((This is a follow on to First Star to the Right... But be warned, it isn't very nice.))

 

<Deep space>

 

When she woke up, she felt weird. Then her stomach rebelled, and she could do nothing but let it have its way. After a long time, it might have been minutes, or hours, rough hands moved her out of her filth. She looked up into the dead eyes of the man who had shot her and managed to stammer out words.

 

“What… What do you want with me?” She -he had said her name was Raven, right?- demanded. His gaze froze her. She heard movement behind her, but she didn’t dare look away. His hand came up and she flinched, but he just scrubbed her face clean before laying her back down. The mattress was clean now and she saw a large furred form exiting the compartment. She didn’t, indeed couldn’t, resist as the man in black latched cold things around her wrists and ankles. She stared at the manacles that bound her with chains to the wall now and shivered a bit. This man was evil. She was sure of it. He smiled at her, and she shivered harder, it was so cold, so... empty. When he spoke she froze.

 

“Sorry for the inconvenience, Sith. But I will take no chances with you aboard.” His voice could have frozen a lava flow. She managed to scrape some defiance up and spat. If he noticed the glob of mucus on his face it was unapparent.

 

“I am not a Sith.” She snapped. The man just smiled again, and she felt her stomach clench.

 

“Yes you are.” He said with a feral grin. “A favorite of the Sith Lord I am hunting. So… whether you remember or not, you are useful to me. So I am going to keep you alive. For the moment anyway, until you make me mad enough to toss you out the airlock. But for now, you will endure what your people do to others.” He tossed a pair of ration bars onto the bunk beside her and left the room. The door closed and latched behind him. Only after he left, did she allow herself to cry. Tears fell in streams.

 

I am not a Sith… Why does he think I am a Sith?

 

She stared at the ration bars, and her stomach growled. She took one and with only a little fumbling from the manacles, managed to get it open and tear off a bite. It tasted salty. But she figured that was from her tears. She managed to get both bars eaten and then fell asleep still crying. She never felt the presence that came in and covered her with a blanket.

 

<In the cockpit>

 

Will sat and shook his head. He knew this was not a good idea, but he was running out of options. He heard his copilot enter and didn’t turn. Olana was not happy. Well, neither was he at the moment.

 

<This is wrong, Oath Brother> Will winced. Olana didn’t shout, actually his voice was pitched low, but Will flinched anyway. The gray furred Wookiee was very unhappy. He replied in his own, rough, Shirwook.

 

<What am I supposed to do, Oath Brother? She knew where to find this scum. Even if she doesn’t remember it now, she did. What… What should I do? How do I do this? I know she wouldn’t approve, but… All I can see is her face, brother. All I can hear is her voice.> Olana knew without being told that Will was not talking about their prisoner.

 

<We are both too close to this. We need someone objective. Someone not personally involved. Someone… neutral…> Olana broke off as Will turned to face him.

 

<A Jedi?> Olana nodded at Will’s cold word.

 

<A Jedi.> Will held Olana’s gaze for a moment and then turned to the navicomputer. He set the course and laid back. He closed his eyes.

 

<A day to Tython. She will wake before that.> Olana looked at him. When Will smiled, even his best friend, someone who had been with him through worse situations, shuddered from the sheer emptiness of it. <I will talk to her again when she wakes.>

 

<Later>

 

When she woke, for just a moment, she hoped it had all been a horrible dream. But when she moved her hands, she heard a clink and she slumped. It hadn’t been. She opened her eyes and he was there. She couldn’t help it, she screamed. He snorted.

 

“I haven’t done anything. Yet. Wait until I start doing something before you try that particular approach, Sith.” She shook her head, aware of a buzzing in it now.

 

“Why are you doing this? What have I done to you?” She begged as she cringed away from him. But he didn’t move, indeed , his face held the most animation she had seen so far. If only it hadn’t been hate…

 

“Like I said, your master killed my wife, probably to turn me to the Dark Side.” Now he grinned, and she cringed further. “What he doesn’t know, or care about, is that I was already there. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything permanent and or leave marks.” She saw the shock stick appear in his hands and started screaming before it touched her.

 

<In the cockpit>

 

Olana could only sigh as the screams reverberated through the ship.

 

I agree with the sentiment, but… This is going to cause problems…

<A day later >

 

She woke and tensed, but nothing hurt. She sighed in relief. And when she opened her eyes and was amazed. She wasn’t in a cell, or in the room she had woken in last. No, she was in an airy room with nice furniture. Except… She tensed at the form that sat beside her, but the female human in brown robes just smiled.

 

“It’s all right Raven. My name is Anya. No one is going to hurt you here.” The girl started crying, she grabbed for the other, trying to hold onto something.

 

“You have to help me.” Raven was crying hard now. “I didn’t do anything to him. He hurts me, and I did nothing to him!” But to her horror, the Jedi, because that was what this had to be just shook her head sadly.

 

“I feel the darkness within you, Raven.” Anya said sadly. “Even if you don’t remember it. We can help you.” Raven stared at the Jedi.

 

“What are you talking about?” Raven demanded. “I am not a Sith…” The Jedi shook her head sadly.

 

“You were and are. And you were implanted with several nasty devices of Sith origin. One to track you, one to kill you, and one, we have no idea what it was for.” Raven shook her head, shocked to her core.

 

“I don’t understand. Why…?” She broke off as the door to the room opened and her nightmare walked in. She cowered away from him. “No… No… No… Please…?” The Jedi looked at her and then at the man in black before sighing. She patted Raven’s hand before rising and walking out. The man in black smiled grimly at Raven before following. It was a long time before Raven could move. And a longer time before she realized she had fouled herself in her fear. She sat in her mess, crying.

 

<Outside>

 

“That was uncalled for.” The Jedi’s tone was frosty, but when the man in black responded, even she recoiled.

 

“Do you really think I care?” Anya stared at the man she knew was a hero and tried not to flinch as his regard swept over her. She had faced Sith, crime bosses, bounty hunters, even a Rancor once. But none had frightened her as much as this man could offhandedly. But she called upon her training.

 

“Look, I know you are hurting, I know you are grieving. But this… this is wrong. I know what you did to her, even if there is no evidence now.” Will just looked at her and she sighed. “I know you want Ravishaw stopped. A lot of us do…” She broke off as Will snorted. A darkly humorous noise.

 

“I don’t want him stopped. I want him dead. Slowly. Preferably I want to take him alive so I can roast parts of his body and eat them while he watches.” Anya wasn’t sure what was worse. The threat or the cold matter of fact tone in which it was given. She shuddered as she realized it was no jest, he was serious. He would cook and eat the Sith Lord over an open fire if given the chance. But when she finally spoke, it was sad.

 

“And is hurting this girl going to bring your wife back? What would Sharra say, Will?” He stared at her for a moment and she felt his conflict through the Force, as muted as it was by his unorthodox training. Finally, he turned and stalked off. After he had turned a corner, she let out the breath she had been holding. A small voice came from nearby.

 

“Master?” Anya smiled as her apprentice appeared, carrying a tray piled high with food, clothing and medical supplies. She moved to take some of the precarious load.

 

“You could have made more than one trip Ina. Come on, there is someone I want you to meet.”

 

<A few minutes later>

 

She felt… bemused. These Jedi were kind to her. But at the same time, on their guard. She finished her meal in silence and waited as Anya cleared the tray away. The human was nice, and the Cerean child was very nice. But both were wary as well. She shook her head.

 

“You say I am a Sith, but… I don’t remember being a Sith.” Anya nodded.

 

“The Sith Lord you… served… is known for mental manipulation. We will need to have you scanned properly.” Raven tensed, but the girl took her hands in gentle ones.

 

“It won’t hurt, I promise.” Raven relaxed, just a bit.

 

“And then…?” Anya sighed.

 

“I understand that is under discussion.”

 

<Elsewhere in the Enclave>

 

“…the phrase ‘not a chance in hell’ comes to mind.” Will’s cold tone had several of the Jedi in the room shift nervously in their seats. The Bothan Master Thokal Melan sighed and the other Jedi let him speak.

 

“Will, listen. What you are doing is evil. You know that. I can sense that you know that. So why are you doing this?” Will just smiled thinly.

 

“Because she is my link to Ravishaw.” The soldier said coldly. All of the Jedi froze, Thokal then shook his head.

 

“And torturing her helps you… how?” Melan asked slowly. “You are causing pain to an innocent. Maybe she wasn’t before, but now…?” Will met his eyes and the Jedi held his gaze calmly.

 

“She is a Sith. She likes pain. Maybe she doesn’t remember it, but… When you scan her, take a look deep. See how she reacted to it when I hit her with the shock stick. She enjoyed it. So… Therefore by definition it wasn’t torture.” Melan stared at Will and shook his head.

 

“Semantics aside Will, what you did was wrong. We won’t let you keep doing it.” The soldier just smiled, and more than one Jedi shifted a bit at the sheer malevolence in it.

 

“She is my prisoner, and you can’t have her. I brought her here for treatment and scans. When that is done, we are leaving, and hunting.” Melan shook his head.

 

“We can stop you.” At that Will just grinned. Melan sighed. “You don’t have a baradium bomb this time.” At that, Will just grinned wider. Melan shook his head. “Captain Kalenath…”

 

Will snorted. “No, I won’t tell you what my backup plan is, and feel free to try and probe my mind. It will hurt. For now, we are on the same side. We all want Ravishaw.” Melan shook his head.

