Benevolent Forces: Rebuilding (Complete)

[Navaria Tarkin]

The largest spaceport on Arcan was bristling with life. Hovercarts and numerous volunteers and spacers were loading a large freighter, The Griffin, full of medical, building and food supplies. It was quite the ordeal but the woman leading the operation had hand picked out some of the most qualified New Republic officers that could coordinate this massive operation into a steady process.

Navaria was looking over the datapad that the pilot of the freighter had given her and she was making sure that the manifest was in proper order under the watchful eye of the Captain that enjoyed obviously leaning over her shoulder.

"Ya know, kiddo. You can trust me."

Jaq was a lithe man in his late forties that stood six feet tall. His crop of black hair hugged closely to his head in proper military fashion. Which always made Navaria wonder why out of everything he got from being in the military as a grunt, he kept that physical quirk. The important and labored intensive training he received, of course, would always be with him but why that style? At least he didn't look the part with his bedraggled brown pants, vest and never been pressed before dress shirt.

"I know. You are a legitimate Scoundrel now but I have to inspect the manifest otherwise the tower gets antsy."

"You're too Bureaucratic now, Tarkin."

"True. But I am also not a smuggler or a slicer anymore, Jaq."

He grinned toothily.

"Maybe one of those."

She looked up at him with her eyes only, frowing.

"What are you implying?"

Jaq crossed her arms and began to whistle innocently while Navaria began to let her mind wander, trying to figure out what her vague friend was getting at. It didn't take that long to put two and two together as to what he meant while her eyes went back and forth between his goofy expression and the datapad.

"I hardly do that anymore, Jaq! Now hush!"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Hardly do that anymore? What do you mean by that? Are you suggesting that everyonce in a while, you slice code and do other such naughty things for amusement?"

Wei laughed.

"So, what is all this stuff going to be used for, Master? And what am I supposed to do again?"

Wei suddenly felt a little detached from what was going on. His voice was light, distant, like he was a child who was trying to understand something that was beyond his current understanding.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"You should mind your manners, Wei."

She replied simply, avoiding the amusing eyes of Jaq.

"We are going to Bakura. We need to make sure that this shipment gets there safely and help the citizens personally by any means necessary. A physical presence goes a long way to help promote moral."

Navaria looked up and handed over the datapad to Jaq who grinned sheepishly, then walked off. Now Navaria was fully attentive to her pupil.

"I let the Council and the rest of the Order know what we were going to do, giving them the opportunity to aid us. If not, I fully understand since there is a lot happening in the galaxy but for me, this is something that needs my personal doing."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "Ok, Master."

She must not have known that Wei was joking when he had mentioned the code-slicing. That happened to Wei all too often. Not getting a joke, or whatever. It sort of annoyed him.

"Well, I am here to help."

[Navaria Tarkin]

She knew he was joking but ...

"There is a ring of truth to what you said. My apologies for taken offense. I do not do that often."

Switching the subject, Navaria looked around for any luggage.

"Are you packed? This trip will take quite some time."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei slung his bag of stuff over his shoulder. It had been easy to pack, since all his things were allready packed. His mom had made him move out of his room in the LQ so a sickly girl could move in. Once he and Ange tied the knot, he would stay with her.

"Let's go. Ready when you are."

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Very well then."

She escorted her pupil towards the The Griffin, occasionally given orders here and there to the officers that were helping to load the last few crates of cargo. It seemed that it would only be a matter of minutes before the freighter would be completely full. Wei had arrived at a good time.

"So, it has been sometime since we last spoke."

Navaria turned to her Padawan and quirked her head in curiosity at him.

"What have you been doing with your time?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Well, I have been trying to plan a wedding, but once my mother came, she decided to direct that little project. Lemme see, what else...been goofing around, mostly. Everyday is another day I test my Force ability."

Wei was always gaining in his knowledge of the Force. Everyday it seemed his knowledge was pushed to its limits, only to be pushed to new limits the following day. He loved it.

"Let's go! YAAAAAY!" He yelled.

[Navaria Tarkin]

As the headed up the bording ramp, Navaria turned her head at Wei, smiling quizzically.

"You are not going to share anything specific about testing your Force abilities?"

Once inside, Wei saw how small this part of the ship was. This was mainly used by crewmen going back and forth from the main 'living area' to the back where the cargo hold was. Unlike the rather boring grey of the hull, inside was actually colored to a pleasant pale yellow and/or white. Most of the electronic panels that had to be revealed, incase of emergencies, were well away from any place that the flow of passengers would come near. They turned left, heading towards the small quarters that Jaq had pointed out to Navaria. Considering it was mostly goods, not people, coming along, there were plenty of rooms to choose from. The single rooms here weren't as cramped as some of the small luxery liners. Seemed that Jaq had remolded the ship somewhat to afford passengers, cargo or both in order to make a pretty decent living.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Specific? I got some of those. Let me see...."

Wei did a headstand against the wall and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well, there was that one time when I used the Force to help my friends rebuild a town that was detroyed."

Wei remembered seeing everyone in their work clothes. t was one of the only times he did not wear his usual kung-fu uniform.

"And then there were all of the times I hung out with a little kid named Aiden. I almost always had to use the Force in some shape or form just to keep that little kid out of trouble."

Wei slid down the wall, landing on his side. Then he gently Force pushed himself back to a normal standing position and went looking for a room that would suit his purpose.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Tell me about Aiden."

She asked gently, leading Wei further down the narrow space. On the other side of this tube would be theit quarters. Navaria waited patiently to hear Wei speak of the child. Aiden had touched her Padawan's heart and she wanted to make sure that Wei was doing all right.

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Aiden and me are best buddies. We play superhero, and hang out at recess, and sell lemony-ade. He looks up to me. He has a bear named Eugene, and he thinks that girls are diseased. But we live and learn."

Wei laughed.

"Do you like children, Master?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

She was happy that things had turned out so well. There was a time when Wei was at odds with himself, actually incense, to what he could do to better the child and not watch him be led astray by one of the Sith.

"Children. Unfortunately...."

An unbecoming frown creased her lips.

"... I really do not know. I never really spent time with any."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Oh you should, Master. Children are a lot of fun. But sometimes they can get to be a pain. I think you would work well with children."

Now it was time to ask another question. "What have you been up to lately?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

"From what I remember of my childhood, yes. We can most certainly be a pain."

It was said with lighthearted humor and Navaria stopped by one of the sliding doors.

"This will be your quarters. We will be in space for about two days. I will be right across the hall in case you need anything. Jaq can be called upon as well. Then of course there is Nia, his co-pilot. But, only asked her something if it is important. She tends to be cold towards strangers. There are also the Rodian brothers. They are genuis' when it comes to electronical equipment. Nice beings they are."

She adjusted the bag strap on her sholder and looked away.

"As for me. I am still dealing with some ... personal matters. As you know from the bar and grill. Otherwise, I am well. Thank you."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Ok! I'll be in my room doing absolutely nothing! So call me if it's dinner or something like that."

Wei opened the door and just as he took two steps into the room, he fell on the floor and laid there, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Ya know, Nav, those robes really don't do ya justice."

Navaria smiled to herself, silently thanking the Force that Wei had departed as she turned to face Nia. She wasn't surprised that the woman that was once her mentor and surrogate mother had not changed in the least through these years. Blond hair that barely touched the shoulder was still the same length and that crooked smirk that always kept you guessing what Nia was actually feeling. Which was what Navaria was doing now. There seemed to be no hidden malice between that smile and Nia was intelligent to never let her eyes give away any true intent.

"Well, this is my life now. I gave up my dusty clothes and blaster shooting one a long time ago."

She thought about using the Force to pick up any lingering emotions. Just because the Jedi saw nothing, didn't mean there was still bad blood between the two. For what happened to Elles.

"Yeah. So it seems."

Nia walked forward, sizing up Navaria. She merely stayed calmly put. Not moving so Nia could finish her inspection.

"Nice sabre. Actually simple and elegant unlike a lot of these weapons all tricked out and stuff."

Navaria really wanted to believe that was sincerity in that voice.

"Yes. It is. I made it not too long before I was given the honor of becoming a Knight of the Order."

Nia's chest buckled with laughter and Navaria could only throw an odd stare, wondering what she had said that was so funny. An explanation was given inbetween gasps.

"Hun. When did ya learn to speak so formal? I know I didn't teach you to talk like that."

She blushed, absently pulling the hair away from her face to look down at the floor, which had become so much more interesting to look at.

"Long story, actually. You probably would not believe me."

Navaria felt Nia's presence come closer to her own.

"Well, how about we see what kinda crazy mess ya got yourself into."

