Project Alpha: "Shadow Fall"

[GuardianElite]

Ok this is the story right before "Revolution". I caught a lot of flack for posting that before "Revolution" so here it is....

This takes place a couple of months after Drem and RT's wedding. She has fallen into a deep depression after losing RT and her only child. He is busy trying to break her out of it, but she has become vicious and vindictive.

Enjoy. I enjoyed writing it.

[GuardianElite]

Shortly After RT and Drem are married; Dremmess subsequently 'loses' the child she's carrying...or so they believe…..

The crying baby led her through a series of winding hallways...the highly polished floor reflecting the low light above. Dremmess looked left, then right quickly; only two ways to go. Bringing her hands to her head and pulling at the sides of hair, she pulled repeatedly not sure where to go. She whispered in a circle in front of her moving from right to left to cover the hall intersection.

"Baby...Little Baby...mommy is here. Don't worry...I'm coming.", she finally, exasperatedly chose to go left, as time began to slow down...she saw herself turn the corner, a thin white robe flowing over and around her, face bright with a loving smile. Crying was getting closer now and she desperately tried to speed up as time continued to slow...she was almost there. Rounding the next corner, she stopped cold...time catching her as the blaster bolt pierced her heart, blood beginning to warm the front of her white gown. She fell to her knees looking up at her husband, in full gleaming yellow and black armor, trying to grasp at him but failing, continuing to fall and seeing RT step over her leveling his pistol to her head....the bright flash waking her from sleep. Her husband RTninefoursix lay fast asleep next to her. Taking several deep breaths and clutching her chest, she glared angrily at her husband as she slipped from the bed placing her feet on the cold deck and swiping a half empty bottle of Corellian Liquor from her bed side table. The images still fresh she sat in the center ship room on the gaming love seat taking large swallows of the bottle trying to drink the images away. The Stewart droid C2-N2 saw her and approached.


"Mistress Alpha, do you require anything? I am more than willing to--", the droid didn't finish as Dremmess lifted a hand slightly, hurling the droid into the far side bulkhead. It sparked, jerked strangely several times before simply shutting down. Dremmess didn't even look up, continuing to brood and drink from her bottle. The liquor doing nothing for the images in her mind. RT emerged from the bedchamber stepping over the threshold as he tied his robe.

"Drem! What the hell!?!?", he looked over at the droid, silent and leaking fluid from several spots, lying still on the floor. Bending down over the droid he turned scowling at his wife, "We are going to have to take out a loan at the rate your destroying stuff around here." RT sat down next to her laying his head in his hands for a second before finally looking at her.

"Are you going to say anything? Hello?"

Dremmess turned her head slowly, mouth attached firmly to the bottle, taking another sip in his face. RT wanted to slap it out of her hand, but knew she would just find another. Getting up and crossing the room to the bedchamber, he finished by stating the obvious.

"We aren't going to make it if you don't talk to me."

The crying baby still in her mind and now fully intoxicated again, Drem sat back on the loveseat, looking at the ceiling a sly smile parted her lips as she whispered.

"It's alright Baby...Mommy's coming..."


The next day...RT was finishing his afternoon report, lifting his Holo to call Drem he put it back down just as fast, knowing she wouldn't answer and knowing exactly where she was. He buttoned up the last portion of his armor making his way from the hangar down to the Cantina, stopping at the foot of the stairs to look around....she sat alone, brooding on one of the side couches. Clearly not in the mood for conversation, RT instead elected to go to one of the bars to query the Bar Droid.

"I am looking for a very special bottle of wine. A monastery on Malastare makes a red wine, said to have a very particular taste. The Monks there create it." The droid spun around silently moving through one of the bottom cabinets until stopping grabbing a bottle and placing it on the counter. It spoke in a mechanical voice.

<"One hundred twenty five credits please.">

RT paid the droid reaching up and taking two wine glasses from the rack, he turned approaching his wife, still brooding in the corner.

"Darth Dremmess, I presume? May I join you or do I have to have a membership in the "Sith Wanna-be's Club"?, he laughed to himself as he referred to her choice of dress lately, all black with lots of deep red. Sometimes she wore a hood, other times not. For now she wore a high collared suit in deep red and black with intricate designs on it. Completing the ensemble she kept with her high black boots and black armored pants. She was not amused by his jab at her choice of dress, but played along anyway.

"Darth Dremmess? I like the sound of that...", she gestured to the empty spot next to her. Setting the glasses down, RT did not sit at once instead popping the cork on the wine and pouring himself a glass. He raised the wine glass to the light, looking at the wine's purity eventually hazarding a glance at her.

"What's with this anyway? I thought we were getting past this.", he gestured at her choice of clothing once again. She turned her head slowly to look at him.

"Get past what? I've told you before...this is the new me, I like it and I don't plan on changing."

RT swirled the wine in the glass before stopping the glass at his nose and sniffing over the rim.

"Well I was hoping to share this wine with you, sit and talk, maybe like adults for a change. We could discuss your recent affinity for 'Sith' like clothing." Dremmess didn't move, remaining focused on the stairs, like she was waiting for something. She glanced at the empty seat next to her once again and this time RT did sit after taking a sip of his wine, swishing it around in his mouth. "It's from Malastare. Made at the Temple Karolin is currently visiting.", RT hoped to bait her a bit into talking about his Sister's recent departure back to the Temple. Karolin's visit and subsequent help offered to Dremmess was not received well, as Dremmess had done everything in her power to tick Karolin off which eventually led to Karolin giving up and simply leaving. Dremmess wasn't biting.

"I don't wish to speak about Karolin. I am glad she's gone, her annoying banter was getting to be too much to bare." Frowning RT took another sip of the wine pouring another glass and handing it to his Wife. She in turn took a long sip, "It's good...has a very sweet taste." RT smiled nodding at her comment.

"What else do the Monks have to do but meditate and make great wine.", he was still attempting to bait her and she finally turned on him.

"What do you want RT? Your obviously not here to spend time with me, haven't you had enough fighting for one day?", Dremmess returned to looking at the stairs keeping her distance from him on the couch. RT simply frowned, swirling his wine again.

"That's not a very adult thing to say. I'm not here to fight with you. I want to talk about us, the future...what's our next move? Where are we going from here?"

Turning her head sharply to face her husband, Dremmess shot him an angry look, "Go? Where do we go from here? I told you, I am right where I want to be! Future? There is no future, only here, right now...I'm living for the moment, enjoying what's right in front of me.", her expression softened a bit as she scooted closer to RT, getting up into his lap and nuzzling into his armored chest, "And right now... I want you...just love me RT, right now, right here, just like I am." RT leaned out placing his empty glass on the table, sliding out from under his wife, standing up, sealing his helmet on his head. She turned on him again, angry that he moved from under her, angrier still that he was obviously leaving, "Where do you think your going?!?!"

RT looked at his Chrono, turning on his external speaker to respond, "I have a meeting to get to on Tython.", Dremmess turned on the couch placing her feet on the floor and standing up to put herself in his arms.

"Surely you don't have to go now...lover. Can't you stay with me awhile? There are so many things left to 'talk' about", her anger becoming lust as she pawed at him running her fingertips up his chest armor and over his helmet visor to caress his neck. RT was unmoved by her obvious attempts to satiate her own lust, "Besides, what's important enough to discuss on Tython to make you leave a wife who so obviously needs you." Dremmess purred the last of those words at him as she batted her eyes.

Shaking his head, RT was unfazed by his wife's attempts to use him in satiating her desire. Fully prepared to tell her why he was going to Tython, in fact wanting to, he turned up the volume in his external speaker.

"You. You are the topic of tonight's discussion."

Dremmess lurched backwards as if struck by a blow, she even rubbed her jaw glaring at her husband angrily.

"I told you I'm fine! Stop trying to fix me...there is nothing wrong!", she turned her back to him, her mind racing as she thought about her marriage, love, passion, hate, anger, the baby...their Son, making her mind up at once she turned to face her armored husband once again, "Then maybe I will take a trip...maybe I will go away for a couple of days, weeks, maybe a month...", she allowed her words to follow her as she began to move away from him toward the stairs, RT moved to the center breezeway, placing his hands in his hips, he increased the volume on his external again.

"Dremmess! You leave, you stay gone. Understand me?" RT pointed at her to emphasize his point.

Dremmess turned sharply back toward her husband walking toward him several steps defiantly, "So much for until 'Death do you part'!", she wrenched at her right handed glove taking it off in a huff, removing her wedding rings and tossing them at him, "And you can keep these too! I won't need them where I'm going, goodbye RT...", she turned to leave again as RT spoke. His voice ominous and foreboding, there was no anger; just a hint of sadness.

"Very soon...you will do something dreadful. You fallen ones are all alike, it's only a matter of time really...Then they will send me for you. Me and the rest of the Republic Military. How far do you think you can get, Dremmess? There is no hole deep enough, no rock big enough that we can't find you. And it won't just be me and the Military...the Jedi will come too, not because your fallen, but because of what you know. They will kill you as surely as if they would kill anyone of us for leaving the reservation with knowledge of the Project.", he moved a step closer to her, "I am begging you, you are crossing a line I can't follow you past, don't make me do something we will both regret."

Once again Dremmess turned sharply to her husband, her dark red cape flowing in a half circle as she did so, "Regret? Lets talk about regret...I regret the day I laid eyes in you, coward! All of you are welcome to try and get me...", she raised her voice so the entire Cantina could hear, "DO YOU HEAR ME!!! ALL OF YOU CAN TRY....TRY TO STOP ME...!!!!", with that she stalked up the stairs not bothering to look back, RT caught a glimpse of her as she left, all red hair and...red eyes?

"It's too soon for that.", he bent down picking up her rings tightening his fist around them until his hand hurt, watching her Shadow Fall. He slowly turned walking up the opposite stairs, a new resolve rose in him. Unlike his Sister, he would not let her fall, he couldn't. He loved her too much...

[GuardianElite]

Two Weeks later....


He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, rubbing the week old growth on his face, tired. Too tired to continue to worry anymore, his wife missing for more than two weeks now, the only word being that she landed in Dathomir, set off in search of something, then left again. RT glanced at his Holocomm again willing it to activate like he had done a 1000 times over the past weeks, it remained silent. A myriad of emotions passed through him, anger, sadness, guilt but none of them came close to the worry he experienced. What was Dremmess thinking? He tried to put himself in her shoes, think like she would think, but all of his training on thinking like the enemy in order to better destroy them did not apply in this case. This was his wife, the love of his life not a visible enemy he could close with and destroy. Even if he could somehow figure out why she was doing what she was doing, what could he do to stop her? Minus the fact that it was indeed his beloved wife, the one he had given his heart and soul to, she was also a crazed Jedi, deeply disturbed and deeply entrenched in the Dark Side of the Force. That, he considered, may have been his only advantage...his years of dealing with his own fallen Sister, Karolin, did at least give him the knowledge to recognize the signs of the fall, he did have a head-start in alerting everyone to be ready for her behavior, but it did nothing to stop her from actually doing something erratic. She didn't try to kill him at least, he consoled himself giving a slight smirk to the mirror. He reached across his refresher basin splashing a little water on his face and glanced at the Holocomm once again before grasping at the bottle of Corellian Liquor that sat nearby, taking a long draw from it. When this was over he would need some help of his own, to crawl out of this bottle he had crawled inside of.

Nar Shaddaa...

Dremmess reached the loading ramp of her ship, keying in an access code from the inside before exiting, effectively changing the locator ID and the ship transponder once again. She could never be too careful, since everyone was trying to find her, it payed to be cautious. For now her ship would appear like any other Jedi Consular's ship, two weeks out of Ord Mantell from a support mission. She looked back smiling at her handy work as the ramp closed behind her, she was getting good at this, who would have thought the sweet innocent Jedi could ever be so devious and treacherous in nature. She sneered to herself.

"That's what happens when you keep my Son from me.", she spoke under her breath. It had only been a couple of days since her marriage collapsed, or was it two weeks? She couldn't remember...time just blurred since she became focused on the goal of finding her Son. "Dead you say? Impossible.", she spat, talking very loudly to herself, "He's not dead! He was taken from me and my husband! And I will destroy those responsible.", she cried aloud as she walked the corridor from the hangar approaching the Nar Shaddaa dock control center. The man at the desk observed her talking to herself as she approached and he warily handed Dremmess the datapad and stylus.

"Uh...just need your...uh...signature here and here.", he pointed at two places on the datapad as Dremmess signed them hurriedly eager to get underway, "Uh...Thank you, Master...G'neey? Is it? How long will you be berthed in the docking bay?", Dremmess frowned angrily at the questioning of her fake name.

"You doubt I am who I say I am?!?! Toad!", Dremmess placed her hands on her hips glaring angrily, "What business is it of yours how long I want to stay? This is Nar Shaddaa correct? Since when do the Hutts care who comes and goes?", the man carefully placed the datapad on the desk trying desperately to not look the woman in her glowing red eyes. She was obviously disturbed, from the talking to herself to the instant anger, she was either on spice, not likely for an obvious Jedi or was she a Sith, she certainly dressed like a Sith. The Dock Control officer decided it was more likely she was having some sort of mental issue. He attempted a smile, that came out awkwardly.

