Crossroads: Prelude

[Nimue]

Faoileán left the palace through a side door and ducked into an alley. The hiding place seemed safe for the moment, as much as any place could be safe in the war-torn city. She peered out onto the main street where a couple of buildings were on fire. Dead bodies lay among the rubble, and from somewhere too close for comfort came the sound of heavy fighting.

"Droids are swarming in the city", Wyellett's disembodied voice said next to her ear. "We need to get out of Avin, and quickly."

Faoileán was about to reply when she staggered suddenly. "Master Wyellett", she whispered. "The Force... I can't feel it." She looked around in sheer panic, but everything seemed flat and colourless and there was no point of orientation anywhere. Moments later there was a bright flash, and everything was back to normal.

She shook her head. "It's getting worse", she said.

"Yes it is", Wyellett replied grimly. "Whatever just hit you, we don't want to be in the city when it happens again. I will scout ahead and tell you where it's safe to go, but you will need to move quickly. Those droids are everywhere, and any route I find will not be safe for long."

"Northwest", she said. "There is something to the northwest, a darkness like I have never sensed before. I need to go there."

"We will. Now listen. Leave the alley, then turn right and immediately right again..."

An hour later they had left the city proper and were making their way through the ravaged outskirts. It was slow going, since Wyellett continually warned her about patrols which needed to be evaded, so every few minutes she had to find cover and duck out of sight. They managed to keep a course to the northwest and eventually reached a wooded area where the fighting seemed to be less.

Faoileán ducked into a clump of shrubs and sank to the ground. "Your passenger is getting more agitated, yes?" Wyellett observed. She only nodded. "I will try to talk to it again", the dead Jedi said. "Rest a bit, we should be safe here for the moment."

He focused and immediately saw the spark. It was still clinging to Faoileán's aura, but it shone more brightly than it had before. Wyellett reached out and carefully probed it. "Can you hear me?"

"I... hear you."

A real reply for the first time. The spark was still in agony, but it was coherent. "What happened to you?" Wyellett asked silently.

"Don't know... pain... must..." The spark was clearly agitated. "Light. Must keep close to the light."

"What light? Are you talking about Master Faoileán?"

The spark seemed confused. "Light. Keep close to the light or be lost forever. Must find..." The mental voice grew weaker. "Must find... me."

Wyellett tried to maintain contact, but he sensed the voice slipping back into confusion. "Who are you?" he asked before he lost contact entirely.

"I am... Ma'akai." Then it was gone, drowned in a sea of pain again.

[Nimue]

"Ma'akai?" Faoileán frowned when Wyellett told her what he had learned. "I don't know anyone by that name."

"Me neither", Wyellett said. "But it's a start, and I think I have an idea what might have happened to him."

Faoileán raised her head, thinking that she had heard someone approach, but all was silent. Wyellett seemed unperturbed, so they were probably safe for the moment.

"I think it is fairly obvious by now that whatever happened to him is connected to the events on Cera", the dead Jedi went on. "What if he was in the vicinity when that disturbance happened? What if he wasn't killed like everyone else in the area, but a part of him got away?"

"You mean the part that is with me now."

"Yes." Wyellett's translucent form started pacing up and down, pondering. "From what I sense when I touch him, it is clear that the being that is with you is incomplete. There seems to be some kind of connection to the missing part, and I think those nightmares you have are that missing part's feelings." He stopped and looked at her. "I think that Ma'akai's missing part is with whomever killed all those people."

Faoileán shuddered. "No wonder he was confused if he was spread across half the galaxy - one part here, the other with me on Coruscant." She gave Wyellett a thoughtful look. "What you say sounds plausible. Ever since we arrived on Jurin, I've been fighting those nightmares even while I'm awake. I have trouble breathing, and that moment when I lost my connection to the Force..." She rubbed her temples. "I need to find him", she said softly. "There are rituals which can heal the soul, just like the body can be healed. I need to restore him."

"That is probably the only way to stop those nightmares", Wyellett agreed. "Not to mention that I can't imagine you knowingly leaving anyone to torment like that."

Faoileán nodded. "I wonder who he is", she mused. "Probably a citizen of Cera, but how did he get ripped apart when everyone else was simply killed?"

"I don't know", Wyellett said. "Perhaps after you heal him and he becomes one with the Force I can ask him."

She looked at him, trying to determine whether he was serious or mocking her, but his face was unreadable, and she decided not to ask. They had more pressing business to attend to. With a sigh she rose from the tree stump she had been sitting on. "Let's go", she said. "We need to find the being that is behind all this, and then figure out how to free that missing part."

[Nimue]

Faoileán stopped to catch her breath. It happened more frequently now, she noticed - her lungs just didn't seem to be able to hold enough of the fresh forest air to keep her going. Her sight was slightly dimmed too, but thankfully her Force sense was as acute as always and the incident outside the palace had not been repeated so far.

She was just about to set out again when she heard the noise. More precisely, it was a change in the noise that had been all around her, the sound of aircraft rushing overhead and heavy artillery firing in the distance. Now, however, the sound of engines changed to a stuttering cough, then a high pitched wail. It grew louder, then there was an explosion. A dying engine shrieked its last, and not far from where Faoileán was standing a shadow came falling out of the sky. It crashed through the treeline a bit ahead with a deafening noise, then disappeared out of sight.

Faoileán started running. Making her way across the rough terrain quickly was not easy, but she sensed a living presence inside the shuttle. Whoever it was was very likely injured, and she had to get to them before any of the Imperial forces did. Brushing aside some shrubs she finally arrived at the crash site.

The shuttle was never going to fly again, that much was obvious at first glance. Its nose was half buried in the soft ground, and although Faoileán was not an expert on aircraft, it was evident even to her that some of its parts were not supposed to stick out at odd angles like that. She hurried over to the wreck and tried to open the door. As expected it didn't budge, so she drew her lightsaber and started cutting it open. Someone was inside, dazed from the impact but alive.

