Dark Mirror

[The Doctor]

Chapter Sixteen

 

~This chapter should be of better quality. I typed it up in Wordperfect before posting it. There should be fewer spelling and grammatical errors in this chapter.

 

~Another time jump. This chapter takes place two days before the meeting between Admiral Onasi and Sgale. The Endar Spire is still in orbit around Metibelis III, but Bastila has not yet met with Sgale in the Wounded Yelt.~

 

Amol opened his eyes, squinting against the bright light from the large window beside where he lay. He tried to sit up, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. He tried to speak, but found his throat was to dry. All he could do was gasp dryly.

“Here, drink this,” said a woman’s voice. She held a cup to his mouth, and he allowed the cool water to flow down his throat. He felt a little stronger, and managed to turn his head a little to see who was there with him. It was Denara.

“Denara... where-”

“Telos,” she said. “We’re safe here.”

Amol managed to force his muscles to lift him into a sitting position. “How long have I been out?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Almost three weeks,” she told him. “There was a few times when I thought... well... you came close to...” she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

“Three weeks?” he said incredulously. “How is that possible?”

“You were badly wounded. We had to keep you sedated - every time we tried to wake you, the internal bleeding would start again.”

Amol rubbed his forehead. He had a killer headache, and his ribs still hurt a little. Then he realized how hungry he was. He swung his legs over the bed, and Denara stood up.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked.

“To get something to eat. I haven’t eaten in three weeks - more, if you count the time we spent on the Endar Spire.”

“I’ll bring you something. You stay here.”

“No. I’m not going to lie here while you serve me! I can do it myself!”

“Amol, sit,” she said. Her voice was so reminiscent of her father’s that he sat down immediately. “I’ll get you something,” she repeated. “Stay here.”

She turned and left the room, leaving Amol alone. He lay back down, his head pounding, “God, she can be a pain in the-”

“May I assist you, sir?”

The mechanical voice made Amol jump. A protocol droid had walked over to the bed. It was looking at him with it’s head titled slightly, awaiting a response.

“Where the hell did you come from?” he asked, clutching his chest.

“My apologies, Master Kotay,” it said. “I am AC-19. I apologise if I have startled you.”

Amol rubbed his chest. “It’s alright,” he said. “Just... just don’t do that again.”

“Understood, Master Kotay,” it said. “Now, is there anything I can get for you?”

“No, thanks anyway,” he said. “Denara just went to get me some food.”

“Perhaps you require entertainment? I can bring you a wide selection of novels, as well as activate the information feed for you to view at your leisure.”

“No,” repeated Amol. “It’s alright. Thanks anyway.”

“As you wish, Master Kotay,” it said, turning away.

“Oh, a Aysee - drop the Master Kotay thing. Please. Just call me Amol.”

“I will attempt to do so, Master Kotay,” he responded. He walked to the other side of the room, and returned to whatever it was that droids did in their spare time.

Denara returned carrying a tray laden with Amol’s favourite foods. She placed it on his bed side table, then sat down in her chair again. “There. Now quit complaining,” she said with a smile.

“I wasn’t complaining,” he said, pretending t be insulted. “I was-”

“Whatever,” she said, still smiling.

“Thanks,” he said as she passed him the tray. “But I could have gotten it myself, you know.”

“Not as long as I’m here.”

 

* * * * *

 

Cullah examined the sensor reports. “Are you sure?” he asked.

A tall man in a Commander’s uniform stood at attention behind him. “Yes, sir. These scans were picked up by the Dalatet approximately sixteen hours ago.”

“But... how did it get there? Who would bring their ship into an asteroid? And why?”

“We don’t know, sir. All we know is that it’s there, and that it’s human. But...”

“But what, Commander?”

The Commander was silent. “Sir, it’s human... but the engine emissions - they’re nothing like that of the standard Imperial ship. It’s hull signature is different, too. It’s not an Imperial ship.”

“Could the Jedi have built it?”

“No sir,” he said. “The Jedi use Imperial ships that the fleet don’t want anymore - ships that are outdated. This ship... it’s not like anything any of our top scientists have ever seen before?”

Amol returned his gaze to the readings. “This chronoton flux - what could it mean?”

The Commander didn’t say anything for another moment. “Sir, this is going to sound...” he trailed off, not sure how to continue. “We believe that this ship... is from... another reality.”

Cullah stared at him. “Another reality? What do you mean?”

“Sir, the ship doesn’t conform to any design we’ve ever seen before. There are rumours that ships appear at random in the Deltic Expanse... it’s said that most of them are destroyed by the anomalies, but-”

“And this carbon dating report! What are you saying? That this ship is from another time, as well?”

“Yes, sir,” he said. “To be specific... future. Four thousand years into the future.”

Cullah stared at him.

 

~I'm saving these chapters into a Wordperfect document and editing them from there. Once the story is complete, I will post it on my website, which is coming soon.

[The Doctor]

Just as an update, I've created a site where you will be able to download the entire story when it's done. To visit my new fanfic site, click here.

 

Thanks to Bob Lion_54, I now have a coat of arms for the Dark Empire. It's also now the official Dark Mirror logo, as well as my new avatar:D

 

The three swords are symbols for the Empire (center), the Human Race (Left), and the Jedi Order (right). Thanks go to Bob Lion_54, who actually made the symbol, and who put up with my multiple requests, finally deciding on this one:D

Thanks also go to JasraLantill, who, aside from coming up with the ship name Omega Dawn, she also came up with the concept of the three swords symbolizing aspects of the Empire. Thanks, Jas, and I hope you don't mind how I altered your idea ever so slightly;)

[Dylan Klay]

This is awesome, doc. Hope my own story is as captivating.

[The Doctor]

Farewell, writers block! Nice knowin' ya!

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

Amol stretched to relieve the cramp building in his arm.

“Why make my stay in bed for three weeks?” he asked grudgingly. “You know I hate just sitting there and not doing anything useful.”

“Sorry. Doctor’s orders,” Denara responded. “He said that he didn’t care how bored you got, you weren’t leaving bed,” she said. “He was even ready to keep you sedated if you tried arguing.”

“Nice guy,” said Amol jokingly. He fixed the collar of his uniform in front of the mirror and pulled it at the bottom, trying to get rid of the wrinkled. He heard Denara laugh behind him. “What?” he asked, smiling slightly.

“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just...” she giggled again. “My father does the exact same thing. You know, with his uniform. It’s cute that you try to imitate him.”

“I’m not imitating him,” he said.

“Sure,” she said, still smiling. “Come one. We should get going. They’re expecting you.”

“I know,” he said, turning to her. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“Why? You’ve delivered reports before.”

“Sure. But not to a room full of Mandalorian Admirals,” he said. “I hear Dalmanec can be tough,”

“Dalmanec?” asked Denara incredulously. “He’s sweeter than a yelt runt.”

“You do know that if those things bite you, even the runts, it’ll kill you in a matter of days?”

Denara laughed. “Relax,” she said after a moment. “You’ll do fine. I’ve met Dalmanec. He’s alright. It’s Gulthan you have to watch out for,” she said. “He uhm... he doesn’t like Jedi.”

“Nobody does,” said Amol, turning back to his reflection, smoothing out his hair. “Good thing I’m not a Jedi.”

“Even Malatan. He doesn’t believe that a Jedi could ever really turn away from the Order.”