"Master...excuse my impertinence, but the Hutts have enacted some new access rules requiring us to be slightly more cautious in our landing rules. It's merely procedure...", Dremmess let her anger go, trading it instantly for a seductive passion instead, curling her fingertips around her hips in her stance and licking her lips.

"Very good, Sir... We can never be too careful, can we?", she approached the helpless foreman, running her fingertip down his face, "What does a woman have to do, to have her ship given a little 'extra' attention?", the man was completely freaked out by this time deciding she had to be a Sith, no doubt this woman was beautiful, but anger to lust in 30 seconds, she was a loon. He answered quickly eager to get her moving and away from him.

"Whatever you desire, Ma'am... I will ensure I give your ship my full attention.", Dremmess dropped her hand heavily, sneering and allowing the man to see her brush her lightsaber briefly.

"See that you do, fool. The consequences of not doing it are dire.", Dremmess stalked off to the relief of those around her.

Carrack Spacedock...

RT entered the forward command center on the station half drunk and stil extremely tired. Checking his Helmet on reflex to ensure it was on, he sat down at one of the workstations in order to check the daily intelligence reports and found something immediately interesting...

...<Imperial Troops decrease presence on Dathomir, File 882-1>...Imperial Troops conducting a massive planetwide search on Dathomir have been recalled. Troops under the command of Lord Darth Hamner Alpha have been recalled back to their forward operating base on Makeb following a directive from the Dark Council. 1. Darth Marr has taken direct control of Darth Hamner's troops. 2. Republic Intelligence still does not know what the Empire sought on Dathomir 3. Darth Hamner is currently on directed leave on Nar Shaddaa <End File>

RT sat back in his chair still watching the blank screen finally murmuring to himself, "It's worth a shot...as long as I don't get shot...", getting up from the workstation RT punched the key for the lift to take him back to the hangar and to Nar Shaddaa.

Nar Shaddaa....

The Slippery Slopes Cantina on the Nar Shaddaa promenade was the last bastion of neutrality between the Republic and the Empire in the galaxy and a damn good place to get lost in. This fact was not lost on Hamner as he sipped the remainder of his frosty beverage from a rather triangular pointed glass. Looking around at the varied assortment of individuals, he was getting ready to make a move on what he suspected was a young Twi'lek female when SHE walked through the archway spotting him immediately. Hamner couldn't decide if he should feel anger or joy at seeing her, his reason for being told to go on leave was after all, her fault, Dremmess avoided his army on Dathomir thus robbing him of a prize he could have presented to those fools on the Dark Council. Now he would have to wait to be summoned by them, undoubtedly to justify his actions on Dathomir. Still Dremmess was a sight to behold even though he disagreed with her current choice of clothing, a few locks of her deep red hair did peek out from underneighth the dark hood she wore. He could feel her dark presence from across the room and as she approached him carrying with her a very sinister crooked smile, he closed his eyes inhaling deeply of her dark essence deciding he would feel joyous after all. Hamner decided to play coy though, turning his back to her as she got close to him. She huffed her disapproval, as Hamner spoke facing away from her.

"I hear they are calling you Darth Dremmess now...how touching. A little taste of Dark power and already you have everyone running scared.", Dremmess moved to Hamner's side hopping up on the bar to sit next to him, dangling her feet off the end.

"More than a taste I think. I'm bathing in my new power...although I think you could feel that from across the room. Interesting that you used the word 'taste' I could feel your still burning desire to 'taste' me when I walked in the door.", she smirked wickedly at the back of his head, lightly running a fingertip around the base of his neck right above the rebreather, he now wore, "You have to know, Hamner, it's never going to happen between you and me...I'm not attracted to 'idiots', she thumped his ear at her last word, giggling slightly. Hamner still faced away, mockingly replying to her jab at him.

"Oh? Are your feelings hurt that I didn't get to finish what I started with you on Voss? Or perhaps that's why your here...you've come to finish or at least satisfy your curiosity.", Dremmess hid her sneer behind an evil laugh.

"Even torturing me and forcing yourself on me...you were just not that good. So why would you think I would come back for round two of....what? Your attempt to try and break me? Please...your an amateur Hamner, violence towards women doesn't suit you, especially when it's a woman you so clearly wish to love you...", Hamner did get angry this time, Dremmess having stabbed directly at his weakness...herself. He turned toward her sharply

"Then why have you come here woman!?!? To mock me? Goad me into a violent confrontation with you, because I quite honestly don't want to spend my leisure time ripping you apart!", Dremmess moved her hand to Hamner's face gently stroking above his eyebrow.

"I'm not here to fight...I'm here to talk, I know it was you and your men looking for me in Dathomir. I haven't found what I was looking for yet and I wish to know if you shared information of my whereabouts with your Brother or anyone close to him.", she purred at him still running seductive fingertips over his face. He closed his eyes breathing in her aroma, enchanted by her touch.

"Word also has it that you left my Brother, threw your wedding rings at him? Is that true?",Dremmess stopped stroking Hamner's face dropping her hand with an absent stare. She couldn't remember. Did she throw the rings at him? Did she leave RT? Deciding it must be a trick by Hamner, she decided to play along.

"Yessss.", she purred again, "I did leave him. He got boring...decided he didn't like the 'new' me. But you like the 'new' me don't you? And if you help me Hamner, you will get to see much more of the new me."

Hamner gritted his teeth, prepared to do whatever it took, to do exactly that.

She hopped down off of the bar completely cornering Hamner, Dremmess wanted to make sure he and everyone else in the Slippery Slopes Cantina knew who was in control of this conversation.

"Now that I have your attention Hamner, I will explain to you what you are going to do.", Dremmess spoke as she backed Hamner up against the bar counter pressing her body into his, "My Son is being held captive on Dathomir, you and your Men were there...I want you to give me his location." Hamner blinked twice hard at her not quite sure he heard her correctly, was his intelligence wrong? RT and Drem's Son was dead. It finally hit him, all of her behavior, her erratic movements, her strange speech...she was really losing her mind. Reflections of his Sister, Karolin began to echo in his mind. Jedi did not accept the Dark Side well, it traditionally drove them mad the longer they were exposed. In Drem's case she was going mad very quickly due to the traumatic loss of her child. Hamner still felt no remorse, his desire for her was too strong and his only thoughts were of how to use her madness to his advantage. He smiled at her wickedly.

"Nothing in life is free, my dear. If you want something from me, you must be prepared to give me something in return.", Dremmess backed up slightly, smiling at him seductively. She ran her hand down her black body suit purring slightly.

"Oh Hamner...I have already told you. You will get to see a lot more of me once you help me.", Hamner folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm afraid that simply won't be enough. No this time I require more than a simple nights pleasure. This time I want you...permanently.", he flashed a smile showing all of his blackened teeth. Dremmess seemed to come to her senses for a moment, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Permanently? You mean like, a relationship, permanently?", Dremmess laughed wickedly again, "You can't be serious? You know you disgust me... And there is that little act of torture against me that I just 'really' can't get past...", she smirked sarcastically looking at him through narrowed eyes. Hamner expected that response, in fact he planned on it.

"Who else at this point can understand you? Who else could help you come to understand the delicacies of the Dark Side? You belong with me now Dremmess...and I frankly will not take no for an answer. The deal is, you...your life, your soul...all of you for the location of your Son. You become my 'apprentice', my partner...my love..", Dremmess took a further step back from him further narrowing her eyes, Hamner tightened slightly wondering if she was trying to sense him bluffing. A bead of sweat formed on his smooth red scalp and he tightened his fist trying to will it away. But, Dremmess consumed by her madness, was desperate and her desperation hid his fear of being caught.

"Alright...alright Hamner. You tell me where my Son is and I will give myself to you...fully...", she stepped closer running her fingertip under his nose and his upper lip, "But you double cross me and this time, YOU won't survive. I will make it my mission for the rest of my life, to kill you.", she turned away beginning to walk toward the server droid, but quickly turned back raising a crooked finger to him. "On second thought no...you will come with me. Yes, you will tell me the location, then you will come with me to Dathomir...", Hamner already had his Datapad out looking at a planetary map of Dathomir, trying desperately to pick a location that would somehow satisfy the requirement of finding a random Zabrak baby, when she turned back around speaking to him.

"Wh-what? I-I can't go with you to Dathomir, there is to much to prepare, to do... for your arrival...I...uh, have an entire chamber to make ready for you. I simply can not go.", Hamner stammered his speech badly and for the first time a cold chill ran down his spine. He had walked himself into a corner with her and was now trapped. Once again his lust and blind desire for her was going to cost him, he thought quickly of a way out, pointing at his map to get her attention, "Ah!! Here it is!! This is the location. Your Son is being held by a desperate bunch of terrorist there. They are affiliated with that wretched Darth Olrac and his Corellian Cabal...they are holding your Son in retaliation for his failed attempt to stop your wedding...you see, he wants you too!!! Told me himself, you are the reason for his living since he first laid eyes on you...it's all he's thought about.", Hamner smiled nervously, but was pretty sure he had gotten her attention and had covered his lie, he couldn't resist pushing her a little further, "So when can I expect you? You go...retrieve your Son and you and the baby can come to Drumond Kass....", Dremmess fumed with rage, her eyes flashed blood red and tears of anger formed under them.

"Then I will bathe in their blood!!! Darth Olrac, his minions anyone that is in that village is kriffin dead!!! YOU HEAR ME!!! DEAD!!!", Dremmess ignored everything Hamner said after naming Darth Olrac and the Cabal as perpetrators of the crime against her. She breathed heavily, if smoke could rise from the pores in her skin it would have. Hamner began to get worried again, not for the innocent people he may have just sent to their deaths, but for himself. What would he do when she found out he was lying? For the first time in his life, he reconsidered his decision to tell a lie. Reversing himself, he lowered the datapad, looking thoughtfully at Dremmess. She was already leaning on the bar hurriedly finishing her drink in order to get going. Hamner reached out to her with his hand laying it gently on her shoulder.

"Dremmess...listen to me a moment. Everything I just told you was a lie. All of it. There is no conspiracy by the Corellian Cabal to kidnap your Son. Drem, you have no Son, you lost your Son on your wedding day...he's dead Dremmess. Dead and now gone...no one knows what's become of his remains.", Dremmess lurched away from Hamner like she had just been struck by him, shaking her head angrily. She finally smirked at him.

"Nice try Hamner. You tell the truth and then a lie to try and throw me off. Very nice...I didn't think you could be so treacherous. You don't have to worry, baby. As soon as I have my Son, we are all yours." ,Hamner creased his brow angrily...

"Listen to me!!! You are being driven mad by the sudden rush of so much Dark Energy In your aura at one time...you are suffering from what we In the Sith refer to as Dark Corruption...", he held out his hand to her, "...but I can help you. Together, we can rid you of this madness, learn to control and use your anger to make you more powerful. Together...we can be unstoppable."

Dremmess removed her lightsaber from her belt clutching it tightly. The words that began to come from her tainted with the same madness in her mind, "You were working with Olrac all along...you never wanted me, or to help my Son... You wanted to trap me, give me to Olrac, kill me and my Son...", she stepped close to him, her glove squeaking against the lightsaber hilt as she held it in a death grip, "No. No, Hamner....you lie. I'm going to find my Son...if you or anyone else gets in my way, I will kill them too, count on it.", she got nose to nose with him, backing him against the counter again...he hid his fear behind his eyes pushing back on her slightly, only because he truly wanted to help.

"Dremmess, please. I am your only hope for survival from this....madness.", he held his hand out to her as she walked away pushing off from him. She turned to speak...being interrupted by the sound of many boots clattering against the floor.

"Dremmess!!!", RT leveled his rifle at her as she ignited her blade not looking in the direction of the entrance way. Two dozen other rifles leveled in her position from behind RT as the rest of his troopers came to a halt. Patrons screamed and ran for cover, the sound of several other sabers suddenly coming to life inside the cantina, RT raised a hand in the other direction, speaking loudly through his external speaker. "I'm not here for anyone else...everyone just stand down. By Order of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Council I am here to take you into custody Master Relik...", RT purposefully used his wife's maiden name and not his own in addressing her, he looked at Hamner, "And you Hamner Alpha...for crimes against the Republic and conspiring with a fugitive.", he again purposefully did not use his Brother's Darth honorific almost as if he was goading them both into doing something. His finger tensed against the trigger of his rifle, "Lay down your Sabers...no one has to die here today...", Dremmess looked at her husband sadly, glancing over her shoulder at Hamner. She deactivated her saber walking slowly toward him. Hamner squeezed closer to the bar counter picking up an empty cortisis container.

"Baby...it was all a trick. Hamner and Olrac did all if this, set us up...our Son is alive and on Dathomir. I'm going to get him now, you...come with me.", Dremmess smiled wickedly at RT continuing to move toward him.