At last the door gave way and she entered. Following her Force sense she reached the cockpit. A young Zabrak was strapped in the pilot's chair, bruised and shaken but breathing. With a start, Faoileán realised that she knew him by sight, although they had never spoken beyond a greeting. Master Zaahir Kos was a Jedi, and she remembered seeing him on Tython with his sister Ismene, who had also trained at the temple and was a healer like Faoileán.

"Master Zaahir...?" Faoileán carefully touched his shoulder, unsure whether he was conscious.

The Zabrak muttered something unintelligible and shifted in his chair, then his eyes snapped open. He blinked at Faoileán in confusion. “I… crashed”, he said slowly, as if trying to process what had happened, then a look of mortification washed over his face. “I didn’t hit anyone, did I? Are you all right?”

“Shh”, Faoileán said gently. "Let me see to your injuries first, then we can talk. Try not to move for the moment." She closed her eyes and reached out through the Force, then she carefully probed his wounds. To her relief none of them were major: some scratches and bruises, a cracked but not broken bone, a dislodged shoulder... painful, but not life-threatening. No ruptures or internal bleeding, no damage to the brain or spine. Good. Drawing a deep breath she narrowed her focus and channelled the Force to the cracked bone in his leg.

He relaxed under her touch and leaned back with a little sigh. His eyes unfocused slightly, then suddenly he frowned and looked past her with a puzzled expression. “I think I hit my head harder than I thought”, he muttered. “I could swear I just saw someone standing there.”

Faoileán didn't reply, but focused on letting the Force flow into him and mend him. Slowly she felt the damaged tissue heal under her touch. The cracked bone was fixed and as good as new, so she shifted her attention to his other injuries. The dislodged shoulder settled into its natural position with a snap that sent a jolt of pain through him, but she immediately soothed it.

As she continued working on his minor injuries she sensed exhaustion in him, a bone deep weariness that came from neglecting basic needs like food and sleep for days. There was something troubling him, she realised, but she respected his privacy and didn't probe. Instead she focused on easing the last aches from his bruises and clearing away the throbbing in his head, then she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"That is all I can do for now", she said. "Will you be all right?"

He experimentally moved his arms and legs, then stretched. “I feel better than ever”, he assured her. “Thank you, Master… Faoileán, isn’t it?”

She nodded, and they extricated themselves from the wreck of the shuttle. Outside, Zaahir looked at it with a slightly mournful expression. “What a mess”, he said with a sigh. Then he looked around. “Where are we? Somewhere close to the ritual site, from the feel of it?”

“Ritual site?” Faoileán frowned. She could feel her "passenger" stirring, growing restless, almost excited. She looked around for Wyellett, but couldn't see him.

"I'm here", his disembodied voice said right next to her ear. "I thought it better if I didn't show myself to your new friend just yet, he's still a bit rattled. Don't worry, he can't hear me."

Faoileán had no idea how to reply without Zaahir hearing her, and he probably would have doubted her sanity if she had started talking at the empty air, so she only nodded briefly. “Where were you headed when you were shot down?” she asked.

“I was supposed to bring supplies to our ground team headed for the temple”, the Zabrak explained. Seeing her nonplussed look, he added, “The ruins near the capital? Apparently that’s where the Sith entity is making her second attempt to complete the ritual.”

“I’m afraid I know very little of what’s going on here”, she said almost apologetically. “I’m not part of your strike unit.”

Zaahir gave her a confused look. “Then what are you doing here, if I may ask?”

"I was..." Her voice trailed off. Force help me, how do I explain that without sounding like a lunatic? She took a deep breath. "You might say that I was looking for someone", she said carefully. "One of the victims of whatever happened on Cera. His essence was… ripped apart, for lack of a better word, and I think that one of the halves is with that darkness we sense northwest of here. The other part... well, the other part is with me." She paused, studying his face to gauge his reaction.

[Nimue]

He was silent for a while, looking at her with a carefully neutral expression. He sensed she was anxious, probably worried that her explanation sounded too outlandish. I wonder… does she know? Does she know that I understand all too well what it’s like not to be alone in one’s mind?

He concluded that she probably did not. The Jedi Council had been very determined to hush up the affair after the dust had settled, and it was likely that no one outside the council and the small circle of those directly involved in the events had heard of his experience. He felt strangely relieved at the thought.

At last he gave her a somewhat rueful smile. “Well… I’ve certainly seen my share of strange things, and this isn’t even at the top of the list. I believe you. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

“You could tell me what is happening here”, she said. “I heard about the strike force you were part of, but I don’t know why you came here, and how all of this ties in with the Imperial invasion or the events on Cera.”

“Cera”, he said thoughtfully. “How much do you know about what went down there?”

She shrugged. “A lot of people died suddenly, and no one knows why. That’s about the extent of my knowledge.”

“They died because an ancient Sith entity performed a ritual, which thankfully didn’t quite work out as she had planned”, he said. “At least that’s what Grand Master Satele told us in the briefing. Master Satele didn’t know what the ritual’s purpose was, but apparently the essence of those who died during it was absorbed by the entity, rather than becoming one with the Force. Some members of the Council speculated that she was trying to depopulate the entire planet, using the life force of its inhabitants for some unknown goal. Something went wrong and she ‘only’ managed to obliterate a city.”

He started pacing. “We don’t know who the entity is or what her plans are. Or at least“, he corrected himself, “I don’t. I suspect the Council at least has a theory, since Master Satele consistently referred to the entity as ‘she’. And whatever the entity was up to on Cera, she’s trying to repeat it on Jurin. That’s why the Council assembled a strike team. Satele called in a few favours with Supreme Commander Malcolm, who promptly sent some ‘volunteers’, strictly off the record of course. If Republic High Command or the senate knew about this, they’d throw fits. But we are here to make sure that the second ritual is stopped before it can be completed, and that the entity is destroyed.” He glanced mournfully at his crashed shuttle. “Although I probably won’t get there in time to make a difference in the fighting.”