“Well, I’ll have to convince him otherwise,” he said, turning back to her. “Alright, let’s-” he stopped at the look she was giving him. “What?”

She jumped slightly, then shook her head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

 

* * * * *

 

Admiral Gulthan sat and watched the young man take his seat across the table form him. He was stricken by how amazingly... normal he looked. He didn’t look capable of murder, like his Jedi brethren. He looked like an ordinary soldier, with his neat hair, and spotless uniform.

“You are Amol Kotay?” he said, his deep bass voice booming across the table.

“Yes, sir,” he said.

Gulthan sighed. “Alright. Let’s begin,”

Cullah stood. “Amol, are you aware of the rumours surrounding the Deltic Expanse?”

Amol arched an eyebrow slightly - this wasn’t a debriefing. “Yes, sir.”

“Please - tell us what you know.”

“Well, I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve heard it’s a rough area of space in the Teleria system. There are strange anomalies in the region created by the white dwarf star in the system.”

“And what about ship disappearances?”

“Well, there are stories about the Telerites attacking and raiding ships that enter the Expanse. But nobody really knows what happens to them.”

“What do you think happens to them, Mr. Kotay?” said Dalmanec, speaking for the first time.

“Well, I guess the anomalies tear them apart. I’ve always avoided the entire system, myself.”

“And, have you heard of ships simply appearing?”

“It’s said that ships sometime reappear months later, the crew dead and the ship badly damaged. I know those are destroyed.”

“I don’t mean reappearances, I mean appearances.”

Amol laughed slightly. “With all due respect, Admiral,” he said. “Those are nothing more than solar reflections. Sensor ghosts.”

Dalmanec smiled, and Cullah even chuckled, but Gulthan was not impressed. “You know nothing of this, boy!” he barked. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. “My apologies, mr. Kotay,” he said quietly. “I did not mean to-”

“No harm done, Admiral,” said Amol.

“Mr. Kotay. What would you say if I told you that these appearances are not simply solar reflections, or sensor ghosts,” he asked. “That they are a fact.”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Granted.”

“I would say you’re crazy, sir. There are reports from dozens of science ships. All of them saying that they’re nothing more than a solar reflection of the scanning ship.”

Gulthan stood, and walked over to the computer terminal. He punched in a security clearance, and the monitor snapped into life. It showed a large asteroid, with a long gash in it’s side. “What do you see here, mr. Kotay?”

Amol looked at the monitor. “An asteroid, sir. Class 3, by the looks of it.”

“Class 4,” said Gulthan. “And what about now?” he said, tapping the console again. The image zoomed in on the fissure on the one side. There was a small shape in the dark fissure. Amol squinted, trying to make out the figure.

“It’s a ship, mr. Kotay,” said Gulthan.

Amol stared at him. “A ship?”

“That’s right. And not just any ship.” He pulled up a data analysis report. Most of the numbers made sense to Amol, but some of the ending figures...

“You’re trying to tell me,” he said. “That this ship is from the future? About-” he glanced at the numbers again. “Four thousand years into the future?”

“That’s right, Amol,” said Cullah. “This ship... it’s not like anything we’ve ever seen before. From what we can tell, it’s similar to the Imperial Galat class warships. However, it’s energy signature, hull markings - they’re not consistent with standard Imperial design.”

“What does that mean?” asked Amol. “You’re saying it’s from a time when the Empire no longer existed?”

Gulthan and Cullah looked at each other. Dalmanec spoke first. “Not exactly,” he said. “We believe that this ship..... is from another dimension.”

Amol stared at him, his mouth open slightly. “Another dimension.”

“That’s right. To be more specific, a parallel dimension.”

“Ok,” said Amol. “Why are you telling me this?”

“We want you to take the Omega Dawn and investigate. At maximum speeds, it should take you about two days to get there.”

Amol stared at the ship on the display. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then “Alright. I’ll do it.”

“Excellent. Prepare the Omega Dawn. You leave in six hourse.”

 

* * * * *

 

“What?” yelled Denara. “You’re going to the Deltic Expanse?! Amol, that’s an Imperial system. One small ship can’t-”

“Denara, it’ll be alright. I can slip past the Imperial patrols no problem. They chose me because I’m the best pilot in the fleet. I can do this!”

“Not alone you can’t,” she said. “You’ll need a gunner. No offence, but you’re not that great with a turret station.”

“No. You’re not coming,” he said. “You’re staying here, with your father, where it’s safe.”

“The hell I am,” she said stubbornly. “I’m coming, Amol. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.” she said, glaring at him.

“Denara, it’s too dangerous!” he said. “And I can’t always be there to protect you!”

“I don’t need you to protect me!” she yelled. “I’m quite capable of taking care of myself!”

“I know that, Denara, but... it’s just...”

“What?” she said angrily. She continued more calmly. “I want to come with you, Amol.”

He didn’t know what to say. “I could shoot you, and leave right now,” he said jokingly.

“You could. But then my father would drag you back by your ankles. He wouldn’t want to have to clean it up.”

“Denara, please,” he said quietly. “I-”

“Amol,” she said. “I’m coming. Face it.”

He sighed. “I just... I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

She walked over to him. “Believe it or not,” she said. “I can take care of myself,” she repeated. She put her arms around him, and placed her head on his chest. “And I’m pretty good at it.”

He wrapped his arms around her, smelling her hair. They stood there for a while, then she pulled away. “We should, uh... we should get going,” she said.

“Ya,” he said, straightening his uniform. “Come on. They’re prepping the Omega Dawn. Let’s go.”

[The Doctor]

Chapter Eighteen

 

Amol climbed the ladder into the Omega Dawn’s cockpit, Denara climbing into the copilot’s seat behind him. “Initiating preflight sequence,” he said.

“Acknowledged. Activating navigation system,” she responded, throwing a line of switched in front of her.

“Bring the ion cannons online. I want to be ready in case the Imperials decide to show up while we’re scouting out the system.”

“Acknowledged,” she said again. “Ion cannons online.”

“There’s something different about the computer core. What-”

“It’s been upgraded. It was running on a system that Colmes said he hasn’t seen in almost ten years,” she said, smiling.

“When we get back, he’s fixing it,” said Amol.

“I’m sorry I changed your ship. I asked you first, though. You didn’t seem to have a problem with it.”

“I was unconscious at the time,” said Amol, smiling. “Well, we’ll see how she operates first. If I don’t like it, he’s changing it back.”

“Aye, sir,” she said jokingly.

“Teril 6, we are ready for takeoff,” he said.

 

* * * * *

 

Cullah stood in the control room, listening to Amol and Denara make idol conversation as they prepared for launch.

“Teril 6, we are ready for takeoff.”

Cullah keyed on the intercom. “Acknowledged, Omega Dawn, you are cleared for launch,” he said. “And Amol?”

“Yes sir?”

“Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir. Don’t worry. I’ll have her back by midnight.”

Cullah smiled. “Be careful, Amol. You too, young lady.”

“Don’t worry, Daddy,” came Denara’s voice.

The Omega Dawn floated for a moment a few feet above the deck plates, then shot forward, breaking into the mid morning sky.

 

* * * * *

 

“Slow down, Lead-foot,” said Denara.

“It’s a two day trip at maximum speed,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but two days stuck sitting doing nothing is as much as I can take.”