Nia slipped a hand around Navaria's waist and gave her one of the few genuine smiles that would ever cross the face of Nia. It was one of relief and gentleness, just like back in the old days when Navaria would get into too much local trouble and have to be bailed by Nia and Jaq. She cradled Nia's shoulder and let her eyes mist over.

"If you really want to know."

"I do."

The reply was quick and the two of them started to walk off towards the crew quarters.

"Well. It all started on Yavin but it began with a clone. Well .... actually three clones. But I am getting ahead of myself."

THREE DAYS LATER


"Bakura. Home."

The words felt wondrous to her lips as her feet finally touched the only working landing pad in Salis D'aar, the capitol city. There was no uneasy feeling but the memories of what had happened here last time was becoming quite fresh. The mind of a Jedi can remember things sharply with crystal clear perfection if they wanted. Navaria was able to do that because of her nature and she wished the memories of meeting her Brother, Marc, on this planet would simply vanish.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei had spent his 3 days on the floor. Laying about, arms and legs akimbo, letting his mind drift about. It was relaxing. He only got up to use the refresher and eat. Now they were at the destination. Wei hauled himself off the floor, and went searching for his master.

"So, are we there yet?" he asked, first coming upon a blonde haired lady.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Nia turned off the welder and pulled her goggles up to look at Wei. Around her eyes, there were red marks remaning from the goggles. She had to squint to get a good look at Wei and it took her a bit to put two and two together. This was the first time she had seen him. Kid was a recluse as far as she was concerned.

"Yeah. Your Navaria's uh ... student. She's outside waiting for the Prime Minister."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled brightly. "Thank you, ma'am."

It took Wei a while, but he found the way out of the ship, and there stood Navaria, waiting.

"Hi, Master!" Wei said cheerily.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria was speaking with another woman, roughly the same height and build as the Jedi Knight. Her was also if a light shade of brown and looked to have been neatly tied back at one point but was slightly dishelved and three strands of loose hair hugged the sides of her face. It was hard to actually figure out who this woman was for she was garbed in the same beat up and dusty clothes that most of the populace was wearing. What was odd was the armed guard escort that flanked her. Four men with blaster side arms and helmets were keeping a close eye on whoever this woman was ...

"Wei! Come here and let me introduce you to Gaeriel Capitson, the Prime Minister of Bakura."

She looked fondly towards Gaeriel.

"We have known each other for quite some time."

[Gaeriel Captison]

Gaerial welcomed Wei with a smile and a nod of respect to the Padawan. Being this close to her, Wei couldn't help notice that the Prime Minister had two different colored eyes. One was brown and the other was blue. "Welcome to our world, Wei. We are delighted that you both have decided to stay and help with the rebuilding. We owe much to the Jedi for not only sending us these supplies but for helping us free Bakura.

It would an honor that after you and your Master finish your duties for the day that you would join me for dinner later at the mansion tonight."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Thank you for the warm welcome. Dinner sounds nice, but only if Master Navaria will allow it."

Then he addressed his master. "So, what happens first? Where do we go and what do we do?" Wei wanted to get to work right away.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Wei's enthusiasm is quite a trait."

She said off-handedly towards Gaeriel.

"And of course it is all right for you to join us. You need not ask. How about helping the citizens move the cargo off the freighter and overseeing it get to the nearby settlements. A lot of buildings need repairs. I will join you soon after I finish up here with Gaeriel."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Ok!" Wei ran around to the cargo hold and immediately started to unload supplies and things as quickly has he could. He saw one man standing near a very large crate.

"Let me help!" Wei got one end, and the man got the other and they got the crate down the ramp together.

"Almost finished! Yeeeeeaaaaaah!"

[Navaria Tarkin]

".... so are you sure about this? I thought all of the soldiers decided to join up with you or join, what was then, the Galatic Empire?"

Gaeriel nodded solemnly. "It appears that way. Every now and then subtle things would happen after you and Drin left. Supplies would be missing. Accidents happened on the rebuilding. They are still going on but it's getting worse. Now weapons have gone missing. I have a bad feeling about this Navaria. I don't think they all had left."

The Jedi Knight calmly offered her hand upon her friend's shoulder.

"Wei and I will keep watch and I will also consult the Force. Perhaps it will give me insight to what is happening here. You are speaking of a possible Rebel Faction on Bakura. That is not to be taken lightly."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei looked at the two ladies talking and shrugged. Then he turned to the men unloading the cargo. Everyone had worked quickly, and there just a few more boxes that people were bringing down.

"So, fellas, if Jedi are associated with light, and light comes from lightbulbs, then what do the Sith use?" Wei asked.

There was some laughter and Wei recieved friendly pats on the back as the men laughed at his joke.

"So, this is Bakura, huh? We sure did get that ship unloaded quick, fast, and in a hurry. I wonder what is in these here boxes? Wouldn;t that be sadistic of them if inside these boxes were more boxes?"

More laughter. Wei and most of the men had taken seats on the boxes or on the ground. Some were squatting down while others remained standing.

"Tell us a story about Jedi stuff!" One of the younger helpers said from somewhere behind Wei.

Wei laughed. "Ok, let me tell you about the time there was this huge cat-thing in the Living quarters..."

"How big was it?" asked a middle aged man.

"Aaaawww....you got me set up for the fall..." more chuckles from the men. "It was so big, you couldn't get enough spackle to fix all the holes it made running into the walls..."

as Wei continued telling his story, he wondered what his teacher and that other lady were talking about.

[Navaria Tarkin]

The candid laughter caught the attention of Navaria. It seemed that Wei was quick in making friends.

Gaeriel followed Navaria's gaze and smiled. "I believe he is waiting for you and I've taken up enough of your time."

"Nonsense." The Knight answered back. "But I will explain everything to Wei and get to work right away." With a heartfelt smile, Navaria clasped Gaeriel's arm. Years past they were politician and citizen which then took a dark turn to enemies. The Force was benevolent enough through struggle and resolve that they could actually become friends.

They departed quietly and Navaria began to make her way towards the gathering. The mood was relaxed and filled with genuine levity.

A familiar whine of the repulsorlifts broke up the conversation as a huge hover truck pulled up next to the group.

"All right everyone." Wei registered the authority in his Master's voice immediately. "All crates on the truck. There is still a full day's work ahead."

[Wei Wu Wei]

When Navaria had gone over to where they were, Wei on his feet, amrs stretched out to his sides, swaying as though he were trying to keep his balance. He had just gotten to the hoverboard chase, but stopped when his master spoke.

"To be continued. If I don;t forget where I left off."

The men chuckled and all got to work, loading the crates quickly and efficiently.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She joined Wei at his side and offered him a forlorn look on her face, trying to feign being sensitive to the laughter.

"Making fun of your Master?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Not really. More or less making fun of myself. But if you need me too..." Wei paused a bit. "I can;t think of anything to make fun of you about. But if I do, you'll be the first person I tell."

Wei smiled and picked up a small stack of crates using his Force boosting abilities to make it easier to do. He put them in the truck and jumped over the side to get more.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She gave a tiny laugh.

"I hope so."

When Wei came back for more crates, Navaria began to speak to him through the Force.

Gaeriel has informed me that perhaps some soldiers that rejected the Bakurans reclaiming their home may still be present. We must keep a watchful eye and a strong presence with the Force to protect its citizens.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei said nothing, but looked at his master and pushed up his glasses in a sort of salute of acknowledgement. Wei decided to practice his levitating skills and floated three crates into the truck. Some people cheered and clapped at the display.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria was mostly lost in her own thoughts while Wei, and the rest of the men, continued to load up the trucks. The situation presented by Gaeriel was disturbing to say the least, but not unexpected. Not all of the former soldiers of the Sith Empire joined with the Prime Minister or left with the Galatic Empire. How many were hiding deep within the thick forests of Bakura, no one knew...

Except possibly a Jedi.

"Master Jedi?!"

She looked up and over her shoulder to see someone calling her over. The trucks were finally loaded and Wei was looking expectantly at her.

"Ah, very well ... "

Finding a seat with Wei in the back, using some of the smaller crates as make-shift chairs.

"Most of the homes near the Prime Minister's mansion have been rebuilt. They were damaged the most. It will be about a a forty minute drive to where we are going to start working. Have you ever done this sort of thing before?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I've done moving, and I've done some repair work. My family used to do all sorts of odd jobs to earn money. That is, when my father could not sell anything."

Wei shifted on the crate he was sitting on, and watched the landscape pass by him as they began their drive to their destination.

"Tell me about this planet, Master. The history, what the planet does for commerce, anything and everything."

Wei only knew his home planet Yavin, and Arcan IV. And then he also was learning about Coruscant. But outside of that he knew nothing.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Well, as you can see ..."

She pointed to the riverbed where the forest was as far as the eye can see.