He looked at her. “If you are headed to that temple, I’ll go with you. Last I heard the Imps were trying to fight their way in, and the entity has both Sith and military forces to defend her while she’s doing her thing in there. With our people also trying to stop her, there’s an all out war going on in that ruin, and it would be suicide to go there alone.”

Faoileán was silent for a while as she took in what she had just learned. What Zaahir had told her fit in with what she had seen in Avin, and what she sensed from the ruins ahead. It also increased the sense of urgency she had been feeling ever since their arrival on Jurin.

"Thank you", she said at last. "I would be glad for some company." She didn't think it wise to inform him that she already had company. Telling him about Ma'akai was risky enough, but bringing Wyellett into play as well might be a bit too much.

As they started making their way through the forest, Zaahir said, “So… if I understand you correctly, you are carrying one half of someone’s soul with you, and are looking for the second half. Exactly what do you intend to do when you find it? Are you planning to rejoin the parts? Or just send them on to become one with the Force?”

Faoileán looked at the young Zabrak thoughtfully. Until they had met a few minutes ago she had known him only by name, but she felt a connection with him which she found hard to explain. Something told her that he understood her and could be trusted, which was a very welcome feeling. Having Wyellett around was a great comfort, but it felt good to speak with someone closer to her own age, not to mention alive.

“I intend to try and rejoin the two parts”, she said. “I do not know whose soul it is, but he is suffering. Badly. I can sense his agony, and it is not something I would wish on any living creature." Her face darkened at the thought of the nightmares, and now that she was getting closer the split soul's pain was spreading to her even when she was awake.

He nodded slowly. “That's a lot to carry, and I can't imagine it's getting any easier.”

She watched him duck under a low-hanging branch, noting how his movements seemed slowed ever so slightly. She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Forgive me if I am intruding on your privacy, but as I was healing you I could not help but notice that you seem to have been neglecting yourself to some extent. You are sleep deprived and undernourished. Is there... something troubling you?" She shot him a quick glance and added hastily, "You don't have to answer if this is too personal. After all, you don't even know me."

Zaahir smiled back at her over his shoulder, although the smile was somewhat pained and more than a little self-deprecatory.

"Who has time to sleep and eat in war? Too much to do. Besides...." he gestured towards the temple, "who can sleep well with that casting a pall over the entire planet?" He shivered as they walked, and fell into a companionable silence. The wind had shifted, carrying the noise and smoke of the battle away instead of towards them, and for a few minutes the forest was quiet and almost peaceful.

[Nimue]

"So....how was it that you found yourself in the company of a wayward soul?", Zaahir asked after a while. The question was a little strained in an effort to sound normal. "And if that's too personal a question from me, you can always tell me to shut it. I can see why it might be someone like you, though, being a healer and-"

Zaahir stopped abruptly, listening. The ground shook a little underfoot and through the Force he felt blasted by an enormous surge of rage and hatred.

"Did you feel that? I think we’d better hurry if we're going to catch the main event." He peered at Faoileán. "How do you feel about running?"

Faoileán had indeed felt the tremor in the force, a powerful blast of dark energy that made her stomach lurch. She was not quite sure how far away they still were, but it was clear that somewhere in the vicinity things were coming to a head. Wyellett's disembodied voice whispered next to her ear, "They broke through her defenders and are fighting her directly. She is becoming weaker, it will not be long now."

Faoileán glanced at Zaahir and nodded. "Let's move."

They set out at a jog, which was really the fastest speed possible in the rough terrain. Faoileán seemed just about to say something when she suddenly stopped and doubled over, gasping in pain and fighting for air.

It took Zaahir a couple of steps to realise that she was no longer following him. He turned around with a questioning look on his face, which turned to alarm as he saw her cringing in pain and fighting for breath.

“Master Faoileán!” He dashed to her side and looked around, but could see no sign of an attack. He suspected that whatever was affecting her had something to do with the soul fragment she carried, but that was not something he could fight. Instead, he drew upon the Force and channelled a protective shield around her, more out of a need to do something than because he thought it would help. “I’m here”, he said soothingly. “If you can tell me what you need, I’ll do it.”

Faoileán drew a shuddering breath and straightened. Zaahir’s presence was reassuring. He was alert and on the lookout for any danger, and she knew he would do what he could to keep her safe.

"Thank you", she said weakly and leaned against a tree. "I will be all right in a moment, I just need to catch my breath."

"She doesn't want to let him go", Wyellett's voice said next to her ear. "One of the Jedi is trying to weaken her by freeing the souls she absorbed, but she still has a hold on them. What you just felt was the two of them tugging at Ma’akai’s soul. The part that is with you is feeling every bit of it, and it is projecting its agony to you."

"I think I should explain a few things", she said slowly, still bracing herself against the tree for support. "That split soul... there is still a connection between the two parts. The part that is with me feels what the other part is going through. And so, by extension, do I. At first it was just nightmares, but since I arrived on Jurin, it got worse." She looked at him, somewhat embarrassed. "Am I making any sense at all?"

Zaahir nodded slowly. "Yes. It makes sense to me that there would be a connection." His face went very grim. "If you're feeling such pain, I don't want to think about what the rest of the souls the entity has collected are going through. Even if she weren't trying to destroy planets, that alone would be reason enough to take her out."

They were near enough now that they could see the temple grounds, see that there was fighting going on although it was hard to tell which force was which. Zaahir looked at Faoileán, equally concerned and determined. "What can be done to help this soul? Do we need to go help take out the entity? Or is there something else we can do?"