"Stop moving Drem! I'm warning you...", RT spat out tensing his rifle on his shoulder. He looked away a second when she mentioned their Son and that was all the distraction Hamner needed as he lazily dropped the container at his side allowing it to hit the floor...blasters and sabers erupted throughout the Cantina as RT's men immediately dropped to the ground in a defensive formation returning fire in all directions. Dremmess had no intention of being caught...she vaulted over the formation using the Force to enhance her jump, landing on the other side next to one of RT's troopers. Not having her saber active she couldn't kill him, which was her first instinct, instead settling for striking the man on the neck with the butt of the hilt temporarily stunning him. She raced up the passageway as RT tore through his own formation in pursuit, dropping his rifle to his mag plate on his back and letting loose several bolts from his pistol. They missed wildly as Drem Force Ran up the corridor into the plaza. Hamner skulked into the shadows, using his own Force enhanced leap to jump to an upper terrace and out of the melee, he watched as Drem exited the Cantina with RT in pursuit, sneering slightly.

"Good Luck, Brother...you will need it."

RT couldn't keep up, following her all the way to the shuttle lift on the Promenade to the star port...Drem leaned out looking back at him as she rode away. RT dropped his pistol to his side and watched her fly into the distance sadly.

"I'm sorry, Baby...I failed you."

[GuardianElite]

Dathomir....


The on-board scanner flipped from red to green displaying an approaching settlement. Dremmess looked down at her coordinates to verify that she was indeed approaching the right place. After plugging her personal datapad into her onboard computer it was just a matter of following the navigation system. Hamner's coordinates were very precise, his troops had been all over this ground a week prior, looking for her. She flew the whole way just about on manual, only letting the computer fly the ship if she had to go to the fresher or into the hold for something, her paranoia consuming her, she even doubted her own systems, believing that at some point someone may have tampered with or otherwise sabotaged them. She even landed twice on the way to Dathomir, stopping once on an abandoned mining platform to shock and polarize her hull to remove any tracking devices. Her other stop was to run diagnostics on her internal ship systems. Enroute she began to have serious doubts as to the vitality of her ship...running the diagnostics to prove it and to also check for viruses in the computer. Smiling she made her descent into Dathomir's lower atmosphere, giddy with excitement. Her paranoia subsiding for the moment all she could think about was finding her baby...she thought to herself "my baby", my "son". She finally set down on a small field not far from the entrance to a small out of the way village. As she lowered the ramp, wondering why it moved so slowly, her second thought was of how proud RT would be of her, she spoke aloud.

"I'm bringing our Son home, RT."

Dathomir's typical purple hue sky gave way to a cluster of grey clouds. Light rain fell in the small village as people hurried with their business trying to finish outdoor activities before the weather got worse. Pushing a small boy along, an obvious Mother carrying a basket of freshly cut vegetables hurried past the open gates, catching a glimpse of something moving out of the rain. From a distance the Zabrak Mother could see that rain fell hard in the direction of the figure moving toward them, as the cloud carrying it seemed to move with the person approaching the village gates. The hard rain reached the gate before Dremmess did, the Zabrak Mother pushing her young son behind her, still holding her basket.

"I'm looking for the family of a recent newly arrived baby!", Dremmess spoke loudly through the rain, water splashing out of her mouth. She wiped a few cloistered strands of dark red hair out of her face, laying her hand on her saber. She choose her words purposefully never mentioning 'kidnapped' or 'captured'. The young Zabrak Mother clutched behind her back squeezing to ensure her son was still there. She could sense something odd about the woman, and not just her odd question either. The rain seemed to dampen Dremmess more than the young Mother as she looked Dremmess up and down responding nervously.

"There are two families with newborns, what business brings you out in this weather...", the woman attempted to remain cordial still having an odd sense. Dremmess ignored the question looking over the woman's shoulder into the village.

"I will recognize my Son when I see him. Could you direct me to the two dwellings with the children, please", she flashed a wicked grin not meaning to appear that way, the rain not helping her dark visage. The woman took a step away from her, pushing her son away.

"Your Son? These children were born here...they are village childr--", Dremmess' lightsaber was up, activated and one side of the double-blade through the woman's throat before she could finish. Dremmess deactivated the blade and stepped around the falling body toward the stunned child before it even hit the ground. She smiled wickedly at the boy, her first instinct being to eliminate the child as a future threat as well as put him out of his misery. He was now Motherless after all, and no child should ever be without his Mother. It was the last fact that stopped her, she squatted down in front of the child, touching his chin and giving a warm smile. The rain ran rivers down her pale face, darkening her already evil appearance.

"What's your name?", she asked cheerfully.

The boy stood frozen still looking at his now dead Mother, the touch on his chin bringing his face up. "J-J'houn...", was all the young boy could manage to say. His tears becoming irrelevant in the rain.

"Well J'houn...I'm Dremmess...and I need to find MY son. Will you help me now?", Dremmess asked brightly having already forgotten the body behind her. The boy continued to glance at his fallen Mother out of the corner of his eye, until Dremmess laid a palm on his forehead closing her eyes.

"You know me as a friend. You do not see that body behind me and you will have no memory of this or of ever having a Mother. You will help me now."

The young boy shyly bit his bottom lip as he raised an arm pointing to two huts almost identical and almost next to each other. Dremmess smiled at the boy.

"You run along and play now.", Dremmess stepped around him, heading for the first dwelling. The street running the center of the village nearly deserted as most were taking shelter from the rain. She caught a glimpse of a Rancor patrol rounding the corner of the huts opposite the one she walked to, the rain obscuring the patrols vision, she walked unmolested through the street counting the patrols steps and calculating its distance, it would be at least 30 minutes before the patrol noticed the body...she had to move fast. Skulking around the side of the first hut, she leaned against its side. Inside the sounds of a family at play could be heard...she leaned closer to listen and caught the short clipped wail of a happy child not yet able to fully express itself. She smiled to herself, shaking her hair out slightly under the awning of the hut, a brief respite from the rain. Keeping her back against the outside wall she scooted toward the entranceway keeping a watchful eye out for anyone who might see her. She leaned close to the door placing her ear against it, taking her eyes away from the street in front...

"You there!!! What are you doing?!? Get away from that door!!!", Dremmess already had her saber out and activated before turning around to the voice shouting in her direction. Even through the roar of the rain, it was a loud enough warning that the other part of the patrol was already rounding the corner, headed her way. Dremmess faced the voice and looked into the eyes of the six men in simple battle armor carrying light blaster rifles. Many of their features were obscured by the rain and the bulky helmets they wore. The man who shouted the warning stepped forward pointing at her and she grinned wickedly speaking to herself, "At least they didn't find the body." Stepping forward from under the front door awning, steam began to rise all around her as the rain began its feeble attempt to extinguish her crimson-red lightsaber. Several of the men taking a step back upon seeing her dark image holding the double-red blade, but not the speaker, he held his ground.

"Sith. I have seen your kind before! Your blade gives you away! Be gone from here!!! There is nothing here that awaits you except death!!!", the speaker leveling his rifle at Dremmess as the other six men from the Rancor patrol joined the first six. These men seemed to be armed with both rifles and long pikes that emitted an electrical charge at one end. The sound of the pike's discharges echoing in the rain. Dremmess took up a basic fighting stance side stepping toward the men. The leaders rifle emitted a whine as he activated it from safe to fire mode. "That's far enough!!! I have no qualms about killing you where you stand!" Wordlessly and without fanfare, Dremmess tilted her head to the side sending the Leader's rifle flying into the night as she raised a fist bringing the man to her blade and impailing him on it. The patrol lunged into her almost instantly as blaster fire erupted in the front, while the pike users tried striking her with the business ends of their pikes first. She parried one of the pikes as her blade sparked on its length failing to cleave it in two, she raised a quick eyebrow.

"Cortosis...Interesting."

Dremmess quickly slid down its length to the holder of the pike, striking his midsection. As the pike fell from his grasp, she felt the pain of one of the shocks of another pike, nearly causing her to drop her own weapons as she retched in pain. The Force Blast from her palm scattered the men into the night, giving her the advantage of now tracking them one by one for each kill, but they reassembled quickly, once again putting the blasters in front and the pike users to the rear. She had to think fast....these were odds she couldn't win without help. The cold prickle of the Dark Side crept up her neck, down her back and into her hands. She had seen this before...had sensed its power on Karolin, but had never tried the Force Storm. She deactivated her lightsaber raising her arms above her. Almost as if called by the Force itself, she was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning from the rain storm, thunder echoed from the valley as it hit home and lit her up as well as her surroundings. The patrol was thrown on their backs...steam continued to rise from her, this time from the heat of the lightning strike instead of her saber. This steam emitted a purplish hue as she slowly, deliberately stalked toward the fallen men striking each one individually with a bolt of lightning. They each died instantly as she did so. Finishing with the final man, she turned to survey her carnage...the smoking holes in them still steaming with the falling rain. But she couldn't enter the house like this...she might injure her Son. Dremmess knelt down in the rain and mud...allowing the dark energy to flow out of her, until the other huts began to show movement, lights began to flicker on as curious villagers opened their doors to look out at the massacre. She opened her red eyes...purple mist still emanating from them. She had to get the child, secure him in her ship and come back...there could be no witnesses, and no survivors.

[GuardianElite]

Carrack Spacedock...


Slamming his fist on the metal table, RT moved to the opposite side of the observation room, grabbing the monitor with both hands, picking it up and smashing it to bits on the ground. He looked around the room for something else to destroy. Assad merely stood silent and watched as RT found another piece of Republic equipment to smash. RT spoke under his breath as he kicked another monitor into the wall shorting it out and breaking the screen, "We had her!!! We had her tracked!!...", the screen fell lifelessly to the ground sparks flying, RT looked at Assad his arms and palms opened wide, "How could she move that fast...do that, to all those people...how could she?" Assad didn't have any real answers, knowing RT really didn't want any at that moment, he remained silent as RT slumped down in a chair finally.

"We lost her in orbit around Dathomir...caught a trace as she departed the system and has now gone dark.", Assad spoke softly, "I'm sorry...I realize this is difficult, but we have another crisis to avert now...", RT raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't! Just don't!...I can do without hearing the death toll again...or how this is a political nightmare for the Republic. Right now...I give a damn what they think.", RT looked at Assad, "We have to stop her...it's not about the Republic anymore...she dangerous, lethal...", Assad cleared his throat.

"As I previously stated, my family has assets that can easily eliminate...", RT snapped his head up to look at Assad once again.

"No. This is my problem...if she has to die, she dies by my hand...no others!", there was an awkward silence as the two men stood in the observation room on Carrack Station, RT finally got up and rubbed his eyes, "I need a drink...", he looked down at his worn armor, "...and to get out of this armor.", he walked past Assad without a word. When Assad was sure he was out of ear shot, he activated his personal Holocomm.

"Ceid...she attacked Dathomir. The death toll was catastrophic, we may need to initiate another clean sweep protocol. And RT is now Section 8, I don't believe we can rely on him..."

Republic Space...

After changing her hyperspace route for the 30th time, Dremmess finally brought her ship down on another abandoned moon, donning an environmental suit again to go and check the hull for tracking devices. She found two last time, or at least she thought she did...they could have been parts of her ship. Smirking she thought to herself, "unneeded parts", walking down the ramp after depressurizing the airlock. Activating the de-polarizer, she leaned on a small outcropping of rock to await the process to finish watching the hull shimmer as the process took place. Occasionally she would glance down at a monitor in her wrist to ensure her baby was still asleep. Smiling at his image, she suddenly realized this was exactly where she wanted to be, returning home, triumphant...with her Son, ready to assume her life with her husband. And if RT wasn't ready to be a father, then he would soon find out how much of a bitch she could be.

Carrack Spacedock, Cantina Section....

To be a connoisseur one must either study something or partake of a subject enough to learn its intricacies. Since all of the drama began with his wife, Dremmess, RT was becoming a connoisseur of fine Corellian liqueurs. Already on his second bottle, the former drinking lightweight was now able to handle more than his share of alcohol. People were becoming used to seeing RT slumped at the bar enjoying the tastes of fine beverages, what those people didn't know was that he had effectively crawled inside that bottle and now couldn't get out. RT laughed outloud at nothing as he raised his hand to the server droid, "Another bottle! Make this one a 38' I always liked the Corellian 38..." The server droid promptly retrieved the bottle from a little used cabinet and sat it in from of RT without fanfare and without asking for payment, as he had long since started a tab at the bar and was now paying it off weekly. Reaching for the bottle, RT slapped a gauntlet on top of the cork to begin opening it, as another hand grabbed on top of his glove preventing him from doing so. He looked slightly over his shoulder, drunk and annoyed.

"Hello RT, we need to talk...", Ceid continued to hold on to RT's gauntlet as he slid down in the stool next to him. Very forcefully, RT jerked the bottle from under Ceid's hand as he uncorked it, smiling wickedly. With the Force, Ceid could have very easily prevented RT from getting that bottle, but he saw no need to further annoy the Major. Reaching next to him RT lazily slid another glass toward his friend, pouring an ample supply of the liquid before filling his own glass, he sat the bottle down waving a dismissive hand.