"... Bakura has a vast amount of natural resources. It is well known for exporting many fruits and vegetables. And for its quartz. A lot of the former buildings of Salis D'aar were made of this stone as well as various trinkets that talented stone cutters would make.

It is tradition for Bakurians to learn the art of stone cutting for one somber task, if it does not become an occupation. One of the last rights we give our departed is carving the headstone ourselves."

Navaria difted off and remembered what happened after the Jedi help Bakura obtain its independence. To her horror, Dalethria, her 'evil clone' so to speak, had unearthed their mother's grave. Where she had taken Lise Tarkin, only Dalethria knew but Navaria had a sinking suspicion that the grave was now relocated to Meras ... The family home planet.

Finally blinking back to awareness, she smiled at Wei.

"Bakura is also well known for construction repulsors for ships, sleds and hover vehicles. That is why the Sith Empire wanted this planet. And ... because one of their members, Dalethria, wanted this planet to pay for she once lived here as I did ... Eventually the Sith Empire cut loose all ties to its holdings ... something which never made sense. Course with the Sith, nothing ever does.

Recently, mebers of the Order, including myself, help to liberate Bakura from the remnants of the Sith Empire's military. The Galatic Empire tried to strike a deal with Gaeriel but she was adamant that Bakura would be neither Imperial or New Republic... It would have ties to both for trade but that is all."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded, taking in everything Navaria had told him.

"Master, are we there yet?" Wei asked somewhat quietly. Wei had a feeling that they would reach the destination soon, but he was unsure about where the destination was exactly.

[Navaria Tarkin]

As if on cue, the entire team of trucks stopped.

"Hoped that answered your question."

She said, patting Wei on his shoulder. Navaria then hopped out of of the back of the truck and looked around. She was frowning at the half destroyed homes and craters that had randomly destroyed the fertile farms her people took care of. Some of the famers were replenishing the soil that was charred with fresh black dirt filled with nutrients to return the land to its former glory. Others were heading her way to greet them.

"All right ..."

Navaria pivoted on her heel to address the envoy.

"... anything that is for the homes, start piling them over by the nearest home. Crates that contain seeds, dirt and farming tools need to be put on lifts and taken over to each holding. The crates all the way in the back and the ones refrigerated will stay here."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "Alrighty then." Wei looked at the crates in the back of the truck he was in. They were all labeled according to what was in them. Wei used the Force to put a crate full of seeds on one side of the truck, and put a crate containing roofing supplies on the other.

"Let's get started guys!" The workers all jumped out of the trucks and began unloading things. Some more people arrived with lifts. Wei started loading the lifts with farming supplies.

"Oh I wish I knew a song to sing while I was busy working," Wei sang.

The other workers laughed and sang along.

"Join in, Master!" Wei said and went back to working and singing.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Alright, alright."

She said laughing.

"I am coming."

There was nothing out of the ordinary and no apparent beings in the immediate area that she could sense. On the surface .... everything was as it should be. But even as the mood was lighten through her Padawan and the genuine enthusiastic feelings surrounding her, there was something else in the air that was foreboding.

Navaria really did have a bad feeling about this.

SOMEWHERE DEEP WITHIN THE FOREST

Two figures kept close to the trees as the headed towards the meeting point. They were tired, dirty and on the point of starvation. Bark and berries just don't cut it for soldier boys. Dress in tattered fatigues and boots that were sole less, the whispered amongst themselves quietly, fearing that even the trees had ears.

"We better get going on this quickly."

"Yeah. 'Eard through the grapevine that two Jedi came along with those supplies. This is gonna piss off Myenriel really bad."

"That Gaeriel has a contact in the Jedi Council. Supposedly that brunette is one of 'em."

That caused his partner to pause. "A Council member here. Possibly? You decided to tell me this now???"

"Hush your mouth, Devid. What're ya nuts for yelling?"

"Look Jamond ... We need to get back pronto with this. With the plans we have set, having that kinda Jedi around could screw up everything."

Jamond frowned. "Yeah. Maybe you're right." But then he quickly got on the defensive. "But I trust Myenriel! He's got us this far and no frelling Jedi bitch is gonna screw things up for us."

"We gotta let him know first." Devid started to jog ahead and waved his partner to hurry it up.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei stopped and looked at the forest. He stared into the woods, as if there was something there.

"Strange."

Wei wanted to go look about the forest, but he had to help with the crates first. Wei set a crate down in its appropriate place.

Master, I couldn't really tell, but I had the wierdest feeling that the trees were watching us. Trees can't really watch us, can they?

[Navaria Tarkin]

She was in the middle of setting up the tables to pass out the food supplies when Navaria stopped and listened to the sounds of the forest. Everything was calm and familiar. Eventually she slowly turned around and scanned from the tree line down to the fertile soil.

Nothing.

"Hmm ..."

Navaria looked back at Wei. She did sense something was out of place but nothing was out of the ordinary ... not anymore.

Stay on alert Wei. I feel whatever was watching us will reveal itself later. For now, we act like everything is fine. I do not want to worry anyone here yet.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Let me see..." Wei said aloud, catching the ears of some of the younger helpers. "Once, I had this race with two friends of mine. We went all through the jungle, dodging through trees, and then we found some monkeys!"

Wei picked up a crate and moved it to where it belonged. "And the monkeys are all going crazy and throwing fruit and stuff at us as hard and fast as they could go. And we were dodging around and one of them nearly hit me in the head."

Wei dodged a few imaginary pieces of fruit as he headed back to the truck. His foot got stuck on a root and e fell flat on his face. Everyonce laughed. No one knew anything was up.

[Navaria Tarkin]

That was one way to do it, the Knight thought to herself and looked back towards the forest. Any sense of danger was gone for the moment so her attention returned back to divvying out supplies and preparing lunch for the workers.

Thankfully, the Force was merciful and the rest of the day passed without incidence.

It was just after sunset that it took a turn for the worse while the workers were cleaning up; picking up tools and making sure that any materials were left neatly laying about instead of scattered. Navaria and Wei were climbing into the truck that was returning to the main city when it happened. A thunderous explosion rocked the area, knocking those off their feet that were nearby. Screams of surprise and terror filled the air ... and the Force told Navaria that some were silenced for all time.

She looked towards that direction and saw that one of the houses that were newly repaired had a hole torn out from a cowardly bomb. The rest of the building was catching fire fast; demoralizing any chance of salvaging the home by every second and threatening to overtake the nearby homes. The Knight jumped over the side of the truck and began to shout out orders over the commotion.

"GET TO THAT FIELD! THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM IS FIXED! HURRY"

Three men nodded, knowing what to do and Navaria gasped as part of the roof collapsed. She was starting to make her way over there to help with the wounded when something stopped her. Something was odd and she could feel the hairs on her neck standing at attention. Danger was thick and not just the bomb that had gone off.

Suddenly, she turned around; her sabre drawn and ignited to parry three red blaster bolts that were about to cut her down. Her face was rock hard in concentration as she searched the area for malevolent minds ...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei saw the bomb go off and then watched some men go to make sure the irrigation system held together. Then blasterbolts. Wei climbed out of the truck and looked around. Irrigation system...? Wei didn't like the feeling he got about that place. He ran off after the men that went to check on it, boosting his speed with the Force so that he overtook them. Wei slowed when he neared the thing. It was a large piped that split into smaller pipes when it got closer to the fields. Or at least that's how he understood it to be. The other men caught up to him.

"Wei, I didn't know you were here."

Wei held up a hand. "I'm thinking." This thing was vital. "Master was right to have us check it out." Wei wandered down the length of the pipe, heading towards the water source, letting the Force guide him to where he needed to go. He ran at a normal pace so the others could keep up. He might need them later.

Just as Wei got to the middle of the pipe, three laserbolts came from somewhere in the distance. Wei was still sensing for danger with the Force and reflexively snatched his light fan from his sleeve and opened it wide. The padawan got two of the bolts right off, but had to move the fan to a new position to stop the last one.

"Someone's trying to keep us from something..." Wei muttered. Just as Wei finished his sentence, a second bomb went off. "As if on cue..." Wei sighed. "Let's go guys. Keep your eyes open. We don't want to get killed before we can assess the damages."

"So much for the high morale we had this morning."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Another bomb went off the same time Navaria had felt three human minds coming from within the forest. There was nothing she could do now about the bomb and would not be taken away from her current position. She knew that Wei was nearby that area and alive. He would be able to handle the situation. He had no choice for the concern of the Knight now was to flush out those soldiers into the open.

Her mind was racing for a plan but her extraordinary hearing picked up the beginning sounds of blaster fire ... but it was not heading at the Jedi. The cowards were targeting the citizens fleeing. Some of them were only Mothers and Fathers huddling their children close to protect them. Quickly she released her sabre, sending it spinning towards the group of people, using it as a shield. She controlled its movement through the Force so none would be injured, and watched the red bolts being deflected harmlessly away.