"I don't know", Faoileán admitted. Goodness, what a fool he must think I am - rushing out into the thick of a war zone without any idea what to do once I get there. "I am not combat-trained, but maybe we can help those who are fighting her. They must be in need of healing, and any edge we can give them might help."

She looked at the temple ruin which was rising just a short distance ahead, signs of heavy fighting evident even from here.

[Nimue]

Zaahir considered their options for a moment, mouth pressed into a thoughtful line. He was no commander, but he had some experience with battle. He couldn't take on a whole army by himself, of course, but he should be able to deal with small groups of skirmishers. Faoileán was a healer; that would help, even in her current weakened state.

He calculated the distance between their position and the temple. It was hard to guess the best way inside until they got there, but from here he could see a spot in the courtyard that seemed quiet. A good place to reach and regroup. Zaahir stirred from his thoughts and glanced at Faoileán. "Okay, let's move. Stay behind me, and let me know if we need to stop."

Faoileán nodded and started moving, secretly relieved to see Zaahir take charge of the situation. The soul - Ma'akai - was tugging at her as if urging her on. She could feel his excitement, and again she wondered who he might have been in life. "Master Wyellett?" she whispered softly, hoping that Zaahir couldn't hear her.

"I'm here", the ghost answered reassuringly.

"What is going on at the temple? Do you know?"

"The strike force is still fighting the entity", he said. "They have dealt her a heavy blow, but she is not yet defeated, although some of them think so."

Faoileán glanced at Zaahir who was walking a few paces ahead, occasionally looking back to see if she was keeping up. He was still guarding her, and she thanked the Force for letting their paths cross.

"I'm not sure what a difference the two of us can make, but if there is anything I can do to help them, I will." With new determination she followed Zaahir, moving ever closer to the darkness ahead.

*****

It was strangely quiet in the temple. The fighting had come to a standstill or been drawn elsewhere, and the cool shadow of the ruin felt less oppressive than they had expected as they carefully picked their way through the rubble and along a passage that finally led below the ground.

Faoileán looked around, noting the signs of recent fighting: blaster marks, burnt vegetation that had taken possession of the ruin during the centuries it had been abandoned, and had now been scorched by shots and lightsabers.

And the corpses. Dead bodies were everywhere, mainly Imperial soldiers, but there were more than a few Sith among them. Zaahir studied them with a grim expression. “From the position of those corpses I’d guess that the majority of them were the entity’s defenders, cut down as the Imperials broke through.”

Faoileán glanced at them, then looked away, fighting a queasy feeling in her stomach. All those lives snuffed out, so much destruction. It depressed her that there was nothing she could do about it, even though she told herself that the souls of those around her had moved on to become one with the Force. But many of them looked so young… “She must have taken acolytes straight from Korriban”, she said. “Look at them, some are barely more than teenagers.”

Zaahir nodded. His eyes narrowed as he scanned their surroundings, then he inhaled sharply. For a very brief moment, Faoileán saw a strange expression flit across his face - recognition… and something else? Before she could figure out what it had been it was gone, and he turned to her. "Any ideas as to which direction?" His voice was a quiet murmur. "We should be careful though, we're not the only ones in here. I sense Sith nearby."

She sighed. "I'm not sure", she said. "It could be-- ugh." Suddenly she staggered and pressed her hands to her face. The room was spinning around her and her sight went out. Something was tugging at her violently, the ground seemed to lurch upwards, and somewhere in the confusion and blackness was Master Wyellett's voice: "He's free! They freed him!"

She tried to straighten, then realised that she still couldn't see anything. "Ma'akai", she whispered and slowly sagged to her knees.

Zaahir looked at her with alarm. “Master Faoileán?” He took a step towards her and touched her shoulder, at a loss what to do. He could feel the Sith coming closer, two of them, and one of the signatures achingly familiar.

He needed a distraction. Presenting a weakness to Sith was a bad idea in general, and letting them find Faoileán in her current condition was an even worse one. He didn’t like leaving her behind in her helpless state, but he had to draw the Sith away from her to give her time to recover.

He gently pushed Faoileán into a little alcove to hide her as best he could. Then he drew on the Force until he shone like a beacon with it, hiding Faoileán's signature with his own. It wouldn't last long nor conceal much, but it might work if both Sith were in a mood to look the other way. Given the circumstances that wasn’t completely impossible; it was likely that the entity was their main concern. Glowing faintly, he stepped out of the alcove and walked down the hallway to meet them.

[Nimue]

"Get up", Wyellett told Faoileán, his voice urgent. "There are Sith coming this way. Your friend is distracting them, but you are not safe here."

"Zaahir?" she murmured, struggling to her feet. Her vision was still dim as she looked around, and the young Zabrak was nowhere to be seen.

"He's off playing the hero", Wyellett said, his tone giving no indication what he thought of such heroics. "I hope he doesn't get himself killed, but you must use the advantage he's buying you. Move. No, not this way." He led her out of the alcove and down the corridor.

Faoileán stumbled along following him, soon losing her way among the twisted passages.

After a while she felt her sight returning, and the corridor beneath her feet slowly ceased to lurch and heave. At last she stopped and looked around. She was standing in a vaulted underground chamber that seemed to have escaped most of the destruction. Dust had gathered everywhere, and the place looked like no one had been here in years. The fighting didn't appear to have reached this place, and everything was deadly quiet.

Faoileán took a deep breath. She felt almost normal now, her strength was returning quickly and her Force sense keen as before. She turned to look at Wyellett, whose shimmering form hung in mid-air a few metres away.

"I can sense him", she said. "He is free, and he is close." She shuddered. "The second half is dark."

The dead Jedi nodded. "Very few people are purely of the light, or purely of darkness. Most are both, and this one is no exception."

"I will heal him", Faoileán said determinedly. "Whoever he was in life, he deserves to move on and become one with the Force. No one should suffer such a split existence."

