Nia woke, warm, dry and free of pain. She smiled slightly, and then she remembered. Her eyes shot open. She was lying on a bed, a comfortable bed. And sitting beside it…!

 

“Good morning Nia.” Will said as he took her hand in his. She was still in the Jedi Enclave, that was obvious from the décor, but…

 

“Da…I mean Will… I…” She broke off as he grinned.

 

“They know, Nia.” She looked at him, not comprehending.

 

“They do?” She couldn’t keep the fear out of her voice. Another voice she remembered came. She looked around. Jani stood in the doorway.

 

“We do.” Nia slumped back in the bed, and suddenly she felt pain deep, deep down. It was muted, but it was there. She winced. She looked at herself. What she could see of herself was covered in sterile dressings. Will took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

 

“You still have a lot of healing to do, Nia. I wanted to be here when you woke.”

 

“I’m glad you were.” She felt light; she realized she was falling asleep again. “Wait… What happened?”

 

“Nothing happened Nia, and nothing will.” Jani smiled at the look on her face and Nia took that smile into sleep with her. She felt a kiss on top of her head and then she was asleep. Will got up silently and left the recovery ward. Jani walked with him.

 

“Someone wants to meet you Will.” Janis smiled at the look on Will’s face.

 

“Oh?” He asked warily.

 

“Nothing sinister, the surgeon who worked on Nia wants to talk to you.”

 

“Well, I want to thank him too.”

 

“Nolikas is a she and she is a Rakata.”

 

“A Rakata Jedi? Ooookaaaay.” Jani grinned at Will’s obvious discomfiture.

 

“You will like her.”

 

And to his surprise, he did. Her way of talking took some getting used to, but her sense of humor, well, alien she might be, but she had human humor down pat. And she appreciated a good joke.

 

“After I have them all prisoner, then I ask them why they didn’t just leave. Why we fought for almost eight hours over a patch of forest with nothing but trees. You know what they said?” Will asked and Jani doubled over holding her own laughter in, she had heard the story before.

 

“No.” Nolikas said, breathless.

 

“They were lost.” She chortled.

 

“You are kidding. How many rounds of ammunitions fired chasing you because they were lost?”

 

“Ten clips per merc. I didn’t fire a shot the whole time. I used my fists and a vibroblade for intimidation.” She burst out laughing and Will joined in.

 

“By the Force, that is hilarious. And you didn’t kill any of them?”

 

“One broke his neck falling into a ravine later that day walking back to their lines. Other than that, no. It’s my fault because I bound their hands. If I hadn’t well, he might be alive today, or he might not.” She sobered for a moment then grinned again. It was decidedly odd, seeing a Rakatan grin, but it was also recognizable.

 

“I would have given anything to see the look on their commander’s face when they told him about that.” Will grinned.

 

“As a matter of fact…I kept that one.” he pulled a datapad out of his pocket and flipped through the pages. He stopped on one and blew it up so she could see it. It was the view through a sniper scope of… She busted out laughing again. The leader’s face was clearly visible as was his expression.

 

“He looks a little angry doesn’t he? Did he do anything to them?” Will shook his head.

 

“Mercenaries are not stupid, most of the ones who survive anyway. You treat your troops well, or the first chance they get they leave. I’m sure he had some unpleasant assignments for them for a while. That…police action, as the Senate called it, didn’t last much longer anyway.”

 

“You have been everywhere.” Nilokas had been raised in the Jedi temple on Coruscant and then had lived on Tython and had never been anywhere else.

 

“Not everywhere. I have never been to the Sith homeworld.” The healer and the Jedi both looked at him and he shrugged. “Not even a baradium bomb would do the job there. Besides, the Sith are like Talusian roaches, you can’t ever seem to get rid of them.” By his tone he was joking so both laughed, but there was a dark undercurrent to it. “I need a refresher.” He said a moment later. Nilokas pointed out the small door and he excused himself. The two females looked at each other.

 

“It’s easy to forget, with him sometimes….” Jina said quietly. Nilokas nodded.

 

“He is…a good human.” The Rakata agreed.

 

“He doesn’t think so.” Jina was going to say more, but the refresher door opened again and Will came back out. He sat back down and shook himself. Jina smiled.

