(L,F&E 82) WHen an Idjit Starts Investigating

[kalenath]

((This starts two days after the end of A Night at the Holo-Vids))

 

“Masterblade Idjit.” The young human who came running into the room stopped and bowed as we prescribed, almost perfectly. But Garth was very agitated. Despite his training, first as a Jedi Padawan and now as a Bladeborn initiate, he had a long way to go and right now he was somewhere between anxiety and outright fear. Sensible boy, he waited until the Masterblade acknowledged him.

 

“What is it, Garth?” Idjit asked quietly as his blade found it’s sheathe. Not that he couldn’t guess. The Force was roiling around the area, scenes from the past and future all jumbled together. Some blasé, some horrific. He hadn't been fighting, but the blade in hand always calmed him.

 

“We are ordered to assemble, all of us.” Garth’s sense in the Force was worried, very worried.

 

“Formal assembly?” Idjit asked carefully as he smoothed his robes slightly with the Force. That common action helped calm him down a little, it always had, from the time he had started training with the sword. “Is it just us?”

 

“I…” Garth stammered a bit, but then calmed slightly. “I don’t know Masterblade Idjit. Mama Lizard just told me to find you and tell you. I am also to find Masterblade Chari…” The boy gulped a little and Idjit smiled sourly. Chari was intimidating at the best of times, which these were not.

 

“How about this… I will find Chari, you go get everyone else. And hurry… We don’t want to be late for this.” Even without eyes, Idjit could see the boy’s face slacken and then freeze in the Force as the thought better than to ask. “Smart boy.” Idjit complimented him. “Go.” Garth bowed formally and was off like a shot. Idjit sighed and spoke softly. “Ah, kids…”

 

"Yes." Another voice answered him as a tall Togruta woman came from the shadows nearby. “I remember Garth Holzar… A good kid. You have helped him greatly after his ordeals, given him a place. I wish he might remain a Jedi, but there are worse things than being Bladeborn.”

 

“It wasn’t altruism, Ashla Ti. We needed all the initiates we could get. He needed stability and healing, much like Sara come to think of it. And we will not hold him if he wishes to return to the Jedi.” Idjit waited while the others in the room moved into the light. “We are agreed then?” Idjit asked quietly.

 

In turn, he sensed each of the seers who stood around him nod, mostly reluctantly, but all agreeing. Jen Ojul, Diseree Mak, Jainine Korr and Ashla TI had all been members of Bob’s sect of Bladeborn.

 

“Can you do this, Idjit?” The voice of Jainine Korr had his guts tensing. It wasn’t the woman he had known. But it sounded so much like her. “Your feelings for Istara are strong. If you cannot do this, we will find another way.”

 

“You of all people know the Empire will not just let us go, Jainine. Someone has to go and explain to the Emperor. And it has to be directly to him. Anyone else would just kill us. He… Well… I don’t really expect to survive it, but it has to be done. You have seen, as I have.” It was not a question, it was a statement. “Can you all aid Istara in the dark times that are coming?” Idjit bowed his head and waited.

 

“She is…” Diseree broke off and then continued. She was still feeling her way around, being a Kel Dor stuck in a human body had to suck. “She will figure it out, Idjit, you know she will.”

 

“I know. But this is the only way.” The blind seer agreed and then he froze as Diseree embraced him and the girl was crying. He had helped save her from a horrific fate. “Hey…” Idjit ruffled her short hair. “I am going to do my best not to get killed. But my duty to my kin is clear.” His blind eyes turned to Ashla Ti who nodded soberly.

 

“I do not agree with a lot of what has happened. I am not Bladeborn, nor is Diseree. But I find I cannot simply stand back and watch while this mess slides further into the horror that is coming.” The Togruta’s voice was sour now. “And I do like Istara. This will hurt her, you know that. Even of you survive.”

 

“I know.” Idjit said quietly. “Now I need to scoot. And Jen and Jainine need to join the assembly. You and Diseree will stand with Jina and the other Jedi. Ward her mind from Vandar and... Try and keep Jina from walking… please?” Jina Darkstorm simply refused to sit around and be helped. And every time she walked, she hurt herself again. Ona and the other healers were actually talking about amputating her legs to keep her in the wheelchair. He was reasonably sure the Bothan medic was kidding. But with Ona, who knew? And yes, Ona was really starting to lose patience.

 

“I am a Jedi Master, not a miracle worker.” Ashla Ti said with a sigh. “But I will do what I can. For what it is worth, Masterblade, you have my support.” She bowed formally to him, an equal to an equal.

 

“Thank you.” Idjit said quietly as he started for the door. “I think… Yeah… We better get there before Istara and Reekia get into an argument.” Then he was out of the room, ignoring the buzz of speculation that followed him through the corridors.

 

It was downright odd to be aboard this ship, the Stormhawk. This ship had preyed on Sith shipping and the occasional Sith patrol vessel, for ten years after it had mutinied at the Battle of Coruscant. It was well known that everyone aboard the ship hated the Sith Empire and its entire multitude of minions with a passion, but no one had even been rude to him. Which was even odder because the Bladeborn, Trugoy's Bladeborn at least, had been among the most devoted servants of the Empire until their apparent betrayal. Not that they had, and Idjit hoped against hope to convince the Emperor of that before the full might of the Empire landed on the two hundred some odd beings that he now called kin.

 

They made way for him, the crew of the Stormhawk. Even the Dragons, fervent soldiers of the Republic that they were, knew better than to block his way. He knew there would be problems, and likely soon, but if he wasn’t at the assembly hall soon, bad things…

 

A loud ‘Boom’ resounded through the ship and Idjit cursed as it shuddered a bit and an alarm started blaring. They had started without him! He ran the last few corridors at Force speed and slammed the door open to a scene he had dreaded. Reekia, Masterblade of the Bladeborn, knelt with her warblade hanging limp as Istara, Grandmaster of the Bladeborn held a bare sword over the Wookiee.

 

“Fight!” Istara snarled as her blade whistled a little. “You arrogant pile of fur! Fight me!” No… This wasn’t Istara… This was…

 

“Sharlina!” Idjit thundered as he approached the pair, he noted that all of the rest of the Bladeborn were watching. “Stop!” Even the blind seer had to flinch back a step as the woman’s yellow tinged eyes turned to him and the rage that dwelt within burned up and over. “If you do this, strike down an opponent who is not fighting back, you… Have. No. Honor.”