"I agree", Wyellett said, then gave a small sigh. "As much as I would like to stay and witness the ritual, I am afraid that this is where our paths diverge. My task here is finished and I am needed elsewhere, so I must leave you. I have to say it was an interesting experience." He bowed slightly. "I wish you luck", he said. "May the Force be with you." He smiled. “Maybe we will meet again, who knows.” With that, he winked out of sight, leaving Faoileán alone in the chamber.

Faoileán was slightly surprised at his abrupt exit, but there was no time to wonder now. Carefully she probed her surroundings. At some distance she could sense Zaahir, his Force presence blazing like a flame, bright and bold. She felt a twinge of guilt at allowing him to put himself in danger for her sake, but there was nothing to be done about it now. "You must use the advantage he's buying you", Wyellett had admonished her, and she intended to do that.

Scanning further she also sensed two Sith in Zaahir's direct vicinity. All three of them were alert and leery of each other, but no open hostilities seemed to have broken out yet. "Force keep you safe, my friend", she murmured, then withdrew her awareness. It was time to make some preparations before the ritual, most importantly: to provide for a means of escape.

Faoileán pulled out her commlink and opened a secure channel. "Seetoo, come in." The holo flickered to life, showing the image of her steward droid. The connection was bad, static obscured the image and the audio, but at least it wasn’t completely jammed.

"Master Faoileán, I’m so relieved--" the droid began, but she cut him off. "No time for that now. I need you to launch at once and come to the Jurin system as fast as you can make it. Do not attempt to land on Jurin, the planet is under Imperial occupation. Stay somewhere close, I will find you."

"But Master--"

"Just do it, Seetoo. Go to ground on one of the asteroids in the system and stay put, I'll contact you again." Without waiting for a reply she cut the transmission and prepared herself for the ritual.

Faoileán stood in the centre of the chamber and closed her eyes. Joining her hands in front of her chest, she bowed her head and drew her awareness within herself, masking her presence in the Force from anyone outside the chamber. For what was ahead she would need strength, and that strength had to come from within her. With practiced ease she slipped into meditation.

There is no emotion, there is peace…

Faoileán drew upon the Force and called out to the torn soul.

Ma'akai... come to me. It is time.

She could feel the two halves dancing around her, the light one and the dark, their excitement almost palpable. She didn't receive any coherent thoughts from either of them, but she got the impression that they understood that she was trying to help them. Since the entity’s demise the feeling of suffocation had vanished and the pain had lessened, but they were still confused and hurting. It was time to end their suffering and let them become one with the Force.

Ma'akai...

She reached out through the Force and touched each half. The dark one felt cold, but it didn't scare her since the light half was just as strong. Whoever he had been in life, he had not been wholly evil.

Ma'akai...

She channelled as much of the Force as she could hold, drawing on every last reserve within her. Slowly her body was lifted up until she hung about half a metre above the ground, arms spread wide and a golden glow surrounding her. The two halves floated closer and closer to each other, finally touching and starting to fuse. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Faoileán's brow, but she held her concentration and continued channelling until the last remnants of the rift were gone and the soul was mended, whole again as if it had never been torn.

A feeling of elation and profound relief from Ma'akai washed over her, freed at last from pain and confusion.

May you find peace in the Force, was Faoileán’s last thought as blackness claimed her. Faoileán dropped to the ground drained and spent, deeply unconscious before her body hit the floor.

In a room somewhere in the temple, a pair of deep green eyes opened slowly.

[Nimue]

Ma'akai slowly opened the eyes that were now his. How strange, he thought bemusedly, not to know what colour one's own eyes are. His thoughts were still fuzzy, and he fought to remember what had happened.

The light. He remembered the light. It had been the one steady thing in a galaxy of chaos, something to hold on to. It had carried and comforted him and kept him safe until… what? He slowly shook his head. There had also been darkness that had threatened to swallow him, he recalled that too, and pain like he had never believed existed. He had no idea how much time had passed, it had seemed an eternity to him. But then the light had called to him and it had made him whole again, and here he was. Wherever here is, he thought drily.

He tried moving his arms, his legs, and noted with satisfaction that they obeyed him just like they had always been his. Whatever this body had died of (for it had definitely been dead when he moved in), it hadn't been a grievous physical injury. He still felt somewhat addled, but he wasn't hurting and everything seemed to be functional.

He sat up and looked at himself, as far as that was possible in the dim light. A warrior's body, he was pleased to note, well trained and in good shape. He was wearing armour in different shades of red and black, nothing fancy but well made and practical. Next to him, a lightsaber lay on the ground.

So you were Sith too, my friend. Good for me. He picked up the weapon and ignited it to make sure it was still working. A light red blade obediently came to life with a low hum. Ma'akai got to his feet and went through a few basic moves just to make sure this body knew how to do them. Then he nodded in satisfaction and put the weapon away. Time to get his bearings, and decide what to do with his new life.

He looked around and tried to figure out where he might be. He vaguely remembered moving around, since the light had moved and he had stayed close to it. However, he had been unable to really see his surroundings, so he had no clue where it might have taken him. Whatever this place was, it had clearly seen better days; an ancient underground ruin that looked long abandoned except for the signs of recent fighting. There were dead bodies strewn across the floor, none of them old. Nothing moved in the vicinity.

Ma'akai carefully extended his awareness to try and find out whether there might be other living beings around. After all, something had to be responsible for all these fresh corpses. He probed slowly and methodically, and it didn't take long until he found something.

What do we have here?

A bright, blazing presence, boldly flaunting itself. Ma'akai was surprised that anyone would be careless - or stupid - enough to openly announce their presence in these surroundings. A Jedi, he realised. Oh well, they did things for the strangest of reasons. Interestingly though, the Jedi wasn't alone - there were two other beings close to him. Both of them were Sith. A very strange combination, and it was likely that they had already become aware of him.