 

“As much fun as it is to stay here and tell jokes, we need to go see Master Vandar.”

 

“I understand.” Nilokas stood quickly and smiled as well when Will did. “I will keep you posted and notify you immediately when Nia wakes.” Will bowed to her.

 

“Thank you healer, for my daughter’s life. Anything I can grant, ask and it’s yours.”

 

“Don’t blow us up?” She said slyly and was amazed when he disconnected the wrist device and handed it to her. Jina looked at him as well. He smiled at their expressions.

 

“I deactivated it last night. With Master Vandar here, it does me no good. So… I guess I am at your mercy now, Jedi.” He turned and bowed to Jani. Jani stared at him.

 

“Don’t tell me you don’t have backup plans. I know you would be lying.” He grinned at her acerbic words.

 

“Here I am alone and unarmed in the midst of people who believe me an enemy and you say I have the gall to lie to you?”

 

“I doubt you are ever unarmed as long as your mind is free.” The Rakata looked at the small device. “Seriously, I have heard of your…unique talent.” Will froze. “Not from Master Jani, but from others. I would like to study it, perhaps I can help.”

 

“I…Healer, thank you, but…if you want to study it I will of course let you for saving my daughter’s life. But…”

 

“But?” Nilokas asked gently.

 

“I would only ask that you keep the data close. This…ability, is not a safe one. It has drawbacks, serious ones. I know of one other who could do something similar. She was driven mad by it.” Nilokas nodded.

 

“I understand, we will speak of this later. And I will put this…” she held up the trigger device. “…in a safe place.” They both nodded to her and took their leave

Master Vandar was sitting in what he called his nook. It was a small room off of one of the common halls. People rarely used those small rooms so he had privacy when he wanted it, which was often. And if he wanted company, he had but to step out into the hall. He was sitting in his chair, facing his small window, when Jani and Will arrived. They looked at each other and sat on two of the cushions that Master Vandar had strewn about the room. A few minutes later, the small green Jedi turned his chair to face them. He exchanged nods with Jani and then looked at Will. He saw Will’s wrist bare and his brows shot up. Will smiled grimly.

 

“It’s not a threat if you can stop it.” Vandar nodded. The Jedi master sat for a moment longer then spoke.

 

“What do you remember about Nia’s mother?” Will froze, and then reluctantly spoke.

 

“I… She was tall. She had the most gorgeous brown hair. She was strong and fast, and moved like no one else I have ever met, Jedi or no. Her name was Jainine Korr.” Vandar nodded. “Did you know her?” Will asked the ancient Jedi.

 

“No, but I knew one of her ancestors.” Will sat back. “Her ancestor’s name has been forgotten, by all but me apparently. It was Korr.” Will nodded. “She was commonly called ‘The Jedi Exile’.” Will froze; shocked to his core.

 

“That’s impossible. She disappeared.” He knew a lot of the story; his father had loved the tales of Carth Onasi and the Exile.

 

“We need to know, what others did you see there?”

 

“The first couple of weeks I was there, I only saw Jainine. I was hurt badly, and she nursed me through it. They say it is common to fall in love with your nurse if you are human… I guess it was for me.”

 

“Strong emotions and a weakened state. It is a known fact.” Jina said, not discounting his experience, but adding to the information.

 

“When I was able to move, I took walks around the area to build my strength, always escorted by one of them. I guess they were worried I would see something I shouldn’t. I saw Wookiees, humans, a Cathar or two and one old guy who claimed to be a Mandalorian...” He broke off and froze. “No way…”

 

“We will never know for sure, we had a scout team shadowing a Sith task group. It stopped at Kuria for two days. When it left the team landed. There were no survivors. They found a lot of sith corpses. Whoever had been there fought hard.” Will sighed.

 

“Yeah they would have. I helped train them but I never gave up on coming back to the Republic though and they finally let me go. But they blocked my memories.”

 

“Nia undid the block.”

 

“To keep me from blasting her.” Jani and Master Vandar looked at him and he shrugged. “I don’t trust easily.” They both nodded.

 

“We need to know. Did you kill Jedi Bo Ildis and his Padawan?”

 

“Yes.” His voice was flat and Jani spoke.