“The Expanse will still be there. We can stop somewhere before we enter Imperial space. Which reminds me, we had to change the ID Codes. They wouldn’t tell me why at the time, but now I guess it's obvious - from a distance, we should read as an Imperial freighter.”

“What? My ship is transmitting Imperial codes?”

“I tried to talk them out of it, but they said that the Dawn has too much of a reputation with the Empire.”

“Alright. That’s another thing Colmes can change when we get back,” he said. “Denara, can we talk?”

“We’ve got time - two days, remember?”

“Denara, on the Endar Spire... Dorak-”

“Amol, it’s ok,” she said.

“No, it’s not,” he said. “Denara, the thing is-”

“Amol, I understand! Look, you and I both know that Dorak is insane. He’s a Jedi, what do you expect?”

Amol nodded slowly - that’s not what he wanted to say at all.

“Amol?”

“Denara, I-”

“No! Amol! Check your scanners. Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?”

Amol glanced at his scanners - a Darex class Imperial warship had appeared on the scanners. “I see it. Looks like we’re taking the scenic route,” he said, making the calculation for a hyperspace jump around the ship.

“The ID codes should keep them from coming over here, but if they get too close...”

“I know. Calculating the jump...”

He was thrown back against his chair as the ship lurched into hyperspace, the stars blurring into the familiar red glow of hyperspace.

“How much time is this detour going to add to the trip?” he asked her, fearing the answer.

“Twenty-two hours, 56 minutes. Another day.”

Amol sighed. “Looks like stopping in our turf is out of the question. We don’t have time.”

“Agreed,” said Denara regretfully. “I’m calculating a jump that should cut about four hours off our trip. I’m feeding it to you now.”

Amol glanced at the course she had plotted and frowned. “That course will take us pretty close to Mannan. The Selkath don’t like humans, especially since the Imperial occupation. Even our new ID Codes won’t get us past them without their turrets taking a few shots at us.”

“I’m game if you are. Might add some excitement to the trip,” she said, smiling.

“Oh, I’m game alright,” said Amol. “I just don’t know if the Dawn is, what with everything you’ve done to her in your so called ‘upgrade’,” he said jokingly.

“I had to make sure she had what she needed to make up for what her pilot puts her through,” she joked. “Us girls have to watch out for each other. Especially since we know you”

“Just as long as you two don’t talk about me, you can spend as much time watching out for her as you want,” said Amol.

They fell silent for a while, both of them staring out into the crimson field of hyperspace.

“Amol?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think of this ship? The one we’re being sent to find, I mean.”

“Well... it’s hard to say. It’s definitely not like anything I’ve ever seen or heard of before,” he said. “Maybe... maybe it is from another reality. I can’t say.”

“What about the... temporal deviance? Do you think it’s possible that...”

“That it’s from the future? Possibly. I don’t know if it’s both from another time and another dimension - it’s possible that it’s only one of them, and we don’t know how to scan it properly.”

“Which do you think makes more sense?”

Amol laughed at her.

“Alright, which do you think is more insane?”

Amol shook his head. “I don’t know. They both seem... out there.”

“Just a little, huh?” she said.

“Hopefully we’ll get a better understanding of what’s going on when we get there,” he said, though he didn’t really believe that.

They fell silent again, Amol’s thoughts leading him back to the Endar Spire...

He wanted to tell her. Ever since that experience, he wanted to tell her what had been eating at the back of his mind since they were teenagers. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know how she would react. He forced his train of thought away from Denara, once again focusing on the mottled ruby tunnel of hyperspace.

 

* * * * *

 

Denara sat in the copilot’s seat, staring out into the hyperspace corridor, watching it fly, from her perspective facing away from the pilot, away from her.

Why is Amol being such an idiot? she asked herself. why won’t he...

She had thought about being the one to initiate a relationship - she had thought about it since they were sixteen, getting tired of waiting for him. But she had never worked up the courage to do anything about it. She mentally kicked herself for the way she had chickened out earlier. That wasn’t how she had intended that conversation to go...

She gave her controls a half hearted scan, not really seeing the readings.

Why is he being such and idiot?

She wanted to say it now. Just let it burst out to relieve the weight from her chest. But she fought the urge down - they both had to stay focused on the task at hand. This ship could help in the fight against the Empire. She knew that. She knew that it was quite possibly the most important scientific discovery since the discovery of hyperspace. But she wouldn’t be able to focus if...

She shook herself, and closed her eyes, eventually falling into an uneasy and restless sleep.

[The Doctor]

I'm sorry the 19th chapter has taken so long. Lots of homework lately, and this is a long one.

 

Chapter Nineteen

 

The Endar Spire shook, consoles exploding, as another wave of fighters opened fire.

“Return fire!” ordered Kalton. “All weapons!”

“We can’t,” responded the tactical officer. “Weapons are offline!”

“Captain, we have a hull breach on deck 18! Emergency bulkheads are offline! We’re venting atmosphere!’

“Seal of that deck now!”

“Sir, I’m detecting another ship!”

Kalton slammed his command console in frustration. “More Telerites?”

“No. It’s Admiral Onasi. He’s hailing us.”

“Put him through,” he ordered.

The window at the front of the room was filled with the Admiral’s face. “Report, Captain,” he said calmly.

“We’ve sustained heavy damage, admiral. Weapons are offline. We’re trying to get them back now, but-”

“Don’t worry about it, Kalton,” said the admiral. “We’re on our way.”

The channel was cut. “Sir, I’m detecting an odd power signal coming from the Outrider. I don’t know what-”

At that moment, a blue projectile launched itself from the nose of the Outrider. It flew at on of the larger Telerite ships. They collided, and the Telerite ship was blown to tiny bits of shrapnel.

 

* * * * *

 

“Fire.”

The man at the Outrider’s tactical station pressed the key sequence, and a blue projectile appeared on the screen. It hit a large Telerite ship, which was destroyed on contact. “Direct hit, sir,” said the officer with satisfaction.

“Again,” ordered Carth. Another volley escaped the weapons array, and two more Telerite ships were destroyed.

“They’re falling back,” said Bastila.

“Take out as many as you can before they get out of range, Lieutenant,” said Carth. “But... make sure you leave at least one ship intact - someone has to spread the word about this ship,” he added, smiling.

“Yes, sir,” said the Lieutenant, smiling back. “Resuming fire.”

“Bastila,” he said. “Get me the other Grand Admirals. We have... business... to discuss.

 

* * * * *

 

Bastila guided the Outrider into a parallel course with the Endar Spire. With a soft bump, the two ships locked together, granting the crews of both ships access to the other. She stood, turning towards Onasi.

“Admiral, with your permission, I would like to return to the Endar Spire,” she said.

“Why?” asked Carth.

“The interface on this ship is... unfamiliar to me. I would like to return to my quarters on the Endar Spire. I can work more effectively there, and perhaps I can study the Outrider’s database.”

Carth scrutinized her. “Permission granted. But I want you to study the control systems of this ship, as well - you’re going to need to be familiar with them.”

“As you command, Admiral.” she said, saluting with her fist at her shoulder. She turned to the door, and walked toward the docking hatch. She stepped through the airlock, and felt a soft rush of air as the hatch opened and the pressure equalized. She was met by three Jedi, all with their lightsabers in their hands.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

The didn’t answer. They stood there, staring at her.

“What is this? I order you to get out of my way!”

One of them spoke, but she couldn’t tell which one through their masks. “Mauj Dorak has summoned you, mistress.”