Intrigued, Ma'akai set out to meet them.

[Nimue]

Ma'akai moved along the silent corridors, all senses alert. He still hadn't come across any living creature except the group ahead of him, although there had been a great many corpses. Once he thought he felt another being at the edge of his awareness, but when he stopped to listen it was gone, and try as he might he could not find it again. The fleeting contact had felt familiar in some way, but it had been too brief and too faint to pin it down.

He was getting close to the approaching group now, they were probably somewhere around the next corner. Keeping his emotions tightly shielded and his face carefully neutral, he stepped around the corner and stopped within sight of them.

The Jedi was taking point, which was a bit of a surprise. He was brave to turn his back at two armed Sith - brave, or foolish. He did not appear to be a prisoner though since he was still carrying his weapon. The Sith, however, were keeping a close eye on him.

Ma'akai bowed to the Sith with precise formality, conveying the proper measure of respect without servility. "My Lords."

Then he gave a polite nod towards the Jedi and added, "Master Jedi." No need to throw one's manners overboard just because the man was supposed to be an enemy.

Standing at ease and without making any move towards his weapon, he waited for them to acknowledge his presence.

The group stopped in their tracks, staring at him. They were a weirdly mixed bunch, he noted - the Jedi was a Zabrak, one of the Sith was a Rattataki whose chalk white face was almost obscured by his hood, and the other was a pureblood Sith woman with yellow eyes that dissected him like knives.

The Jedi gave him a look of utter confusion and blurted out, “Who are you?” At the same time, the woman asked sharply, “Where did you come from? Are you one of hers?” The Rattataki remained silent, watching them.

Ma'akai glanced briefly at the Jedi, whose Force presence was no longer blazing like a torch and who seemed slightly worried - well, who wouldn't be, in his place. Still, the Sith was rather impressed with the fellow despite himself - it took guts to remain calm in the sight of such odds. Something about him seemed vaguely familiar too, and Ma'akai wondered why that might be.

He fixed his attention on the woman, a slow smile spreading across his face. So... temperamental, he thought amusedly. He did not make the mistake of underestimating her though - she was Sith, she radiated power and she was clearly dangerous, probably even more so than her Rattataki companion.

He pondered how much he might safely tell them. He still didn't know where he was, or what exactly had happened, and he had no idea who the “her” might be the Sith was referring to. Also, it occurred to him that one of them might recognise his body, but he couldn’t even guess who its former owner had been. He had no memories other than his own, patchy as they were, so passing himself off as the unlucky deceased was not an option. He decided that he knew too little to safely bluff his way through, so some measure of truth would be required.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well", he said pleasantly, keeping his eyes on the woman and his most charming smile in place. "And no, I am not 'one of hers', as you chose to put it. I am, for all intents and purposes, my own." He nodded at the Jedi. "As for who I am and where I came from", he added, "I am Lord Ma'akai teVoran, and I am afraid I met with a bit of an accident somewhere back there." He pointed his thumb back over his shoulder.

“Lord Ma’akai teVoran”, the Rattataki repeated slowly, like he had heard the name before and was trying to place it. “Well met. Forgive what might seem a lack of manners, but I must inquire before introductions on our part, how did you come to this temple complex? May I ask as to your mission or purpose here? And if I may, do you serve another Sith Lord or Darth?”

Ma’akai looked at him, slightly nonplussed. The man was clearly a Sith, and his signature hinted at considerable strength in the Force, but his manner of speaking was… odd, to say the least. For some reason, he made Ma’akai uneasy, but of course it would never do to show that.

"So many questions", Ma’akai said softly, but with a steely edge to his voice. "And not one good reason to answer them. I rather think that I have told you quite a lot already, while you have told me nothing. So", he deliberately returned his attention to the woman, "may I inquire whom I have the honour to be addressing?"

The woman smiled. It was not a kind expression. She inclined her head to Ma'akai. "You may inquire. I choose to answer. I am Darth Noor. With me is Darth K'sarrin." She gestured to the Rattataki. As an afterthought, she added: "And this Jedi, whose company we appear to have whether it is wanted or not. Master Zaahir Kos, isn't it?"

She waited for his nod, then continued, "We have come here to make sure the entity is well and truly dead. So, vague allusions to accidents aside, it would behoove you to think of some way to prove that you are not affiliated with her in any way. As for good reasons to answer our questions..." she nodded at those she had just introduced. "I can name several."

Ma'akai watched Noor's face closely as she introduced herself and the rest of her group. Two Darths - so technically everyone outranked him, which was rather awkward. As she introduced the Jedi, however, he thought he sensed something odd passing between them, but it was too fleeting to be sure.

“TeVoran”, K’sarrin said suddenly, as if he had just remembered something. “A relation to Darth Cillius, perhaps?”

"A relation, yes", Ma'akai said, carefully keeping his voice neutral. He wasn't surprised that K’sarrin had heard of his father - the ambitions of Darth Cillius teVoran were hardly a secret in Kaas City. Perhaps it had been a mistake to be so forthcoming with his full name.

“Interesting”, Noor murmured. “Again - what are you doing on Jurin if, as you say, you are not affiliated with the entity? And what about that ‘accident’ of yours?”

So, Jurin. That was some useful information at last. He didn't know much about the place, but he had done some reading up before heading to Cera and he knew that Jurin was a planet in the same system. Neutral-aligned (although from the look of things that might have changed recently), inhabited by colonists who had originally come from the Republic core worlds and had decimated the original population prior to settling down. Strange how that seemed to be perfectly acceptable when the Republic did it, but there was an outcry when the Empire employed the same methods.

"I came to Jurin on personal business", he said. "I can assure you that it had nothing whatsoever to do with any entity." He paused for a moment, then went on, "As for my accident... I'm afraid there is not much I can tell you about it. I blacked out, and when I woke up I was surrounded by corpses. I am at a loss as to what happened in the meantime."