 

“Not your way.” Will just smiled again, and without a further word, left the council chamber, leaving the Jedi to stare at each other. Melan sighed.

 

“That did not go well.”

<Later>

 

Raven couldn’t get comfortable. They had removed the manacles, saying that the binders interfered with the scanner. She was pretty sure that was load of nerfosik, but she wasn’t about to complain. But she was lying as ordered, first on her side, then on her back and now, trying to relax with her eyes closed as they did something around her head. She hadn’t known what to expect, but her nightmare hadn’t returned yet. She had been expecting the man in black -she still hadn’t caught his name- ever since she had been brought here. The Jedi had been kind, but firm. And they had explained everything they were doing, and if all of their explanations went right over her head, well, that was okay. They were trying to be nice, unlike the other… A voice broke her out of her semi-doze.

 

“All done, Raven.” She waited until hands pulled the gurney she was on out of the tube scanner and then waited until they withdrew before sitting up. She had known that she was under strict supervision, the Jedi and her apprentice never left her side for anything, but there were two Jedi who were always close and never talked to her. She was more than a bit unnerved by all this. The strange healer nodded to her and Raven smiled.

 

She kind of liked the Rakata. She had never met one of that species before, and she hadn’t known what to expect. But Nolikas was kind, gentle and funny. But now, the Rakata was frowning and Raven tensed. Nolikas sighed.

 

“You are a mess girl.” Raven nodded, that much was obvious. But Nolikas was continuing. “He did several things to you that we have seen before. The Sith Lord that is.” Nolikas had been, well, incensed was probably the right word, when Raven had been brought in. She had literally shouted at the man in black to leave and not return, to which the soldier had just grinned and left. Raven shook her head slowly. When she spoke, her voice held fear, deep fear.

 

“Are you saying… I am a Sith?” Her eyes went to the door as if expecting her nightmare to come bursting in. Instead of responding, Nolikas handed Raven a datapad. She looked at it and almost dropped it. It showed her! In black robes with a red bladed lightsaber fighting… A Jedi… Raven shook her head slowly. “Oh my god…” She slumped. “Then he will kill me, won’t he?” Nolikas sat down beside her.

 

“Not if I can help it, girl. Not if I can help it.” Raven felt a hand on her shoulder and then, the sting of an injector. And she was falling. When she looked at Nolikas, the Rakata had an unreadable expression on her face. And then darkness claimed the girl.

 

<A bit later>

 

“You have a lot of gall to come back here.” The Rakata’s tone would have probably peeled paint, but it skimmed right over Will as if he wasn’t really there.

 

“I had to be sure.” Nolikas snarled at him.

 

“By torturing her? You monster! She isn’t to blame for what happened to Sharra.” Will nodded, and Nolikas started working on something else to have something occupy her hands.

 

“I know.” At that, The Jedi simply stopped what she was doing and stared at the soldier, who shrugged. “I won’t pretend I didn’t enjoy hurting her. She is a Sith.” For all the fact that she liked him, Nolikas realized she really didn’t know the man before her, at all. “According to some of my sources, her master can feel what happens to some of his slaves. I was hoping he would feel that. If he felt that, he probably expected me to kill her. And cut his link. That gives her a chance. And all it costs is people’s regard of me, which I couldn’t care less about. I am hoping you can help her, maybe undo the programming.” Nolikas stared at him.

 

“You knew…” Her voice was hushed, awed. He shrugged again.

 

“I suspected." Will corrected her. "Can you keep him out of her mind?” Nolikas nodded slowly.

 

“Yes, as long as she remains here." Nolikas said soberly. "And with the proper training, er, retraining, she could become quite a Jedi. So… All this was for his benefit?” Will grinned, more his old self.

 

“What better way to make an opponent overconfident than to appear to fall for his strategy? He will come for me, or he will send another apprentice after me. And when he does, I will be ready. But… I need your help, healer…” Nolikas nodded.

 

“Anything I can do.” The healer promised. Will shook his head.

 

“Wait until you hear what I ask before you say that…”

<Eight hours later>

 

Raven sat and ate in silence. This was odd. She was sure that sooner or later, the man from her personal nightmare would come back. She shuddered to think what he would do. Whatever he did would be painful, personal and degrading. She shook her head, she wouldn’t out anything past him. Even the fact that the Jedi had all actually started acting nice was only a bit calming. She knew, she didn’t think, she knew that her life was measured by the whims of the man in black. But she was slowly relaxing. Nolikas had promised her that the man, who she had finally found out was called Will, wouldn’t hurt her again. But Raven knew. Somehow she knew the man wouldn’t be content to let her go. She finished her meal and moved the tray out of the way. She was still very weak, both from whatever had been done to her and from Will’s less than gentle actions. But… something was wrong… She was dizzy… She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Was she drugged…? She heard the door open and turned her head to see her personal nightmare enter the room. But she didn’t have the strength to scream. He came to her bedside and she could do nothing but shudder. But his hands were gentle as they touched her. And… She froze. Touched her… His voice was as cold as ever when he spoke.

 

“The Jedi want you. They say I have to leave. But… I have a going away present for you. I know your master can likely hear and see through you. If so, I want him to feel every moment of this. I am betting he will enjoy this. I know you will…” She shuddered as he… He…

 

<A while later>

 

Raven woke up screaming. Gentle hands held her now, and a kind feminine voice was heard. The words didn’t make sense, but the tone was comforting. She hurt, in so many places. But warmth spread from the hands that held her and she relaxed a bit. She asked in a plaintive voice.

 

“Why…?” And Nolikas answered softly.

 

“He went over the line. He is gone, and he won’t come back. He won’t hurt you again. We won’t let him.” And then, something… changed in her. As if… something had left? And then Nolikas was crying. “I am sorry Raven. I am sorry. Sleep now.” A hiss and a sting on her arm and she was falling into comforting darkness. She fell asleep to the sound of soft sobs and the feeling of warm arms around her.

 

<A little bit later>

 

“I thought I knew you.” Nolikas stood watching as Raven was prepped for surgery. Will stood nearby. He shook his head.

 

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. Right?” His tone was bitter. Nolikas stared at him and he snarled. “Do you really think I enjoyed it? Hurting her? And that way? It was the only way he would have believed she was of no further use to him. If he believed she was useful, he wouldn’t have left. And now you can block him out.” Nolikas nodded, but her stance was angry.

 

“You didn’t have to do that.” The healer snapped. But Will was shaking his head.

 

“If I had done anything else, anything lesser, he would have suspected." The soldier said calmly. "But for me to do that, I had to be going over the line. He will come for me now, or send one of his other apprentices to try my patience again. And this time, I will be ready for him.” Nolikas stared at him.

 

“And all this time, I thought you were one of the good guys.” Her voice was hushed, scared. Will shook his head, but his voice was sad when he spoke.

 

“Nope. Once maybe." The soldier sighed and continued. "But no longer. I can’t afford to be. Not to stop him.” Nolikas shook her head.

 

“At what cost Will?" The healer demanded, aghast. "At what cost?” The soldier shook his head.

 

“Whatever it takes. Just… take care of her, will you?" Will asked, a bit like his old self. "If as you say, her memories are blocked, not gone, she will someday remember who she was.” Nolikas looked at him and he shrugged. “I am being pragmatic. I don’t want her coming after me until after I have handled Ravishaw.” She just looked at him again, and he turned and left. Another figure came in as soon as Will had gone. Jedi Master Thokal Melan stared at the surgical suite and then sighed.

 

“We can help her now, Nolikas.” The Bothan said gently. The Rakata shook her head. “I know this is hard. It’s hard enough for me. And I am not a healer.” Nolikas shook her head again.

 

“We could have just told him. He would have made the right choice.” Melan shook his head minutely and Nolikas sighed and went to start scrubbing for surgery. Melan stared at the supine form on the surgical table and shook his head. He spoke to the empty room.

 

“Right choice… How naive can you be, Healer? There are no right choices here. Only bad and worse…” He sighed and spoke again. “You might as well show yourself.” Will shimmered into being nearby. The soldier’s face was a stone mask. “I didn’t think you would go through with it.” Will didn’t reply. “I should have known better.” When the soldier spoke, it was quiet and matter of fact.

 

“I know you set my sister up. What I don’t know is why. I can’t trust you now.” Melan tensed, but the soldier was gone. The Jedi Master slumped.

 

“The needs of the many, indeed… But the ones are important. We have to remember that. Or we become what we fight…” He shook his head again and left the room.

<Two days later>

 

She woke up tense, but a gentle touch on her hand had her relaxing. But… She looked up and froze at the sight of a strange being leaning over her. Her voice was scared when she spoke. “Who… Who are you?” The strange being lowered herself -and how did she know the stranger was female?- a bit, and spoke gently.

 

“My name is Nolikas, Raven. You don’t remember me?” The girl shook her head, realizing it felt… odd.

 

“Raven…? Is that my name?” She felt very weak, very… strange. “I… I don’t remember…” The strange being looked sad.

 

“Yes, your name is Raven. You are a student. You were hurt.” The healer said calmly. “We had to go very deep to get some nastiness out of your head. I think we may have gone too deep. I knew some memories had been excised, but not to this extent. I am sorry. We can help you.” The girl, Raven, stared at her.

 

“I was hurt?” The girl asked, unsure. Nolikas nodded.

 

“Badly. But your injuries are healing." The healer said slowly. "It… It took us a while to find the damage inside your head. It was hurting you, making you angry. You are not angry now are you?” Raven shook her head, baffled.