 

“You know what she did. Why she did it. They did nothing but serve loyally.” But her blade lowered a little. Her crew, her crew of handpicked beings who had served her for years had been slaughtered, burned alive, at the Wookiee’s instigation. Reekia hadn’t known what was actually happening, she had just ordered Sharlina ‘broken’ and that was how the Warden of the prison had tried to do it. He and his guards had paid with their lives when Sharlina had finally gotten free, but…

 

“I know.” Idjit continued to step forward, his pace relentless. “So does she. Can she change it? Now?” He asked implacably. “What she did was wrong, we told her, we warned her, but she did not hear our warnings, did you, sister?” The Wookiee shook her head slowly.

 

<My life is forfeit, Grandmaster.> Reekia said in Shirwook, to a dismayed hiss from around the room. Most of the Bladeborn understood Shirwook at the very least and some spoke it. It was hard for non-Wookiees to speak, but the Bladeborn loved a challenge. <For my action and inaction, for my arrogance, for my ignorance. I am… Nothing now…>

 

The Grandmaster of the Bladeborn seemed to shudder in place for a moment. Then, her eyes suddenly were their normal brown again. Istara spoke softly as her sword vanished back into its sheathe. “What you did was a breach of your duty. But…” The grandmaster sighed and to everyone’s amazement she squatted down in front of the Wookiee. “I disobeyed a direct order. It was the right thing to do. But I disobeyed.” Her face was sad as she turned it to Idjit. “You are right. It is time to let go of the past.” She rose and extended a slow hand to Reekia. <Forgive me, sister.>

 

Reekia stared at the hand for a long moment before looking Istara in the eyes and then taking the hand. <Only if you forgive me. And demote me. I am not worthy of the rank I bear.>

 

“And you think I am?” Istara asked tartly as she embraced the Wookiee. For a moment, the Wookiee looked dumbfounded, but then she embraced Istara and all was right in the world.

 

“Um... Am I interrupting? Is this a bad time?” Idjit turned his blind eyes to see a group enter. Not that he could see them, but through the Force he sort of could. He could even see some colors. Stormhawk Boss, flanked by Will Kalenath and a huge gray furred Wookiee were staring at the odd tableau. Idjit turned his blind eyes from the gray Wookiee to the Masterblade Wookiee and his face lit with a small smile.

 

“No.” Idjit said quietly as he moved to his appointed place. “You are right on time.”

Edited August 13, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

Idjit had to admit, the assembled Bladeborn made a great showing. Just over two hundred armored forms stood in serried ranks before the Grandmaster of the order. But… There was a subtle divide between the groups. The group of beings who had followed the creature that had called itself ‘Bob’ kept themselves a little bit apart from the rest. That was not surprising, actually. Until very recently, that group and the group that Idjit belonged to had been mortal enemies. Then they had discovered that they possessed a common enemy, one that had been manipulating things behind the scenes for several millennia. Bob had decided, almost on a whim it seemed, to leave his sect in Istara’s care. It didn’t help that a couple of Bob’s people HAD been members of Idjit’s strange family, until taken by the odd creature and mindwiped. It also did not help that the beings who performed those mindwipes were present as well.

 

Idjit did not turn his head to look at the line of huge insects that stood against one wall. He knew that they had been manipulated, that they had essentially been slaves. But it did not change the fact that Pali and Asaoi did not remember him. That they looked at him as an enemy. He remembered the little human boy and little Mon Calamari female that Trugoy had brought back from somewhere, broken and hurting. And he remembered his pride in them when they had passed their Trials. His facial expression did not change, he had perfected the art of keeping his emotions close, it was a survival trait when one hung around Sith.

 

Istara’s calm, clear voice rang across the silent assembly hall. “For the disturbance, I apologize, Stormhawk Boss. It is my responsibility to make sure such things do not happen again, and I will do so. This time, it falls on my shoulders. I lost control. It will not happen again.” Idjit felt the disbelief and worry from the woman who wore the armor of Stormhawk Boss, but that was not his secret to tell. Istara continued in that same measured voice. “I asked you all here to witness me fixing a mistake that I have made.” A subtle movement rippled through the ranks of Bladeborn and Istara sighed. “We are used to our masters at least seeming perfect, we are used to our leaders never admitting fault. Sith do not tolerate failure of any kind. But we are not Sith. We are Bladeborn.”

 

A soft murmur followed her words, many voices speaking the same thing. ‘We are Bladeborn.’

 

“Hoss. Pali, front and center.” Istara’s calm words had a murmur start in the ranks. Hoss was one of the more hotheaded of the Bladeborn initiates. He tended to act before he thought. Much like another young human male had, Idjit thought with a pang of remembered pain. The two human males stepped forward and stopped at the required distance, then bowed to Istara. Istara paused for a moment, as if thinking hard and then nodded slowly. “You have both been…fervent… in your denunciations of the other. You are both symptoms, not causes. Be at peace, Bladeborn…” Istara added kindly when both boys looked worried. “I am not going to punish you. This is not your fault. It is mine.”

 

A whisper of disagreement went up around the room, but Istara did not flinch from where she stood. “Pali, come forward.” The boy did, he was nervous but controlled it. Pali Julo was twenty five, with dark blonde hair and bright hazel eyes. “You do not remember me. Bob spoke of what he did to you. I am sorry, Pali. I am sorry I was not there it help you. I am sorry I was not there to assist you, to ward you as I should have warded all of my kin. We cannot change the past. All we can do is handle the present.” She reached up and undid her left forearm armor. She held out her left arm, hand open. “I greet you, Pali, of the Bladeborn. I welcome you into our family. Sister to brother, yours in life and death.”

 

“I…” Pali’s eyes went wide. “Grandmaster Istara… I… I am unworthy…” He broke off as a loud sound echoed through the room and more than one face lit with small smiles. A lightsaber pommel striking a head made a distinctive sound. Trugoy had been fond of that method of ‘gaining recalcitrant student’s attention’ as he had called it.

 

“I decide that.” Istara said kindly as one of her lightsabers returned to her belt with no hand on it. “Not you. ” He stared at her and then grabbed her a]rm. The brand in his covered the tattoo on hers and they embraced. "Ah, Pali... This is my responsibility and I have left it far too long." Istara said sadly as she waved him back.

 

“Yes, you have.” A harsh voice came from the ranks.