"Sure...talk. Whatever, that's all we seem to do these days is talk.", RT clinked Ceid's untouched glass, "Come, drink with me...it's been too long old friend." RT took a potent swig of his own glass. Ceid slid the glass away from himself slightly, choosing the more diplomatic route, instead of outright refusing to share a drink with him.

"No. I am not thirsty right now....but thank you. Yes. It has been a while...I decided to stop in and check on you, after I received Assad's report about Nar Shaddaa and Dremmess' actions on Dathomir...", RT hunched down over his glass, looking sideways at Ceid.

"You came all this way...just to question me about Dremmess? Like, what am I going to do now...nothing. I'm doing nothing, at this moment I am getting drunk, nothing much matters at this moment.", RT held the liquid up under the low light, looking at it, "Have you ever tried the 38? It's quite good actually.", Ceid looked away slightly, his patience starting to wear thin and he hasn't even been there 5 minutes. RT continued to look at the liquid before taking the glass to his mouth for a sip. Ceid scooted up straight on his stool, leaning forward on the bar with his arms folded.

"The League has concerns RT...this is no longer 'just' a Republic matter. We feel perhaps you may be compromised due to your closeness to all of this...perhaps it's time to step away and allow some of us to assume the burden for you.", RT cast a scowl in Ceid's direction.

"Your here to relieve me.", RT took another sip of his drink, "Not happening. This is my family, my problem...", Ceid slowly stood bringing himself next to RT.

"This is not a request. The League has spoken. As of this moment...my family will assume the mantle of responsibility for this. You will stay on in an advisory capacity of course, but...", RT stood up drunkenly bringing his nose to Ceid's face angrily.

"Don't presume to tell me what I can and cannot do concerning MY family...Master!...I am more than capable of handling this myself!", RT purposefully used Ceid's honorific, as Ceid lowered his hands to his side.

"Look at yourself. You can hardly stand. You are in no condition to do anything in this matter, and until you can crawl out of that bottle you've crawled into, you are out.", Ceid stared into RT's eyes unwavering, but simmering underneighth, disgusted at the state of his friend. RT shrugged bringing the glass up for another sip and Ceid had finally had enough. He slapped the glass from his hand, "Get ahold of yourself. You are a Republic Officer and a member of the League! We will not stand by and allow you to turn this into an even bigger disaster. We intend--", Ceid stopped talking turning his attention to the staircase as RT prepared to respond, also slowly looking in the direction Ceid turned to look at. Dremmess descended the stairs slowly looking down at a bundle in her arms. Republic troopers began moving in from the sides as Ceid raised a hand, telling them to stand down. They slowly lowered their rifles as Dremmess made her way over to them, finally looking up at RT and smiling.

"Isn't he beautiful, RT?", Dremmess slowly uncovered the bundle to reveal the tiny Zabrak baby she held in her arms. Ceid instinctively took a step back and to the side of her as RT stood looking down at the baby stunned, "What's wrong, baby? I have brought our Son home...we can finally be a whole family.", RT took a step back placing his hand on his sidearm, beginning to sober rather quickly. Dremmess' eyes were wide and crazed, a wild smile caressed her beautiful features.

"Dremmess. Where did you get that baby?", RT asked, giving a knowing glance to Ceid as returned the glance with a slight nod. Ceid only needed a second or two to get in position, RT needed to keep her talking. Dremmess smiled lovingly at her husband.

"What do you mean, dear? It's our Son...I rescued him from those butchers in Dathomir.", she scowled as she mentioned Dathomir, "I brought him home to you, to us...we can finally be a family.", RT slowly unholstered his pistol using his pointer finger to activate the stun setting, Dremmess so far had not picked up on his movements seeming to be lost in her own world. Ceid waved a hand from behind her, unhooking Drem's lightsaber and bringing it to his hand, he clipped it to his belt slowly, nodding to RT.

"Dremmess. Listen to me...very carefully. That...is not our Son. You are suffering from saturation of Dark power...you are not yourself right now and you need to hand that baby to me.", he reached out with his free hand, keeping the other on his pistol. Dremmess pulled the baby away from RT.

"No! No! This IS our Son...you must see that!", she moved a step back, frowning, "I knew you would act like this...I knew you would deny him, you never wanted this child! Never!!!", she began to grow angry, a fine purple mist forming around her eyes, "That's fine! I will take him away...where no one can harm him! All he needs is his mommy anyway..", she looked down at the baby for a second giving RT all the opportunity he needed. In an instant, RT drew the pistol firing the stun bolt into Dremmess as Ceid moved deftly around her from behind securing the child as she fell. Both men looked at each other releasing a held breath. Dremmess lay motionless at their feet. Ceid was the first to speak.

"Perhaps...we were a bit 'hasty' in our attempt to remove you from the situation. I will inform the League that you will resume control of this situation.", Ceid looked down at the child, "Tragic. His entire world, wiped out...", RT looked over at the child stepping over Drem and holstering his sidearm.

"What will happen to him?"

Ceid smiled at the child, "The Order operates a series of orphanages, he will be placed among them...he will be cared for.", he grimaced, "That leaves Dathomir and her...", Ceid finally looked down at Dremmess. RT considered for a second.

"Ceid...I need to keep hold of Assad for a while longer. Is that possible?", Ceid regarded RT curiously.

"Certainly. What do you have in mind?", RT gave Ceid a stern look.

"Trust me. The less you know, the better. Understand that I will have the Dathomir situation under control in 48 hours. All traces of Republic involvement will be swept away.", Ceid made a slight frown, but asked no questions. They both looked at the motionless Drem. Ceid broke the silence answering the unspoken question.

"She will be returned to the Jedi Order. What they will do, I have no idea. It could range from banishment to a full on mind wipe. It is my opinion that most likely her own Council will most likely pass judgement upon her...I'm not going to lie RT, this is not good.", RT folded his arms at Ceid, taking all of his ire against the Jedi out on him, since he was the only Jedi present.

"You, understand this. I expect to be kept informed of any action they take against her. I will take this all the way to the Grandmaster if I have to. She is still my wife, there is no limit to the pain I will bring to those that would act against us.", Ceid nodded silently, unable to bring himself to remind RT that in the Jedi's eyes...there was no marriage, there never was. And action taken would be in the best interest of the Order, not him. He motioned for RT to pick up Drem, he cradled her in his arms looking down at her still features, whispering softly.

"It's going to be ok now Baby...I got you, I will never let you go."

[GuardianElite]

Republic Space, 10.7 standard days later...


Karolin punched the keys of her shipboard Holocomm so hard, she thought her tiny finger would go through the console, "Blast! Answer damn you! Answer!" She finally sat down in front of the system putting her head in her hands, just staring at it. Her Son, Beta walked in nudging her and handing her a cup of tea.

"Still no answer?", Beta asked. Karolin smiled sweetly at her adopted Son, thanking him silently for the tea with a nod.

"No. RT is not answering, no doubt he's either on Tython or he's pestering someone on Coruscant.", she looked at Beta worriedly, "I'm scared, Son...when he finds out they have released Drem without so much as a 'by your leave' he will flip.", she raised an eyebrow, "any closer in the search for the child?", Beta pursed his lips.

"Promising leads. Most disappear into dust when we get close. But...that smuggler you hooked me up with, invaluable. I wouldn't be half as far as I am without him. Where did you meet him anyway?", Karolin put on a wry smile, poking her Son playfully.

"How dare you ask your Mother that question? I have many male admirers, some are even useful...", she laughed playfully as Beta smirked at her brushing off her comment, little did Beta know how important Karolin actually regarded this particular smuggler. She looked off reflectively thinking of him as the Holocomm buzzed to life...the image was stark and unexpected. Karolin stood from her seat as Beta bowed his head.

"Grandmaster, an unexpected privilege...", Karolin also bowed her head, although no longer a part of the Order, Karolin still valued Grandmaster Shan as a mentor and more importantly as a friend.

"Karolin...and Jedi Knight Beta, thank you for taking my communication. I'm afraid it is under dire circumstances. Let me begin by saying that this was not my decision, Dremmess' own Council ruled in this matter, we had no need to intercede or over-rule them...", Karolin frowned curiously.

"What's happened, Master?", the Grandmaster visibly shifted, but remained focused looking straight at them.

"The Beacon Council has wiped her memory...", both Karolin and Beta looked at each other, the Grandmaster continued, "...there's more, she doesn't remember anything, up to and including one year ago. It's a total reset. The Beacon is considering it a success and all things considered, it is...the dark side taint within her is gone and she still retains all of her Jedi abilities.", Karolin looked at the image angrily.

"A success?? You must be joking, how could this possibly be a success...", Karolin immediately thought of her brother, "This will destroy RT."

"Please. Don't shoot the messenger. I am contacting you as a courtesy. Where is your Brother?", Master Shan asked expectantly.

"I don't know, we thought he was on Tython.", Karolin motioned for Beta to activate the Alpha tracking beacon to home in on RT's ship.

"No. He left Tython some time ago. We did not get a flight plan...our hope was that he would rendezvous with you or go to the Core World.", Karolin motioned for the end transmission button, prepared to say her goodbyes, "Karolin...he doesn't know. It is essential you find him before he finds her. This is delicate, we both know with what contempt he holds the Order.", Karolin knew full well about that contempt. RT still blamed the Council for her expulsion. As the Holocomm clicked off and the image de-rezzed, she turned to Beta who shook his head at her, RT had deactivated his tracking signal.

"Beta, get to the bridge. Set a course for Carrack...I know where he's going...", she closed her eyes allowing the Force to flow through her. She could feel his presence approaching the station, their Force bind singing to her through space, she swiveled her chair back to face the Holocomm punching in the frequency for the Beacon's Council chambers, a large Human male in Jedi robes answered and she immediately recognized him as Master Darnell Othone. She stood looking up at the larger than life image.

"Karolin. To what do I owe the pleasure...", Karolin interrupted him with a wave of her hand.

"This is not a social call...Are you people insane? Do you have any idea what you've done??"

The image of Master Othone did not smile, but took on a neutral pose, "To what are you referring?"

"Erasing my brother's wife's mind?? Not telling anyone? Not informing him... Me, her kriffin' family??", the image now creased his eyebrow, frowning angrily.

"We are not prepared to answer any accusations of wrong-doing to anyone. Especially, you...Dark One. You have no standing within the Order, no authority to question any decisions of the Jedi. Furthermore--", Karolin cut him off.

"Furthermore...this!!!", she hit the end transmission button moving angrily to the bridge to stand beside her Son, her only hope was to reach her brother in time.

Republic Fleet...

Twisting and turning in her bed, Dremmess cried out, still asleep. Images of a trooper in yellow and black armor, a Temple on Voss and an evil Sith...so much pain and torture. Sounds of a child crying culminating in a set of red eyes, bleeding a purplish grey mist...the eyes closing in on her, waking her from sleep. Clutching her chest, she moved to her stateroom sink splashing some water on her face and couldn't remember what woke her up, only that it was horrible. Looking at the Chronometer above her refresher station, she realized that she should have entered the fleet's flight pattern by now and her autopilot would put her in orbit around the station. In her mind, it had only been a few days since her injury from a battle with the Sith and her subsequent placement on recovery leave. She had decided not to spend it with her cousin Seri, who had mysteriously not been present when she woke earlier in the medical ward. In her mind, it was one year ago. In her mind, she was about to start a long, hard road to recovery by taking it easy among the various people of the Republic. Slightly confused upon looking at the date, she shrugged dismissing the thought as most likely her oversight. She knelt and then sat in a meditative pose on her stateroom floor, allowing the healing energies of the Force to flow through her, but there was no pain from the saber wound to her side. Lifting her sleep shirt and rubbing her hand over her side she marveled at how truly remarkable the Force was...it had been less than a week in her mind, no scar...no pain, no anything. Smiling she went to her wardrobe and got dressed, her first stop...Carrack Station's Cantina and a nice hot cup of herbal tea.


Karolin raced through the hangar bay while talking on her Comm, listening to the Dock Master.

<"Yes, Ma'am...Major Alpha landed 20 minutes ago..">

Karolin motioned to Beta, "Head to Operations, see if he's there...I'll head to the Cantina." They both separated heading out to find RT.


Dremmess smiled politely to the Dock Master as she disembarked moving toward the lift. It seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she knew she had definately not been in this docking bay before. Punching the button for the prominade level, she adjusted her clothes not wanting to look improper when she entered the Cantina.


The ramp lowered on RT's ship as he impatiently waited for it to reach ground level, stalking off of it. He was in a hurry to get to Operations and call up some data files he needed to make his case to the Jedi Council for leniency on Drem's behalf. Strange...he traveled the whole way in 'silent running' not wanting to be tracked or interrupted while he worked. There was also the Operation on Dathomir to continue Command and Control over, and he had not yet checked in with Assad to see what their status was. If possible we was going to ask his Sister and her Son, Beta to take time out from whatever they were working on to go out and assist. Covering up this massacre for Drem was becoming more cumbersome than anticipated. As promised, he kept the League and the Republic out of it. Only by sheer luck, had his Brother Hamner's troops been in the area. The fact that he was now using this fact to pin the massacre on him and the Empire had now become a matter of semantics. Upon reaching Operations, he patted his stomach lightly, it had been 36 hours since he had eaten anything and was now sure he was dying of starvation. He avoided the door to Operations turning the hall and making his way down to the lower level and the Cantina.