 

“What happened?”

 

“They had chased me through four systems, they were good. Every time I thought I had lost them they would sniff out my trail again. I lay low on Correllia for a while, trying to lose myself in the mass of humans there, but they followed again. I ran, they followed. I found a cave and hid in it. It turned out to be a mercenary den. I stayed with them for a few days, but Bo Ildis and his padawan showed up just as I was leaving. I didn’t want my merc friends to get hurt or killed protecting me, so I surrendered. I figured I would escape easily enough later and no one would be hurt, except…” He broke off. Master Vandar prompted him.

 

“Except?” Will looked at him. When he spoke his eyes unfocused, as if he was seeing something far, far away.

 

“The mercs had fought the Sith. They had mined the approaches, with command detonated mines. When Bo Ilbis and his padawn got out of their speeder, the mercs detonated them.” Jani hissed in horror and Will hung his head. “Bo Ildis was killed instantly and his Padawan was mortally wounded. I tried… I tried everything I had, everything I knew. I even tried my last piece of kolto. I swear I tried…” He broke off.

 

“Why didn’t you take him to a hospital of med clinic?” Jani asked. Will stared off deeper into space.

 

“We were a hundred kilometers into the bush. The speeder was disabled. The mercs, as soon as they realized they had hit Jedi instead of Sith, bolted with all of their speeders. So I was stuck. I buried them in that clearing, I can show you where.” Jani shook her head. Master Vandar spoke again.

 

“We would appreciate that. But I am puzzled. You did not activate the mines?”

 

“No.” The green Jedi master looked at him.

 

“Then why do you say you killed them?”

 

“Bo Ildis and his padawan landed where they did because I surrendered. If I had run or fought, they wouldn’t have landed.”

 

“You can’t know that.” Jina said quietly.

 

“I surrendered on my honor." Will said with a heavy heart. "The mercs didn’t know they were Jedi. If they had, maybe they would have just stayed hidden until we were gone. I didn’t think to tell them that Bo Ildis was coming and because of that your people died. So it was my fault.”

 

“I can see how you might think that. I do not agree, and I believe most Jedi would agree with me.” Will slumped back.

 

“I have done many horrible things in my life. But that one haunts me."Will's eyes were far away. "I hear his screams almost every night, Master Vandar. Three days, I stayed with him. On the fourth morning, he didn’t wake up. And I never even knew his name. I killed him and his master. Through inaction, but I killed them nonetheless.”

 

“His name was Ulahk.” Will spun, a young Padawan stood behind him. It was the Twilek who had challenged him on the way to the Council. “And he was my brother.” Will bowed his head. But, something tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up into the shining eyes of the Padawan. She had tapped him with her lekku. “Thank you.”

 

“I killed your brother.”

 

“No you didn’t. The mercenaries did. And you tried to save him.”

 

“I failed.” Vandar and Jina left the room, unnoticed.

 

“You tried. That is more than many would have done. And…” She broke off and looked away. “…and you have saved me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I hated you. Ever since I heard that he was dead, I hated you. It was of the Dark Side, and I knew it, but I hated you anyway. Now I know the truth. And I ask for your forgiveness.”

 

“It was such a stupid waste.” She came into his arms and they held each other sobbing. Finally, Will sat back down and the Twilek sat with him.

 

“I’m sorry. If I could trade places with him I would.”

 

“If he were here, Will Kalenath, he would say the same thing. I must go.”

 

“Before you do…” Will pulled out a map datapad. He marked a location on it and handed it to her. “Be careful of the crystal spiders in that area.” She looked at the map, it showed a section of Correllia and then she nodded and left the room.

Will waited until Master Vandar and Jina came back in. Then he slumped.

 

“I…I still believe I am responsible.” Jina sighed, exasperated. She grabbed his chin in her hands and pulled his face up until he looked her in the eyes.

 

“You. Are. Not. To. Blame. Understand?” Will shook his jaw free of her hand and shook his head again.

 

“It’s easy for you to say, you didn’t do it.” Master Vandar spoke.

 

“Will Kalenath. You must put this behind you. You are needed, now more than ever.” Will looked at the ancient Jedi Master and sighed. Then he straightened to attention and nodded.