 

“Cina, you twit…” A soft voice came from a cluster of brown robes in the corner. Jian Darkstorm was shaking her head but did not move from her wheelchair. The four Jedi who stood around her all had censorious looks on their faces and she subsided a little.

 

“Advance and be recognized, Bladeborn.” Istara spoke evenly as she replaced her arm armor.

 

A slightly younger brown haired woman stepped forward from the ranks. Her face held a harsh scowl and her eyes flashed yellow with Dark Side corruption. She wore robes, not armor, and her head was high as she met the Grandmaster’s eyes defiantly.

 

“Cina Darkstorm. Well met. I wondered when you would do this.” Istara said quietly. “Do you challenge?”

 

A stillness swept the room, and Jina’s half strangled cry of protest was easily heard. Any Bladeborn could challenge for the leadership of the clan. Any at all. But… the challenge was to the death. Only once in the entire thousands of years of recorded history of the Bladeborn had a challenge not ended in the death of the challenger, but that had been an odd case. Mama Lizard and Trugoy had gone at it with no holds barred, and Trugoy had eventually capitulated in defiance of tradition. Most relaxed a little as Cina shook her head.

 

“I am not suited to lead.” Cina said quietly. “But I have heard too much about you to be easy following you. You cannot be as good as rumor makes you out to be. No one can be. Even followers of Ashla on Tython were not as good as your minions make you out to be.” A mutter at the word ‘minions’ was squelched by Istara’s steady eye that swept the ranks.

 

“True.” Istara agreed quietly. She smiled at Cina’s expression. “Rumor exaggerates. We all know this.” Cina inclined her head slightly to acknowledge the point. “So… A test instead of a challenge?” Cina nodded. “Idjit? Point of law?”

 

“The point of law is valid.” Idjit‘s voice was steady. “The Grandmaster was called to demonstrated skill on eight hundred and fifteen documented occasions since the founding of our sect nine hundred and six years ago. The fights were with training weapons and to first blood.” A gesture and a young initiate darted from the room to get the weapons in question.

 

“With training weapons?” Cina asked in a shocked tone. Training weapons were designed not to draw blood.

 

“Don’t tell me you haven’t drawn blood with training weapons, Cina Darkstorm.” Now Istara was grinning. “Shall we?” Cina nodded slowly and the Grandmaster stepped down to meet her opponent. “Kori won’t be long.”

 

The two women stood a little apart from one another gauging each other as the initiate in question ran back into the room, training weapons bundled in her arms. She laid the weapons on the ground and stepped back into her place in the ranks, sweating but obviously not winded. Istara gestured to Cina.

 

“Feel free to check them all. If any are not up to standard, I will have Kori face the Gauntlet for shaming me.” Cina stared at the Grandmaster's words and a loud gulp sounded from the ranks.

 

Cina picked up two weapons at random, a sword and a staff. She swung them a few times and then nodded to Istara as she held laid the staff down and assumed a ready position with the sword. Istara picked a weapon seemingly at random, a short wide bladed spear. It spun in the air as she also assumed a ready position.

 

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then Cina seemed to be swelling, growing. Istara, in contrast, was stillness personified. A howl split the air as Cina charged, her blade slicing quickly, but Istara was not where she had been. The Grandmaster moved in an odd scuttling crouch. It maximized her blade’s exposure and at the same time, denied her opponent a decent target. Cina paused for a moment, and then attacked again, her blade seeking an opening in Istara’s guard. But there wasn’t one.

 

The clack, clack, clack of wood on wood echoed through the room as the two women fought to gain an advantage. Finally, Cina bound Istara’s spear with her sword and with a grunt, drove her elbow into the older woman’s chest. Istara took the blow and returned it with a body check from the haft of her spear, but Cina was not as well balanced and went sprawling. Istara went for a kill shot that would have drawn blood even if pulled and Cina blocked the blow and then was back on her feet. Back and forth the two women fought.

 

Finally, the haft of Istara’s spear, weakened by the repeated blows, broke and Cina drove for a strike, only to feel the point of Istara’s spear at her throat. Istara held the spear in one hand and the other end of the spear in her other, fending off Cina’s blade. A small red line ran down the woman’s neck as Istara met her eyes and a question rang in her eyes. Cina stared at Istara and then stepped back slowly, her sword point falling.

 

“You are…” Cina breathed softly. “You are… Bladeborn…I…” She lowered her head.

 

“Cina.” Istara’s voice was hard now and Cina met her eyes. “Do not ever lower your eyes to an enemy. You know better.” A quick flip and the end of the spear slammed into Cina’s arm. A sick crack echoed through the bay and the wooden sword fell from nerveless fingers. “Will you allow me to call you sister, Cina Darkstorm?”

 

“Yes. Where you lead… I will follow…” Cina said through gritted teeth. She extended her broken arm and grasped Istara’s left arm, so that her brand covered where the tattoo was under Istara’s armor. “Sister… to sister… Yours in life … and death…” She was shuddering as Istara caught her.

 

“You stupid girl… You stupid stubborn girl… Well met, sister.” Istara held the girl as medics came up, Ona among them. “She has to stay. We need to get this done.”

 

“Well, next time, don’t break both arm bones, will you?" Ona snarled at Istara as she felt the broken arm. "You, Cina, have an appointment in Medical as soon as we are done…” The Bothan focused on the arm and then the Force poured out of her in healing wave. Her eyes rolled back, but she recovered instantly and shook off the hands that were holding her up. “I am fine, I can do more than that…”

 

“No, Ona.” Her mate Jon pulled her away, despite her protests. “We need you as well.” Istara had to smile at Ona’s reply. The Bothan was kind, gentle and compassionate. But get her riled and bad things happened…

 

“Please, Ona. Return to your place. We need to finish this.” Istara helped Cina to her feet and smiled as Cina bowed formally and too her place again in the ranks. Then the Grandmaster spoke to all the assembly.

 

“We are all kin now, we have to let the past remain the past. It will not be easy, or quick, but we need to work together to face what is coming. We will overcome. We are Bladeborn.”

 

Idjit had to smile at the overwhelming support that swept the chamber. “We are Bladeborn.” His voice joined the chorus.

[kalenath]

Idjit was unsurprised when a small form remained after the assembly had finished and most of the Bladeborn returned to their duties. He shook his head and coughed discretely. Istara looked up from her musing and smiled at the girl. “Yes, Jen?”