It was like watching a slow motion speeder wreck, at least that's what Karolin equated it to as she caught both RT and Drem entering the Cantina, on opposite sides...at the same time. Karolin deftly moved around the crowd to get to her brother, careful not appear too eager or knock anyone over, lest he get alarmed and know something was up. She reached him just as Drem rounded the corner counter and unfortunately RT looked directly at his wife. Lucky for Karolin it was enough of a shock to stop him dead in his tracks as Karolin spun him around facing away from her, "Hiya, big brother...what's up?", RT craned his neck around Karolin to look at Drem, he tried to push her aside as she jumped back in front of him.

"Nothing's up...Karolin would you please kriffin' move, can't you see that Drem is sitting over there?", Karolin continued to block off her brother who despite her best efforts was still managing to move forward although not around her. She finally put her palm in his chest armor leaning into him, bringing him to a stop. She spoke to the floor.

"RT...there isn't an easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna...she doesn't know you, any of us. They wiped her mind...", Karolin almost toppled forward as RT stopped his forward movement.

"Say that again?"

"The Jedi...they erased her memories, too good it seems...no one knows exactly how far they set her back, but it's at least a year. She doesn't remember anything. Not you, being married....anything.", RT suddenly wished he was near a chair because he wanted so badly to fall over, he stumbled back stunned as Karolin led him over to the bar counter, she put her hand on his helmet to turn his head away from continually looking at her, "Don't look! You'll just confuse her right now...we need to lay low. I will figure something out.", RT layed his hands on the counter grasping at the plasteel.

"I will kill them. Everyone of them...no word from them, no nothing...what the hell have I been busting my ass for? So they can do this...to me?", RT started ripping at his Major's insignia on his armor.

"What are you doing?", Karolin asked slightly alarmed.

"I'm done. They want to play this way...I'm finished. They can't expect me to take this lying down. I have given them everything and all they do is take...now they take away the only thing that matters to me. I'm kriffin' through!", Karolin placed her hand over his.

"This is not the way brother."

RT stopped ripping at the insignia raising his finger up to her, "You know what...your right.", he picked his Holocomm from his belt.

"What are you doing now?"

RT looked at her through his visor, "Assaulting the Jedi Temple. I am going to march my men straight up the stairs and kill every single one of them!", Karolin again placed her hand over his.

"RT, don't be foolish. This is the time for logical thinking not rash...we will get through this.", RT pushed himself off the bar walking toward Drem, Karolin close on his heels whispering, "RT...don't do it...leave her alone, I'm warning you.", he turned with a start facing his Sister.

"Or what? You'll do what?!?!"

Karolin backed up a step raising her hands in defeat, "I'm trying to spare you some pain you twisted...whatever, do whatever...I don't care.", she turned walking back to the bar, RT walked back toward his Sister.

"I just have to see...how much she knows.", RT walked over toward a pleasant smiling Drem who turned her attention to him as he approached. RT stopped closely adjusting his helmet. She spoke first to him.

"Hello, Soldier...can I help you?"

RT cleared his throat quite nervous in front of his wife, her asking him if she could help him setting him on edge, "Excuse me...but you look so familiar to me, do I know you?", RT asked through the speaker on his helmet. Dremmess gave him a knowing smile, but his hopes were dashed.

"No...I don't think so. I only just arrived on the station. Should I know you?"

RT swallowed hard, "No Ma'am...you shouldn't. Sorry to have troubled you.", she gave him a puzzled look as she turned away resuming her tea. RT stalked back toward his Sister, sneering under his helmet as he walked past, "The assault on the Temple is not off the table...", he ascended the stairs heading for his hangar.

[GuardianElite]

Carrack Hangar Bay...


Nothing surprised RT anymore as he cast a sideways glance at Judas, punching the ramp access code to board his ship, "No one calls me that....", RT started to say 'not even my wife', but technically he didn't have a wife anymore. Since the Jedi stole her mind, robbing him of his beautiful bride. Judas pushed himself off the side of the ship changing the subject quickly.

"You. Have a problem...I may have a solution."

RT again wasn't surprised by how very well informed Judas was, his intelligence apparatus was rivaled only by Ceid's. For a second, RT reminded himself that he had to get more involved in League affairs once this was all over, the unspoken war between Ceid and Judas may soon spill into The League, not that RT wanted to pick a side...he was fond of both Ceid and Judas, but he want to catch up on their 'cold war' at some point. For now though, he had his own problems, RT regarded Judas with a neutral expression, not in the mood for games, "You're not going to shock me Judas, I am certain you know about what's going on with my wife. If you haven't been spying on me your about to start.", RT continued to look impassive making it incredibly difficult for Judas to read him, "Make your point and make it quickly, I have to decide whether to march my troops up the steps of the Jedi Temple or take a more diplomatic course" Judas had to smile at that, he stepped in behind RT following him up the ramp.

"I would go with the first option personally, but that's not what I was talking about. Dathomir...you have a massacre to hide and subterfuge is my specialty...", the ramp raised behind them as RT glanced over at Judas, now very curious as to what he could bring to the table.

Carrack Station, Cantina Level....

In the few days since arriving at the station, Dremmess was now sure she was going crazy. People, she supposedly knew were coming up to her talking and she would smile; make small talk having absolutely no idea who they were. It was maddening. Thinking back she was sure of only one thing, everyone seemed to be a stranger and it was beginning to wear on her nerves. Sitting on one of the couches in the Cantina, she caught a glimpse of the green skinned woman, a Mirialan...Karolin; she remembered who had introduced herself when she first arrived on the station. Getting up from her seat she moved in Karolin's direction hoping to strike up a conversation, "Hello...Karolin, I believe it is? We spoke the other day, I was wondering if I could join you, if I'm not interrupting that is...", Karolin looked up from her datapad, the steaming mug of Caf setting on the table in front of her. Karolin smiled innocently, although she had secretly been watching Dremmess the whole time, she feigned surprise as Dremmess approached, sliding down the couch to make room for her.

"Certainly...I have to say, you seem lost and a bit overwhelmed. Carrack Station must be a new environment for you."

Dremmess frowned deciding that it was already too much of a burden to get hung up in small talk and pleasantries, she decided to go for broke. After all Karolin might be the only person she did know well enough to talk to, even though she had only knew her a few days, there was a familiarity about her, "No I am used to people, my work in the Diplomatic Corp takes me to--oh Kriff it! Karolin, what's going on? Something strange is happening to me, all around me and I feel like I'm the only one not in on the joke...", Karolin tried hard to hide her shock, Dremmess noticed raising her brow and widening her eyes.

"I...I am not sure what you mean", Dremmess sat her cup down roughly pointing a Karolin's expression.

"See! That's what I mean! Everyone either talks to me like they have known me for years or they purposely act as if I am some kind of plague...I saw that, that look of surprise on you. What's going on?", Karolin put her datapad away, getting up from her seat.

"I'm not sure I'm following you Dremmess. And I don't think this is funny.", it took everything Karolin could muster to get up and walk away, breaking the promise she made to RT to keep an eye on Dremmess. Dremmess slumped back in a huff on the couch as Karolin ascended the stairs nearly knocking over her favorite smuggler, he grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey. Just the person I was coming to see...", Max spoke giving her his usual wry grin, he looked down in the direction Karolin had been looking as she walked glancing down at Dremmess, "She's still blanked out huh? Nothing? No memories?", Karolin shook her head.

"No. But she's getting curious, she knows something is wrong. People keep talking to her and she doesn't know any of them.", Karolin started to move past him, "I have to go, if she keeps questioning me I'm afraid I might actually say something wrong or slip up. It's too early for that.", Max let go of her shoulders, it was then that Karolin noticed how Max was dressed, "Max, what are you doing dressed like a Jedi. You don't wear robes. What have you been up too?" Max pulled the hood down off his head continuing to smile.

"I am in disguise, it's easier to get around on Tython this way. A smuggler, raises questions, a Jedi walking around...not so much." Max looked down past Karolin into the Cantina, "Where is your Son? I was hoping to give him an update on what I found on Tython.", Karolin frowned.

"RT has him on Dathomir helping with the 'clean-up' operation, but you can tell me, I will make sure he gets it.", Max pulled Karolin further away from Dremmess toward the other side of the stairs.

"Ok, there are a lot of places I couldn't get into, in the Temple, but...", Max pulled out his datapad displaying a small village, "...this village on the outskirts of the Temple has some very strange activity going on, not to mention the fact that whoever put it there has gone to great lengths to hide it.", Max pointed to the screen, a large camouflaged door could be seen as several white coated individuals moved past a couple of normal looking people standing around the entrance. One of the normal looking 'villagers' accidentally opened his coat showing the nasty looking blaster rifle hidden underneath. The screen then went dark and Max frowned. "That's all I could get without getting discovered. I followed several science types after they arrived at the Temple." Karolin looked at Max with a smile.

"This is good Max, very good...", Max gave her a sly wink.

"That's why you asked me to join up right? I'm just good...", his look continued to linger a little long at Karolin as she looked at him, she finally broke his stare by pointing at the datapad.

"This...uh...seems to prove that either the Jedi are in league with the people who have Drem and RT's baby, or they are turning a blind eye to it.", Max stopped staring, replying softly.

"Uh...yea, yea...but we don't have much to go on. Beta lifted the files from the lab on Coruscant that led us to Tython, but we don't know exactly what that is yet. We can't go pointing fingers and blaming anyone till we do. We especially can't be approaching RT, until we know something.", Karolin put a hand to her chin.

"Good point. I think I have an idea, but I have to get out of here for now. Care to join me a little later on?", Karolin have Max a seductive smile, placing her hands behind her back rocking back and forth slightly.

"Wouldn't miss it, what time?", the two walked up the stairs and away from Dremmess.

Dathomir...

RT's Thunderbolt sat down softly on the outskirts of the village on Dathomir. There were several familiar ships already on the ground nearby and several new ones. Hitting the lockdown sequence and getting up from the pilot seat RT peered out at the unfamiliar ones as a figure left the tree line headed for his ship. As the ramp lowered, RT saw Assad and Beta talking amongst each other, Beta obviously trying to explain something that had Assad a bit frustrated. Assad looked up at RT as he walked down the ramp.

"Major. This is unnecessary, we don't require the services of Judas' people here. We have the situation well in hand.", RT looked over in the direction Assad gestured to and the unfamiliar ship that Judas' people stood around. He smiled back at Assad.

"Consider this an accord. I asked Judas to send his people here, they have a lot of experience in this sort of thing...not that the Ankoun clan doesn't, but I felt their inclusion was necessary...besides the fact that Judas offered...", Assad made a slight grimace, "You don't have to like it Assad, all I am asking is you work with them until this is over. Now let’s see what's been done...", RT stepped off the ramp with Beta and Assad in tow as Beta began to explain some of their actions. Passing an Imperial marked crate, Beta picked up one of the blaster rifles inside loosing several bolts into the ground, expelling the power pack and tossing it into the village to land amongst the dead. He then broke the blaster rifle over his knee tossing it as well to join the power pack.

"It all has Imperial markings...more importantly, it bears the markings of Uncle Hamner and his personal troops.", RT stepped over several bodies stopping to look down at one with a gaping hole in his chest, Beta cleared his throat.

"Force lightning and then lightsaber. We are lucky, Aunt Drem has installed a red crystal in her lightsaber...they burn hotter, the wounds leave a distinct signature. Anyone looking in will think this is definitely work of the Sith.", RT bent down to look at the man, dressed in weak armor, obviously a member of the town guard. RT spoke without looking up.

"Thank you...both of you. Beta I know this can't be easy...I know this probably goes against both of your morals...but thank you.", Beta looked at Assad before placing a hand on RT's shoulder.

"It was never a question of morals Uncle RT, this is a family matter, we protect our own.", Beta backed up a step, "Speaking of which...don't you have a wife to 'woo' or something, we have this handled.", RT got up from looking at the dead guard.

"Yea. I should get back to the station.", RT gave them both a sad look before returning to his ship. Beta looked at Assad.

"I don't know how he keeps it together...and the worst is yet to come.", the two men walked further into the village to continue their work, Beta referring to the search for the child. He made a mental note to check in with his Mother before the day ended.

Carrack Station, Cantina Section...

Walking back into the Cantina at the designated time, Max looked around expectantly for Karolin not seeing her he decided to stand on the upper promenade to get a better view. He leaned out over the railing looking at the busy patrons, coming and going as a voice interrupted him.

"Hello, Max. I saw you earlier and didn't get a chance to say hello and thank you for sharing a drink with me the other day, I saw that you were talking to Karolin and didn't want to interrupt.", Dremmess looked as radiant as ever as she spoke to Max, who was taken a little off guard by her forwardness.

