."

I looked at Dooku and smirked. "Yeah, I have unfinished business with this one," I commented which drew a smile from Fay. The pair stood just behind me in the private room just off the Holocron Vault where Knights and Masters could view a holocron. The room allowed a Jedi to view almost any holocron – there was a restricted wing that only High Council members or certain other Masters could enter – in privacy. Well, from all but the High Archivist or members of the High Council.

Still, this was as secure a place as there was to view a holocron. The only downside was that I couldn't use it to acquire certain holocrons by placing them into my Inventory. I'd been recorded removing this holocron, so until I found a way to hack the security system, any idea of borrowing a few was off the table. Plus, I doubted Dooku, who I felt would support such a plan if I reasoned it logically, would need time to examine my plan and spot the flaws in it.

I raised my hand over the holocron, closed my eyes and reached out with the Force. The holocron shone brightly within the Force and carried a semi-familiar presence within. I pushed forward gently, using the Force to activate the device, and then, when I felt it react to my touch, I pulled back my hand and opened my eyes.

The holocron glowed as it drew on the Force to power itself and I watched as the gatekeeper of this particular holocron, Satele Shan, appeared.

"Greetings, fellow Jedi. May I ask your name?" the gatekeeper asked.

"Cameron Shan."

As when I'd last spoken with this gatekeeper, she frowned. "And who was your mother?"

"Jedi Knight Ressa Shan."

Satele's head tilted to the left. "And what is your rank?"

I couldn't help but grin as I replied. "Jedi Knight." Up until now, everything she'd said was the same as the first time I'd been brought before this holocron. Back then, she'd said that my being a Padawan was insufficient for whatever was held on the holocron that no one seemed to know about.

The image flickered and I felt the Force subtly shift within the holocron. "Rank sufficient. Access granted to level one secured files." I felt my Masters take a step forward, as curious as I was about what the holocron was about to reveal. Though I did wonder how many ranks of secured files the device held.

For about half a second the holocron went still as the gatekeeper image vanished. When it returned, the image of Satele appeared older, and less rigid. "Greetings Knight Shan. I am Satele Shan. Once upon a time, I was Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. I am also, from what glimpses the Force has granted me of your path, someone born long after you, yet from a time long before you currently inhabit." Satele shook her head and chuckled. "Even now, having spent years considering what I've seen, I struggle to fully understand what has happened. However, that is an effective way to describe how the Force behaves."

I couldn't help but smirk at that description as the Force truly was beyond understanding for if not all, then almost all beings in the galaxy.

"However, while the peculiarities of the visions granted to me continue to confound me even in my later years, what does not is that somehow, someway, the Sith survived until your time. I cannot say if the Sith you face now are descended from those I dealt with during my life, or if they are a new element that discovered older teachings and restored the Sith, nor can I offer any direct help. Anything I might leave for you in a specific location would struggle to survive the ravages of time. However, what I can provide is this."

Satele's image vanished, replaced by a map of the galaxy. As I watched, the map rapidly zoomed in, pushing past various worlds, from Ossus, through Mandalore, Onderron, and even Coruscant until all that remained was the Deep Core. Several systems blinked, drawing attention to them, though the only one I recognized was the Empress Teta system, as that was where Serra's family came from.

"During my time, a world of great significance to the Jedi, one central to our very foundation, was rediscovered deep in the Deep Core." At this, a point, as close to the actual core as one could get without likely being inside the radius of whatever existed there, started blinking. "While this map, and the detailed hyperspace routes, are no doubt invalid due to both stellar drift, and the shifting gravitational eddies of the Deep Core, this was the location of Tython as last plotted before I placed this holocron in the Temple Vault."

Even as she finished speaking, I spun to look slack-jawed at my Masters. "How?"

Tython was the homeworld of the Jedi, and their precursor, the Je'daii dating back to before the founding of the Republic. Back when the Rakatan Empire was the dominant galactic power. From what I'd read about the planet, it had been lost several times over the last twenty thousand years due to the shifting gravitational forces in the Deep Core, with the last known visit there during the New Sith Wars, over a thousand years ago.

"I…" Fay paused, her shock at what Satele had just revealed apparent on her face. "Satele Shan was one of several to rediscover Tython over the millennia. It was even said that, after she stepped down as Grandmaster, she retired and died of old age upon the planet's surface."