 

“I…” Jen Ojul was scared, there was no question. But she was also well trained, both in nursing and as a Bladeborn initiate. Idjit knew she was terrified, but the girl managed to pass beyond her fear and meet Istara’s gaze steadily. She had managed to get through the ceremony with no problems. “I have a request, grandmaster…”

 

“Oh Jen… Come here…” Istara rose from her seat and came down to where the girl stood. Jen nearly swarmed into Istara’s arms, and the floodgates opened. Jen’s brave front collapsed and she was crying into Istara’s shoulder as the Grandmaster stroked her hair calmingly. “I wish we could send you home, but it wouldn’t be safe. For you or for them.” After a few moments, she held Jen out at arm’s length and studied the younger woman. Jen flushed as she dried her tears on the shoulder of her initiate robes. “Ravishaw is still out there. He would target you, either to kill or to take again… And we won’t allow that.” Jen was shuddering again and Istara held her tight again. “Easy, easy… It’s okay Jen. We will make it okay.”

 

“I am sorry… I am sorry…” The nurse stammered as she tried to get her emotions under control.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Istara corrected Jen gently. “You are a victim. You did nto choose this path initially, but now you have. You are family now. You have my word I am looking into options, trying to find a path for you, one that takes you home. I will see you back with your family, Jen. Your birth family.”

 

I…” Jen shook her head. “I don’t want to go back there.”

 

At her soft words Istara froze in place. “Jen…?” But the dam had broken and Jen was babbling now.

 

“I… I started medical school to get away. I had to get away… I wanted a real life, not to be…” She broke off suddenly, her face working. Istara held her as she shuddered, but eventually the Grandmaster spoke softly.

 

“Not to be what, Jen?” Istara looked at Idjit and he nodded. He turned to the guard by the door and spoke softly for that being’s ears alone.

 

“Get Mama and Ona. Now.” The seer’s quiet but forceful words had the guard bowing and off at a run.

 

"No..." Jen recoiled a bit from Istara’s gentle grasp. “No… I shouldn’t… I have to get back…to Medical… I need to get to work…” But Istara wouldn’t let her go. “You… Grandmaster I am wasting your time…”

 

“I decide if you are wasting my time, Jen. And I don’t think you are.” Istara looked to where Will, Stormhawk Boss and the huge gray furred Wookiee stood to the side, next to a line of huge bugs, all of whom radiated sadness through the Force. “What do you mean, you ‘had to get away’? From what, Jen?”

 

“I…” Jen recoiled strongly now, but Istara’s grasp was too tight. “No! I can’t… Please don’t make me remember!” Her scared voice echoed now but no one moved.

 

“Remember what, Jen? You need to face this. You may not have started as one of us, but you are. We can help you. Will you let me help you?” Istara seemed to freeze as Jen did. Then the girl collapsed, sobbing into Istara’s arms.

 

“I was… I was just a daughter… Just another mouth to feed. I wasn’t as useful for labor. I couldn’t do as much. They… I…” Jen was shaking now and Istara sat her down on the deck, kneeling beside her.

 

“That’s it, girl. Let it out. You can’t hold such things in. Why haven’t you told anyone?” Istara’s gentle voice had the girl stiffening. "I am not angry, Jen. You would know if I was angry. My battle sister is in pain and I want to help."

 

“I am weak. I am useless. I am… I am pathetic…. I…” Jen’s voice broke off as Istara hugged her tight.

 

“No, you are not. Believe me, Jen. I understand exactly what you are feeling.” Istara’s words held ancient pain now. “Who told you that?” Idjit nodded as Mama and Ona came into the room and took in the situation at a glance. This was hardly the first time this had happened around the Bladeborn. Ona was carrying a steaming mug and Mama knelt down beside the distraught girl, holding her as Istara transferred the girl into the Barabel’s arms.

 

“Eassssy Jen… Eazy… It will be okay. We have sssomething for you to drink. A mild zedative. It will calm you down.” Mama’s tone was practiced as she rocked the girl gently, this was what she did. Jen was beyond arguing and sipped slowly as Ona held the cup to her lips. In moments, the mild sedative in the cup did its work and Jen slumped into the Barabel’s arms. “Who told you that you were weak and pathetic?”

 

“My mom and dad…” Jen slurred the words a bit as the drug took hold, but she remained awake. “Couldn’t… Couldn’t work as much as brothers… couldn’t do as much… useless…”

 

“How did you get away?”Ona asked gently as she checked the girl’s vitals.

 

“Didn’t… They sold me...to a brothel…” Jen said simply and everyone in the room stiffened in shock. “Was hard… Managed to buy my freedom… worked… hard…Went to university to get better. Medical school…Then Ravishaw…” Idjit shook his head. She had never told anyone that. Not even Bob had known about that. A quick look at Kicota saw that the huge bug was in shock as well, the human was a good friend.

 

“Oh Jen…” Kicota’s voice was soft as she stepped forward a pace. It sounded as if the silver skinned queen was nearly in tears. “I am sorry…”

 

“Kicota... Can you make me forget?” Jen asked through tear streaked eyes. “I want to forget. I am happy here. Don’t want to go home. Don’t want to be another ‘useless’ female.”

 

“You are not useless, Jen.” Istara said fiercely as she gave the girl’s arm a squeeze. “You are also not alone. We will talk when you have had a chance to calm down. But you have to sleep now, Jen.”

 

“Work to do…” Jen protested halfheartedly from her comfortable spot in Mama Lizard’s arms. Odd that a Barabel’s scales might be soft, but hey, that was Mama Lizard. Odd.

 

“Not today, Jen.” Mama said as she rocked the quivering form in her arms. “We will talk, you, me and Iztara, when you wake. But for now… Sssleep…” Whatever magic Mama Lizard did, maybe the Force, or maybe just kindness, had Jen drifting off quickly. The Barabel rose carefully, Jen held in her arms. “We will let her zleep for asss long as she can. We had no idea.” Ona gently brushed the girl’s hair and followed Mama Lizard form the room. Istara waited until after they had left before turning to Idjit.

 

“That could not have been easy. You knew.” It wasn’t a question.

 

“From the moment I saw her.” Idjit agreed quietly. “But every possible future I saw where she did not say it herself, if she was forced to speak… she self destructed. We can’t push her.”

 

“We won’t. Now that we know… well... Who was it that said ‘Knowing is half the battle’?” Istara smiled sadly as she rose.

 

“Don’t you quote a cartoon at me.” Stormhawk Boss snarled but in obvious humor. “That was… I was not expecting Bladeborn to be kind.”