"That's ok Mrs. Dremmess...it was my pleasure."

Dremmess seemed to be looking around in the same directions Max was looking, "You're waiting for someone?"

"Yes. Karolin. She told me to meet her back here a little later on.", Max checked his Chrono, "I may be early."

Looping her arm in his, an overly friendly gesture given her current state, she pulled at him lightly. "Come on then, I will keep you company till she arrives.", Max could hardly say no, not only was an extremely beautiful woman offering to spend time with him, he was also quite fond of her, even in her condition. As of late all of his time and energy had been spent working on finding her missing child. Although he could never reveal that to her. He made a note to keep his guard up, Drem's overt friendliness and familiarity with him at that moment could be a ruse for something else. Even though if pressed he knew he couldn't resist her, in his heart he always kept a special place for her. Otherwise, why agree to help find her child, again he could never reveal these things to her. Besides, Karolin may get jealous. He smiled to himself, thinking 'maybe a little jealousy is what she needs to push her closer to making a move toward me', he acquiesced to her tugs finally following her to a spot on the upper promenade. Standing side by side in silence leaning over the railing Dremmess was the first to break the silence.

"Max. I know we haven't known each other that long, even though I get the feeling that's not entirely true...I have to ask. Who are you...or rather who were you to me? I get the feeling we knew each other before and there are things you want to tell me, but you’re not.", Max frowned. Knowing he should have used his better judgment and just avoided her after Karolin warned him about her snooping earlier, he sighed leaning his head down. Feeling weakened and no longer able to lie he decided on truth...or at least partial truth.

"It's true, we knew each other before.", he paused considering he action he was about to take, "You had an accident Drem...you fell, hit your head...and now are recovering from total memory loss.", a knowing look crossed her face as she began to believe she had put things together.

"Oh my. That explains so much. Then who is Karolin to me...I noticed her watching me. It's apparent that we knew each other before...", she placed a hand in Max's arm, "It's ok Max, I won't let her know you told Me.", Max continued with his lie.

"You had a thing going with her brother, the trooper who came up to you the other day...in the yellow and black armor.", Max looked down, his opportunity to tell Drem anything different now wasted, he had to run with his lie. Drem turned slightly red, blushing.

"A thing? You mean like a relationship?"

Max smiled weakly, "No. More like a fling, a short tryst between friends...I don't know the details. I think it ended badly.", Max had to throw in something to keep her off RT while he decided how to handle the situation. Right now, RT had enough to worry about. Drem turned a little redder, looking away from Max.

"I had no idea I was so 'loose' with my affections.", Max placed a hand over hers.

"No. No. It wasn't like that at all, you had been friends for a long time.", another lie, but he couldn't very well ostracize RT at the same time he was protecting him. Drem turned and smiled brightly.

"That's different then. Jedi are encouraged to love, although I doubt they would approve of any 'relations' I may have had with this trooper.", it was Max's turn to blush slightly as he looked away speaking quickly and in a 'matter-of-fact' tone.

"I don't know the details. Not my place to ask...that's all private business." Karolin exited the lift and seeing Drem and Max standing together she frowned making her way over. Drem pushed off from the railing looking at Max.

"Thank you, Max. Thank you for being honest.", she looked at Karolin as she began to walk past them both, "Could you get a message...to your brother? Tell him I would like to speak with him, when he has a chance.", and with that Dremmess disappeared into the crowd. Karolin gave Max a surprised look.

"Ok. What was that all about?", Max shrugged.

"I don't know. I may have told her she fell and hit her head...resulting in memory loss.", he put his hand in the small of Karolin's back, "Come on. Tell me about this idea of yours and I will tell you about my conversation with Drem."

Nar Shaddaa....

Marstel waited somewhat impatiently for Kat outside the turbo lift to the Nar Shaddaa promenade. Kat finally exited looking exquisite in her new skin tight, all black body suit. Marstel tried not to notice, even raising his chin slightly to look up instead of at her. She knew he was looking and put in a sly smile.

"It's ok to look, Marstel. I'm not going to bite you, not yet at least.", she continued her smile until Marstel finally looked down at her, "Ok...so are we going? I am ready to get out of this fun infested hell hole." Marstel shifted nervously in front of his partner.

"No. Not yet. Got a job.", he turned walking back toward the docks as Kat quickly caught up to him. Placing a hand on his huge arm, she spun him around as best she could.

"Job? What job? I'm not a mind reader you know?"

Marstel allowed himself to be turned around knowing she wouldn't be happy with having to hang around Nar Shaddaa for an extra couple of days. "Sister called. Wants us to introduce a buyer she has to some bio-medical types.", he stopped talking, Kat had become used to not getting broad descriptions of things from Marstel, so she filled in the blanks.

"And you agreed to the introductions. So this is another contact job?", Marstel nodded wordlessly. "Fine. We stay then, but don't get cute. I know it's your Sister, but as soon as this is over, we are out of here. There is business needing attending to on other planets." Marstel turned around resuming his motion toward the docks, Kat threw up her hands in a frustrated attempt to get his attention again. "Marstel. We really need to work on your people skills. What would you do if I wasn't around to translate all of your shrugs, grunts and groans?" Marstel stopped looking over his shoulder smiling strangely.

"I dunno. Be bored, I guess...", the two walked to the shuttle still locked in a verbal duel about Marstel's lack of communication skills. Kat did most of the talking...as usual.

[GuardianElite]

Ministry of Defense, Coruscant...


Standing at attention in front of the desk of the Supreme Commander of the Republic Military should be a humbling experience for most, for RT it was another day at the office. Having served with Commander Jace Malcom on previous engagements, RT considered Jace not only his superior, but also his friend. This, however was not a social call and Jace was not pleased with RT's tone toward him, he placed his huge hands on the desk pushing himself out of his desk chair bringing himself to his full height, looking at RT angrily.

"Major, if you were any other Officer I would have your ass busted back down to Private guarding a Garbage Transport bound for the Outer Rim...who do you think you are, coming in here throwing around accusations like that?", Jace continued to stare RT down, RT remained silent as Jace gestured to him with one hand, "Please. Speak freely...it didn't stop you before when you barged in here accusing me of conspiring with the Jedi to erase your wife's mind.", Jace finally sat back down, cooling off a bit, "And don't let the fact that I am the Supreme Commander, not to mention your personal friend dissuade you one tiny bit..." Jace folded his arms waiting for RT.

"Sir...Jace. You have to admit, this is damn strange. Erase one of your Master's memories at the first sign of trouble...I mean, with Karolin...let’s be honest, it was justified. But look at the build-up concerning her...5 escape attempts, 3 successful...murder, robbery...", RT stopped counting with his fingers, "This is totally different...Drem has never done anything wrong. She only fell to the Dark Side AFTER losing our child. The only thing she is guilty of is loving me...a man who can't even protect her, it seems." Jace shifted uncomfortably at the mention of RT and Drem's child, he moved quickly to hide his discomfort, folding his hands inside each other, laying them on the desk in front of him.

"She did massacre an entire village...", Jace leaned back in his chair knowing RT would be shocked at his knowing that fact, "Don't be surprised that we know about it...we know a lot of things that go on...", he raised a hand as RT attempted to speak, stopping him, "...and we have, up to this point allowed you to handle it your own way. The fact that you are using your brother as a scapegoat is of particular interest to us. But...if you continue this course, talking to Senators, Jedi....high command, about how YOU have been personally wronged...this could get ugly, that massacre might make news...you and the rest of your family might take a hit for it.", RT couldn't believe what he was hearing, a threat...a veiled threat to be sure, but a threat, from his long time friend and current Commander. He stopped standing at attention putting his own hands on the Supreme Commanders desk.

"Are you threatening me Jace? Because you know damn well, how I respond to threats.", Commander Jace Malcom sat back up in his chair looking at his subordinate.

"Take it however you want to, RT the fact of the matter is, we don't have a leg to stand on. This is Jedi business...therefore, the Jedi make the rules. I'm sorry old friend...it's for your own good, you need to be reminded of whom you serve and who you answer too.", he stood again facing away from him folding his hands behind his back and looking out over Coruscant's expansive, Galactic City, "It's time to move on RT. What's done is done...forget Master Dremmess Relik. There is no longer a Dremmess Relik, that person had been erased, you need to get on with life." RT slowly picked his helmet off the floor turning to leave stopping and turning around at the door to look at his friend.

"You know what, Jace? You've changed. Not so long ago, you would have stood right next to me, fighting as hard as I am fighting to see justice done, no matter the odds. I can see now that this office, your title means more to you than anything else. I am sorry for you Jace, I am sorry you have lost that fire...but I won't give up, I can't.", RT sealed his helmet on his armor, "Her name is Dremmess Alpha...don't YOU forget that."

Jace watched RT shut the door as he sighed hating himself for his words, hating himself even more for lying to his friend. Moving to his desk he punched a hidden communication button, activating a frequency to the Jedi Temple and Master Satele Shan. She picked up after a second or two.

"Do you think he suspects?", she asked aloud. Jace grimaced as he replied.

"No. Not yet, but it's only a matter of time. If he is so adamant about finding out why your Jedi erased his wife's mind, imagine how he will be once he discovers we have his Son. Satele...we need to be ready to go to war with this man, because it may come to that."

Carrack Station, Jedi Hangar level.....

Dremmess sat alone in her ship, actually comforted by the solitude for a change. It was a chance for her to get caught up on some reading and meditation, not to mention the fact that there were no people who knew her or pretended they didn't, or people who didn't know her and pretended they did. She smirked slightly at that thought, pulling her bathrobe a little tighter around her waist as the chime in her entry hatch rang signaling there was someone outside her access ramp. Dremmess looked into the monitor to see an armored individual wearing a familiar black and yellow pattern. Although she had sworn off seeing people for the entire day, she would make an exception for this person, and truth be told she was actually a little excited to see him. Unconsciously she mussed her hair on the way to the ramp, looking at herself in the mirror quickly. Still stunningly beautiful and not altogether concerned about her appearance she was still a woman...and a woman couldn't very well receive anyone, let alone the man she had supposedly had a tryst with, without checking to make sure she was presentable. She debated on changing out of the robe, in the end deciding against it. Not wanting to make RT wait that long. Quickly moving to the door she activated the ramp, lowering it simultaneously activating her capturing smile. RT looked around and up finally settling on looking down, his helmet hiding the uncertainty on his face.

"Is this a bad time?", he asked noticing the bathrobe, "I could come back...I was told you wanted to see me...my...uh...Sister passed on the message.", RT looked up at Drem, longing filled his heart so much it wanted to burst. Drem simply continued her smile oblivious.

"No, it's perfect timing. I am just staying in today, please come in."

RT boarded the ramp, extending a shaky hand, "We actually haven't been introduced...I am Major--", Dremmess interrupted him taking his hand gently and shaking.

"...RTninefoursix. Yes, I know...I asked around about you.", there was an awkward silence as they both stood facing each other in the doorway, RT finally gestured inside the ship.

"Shall we talk right here or...", Dremmess placed a hand to her head.

"Where are my manners? No, please come inside.", RT stepped up the ramp into the staircase leading to the interior of the ship, instinctively checking it out as they walked toward the center anteroom. He immediately noticed all traces of their lives together had been meticulously removed. This fact angered him and he was once again glad to have his helmet still on, lest his face betray his thoughts. Dremmess chose to sit on one of the couches next to the interior wall, her leg seductively coming out from the folds of her robe. Whether this was done on purpose or not he didn't know, but he felt the pang of longing once again. She made no attempt to cover it most likely because she couldn't see his face. She started speaking quickly after sitting mostly out of nervousness, "RT...may I call you, RT? Or do you prefer something else?", RT nodded his acceptance, "What is your real name anyway? You don't go around calling yourself 'Republic Trooper' do you...I'm assuming that's what the 'RT' stands for.", RT remained standing stoically.

"Treavor. My real name is Treavor...but you always...I mean, people always call me RT." Dremmess pursed her lips in disapproval.

"RT it is then...", she shifted nervously, "RT, it has come to my attention that you and I were once friends. Please forgive me I have been...injured from a fall and cannot remember you or anything for that matter. I was wondering, were we ever more than that? I was hoping anything you tell me may help me recover some lost memories.", RT turned his helmeted head slightly wondering who told her she was 'injured' he decided to run with it.

"No ma'am...nothing more than friends. Whatever you were told, it was never more than that.", Dremmess gave him a sly smile.

"Now I know your lying...she sat her tea cup down bringing her legs up under her sideways, the robe parted fully to show them both. She made no attempt to cover them, "That's not what I was told, I was told we had a thing...a tryst maybe, some sort of relationship.", RT again was taken aback, kicking himself and prepared to kick the person who told her this for not preparing him for this conversation. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, you are misinformed. There has never been anything between us.", he stopped short of wanting to say more, but someone had already implanted too many false thoughts in her head. Being afraid of a huge mis-step he remained silent looking at her through his visor. She delicately got up from her seat on the couch moving to him, tapping on the side of his helmet.