 

“Command me, Master Vandar.” Jina laughed at the expression on Master Vandar’s face, but then sobered as she realized Will was completely serious.

 

“We need to delve deeper into Nia’s past, we need to find out more…” Master Vandar broke off as Will blinked. “What?” Will looked at Jina.

 

“Out of curiosity, what kind of shuttle was the one you brought from Tattooine?” The apparent non-sequitor threw Jina for a moment.

 

“Hok’lan, why?” Both of them blinked as Will started to laugh. Not sarcastically or bitterly but with deep belly rolls of pure amusement. He recovered quickly.

 

“Can you show it to me?”

 

“May I ask why?”

 

“You want more information about Nia’s past. I think I can find some in that shuttle.” Both of the Jedi looked at him. “Nia arrived on Tattooine the first time in a Hok’lan class shuttle, she left something in it.” Jina shook her head.

 

“We didn’t find anything when we looked and we did look.” Will just grinned.

 

“Trust me.” She gave him a very old fashioned look and he laughed again.

 

A few minutes later they stood beside the shuttle and Will nodded. He keyed the hatch and they went inside. He went to the port side of the rear cabin and froze. He held up a hand and they froze as well. He reached slowly under the rear bunk, still stained with Nia’s blood he noticed with a pang, and felt what he thought he would. He made a swift movement and both Jedi recoiled as he pulled a camouflaged plasma grenade out.

 

“Whoever did this thought like me…” He broke off.

 

“You think you placed that trap?” Jina asked, now looking very carefully around the cabin.

 

“Certainly possible, but…I don’t remember doing it, so… Oh, don’t bother. You would have tripped any out here long before now.” He reached under the bed again and grinned as he found a latch. A drawer slid open and lying in the drawer was abackpack. He opened it carefully and inside was an old book. He looked at it carefully, and then he swept it for traps and found none. A close examination however…

 

“It’s DNA and code locked. Anyone else trying to open it will flash the pages.” He sighed as he picked it up. Master Vandar nodded.

 

“So the only person who might be able to open this…” Jina finished the thought.

 

“…Is Nia.” They all looked at each other and nodded.

When Nia woke again, she hurt. It was a dull ache across much of her body. She tried wiggling her fingers and toes and they moved. She smiled, and opened her eyes. She was lying on a different bed, in a different room. But somehow she was sure she was still in the Jedi Enclave. Looking around she saw two doors, a standing closet, a vid screen and little else. She sighed, and a voice came to her ears.

 

“Mistress Nia, are you in pain?” She looked around and saw a droid rise up hovering beside the bed. It was a fairly standard looking TX1C medical droid. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She tried again.

 

“Thir…sty…” She was sure the droid couldn’t have possibly understood her, but it immediately moved one of its many arms and a cup of water lowered to her mouth. She sucked on the straw and she smiled as water flowed across dehydrated tissues. As she continued drinking, she looked around. The room was pleasant, a window let in the sun and it lent a cheery glow to the furniture. She looked all around the room and then, hesitantly looked at herself. She couldn’t see much. A sheet was pulled up to her chest and bandages covered most of her exposed body. She felt, things, attached to her body and assumed they were medical in nature. Nature… She licked her lips.

 

“Refresher?” She asked the droid.

 

“You are not to move mistress Nia. The bed contains all plumbing necessary.” She wasn’t sure if she believed or not, but moments later the droid was proved right. She relaxed as that pain ebbed. She lifted a hand, wondering why she felt so weak and touched her face.

 

I was hurt, no… I was dying? I almost died. If I had…What would dad have done?

 

She grimaced a bit, and then relaxed. She was alive. Her thoughts broke off as one of the doors opened. She smiled as Will walked in. Jina followed him and… she saw the top of a green head but nothing more until the third being stood up on something she couldn’t see. Short stature, long ears, green skin. She stared. She knew who that being was, even if she had never met him. Her dad sat beside the bed and smiled. She smiled back. Her face was one part of her that didn’t hurt at all.

 

“Good morning, Nia.”

 

“Good morning, er… Masters Jina and Vandar.” Both of the Jedi smiled at her and nodded.