Navaria could feel the minds in the forest being directed towards her now. Angered, they were going to open fire again and cover was necessary. She dove behind the truck and willed the sabre back to her hands. It hummed close to her face as the Knight's eyes closed and let her mind wander the forest. Many forget that it has eyes and ears of a different nature, found in the denizens that called it home. It wasn't as easy as a regular being, but for a disciplined and opened mind, to bond with an animal through the Force could offer more senses that a Jedi did not possess. A Jedi could even spy through another creature's eyes, much like Navaria was doing with the carnivorous cratsch. It was perched upon a branch over looking the three who were the cause of this destruction. They wore camouflaged light armor and masks for protection. They were also well hidden in the thick foliage and far enough away that the direct approach would prove dangerous.

Another thought occurred to the Jedi and she began to focus on the sense of smell this feral ferret like creature had ... and smiled. This was only one member of a pack which was near. One of five actually. Breaking contact and reaching her influence in the small area, she enhanced the instinctive need for food and directed that need downwards towards the soldiers. They never saw it coming, for it came from above, as five four foot long cratsch dropped from the trees and attacked the group. The screams of surprise and pain brought Navaria out of cover and began to make her way towards them.

Gotcha now, you frelling Jedi.

That male voice was originating somewhere else and wasn't directed towards her. It could mean only one thing and quickly Navaria made contact with Wei mentally as the sniper shot was fired.

WEI!!! BEHIND YOU!!!

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei turned and held the fan in front of his face. The fan was good for blocking shots, but still, that light hurt his eyes. He had to turn his face away.

Thank you, Master

Wei had not seen the direction the laser fire had come from, so he didn't know where the attacker was. That meant only one thing to do. Wei could seek out the attackers blindly with the Force, or he could wait for them to fire again, and use the Force to track the laser bolt's path.

"Ok, Guys, here it is, plain and simple. There are three people over there shooting. Stay low, and crawl over there toward them. When you can see them, fire. You guys do have firearms, right?"

the men nodded and began to slink along the ground.

"And stay in the shadows!" Wei whispered behind them. Wei didn't need an answer to know that they would comply with Wei's instructions to the T.

Wei turned his attention to the snipers, but kept a sort of Force bookmark on his friends. Wei soon lost himself in the Force. He was not there, the irrigation system, no one was there. It was all Force.

Then it happened. A change. A tiny fluctuation. The laserbolt from the sniper rifle. Wei opened his eyes. Things seemed to be slow. He saw the laserbolt move slower than it might have seemed to others. Before he had just set his saber or fan in postition to block the attacks and let them fly off on whatever new course they just happened to set. Now for something different.

Wei closed his fan and put it back in his sleeve. Just as the laserbolt came in arm's reach, Wei activated his saber and tapped the laserbolt with it, like a baseball player might do when bunting. The laserbolt ricocheted off of the blade and right back at his attacker. Wei felt the life force from that area fade.

"What do you know...."

Master! Guess what I did! I deflected the shot back at him! I've never done that before!

Wei was so excited. But he kept his mind on what was happening around him. Wei decided to go help his friends. He deactivated his saber and prepared to do some Force boosting like he had never done before.

"There is nothing. only peace."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Wei came through unscathed but he still would have to deal with the three soldiers near him ... and that thought made Navaria return her attention back to the three she was dealing with.

It would have been comical if the situation wasn't dire. Watching three grown men rolling around on the ground to shake off the cratsch was only a fraction of the punishment that they deserved. Navaria wasn't the law thought. It was her duty to bring them to Gaeriel for proper punishment.

She gave the command mentally to the creatures to back off and run away. Their sharp teeth and powerful jaws had caused enough damage and shock that the men weren't going to be running immediately. A little persuasion through the Force and two of them fell fast asleep, while Navaria eyed the other one as she walked swiftly towards him ... her sabre still ignited and drawn. He thoughts were to his weapon, lost in the fray but close at hand. He seriously thought that he could get off a shot and with all the strength left that he could muster, the soldier reached for the weapon with a groan ... and grabbed nothing but dirt. The Jedi tossed the weapon far away telekinetically, and through the same means, lifted the man to his feet so they were eye level.

He grimaced but hid his pain well. The cratsch had taking a nice chunk out of his leg before Navaria had called them off.

"I can fix that for you whether or not you tell me where the rest of your group is hidden."

She began, looking at his leg more carefully. Fortunately, the bite did not sever the femoral artery. She would not be having a discussion with him otherwise. It was a bad wound though. The muscle was exposed.

Navaria wasn't surprised when she looked up that the fool was sneering.

"As I thought. But of course, I could just find the knowledge inside your brain and take it for myself."

That caused him to stop for a moment and look at the Jedi perplexed. Navaria shrugged.

"Of course, that does go against what you were taught about the Jedi but I do not care. I must know that information and you will tell me it. I prefer it spoken for I wish no more pain to be inflicted against you since you will most likely attempt to fight against me mentally."

He was at odds with himself. A question of loyalty and survival was battling inside his mind, but still no answer came.

The sabre hum was silenced and the Knight clipped the weapon back to her belt.

"Look. Your friends are also wounded. Is it really worth it to continue?"

The soldier looked down, shoulders slooping heavily in defeat. For months, the soldiers that did not surrender had waged a guerilla warfare for a cause that really held no meaning. They were betrayed by the Sith, and then were defeated by the Jedi and New Republic, the organization they were trained to fight. Those that still harbored so much pain and anger continued to fight against a loosing battle for their numbers had dwindled so much. Only their leader really kept their spirits high and slowly they were gaining on the main city. But then what happens? The Jedi return. Again. Was their a point to all this?

"No. I'll tell you what you want to ..."

TRAITOR!!!

It was just like with Wei. A volatile mind but this one was screaming for vengeance.

His eyes were widened in surprise, not knowing what was going on as Navaria's weaponed appeared back in her hand. Her soft subtle features had convinced him to give up but now she was defiant. It looked like she was going to attack him. His heart was pounding so loudly with fear that the blaster shot never was heard.

"GET DOWN!!!"

Quickly he complied as the Jedi stepped in front of him, deflecting the bolt. Her eyes were steely as she looked into the forest and asked quietly.

"Where is he?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Having dispatched of one sniper, and oblivious to the other, Wei force boosted his speed and took a round about path so that he was behind the 3 attackers. he snuck pup so that he was only inches from them.

"Come on, you guys, this isn't worth it. Put the guns down and surrender. You can't beat Jedi," he whispered and waved his hand behind their heads.

Two of them set their weapons down and walked out of the woods, hands held up in surrender. That wasn't too hard. But there was still one more.

"Frelling Jedi! You won't trick me!" The rebel yelled, and swung his pistol around to aim at Wei. Wei used telekinesis to fling the weapon away.

The man was unfazed. He put his hands up to face Wei hand to hand. Wei pushed up his glasses. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Wei asked the man. "I am a master of the Force, and the martial arts."

The rebel spat. "You are not. It's just another stupid mind trick."

Wei dusted himself off, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "You are right. I might not be a good martial artist." Wei smiled. "But here's the question. Do you want to take the risk to find out?"

The rebel put his hands up and surrendered too. Wei nodded his head and escorted him out to join his friends, whose wrists were already bound by the 3 farmers.

"Bind his wrists too. Keep your guns pointed at them, and don't let them out of your sight, even for a minute."

The men nodded.

Master, I have things taken care of here. Are you also finished? Or would you like my help with anything?

Wei doubted she would need any help. He figured his teacher would have been finished long before he was.

[Navaria Tarkin]

In a moment, Wei. Rather busy here ...

Her thoughts were stalled for a moment to respond to her Padawan. She couldn't afford a longer explanation since the Sniper was going to try and take out the soldier she was protecting again. Navaria locked onto his thoughts. They were dirty with the intent upon killing. It made her sick to even stay inside this mind and the Sniper was too strong willed for a simple sleep suggestion. It would have to done the hard way.

She let her body relax and waited, which wasn't going to be long. The shots fired immediately and Navaria pushed the man down, behind cover, while she dodge with incredibly reflexes ... sending her weapon into the forest. She made sure to time the release of the sabre with the last shots to leave little time for the Sniper to adjust his position.

It moved swiftly through the foliage, causing the unfortunate severing of leaves and small branches, guided by the mental hand of Navaria towards the malevolent thoughts. The Soldier peered around the corner of the tree, watching in wonder of what was not happening. To his perspective, the Jedi was just standing there and looking into the forest. He actually was startled when he heard a loud thump, a groan of surprise and then ... nothing ... Until the hum of the Jedi's sabre grew louder, but he couldn't see it anywhere ...

"GAH!!!"