"Is this always the way you talk to a lady? How can anyone have an intelligent conversation with you while you have that on?" RT was so taken aback by her very familiar action of tapping on his helmet that he forgot himself, quickly removing it. He soon realized his mistake looking into her eyes. She jumped back from him as if struck physically. "I knew it! I knew! You are lying! I can see it in your eyes!" RT looked down sheepishly not sure how much longer he could keep this up. He glanced behind himself quickly for the door.

"I'm sorry...I can't help you...I have some place else to be...if you will excuse me." RT raised the helmet to seal it back on as Drem lurched forward grabbing his hand, spinning him toward her.

"Oh no you don't! I need answers RT, I need to know...", her face was so sad and lost RT simply wilted under her gaze, "Please RT."

He grabbed her hand quickly leading her to the couch and back to her seat, sitting beside her. "Listen to me. What I am about to tell you will be hard to believe. You can't tell anyone what I tell you, not until I find out why they did this..."

"Your looking into me...this? This what?...", RT raised a hand.

"Please, Dremmess...not till I'm finished. You didn't fall...you are the victim of a Jedi Mind Wipe. There's more...I wasn't just a tryst, we are married. You and I have been married for about a month.", Dremmess lurched back almost falling off the couch.

"Married? The Jedi forbid marriage...and a mind wipe?", she snickered. "Very amusing...", she pointed to the door. "If you are not going to take my request seriously you can just leave ", RT stood already having said more than he wanted to. He looked at her with frustration.

"Ok. How would I know that you have a birthmark right above your navel in the shape of an Alderannian Passion Fruit?" Dremmess' eyes got wide as she was about to speak, but RT continued, "...Or that you snicker in between laughs, or that you have a bad habit of curling your hair with your finger while you read. And lets not forget that you HATE to be tickled...." Dremmess sat down in a heap looking at RT, the stunned expression on her face not able to produce any words to come out of it. Reaching in his pocket he handed her two rings. "These are yours. You should hold on to them until the time is right.", Drem looked down at them speechless as RT dropped his last bomb in the doorway turning back to face her as he sealed his helmet on. "We have a Son Drem...and I am almost positive he's out there, waiting for us...waiting for you to come get him." RT started down the stairs as Drem leapt from the couch to stop him.

"RT! Wait! Our son?? How is that possible...I mean, I'm sorry...I feel nothing, I mean...nothing for you, for a son...how can a mother not feel for her son. Or her own husband?", Drem was beginning to believe and RT took a few steps back toward her taking her hand.

"I know you don't...that's why it's important you tell no one of what I told you.", RT descended the ramp leaving her ship as Drem knelt at the top of the stairs sobbing.

Dark Council Chamber, Korriban....

Dathomir's ghostly image looked even more ghastly on the purplish hued screen in the circular main room of the vast Dark Council. Hamner stood in the center of the room looking up at the image as it shifted from a planetary view, to a continental view finally shrinking down to an overhead view of a very badly damaged, burned out village. Hamner folded his arms in defiance, still watching the display as a former intelligence officer of the now defunct arm of the Imperial Intelligence service continued to speak...

"...and as we can see here in this image. No house was left untouched by the assault. There were no survivors.", he finished his speech as Darth Marr cast a wicked gaze at Hamner who continued to watch the screen with contempt. He finally turned his gaze to the members of the council, poking a finger in his chest.

"Well...you can't believe I did this! What reason would I have to attack a defenseless village?"

Darth Marr spoke in his usual soft, dark grizzly tone, "Do you deny that you deployed your forces to the surface of Dathomir?" The members of the Council stared Hamner down as he felt himself begin to shrink.

"I did. In search of...an ancient Sith artifact. There was word of a Republic base there, I deployed my forces to protect the search.", Marr grew angry as he spoke again more grizzle in his voice.

"Lies! All lies!!! You deployed to the surface in search of your brother's wife. Do you deny this?"

Hamner wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, looking back at Darth Marr, "Perhaps...what business is it of the Dark Council? They are my forces...to do with as I see fit. Besides it doesn't mean we destroyed a village.", Marr reached behind his seat removing a broken blaster rifle, tossing it down to land in front of Hamner.

"And yet...more lies! This rifle bares your personal seal.", Darth Marr stood addressing the Council, "The liquidation of an insignificant village is not the issue here...", he pointed a huge crooked finger at Hamner, "...the issue is this Darth's continued defiance of directives set forth by this body and the mis-use of Imperial resources. Resources so badly needed to continue the fight against our enemies. But this Dark Lord would use those resources to further his own agenda. No...I say...no to allowing Darth Hamner any further use of said resources. And as the Sphere of Militancy my word is law!", Darth Marr sat as the other members of the Council stood beginning to file out of the hall. Hamner looked to Marr.

"You bastard! How dare you--", Marr stood looking down at Hamner.

"How dare I? You fool...how dare you, be so easily fooled by such a ruse.", he pointed at the rifle, "That...is a fake. A very well crafted, well placed fake, but a fake nonetheless...", he moved to exit the hall, "You...have been had, Darth Hamner, by someone who decided to use you as their own personal patsy. And now...I have the advantage.", as Marr reached the door he looked back at Hamner, "You and your forces belong to me now...you will bow and kneel to my beck and call...and you WILL cease all of your attempts to further your own personal ends, at least until such time as those personal ends suit me."

Hamner watched Marr leave, steaming with fury...someone would pay for this. And pay dearly.

[GuardianElite]

Republic Space....


For the past several days every lead had been a dead end and it was getting even more frustrating. Compounded by the fact that her idiot brother, RT had revealed to Dremmess that they had indeed had a past together, Karolin was now feeling the full burden of the mantle as family matriarch; at least until RT resumed the duty as the eldest member of their family. But, right now RT was in no condition for the role. His time was spent still, running between Tython and Coruscant, talking to anyone who would listen about his wife and now the possibility that his Son might indeed be alive. Karolin knew that secret couldn't be kept forever. RT was too well wired into the Republic infrastructure to let something that big slip by. Leaning on the console of her shipboard computer, she wondered exactly when he found out and exactly how much he knew. First thought was to simply ask him, but you would have to nail him down first. RT was way too mobile these days. She decided it didn't matter, the fact that he knew his Son may be alive changed nothing, her mission was the same, find the child before he did and before he could do something rash. Moving the piloting toggle on the console, Karolin set a course for Carrack Station and home.

Galactic City, Coruscant....

Just leaving the office of the Corellian Senator, RT made his way through Coruscant's busy space port as a messenger droid jumped in front of him, it's neon message bar scrolling.

--Message for Major RTninefoursix, Office of Republic Military Command--

Placing his thumb in the verification scanner, the droid beeped a lightly pitched affirmative tone as the single eye on the droid lit up, projecting the image of a Republic Colonel.

"Major, the Department of Military Assignments has revoked the remainder of your leave, you are hear by ordered to report to your command, the 733rd Republic Combat Team on Makeb no later than...tomorrow, 0830hours in order to resume your command and proceed with mission. Please forward all questions pertaining to these orders to the Office for Military Affairs located in the Senate Annex building adjacent to the Senate Tower."

Leaning his head back slightly RT had to laugh out loud, Jace wasn't bluffing after all, the military had actually revoked his leave. Perhaps it was his latest visit to the Corellian Senator that done it or maybe the last screaming match he had with the Grandmaster's adjutant, it didn't matter at this point. They had finally done it, they had gotten tired of his meddling and his accusations, he was now being ordered to return to his unit. Adjusting the belt on his uniform he watched the messenger droid fly off into the sky as he made his way deeper into the spaceport and his hangar.

Tattooine....

Dust turned into a sandblaster to the face making Porchia thank her lucky stars, this time she had decided to wear a helmet instead of a flimsy sand mask. The Pod she drove picked up speed around the corner as she accelerated, made two quick turns on her controls; a left...then a quick right, right...then slowly left again leveling out. Looking in her monitor which was giving her a rear view of her closest pursuer, she gunned the accelerator again causing her small frame to sink into the seat back as that closest pursuer caught up tapped the rear of her Pod with his own and promptly, without fanfare passed her by. That made her now 7th in this race, 7th out of a field of 37. Not too awful bad for a human with no force abilities or racial sensing traits. Humans were traditionally terrible racers, as almost every other non-human racer had some kind of trait in their natural genetic make-up that gave them an edge, an unfair edge in Porchia's opinion. But she was doing incredibly well in her estimation. In fact out of a field of 300 overall participants, of various humanoid and non-humanoid racers, she was 10th overall having moved from 15th place and was 1st overall among all humans. Not bad for her first year of pod racing. What started out as a ploy to get under her step-mother, Dremmess' skin had become serious business to Porchia. She was doing well, a natural racer some had said. Now, she was desperate to hold on to 7th place and maintain her current overall placement on the galactic scoreboard. But, Tattooine was especially hot this day and looking at her monitor to keep track of her next pursuer one of the heat monitors checking the pod's engines, began to blink as an alarm sounded letting Porchia know she was close to shut down. Gunning the accelerator again she juked the pod's yoke left, then left,left, right moving around the pod who passed her and taking her position back as 6th. As her right engine went critical as her gamble paid off. She coasted her pod to a stop watching the race droid signal the race finish with the red blinking light. She hopped from the pod as the crowd went wild cheering the winners, from 2nd place on....you never received praise. There truly was no reward for 2nd place, but she counted today's points in her head, this race should put her in 9th overall, that move from 7th to 6th giving her quite the boost. She took off her race helmet and gloves tossing them in the pod driver seat as her pod as towed to the garage for maintenance. Her Holocomm buzzed on her hip finally emitting a very loud shrill chime. Not that Porchia would have answered during the race, but she always wanted to know when someone contacted her, even while driving her pod. Recognizing the ID signature instantly as that of her father she almost didn't answer, if he decided to track her location via Comm she didn't want to answer why she was on Tattooine. RT still didn't know she was racing and with everything going on, now might not be the appropriate time to tell him. She activated her receive button as her father's image rezzed into existence.

"Hello, Baby...thank you for taking my Comm, I'm sorry I have been scarce lately...lots of stuff going on.", RT's image looked down slightly as he spoke, Porchia put on her best fake smile.

"It's ok Dad. I know, listen...", she started to speak as be interrupted her.

"No. I have neglected you and I'm sorry especially after you went to all that trouble getting me the information about your brother...I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Everywhere I look I'm getting stonewalled concerning Drem and now your suddenly 'not dead' brother...I was wondering, have you heard anything else?"

Porchia grimaced slightly, the information she gave her father coming from her underworld connections and the 'unofficial' underworld grapevine. Being hesitant to reveal more was only out of respect to those who gave her the information in the first place. Talk if deleted logs on a medical frigate, missing doctors, mysterious labs that seemed to pop up overnight were always of particular interest to the underworld. There were always buyers for information, always people who paid to know everything, if only because even the most innocuous information might be the credit mine everyone was looking for. But, in this case her informants gave her the information for free, not because her name 'Alpha' was associated with the information, but because the situation was tragic. RT and his family had many admirers and friends, all of them having a beef with the Republic or the Jedi and all of them wanting to see justice done.

"No Dad. I got nothing else...but I am checking into Drem's mind wipe situation.", she paused not wanting to spill the beans on her latest find, but feeling the need to, "Dad...the Empire knows Dathomir was a set-up. The Dark Council has relieved Uncle Hamner of his troops, again....", RT rubbed his head in the image, the last thing he needed during all of this was a reprisal attack from his Brother.

"Thank you Porchia, keep digging...if you find out anything more about your baby brother, let me know ASAP. I am returning to Makeb later today.", As RT cut the link with his daughter, she stood holding the comm looking down at it. There was something coming, something big and the sooner she got ahead of it. The better off her whole family would be.

Carrack Station, Cantina Section....

Smoke from cigarras and pipes hung in the air in the Carrack Station Cantina. Although there was a strict 'no smoking' policy on the Station, few obeyed. After all, there was a War on anyone who would otherwise try to arrest someone for smoking would soon find themselves with much more to worry about. RT made his way to one of the bar counters, signaling the server droid. With his tab still in place he ordered freely. "Double Bantha Blaster...and keep them comin...", since RT had to return in the AM he was determined to drink a few, there was no telling when he would have another chance. There was no alcohol allowed on Makeb, the enforcement of General Order One in full effect: No Alcohol allowed. He leaned back in the wall adjacent to the bar counter, not really paying attention and taking a big swig of his drink when it arrived. Dremmess snuck up beside him without notice.

"Hey.", she spoke matter-of-factly with a touch of sadness in her voice. She hasn't seen or heard from him since he visited her in her ship and revealed everything to her. He pretended to not act surprised.

"Hey.", he took another long swig of his drink not bothering to look over at her as she gazed up at him. Since his visit to her ship all he could think about was the fact that she told him she felt 'nothing' for him and those words ate at him like Hutt bile.

"Looks like I caught you at a bad time. I could come back...", she started to move away from him as be quickly reached down grabbing her hand.