“Very well,” she said. “Why sen you to get me? Why not use the comm system?”

“We do not question the Mauj,” said the Jedi.

Bastila sighed. Maybe that’s your problem.

The thought came unbidden in her mind. She buried it, replacing it with a cold fury. “You are dismissed, Calquon,” she said. They didn’t move. “Go!” she yelled.

“We are to escort you there, my Del,” he said. “The Mauj is concerned for your safety with all the repairs.

I don’t buy it, she thought. Aloud, she said, “Mauj Dorak’s concern is appreciated. Lead on.”

 

* * * * *

 

Dorak sat in his chamber, in deep meditation. He sensed Bastila approaching. He slowly lifted himself from the trance. He opened his eyes just as Bastila entered the room, flanked by three Knights.

“You may leave us.”

Bastila shuddered. His voice has changed further, she thought. It had become deeper, and the strange echoing had gotten more pronounced - it didn’t sound like the man she had known since she was a little girl. “Bastila. Welcome home.”

She suppressed another shudder, and stepped forward. “Thank you, my Mauj.”

“I trust that the mission went according to plan?”

“Yes, Mauj. The Outrider is secured.”

“Excellent,” said Dorak, his resonating voice sending yet another chill down her back. He laughed coldly. “Can you feel it, Bastila?” he said. “The entire galaxy will be mine!”

Not sure how to respond to this, she simply said, “Yes, Mauj.”

He laughed again. “You are skeptical. I am not surprised. You were always too skeptical for your own good. You have a very scientific mind, my Del. It is... unfortunate.”

She didn’t say anything. She felt fear rising in her chest. She tried to keep her heart rate and breathing in check. Dorak didn’t seem to notice.

“The Sahri. He is coming. He is approaching the system. No doubt he and his... ally... have been sent here to retrieve our new ship. When he arrives, you will bring him to me. Alive.”

“Yes, my Mauj,” she said. “Is there-”

“Anything else?” he finished. “No. Leave me.”

“Yes, my Mauj,” she said again, saluting and bowing.

 

* * * * *

 

Bastila sat at the desk in her quarters. She adjusted her robe so that it stayed closed as she sat, then activated the monitor.

“Computer, call up the data retrieved from the Outrider’s computer banks.”

The screen flashed to the Imperial coat of arms, then a schematic of the Outrider appeared on the small monitor. “Give me an overview of the ship.”

Data began scrolling past her. She rubbed her eyes. “Pause.”

The information stopped in place. “Return to the beginning.” It did so. She read under her breath.

“Class YT-2400 medium freighter... Captain Dash Rendar... military grade ion engines... two heavy double laser cannons... two forward-firing concussion missile launchers.. Powerful little ship.”

She studied it’s most recent sensor logs. “It looks like it almost collided with a Falleen ship... that can’t be right... the Falleen have been extinct for decades...” she muttered. She read on. “Last recorded entry in the ship’s log is in... what in the name of the Force does ABY mean...?”

She slammed her fist on the table in frustration. She stared at the monitor. It hit her. An urge to learn more about it. She couldn’t explain it. “Computer, tell me more about this... Galactic Republic,” she said.

The Imperial Coat of arms appeared on the screen again as the computer loaded the information. It was replaced by a similarly sized blue Emblem, with a golden ring around it, a number of golden stars between the ring and the symbol. Her eyes lingered on the symbol, and she felt a surge of emotion rise to the surface of her mind. Hope, fascination... love.

She accessed the information. “This Republic... it looks somewhat similar to the Empire... the same planets, for the most part...”

She ran across mention of a Luke Skywalker - there was a Skywalker in the Order. Landric. She accessed the page on this ‘Luke’, and a middle aged man appeared on the screen, wearing a black tunic, and a lightsaber attached to his belt. He was a Jedi! She read about the other universe’s version of the Jedi, and her heart skipped a beat. The Jedi Order were a group of pacifists. Peacekeepers. She shook off the surprise, and scanned the information on this ‘Luke Skywalker’.

Important man... she thought. He defeated the - Galactic Empire!

She accessed all the information she could on this ‘Galactic Empire’, as well. It wasn’t anything like the Empire she knew - it was completely different. She relaxed - she had been ready to destroy Landric Skywalker now.

She had an idea. “Computer, show me all information available on a ‘Landric Skywalker’.”

A message appeared on the screen. No information available. The data was lost.

“Alright,” she said. “What about... Revan?”

The screen showed a tall man with broad shoulders and a kind face - it was him. Fighting back her emotions, she studied the information. His life was different in many ways from that of the Revan she knew, though there were significant similarities. She saw her name in the text, and accessed it. She saw herself on the screen - though this version was less pale, and her eyes were less cold.

She saw another familiar name - Carth Onasi. She accessed it. A Republic War Hero... she read. Cross of Glory... Gold Heart... definitely not the man I know...

She examined the face. It was softer, more friendly than the face she knew - it was disturbing, yet comforting at the same time.

“Computer, access all information on the Dark Empire.” she said. She read the message.

Term ‘Dark Empire’ not found.

“Try ‘Infinite Empire’.”

An alien she didn’t recognize appeared on the screen - it definitely wasn’t human, though. She looked at it’s odd eyes, protruding from the side of it’s head.

“Computer, show me all you can on a man known as ‘Amol Kotay’.”

There was no picture, but there was a short paragraph. It told of a legendary Jedi, a man so strong in the Force that he was made a Master at the age of 26. There was little other valid information, other than some mention of him being banished from the Order for getting married - to whom, it didn’t mention.

“What about ‘Denara...” she then realized that she didn’t know the woman’s last name. “Just do a search on the word ‘Denara’.”

She got some results, but none that seemed valid. Then she saw it. Denara Klintar, daughter of Cullah Klintar. She accessed the information on Cullah first, intrigued. He was nothing more than a street merchant in the Y’Toub system. A slave for the Hutts.

She accessed the data on Denara. Her jaw dropped, and her blood turned to ice.

[JasraLantill]

Hmmm...could Denara in the normal SW universe be...? Suppose I'll just have to wait and see! Good chapter, and again, ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!! grrr..... Keep up the good work!

[The Doctor]

And this one is going to leave you hanging longer than the others! I need to work out chapter 20! And don't guess: it ruins the surprise

[The Doctor]

Wow. Long time since I posted a chapter. Sorry, guys. New semester is hell.

 

Chapter Twenty

 

Bastila burst into Carth’s ready room without signaling.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked. “Get-”

Bastila ignored him. “Computer, access the Outrider’s computer database and transfer it to the Admiral’s console.”

The console lit up, and the Republic insignia appeared on his screen. “Access information on an Admiral Carth Onasi.”

The screen flicked to an image of Carth, in a strange uniform. His face was less cruel, and the eyes seemed warm and caring, instead of the usual cold and calculating.

“What the hell...?”

“This is you,” she explained. “Your counterpart. He’s... much different than you are.” She moved in front of him and pressed a key. “This is me. Our counterparts have a similar relationship to ours, except... they’re more... friends, than anything else,” she said tentatively. “He is the admiral, but the Jedi Order are not slaves of this... Republic. They’re allies.”

“What the hell is this?” asked Carth. “You’re married?”

Bastila blushed. “Apparently so. In the parallel universe, Revan... we...”

“And this!” he continued, ignoring her. “Who the hell is this?”

“That would be... our... our son.”