 

“We are not.” Istara said quietly as she sat again on the chair. “But we know what it is to be broken, to be despised, to be targets of hate and jealousy. Jen needs to face this and we will help her. It is what we do. But for now… We need to talk…”

 

“That we do.” The commander of the renegade cruiser Stormhawk said quietly.

[kalenath]

"We can't stay here." Istara said slowly. "We place you and your ship in grave danger every moment we are here."

 

"Oh?" Boss asked, his voice somewhat amused. "And anywhere else you would go you wouldn't bring danger?"

 

"Please do not make light of this." Istara asked slowly. "Boss, we cannot remain here. You and the crew have been incredible in hospitality. But..." She shook her head. "What happened here today is a small sample of our lives. Our way is hard, brutal. We are trained for one thing and one thing only. To fight."

 

"I know." Stormhawk boss said quietly. "But we owe you. We pay our debts."

 

"You owe me nothing." Istara said sadly. "My coming here got two of your crew killed."

 

"Yes." Boss agreed. "But... It also exposed the treachery of a long standing member of the crew. If you had not come when you did, Jaken would have been free to cause more, worse harm. Or turn the Dragons against us and kill us all."

 

"From one point of view..." Istara said with a frown. "I guess I can see that. But my arrival did cause unrest on your ship."

 

"Not as much as you think." Boss said with a shrug. "You at least were polite. The Sith we had aboard during the mess with Zelkin was not. She nearly got fried a number of times."

 

"Istara..." WIll said quietly. "The tension was growing a long time before you got here. It was going to boil over sooner or later. Did Brianna's encounter with you flash it? Yes. Did you cause it? No."

 

"Will..." Istra's voice was sick now. "We can't stay here. You know this. Add us to the Stormhawk's problems and... Well..." She sighed.

 

"Istara." Will said reasonably. "Where would you go?" He asked gently. "Any planet you wind up on will be a trap. Eventually someone will find you, unless you keep moving. And moving over two hundred people at once is kind of visible. The homeship is not set up for non-Sitolon access. Raven has told me about how she has had to work to get around aboard." Istara slumped a bit and Will nodded. "I know Dia offered. But.." He shrugged.

 

"She doesn't have the space." Istara said sadly. "And there are too many memories there for Sara. Here, there are too, but..."

 

"Not as many. Not as bad." Will agreed softly. "Istara, this is the best choice. Is it perfect? No. Will it be easy? No. But we can make it work."

 

"Easy is not for Bladeborn." Idjit said in a quiet voice. Istara looked at him and then sighed.

 

"I know it wasn't really my fault." Istara said sadly. "I know it wasn't even Brianna's fault. But I can't help seeing your kid's faces' Will. When I saw them in the detention bay. They were not children, but they were innocent. We are dangerous to be around. We... We are..." Idjit stepped close to his lover and laid a hand on her shoulder. He didn't do anything, just shared her grief and pain for a moment before stepping back. "Will, Boss... I..." She sighed again and shook herself. "If... If we do this... We will need a chain of command." Boss looked at her and Istara nodded. "My people deal better with a clear line of command. We understand about shipboard life. Cole outranked almost everyone aboard the Bladehome except Mama and Trugoy." Will stared at Istara and she shrugged. "He knew what he was doing." Will stared at her and Istara flushed a little. "Will, we are not techs, not pilots, although we can. We are not navigators or communications people. We are not navy people."

 

"No." Boss agreed. "You are Bladeborn." He made a 'hmm' noise. "You would take my orders?"

 

"Well..." Istara made a face. "If you order me or any of my kin to jump out an airlock unsuited without a darn good reason, we will likely balk." Will chortled a bit at that and Boss just stared at her. "Boss, we know we have control issues. If..." She shook her head. "I don't want to do this, but you are both right. I cannot let my pain and grief hurt my kin. And... She nodded and her voice was stronger. "Sara needs stability now. She trusts this ship and it's crew. We will stay. For now." She qualified. "What are your orders, sir?" She asked Boss, who stiffened.

 

"Whoa..." Boss said, an empty hand coming up in a warding gesture. "Wait a moment... Istara... No. I do not command you."

 

"There can be only one captain on a ship, Boss." Istara said flatly. "Every attempt I have heard of to have co-captains or anything like that... has ended badly. I was not captain of the Rancor's Bite. I listened to my captain. I was... Maybe an admiral? No... I only had one ship. I don't know how to define it. But it worked."

 

"You were in charge of your activities, but the captain ran the ship?" Will mused. Istara nodded and WIll did as well after a moment. "Allies. You are allied forces." Istara looked at him and he smiled at her. "Istara, you have your own command structure, your own officers. You are stuck on this ship for the moment, but not enemies. What you need is a Liaison officer, someone who can deal with both sets of personnel. And before anyone says anything.... I can't do it."

 

"Yeah." Istara said sadly. "You need to find Nia. Will, when you do find Darmuk's base, let me know. You wouldn't mind some backup when facing a Sith Lord would you?"

 

"No." WIll said with a tight smile. "Contrary to popular belief I am not that... What the-?" He stopped talking as Istara's com chimed.

 

"Yes?" Istara asked. Her people knew better than to bother her with stupid things.

 

"Istara! We need you!" Jon's voice came from her com and the healer's voice was one step removed from terror. "As soon as you can! We have a-" The voice cut out and static sounded.

 

"Aw crap!" Idjit said as he started for the hatch, followed by all the others. "Cina, you are such a twit! Why now?"

[kalenath]

Lo and behold, it was not Cina Darkstorm who had prompted Jon’s scared call to Istara. Idjit skidded to a halt just inside the main medical ward of the Stormhawk. Well, not JUST her. Part of his awareness saw Ona, Jon and various nurses working to get patients away from the…

 

“Aw… flarg…” Idjit muttered under his breath as he looked at the woman locked in what looked like a bubble of the Force. The Force was literally boiling around Jina Darkstorm. Her sister, far from the arrogant and obnoxious woman who had tested Istara in front of all the assembled Bladeborn, was…cowering? Her arm was in a cast and her face was ashen. Ona, Jon and the other healers were on the other side of the wall of Force energy., They looked okay. Well, Ona looked scared and angry. “Jina no!” Idjit cried as he tried to pass the wall of energy that seemed to bar half the medical ward. It threw him back and he hissed from the pain.