 

“I… I don’t understand.” Raven asked. “Do I know you?” Nolikas nodded.

 

“Not very well. But… I am a healer here, so, you are in my care until you heal, clear?” The teasing tone brought a smile to the girl’s face although her eyes were still a bit haunted. Raven allowed Nolikas to do what she had to, and then ate the small meal the healer brought before laying back and falling asleep. She was comfortable, clean and dry. This was… weird, but it felt right. She dozed off wondering why she thought that wasn’t strange for her to ‘feel’ something. Her last thought before sleep took her was to wonder why things were so familiar, yet so strange.

 

 

<That night>

 

Raven came awake to an odd feeling. A hand across her mouth. She bit, but a blow had her head ringing. A harsh voice came to her.

 

“None of that, idiot girl.” She stared up into the eyes of a woman she didn’t know. She was sure she didn’t know the woman, so why was she cringing? The woman smiled an evil sight. “Wow they really did a number on you didn’t they, girl?

 

“Who are you?” Raven demanded loudly, earning herself another blow.

 

“Shut up girl. We are on short time here. We have exactly ten minutes to be at the shuttle pad if we want off this rock.” Raven shook her head, and another blow had her head ringing again. “Get up, we have…” Raven froze as the black clad from seemed to levitate a foot off the floor and then she bit back a scream as ANOTHER black clad form appeared behind the woman, this one a man with a vibroblade that was buried in the woman’s back. The man spoke and her guts clenched in fear, but his voice was…kind?

 

“This was just a bad dream, Raven. If you go back to sleep, you will wake up and none of this will have happened.”

 

Why did his voice scare her so? But she did as ordered. And when she woke in the morning, there was no sign that anything had happened. Except a bruise on her head that Nolikas commented on, and she passed off as sleeping badly. As Nolikas started her day of teaching, Raven wondered. And worried.

 

<Later that morning>

 

Shult tried to scream, but it didn’t work. Of all the things he had expected when he had grounded his shuttle on Tython to recover Master Ravishaw’s lost girl, this hadn’t been one of them. One moment, he had been waiting for his highly paid bounty hunter to arrive, the next he had woken up like this, with the woman’s still corpse beside him. And his worst nightmare standing over him with a still dripping vibroblade in hand. Will had patiently and thoroughly stripped the ship of all possible intelligence information and then had cuffed Shult to the corpse and strapped both of them to seats in the cockpit.

 

Now Will was standing over him and smiling. The Sith apprentice tried to summon the Force, but his body wouldn’t respond, probably from whatever drug Will had used. Will spoke and it was as if space itself had taken form. Shult, who prided himself on being frightening to others, was terrified out of his mind as Will straightened and he saw the container in the soldier’s hands.

 

“Pity about that loose engine fuel container in your ship, Shult. Nasty thing to have loose on landing. And if you are listening Ravishaw, you are next.” Shult tried to move, but couldn’t as the soldier doused him in the cold fuel. It seeped into his robes and he heard a sloshing as the soldier saturated the ship. The Force was screaming at him to move, to do something. But he couldn’t. He had no way of knowing that Will had cut his spinal column with surgical precision before the apprentice had woken. Then he heard it. A lighter… He was still screaming silently when the flames reached him.

 

<At the enclave, seers quarters>

 

Diseree, the youngest and newest seer of the Jedi Order, woke up screaming. Her master came running in. “Diseree, what is wrong?”

 

The small Kel Dor girl stared at her master with terror filled eyes. “Will, he is… You didn’t see it?” Her Master shook her head.

 

“What did you see Diseree?” The younger Jedi did a breathing exercise and calmed herself, but when she spoke there was fear in her voice.

 

“I think… I think I was wrong. He is going to Korriban. He is taking something bad, I think maybe a baradium bomb.” Master Ashla Ti sat down in shock.

 

“Oh no….”

<Korriban>

 

“What?” Commander Vorren knew his tone was less than respectful. But, in this instance, he could be forgiven for being a bit less than polite. He shook his head slowly. “I know the man is capable of almost anything, but why the flarg…?” He broke off as his contact grimaced. Idjit had an odd look on his face, almost… trepidation?

 

“Because Sharra Kalenath is dead.” At those quiet words from the seer, Vorren felt all of his training, all of his courage, indeed, all of his breath leave him in one solid whoosh.

 

“Oh… My… God…” Vorren shook his head, trying to get the sheer horror out of his mind. “Ravishaw?” Idjit nodded. “Then why here? Ravishaw wouldn’t dare come here, would he?”

 

“I don’t know. None of my visions show Ravishaw anywhere near here. But… Commander… You need to hear this… A Sith apprentice named Raven Markar, a favorite of Ravishaw’s, was found wandering on Tattoine, with no memory. Cranna the Hutt gave her to Will, who, well… He took her to Tython, where the Jedi objected to his interrogation methods. They took her away from him. When they went into her room the next morning, they found she had been brutalized.” Vorren stiffened in shock.

 

“There is… no… way… the man I knew would have done that." The agent was quickly passing beyond shock into terror. "Is she alive?” Idjit shook his head.

 

“Apparently not." The seer said heavily. "Another of Ravishaw’s apprentices tried to extract her, with the aid of a bounty hunter. They didn’t succeed. Their bodies were found this morning on Tython, burned almost beyond recognition in the remains of a shuttle that I know was one of his. What is worse is that my contact among the Jedi says the apprentice was alive when the fire reached him.” Vorren recoiled as if slugged. He sat down heavily, thinking hard. “If he can do that, Commander Vorren… He is capable of anything.”

 

“So I have said for years…” Vorren said almost under his breath. “Details, I need details. What, where, when. What can you tell me?”

 

"Not much." Idjit said as he shook his head. “The Jedi say he isn’t on Tython anymore. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I can’t ‘see’ him. Believe me I have tried. What… What would he do?” Vorren sat, thinking hard and obviously not liking where this train of thought was taking him.

 

“I don’t know." The agent admitted. "For him to act so callously, so…brutally… He can be both. But… Not like that. Not so…” Vorren froze. All color drained from the agent’s face. “He is Force sensitive.”

 

“Oh no…” Idjit’s face was just as gray. “Ravishaw is trying to turn him…” Vorren shook his head.

 

“Even an insane Sith Lord has to know his limits." Vorren said slowly. "Maybe he can turn Will, but I can guarantee if he does there will be a large smoking crater wherever Ravishaw is when it happens.” Idjit shook his head.

 

“I need to report this, we need to…" Vorren broke off. What could they do? "Prepare I guess. Maybe the security forces will get lucky.” Vorren raised a single eyebrow and Idjit laughed mirthlessly.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think so either." The seer said softly. "My kin are clear. But there are simply too many places he could ingress here. Keep your eyes open.”

 

“I am not going anywhere Idjit. My duty to the Empire means I have to try and stop whatever he is going to do.” Idjit nodded to the agent and swiftly left the room. Vorren went back to his terminal, trying with all his might to get the image out of his head that lay there now. Korriban in flames, men, women and children dead and dying in the streets.

 

What price vengeance, Will? What price?

 

<Deep Space>

 

He was alone. He liked it that way now. He was not good company. He knew that. He shook his head as he worked. The charges had to be laid precisely or the device wouldn’t function properly. And he needed it to function right the first time. He was so focused on the detonator assembly that he almost didn’t see the form appear nearby.

 

“Don’t do this.” The voice was quiet, and he ignored it. “Will, please…” He finished the assembly and looked up into eyes set in blue skin. He had forgotten how pretty the Twilek had been in life. But his voice was cold when he spoke.

 

“Go away, Ulaha.” His voice would have likely terrified an assassin droid. The Force spirit shook her head as he went back to his task.

 

“You are a hard man to find." The dead Padawan said slowly. "But now every single operative in the Republic and Empire are looking for you. Will… talk to me.” He ignored her. “How many innocents on Korriban will you kill with that?” Will looked up and she flinched from his regard.

 

“Innocents on Korriban?" The soldier asked incredulous. "Sith? That’s a joke, right?” He laughed, and all warmth seemed to flee from his laughter.

 

“Don’t try to con me Will." The spirit snapped. "What are you doing? This isn’t you.” He met her gaze and against her will, she flinched again.

 

"No?" He asked, unconcerned. "Then you don’t know me very well, Jedi.” But now Ulaha was shaking her head.

 

“I know you well enough." She said slowly. "You didn’t kill Raven. You could have, easily. You didn’t even hurt her badly. You could have made it so much worse. And you saved her from that bounty hunter. You know What they will do when they see you, after what you did there before. So why…” She broke off and a terrified expression crossed her face. “No….” Her voice was quiet, horrified.

 

“Since you know what I am going to do, why don’t you run along, and tell all your Sith buddies. Better yet, have Jainine tell her Sith buddies all about it. Maybe they can stop me. Maybe not. I really don’t care anymore.” He didn’t bother to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Ulaha shook her head sadly.

 

“This is not the way, Will.” She said sadly. The soldier was on his feet though and an odd device shone strangely in his hands. Ulaha stared at it and shivered. “Will, you don’t know what is going on here…”

 

“I know he cloned her, I know he wants to clone me." The soldier could have been carved from stone for all the emotion he showed now. "What else do I need to know? That lab and everything around it is going to be a crater.” Now Ulaha was crying.

 

“I can’t tell you that. But Will, listen to me, please…” But he raised the device and with a shriek, she vanished. He slumped as he sat back down to finish rigging the four baradium devices together. Each equivalent to five thousand tons of detonite. This circle charge would do the job if anything could. He hoped so anyway.