"Records from before the New Sith Wars are incomplete," Dooku said, taking over from Fay and doing a much better job of masking his shock, though I could still see the small signs that he was caught flat-footed by Satele's revelation. "This map, while as she says, is inaccurate now, is far more complete than any remaining ones in the Temple. Or at least any that I have discovered." He stepped forward, gently scratching his chin. "These stars," he pointed at some of the blinking points around Tython, "if we plotted their current positions, and thus determined interstellar drift, we would have a rough map for reaching Tython."

"Yes, it would be possible," Fay added, a fire coming to her eyes. "By using short hyperspace jumps in a suitable starship, and letting the Force guide you, I believe we could rediscover the planet."

"Wouldn't that take forever?"

Fay chuckled. "Perhaps not that long, but several years I suspect. Even with the Force to guide someone, hyperspace in the Deep Core is incredibly unstable. Often, routes from one star to another require replotting on a monthly, if not weekly, basis." Fay held out her hand, and I felt the Force react before the holocron turned off. "This knowledge… I suggest we limit it to ourselves and only discuss it in the most secure of locations, such as the Raven. With the rising threat of the Sith, a threat few dare acknowledge is possible, never mind believe is close if we could rediscover Tython… We may have a refuge for the Order if the darkness grows too strong."

I looked at the holocron, finding it hard to argue with Fay's words. Tython was, bar having to rediscover it, an almost perfect refuge from the plans of Sidious. While I had faith I could stop him, and prevent the rise of the Empire, having a backup plan; one that would protect the history of the Jedi – though without their narrow-minded dogma if possible – would be invaluable.

While I doubted that I'd have the time to do this, from the look on Fay's face, I suspected she felt drawn to the mission. I wouldn't stop her from trying, though a part of me was worried that if she did this, then I might never see her again. The idea of losing her, of never seeing her again and not knowing what her fate was…

I shook my head once, clearing that worry.

It wasn't set that she'd attempted this, not now at least. If she did, then I planned to spend time with her before she did, so that if the worst should happen, I'd have more memories to hold onto.

After all, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.

… …

… …
5 years after starting this story, and 8 years in-story, Cam is now a Jedi Knight. I never expected the story to take this long to reach this point - never mind reach the prequels) but it has. It's been a great journey, yet even now, Cam is only just exiting the beginnings of his adventures in this galaxy.

Also, "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde" translates as "We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors".
...
As always, this story is crossposted on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our Own.
And now Royal Road, though I'm working on posting a few chapters per day and it hasn't yet caught up with posting here.
You can find me (and the backroom team who help with this) on Discord at:
For this series: Heart of the Force
For general chaos/Gamer stories: Shiro's Gaming Omniverse

If you wish to support my writing, gain access to 1st drafts of chapters (where every level bar the lowest has access to at least the first draft of the next chapter and all got the redraft ~2 weeks early), consider supporting me on Patreon:
USSExplorer

Regardless if you join the discord or support my writing, I hope you enjoy the story and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.
And of course;

May the Force be with you. Always.

muhamed3871 · May 16, 2023

The journey to Knighthood was amazing, can't wait to see where you take it further. Best of luck.

Qwerty1234 · May 16, 2023

You've portrayed Shak Ti's arrogance really well. The Master who spend years on Kamino and never sensed or thought to investigate the clones to any depth... "Why do you think you, a Padawan sense the death of a member of the jedi high council when i didn't sense anything? The hubris in that question, from a religious order that's meant to personify wisdom and humility. Join the Dark side Shan, this iteration of the Jedi needs to go.

A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

Know what you're doing yet?

Know what you're doing yet?

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Connoisseur.

My arm is tired.

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Not too sore, are you?

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Versed in the lewd.

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Not too sore, are you?

Know what you're doing yet?

Knight of the Yuri Crusade

Not too sore, are you?

Connoisseur.

Mand'alor Te Talyc

Connoisseur.

Mand'alor Te Talyc

I trust you know where the happy button is?

Not too sore, are you?

Reading your Mind-WTF

Doing what's necessary, even if it causes chaos

Personally I like it

I trust you know where the happy button is?

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