 

“What the hell?” Istara asked as she skidded to a stop just behind him. “Cina?” She asked in a worried voice was Jina rotated in midair, buoyed by something that couldn’t be seen… The Jedi’s eyes were closed and she was grimacing as if in pain. “Aw crap!”

 

“She came in, she seemed… disoriented. She asked me what I thought I was doing.” Cina said as if dazed. Given her appearance, Ona had probably given the younger woman a sedative as well as painkillers. “I said I had to be sure who I followed. She… She just …” Cina waved a slow hand to where Jina was floating. “She erupted in energy…”

 

“That is not all that happened, was it, Cina? She shouldn’t have reacted like this from some hard words.” Istara did not take her eyes off the floating former Jedi but her tone was harsh.

 

“I…” Cina seemed to wilt but she wasn’t going to lie to the Grandmaster. “No… She was so calm… So fracking calm… I just… I wanted her to show emotion, some kind of emotion. Some remorse for what she put the family through. Some regret…”

 

“What did you do, Cina?” Istara asked relentlessly. “Oh no…” Jina’s face had turned so they could see her closed eyes and the red handprint on the Jedi’s cheek. Istara groaned. “You didn’t…” Istara tried to pass the energy wall and hissed as it resisted her as well. “Aw crap…” The grandmaster repeated.

 

“What… what is happening?” For the first time, Cina sounded unsure. “How is she doing that?” The former Sith sounded lost and alone.

 

“Cina, you must listen to me.” Idjit’s calm voice cut through the hubbub that was starting behind them. “There is only one person in this room who can get through that barrier. And that is you…” He poked at the middle of her chest with a finger and her robes indented.. “You caused this. You have to fix it.”

 

Stormhawk Boss’ voice was heard now. “...can we use sleep gas? I know she is a Jedi, but if she does much more structural damage, she could put the entire ship at risk.”

 

“Structural damage?” Cina turned to stare at the commander of the ship, and then her eyes lit on the fact that the energy field was cutting into the ceiling and floor of the room. Her eyes went wide. “Oh…no…”

 

“No, gas won’t work.” Will Kalenath said as he appeared nearby. “And shooting her is out.” His cold gaze silenced everything for a moment. “Doubt it would work anyway, that field is strong. But no one is shooting Jina.”

 

“Cina, put your hand on the barrier.” Idjit’s calm voice held command and Cina did as ordered before anyone could stop her. It went right through. She stared at her hand, and wiggled her fingers inside it, dumbfounded. “You can do this, you are the only one who can.”

 

“How is she doing this?” Cina Darkstorm stared at Idjit, everyone else in the room ignored.

 

"Cina..." Idjit shook his head. “We don’t have time, Cina. You know what you need to do. To wake her up.”

 

"I..." To the amazement of everyone else in the room, Cina stared at the seer and burst into tears. “No! I can’t…”

 

“Cina…” Idjit’s voice was relentless now. “You must. She has come into her powers too soon. She does not know how to control them yet. You are the only one who can get past the barrier. Cina. Do it. She would not want you to wait, to let her threaten the lives of all she loves. You know she loves you.”

 

"No..." Cina stared around the room, horror written all over her features. “No… Please… Don’t make me do this…” Idjit shook his head and CIna focused on Istara. “Please, grandmaster, there must be another way…”

 

"idjit...?" Istara looked at Idjit and her face was forlorn. “You are sure?” He nodded and Istara seemed to wilt a little. She stepped up to where Cina stood and took the woman’s hands in her won. “Cina, listen to me. If I could do it, I would. But I can’t get through the field that Jina has put up. I won’t order you to do this. I will beg you, as she would. Please… Do the right thing.” Istara gave Cina a nod and then stepped back a pace.

 

"I..." Cina felt so lost and alone in the Force that Idjit’s heart went out to her. He stepped up as well and whispered into her ear. She stared at him and then nodded slowly. “I do hate her. But you are right… part of me still loves her. I…” Suddenly the girl stiffened and Idjit froze in place. Her face lit up. “She is dreaming. I know how to break someone out of a dream…”

 

“Cina, No!” He shouted and grabbed for her as the woman dove for the barrier. He stopped just at the edge and watched with all the others as Cina stepped towards her sister, a blade in hand. “You can’t kill her! You will doom us all!”

 

Idjit’s shout reverberated around the room, but it was clear that Cina could not hear him. All he could do was watch as she drew back to swing and cut…at Jina’s bad knee. Even swung one handed, the blade flew true. Idjit saw the blade bite deep as clearly as if he still had eyes, then the Force slammed into him, throwing him across the room.

 

When Idjit could sense through the Force again, the barrier was gone. The blade that Cina had used was lying on the floor, beside Cina who held Jina in her lap, her hands clamped tightly around the stump of the former Jedi’s leg. Cina was crying.

 

“I am sorry, Jina…" Cina begged. "I am sorry, sister… Please wake up… Please don’t leave me… again…”

 

“Oh Cina… Don’t cry…” Jina’s voice was almost inaudible. Her hands moved weakly to touch Cina’s face. “My fault… Not yours…” She looked up and her eyes were serene as she met Idjit’s empty eyesockets from across the room. “I understand now, seer. Tell Ashla Ti that she was right, and wrong. I am one of the Seven.” She was fading, but Ona and Jon were there with medical gear squatting in the pool of blood that had resulted from Cina’s slice.

 

“Don’t move!” Ona snarled at Jina. “I don’t know what just happened, and I don’t care! Don’t move! She exclaimed as Jina hugged her younger sister tight.

 

“My… my personal sacrifice…Knew it was coming…Just not when…” Jina’s voice was fading with her consciousness. “But…” Impossibly, she smiled. “I got my sister back… So it’s worth it…” She gasped and then slumped in Cina’s grip.

 

“Jina…?” Cina asked anxiously. “JINA!” She cried as she pulled her sister close, trying to hold her sister in place through sheer force of will.

 

“Cina… ease up…” Ona commanded. “She is alive. And she is going to stay that way. Mama?”

 

Mama Lizard came up and gently, so gently, extricated Cina from her sister. Cina was a mess, covering in blood and gore, her face streaked with tears. She stared at the Barabel and then, buried her face in Mama’s arm scales and cried.

[kalenath]

“Okay…” The soft, incredulous voice came from a corner where a nine year old girl sat quietly. “I am officially creeped out and lost. Why the heck did Cina cut Jina’s leg off?” The girl called Mira shook her head baffled. “I know she had to wake Jina up, but… Why…?”