 

<Somewhere outside of time and space>

 

Ulaha was shivering as she materialized on the plain. That thing hurt. But she had to report. She saw Idjit there and she stammered.

 

“Four baradium devices. Big ones. He… He said something about a genetics lab. About clones.” The cloud that was Idjit froze solid for a moment.

 

“A genetics lab? On Korriban?" The Bladeborn seer demanded. "Ravishaw wouldn’t dare! He is under penalty of death in the Empire. Korriban is tightly controlled.” Ulaha shook her head.

 

“I don’t know if it’s on Korriban or not." She said slowly. "He felt… Oddlly triumphant when I asked him where on Korriban.”

 

“Triumphant?” Idjit’s voice was puzzled.

 

“As if he had…” She broke off and blanched. Idjit continued.

 

“...conned us into thinking Korriban was his target." Idjit snapped. "I’ll be back.” Idjit vanished for the plain and a few moments later, another Force spirit appeared beside Ulaha, who was still shivering.

 

“Are you okay?” Jainine Korr’s spirit asked quietly and Ulaha shook her head.

 

“No. He knows, Jainine, and he is coming.” The older force spirit sighed.

 

“And so… it begins…”

<Korriban Spaceport, two days later>

 

“He is here. I know he is…” Commander Vorren was not used to feeling like this. This… helplessness. He knew his quarry was nearby, but wherever Will was, the soldier was pulling off a hiding act that would have impressed Vorren, if he hadn’t been so worried. “Are you getting anything?”

 

His companion shook his head. The long black cloak and cowl would have drawn stares and comments anywhere else in the galaxy, but not here. Oh no, people here kept their mouths shut when black cloaked people walked by. Even if this one didn’t carry a lightsaber, it was still not a good idea to insult anyone who used the Dark Side of the Force. Idjit sighed.

 

“I don’t know where he learned this skill, but he just… vanishes." Idjit sounded affronted, as if that wasn't how things were supposed to work. "It is like he is only partly there when I can ‘see’ him. Which isn’t very often. You said you might have a lead?” Vorren nodded as they walked slowly, making another slow circuit.

 

“There are not many Sith who dabble in genetic research." Vorren said slowly, eyes and ears focused on watching. "I found three labs on this planet. But none are anything he might be interested in. Two are legitimate industrial research plants, one handling poisons another antidotes.” Idjit snorted.

 

“Same company, right?” The seer asked. Vorren nodded. An old trick. Sell one thing under one company name, and sell the counter under another. Make double the money.

 

“Yeah. I checked them both out." The agent replied. "A few discrepancies with the books, but nothing else. And the Imperial Auditory Service will be calling on them shortly. The third was a bit harder. But stranger. They are actually growing cloned organs.” Idjit looked at him and Vorren shrugged. “No laws against that, and they actually are doing it cheaper than many prosthesis.” Idjit nodded. “According to them, they are doing it to undercut the Republic, but the head doctor is…well… He seems more in it to help people than to make money.” Idjit nodded again.

 

“Never underestimate the power of optimism. He may get away with it for a while, but sooner or later some Sith will get tired of him and…” Idjit broke off. Vorren looked at him and then ahead. The agent blanched as he saw a figure appear from a landing bay door. A black clad form in armor.

 

“Will?" Vorren said softly, startled. "What the flarg?” He saw a customs officer approach the soldier and could only stare in wide eyes shock as the customs man went flying back and the sound of a blaster reached his ears. “NO!” He shouted as alarms stared blaring and fire started coming at the black clad form from a number of places. If Will was concerned, it wasn’t apparent; he drew another blaster. Both came up and he returned the fire, walking as if on a stroll. But every shot he fired killed something. Droid, turret, guard…

 

Vorren could only watch, horrified as Will took shot after shot and just kept walking. He would have run forward, except his companion held up a hand in front of him and he couldn’t move. He snarled at the Bladeborn.

 

“Idjit, let me go. They will kill him!” But Idjit wasn’t looking at Vorren, he was staring at the firefight that was in progress. Then the Bladeborn blanched and with a gesture, threw Vorren aside. The agent hit the wall and staggered to his feet in time to see the Sith come flying towards him, and then he was on the ground as a loud explosion as heard. He snarled and got to his feet as soon as the blast wave passed. He stared at the place where Will had been, now a smoking hole in the floor, walls and ceiling. He slumped. “I…” Idjit rolled to his feet and shook his head.

 

“That wasn’t him." Idjit said cautiously, sweeping the area with the Force. "There was no life in that… That thing…” Vorren stared at him.

 

“What?" The agent asked slowly, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. "A droid of some kind?” Idjit shook his head.

 

“I don’t know. But think about it." Idjit said cautiously. "Now that he is ‘dead’, who will be looking for him?” Vorren stared at the smoking crater, then at his companion and nodded.

 

“Us. And we better not fail.” Vorren snapped. Idjit nodded and they started off away from the scene of confusion s medics and soldiers started sifting through the wreckage, seeking survivors and or, answers. But both knew that no answers would be found there.

 

<A ways away>

 

The spectacle at the spaceport was showing in full color on the monitor. “So spectacular. So… flashy… Oh I like this man…” The black cloaked figure laughed hard and then giggled. An unnerving sound. A worried voice spoke. The black cloaked figure turned and his apprentice cringed from him.

 

“Master, is he dead? If so… What can we do?” Now her Master laughed fully.

 

“Not hardly Morgana. That was for the benefit of the security forces. They will likely claim him dead, even though there will be no proof. And now… Now he is on his way here.” The woman in tattered black robes tensed, but her Master laughed again.

 

“Everything is proceeding as I have forseen. Soon… Soon now… Go. Be ready.” She nodded and ran from the room. Ravishaw smiled as he oogled her almost bare form through the Force and then sighed. He held a small crystal up and spoke.

 

“Show yourself, my dear.” The Force ghost of Jainine Korr appeared in front of him. It knelt.

 

“What do you desire, my master?” He laughed again, now with the edge of giggling to it again.

 

“Oh, no, my dear. No flattery will get you free of me. You are mine.” Jainine nodded.

 

“For now.” Ravishaw laughed again.

 

“You have been a naughty Force ghost haven’t you?” Jainine didn’t reply and Ravishaw made a motion with the crystal. The ghost shrieked. Now his voice was harder. “Haven’t you?”

 

Jainine’s spirit was panting as she crumbled to the floor. Force ghosts couldn’t feel physical pain, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be hurt, oh no… When she spoke it was still controlled. “I don’t know what you mean, Master.”

 

Ravisahw smiled again, an evil grin. “Maybe I should have kept that little brat of yours. Oh well, probably better this way. Don’t worry my dear. Soon you will have another body to serve me in and I will have what I want. An unstoppable army. One to topple the Emperor and the Republic in one fell swoop. ” He patted the pod that he stood beside and looked through the room at the hundreds more. Each with a human sized form in it.

 

“Pity about Raven, but I can always make another… Alchemical clones are cheap.” He laughed as he shook the crystal and Jainine screamed again.

<Two hours later>

 

“Well, this is the last place it could be. We have checked everything else.” Vorren could feel the despair building inside himself, but Idjit seemed to take no mind of it. If Will did manage to bring a weapon of mass destruction through security, and knowing the soldier he would find a way, the casualties would be insanely high no matter where he detonated it. While much of Korriban was uninhabited to this day, most of the areas where life did flourish were packed tight. The thought of a nuclear weapon exploding in Dreshdae or any of the other colony sites made Vorren’s blood run cold. He and his contact were hoping and praying that they could find Will before Will got to his target, whatever it might be. So now, they were playing long shots. He parked the airspeeder and they started towards the entrance to the underground facility that was the last genetics research facility on Korriban. It had taken quite a while to find, as a rule, Sith Lords didn’t approve of genetics research, so people who did it tended to be good at hiding what they were doing. But the name of the patron of this one had jumped out at Vorren. Darth Harron was dead. Very, very dead. Will tended not to leave live Sith in his wake, and for just a moment, Vorren shuddered.

 

Now, he was not a squeamish person, not by a long shot. He had been raised and trained to know that the end always justified the means. But he had also seen the horrors of war close at hand. He knew there was no glory in it, unlike many of his younger counterparts in Imperial Intelligence. He did his job, no more, no less. But he didn’t glory in slaughter. It was inefficient. If need be, he could do worse than Will was apparently planning, but… His thoughts broke off as Idjit made a small noise. He looked at the Bladeborn and Idjit was… pale?

 

“Idjit?” Vorren asked softly. The Bladeborn didn’t look at him.

 

“Ravishaw is here.” Vorren froze. But then Idjit was snarling as a black cloaked from appeared in front of them. He drew his blaster, but, then he couldn’t move. The stasis field held him tight. The man ahead threw back his hood and laughed. Even after years of training and discipline, Vorren felt his insides clench from the sheer evil the man effortlessly projected. Idjit moved between Vorren and the black cloaked figure.

 

“I wondered when you would come to your senses, lickspittle. Are you ready to serve me?” In answer, Idjit drew his blade and Ravishaw laughed again. “Oh no, lickspittle. It won’t be that easy.” Vorren tensed as he heard something. A hissing… Gas! Idjit was in motion, but a hatch slammed down between the two black clad forms. Another slammed down behind them leaving them in a small chamber, maybe ten meters long by two wide. Suddenly, Vorren could move, and he donned his gas mask. Idjit reached for his belt and Vorren could only stare as the Bladeborn drew a lightsaber. that wasn’t something you saw every day, a Bladeborn using a lightsaber. Idjit turned to the wall and paused.