 

“You are not going to believe this Nia.” She sensed anticipation, and amusement in equal measure in her father.

 

“What Dad?” She thought she saw something play across Jina’s face as she spoke, but with Jedi it was hard to tell.

 

“You know that shuttle that we were looking for on Tattooine?”

 

“Yeah…” She wasn’t sure where this was going.

 

“Guess who bought it, legitimately.” She looked at him, then at Jina and her mouth fell open.

 

“No way…” Her voice was soft and awestruck. All three of the others smiled at her expression.

 

“You spent the entire trip here, lying on top of that book, Nia.” Jina smiled again and they all grinned as Nia started laughing. She laughed for almost a full minute, and then she started coughing. Jina looked concerned and moved to her side. Will held his daughter’s hand as Jina touched Nia’s forehead. Nia relaxed.

 

“I shouldn’t laugh. That hurt.” She said carefully speaking each word slowly. Then she looked at her father. “What would have been the odds against that?”

 

“When the Force is involved, odds become meaningless.” Will smiled at her expression.

 

“So the fact that you are standing here with two Jedi masters means… what?” Will sighed.

 

“Have we reconciled? No.” Both of the Jedi looked at Will. “But, I consider this a truce.” They relaxed. “You know my reasons for distrusting Jedi. Ten years of distrust isn’t undone in three days.” She had been unconscious for a day and a half.

 

“Three?” Nia asked dumbstruck. She wasn’t sure how badly she had been hurt, but… She was sure she had been dying. The feelings she got from her father confirmed that.

 

“They have very good healers here.” She looked at Will and shook her head.

 

“They must be.” She sobered. “You found it?” Without a word, Will handed her a cloth wrapped bundle. She unwrapped it slowly, reverently. Then she looked at it and then at Will. Will nodded and spoke.

 

“It’s code locked. And DNA locked. I can’t open it.”

 

“I don’t know any codes for that.”

 

“Yes you do, you just have to focus Nia.” Jina had remained silent, now she spoke. Nia looked at her, then closed her eyes and relaxed. Will watched as his daughter, both Vandar and Jina felt her focus sharpening. And then… She spoke. But it wasn’t her voice!

 

“My love, I am sorry I did this to you. To our daughter. I had no choice. I tried for so long to find another way, but the Force could not be denied.” Will’s eyes glistened. “You know the code to open the book, all you have to do is hear.” Will shuddered and collapsed. Jina and Vandar went to his side but Nia spoke again in that strange voice.

 

“Jedi, hear me.” The Jedi looked at each other, and then Vandar stood back onto the chair that he had been perched on and Jina stayed with Will. Vandar looked at Nia and spoke.

 

“You are a spirit.” It wasn’t a question.

 

“A force spirit, yes.” Nia’s eyes looked at him and a smile played across her face. “I am the guardian of the book. I am Jainine.”

 

“I recognized the name, your descendants took it as well.”.

 

“Yes. Of all of the people I expected to find, you were not among them Master Vandar. I am glad you survived the massacre on Katarr.” the voice sighed sadly. “So many lost, to feed that monster.”

 

“Indeed.” Master Vandar agreed.

 

“Now the Order has grown strong again, and the Sith return, the cycle continues.”

 

“What is your duty?” Vandar asked when the spirit didn’t continue. “Spirits must have a duty or they pass on.”

 

“Or they have a tie that binds them to a particular place, Master Vandar.” Vandar looked at the possessed woman. He nodded.

Edited August 31, 2012 by kalenath

Will stood alone, on a featureless plain. He looked around. As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing. Then suddenly Nia was there! But this was different Nia. She wore black robes. And in her hand… he froze as her lightsaber ignited, its blade as red as blood. Her face twisted in an expression he had seen before. On the faces of Dark Jedi and Sith.

 

“Father.” Her voice was cold, as cold as his got sometimes. He shook his head.

 

“You are not my daughter.” Her evil grin widened.

 

“Yes I am, I am what your daughter will become. Death!” She swung the lightsaber at him. He didn’t move and… It stopped, so close to his face that the sparks flew from the intersecting lightsaber hurt as they hit his cheeks. The other was blue. He glanced to the side, and saw another Nia, this one in Jedi robes.