He gasped in surprise as a flash of blue flashed across his eyes. Trying to catch his breath, he looked at Navaria, who had somehow caught the weapon, to his amazement, in her hand. Even for the time he worked with the Sith, he never saw anything like that before ...

"How'd you ... Where did it ... What ....??"

Navaria looked down at him and shut off the blade.

"He is unconscious."

Wei? Come over to where I am at. Someone has a lot of explaining to do and he does not need to explain it twice.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Yes, ma'am.

"You guys, watch your captives. Get someone to call the authorities and turn these guys in."

The men gave Wei a quick nod to acknowledge him and began to take the rebels away. Wei ran bak to Navaria, using his Force Boosting to arrive there quickly.

Wei skidded in much too fast and nearly slipped and fell on the fallen leaves as he tried to stop.

"Ok, so where's that explanation?" He asked jovially.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria was finishing up bandaging the wounded leg when Wei shot over. She had to clear her throat from all the dust her pupil had kicked up from speeding over to her location. Luckily, since the leg was covered, it was well protected from dirt and dust settling out.

"Wei. This is Renard. A former member of the Sith Empire's Military Force and someone who is going to help us with the location of their base."

Renard grimaced at Navaria as she applied some pressure to the wound. "Uh, yeah ..." He said, gritting his teeth. The pain was quite terrible. Yet, suddenly his features relaxed. He bent his leg back and forth with his knee. "The pain's gone," he said in awe. This was an awkward moment for him. No one has ever been so nice to him, especially after what he was trying to do.

The Jedi Knight patted his leg carefully.

"Yes. But do not go running around and walking on it yet. The wound is still fresh and will need time to heal. Even with my abilities to stop the bleeding and speed up the process."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei grinned. "Nice to meet you, Renard," Wei said, shaking the rebel's hand.

Wei crouched down to better stare the rebel in the eye. Wei's sudden change in height startled the rebel for a bit, but Wei didn't notice.

"So, how do you get to your base?" Wei asked. He was curious. It was like a treasure hunt as a child.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Well, it's not too far from the main city. About a day's travel. We didn't want ... to be ... too ... close." Renard's speech became washed with fear as one of his, now former, conscious comrades eyed him with malicious intent.

"You frelling bastard! When Myenriel finds out about this.... You are DEAD! YOU HEAR ME!! DEAD!!"

The blood drained away from Renard's face and he broke out in a cold sweat. "I ... I ... I didn't mean ..."

Navaria ignored the shouting and put a comforting hand across the clammy cheek of Renard.

"Do not listen to him. I promised you that you would not be harmed and I mean that. His eyes cannot yet see what opened yours."

Her voice took on a harmonic quality that Wei picked up on, as well as his Master using the Force. Renard on the other hand was mesmerized by it and the color slowly returned to his face and stood up with a renewed vigor.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei smiled. "Adda boy. Don't listen to these guys. They don't know what they are talking about. "

Wei walked over to the man who was trash talking Renald and got him in a firm, but friendly headlock.

"You know pal, if he is dead, then so are you. If you escape and report back to base, then the boss is gonna ask, 'so what stopped you from capping him before he squealed?' And when you tell him about us Jedi, he's gonna laugh at you for being such a coward and shoot you for letting Renald here be a liability."

Wei tightened his headlock a tiny bit, then relaxed his arm. Wei's face had the largest smile on it, making Wei and the rebel look every bit like they were brothers.

"So, why not just help us out? We'll make sure that you are also protected. Won't we, Master?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria said nothing, only smiling to Wei in obvious agreement, and then towards Renard. He was blinking in surprise, feeling his strength return. It almost felt like he was going to pass out but whatever Navaria had done, offered him a pick up in energy.

"Yes. Yes of course."

It came out erratic for he was trying not to laugh at Jasen in Wei's headlock.

"Myenriel is gonna have his hands full to not even worry about me. Mz. Tarkin ..."

Renard cleared his throat and stood up, under his own power.

"... I need a map of the area."

The Jedi turned and ask for one while two other Bakurians relieved Wei of his playmate. It didn't take too long for a map to appear in Navaria's hands. She spread it along the hood of the truck and Renard pointed out a specific section first.

"The small encampment, wouldn't really call it a base really, least not anymore. It's roughly about seventy miles in the thick of the woods. There are look-out posts along the way in all directions, but mostly from the East since Salis D'aar is that way. Six all together spread out evenly, here ... here ... here ... and along here. Closer you get, course, there are more sentries and the like."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei was now looking intently at the map, Rolling his head to loosen his neck muscles.

"Sounds fun."

Wei stretched his arms, and then moved on to stretch his legs.

"Only seventy miles, huh?"

Wei bounced on his toes, feeling the Force in his legs. He was ready to start running.

"Thanks, Renard. You've been a big help. We'll have some advantage if we get there before the sun is up. Let's go, Master! On your mark...get set..." Wei let his voice trail off, and got into a starting position.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria put up a hand to steady Wei.

"Wei, even with enhanced speed, it might take at least a day to get there. Remember there are traps along the way and who knows how many natural obstacles will impede our progress towards the base. A Jedi does not rush into these things lightly ... I would have thought there would be more questions as to the dangers we faced from the soldiers that you would have asked ..."

Even Wei could pick up the tone of disappointment coming from his Master's voice.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei stopped. "Oh yeah...." Wei's first mistake. But then again, Wei had always been one to just fly by the seat of his pants. Not out of recklessness, but because he saw plans and schemes as hindering. you can't be very flexible when you're following a plan. But it wouldn't hurt to have more information.

"Tell us more," Wei asked Renald.

Renald nodded and looked in the direction of the base.

"Well, There are proximity mines. You get too close, and they go off. And there are plenty, especially in the open places. They put a few in the tight squeezes, but not many. Most of us have transmitters that send a special frequency to the senors that shuts the traps down for maybe ten seconds. It's not much time, but it gets things done. There are small probe droids patrolling the forested areas near there. They are equipped with small blasters. They'd be hard to see at night, and there are more as you get closer to the base. Those are the only two traps out there, besides our own sentries."

Wei nodded. "Ok, so, how about the base?"

Renald gave a return nod. "Well, the base's layout is very simple. There are two floors. The ground floor is a gigantic hangar for skiffs and stuff that carry cargo. Most of the old crates and boxes are still there. We have people hiding behind them ready to start shooting if anyone breaks in. There is a turbo lift on the other side of the entrance that can take you to the second floor. On the second floor there are large shelves for keeping more cargo. Mostly useless things like holo-projectors, datapads, things like that. There are swarms of guys, and a sentinel-type droid patrolling around.

You don't want to run into the sentinel droid. A sentinel droid is made of a large sphere with these long things like tentacles dragging the ground. The top half of the sphere has a motion sensor and a blaster attached. That top half can rotate independently of the lower half. The sphere is heavily armored, and the boss had a light saber proof coating put on them, although I don't know of anything that can withstand a lightsaber. It's the only really decent piece of equipment we have left."

[Navaria Tarkin]

That Sentinel Droid bothered Navaria. She had no idea that the Rebels had anything that powerful in their arsenal but considering the source of their once assets, anything was possible.

She flagged over the two nearest officers, who had come within the last few minutes since being appraised of the situation that had happened. They gave Navaria a look of respect and scowled at Renald.

"No need for that, Officer. Renald here has been most helpful and needs to be taken into town proper with the wounded. Also ... I need a few favors before Wei and I go off to settle this problem with the last remnants of dissidents."


TWO HOURS LATER, ALREADY DEEP INTO THE BAKURIAN FOREST

"We should not run into too much trouble yet, Wei. Be on guard though. The first obstacle we will run across are probably the mines. Keep to the open areas and keep your mind alert. The Force should warn us if there is trouble as long as we remain calm and collected."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Wei swept his eyes to the left and right, looking for the most open areas. The forest was quite a tangle of trees. Wei moves as quickly as the dense trees would allow, eventually coming to an area where the trees were farther apart from each other.

"Much better Wei said. The Padawan stepped out into the open place and let out a deep breath. But Wei had only taken a few steps when a feeling of warning flashed across his mind.

Wei paid heed to the warning and jumped backward just in time to see a bomb go off where he was standing. Another flash, and Wei sprang right, then forward, perfroming a myriad of acrobatic leaps to avoid the mines that had been generously planted about.

By the time all was said and done, Wei was on the opposite end of the clearing from his master.

"Well, that was a good waste of trees," Wei said, catching his breath. "Master, come along."