Carth stared at her. “Your son?”

 

“I know. It’s ludicrous. But it’s there,” she said. “But that’s not why I came.”

She spoke to the computer. “Computer, access all information on an Amol Kotay.”

“Amol Kotay?” said Carth. “This... ‘Sahri’?”

“Yes,” she answered, as the requested data appeared. “Apparently, he’s a Jedi Master, who was banished from the Order for marrying.”

“So that’s not allowed for a Jedi in their universe, either?”

“No,” she said. “Emotional attachments lead to clouded judgment, and what they call the ‘Dark Side’.”

“Who did he marry?” asked Carth. “It might be a useful advantage...”

“There’s no specific mention of her name, but I put together some clues. But I’ll get to that. What I really came up here to show you... was this.”

The Malatan’s female companion appeared on the screen. Her hair was a less vibrant colour, and there was a lightsaber at her belt.

“Denara Klintar, daughter of Cullah Klintar, a Hutt slave in the Y’Toub system. She’s a Jedi, Admiral. A powerful one.”

“So?”

“Admiral,” she said, wanting to driver her lightsaber through his skull. “This woman is more powerful than Amol Kotay himself.”

“It’s another universe. There’s bound to be-”

“Admiral, Amol Kotay is not the Sahri.”

Carth stared at her. “Yes, he is. I saw him, in the vision Dorak...” he stopped. “No... I never actually saw him...”

“Exactly. Amol Kotay is not the Sahri,” she repeated.

“So are you saying that it’s...”

“Denara Klintar. The one to bring down the Empire. The Sahri.”

 

* * * * *

 

Denara sleepily opened her eyes, greeted by a beautiful star cluster a few kilometers off the port side.

“Amol... where are we?”

“So, it lives, huh?” he said jokingly. “We’re just outside the Expanse. I didn’t want to drop out of hyperspace smack dab in the path of an Imperial tractor beam. I’ve been waiting for almost two hours for you to wake up.”

“Well, let’s go,” she said.

The Omega Dawn lurched forward slightly as Amol engaged the engines. Denara charged up the weapons systems, and prepared for battle.

 

After nearly half an hour, Denara picked up a large asteroid at the edge of their scanning range. “I’m reading the asteroid,” she said. Her heart sank as she examined the readings. “I’m also detecting at least a half a dozen Imperial battleships in the vicinity - as well as a large amount of debris. Looks like the remains of Telerite combat ships.” Her console beeped at her. “Amol, I’m reading a strange energy signature. It looks like a weapons signature, but... I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Me neither,” he agreed, checking his scans. “I don’t like this...”

His console began emitting an alarm, and he checked another monitor. “Incoming fighters!” he said. “Imperial dragon’s teeth. Six of them.”

“We can’t fight off that many dragon’s teeth on our own!” said Denara worriedly. “We would stand a chance against three, maybe four, but not six!”

‘Hold on!” he responded. “I’m laying in a course for a dense pocket of spacial distortions.”

“What?! Are you insane?!”

“They’d be insane to follow, wouldn’t they?”

“Amol, we can’t-”

“Look, would you rather be torn apart by a squadron of dragon’s teeth without a chance of survival, or rely on me to get us through these distortions?”

She hesitated. “Well, to be honest...”

“Just hold on!” he yelled.

 

* * * * *

 

“We must inform Mauj Dorak,” said Bastila. “He needs to kn-”

“No,” said Carth, grabbing her by the arm. He spun her around to face him. “You will not tell Dorak.”

Bastila stared at him. All the pieces suddenly clicked into place. She knew what was going on.

“You will not tell him,” he repeated. “Or I will drive you through your own lightsaber.”

She stared into his eyes. She understood everything.

“He will already know of your plans, Carth,” she said. He visibly bristled at the use of his first name, but she didn’t care - this went beyond protocol. “He’ll know, and he’ll already be planning your... removal.”

“He doesn’t know,” said Carth. “Because he’s too blinded by his desire to rule the Galaxy. You’ve noticed it - he’s changed. Before, he was concerned solely with destroying the Sahri. But now... now he wants to rule the Empire. He wants power. He has no idea. And he’s not going to, is he?”

Bastila looked into his eyes. There was a deep fire there that she didn’t recognize - or like. For the first time, she was genuinely afraid of him.

“No,” she said. “He will not.”

He released her arm. “Good,” he said. She turned around, and left the room.

As she walked across the bridge, she made up her mind. The Endar Spire was no longer safe for her. With both Dorak and Carth wanting to use her in their plans to rule the Empire, she couldn’t guarantee her safety. She had to leave - where she would go, she had no idea. But one thing as clear: the Empire was not the place for her to be.

 

* * * * *

 

The Ebon Hawk’s engines sprang to life, and T3-M4 fired the laser canons, blowing a whole in the docking bay door. The Hawk shot out of it, dodging the laser bolts being fired at her. Inside, Bastila’s hands moved across the controls with remarkable speed, maneuvering between the laser bolts. With T3 in the turrets, Bastila ignored the pursuing fighters - no, they weren’t following her. She was heading towards them. She looked at her scanners - they were dragon’s teeth. Damn...

 

She flinched as the fighters opened fire, her deflector shields being torn to pieces. T3 managed to take down two of them, forcing them to regroup. That gave her some breathing room. She scanned her consoles again, and noticed another ship - it was broadcasting an Imperial freighter code. She knew better. There were no freighter routes in this part of the system. She opened a channel.

“Federation ship, this is... the Ebon Hawk,” she said. Using her name would not gain her their favour. “I am in need of your assistance. I have stolen this vessel. I am a refugee of the Empire. Please respond.”

 

* * * * *

 

Amol sat in the cockpit of the Omega Dawn, readying for battle.

“Amol, we’re being hailed. It’s an Imperial frequency. It’s the ISS Ebon Hawk. They must be able to see through our new codes somehow.”

“Damn,” he said. “Put it through. It might buy us some time.”

“Understood. Opening a channel,” she said. “Channel open.”

“Federation ship, this is... the Ebon Hawk. I am in need of your assistance. I have stolen this vessel. I am a refugee of the Empire. Please respond.”

He recognized that voice....

Keying the comm, he spoke into the speaker. “ Ebon Hawk, this is the Federation ship Monumento,” he lied quickly. “State your iden-”

“Amol!”

He looked up in time to see three dragon’s teeth darting towards them. He swung the steering control to the right, but too late. They opened fire, and the cockpit shell cracked. The Ebon Hawk opened fire at the dragon’s teeth, destroying two and sending the third into retreat. But the Omega Dawn spun out of control, Amol and Denara barely able to hold on.

 

* * * * *

 

Bastila ordered T3 to open fire on the dragon’s teeth. Two of them were torn to pieces, and the third headed back to the rest. She watched as the Omega Dawn hurtled towards her, out of control. She activated the tractor beam, trying to slow them down. She was successful - to a certain extent. The two ships collided, shaking the Hawk, sending Bastila falling to the floor. She shook the fog out of her vision, and stood slowly. She scanned the sensors, and saw the Endar Spire bearing down on her. She activated the engines, and lay in a course for leading out of the system. The Endar Spire opened fire, pelting the conjoined ships with blaster fire. The Hawk shook again, and Bastila fell to the floor, unconscious.

[JasraLantill]

Peril, danger, explosions and everyone's in danger.... I like! Great chapter, keep it up!