 

“Well…” Idjit shook his head slowly from where he sat near the door. “Jina wasn’t ready to use those powers yet. I bet she found a pocket of nanites and eliminated them before coming to see her sister. That would explain why she was disoriented. It really messes you up for a bit. As for Cina? It was the only way she could get Jina to see her, instead of whatever the frak Jina was actually seeing. The shock of the amputation woke Jina from her trance. Hard on Jina and the rest of us, but it worked.”

 

“Yeah.” Istara sighed as she sat beside Mira and hugged the girl gently. “Hey, Mira, it’s okay. We are all scared.” Mira’s eyes were disbelieving but she didn’t try and break free. Istara shook her head. “You think I enjoy this feeling that something way more powerful than me is moving me without my control?”

 

“I…” Mira shook her head slowly. “Are you saying that I am going to be able to do something like that? Like what Jina did?” It was going to take days of work to repair the damage done to the medical bay.

 

“No.” Idjit said quietly as he sipped a drink that he had been given. “We don’t know what you are going to wind up being…” He broke off as Mira’s eyes went far away. “Mira?” He asked quickly. Mira did not look at him and when she spoke it was in a monotone. "MIra!"

 

“This unit is detailed as an information storage and retrieval unit. This unit is…” Mira seemed to shudder and then she collapsed into Istara’s arms. Istara shot a worried glance at Idjit, but held her place as Mira shook herself and snarled. “Dang it! So long without an episode and now… Why now…?”

 

"Ah..." Istara shook her head and gave Mira support as the girl shook herself. “We don’t know, Mira. Ashla forbid you have to go through that kind of thing yourself. You have already sacrificed too much. Thank the stars you don’t have the Force.” Mira leaned into the embrace, grateful for the support. She was free of the lingering doubts as to Istara’s veracity now.

 

“What did Jina mean, ‘my personal sacrifice’?” This from another corner where Will sat at a terminal, doing data searches. From the looks of it, on Jedi and Jedi powers. A brunette haired woman sat beside him, her hand on his shoulder. All eyes in the room turned to Idjit and he sighed.

 

“I don’t know for sure.” The seer admitted. “We have all suffered, every one of us. Istara, myself, Will, Michelle, Mira… We all know suffering on a personal level. Jina… well… She does as well…” He pursed his lips as Will nodded.

 

“So does Nia, and almost certainly she is going through worse while that scum Darmuk has her.” Will shook his head and closed down his terminal. “But this was more… I don’t know…” He was feeling his way through his thoughts. “This was… more immediate, more…”

 

“More real. More here and now.” Michelle’s voice as always was soft and gentle. It was hard to remember sometimes that the mind inside her body was more than a thousand years old. It was also hard to believe that the kind woman who was hugging Will now had more blood on her hands than everyone else in the room put together. “More… personal. I really hope this is not something that we all will go through.”

 

“You and me both, Michelle. You and me both.” Istara said, shuddering a bit. “Idjit, can you tell us anything?” Her tone was carefully neutral now. Often being told things by seers was just as bad if not worse than being in the dark. The seer pursed his lips again and thought hard for a moment.

 

“There is not a lot known about the legend of the Seven. It’s old, we know that, at least fifteen thousand years. But…” He shook his head. “As to seeing what we are to do or how…? No. Every time I try, I get a headache you wouldn’t believe.” He grimaced in remembered pain.

 

“Probably because you are involved.” Will mused softly. “The Seven are supposed to stop the machines. We know that. How or with what, we don’t know.”

 

“Depends on which version you read.” Idjit countered quietly. “In one version, the Seven are heroes, saviors of the galaxy. In another, they are harbingers of death and destruction. Agents of horrific power and evil. In yet another, they are agents of subversion and deceit, sowing discord before the arrival of the machines. In another, they are dupes fooled into allowing the machines to destroy everything.” The blind seer shook his head. “I just don’t know.”

 

“Sheesh…” Mira shook her head and smiled at Istara. “Thank you Grandmaster. I am okay now.” Istara looked at her and Mira shrugged a bit self-consciously. “Well, as okay as I can be… This whole ‘living computer’ thing got old after the first time, you know?”

 

Istara smiled as she let Mira slide off her lap and stood up. “You are not alone Mira. We are all trying to figure these things out. And no one sane calls you weak.” She tweaked Mira’s nose as she walked towards Idjit, ignoring the girl’s half hearted protest. “I had a thought, actually…”

 

“Scary that.” Idjit made a comically terrified face and he grinned as Istara hit him lightly on the arm. “Ow… Meanie!” All the others in the room grinned at his comical tone.

 

“I am serious, laserbrain.” But her mouth was quirking into a smile as she sat down beside her paramour. “Am I still an ambassador to the Empire for the Sitolon?” Idjit stiffened, but only someone who knew him well would be able to see it. Unfortunately, Istara knew him well. “I am, aren’t I?”

 

“Yes… But Istara, you have been out of circulation for some time. I don’t know how they would react to you showing up. I know it wouldn’t be good.” Idjit was picking his words with care.

 

“I am not talking about throwing myself at the Emperor’s nonexistent mercy. I am talking about opening a dialogue. You know… this newfangled thing called the Holonet? Com systems? You know?” Her grin was wicked, but seriousness under laid her tone. “We need to do something. Something that does not involve any of us going to Drummond Kaas.” Idjit stiffened and Istara laid a gentle hand on his arm. “You didn’t think I would figure it out, did you?” Now she sounded upset. Idjit wilted a bit under her hurt eyes.

 

“Istara… It is the only way. Someone has to explain to the Emperor what happened. You can’t go. You are the only thing holding the kin together as it is. If he obliterates you… well…” Idjit did not move as Istara’s hand came up, but instead of a slap, it traced his jaw. “Istara…” He said carefully.

 

“We will find another way.” There was no give at all in the Grandmaster of the Bladeborn’s voice. “You are not going.”

 

“Istara…” Idjit shook his head, but he had been given an order by the Grandmaster of his order... He nodded slowly.

 

“Don’t try to weasel out of this, Idjit.” Istara said quietly. “You are not the only one who ‘sees’ things, you know.” Idjit froze as Istara nodded slowly. “It wouldn’t work. All it would do is get you killed for nothing. And that would make me very cross.” She smiled, but there was a grim undertone to her expression.