 

“Check the wall with your scanner.” Idjit’s voice was quiet. Vorren trained his small but powerful sensors on the wall and blanched. He scanned the others and shook his head.

 

“Fuel lines. You cut, we fry.” Idjit nodded and hit the hatch with his saber. And it bounced off. Vorren slumped. “Ray shielding?” Idjit nodded. “Let me try and slice…” But something was wrong. The mask and his armor should have protected him from any known gas, so why was he losing consciousness?

 

Idjit watched as the agent lost consciousness. There wasn’t anything he could do. His Force breath techniques would protect him, but no one else. His thoughts skittered to a stop as a small door opened in one of the hatches and a female form in black stepped through. He couldn’t see her features of course, but her sense in the force said she was smiling evilly as one of her arms came up and… he was falling… So slowly…

 

<A few minutes later>

 

Ravisahw laughed again as he watched Morgana place the two fools into holding pods. The pods would keep their bodies alive while at the same time allowing for experimentation. He really hoped Idjit was awake for this, if immobile. He smiled as he saw Morgana activate the stasis function on Idjit’s pod. That would hold the dratted fool. There was little he hated more in the galaxy than members of that dratted Order. But he had other business first. He knew Morgana was going to play with the other one, and truth be told, he couldn’t have cared less. His primary target had to be close by now. He walked to one of the nearby pods and smiled as he saw the readouts. She was ready. He opened the pod and smiled as he saw the perfectly formed body within. Brown eyes opened and she screamed. He silenced her with a gesture and a small touch of the Force.

 

“No, now, none of that. We need to get you ready to greet you husband, Sharra.” With a gesture, he lifted her shivering body out of the pod with the force and started off. This would be a good day. It would. Finally, he would have what he wanted, and the galaxy would BURN.

 

<Nearby>

 

Morgana whistled tunelessly as she secured the agent to the table. She had disarmed him of course, but one did not take chances with Imperial intelligence agents, so, after a thorough and slightly disgusting search, she finished securing him in place and administered the counteragent to the nerve toxin. Then she waited for him to wake up. It had been so boring since Shult had gotten himself fried. Kola was incapable of speech now, although the master had made her a new body, he had yet to move Kola into it. He had been so focused on his latest creation that he had actually ignored a few mishaps in Morgana’s lab, for which she was devotedly grateful. She hoped Will Kalenath would make a fun playmate, as his wife had been before her…w ell, demise wasn’t the right word. After all, if a clone died, you could always make more. The Sith sensed a change in her newest toy and smiled. The agent was well trained, if she hadn’t had the Force, she might not have realized he was awake. She bent over him and grinned. Her smile was a faint echo of the madness that was her master, but was terrifying in and of itself.

 

“Time to play, boy…”

 

<Less than thirty minutes later>

 

Will ghosted through the facility, ready for anything. Or so he thought. He knew he was expected. He found a number of traps, some lethal, some meant to incapacitate, all alone his path. All deactivated. But he knew where he was going. Somehow, he could feel it. The hatch ahead of him opened and he smiled slightly under his helmet as he saw the room ahead. He had been herded, but he didn’t really mind. This was what he had come here for after all. He entered the room and stopped short. Part of him was inclined to laugh, the other parts were inclined to open fire immediately. He did neither. He heard the door close and lock behind him and he barely noticed. All of his focus was on the figure sitting on the throne in front of him, and the female form stretched out on the table beside the throne.

 

“Welcome Will Kalenath. I look forward to working with you.” Will just shook his head at the Sith's words. “Come now, my friend. Soon you will think otherwise.” Will snorted.

 

“You are gravely mistaken." The soldier replied. "I won’t serve you.” Ravishaw chuckled.

 

“Oh no, my new servant. You will find it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things.” Ravishaw grinned. “But, enough of that… Come, meet your wife…” the woman on the table turned her head to Will and he didn’t react visibly as he saw her face.

 

“That is not my wife." Will could have been discussing the price of ice on Hoth for all the emotion he showed now. "That is a puppet you created, like you created that Raven. Soon I will be dead and you with me.” At that Ravishaw seemed to tense for a moment, then he laughed.

 

“Perhaps you are referring to the imminent explosions of your baradium devices? I assure you were are quite safe here.” Ravishaw waved to a corner where a pile of junk sat. On close inspection, the pile was four detonators for high yield baradium warheads. Will just shook his head. “Or perhaps you are referring to the idiots who thought to sneak into my base before you got here.” A monitor came to life and showed Vorren strapped to a table being played with by Morgana, and Idjit in a stasis pod. Now Will just shrugged.

 

“Your overconfidence is your weakness.” Will said soberly. At that Ravishaw laughed.

 

“Your faith in your abilities and toys is yours." Ravishaw smiled widely and continued. "Come, did you really think any of this has been unplanned?” And now Will laughed.

 

“You planned for everything.” The soldier said with a laugh that echoed Ravishaw’s. “How about this?” He produced a small organic looking device and Ravishaw froze. And now Will was laughing hard and evilly. “Yes, everything you have planned has come to fruition, except…” He swept the device in a wide arc and all around, machines fizzled and died. Ravsihaw stared at him, and then at the monitors, which showed every single pod in his facility going dark. The monitors on many of them all showing terminal life signs from inside.

 

“What have you done?” For once there was no laughter in the Sith Lord’s voice. “What have you done?”

 

“Sloppy, sloppy, Ravishaw." Will snickered at the man's expression and continued in that same dead voice. "I look forward to roasting and eating your spleen.” But the Sith was in motion and Will was too.

<Nearby>

 

Morgana froze momentarily as all of her mechanical systems went nuts. And then she was running. Behind her, she heard cursing as the restraints on the table, also mechanical in nature, clicked open. She ran harder.

 

One of the many pods in the area slammed open from the inside as Idjit let loose with his true side. He acted nice, calm, cool, collected. Because he wasn’t. Not in the slightest. Dark side energy pulped several pods nearby as Idjit levitated himself out of the wreckage. He straightened his robes and reached out with his mind.

 

There…

 

He reached out with the Force and his sword sprang into his hand. Trust that arrogant witch to keep it close by as a trophy, something to taunt him with. Then he was in motion, ready to kick some insane Sith tail up between its ears. He felt Vorren approaching and the intelligence agent’s fury matched his own. But when the agent spoke it was tightly controlled.

 

“What happened? And where did that witch go?” Idjit shook his head.

 

“I don’t know. Something freed us. She has fled. We have to get to Ravisahw before…” He winced and Vorren did too as a loud explosion was heard in the distance. They started running towards where it had come from.

 

<Ravishaw’s throne room>

 

Will rolled to his feet and fired another burst. Ravishaw backpedaled. It had only taken one burst for Ravishaw to realize that Will was not using a blaster. Blasters versus lightsabers didn’t work very well, so Will had a sonic disruptor pistol in each hand. While Ravishaw could deflect the fire from one, he had a lot of difficulty deflecting the fire from both. As well, he had to mind his step. One of the first things Will had done when the fight had started was to throw a series of small objects around the area. All extremely motion sensitive, so if Ravishaw picked them up with the Force, they went off. But the Sith Lord was in constant motion. If the constant explosions were at all debilitating, it was unapparent. He would move in, strike and withdraw, almost as if he were enjoying this. And maybe he was.

 

“Come now, my friend. This is not the way. Everything that you have broken can be rebuilt. All you have to do is drop your weapons and join me.” Will felt a tug on his mind and laughed again.

 

“You are no friend of mine, Ravishaw.” Will snapped as he fired again. “The only thing I want from you is your heart. Preferably roasted with a good Chianti in hand.” But the Sith just smiled.

 

“I do like you. We are truly two sides of the same coin. But… if you insist…” Something hit the soldier and he cried out as he was tossed into the air. Then, whatever held him was crushing him. Ravishaw’s voice came to him through a haze of pain. “You are a fool. Your feeble skill is no match for the power of the Dark Side. Now you will pay the price for your lack of vision.” Will felt his helmet go flying and he felt wetness dripping down from his ears, but he was smiling. He grated words out.

 

“No. We both pay…” Will managed to grate out. Then the recognizable feeling of force lightning hit him and he knew no more.

 

Ravisahw stared at the slumped form on the floor and sighed. What a pity… Then he froze as the door to his throne room blew open. And standing at the threshold…! He snarled.

 

“You!” But Idjit was in motion. A clatter of steel on steel and Ravishaw was forced on the defensive. Every so often, Vorren would have a shot, which he took forcing Ravishaw back further. While Ravisahw was powerful with the Force, any lapse in his concentration on the fight and Idjit would spit him, or Vorren would shoot him. But still, he held his own.

“You can’t win here lickspittle. Not the two of you.”

 

But then everything froze as another voice came. All eyes turned towards the door what and the small brown form that stood there.

 

“Who said it was just them?” Master Trugoy didn’t waste any time, just ignited his two small sabers and dashed into the fray. Now Ravishaw was firmly on the defensive. In between cuts, parries and slices, Trugoy kept up a running commentary. “That was a good strike, just a bit overextended. Now that was just pathetic. Come on, get your guard up, make this hard, boy…”

 

Ravisahw snarled as the mocking tone cut him to the quick. Suddenly, Vorren cried out as a heavy weight hit him from behind, he flew into the wall and lost consciousness. Morgana charged into the room, shouting her hate, and Idjit turned to engage her. Ravisahw tried to strike Idjit, but suddenly, Trugoy seemed to be everywhere. The alien’s voice was sad now. “Ah, my boy. I failed you, I know that. But, I will make this right….”