[The Doctor]

Chapter Twenty One

 

Amol was barely able to remain conscious after the collision with the Ebon Hawk.

“Denara, are you alright?” There was no answer.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered. “Denara, if you can hear me, try to hold on. I’m going to-”

The Omega Dawn lurched as a tractor beam latched on to them, pulling them towards the Endar Spire. He tried breaking free, but his controls wouldn’t respond. He felt a strange tingling sensation, and the cockpit flickered out of existence.

 

* * * * *

 

Bastila slowly stood, massaging a large lump on her head. She moved over to the controls, stumbling as both the Hawk and the other ship were nabbed by the \Spire’s tractor beam. One of her consoles started beeping at her, sending stabs of pain through her forehead - definitely a concussion. She keyed the console’s report function, and noticed the transporter signal. They were still far away, but they would be able to get them one at a time. Moving quickly, she set the deflector shields on a one second burst, to blind the Endar Spire’s sensors. She punched the console as the life sign signal from the other ship dropped from two humans to one. The shields flashed, and the tractor beam flickered. She punched the engine controls, and the Ebon Hawk lurched forward, like an Al’hayat with a dagger in it’s side. Even in her crippled state, the Ebon Hawk was still capable of outrunning the Spire. Her Imperial pursuers fell behind, and she set in a course for Russan. It would take a while, without hyperdrive, but all she needed to do was get herself and the one on the other ship into Federation space.

She opened a comm channel to the other ship. “This is the Ebon Hawk. Are you injured?” There was no response. She tried again. “Repeat, this is Bastila Shan aboard the Ebon Hawk to Federation vessel. Are you in need of assistance?”

 

* * * * *

 

Denara roused slowly, her head pounding. Someone was hailing them, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying, their words nothing more than a bunch of odd sounds. She could see nothing but a bunch of strange coloured blurs. She forced herself to focus on the words being spoken to her. She tried, but could barely make out three of the words.

“Bastila.....Ebon Hawk......assistance?”

She keyed the comm, and spoke weakly into it. “This is... Denara Klintar, of the Mandalorian Confederation,” she said. “I’m badly wounded. My companion... won’t respond to me when I call him. I think... I think he’s unconscious.”

“He’s not unconscious, he’s been transported off your ship,” came the response. “We can go back for him later, Right now, we have to get out of here. I’m going to transport you over here. I can treat your wounds....”

Denara tried to focus on the words, but she couldn’t hold on to them. They began to slip away. She saw a shimmering purple light, and the cockpit dissolved from existence, replaced by the view of a small black droid. A T3 unit. It injected her with something, and her vision began to clear. She looked over at the droid. It’s shiny black plating reflected what little light there was left after the impact, and the registry code on it’s chest gleamed in silver - T3 M4.

She tried to sit up, but a pair of hands grabbed her gently by the shoulders and foorced her back down.

“Don’t try to move,” said a woman’s voice. “Let T3 treat your wounds. You were pretty badly hurt in the crash.”

“Amol...” she muttered. “Amol... where is he?”

The voice sounded grim. “He was transported to the Endar Spire before I could get the shield burst operational. They have him.”

Denara knocked the droid’s small arm out of the way, receiving a mild shock from the little unit, accompanied by a deep screeching sound. She ignored the pain, and sat up. “We have to go back for him,” she said.

“No,” said Bastila, coming into Denara’s field of vision. “It’s too dangerous. For either of us.”

“What do you care?” spat Denara. “You want to bring him to your Emperor anyway.”

“Recent events have... altered my outlook on the situation,” replied BAstila. “Rest assured, I want Amol Kotay out of the clutches of Dorak as much as you do. But he’s not the real threat.”

“Kath spit,” said Denara. “You’re the Del Mauj. All you want to do is-”

“I am no longer Del Mauj of the Jedi Order,” said Bastila. “I have abandoned the Order and the Empire.”

“Kath spit,” repeated Denara. “No Jedi abandons the Order.”

“Have you forgotten where your... friend... comes from? He was a Jedi, once.”

Denara put her head between her knees, about to vomit. “He’s no Jedi. He never was. Not really. He never believed in the teachings of the Order.”

Bastila grinned. “So he says.”

Denara looked up at her. “This is a waste of time,” she said. “Alright, if you say you’ve abandoned the Empire, then I’ll believe you - for now. But only because I have no choice. If I’m going to rescue Amol, I’ll need help.”

“We can’t go after him yet,” said Bastila. “Not with two half destroyed ships.”

“We’ll go back to Russan then. With the amount of influence my father carries, we could have the entire Federation fleet assembled within a week.”

“In a week,” retorted Bastila. “He’ll be either dead, or serving in the Peragus mines.”

“Then what do you propose we do?” yelled Denara, her face going red. “I’m not going to sit here while your friends ‘interrogate’ him!”

“ I assure you, I have no ‘friends’ among the Empire.”

“Oh? I was under the impression that you and Dorak were... close.”

Bastila threw up a gloved hand, and applied light pressure to Denara’s jugular. Not enough to kill her, but enough to make her uncomfortable. “Dorak is a monster, bent on galactic domination. I’m no longer associated with him or the Order.”

“I thought... I thought that all Imperial scum were bent on... galactic domination,” gasped Denara, smirking amid the pain. “Jedi included.”

“A common misconception,” said Bastila, releasing her. She fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Bastila walked over to her, and stretched out a hand to help her up. “This petty arguing is doing neither us nor your friend any good,” she said. “We must cooperate if we are to have any hope of rescuing him.”

Denara stare at her hand for a moment, then took it into her own. “Alright,” she said. “But I want some assurance that you’re not trying to bring me back to the Empire. I want information.”

Bastila stared into her dark green eyes for a moment. That information would change her life forever. “Alright,” she said. “What do you want? Ship movements? Tactical reports?”

“No,” Denara answered. “I want to know why the Empire is so eager to get there hands on Amol? Why is he so important?”

“We believed that he was the one spoken of in the great Jedi texts, the one destined to destroy the Order and bring down the Dark Empire.”

Denara stared at her for a moment. “What? How is that possible?” she said incredulously. “Amol’s... he’s... wait a minute. You believed? Past tense? You don’t believe that anymore anymore?”

“No. Well, yes. But now we... I know... that he is not the one spoken of in the prophecy.”

“Then who is?”

Bastila looked into her green eyes again. So young, so innocent. No longer.

“You are.”

 

* * * * *

 

Amol fell to the floor roughly, four guards flanking him. He spat blood out of his mouth, and looked up. Admiral Onasi looked down at him, smiling cruelly. “Welcome back, Mr. Kotay,” he said. “Nice to see you again.”

Amol spat more blood onto Onasi’s shoes. “Go to hell, Onasi.”

Carth kicked out with the foot AMol had spat on, breaking Amol’s nose. Amol groaned in pain, clutching his face.

“That’s better,” said Onasi. “Now, Mr. Kotay.” He waled towards the window of the briefing room. “It’s come to my attention that your companion is... more significant than we originally believed.”

“Leave her alone,” he responded. “She’s nothing to you.”

“Oh, if only you knew, Mr. Kotay,” Carth said darkly. “I’ve recently learned from a recently departed Jedi colleague of mine, that you are... not as important as we first believed.”

Amol looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

Carth laughed again. “I mean, were not needed.”