 

“Run, Father. I will hold her off.” The Sith Nia backed up a step and the Jedi Nia pressed her advantage, forcing the Sith Nia away from Will. Will shook his head, this was wrong, something… something was wrong… the two Nias charged each other and their lightsabers flashed and hummed through the air as they fought. Neither could gain the advantage. He looked down, his weapons were at his belt, he could… he froze. The battle that raged continued, but something…something changed. His eyes stung.

 

“No.” The single word rang out and both combatants froze where they were. They turned to him. “I will not go in either direction. I am grey, I stand between the darkness and the light, and I serve the galaxy.” Both Nias lowered their weapons, bowed to him and disappeared. Another form took shape. Tears ran down his face as he saw her. She extended her arms and he took her in his.

 

“Jainine.” He breathed her name.

 

“I am the last of the holders of that name. The last guardian of the Book.” He shook his head. “The book must return to the Jedi. They must know what happened and why or the rift that was formed may occur again. There is so much more going on here than anyone knows or has guessed yet.”

 

“I don’t understand.” Will confessed.

 

“Then look my love, and see.” The soldier gasped as the universe opened to him.

Edited December 29, 2011 by kalenath

Nia woke with a start. She shook her head and coughed once. It hurt. She used the pain to focus her mind as she had been taught by… she froze. She looked and Master Vandar was standing beside her bed, watching her. Her eyes stung and she acknowledged the emotional pain, let it strengthen her, then pass. She nodded to him.

 

“How much did you hear?” Vandar asked in a gentle voice.

 

“Everything. She…” Nia couldn’t continue.

 

“She gave up everything to aid you, Nia. “

 

“I now. I know they tortured her, to try and get her to tell them where I was, where the Book was, and now I know why.” Vandar looked at her. “When the Exile returned from the Outer Rim, the Jedi that remained, Korvan, Zaz-kai-ell, and Vrook, thought that she was a danger. Which she was. She was ignorant of what she carried.”

 

“A hole in the Force.” Vandar said softly.

 

“Yes and no, Master Vandar.” The ancient jedi master looked at her, his gaze inscrutable.

“It was a hole, an emptiness that echoed through her being, from the horror of the final battle at Malachor V. That is what the Sith Darth Traya sought to use to destroy the Force. The Exile defeated her, stopped that from happening. But…” Nia broke off. Vandar didn’t rush her. Nia spoke again, a few minutes later.

 

“It also opened a door. A door that should have remained closed. A door to…” She broke off then continued. “I don’t have the words.” Vandar nodded. “My people swore to hold that door. And if they failed, to protect the Book, to get it to the Jedi.” Vandar blinked.

 

“You have to know what you face, in order to be able to defeat it. I… I cannot describe it, Master Vandar. All I know is that it eats the Force, and it’s hungry. That is what the Sith sought, that is why my people died.” The small Jedi Master nodded again.

 

“Nia, can you open the book now?” he asked gently.

 

“No. She replied, and just as she did, another voice said “Yes.” Vandar looked over his shoulder to where Will was rising to his knees.

 

“You knew didn’t you?” Will shook his head as the small green Jedi master nodded. “Why didn’t you say something?” He asked the elderly Jedi Master sourly.

 

“What would I have said, that you would have believed?” Will snorted At Vandar's dry words.

 

“Maybe that I was Force sensitive and descended from a Jedi of some renown?”

 

“What would you have done?” Jina asked.

 

“I don’t know, maybe nothing, maybe something…” he sighed. “Now though…” Will reached out to Nia and she took his hand in hers. They laid their hands combined on the book. A click was heard. They both spoke in unison.

 

“Mira.” The metal sleeve covering the book clicked open and fell away. Nia took the book and handed it to her father, who took it and handed it to Vandar. Vandar opened the book. He started to read, skimmed a bit, found another spot and began to speak aloud.