 

Now, no matter what Ravishaw did, he couldn’t even get his balance back. He was forced further and further away from the middle of the room. Everywhere he tried to turn, silver sabers blocked his path.

 

Morgana tried. She was actually fairly good with her lightsaber. Not that it mattered. She tried everything she knew, but every attack she made was shed by that cursed ancient sword as if all of her strength was a breath of air. Then she cried out as her left calf met Idjit’s sword and she was lying on the floor sobbing as her blood pooled around her. She looked up at him and spat, and his blade came down like a gory thunderbolt. As soon as her body fell, he was turning back to the fight with Ravisahw, but he smiled grimly as he saw the Sith Lord backed all the way across the room.

 

Ravishaw saw Morgana die and shook his head slowly as he backpedaled. He knew he was overmatched, but… A quick flip of a switch and he was falling into an escape chute. Another flick and the chute shut and locked. Traps activated as he fell towards escape and… pain.

 

<Back in the Throne room>

 

Idjti in his hate would have battered down the hatch that Ravishaw had escaped out of, but Trugoy held up a hand.

 

“Not this time, Idjit, we will get him. You know he has traps in there. Now we have to clean up the mess and get…” The alien broke off and Idjit spun. He blanched as he saw eth black armored form standing near the door. Will was a mess. His armor was rent and torn in a number of places. But the sonic blaster he held was steady. His aim didn’t shift from Trugoy and Idjit took a deep breath as he saw the other thing that had made Trugoy freeze. The biometric trigger that glowed on the soldier’s wrist. Will spoke slowly, and his voice held hate.

 

“He was mine.” The soldier grated out. Trugoy looked at him and, in a move that surprised Idjit, deactivated his sabers. When Trugoy spoke, it was quiet.

 

“You wouldn’t have survived.” But the soldier shook his head savagely. Idjit noted that the weapon didn’t move.

 

“I. Don’t. Care.” The soldier’s hard tone would not have been out of place on a Sith Lord. Trugoy shook his head slowly.

 

“You will…”

<An old style Correllian standoff>

 

Idjit didn’t dare move, not even to breathe hard. He had a strong suspicion what that trigger device was attached to. And Trugoy was speaking again.

 

“I know your pain soldier.” The grandmaster of the Bladeborn said slowly, almost gently. “I know your grief. But this is wrong.” Will scoffed.

 

“A Sith, lecturing me on right and wrong?” He laughed and his mirth was an echo of Ravishaw’s madness. “Wow… That is a first.” The soldier’s mocking tone had Idjit’s blood boiling, but before he could move, Trugoy shook his head.

 

“Leave Idjit.” Trugoy commanded. The Masterblade turned his head to the grandmaster, his form a study in shocked body language.

 

“Master…?” Idjit’s voice was quiet. Trugoy didn’t take his gaze from the black armored form.

 

“Get Vorren to the ship, he needs help. Kalenath and I need to talk.” Idjit bristled, but… When the grandmaster gave an order, even disguised as a request… It was meant to be obeyed. Idjit bowed and without a backward glance, picked up the Imperial Agent’s still form and strode from the room. Once Idjit was gone, Trugoy gave a weary groan. “May I sit? When one gets to be 700 years old, one’s joints tend to stiffen a bit.” Will didn’t move or acknowledge the request so Trugoy sat cross legged in the middle of the floor. He shook his head slowly.

 

“This is quite a mess that Ravishaw has created. Of course, you are not helping matters.” Will could have been carved from ice for all the emotion he showed and Trugoy sighed. “Using Islanian technology is a bad idea. Every single Sith who hears about this is going to be looking for you now to steal it.” Will snorted humorlessly.

 

“If you hadn’t interfered, he would be dead.” The soldier defined emotionless. Trugoy matched Will’s ironic snort with one of his own.

 

“And so would you. Which was your plan all along.” It wasn’t a question. But then Trugoy shook his head. “I have a question. When did you know that the Raven girl was a clone?” Will’s reply could have frozen a star.

 

“You know very well I shot and killed Raven Markar on Tralus two years ago.” Will said grimly, not taking his eyes from the sitting form. Trugoy nodded. “She had to be a clone or some other kind of copy. You might want to leave now.” Trugoy shook his head.

 

“There are children and clones of children in some of these pods, Will Kalenath.” Trugoy said sadly. “You fried many of the clones, but not the master cryo vaults. Will you allow us time to remove them?” Will thought for a long moment and then nodded.

 

“One hour. Then the bombs go off.” Will turned to walk back to where Ravisahw’s throne had been., All that remained of the clone woman was a dismembered and blackened hand. He touched it and shuddered a little. He wasn’t sure who had destroyed the clone, it could have been either of them in their hate filled battle. Trugoy frowned.

 

“And you will remain here until they do?” Will shrugged at Trugoy’s words.

 

“I have nothing left to live for." WIll said tonelessly. "You Sith have my daughter, I can’t help her. And my wife is dead.” Will sat down on the edge of the dais and turned his gaze to look at the small brown form. Trugoy shook his head slowly.

 

“You are wrong.” The ancient Bladeborn’s voice was gentle, but Will just smirked.

 

“Ah, so now we get to the ‘Come over to my side’ spiel?” The soldier asked sarcastically. And then the soldier froze when Trugoy laughed. Not sarcastically, or bitterly, but with pure amusement.

 

“Ah, boy, you haven’t changed one bit, have you?” Trugoy asked when he could control his mirth. Will stared at him, and then nodded slowly.

 

“Yeah, I remember you." Will said with a frown. "The storyteller on Kuria. Good cover.” Trugoy shook his head.

 

“It wasn’t all a lie.” Trugoy corrected gently. Now Will froze, his face an emotionless mask.

 

“Enough of it was.” Will said with iron determination. Now Trugoy sighed.

 

“I know we lied to you.” The small brown being said sadly. “I know we didn’t do what you wanted us to, but… Come on, boy. What would you have done in our place?” Will shrugged.

 

“An enemy soldier appears out of nowhere in a secret facility?” Will smiled grimly. “He dies quickly and mercifully, probably in his sleep.” Trugoy nodded, his face sad.

 

“For a time, we thought you would.” Trugoy said sadly. “You were hurt very badly. And, well… We take in a lot of broken children. You were a bit older than most of the ones we rescue, but no less broken. We are not Sith, Will Kalenath.” Will just looked at him, his eyes lingering on the black robes and Trugoy smiled. “Are you a Sith because you wear black?” Will snorted.

 

“I don’t use a lightsaber or the Dark Side.” Trugoy nodded, but then Will inclined his head. “Of course, most of your people don’t use lightsabers either. But all of you use the Dark Side.” Trugoy nodded again. “You will never convince me you are not Sith.” Trugoy smiled sadly again.

 

“I know.” Trugoy said soberly. “But… I need to oversee the extractions.” He stood up and made his way to the door. “But someone wants to talk to you.” In a moment, the door was open and Trugoy was gone. And stepping through it… Will froze solid.

 

“Hello Will…” His mouth worked, but no sound came out. “Will, it’s me. I am not a clone. I can’t prove it, but it’s me.” Sharra Kalenath’s face was sad, scared and worried. For him. And for herself. The blaster had risen of its own accord and now drew a bead on his chosen target. The point above her nose and between her eyes. Another voice came.

 

“Will, you don’t want to do that.” A spectral form appeared nearby. He hadn’t thought his body could get any more stiff, but when Jainine Korr’s features appeared out of nowhere, he very nearly pulled the trigger by accident. His free hand drew the oddly shaped device from a pocket and the Force ghost flinched. His voice was angry now.

 

“This is a trick.” He snapped. “A lie. Some new Sith nastiness.” Jainine nodded.

 

“Yes and no, Will.” Jainine said sadly. “Please, beloved, listen to me. Listen to her. Please.” He backed up until he felt the wall behind him and slid down until he was seated. He glanced at the chrono on the wall.

 

“We have about forty minutes until I blow this slice of hell, so why not?” Will asked softly, but no less angrily. “Go ahead, spout your lies again Jainine. Make me want to throw everything away for you again.” The Force ghost slumped.

 

“I know I hurt you with my lies.” The spirit was crying now. “But I had no choice. Especially when Nia was coming. They knew, from the moment I conceived, they knew, Will.” Sharra, if this was her, wisely hadn’t moved from the doorway. Now she spoke.

 

“Will… What happened on Kuat?” She asked softly. He stared at her. She shook her head. “You didn’t catch the scum. They told me that. I woke up in a tank. I… Please… Will…” He was drowning in her eyes, he wrenched his gaze away from her.

 

“Talk.” His voice promised pain, or death. Or both.

<A little less than two months previous>

 

She woke. That was odd, she hadn’t remembered falling asleep. She opened her eyes, er, tried to, they didn’t respond. She thought back. The last thing she remembered was kissing her husband as they set out for their ambush positions to try and catch the bounty hunter who had taken Nia. Then… nothing. She tensed. Was she a prisoner? She tried to move, and she relaxed a bit when her body did, just a bit. There was a lot of resistance though. Maybe a kolto tank? But it didn’t ‘feel’ like kolto. Or smell like it. Kolto had an odor all it’s own. Then she heard something, a kind female voice in her ear, not one she remembered.