“Then let me go. Send me home.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” he said, walking towards the desk. “You may not be important to the Jedi... but you are important to me. You see... as long as ‘Emperor’ Dorak is looking for you, who he believes to be the Sahri, then he won’t be watching me.”

“So you think that by holding me without his knowledge, he’ll be distracted looking for me long enough for you to kill him and take his place.”

Carth smiled. “And they say that Malatan are stupid,” he said. “There is one other thing, Mr. Kotay,” he continued. “Denara Klintar. How long have you been training her?”

Amol was confused. “What? What are you-”

“Don’t lie to me, rebel scum,” spat Carth, dropping the false kindness he had temporarily adopted. “She’s being trained in the ways of the Force, and according to... certain sources... you two have a very close relationship.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” repeated Amol. “She’s not being trained by anyone. She-”

“Liar!” he yelled. He removed his curved greth-tel from it’s sheath and slammed the hilt into Amol’s back, almost shattering his spine. “Take him to the Booth. Tell Tucker that he’s authorized to use the Drenthl end of the scale.”

The guards picked him up by the arms, and pushed him roughly through the door.

[The Doctor]

~A little shorter than usual, sorry. Can't think straight at the moment - my brain is still in Cuba.

 

Chapter Twenty Two

 

Amol screamed in pain as a loud screeching sound met his ears, drilling into his skull, making his teeth rattle. He felt as if his chest was on fire, and someone was running a plasma torch down his legs. The pain subsided suddenly, and he gasped for air, leaning against the transparasteel wall of the Booth. His heart pounded, and his breath stung his burnt lungs. His vision was filled with the blurry silhouette of Commander Melrik Tucker, his face contorted in rage.

“I tire of these games, Mr. Kotay,” he said angrily. “You think that hurt? Just wait! I’m not even at half power! I’m authorized to-”

“Go to hell,” Amol said, for what seemed like the hundredth time. Tucker growled, then gestured to the invisible Booth operator. The searing pain returned, stronger than before. Amol screamed again, as if the lightsaber were now being drilled into his chest at maximum setting. He pounded the transparasteel wall with his fist. The pain stopped, leaving his nerves tingling unpleasantly. “You think.... I’ll betray the Federation? Or the Rebellion? That plasma must have leaked through to your brain, Commander.”

Tucker’s jaw twitched, the large plasma burn on the left side of his face wrinkling as he growled again. He gestured to the operator again, and the searing pain returned. Tucker had to yell over Amol’s cries of agony.

“Where is Denara Klintar?!”

Amol screamed something practically incoherent, but Tucker could discern fragments. “Go....Mother....son......bitch!”

Tucker moved over to the controls, pushing the operator aside roughly. He cranked the dials to three quarters, smiling cruelly as Amol yelled with renewed agony. He threw the switches back, and Amol collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, his ears and nose bleeding. He tried to stand, but his legs felt like hot wax, and wouldn’t hold his weight. He settled for sitting with his back against the Booth wall, facing Tucker.

“If you continue to defy me, I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” interrupted Amol. “You’ll throw those switches further up? You think I care? I’d gladly die to preserve the Rebellion.”

“Where is Denara Klintar?!” repeated Tucker.

“Go fu-” he screamed in agony again, but only for a moment.

“Bite your tongue, Mr. Kotay. Or I’ll remove it,” Tucker said maliciously, pacing in front of the cell. “You are a resilient man, Mr. Kotay. But I will break you.”

He threw up the switches again, and Amol screamed in torment once more.

 

* * * * *

 

“What do you mean, I’m the one that will bring down the Empire?!” said Denara incredulously, standing faster than she should have. “That’s.... that’s impossible!”

“No,” said bastila simply. “It’s not. You are powerful in the Force, Ms. Klintar. Very powerful. The Force flows through you like no one I’ve seen since Rev... for many years.”

“But... I’m not a Jedi, or a Malatan, or...”

“One must be trained to become one of the two,” said Bastila commandingly. “What you need... is a teacher. I assumed that Amol Kotay was teaching you, but I now see that this is not the case. Unfortunate - he would have taught you well, I’m sure. He is very powerful in the Force as well. That is why Dorak mistook him for the Sahri. But it is you, of this I am sure.”

“So... so you’re saying that... if I got Amol to teach me, I could become... I could become a Malatan.”

“Technically, you would not be a Malatan, as you did not follow Revan into war with the Order; but yes, you would be a Malatan, I suppose. But you cannot wait to be reunited with Amol to begin training. In fact, he will not escape until you rescue him. He cannot do it without you.”

“Then... where do I find someone to train me? Maybe there are some Malatan on-”

“There’s no time to search for a teacher. You must make do with who you have available.”

“But Amol isn’t here!”

“No,” said Bastila, folding her arms. “But I am.”

Denara stared at her again. “You?! Train me?! I...”

“You what?”

“I thought... Amol told me that the ways of the Malatan are different than those of the Jedi. The Jedi use their emotions more, and-”

“Mr. Kotay was not fully trained when he followed Revan into war. He knew very little about the ways of the Jedi - if he knew anything, he would know that the Jedi do not use their emotions. Emotions interfere, they cloud judgment. They lead to mercy, compassion, and similar-”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” interrupted Denara. “Like love and compassion are negative, like they make you a worse person.”

“Love is Hate,” recited Bastila. “The Jedi Code. It is... not as solid as it could be, but some of it does have merit. But perhaps you would prefer to be trained as a Malatan, and not a pseudo-Jedi. I had a... great deal of contact with Revan, shortly before he left the Order, and he often spoke to me of... his ideal, how he felt the Jedi should fight against the Empire instead of alongside them. He... attempted to bring me with him, along with the others, to leave the Order. I know his teachings, and Amol can clarify what I teach you are reunited.”

Denara paced for a minute, then turned to face Bastila. “Alright. How do we begin?”

Bastila smiled slightly. “We meditate. You must feel the Force flowing through you. See it’s currents passing through the galaxy. Your close relationship with Amol will make it easier to locate him. You will feel the Force pulling you towards him. You may feel what he is feeling, and hear whispers or fragments of what he is hearing or saying. I have no idea how deep your bond with him goes, but it might go as far as grant you the ability to communicate telepathically.”

“You mean... I could talk to him?” asked Denara hopefully.

“No. Not yet. You are not disciplined enough to control what he hears. But you may feel his emotions as if they were your own. And you may also experience his... physical sensations. Pain in particular will be easy to detect. And he will be in pain, I promise you that, Admiral Onasi is aware that Amol is not the one he seeks, and that you are who he needs to kill. He will take Amol as close to death as he can in order to find you.”

“Amol would never tell him anything. I know he wouldn’t.”

“I agree. He is quite strong willed. But I must warn you that it may be... disconcerting to make contact, if it even occurs.”

“I understand,” she responded, sitting on the bed again.

“Then close your eyes, and reach out with your thoughts. Feel my presence through your other senses.”

Denara breathed in deeply. She could feel her teacher’s presence, and could almost see her silhouetted in her minds eye. “I can see you... almost...”

“Good. Now, reach out beyond the ship. Allow the Force to guide your senses.”

Denara let her mind go, and she could feel Bastila’s presence more powerfully.

A sudden searing pain erupted in her chest, and she screamed in surprise.

“Amol!” she screamed. Her eyes shot open, and she found her face was covered in a cold sweat. “I could feel him... he’s in pain. Intense pain. He’s... he’s suffering for me. He’s suffering because of me...”