 

“Five years, I have kept these records as I have wandered the Outer Rim in search of absolution for what I did. I was told three days ago that the Republic needed me again. I may no longer be a Jedi, but if I’m needed, I will go. I reported to a Republic ship, the Harbinger. I went to sleep in my stateroom and woke up in a Kolto tank, on a mining platform in the Paragus system…”

“…When Kreia/Traya, my former mentor fell at my feet, it was as if a great cloud dropped from my eyes. I saw many things. Things that I hadn’t understood before became clear, and with the new information, my path became clear. I walked out of the Academy on Malachor V without looking back. When I reached the Ebon Hawk, the crew had managed to make sufficient repairs to get spaceborne again. I detonated the mass shadow generator again, and this time both Bao-Dur and I watched as the planet fell completely apart, drawing the hulks of the wrecked vessels deeper and deeper until they were consumed in the final moments. We watched until nothing was left visible. Then we who had survived sat down for a council. Mira told of her encounter with Hanharr and her decision not to kill him. I applauded it, more for her than for the insane Wookiee. We discussed what needed to be done. After some debate, we all agreed to go our separate ways. I have to know, I have to follow Revan and find out if what he thought was coming was a reality. Mihal, Atton, Visas, Bao-Dur, Mira, Mandalore, even HK-47, my friends and companions, I will miss you, but this is what must be. May the Force be with you all.”

 

Vandar finished reading, closed the book and put it down. Nia sat back in her chair and sighed. It had been a week since they had found the Book and opened it. Every night, after her therapy, by her wish, Vandar would read another section of the book to the assembled Jedi who wished to hear it. Which was many. She knew he wasn’t half done with the Book yet, the following sections covered Mira and Visas’ journeys deep into the Outer Rim, working to rebuild the Jedi Order and the Republic’s faith in the Jedi Order. She moved slightly in her chair and the Jedi beside her leaned over.

 

“Still sore?” He asked and she smiled at Bjorn. He had passed his trials and become a full-fledged Jedi. He seemed unsure sometimes, but confidence would come in time. It had for her anyway. She smiled at him again and nodded ruefully. Nolikas’ ministrations were amazingly effective, but there were things that time alone could heal. And, the Rakata had warned her, she would never be the same. The damage had been too severe; the insults to her body were too grave. But… she had compensations now. She reached to her side and her crutches flew into her hands. She got up, carefully and, using her crutches, walked out of the Assembly Hall. Bjorn followed her. She wasn’t sure if he had been ordered to keep tabs on her or if he was just concerned, but… her thoughts broke off as she felt something. She looked at Bjorn. He grinned. She swatted at him.

 

“You knew.”

 

“He was due back today. I wasn’t sure…”

 

“Don’t give me that Jedi.” She swung a crutch at him and he danced back, smiling. They walked to the hanger bay and watched as a familiar ship moved for a landing. The Dragon settled onto her landing skids and they moved slowly towards it. Even before the gangway was down she felt him. She grinned widely as the figure of her father started down the gangway, followed by the huge furry form of Olanagychew, and then she froze. Another figure followed the two. She swallowed as she recognized the armor of Stormhawk Boss. Bjorn picked up her tension and looked at her.

 

“Do nothing.” She whispered. He looked at her, then at the trailing figure. Comprehension dawned as well as alarm. They faded as he controlled his emotions and his face. Will walked up to where they were standing and looked her up and down. She dropped her crutches and tried to walk to him, but tripped and fell ungracefully into his arms. He held her easily. He sighed in mock exasperation.

 

“Nia.” She grinned at his tone.

 

“Dad.” She looked behind him. “Olana, good to see you.” The wookiee reached out, put a gentle paw on her shoulder and squeezed gently. Then she looked at the final figure.

 

“Boss?”

 

“Hello Nia.” She looked at her dad and he sighed.

 

“We have problems.” She stiffened and she felt Bjorn behind her. Without looking she reached back and he slid her crutches into her hands. She settled onto them with only a small wince. It was not lost on her dad.

 

“I’m surprised they let you out of bed so soon.”

 

“Let?” Bjorn asked incredulous. “She was out of the bed the second day. You should have seen Nolikas’ face.” Will grinned. He could only imagine. She ignored the byplay, focusing on Boss.

 

“Problems?” She asked softly.

 

“Problems.” He nodded and she led the way into the enclave.

((That is the end of this thread and yes, there are problems ahead...Big ones. Some known and some just now being found out. Comments or suggestions always welcome, flames will be answered with orbital fire support.))