Wei would stick to the trees for a bit. Those open spaces were dangerous. "They planned things rather well."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria's own words of danger were drowned out by the explosion, but Wei was already taking measures to survive; to which the Jedi Knight was grateful when he was unharmed on the other side of the clearing ... somehow managing to call out to her in between breaths. She smiled and then looked around, opening up her senses, her danger sense extremely on alert. From what she saw of Wei's pattern of acrobatics leaps and flips, the mines were spaced pretty closed together. That was committed to memory already in a computer like fashion, but Navaria made sure that it was always hanging there in her mind's eye as she began to strip off her outer cloak. If things got to chaotic, the baggy brown cloak would hinder her ability to move out of harm's way quickly and effectively.

She tossed it away, not really caring if she would ever find it again. It was only a cloak, a piece of material that could be easily replaced and began to walk forward. Between her editic memory and the Force guiding her ... Navaria navigated the mine littered field with expertise ... It wasn't as exciting as Wei's clearing of the field but she got the job done. One mine went off anyway, there was need to have more go off.

Finally on the other side, Navaria looked back, a deep breath exhaling from her nostrils.

"Yes. The trees it is. Come on, we better move quickly ... That explosion will alert someone perhaps. Not too sure since we are still pretty far away ... but better to be cautious."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded to acknowledge his master's warning and jumped into the trees. Wei took long strides from one branch to the other, clearing large distances with a fair amount of ease. Wei's foot slipped once, but Wei quickly grabbed onto the branch and decided to swing through the trees like an ape.

A few meters more into the jungle and things began to get dark again. The trees grew closer together, blocking out the moonlight. Wei stayed still and hung from the branch with one hand. Something was in the air. Some sort of strange thing was floating about somewhere.

"Master, I think we're at the place with all the probe droids," The Padawan whispered.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria kept close to the trees in a different manner. She hung by the tree trunks, senses focused in the immediate area for mines while keeping an eye on Wei's progress.

He suddenly stopped and was looking down at Navaria. Something had caught his attention. This particular had been oddly quite vacant of landmines so it was a simple feat of using one tree trunk as a springboard to vault herself to the closest lower branch. A few more leaps brought her next to her Padawan.

A Proid Droid would be a good explanation as to why secruity was laxed in this area.

"One thing to know about Probe Droids, Wei."

She began, whispering back, and pulling out her lightsabre.

"Is that they are quite fragile. The key to this is taking them out before they radio back to the Rebels. That is not so easy."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded as he listened to his teacher. Something triggered in Wei's mind and using the Force as a guide, reached out and telekinetically yanked a probe droid into a tree. A smashing noise met Wei's ears shortly after he mimed the pull.

"Right on time," Wei muttered.

Three small laserbolts replied to the Padawan simultaneously. Wei sntached the saber from his belt and activated it just in time to send the deadly lasers back to where they came from. 3 small orange balls of light could be seen a short distance away.

"They're everywhere," Wei whispered. "I think it might be a good idea to just charge right on through and get to the base as quickly as we can. If we're lucky, they'll open fire before reporting back to base. If we're not lucky, then we will arrive at the base right in the middle of the rebels' preparations for our visit."

Wei kept his mind alert to the goings on in the Force.

"What do you think of my plan, Master?"

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria winced as she heard the crumpling of metal hit the tree, and then fall to the ground below.

"Not exactly the quiet approach I was looking for ..."

Most likely the other Probe Droids had relayed the message that blaster fire was exchanged. Not to mention that the destruction of the droid might have been picked up by the Rebels, IF they had the equipment to detect that still.

"All right. The first problem is that the base is still pretty far away. We could just plow through them, as you suggested but I am pretty sure that with the little display you did there ... they already know we are coming."

She pursed her lips in thought.

"We might still have to go through them quickly before any reinforcements arrive but we should stick to close to cover when they do come. I want no one to see our presence until we want them too."

The Knight looked at Wei, readying herself to jump out of the tree.

"Agreed?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei bit his lip when his master told him they would probably know they were coming. Wei reminded himself to be more careful next time.

"Yes ma'am."

Wei got down out of the tree and looked out ahead of him. The trees were still pretty thick, but they would thin out as they got closer to the base.

"After you."

[Navaria Tarkin]

Sabre still in hand, Navaria dropped down from the safety of the trees and landed softly next to Wei. She looked at him and nodded.

Her eyes turned and fanned out across the open field ahead of them. It was perhaps fifty meters to the other side of the clearing. And with a little concentration, Navaria's sense of hearing picked up the slow hum of repulsors that carried the weight of the Probe Droids. There were five.

Wei, on my mark we move. Watch your right and left flanks. Two droids are on our left, two on our right, and one straight ahead.

Came the telepathic command.

Okay? GO!

With a burst of Force enhanced speed, Navaria shot out of the cover in the blink of an eye.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shunted power into his legs and followed closely behind his master, hot on her heels, very nearly neck and neck. Wei had been practicing Force Boosting more than any other technique, and now he was glad he had spent all that time.

The probe droid's motion sensors picked up the Padawan, and laserbolts chewed up the ground where Wei had been the second before. No doubt the people at the base were alerted, but Wei was a blur. In the dim moonlight, Wei could have been any number of large woodland creatures that lived about.

At last the two Jedi reached the woods again and the shooting stopped: the probe droid ahead of them must have evidently not seen them yet.

Wei reached in his sleeve and retrieved his fan. He left it closed, but held it in his hand. He liked having it around to deflect laserbolts with. In his other hand he held his de-activated saber. The Padawan reached out with the Force, trying to detect the droid floating around.

"Where are you? Come out," Wei whispered.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Wei was keeping up, avoiding any of the blaster fire that was coming their way. Navaria was similarly successful. Hopefully at the rate in which they were running blurred their cameras. The soldiers stationed at the communication monitors would probably think them rac-deer, or some other indigenous critter on Bakura.

Using the nearest tree for cover, Navaria listened intently for the hum of the Probe Droid. It was definitely heading their way. Then she heard Wei's whisper and she shot him a look.

No. Perhaps it will pass us. If we destroy it outright, they will know for certain that something other then animals are out here. If it spots us ... then we will have no choice.

She returned her attention back to the clearing, crouching down lower for better coverage. The humming was closer, about ten meters away.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei had no time to formulate a reply to his master before the humming grew louder. The Padawan jumped under a set of bushes as he heard the probe droid come near.

Adda boy.

Wei watched the probe droid float by. It maintained its forward motion but turned about on its vertical axis, taking in the entire area.

The droid floated down in the direction he and his master were heading. That wouldn't be good.

Master, now you will see why I wanted this thing to show itself. I plan to make our trip much smoother with this thing's help

Following words with actions, Wei used the Force to make a large limb fall out of a tree about 30 meters in the direction the probe droid had come from. There was a loud crash, and the machine made an abrupt about-face, and went on to check it out.

Stay low, Master. Here they come.

After 5 very long minutes, 10 rebels came through the clearing on speeder bikes, passing between Wei and Nav on their way to where the probe droid was still searching the area around which the noise had come. Wei waited for the last bike to pass. Luckily for him, it was carrying 2 passengers. Wei burst out from under the bush just as the last bike sped past, diving on the men like a hawk and knocking them off the bike and into unconciousness.

Wei was now getting more comfortable with telekinesis and turned the bike around and got it to stop near him. The Padawan dragged the rebels behind the bush and took the their clothes and helmet. Wei put on one set and tossed the other set to his teacher.

Put these on. Then let's ride the bike. We won't have to be sneaky as long as we keep our mouths shut, no one asks for some sort of password or ID, and those two other guys don't wake up. We'll go ahead and "report back to base." Those guys are going to be chasing a wild goose for a little while. Probably until dawn.

Wei climbed on the bike and began to figure out the controls while he waited on Navaria.

[Navaria Tarkin]

"Heh."

She said under her breath, quite impressed with the resourcefulness of her student. Navaria glanced at the other soldiers in the group while slipping into the clothes that Wei tossed her. They were definitely far enough away and spread out that they wouldn't be missing their friends here for awhile. Hopefully they won't be checking in too soon as well.

Doning the helmet, she hopped onto the speeder behind Wei, who was having some troubles with the controls. Time was of the essence and instead of pushing him aside, she touched the back of his neck and an instant connection between them was made. She knew quite well how these speeders worked, being a silent member of the Sith Empire, and it was 'downloaded' into her student's brain. Navaria didn't want to overload him so she only instilled the piloting and weapon controls in his mind.

There now go!

Without a thought now, Wei shot into the forest like a pro.

Be mindful of the trees

She ducked down, tucking her head against Wei's back.

So ... let us not go that fast... hmm?

Cautiously, the Jedi brought her head back up to see the view ahead.

We will need a cover story coming back. Perhaps tell them the truth? That the 'Jedi' are coming?

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shrugged. "Well, Mother always said to tell the truth. Let's not think about that right now. I'll think of something later on, when we get closer to the base."