 

“Sharra, it’s ok. You were hurt. At the moment you are floating in a burn tank. Can you hear me? If you can, move your right hand please.” Nothing for it, if she was a prisoner, they likely had her wired for sound and picture by now, so… It hurt, but she managed to clench her fist and then relax it. Now she could feel a deep pain across much of her body. The voice came again, gentle, and soothing. “That’s good, Sharra. We will be taking you out in an hour or so. But I am here to talk to you. I know you can’t talk, but it’s best if we don’t leave you alone. It’s… disturbing to be floating alone. I know.” Sharra tried to say something, but felt tubes in her mouth and sighed. The voice sighed as well. “Yeah I know. But the good news is that the therapy is almost done. You shouldn’t have any long term impairment.”

 

Sharra tensed at that, but the voice was speaking again. “You were a mess when we found you. I don’t know what he was going to do with you this time, but I thank the stars we found you.” Sharra froze.

 

This time?

 

She tried to open her eyes, and after a long moment they did. The voice was urgent in her ears now. “No, Sharra, don’t open your eyes, the burn solution can damage them. Close them, please…” But she saw and screamed. And screamed, and screamed. She never felt the stick in her arm that sent her to slumber.

 

<Later>

 

When Sharra woke again she was on a regular bed, with the sounds of medical gear around her. She wasn’t restrained, but then again, they really didn’t need to did they? She blinked her eyes and froze as a form resolved in her vision, a Bothan in a medical tunic. The Bothan spoke. It was the voice from before.

 

“Sharra?” Sharra tensed, but then relaxed. Yes, she was a prisoner again, but if they were wasting time on healing her, then it was unlikely that they would kill her out of hand then. “Come on, Sharra, talk to me.” Sharra slumped. When she spoke, it was weak.

 

“When do you start interrogating me again?” The Bothan shook her head. Her voice was gentle and a bit worried.

 

“We didn’t. We are not going to. We know who you are. And we are not going to hurt you.” Sharra would have laughed, except her body was too weak. She would have spat, except her throat was too dry. All she could do was glare, and that had the Bothan recoiling. But the medic regained her poise quickly. “Look, I don’t expect you to believe me. But my job is to get you whole again as quickly as possible. I don’t know what is going on, but I can almost guarantee it will be something bad involving your husband.” Sharra just looked at the female that she knew was a Sith and the Bothan sighed. “Can we start over? My name is Ona. I have spent the last twenty six hours putting you back together, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t tear yourself apart trying to move just yet, okay?” Sharra turned her head away for the Bothan and she thought she heard tears in the Sith’s voice, which didn’t make sense at all. “Sharra… Please…”

 

But Sharra was done talking to her mortal enemies, and just lay there. Eventually, she heard a hatch open and shut, and the lights in the room dimmed. As soon as the light was dim enough, she was looking around. The dim light from the medical monitors was enough to see by. She saw the surveillance camera over the door and noted its path and speed. Then she catalogued herself. Pain, deep in the abdomen, and the chest. Painful areas on her head as well. There were bandages over several other parts of her body, and she could only assume that whatever the Sith had done to her before was only the warm up. She had to… She had to… She fell asleep still trying to figure out how to get out of this mess.

 

<Three days later>

 

Sharra was ready. It had taken three days to make sure she knew what to do. She hadn’t cooperated at all with the medic and she was sure that the Sith’s patience had to be wearing thin by now. But again, after checking her injuries and rebandaging them the Bothan tried to engage her in conversation.

 

“Sharra, I know you don’t trust us. But come on. If we wanted to hurt you, we would have.” Sharra just ignored the Bothan, just as she ignored the food and drink that the Bothan had left on a table beside the bed. Now the Bothan was exasperated.

 

“You can’t not eat. If I have to I will put a feeding tube and IV line in to keep you fed and hydrated. I would rather not do that, it causes all kinds of complications later.” But Sharra didn’t respond and finally, the Bothan sighed and left. Again, the lights dimmed. But this time, before the camera would have the chance to change to infrared detection, Sharra was in motion. She undid the medical devices, turning off all the machinery. She felt dizzy as she stood up, but suppressed it. She was under the camera and scrabbling around it with desperate hands. With a quick yank, she tore the wires from the back of it. If it had a backup power supply, all that would do is alert whoever was watching, but if not… She held her breath, but no alarms sounded. Then she was at the door. A hiss and it opened onto a corridor. Spacecraft of some kind. Had to be. For a moment, Sharra felt despair, then her training kicked in. While she wasn’t a pilot, she was a competent engineer and could figure it out given enough time. But first things first… Time to find a weapon, and maybe some clothing less revealing than a patient gown. She started off, hoping she could find something she could use. But then she froze as a voice came to her. A child?

 

“Are you all right Ma’am?” She stared at the small figure that had appeared in front of her, and then she was running in the other direction. Now alarms started and she cursed as bulkheads started slowly closing, sealing of sections of the ship. But then… She heard a scream… She spun to see the child in the path of one of the bulkheads. He was obviously stuck; his foot was wedged in tight. Without thought, she was in motion. She was beside him in an instant and pulled, his foot came loose with a pop. The sound, and his whimpers told her that it had broken. A voice came to her.

 

“Sharra…?” She looked up into the eyes of several forms in black robes. The Bothan stood in front, her eyes on the boy, who was whimpering louder now. Sharra looked at him, and then slumped. She stood up to her full height, and released her grip on the boy. She met the gazes of the Sith who had weapons out and snarled. But… the boy grabbed her arm.

 

“No. Ma’am. You… No…” He was crying. “You… No, you don’t have to. They are not Sith.” Sharra gently eased out of his terrified grip, and met the gaze of the largest Sith, a huge human with a horrifically scarred face. Without a word, he tossed her a blade. She caught it in midair.

 

“No!” Ona shouted as Sharra charged.

She knew she didn’t have a chance. There were simply too many of them. She counted five figures in black robes in the corridor, behind them a number of others. But her focus was on her opponent. She avoided his blow then swung her own weapon only to have her strike blocked expertly by the haft of the being’s axe. It sent a shiver up through her arms that continued through her whole body, but she ignored it as she fought, trying everything she knew. But it was obvious quickly that she was out matched. Finally, she stepped back. The axe wielder did not follow her. Ona spoke hurriedly.

 

“You have already hurt yourself. Please… Let me help you…” She could see tears now streaking the Bothan’s facial fur, but Sharra just shook her head. She couldn’t escape, that was clear now. That left her one option. She nodded to the huge form of the axe wielder, who surprised her by bowing formally to her. All of the other cloaked forms did as well. She nodded and smiled, just a bit. Nice to be understood by people. Then…

 

She turned the blade and thrust it deep into her own body. As she fell, she heard a scream of denial from Ona as well as crying nearby. She lost consciousness to the feeling of tears on her face, gentle hands on her arm and warmth spreading from the cold steel that had penetrated her body.

 

<Quite a bit later>

 

It came as quite a shock when she woke again. She hadn’t expected to. She had been sure that her thrust would have punctured the large artery that fed the lower half of her body, killing her within minutes. When she tried to move her hands, they wouldn’t. Now an irate voice came. Ona.

 

“Yeah, like we are going to let you run around and hurt yourself again. Stupid woman…” When Sharra opened her eyes, she found herself back in the bad she had been in, but this time, she was restrained. And she focused on a tube that came out of her nose. Ona snorted. “Well, I warned you. Don’t ever do that again, you ignorant fool.” But Ona was crying and took one of Sharra’s hands in both of hers and gave a squeeze. Sharra surprised herself with tears now. She could swear the Sith was actually feeling for her plight. Ona sighed, still crying. “I don’t blame you for doubting. But don’t ever do that again.” For just a moment, Sharra was lost. Why would a Sith care? But Ona was speaking again.

 

“Junal will be fine." Ona said with a sad smile. "He broke three of the bones in his foot. Or more accurately, you did, when you pulled him out of the track of that bulkhead. It would have killed him, idiot boy was more worried about you than himself. He will make a great doctor someday, if his klutziness doesn’t mean the end of him.” Sharra tensed, aware suddenly that she was back right where she had started, she tried to turn her head away, but it wouldn’t move. Something held it in place, something soft, but very firm. Ona shook her head.

 

“Not this time." The healer said somewhat acerbically. "You have been on full support for the last two hours. We are going to have to do some serious surgery to repair what you did to yourself, but wanted to make sure you would wake up first. I am not going to let you die because of your pigheadedness. So… What is it going to be? Do I have to heal you in spite of you? If I have to, I will. I can dose you with enough feel good medicine that you won’t care what I do. Or are you going to listen to reason?” Sharra slumped.

 

“Why?” Her voice was so soft that for a moment, she wasn’t sure if Ona had heard it or not. But finally, the Bothan spoke.

 

“We raided a ship bound for Korriban. One of our enemies owned the ship. We had hoped he would be aboard. Instead we found you. You had been hurt, badly. We can only surmise why. And we may never know why. Ravishaw isn’t sane.” At that name, Sharra tensed and Ona laid a gentle hand on hers again. “We know what he did to you before. What we also know is that Sharra Kalenath has been seen with Will Kalenath recently. On Tython...” At that Sharra went rock still, and Ona nodded. “Yes, probably some kind of clone. We don’t know how or why. We don’t know when they switched you.” Finally Sharra spoke slowly.

 

“Why me? I know Will is crazy, but…” Her voice was soft, but Ona heard her just fine.