"No. You need to stay...I have something I have to tell you." Dremmess didn't react as RT grabbed her hand finally settling with the fact that this was indeed someone she cared about greatly, RT sat his drink down looking at her, "I have been recalled by my unit. I am leaving for Makeb in a couple of hours and I don't know when I will return.", Dremmess jerked her hand out of RT's losing her expectant look and replacing it with shock and anger.

"But why!?!? We aren't finished RT...we have to...this isn't right, you-you can't just walk into my life, tell me things and then just disappear! We need to figure this out...", RT shrugged picking up his drink again and taking a swallow as Drem's heart began to break again.

"It's done. I'm a Soldier. I go where I'm told when I'm told to go there."

Dremmess backed up looking at him, finally turning away and speaking angrily as she left, "Maybe I will see you around then, Major...whenever you come back around." And for the second time in so many weeks Dremmess, the love of his life, walked out of it...again. He steamed this time as he watched her leave suddenly losing all taste for drinking, slapping the drink off the counter to the alarm of the nearby patrons. Stalking up the staircase to his hangar, he didn't look back...everything suddenly becoming too much. Desire to hold his rifle and destroy something saturated his thoughts, at that moment he didn't care if he ever came back. Death would be a welcome release to the hell he was facing in his personal life. Now the only thing that made sense was the Army, and he was going home.

Dremmess glanced at him leaving, could feel the heat rising from his soul and winced. For the first time since coming back she thought she remembered something, hate...it was coming from RT...and it was directed at her.

[GuardianElite]

Entering the storm that was his hangar bay, RT immediately dropped to a knee. Not only was the Army now revoking his leave, the government was now going to silence him as well. Perhaps, he had gotten too close to something, struck a nerve with someone inside the Project hierarchy. Or perhaps they were just tired of dealing with him. Although angry at Drem, his first thought was of her as he prepared to face whatever came next, looking around quickly he realized that none of the flurry of gunfire, screaming and small explosions were directed at him, this was something he had walked into. Sparks flew as someone blew out the lights and he recognized the voice speaking over the noise of the battle, "Judas?? Judas...is that you??!!" It didn't take a genius to figure out that with all that was happening in the hangar bay, Judas wouldn't be able to hear him. Was Judas in trouble? Did Judas ambush someone attempting to assassinate him? From his vantage point behind some maintenance containers RT could see nothing, hear only battle cries and the occasional gunfire. He patted himself down quickly, cursing himself for leaving his ship without his armor on? Armed only with his Republic issued Officer's sidearm, RT got on all fours and crept forward finally coming to grips with what was going on. The glow from the familiar blade color of Ceid's lightsaber lit his face up as the last of the lights finally flickered and died the sounds of the battle dying out with them as both assailants entered a stalemate and stealth mode to gain the upper hand on one another. Ceid sneered under the light of his lightsaber as he quickly turned moving behind RT's ship onto open ground. Calling out, RT wanted to get their attention as well as protect himself from an unprovoked attack, "Ceid??!!...Judas!!?? What's going on??!!", he crawled within a few meters of cover behind his front landing gear, "I don't know what's going on, but this is workable...no one has to die in this hangar bay!!" Judas leapt on top of RT placing a hand over his mouth nearly getting shot in the process, he whispered harshly.

"Ceid has gone crazy!! He attacked me...here!! In the hangar bay...we need to move now!!", Judas half-stood attempting to bring RT to his feet as the familiar saber slashed out of the darkness, severing the hydraulic lines connected to the landing gear. Sparks flew as Judas released RT rolling out of the way of the slash sending RT down on his butt at the base of the landing gear. Looking out in the darkness, RT lost Judas as Ceid stepped over RT looking down at him. Smiling up at Ceid weakly, RT held both hands up in a surrendering motion.

"Ceid, those hoses are expensive. Your going to have to pay for those.", Ceid offered one hand to RT bringing him to his feet as he lowered the lightsaber to his side with the other hand. The continued sounds of a struggle could be heard in the other part of the hangar.

"You have walked into a storm my friend. I'm sorry...this unspoken war between Judas and I has come to a head and you...I am afraid, are caught in the middle...", Ceid placed a hand on RT's back urging him forward, "Come. We must leave this place. Too much advantage for Judas in the darkness...we continue this another day." As Ceid stepped around the landing gear moving with RT back towards the lift he spoke in between breaths, "Assad has been attacked...by Judas' people...he has been hospitalized. I came here to seek retribution, perhaps I was a bit hasty, maybe even a bit wrong in my appro--", Ceid stopped moving as the blaster barrel touched his head, at the other end was Judas, breathing heavily as he removed his goggles with the other hand.

"Dead wrong, Ceid. And it's over...time to end this war and it starts with you." RT moved away from them both taking up a defensive stance as both Ceid and Judas' warriors emerged from the darkness with varying levels of difficulty. Some limped, others walked...all surrounded the two sneering at each other as they too took up defensive positions, ready to continue the struggle. Ceid kept his saber lit and by his side leaning his head slightly from the pressure of the blaster barrel to his temple as RT attempted to speak, Judas' raised his hand to stop him, "Don't bother RT, this is between him...and me." Moving further into the darkness RT realized it would take a miracle to prevent more bloodshed. He got angry dropping his own blaster and raising his arms out to the side.

"Fine! Blame it on me! I brought you into this...it was foolish to think that the two of you could work together on something as innocent and as simple as a cover up!", Ceid spoke looking out the corner of his eye at Judas.

"This has been coming for some time...RT. Your mission was merely an excuse for Judas to strike at me!", Judas scoffed.

"Strike at you??!! Ceid. I could have killed you anytime I wanted.", Judas pushed slightly on the blaster. Ceid smiled slightly.

"What's stopping you?? Shoot. End it. Your only killing someone who was once an ally, a friend...", Judas tightened his trigger finger as RT reached down picking up his blaster. He placed it to his own temple and Judas looked around the side of his blaster.

"RT what are you doing?", Ceid glanced out the corner of his eye as Judas posed the question, concern on his face but no longer concerned with the blaster to his temple.

"RT put the gun down."

Wild eyed and looking at the group RT moved back and forth looking at all of them quickly, "You two are prepared to kill each other...I figured I would join in on the fun!", Judas slowly lowered the barrel off of Ceid's temple taking a step forward.

"C'mon man. This don't concern you...this is crazy, you got a wife...a family. Give me the gun.", Judas flexed an out stretched hand at RT gesturing for the side arm. Ceid watched Judas pass him, his chance to strike Judas down passing him by and he reluctantly deactivated his lightsaber falling in behind Judas. RT tensed the pistol to his temple stepping back slightly at Judas' words.

"That's where your wrong, Judas! I got no wife...I got nothing! They took her from me! They took my Son! Now this...I got you two fighting...that's it!!", RT tensed his finger on the trigger as Ceid stepped around Judas giving him an annoyed sideways glance, speaking under his breath.

"This isn't over, there will be a reckoning...", Judas holstered his blaster bringing both hands up to RT but looking at Ceid.

"Count on it...", he took another step toward RT, "It's over RT...I holstered my weapon, look...there is no need for this. We are going to get to the bottom of all of it...", he swallowed hard, looking at Ceid, "...both of us." RT started to lower the blaster as Ceid moved out to the side to start flanking RT. All at once RT simply lowered the pistol as the collected group moved in on him seeing him drop it. He raised his hands up above his head angrily.

"Ceid's starting to circle..your moving in on me. I'll be damned if I'm getting tackled.", the group stopped, looking at RT stunned, Judas smirked at him.

"It was a ruse. You did that just to get us to stop?", holstering his own side arm, RT lied.

"Yea. It worked right? You and Ceid aren't killing each other right now.", Judas glanced at Ceid's saber, who in turned looked at Judas' pistol. Ceid loosened his stance.

"Perhaps not now, but I fear you have only delayed the inevitable."

RT turned activating the ramp to his ship and gesturing behind him, "Clean up this mess...I'm not getting charged for all this destruction...", the ramp closed behind him as Judas and Ceid came up beside each other watching RT prepare to leave.

"I actually thought he was going to do it...shoot himself.", Judas turned to gather up his forces preparing to move out, as Ceid turned going in the other direction, replying to him somberly.

"Your instincts were not wrong...he was prepared to die. But not for you or I..", Ceid looked at RT's ship them back to the departing Judas, "...he has nothing left to lose."

Dremmess' Ship....

The overhead light emitted a soft glow, meant to instill a feeling of warmth and comfort. Designed by a non-Jedi...the light was used by Jedi to help reach a meditative state easier in situations where the one meditating could not be outside or in a place with soft natural light. It was a natural choice to install it on ship bound for deep space or simply as a tool for a person spending a lot of time aboard. Dremmess got up from her meditation stance angrily glaring at the light, it was not doing it's job. She waved her hand past the light cracking it out as she slowly began pacing her stateroom.

"Mad at me?? I'll give him a reason to be angry...has no reason to be angry with me. I'm the victim...I'm the one who should be angry...you just leave??!! Just walk away...pfft. I'm not going to sit around...waiting on you!! No...you are going to wait on me!!...cold day in hell before I cry over...I don't even like you!!...", she murmured as she paced arguing with herself before a sharp pain pierced her chest, an image of RT with his hand on his pistol pointed to his head flashed in her mind. She dropped to the floor doubled over, "What the hell??!!" Like a computer she tried to recall the image as data in her mind to no avail, but it wasn't a memory...that flash either just happened or was happening. She brushed it off as the image fleeted from her mind, suddenly a little happier. For once, something about her mind was stabilizing. She was retaining memory.

Makeb....

Makeb's lush vegetation bordered by towering waterfalls bordered the Republic compound that housed the 733rd Republic Combat Team. At least what was left of Makeb, since the Hutt Cartel's invasion, there were fewer towering waterfalls and less of the skyward Mesas dotting the surface. As it came into view RT could see a small arrival party already on the landing pad awaiting him. He grimaced, the entire flight all he thought about was Dremmess...and the small galactic war that greeted him upon entering his hangar. Fighting with his thoughts and now seeing that he would have to resume the mantle of Commander and leader of his unit, he wondered if shooting himself was not the better course. "Time to put the game face on", he murmured to himself, setting his Thunderbolt down on the pad and activating the shutdown sequence and ramp. As he descended the ramp he returned no salutes to the smiling party comprised of some of his best Soldiers, overjoyed to see him. Instead, falling into step next to his Executive Officer he grumbled, "What's the current situation?" The Captain was caught slightly off guard, RT was a great leader and traditionally always took the the time to greet and ask his Soldiers how they were, if they had written home and how they were holding up. This time RT was all business, seemingly focused elsewhere. The Captain figured maybe he was just preoccupied with the mission. Only one person in the unit knew what was going on in RT's personal life and that was the unit's Sergeant Major, the highest ranking enlisted man in the outfit. Listening to the Captain give him a blow by blow recount of recent enemy activity, RT looked around for his Sergeant Major, but he was no where to be found. As they walked and talked, RT began to wonder if he had the mind set to do this again, reaching his office. He entered his small barracks looking back at the Captain who stood respectfully outside the door awaiting permission to enter.. He didn't get it, as RT waved him off closing the door, "We will continue this later, thank you Captain...."


The EY-26 'Eliminator' Imperial class shuttle landed outside the Regulator compound without fanfare as Hamner already started descending the ramp before the exhaust vents opened or the ramp locked in place. Behind him, two squads of his personal guard off loaded several large crates placing them on the ground behind him as the gruff looking regulator captain approached warily.

"Darth Hamner? I wanted to come out here just to tell you to go on ahead and pack up...we got no more quarrel with the Republic or the 733rd...they been good enough to leave us alone and we-", Hamner interrupted the captain by raising the metal case he was holding, opening it up to the amazement of the regulator captain and his entourage. The captain reached out to touch the case's contents slowly, "Are those what I think they are?", Hamner allowed a smile to slowly pass over his lips before replying.

"You say you have no conflict with the Republic or the 733rd...what about it's Commander?", the regulator captain picked up one of the large Denubriaan diamonds in the case holding it to the light and answering Hamner not taking his eyes off the gems, his eyes wide.

"One man...is not the Republic. One man, I think I can have a problem with...", he gestured at the case, "All this ours?", Hamner nodded once gesturing behind him at the crates.

"As well as these crates of Auto-Turrets, Carbonite Mines, Stun Traps and most importantly...this...", he handed the captain a black box with a fluctuating green display, "...this is an activation control for an Imperial Satellite I just placed in orbit. It is coded with the bio-signature of your target. If everything else fails...hit this button. There is no where he can hide, no where he can go that the satellite's weapon can't find him The problem is...recharge time. You use this in coordination WITH your attack, not by itself.", the regulator captain took the case shaking Hamner's hand. Taking the black box and lazily placing it in his pocket, Hamner cringed, "Careful you idiot! If you activate it right now it will strike me down!!!", the regulator captain handed it off to one of his subordinates watching Hamner leave and calling after him, "This is an awful lot of firepower, to kill one man!!!", Hamner turned smiling at the regulators as the ramp to his shuttle closed.

"Yes. I know...my only regret is that I can't kill my Brother twice. Enjoy."