A small beam of moonlight shone through the trees and the Padawan could see himself in the glass covering the speedometer. Then something clicked in his mind.

"That other guy was not wearing glasses. I need to take mine off."

Suiting actions to words, Wei reached up with one hand and removed his glasses before tucking them into his shirt sleeve.

Wei was already finely in tune with the Force and used it to guide the bike through the trees. Wei didn't need his glasses to see. The whole forest was mapped out for him in his brain thanks to the Force.

"This is fun. Master, I'm getting the hang of the bike now. May I go faster?" If Wei had learned one thing in his life, it was that he was a fast learner. He wanted a challenge.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria nodded to herself. When Wei and her were closer to the base, they would think of something for a cover story. She was still worried about the supposed Sentinel Droid getting the drop on them.

The speeder continued on shakily for awhile as Wei continued to gain a respectable amount of control. He straightened it out, enjoying the momentum and speed as they raced through the forest, acting as if this was just a regular outing.

We do want to get there as soon as possible but be careful. Remember that there are guards and that Sentinel Droid that we have to get by. Our ruse might not work.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shrugged. "Ruse? What's that word mean?" Wei asked. But soon he had the answer to his own quesiton. "You mean our cover story. Well, if it doesn't work, then we;ll have to fight I suppose."

Wei started threading the needle between a few trees, listening to the sound that was made as they rushed past.

"Leave it all up to me about the cover story, Master."

Wei was completely relaxed. He was beginning to like the speeder bike. At last, Wei was getting used to it. He increased speed a little bit and zoomed through the trees, the moon casting long shadows everywhere.

"It's a nice night." Wei said to himself.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Even racing through the trees an obscene speed, the forest was still beautiful. She would have like watching the shadows cast by the leaves, on this clear night, sway upon the ground ... making the grass seemingly dance. All that was visible was the fast approaching trees and the canopy above where the moon threatened to peek through.

Yes. It is. .... ....Wait a minute.

Navaria looked to her right. She swore that there were intelligent minds that had entered her sphere of influence. Narrowing her focus in that area she learned that she was correct.

Time for that 'ruse', Wei. We have company coming on two speeders. They are not the ones from the original group but they are heading this way. Shall we go with what I suggested?

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei didn't answer out loud, but instead shrugged his shoulders as if to say "Why not?"

The people rode up and motioned for Wei to slow down. When the engines were silent enough to hear each other, one of the bikers spoke up.

"Where are you headed?" One of them asked in a gruff voice.

Wei pointed in the direction of the base. "Back to headquarters."

The gruff one nodded. "Where are the others? I thought you guys were with them."

Wei nodded. "We decided to report back to base ourselves to tell them that we are searching for whatever made the loud sound."

Gruff shook his head and sighed with annoyance. "You could have called in on the comlink."

Wei nodded quickly. "Yeah, but thing is, where there are Jedi, the government cannot be far behind. Supposed they picked up the frequency and decoded the message? Then they would know that we were aware of them. I thought it best to go back to base so we could re-group and get the drop on them."

The gruff man nodded. "Point well made. That encryption is pretty old." The rebel shifted on his seat and got ready to go. "Let's head out. We were going back to base ourselves. It'll be better to ride with more people than just us. It'll be easier to look out for the Jedi that way."

Wei nodded and the small group set off towards the base. If those poor rebels only knew what they had gotten themselves into.

[Navaria Tarkin]

She thanked the Force for the blanket of night and that the helmets covered seventy percent of their faces. Navaria just acted like she was Wei's subordinate. There was no need to interject. Less things were said, the better anyway. Again she was impressed at how her Padawan handled the situation and soon they were off on their way again towards the base. This time they had the Rebels leading them right to it, completely ignorant of the fact that they were 'escorting' two Jedi safely the rest of the way. Both of the them kept quiet, only speaking in the headset if asked anything directed at them.

The entire group pressed all night through the forest. Navaria called upon the Force to rejuvenate her body as she would be fresh when they finally it made it to the base. It would do her no good to be half asleep when things got messy.

It was when dawn's first rays touched the black sky that they all made it into camp. Wei skidded the speeder to a halt and Navaria looked around carefully. It was just as Renald described on the outside but .... she frowned. There was no sign of that Sentinel Droid. Not good.

"Hey you two!"

The Rebel that Wei was talking to earlier had come up to them again. Navaria was grateful that it was still dark out.

"You better report to Captain Myenriel. He'll want a report on whatcha guys found out there. Especially since you made it back first."

[Wei Wu Wei]

The place was very large, with all sorts of crates stacked in odd places throughout. The hangar was very poorly lit, leaving large places of shadow here and there. The second floor was merely a catwalk used to get to the various offices that were located there.

Wei had no idea where the Captain was, or what he looked like. But if he was patient, and didn't try too hard, he'd find Myenriel sooner or later.

Wei entered deeper into the hangar, and was greeted by a rebel leaning on a large crate. From the way the rebel acted, he must have been friends with the man Wei had knocked out.

"Hey, pal. Take off that helmet and have a drink."

Wei shook his head. "I need to talk to the Captain. Pronto."

The rebel nodded. "Yeah. You went out with that one group, right? He's been waiting on you guys to report back. It must be a big emergency for you to come back here personally to report." The rebel hit his commlink, and after a short talk with the Captain, Myenriel was out of his office, down the stairs and before Wei ready to get the report.

"Report, soldier."

Wei nodded. "We have reason to believe--"

But the Captain cut him off. "Take off your helmet and salute your Captain! I will not tolerated insubordination!"

The jig was up. Wei reached for his helmet, and removed it, along with his jumpsuit. Myenriel gave the Padawan a look of surprise.

Wu Wei had worn the jumpsuit over his own clothes, and now stood in his regular martial arts attire with his lightsaber on his belt.

"The Jedi are here, sir."

Captain Myenriel paled and ran for his office. "Hold these Jedi off for a moment!" He bellowed.

The Captain scrambled up the stairs and into his office. Fishing around in his desk, he found what he was looking for. A remote with one small button on it. Myenriel activated the remote, and grinned. He was glad he still had this one last card up his sleeve.

"The poor fools will never know what hit them." Then he looked out his window at the ground below to watch the Jedi meet their fate.

[Navaria Tarkin]

A dozen or so soldiers looked stunned inside the hangar. The fact that two Jedi had made it directly into their base cause the color to drain from their faces. It gave Navaria enough time to remove the uncomfortable helmet and prepare herself for the inevitable battle when the men regained their composure. Sabre at the ready, she expanded her senses and became one with the Force just in time to hear blasters being readied. The light blue blade ignited into existence with a snap-hiss to easily deflect the first volley of red blaster bolts aimed at Navaria. Problem was, her and Wei were sitting ducks in the middle of this hangar the Rebels surrounding them.

Wei! Split up and draw their fire.

The Knight parried the next volley by twirling her weapon in a figure eight pattern before her. The bolts were batted back at the Rebels, causing them to scatter. This gave Navaria ample enough time to spring forward and find cover behind three speeders. They wouldn't be stupid enough to fire at the vehicles inside the hanger....

....


That was when three shots rang out and pelted against the armor of the speeders. Luckily, the engine wasn't hit otherwise her and the Rebels nearby would have been blown to bits.

"Idiots."

She snapped up to her feet and threw her sabre at the four Rebels closest to her position. Her aim was not to harm them in any way ... just to remove the objects that they had no foresight with to use properly.

In one single arc and under Navaria's complete control through the Force, the blue blade cut the first quarter of their blaster rifles off, rendering them useless. The Jedi willed her weapon back to her hand and studied the situation through the Force, focusing on the morale of the troops. The four in front were afraid and bewildered. Most likely would make a run for it. The ones dealing with Wei were also confused by his remarks and his unique fighting style. Those that have yet to participate were figuring out what to do.

A flash of danger broke her thoughts and her eyes moved towards the hangar bay door out of instinct. And was perplexed. Navaria was looking at a Probe Droid ... But then, she remembered Renald talking about a Sentinel and that caused her too look closer.

Probe Droids don't have blasters that big on the rotating halves... nor that many appendages underneath.

WEI! Looks like Myenriel called in reinforcements.

Through that mental link, Navaria sent an image into Wei's mind
of the Sentinel that was heading their way.

She batted away more blaster fire and started to think ... Maybe the Rebels hitting that engine might not be such a bad idea after all ...

[Wei Wu Wei]

At his master's first command Wei sprinted for the nearest wall, and ran along it, as fast as his Force-boosted feet would carry him. blaster bolts made the wall look like Swiss cheese.
Wei jumped from the wall and onto a crate, then onto another crate to the floor below. Wei body tackled one rebel. The man's crumpled body slammed into one of the other gunmen. The Padawan ignited his saber, slicing another rebel's weapon in two.