K’sarrin raised his head, peering at Ma’akai from under his hood. “How unfortunate”, he murmured. “Passing out in a location such as this should not be dismissed lightly, and I admit it piques my curiosity. Are you sure you cannot tell us any more? Perhaps you need medical attention?”

Oh, I bet you're curious, Ma'akai thought, inwardly cursing his lack of knowledge about the recent events in the ruin. He didn't have enough facts to make up a convincing story, so the only strategy was to avoid the question.

"Your concern is appreciated, my Lord", he said politely. "However, I assure you that I am not in need of medical attention. I admit to some curiosity about your own reasons for being here though - particularly in such... interesting company?" He waved a negligent hand towards Zaahir. "A Jedi who does not appear to be your prisoner, but who, if I understand Darth Noor correctly, decided to tag along uninvited?"

Zaahir crossed his arms over his chest. He was both annoyed and amused at the display of textbook-perfect Sith behavior taking place in front of him. If ever there was a Sith 101, I've found it. "Merely a case of being at the same place at the same time," he replied negligently and then glanced around, in case any of the Sith were starting to get any funny ideas now that there was another one of them around. Faoileán....if you're still here somewhere, I could use some backup, he thought, reaching out with the Force to see if he could locate her. At the very least, if he needed to escape in a hurry, he didn't want to leave her behind. "I don't particularly want to be here either, but it was a case of needs must. If we can start moving along to the conclusion that the temple is now entity-free, then we can see about getting out of here."

Noor didn’t reply at once, but studied the stranger in front of her thoughtfully. There was something odd about him, something she couldn’t pinpoint, but for all that she could detect no trace of any outside influence in his aura. The entity had not been subtle; those she had taken possession of had carried telltale signs on them if one knew what to look for. There was also the fact that while his behaviour was guarded, which was natural under the circumstances, it showed no hint that he was being controlled by anything other than his own caution.

“Agreed”, she said at last. "While any further knowledge is of course useful, I am beginning to suspect that Lord Ma'akai's accident may have been some side effect of the dark sorcery being performed here, and nothing more... informative." She did not really have anything to go on besides her suspicion, but Ma'akai's evasions suggested to her that he either absolutely didn't want to tell them why he was here - or that he didn't remember. "We could of course investigate deeper into the temple, but I think we would find little more than slain acolytes."

K’sarrin bowed to her. “I admit I am curious to see what does lie ahead in this temple. And perhaps even question Lord Ma'akai a bit more. I would personally at least explore the rest of the ruins. But I shall defer to your wisdom with regards to this, my Lord.” He glanced at Ma’akai, his pale eyes gleaming in the shadow of his hood. “Perhaps Lord Ma’akai would care to accompany us back outside?”

No way, Ma’akai thought immediately. He bowed to K'sarrin. "I thank you for your offer to accompany you, my Lord, but I would prefer to make my own way back. I would not intrude upon such an illustrious group more than necessary." He allowed himself the barest hint of an ironic smile at the last statement. He most certainly did not want to be prodded and probed by two Sith and a Jedi while he was still trying to get his bearings, not to mention that he had plans of his own and the last thing he needed underfoot were other Sith. "With your permission, my Lords, I will take my leave."

Noor’s yellow eyes bored into his, but she said nothing and just minutely inclined her head. Before any further objections could be raised, Ma’akai bowed formally, then turned and walked away.

Zaahir watched with some surprise as Ma'akai took his leave without much fuss. One moment the Sith was there, the next he had extricated himself before anyone could say anything. Zaahir admired the man's smoothness. I should do the same. Too many Darths on the dance floor.

"With all due respect, I'll follow suit." He hesitated over the place in the conversation where he would traditionally say, “May the Force be with you”, or something similar, but given the circumstances that seemed rather inappropriate. Instead, he said, "May the Force guide you to moderation." He bowed and left before any of the Sith could rethink his usefulness as a prisoner of war.

He did not look at Noor, although he wanted to. She said nothing as he left.

[Nimue]

Once Ma’akai was confident that he had put a safe distance between himself and the odd group, he stopped to think. The ruin was eerily quiet now; the fighting seemed to have died down and the survivors had left the battlefield. There was really no reason for him to stick around any longer - none but a nagging certainty that he had unfinished business. His head had cleared and he felt fully like himself again, even though the memory of his recent ordeals was still fresh and painful.

But there was also the memory of the light. It had saved more than his life, and if the light, as he assumed, had really been a person, it was highly likely that this person was still in the vicinity somewhere. Ma’akai was no healer, but he imagined that fixing a soul that had been ripped in half took considerable effort, so it was entirely possible that whoever had saved him was now in need of help themselves. Ma’akai had a strong dislike of unpaid debts, whether he was owing them or being owed. Consequently, he set out to go looking for his rescuer.

What he found instead, much to his surprise, was the Jedi, Master Zaahir. The Zabrak was no longer flaunting his presence - quite contrary, he seemed to be trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He was alone now, moving as silently as a cat, and Ma’akai nearly bumped into him as he rounded a corner.

Ma’akai stopped in his tracks and gave the Jedi a look that was half amused, half annoyed. “Now that is a surprise.”

Zaahir seemed as much taken aback as the Sith, but he recovered quickly. “What is, exactly?” he asked in a neutral tone.

“Why, meeting you again, of course. I figured you’d be long gone by now, seeing that you managed to shake your… companions.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, clearly awaiting an explanation.

Zaahir sighed. "I crashed my shuttle coming in", he said, because that was the safest answer. And then, even though he wasn't sure there was a plan, he added, "I'm just waiting for extraction. My friends should be arriving fairly soon." I hope. He looked at the Sith. "What about you? You didn't seem like you wanted to stick around either."