“He is doing what he feels is right,” said Bastila, surprisingly gently. “You cannot blame yourself. In fact... you should be grateful that you have someone who is willing to suffer so much in your name. That kind of... friend... doesn’t come along often.”

Denara breathed deeply, terrified. What is he doesn’t survive? What if they kill him? I can’t let him die, I can’t. I don’t want to lose him...

“You will not lose him, Denara,” said Bastila, reading her thoughts and emotions. “He will survive, of that I am sure.”

For some reason, Denara was calmed by Bastila’s words. “Bastila?”

“Yes?”

“When I go rescue Amol... do I have to go alone?”

“I would not recommend going alone, no. I will accompany you.”

“What if Onasi or Dorak find out you helped us? Won’t they try to kill you?”

“Yes. But that does not matter. You will need me. Both of you will.”

Denara looked up at her. For the first time, she looked at Bastila as something other than an enemy trying to kill her. She was an ally. They were silent for a moment. Then:

“Bastila?”

“What is it?”

She hesitated for a moment, then continued. “Thank you.”

[The Doctor]

I know it's been a while since I posted a chapter, and I'm sorry. I just haven't been able to write anything in a while.

Here's a short one. Sorry again.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Chapter Twenty Three

 

Dorak sat in his chamber, his legs crossed, in deep meditation. The door opened, and a rather tall Jedi with dark hair stepped into the room.

“Mi-Lord?” he said, approaching the Mauj.

Dorak brought himself to the edge of awareness, enough that he could communicate. “What is it?” he hissed, his voice gravelly.

“It’s Del-Mauj Shan, Mi-Lord... she-”

“She has abandoned me. Abandoned the Order. She is no longer a Jedi. She is of the Malatan.”

“Mi-Lord, if I may... recently, there have been rumours of...”

“Of what?”

The Jedi sighed. “A movement. Admiral Onasi-”

“Admiral Onasi is of no concern to me,” spat Dorak, his eyes snapping open. They were solid black now, with only a thin ring of grey running along the edges. “All that concerns me is destroying the Sahri.”

“But sir-”

“Enough,” he yelled, sending the man sprawling to the floor with a strong Force push. “You are dismissed!”

The man stood slowly. “I....” he thought of refusing to leave, but thought better of it. “As you wish, Mauj.”

Dorak re-entered his state of deep meditation, the Jedi code, now twisted beyond recognition by the evil power that now held him firmly in its grasp, flowed through his mind.

 

Peace is a lie...

 

* * * * *

 

Denara sat in the co-pilot seat of the Ebon Hawk, scanning the system for the Endar Spire. It had to be out there somewhere....

Bastila entered the cockpit. “Any luck?”

Denara sighed heavily. “No. They masked their hyperspace wake. It would take me days to find it amongst all the spacial distortions in the area.”

Bastila crossed the room and sat in the pilot’s seat. “Perhaps we should try something else,” she suggested, turning to her. She overrode Denara’s console, locking all controls to the pilot’s station. “I want you to close your eyes.”

Denara gave her a curious look, but did as she was instructed.

“I want you to block out all distractions. Focus only on the sound of my voice.” Denara did as she was told, focusing all her attention on Bastila’s continuing words. “Reach out with the Force. Allow your feelings to draw your mind. Tell me what you see.”

“I see...” she tried to concentrate on the images the Force brought to her mind, but they were blurred. She forced them into focus, and saw an image of her father, sitting in his command chair aboard the Betasis. He looked concerned, and was speaking to a young female Twi’lek. “My father... aboard the Betasis.”

“Good. But that is irrelevant at the moment. Release your mind to the Force. Allow it to flow through you.”

The image of her father faded from her mind, and she felt her mind shifting through the Force, her emotions guiding her.

That’s when she felt him. She felt his Force signature before she could ‘see’ him, but eventually, he filled her mind’s eye. She could see him lying on the floor, Admiral Onasi towering over him.

“I see him...” she said. “Amol...”

“Good,” said Bastila calmly. “Now: reach out to him. Touch his mind. Speak to him through the Force.”

Denara did as she was told, reaching out to him with her mind. Amol? Can you hear me?

She breath became ragged under the strain of maintaining the mental link, and she felt sweat break out on her brow.

“I... I can’t... maintain the link... he’s slipping away...” she said, struggling to keep the link stable.

Amol... I’m coming for you... hold on... please, hold on...

 

* * * * *

 

Amol groaned in pain as Onasi’s foot crushed his nose. He felt warm blood pour down his face, and tried to stem the flow with his arm. He tried to push himself up with his other arm, but Carth stepped on his back, forcing him to the ground again.

“You’re beginning to anger me, Malatan scum,” he hissed, kicking him again, this time in the ribs. Amol felt one of his last whole ribs crack, and suppressed a scream of agony. He thought he heard a familiar voice, but after a moment, all he could hear was Onasi. “...where she is,” he was saying. “But you insist on refusing to give me the information I want.”

“I won’t betray Denara or the Alliance,” he said thickly. “You’ll have to kill me.”

Carth kicked him in the face again. “That can be arranged,” he spat.

Amol... I’m coming for you... hold on... please, hold on...

He lifted his head slightly as he heard Denara’s voice distantly. He almost spoke her name... but then he realized that he was hearing her through the Force. But how was that possible?

He focused his attention on Onasi again, afraid that he might notice something had happened. He tried to find Denara through the Force, but didn’t have the strength. His vision blurred, and he felt light headed from the loss of blood. Onasi glared down at him.

“Take him to the med lab. Treat the worst of his injuries. I need him alive for a little longer.”

[The Doctor]

Sorry this has taken so long. I just haven't had any good idea for a long time... this chapter is... mediocre, at best. Not my best work, I know, but at least it's something. It's not a full chapter, just something to let you know that I haven't given up on this story.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Chapter Twenty Four

 

Amol sat in the brig, trying to heal what wounds he could while he waited to be tortured again. The voice he had heard while being tortured by Admiral Onasi still rang through his head.

Amol..... I'm coming for you.....

It was Denara. He was sure of it. But how was she able to communicate with him through the Force? Sure, he had sensed some potential in her, but there was no way she could have begun to harness it on her own. Not without help from him, or another Force sensative.

He spat blood on the floor, his head swimming. He had tried to reach her again, but found that her mind was closed - whoever was teaching her had already taught her how to close off her mind. Well. He would have to wait for her to come for him.

[DarthSaboteur]

Excellent story! I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

[The Doctor]

As I said, I'm having difficulties. It's reaching a point where I'm about ready to scrap the whole thing and start over. That would probably not be a good idea, though...

[DarthSaboteur]

Yeah, it isn't the greatest idea since you've got quite the immersive universe going on here. I have a question, could I borrow your idea of an alternate universe as you've portrayed? There'll be some diffrences, but the concept will be the same.

[The Doctor]

As long as you leave my characters alone (this includes the alternate Carth, Bastila, and Revan), and don't interfere with my story, I don't see a problem with it. It's not like the idea is the most original thing in the world. Have fun!

[Voyager763]

I hope you get the next chapter us soon, The Doctor. I really like this story.

[The Doctor]

Alright. This story is going nowhere. I'd like to request that a mod lock this thread, please. I'm going to start over - most likely with a new story. Same concept, but different plot.

[RedHawke]

Done! As per writers request!