"What's wrong? You keep hitting where I was instead of where I am."

Wei deflected the laserbolt reply before recieving the image of the droid. Wei whistled.

What a beast. he replied to his master.

Wei picked up a large steel box and threw it at a group of rebels that had clustered up together.

"There is not always safety in numbers," he said as he watched his opponents scatter.

Wei looked around the warehouse. He was on the opposite end of the building from the captain.

"This will be interesting," Wei said, as he continued to defend himself from blaster fire. Wei knew what his next task was to be: get the commander.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Taking a deep breath, Navaria called upon all the inner strength she could muster. If this plan went wrong, even slightly wrong, she'd probably do more damage to herself then to the droid. Of course, there were the Rebels to think about .... There was another cluster of speeder bikes on the opposite end of hangar. Less people were around too. Better odds that Navaria liked.

I will try and distract the droid so you can go after Myenriel.

She had picked up on the intentions of her Padawan. They had been in mental contact for so long that it was just natural to pick up on certain thoughts.

The Sentinel Droid turned finally aimed in her location. Which was still right next to the speeder ... She shot up standing and deflected the blaster away from her area and towards the small group of Rebels that were still armed. They scattered and using the bike as a vault, Navaria flipped over into the general area of another small cluster ... engaging them in hand to hand combat while the driod decided upon a new tactic. It's programming was to kill the Jedi not the soldiers of the unit. With the Rebels so close around Navaria it had to move in closer to take better aim.

Hopefully Wei would have picked up on his Master's plan and wait until the droid was close enough to the speeders and blow them up ...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei kept sharp watch on the Sentinel in his mind's eye as it moved toward the speeders that his Master had once hid behind. Once the droid was close enough, Wei used the Force to snatch a pistol from a Rebel's hand and fired a few shots at the speeder's fuel tanks. After missing a few shots, Wei managed a hit. The large explosion rocked the droid and it emerged blackened, and a large dent in one side of it. The droid tried to swivel its top half to aim at the Padawan, but couldn't get around all the way.

Master, your plan worked. Now we can get behind it.

When Wei said "We" he actually meant just Navaria. By now Myenriel was headed toward a speeder bike at the base of the stairs near his office.

Wei knew he had a duty to his Master, but he also knew that getting Myenriel was more important. "A Jedi''s gotta do what a Jedi's gotta do."

Wei tore out after MYenriel, who had escaped from teh other side of the warehouse, leaving his Master alone to take care of the Sentinel and the remaining Rebels. He was pretty sure she would do the same thing if she was in his place.

[Navaria Tarkin]

A spinning back kick sent one of the Rebels flailing away from the Knight as the bone rattling explosion disabled the Sentinel Droid ... but not completely. That droid's metal plating was better then she thought. On the good side, it couldn't move as fast nor target her or Wei with such ease as before.

It didn't mean it wouldn't try and was ready to open fire on Wei's position. She knew he wanted to go after Myenriel. He was the closest out of the two of them and it was imperative that they capture the Captain immediately. Once their leader is taken into custody, most of the Rebels should surrender. Navaria could feel how tired they were of fighting a war they knew they couldn't win but were afraid of their Captaion more so, which was why they continued to attack without their hearts in it.

I will cover you, Wei.

The Rebels were still stunned from the explosion, leaving Navaria's complete focus in lifting up a supply crate by the Force to take the blaster fire from the droid ... and getting its attention fast. She was still on the side where it could swivel around and take aim ... Her eyes widened as not only was it turret coming around but the few blasters that were still working underneath were coming around as well. It was probably going to lay down a spray, taking out anything in the area.

Navaria shoved one Rebel out of the way and grabbed onto another one before bounding. The soldier she carried was quite fortunate that the Knight had done that because there was no chance that his armor would have protected him that onslaught. Navaria on the other hand was lucky to still be wearing it. It saved her from serious harm as two bolts impacted against her side and back, knocking the wind out of her. She landed hard behind the droid and unceremoniously dropped the Rebel on the ground. It would be easy to recover and block the pain. She just hoped that Wei was able to get away in the confusion.

CLICK CLICK CLICK

"Oh great ..."

Several guns were being aimed in her direction as she mumbled under her breath ...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei was jumping from crate to crate to crate, gaining more and more speed through the Force.

"I'm coming, Myenriel," The Padawan muttered, as he hit the ground on the other side and started out into the wilderness after the speeder bike. Wei could just barely see the vehicle out in front of him.

Wei was gaining slowly but steadily. It was only a matter of time.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria was readying herself for the inevitable but something stayed her hand. Danger was prevalent everywhere but something didn't add up in her mind, the Force hinting at unforeseen possibilities.

It was then, that all hell broke loose and not in the direction of Navaria as first thought. She watched in stunned silence as three Rebels opened fired upon the Droid, including the one that she had saved. With such a concentrated effort, and the previous damage to the armor, the Sentinel was blown away.

The Knight shielded her eyes from the explosion and when the dust cleared, she looked up at the Rebel standing next to her, still perplexed to this change of events.

"But ...why?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei was speeding off after Myenriel as fast as his feet would carry him. Myenriel took one hand off the steering and leveled a blaster at Wei. The Captain fired off two shots, then returned his hand to the steering as fast as he could.

Wei snatched out his lightsaber, and defelcted the shots back as best he could while running. Two of the bolts ran into the ground, and another one sailed past the bike. Wei switched off his saber, but kept it in his hand in case MYenriel tried it again.

He can't keep the bike straight for long when he does that, Wei thought. I'll trip him up the next time he tries again.

But in the meantime, Wei cleared out his mind of all other thoughts outside of chasing Myenriel down. Wei changed his focus on the Force, and strengthened his legs for optimal long jumping and began to bound after his prey. IT was always good to have some variety.

[Navaria Tarkin]

Navaria blinked in wonder, still waiting for the response. The Rebel lowered his blaster rifle, letting it hang freely from his shoulder, as he took off his helmet. His dirty blonde hair was mussed and his young face was lined heavily with age. He stared at Navaria for a long moment before turning to his men.

"Round up the rest of the troops and make sure that other Sentinel isn't active."

A chorus of yes sirs echoed before they took off. The Jedi got to her feet and turned off her sabre, knowing that her battle was over. So she waited, knowing full well that this Rebel soldier had no intention of taking her prisoner.

She heard him sigh and watched his eyes move to look at her from the side. "Most of us are tired of the fighting. There's no point to it anymore and we aren't delusional like Myenriel. We were abandoned and left to rot but he convinced us we could still win Bakura again.

Then food shortages began and we resorted to cowardly attacks against the Bakurians and more of us were getting killed then doing anything. It takes a toll on you, ya know?"

Navaria closed her eyes briefly and nodded in understanding.

"With you Jedi showing up, Myenriel's gonna get his. Gave us some courage to stand up to him. Course ... I know some aren't gonna give up. It's why we couldn't go against him before. Too many loyal men."

He sounded so discouraged by that that Navaria had to speak up.

"But you are giving them a choice. That is what matters."

He smiled at that.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Course ..."

He looked at the rubble of speeder parts.

"... I think most of the loyal ones blew up."

Navaria didn't share in the joke, but understood the levity. He cleared his throat once the seriousness of her face sank in and offered his hand.

"Name's Baras."

That got her to smile and returned the gesture.

"Navaria."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Meanwhile, the sky was beginning to grow brighter, and Wei was slowly gaining on the deranged Captain. There was a flash in Wei's mind, and the Padawan instantly switched back to running.

Myenriel turned, aimed his blaster, and fired a shot. Myenriel grinned. Wei could sense his attitude. He was cocky that he couldn't miss from such a distance.

If only Myenriel knew that Wei was smiling for the exact same reason. SNAP-HISS! and the laserbolt was heading back the way it came, and struck the rear of the bike. The vehicle bucked, and smoke began to plume from the rear of it, but Myenriel kept going. The crippled bike could no longer outrun its predator, and Wei found himself close enough to jump onto the bike and knock Myenriel out with a quick blow to the temple.

The captain slumped in his seat, out cold. Wei got him about the middle and jumped up, taking the Captain from the bike and allowing the wrecked vehicle to continue limping ahead until it ran into a tree and transformed into a ball of fire and shrapnel.

The Padawan landed lightly on his feet, and used a vine from a nearby tree to bind Myenriel's hands.

"You people never learn, do you? Why resist, when you could yield and then defeat your opponents by cooperating with the system?" Wei sighed and shook his head as the sun came up. "Now isn't that a sight to see?" Wei said, smiling.

A large carrier was heard coming his way, and the Padawan saw his teacher headed toward him in a large open air truck like the ones they had ridden in to go help the citizens the day before. The trucks made a stop to gather Wei and his charge, and the group began to return to town.

"What a beautiful new day."