Ma'akai gave the Jedi a thoughtful look, unsure how much he could safely tell him. He knew nothing about the man, but on the other hand he desperately needed some information, and it would at least be safer to ask him than to admit a weakness to a fellow Sith. Besides, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had met Master Zaahir Kos before - he hadn't recognised his face when he ran into him and the Darths, but something about his Force signature had and still did seem vaguely familiar.

"Let us say I have unfinished business here", he said at last.

"Ah." The Zabrak squinted quizzically at him, and from the look on his face his thoughts were similar to Ma'akai's a moment before, namely, he was trying to decide how much to tell him.

Ma'akai was a puzzle, one that Zaahir was finding difficult to solve. The man had a sabacc face that the best card sharps on Nar Shaddaa would admire. He also had a Force signature that felt very new somehow, and Zaahir had his suspicions about why that was. “This is an odd place”, he said finally. “Strange things happen here.”

Ma’akai smiled wryly. “You could say that, yes.” The Jedi was visibly struggling with a decision, and Ma’akai watched him with faint amusement.

"Another reason I haven't left yet," Zaahir said slowly, "is that I came here to the temple with someone. I’m not quite sure what happened to her." He felt Ma'akai's attention sharpen on him.

"Oh?" the Sith asked. “A friend of yours?”

Zaahir smiled briefly. “A very new friend. She found me after my shuttle went down, and we came to the temple together.”

Ma’akai’s eyes were fixed on him. “A strange coincidence”, he mused. “What did she want here?”

"I don’t know in detail. Just that she was here to perform a healing ritual of some kind. But I haven’t been able to sense her since… well, since you appeared, to be blunt."

Ma'akai's green eyes seemed to gleam with interest. "A healing ritual”, he repeated slowly. “So your friend is a Jedi as well?”

“She is.” Zaahir was certain now that the other knew more than he let on. He hesitated. "I don't know what happened to her after the ritual”, he said at last, “but I don't want to put her into more danger. I tried to hide her with my Force signature but I don't know how successful I was." He looked a little embarrassed. “I’m not very good at subterfuge.”

"So that's why you were burning so brightly”, Ma’akai realised. “You were trying to draw attention away from her, with no consideration for your own safety.” He shook his head slightly. “What a very Jedi thing to do.” An amused twinkle in his eyes softened the derision in his words, then his gaze became thoughtful. “So, this friend of yours… you think she’s defenseless? Wounded or unconscious, lost somewhere in these ruins?”

Zaahir’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why are you so interested in her?”

Ma’akai leaned against the wall, arms still crossed in front of his chest and his hands well away from his weapon. A demonstratively non-threatening position, the Jedi noted. The Sith’s green eyes looked him over silently for a while. Finally he seemed to come to a decision. “I think I have met your friend”, Ma’akai said quietly. “And if she is who I think she is, then I owe her. A lot. I am in the habit of repaying my debts.”

Ma'akai's words crystallized some of the suspicions Zaahir had and went a long way towards reassuring him. Something told him that the Sith was telling the truth, as unusual as that might be with his kind. “In that case…” he said slowly, “maybe I can trust you won’t harm her.”

“What do you know about that healing ritual she was here to perform?” Ma’akai asked.

The Zabrak shrugged slightly. “Not much. I’m not a healer, I don’t know about these things. She said something about healing a soul, a… spirit of some kind? I admit I didn’t really understand it.”

Ma’akai nodded as if Zaahir’s words had just confirmed what he had already known. “I think I understand all too well”, he said quietly.

Zaahir looked at him, unsurprised. “It’s you, isn’t it.” It was not a question.

“Yes.” The Sith returned his gaze without moving a muscle. “Tell me about her.”

“Her name is Master Faoileán”, Zaahir said. "She's a young Twi'lek, pretty, with yellow skin and black markings."

"I haven’t seen many Twi'leks around here," Ma'akai mused. "She should be easy to spot." He pushed himself away from the wall and paced thoughtfully. “One more thing. As you gathered, I’ve been out of the picture for a while. The last thing I remember is that I was on Cera. Now I hear that we’re on Jurin. I have no idea how I got here, or what the situation is outside these ruins. Can you bring me up to speed?”

Zaahir nodded and proceeded to give the Sith a quick summary of what he knew about the recent events. Ma’akai listened silently, absorbing the information.

“So Jurin is under Imperial occupation now”, Zaahir finished at last, “and from where I’m standing, that is of course terrible news.”

Ma’akai smiled slightly. “I won’t take it personally.” His smile faded. “But it means you should indeed hurry to leave this world. These friends of yours who are supposed to extract you… are they reliable?”

The Jedi shrugged. “As reliable as anything can be in a war. They’ll come for me if they possibly can.”

Ma’akai nodded. “Then get out of here, Master Jedi. The longer you wait, the harder it will get.”

“But Faoileán…”, Zaahir began, but Ma’akai cut him off.

“I will take care of her. I will find her and get her to safety, you have my word. You may not put much stock in the promise of a Sith, but perhaps the word of a warrior will mean something.”

Zaahir gave him a long look, then nodded. Strange as it was, he did believe the Sith. “All right.” He sighed. “Maybe I’m making a terrible mistake here, but… I just hope I’m not.”

“Do you have a message you want me to relay when I find her?” Ma’akai asked.

The Jedi thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Just tell her that I’m fine”, he said.

Ma’akai inclined his head. “I will. And now you should leave.”

“Yes.” Zaahir bowed. "Good luck. May the Force be with you."

Ma'akai returned the bow. "May it serve you well."

He watched Zaahir reaching for his commlink as he walked away, apparently answering an incoming message. Confident that the Jedi would be all right, and silently wondering why he cared, he made his way back towards the room where he had woken up. Somewhere along the way he had felt the slightest echo of another mind, and it was the only clue he had on Master Faoileán's whereabouts.

Determinedly, Ma’akai set out to find his light in the darkness of the ruin.

The End