 

“I don’t know. What I do know, is that some Sith and Jedi who can see the future think your husband is a key player in something that is going to happen. So, yes, they are all jockeying for position, to try and control him.” Sharra surprised herself with a snort that turned into a bubbling cough. Ona touched her on the chest and warmth spread from the Bothan’s fingers. Sharra reveled in the feeling for a moment, and then felt a distinct sense of loss when the feeling ended. But when she spoke, there as humor in it.

 

“Anyone trying to control him, I wish them luck. But… Why are you helping me?” Ona smiled, and shook her head.

 

“We are also trying to control him.” At that Sharra tensed, but then Ona smiled. “But… There are some things we simply won’t do… Okay, we have a lot on tap for today, but you should have no trouble with it, as long as you don’t do anything dumb.” Sharra sighed and relaxed into her bonds, then started as they retracted. Ona waved a finger at her. “Get stupid and they go right back on, clear?”

 

Sharra nodded. “Clear.”

<Two hours later>

 

“I don’t understand.” Sharra winced away from Ona’s furious tone, but the healer was immediately apologetic. “I am sorry. I am not angry with you. I am angry with me. Until we figure this out, I can't risk putting you under to repair your abdomen. Why won’t this work?” She laid her hands on Sharra’s arm again and Sharra relaxed as the now familiar warmth of the Bothan’s healing spread through her, but… The pain in her chest didn’t go way. It dulled, but it didn’t go away. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. Ona was cursing quietly as she prepared an IV.

 

“This doesn’t make any sense. Every other part of your body, I can ease. Why not the chest and abdomen?” Ona sighed, and Sharra slumped. To the human woman’s amazement, she had found she actually liked the Sith healer. Maybe not trusted, but liked. The Bothan swung her scanner into position again and Sharra lay back, they had this down to an art by now, even if her back and hips were killing her now. The scanner clicked and Sharra tried to relax. She must have, because Ona’s soft curse word pulled her out of a doze. She woke to find the healer staring at her scanner in disbelief. Sharra turned and Ona was immediately at her side.

 

“No. Don’t move. Don’t move at all…” Sharra tensed at Ona’s one. Fear? For her? Sharra’s voice held worry as well as exasperation.

 

“What?” Sharra asked, unnerved by the Bothan's sudden fear and...tenderness? When Ona answered it was quiet, thoughtful and very worried.

 

“We had wondered if you were a clone.” Sharra nodded, she had as well on occasion. How would she know if she was? “You are not.” Ona’s soft voice brought Sharra back from her thoughts.

 

“What?” Sharra asked slowly. Ona sighed. Then she showed Sharra the screen, and Sharra froze as it started to make sense. “Oh my god…” Ona gave her a hug.

 

“No one will hurt you now. No one.” The healer’s voice was cold and clear.

 

<the present, Korriban>

 

Will shook his head slowly. “Nice story. I like the friendly Sith aspect of it. Very… edgy. But it still doesn’t give me any reason I should believe you.” Sharra stared at him, and then sank to her knees. The Force ghost stood, impassive as Will checked the chrono… Ten minutes till the time he had given. He checked his bomb trigger, still live, still ready to detonate. Sharra shook her head.

 

“What can I say? What can I do?" She asked sadly. "Will, it’s me… I can prove it, but… Not here…” Will smiled a bit, just a little rueful.

 

“So… I go with you to… Where? The Bladeborn? Or maybe into the hands of the Emperor himself. Of course its kind of the same thing, isn’t it Jainine?” His last words were biting and the Force ghost sighed.

 

“No it isn’t and you know it.” She snapped, frustrated by his obstinence. “If it was, you would be dead or a prisoner right now. Will, she is telling the truth.” He snorted.

 

“And I should believe you, why? After the last what was it? Six times?” Sharra stared at the Force ghost with a plea in her eyes and and Will blinked. Then his face got cold. “If you are Sharra, how can you see her? She wasn’t force sensitive.” Sharra shook her head.

 

“No, I’m not.” Sharra said slowly. “But our kid is.” He froze. And now he was on his feet, his face a mask of pain and hate.

 

“Shut up!" Will screamed. "You know Sharra couldn’t have kids! You did it to her!” This was directed at Jainine who flinched back from his anger and the glistening object in his hand. Sharra raised her empty hands in supplication. Jainine answered quietly.

 

“I didn’t do it to her, Will." Jainine said hastily. "I wasn’t even in his possession until later. I don’t know how he did it, but he did get your DNA somehow and combined it with hers. When the Bladeborn found her, I think… I think he had discarded whatever plan he had. The torture he inflicted on her was… I don’t know. To hurt you and me.” Will frowned, but his face was less angry. “He knew how much I loved you. He knew how much I admired Sharra. He…” Now Sharra was crying.

 

“Will, please. You have to get out of here. Tell me... tell me you have a way...out.” Sharra stammered as Will looked at the two women that he had loved and shook his head. Then he looked at the chrono again. Five minutes. His voice was soft when he spoke to Sharra again.

 

“Go.” He said and sat down again. She looked at him and shook her head. Then she sat down by the door.

 

“I go where you go.” He blinked and tasted salt. And then, she was in his arms and crying and he was holding her as he had so many times before. A throat cleared and he was between the door and his wife before she could react. Trugoy stood in the door.

 

“Two minutes on your timer." The grandmaster said hurriedly. "You should go.”

 

“A hundred weight Baradium device." The soldeir snorted. "How far do you think I would get?” Trugoy blinked at him.

 

“What happened to the four…?” Trugoy asked quickly and paused. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know.” Will grinned at his tone. But then Trugoy nodded. “There is a transport on the pad. We have swept it. You will want to as well, when you are underway. Can you get her clear?” Will looked at the Sith and Trugoy shrugged.

 

“You are important to what will happen. So is she.” Trugoy nodded to Sharra who nodded back. Will looked form the small brown for to his wife and nodded himself. “Go.” With that, the small brown grandmaster of the Bladeborn was gone. Jainine nodded.

 

“Go Will, Sharra.” She sighed and smiled a little forlornly. Will looked at her.

 

“You are bound here aren’t you?” She nodded to his question. “To what?”

 

“A crystal, but Ravishaw must have it, I…” She broke off as Will shifted some debris on the floor and there was a small brown crystal. She stared at it. Will looked at her.

 

“If I break it, what happens?” Jainine replied in a monotone.

 

“My spirit disperses. In layman’s terms, I die for real.” Will shook his head. Then in a swift move, he picked up the crystal and pocketed it.

 

“Later. Now we have to run.”

<Two days later>

 

“I can’t believe… Wow…” The doctor was somewhere between impressed, awed and horrified. Sharra lay on her back in the gynecological chair and shook her head.

 

“Me neither. If the blade had been a centimeter to the right or left…” She broke off and shrugged. The doctor nodded, and Will took his wife’s hand in his. “Well…” The doctor nodded.

 

“It would have hit the fetus or torn a hole in the placenta. Either of those would have caused a miscarriage. The good news is that whoever did these repairs was extremely skilled. You will have a certain amount of discomfort. But no complications that I can see. And both you and your baby are doing fine, Miss Mirshana.” Sharra grinned, and gave the doctor a kiss on the cheek. Will waited until he was out of the room before speaking.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Sharra nodded. He couldn’t get the odd look off his face though. Her hair was blonde now and her eyes were blue. It was probably safest if she and their child simply stayed out of the way for a while, possibly a long while. So, after a stop off at Cranna’s place on Tattooine for an identity change, he had brought her here.

 

“I am sure. I would get in the way, even before I get big. And at least here there are other women who can help. And no lack of medical care.” Will nodded as he looked around her room. The Stormhawk Enclave was well off the beaten track, had top of the line security and, thanks to Cranna, state of the art medical care. But he still worried. And he likely would until the baby was born. But Sharra shook her head. “You need to find Nia. I’ll be fine.” But his eyes were glistening. He hadn’t told anyone who she was. Not even Cranna. Because, as he had put it ‘The deader you are, the safer you are’. He bent down and kissed her on the lips, and then he was gone.

 

For a long moment, Sharra just lay, content to think. Then she shook her head. If she sat still for too long, she started to think, to worry. It had always been that way. She picked up a holonovel and grinned, it was a new one to her. Then she tensed. It was as if she could hear maniacal laughter, somewhere in the far distance. She shook her head. There was no way Ravishaw could find her here.

 

<Someplace a long ways away>

 

Ravishaw walked through the darkened halls in a foul mood. More than one hapless trooper had run afoul of his temper already. But now, he slowed his steps. He was close. The door ahead of him opened and he walked into a shadowed room. Rustling from all around showed he wasn’t alone, not that he expected to be. A soft voice came, almost a whisper.

 

“You dare come here. After failing so miserably.” The Sith lord bit back a gulp.

 

“Master, I can explain…” A figure in black approached, flanked by several other shadowed forms.

 

“Oh, you will, but first… the Gauntlet.” Ravishaw nodded and started through the line of half seen, mostly sensed figures. As he passed the first one, a steel blade came whistling in and he dodged, but another struck him on the back, blunt, not hard enough to stun, but enough to hurt. Ahead he saw his master standing near the end of the gauntlet. But there were twenty pairs of figures between him and is master. “Come boy, meet your punishment.” Another pair of swords swung, this time sharp ones, and he sighed.

 

I will kill that lickspittle and his little brown pile of poodoo master, I swear it!

((Well, that ends this fanfiction. Comments and/or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might run afoul of, well, lots of people. So don't. ))