 

“We need to talk to the Sitolon.” Will commented quietly. “All of us. Face to face.”

 

“How long until Jina is mobile?” Mira asked quietly, only to find Istara, Will and Idjit all smiling grimly at her. “What?” She asked.

 

“I give it five minutes after she wakes up.” Will said with a grimace. “With or without a prosthetic, she is going to be moving.”

 

“Oh.” Mira’s voice was small now. “Ona is just going to love that, isn’t she?” Mira asked with a somewhat scared look on her face. She knew the Bothan well.

 

“Nope.” All the others in the room chorused.

[kalenath]

As luck would have it, Idjit was sitting with Jina when the former Jedi woke. All of the others had been taking turns staying with her. They knew what was coming. He knew the moment she woke. Her breathing didn’t change but her sense in the Force was suddenly apprehensive.

 

“Good morning, Jina.” Idjit said softly as he sat forward in his chair. Jina looked at him and Idjit held up a hand when she would have shifted in the bed. “No, don’t move. Ona is… rather annoyed with you.”

 

“Yeah…” Jina sighed and lay back. Her sense in the Force was scared now. “She took it off, didn’t she?”

 

“Cina did, yes. And then Ona finished the amputation. It’s clean and healing well, and above the knee.” Idjit shook his head. “Are you thirsty? Ona said you probably would be from the painkillers and quick heal.”

 

“Dry as a dune on Tattooine.” Jina agreed and took the glass that Idjit extended in careful fingers. Ordinarily, she would have objected when he held it with her, but her fingers were shaking. She sipped through the straw and her sense in the Force was grateful. She finished the glass and let Idjit take it back. Then she slumped in the bed. “I really messed up, didn’t I?”

 

“I don’t know.” Idjit admitted quietly. “Ashla Ti and the other Jedi are really wierded out. They have never seen anything like it. Neither have I, but I know you were not using the Dark Side. Boss is upset about his medical bay, but happy no one was hurt or killed.” He paused and continued sourly. “Besides you that is.”

 

“I was angry…” Jina mused, and would have sat up, except Idjit held her shoulder down gently but firmly. “I… I don’t know. It felt…wrong. Something just felt wrong. I saw her hand come up and then… I was floating… Almost as if I were on the plain. Then I was waking up on the floor with my leg gone and Cina crying. She blames herself. I think we are both to blame.”

 

“On the plain…?” Idjit asked carefully. “Hmmm…” Jina tried to sit up again and this time, Idjit let her. Try that is. She got halfway up and couldn’t move her leg.

 

“What the…?” Jina asked in a voice of worry as she felt the drag. She stared at the lump under the light blanket. “What the hell?”

 

“Ona was… unhappy. She didn’t want you jumping up and running off until she was sure you no long term impairment. And she was angry..” Idjit shook his head. Ona had been much less than enthused with Jina. The Bothan healer had attached a prosthetic, but had not activated it. So the former Jedi currently had a large dead weight attached to her right leg above the knee.

 

“Oh come on!” Jina exclaimed as she explored the leg with careful fingers. It was an expensive prosthetic, one of the good ones that looked just like real flesh. “I know I haven’t been the best of patients. I know I have steamed her, but…“ She deflated and collapsed back onto the bed. “I didn’t mean to be.”

 

“I know that. All of us know that. You have gone through a horrific ordeal, Jina. Losing a leg is not a minor wound.” Idjit replied as he patted her hand comfortingly. Her sense in the Force as one step removed from tears. “Jina, relax. You are on strong painkillers currently. If you move around too much you could either hurt yourself or get nauseous. Just lie there for once and let us take care of you.”

 

“You guys are always taking care of me.” Jina sighed and shook her head. “After the mess on Tralus, when I escaped the Jedi. After Vorren hurt me… You all do nothing but care for me…” The Jedi was crying now and Idjit leaned close and took her hands in his.

 

“Jina… Be at peace.” The dark seer said quietly. “You are a friend. We help our friends.” Idjit wiped away the tears that ran down Jina’s face. “It’s the drugs Jina. We all know how tough you are. There is no shame in crying. Tears are not weakness. They can be a sign of weakness, but not in you. We know better.”

 

“Oh Idjit… I am a mess, aren’t I?” Jina asked sourly as she brushed the tears away on her patient gown.

 

“Yes you are. But I need to ask, Jina…” The seer shook his head slightly. “What do you remember from before you came to the medical ward?”

 

“Before….? Oh.” Jina nodded sheepishly. “I was supposed to report where I found those machines. Oops…” She sighed and spoke in a cool tone. “I was traveling through sector twelve when I sensed them. It took me a few minutes to find where they were, they had been placed inside a crate. I zapped them like I was taught.”

 

“Sector twelve?” Idjit asked carefully.

 

“Yeah, just outside Dragon territory.” Jina said with a grimace as she tried to squirm a little. “I dealt with them before Coruscant a couple of times. I know better than to go into their lair uninvited.”

 

“Might there be more in there?” Idjit asked softly, only to stop short as Jina reached up and took his closest hand in both of hers.

 

“Idjit. No.” Jina’s voice held worry now. “If there are, let Will handle them. If you or Istara go in there, you are not coming out. I know how powerful you are and it doesn’t matter. They are all like Will, just… not as stable.” If Idjit had possessed eyes, they would have gone very wide at that. “Tell Will…” Jina’s voice trailed off as the door to the room hissed open and a black furred Bothan came in bearing a tray. “Hello Ona…”

 

“Good afternoon, Jina.” The Bothan said brightly. “I brought you lunch.”

 

“Ona…” Jina winced at the overly bright response. Ona was still angry. “I am sorry… I know I have been a bad patient. I know I have been a pain in the tail. I am sorry.” The Bothan sighed as she laid the tray down on a table beside the bed.

 

“You are not the worst patient I have ever had, Jina.” Ona’s voice was as gentle as her fingertip as if traced Jina’s cheek. “Close, but not quite. But as of now, you have to listen to me, don’t you?”

 

“I always listen to you Ona. I don’t always do what you wish, but I always listen.” Jina said with a grimace.

 

“Well, now you are going to listen to me and do what I say. If you do what I say, I can have you out of that bed and mobile in a day. If you don’t…” The Bothan’s voice trailed off evilly.

 

Jina turned pleading eyes towards Idjit but he just held up his hands in a warding gesture. “Oh no… You are not going to get me involved in this. Bye.”

 

As he left, he heard Jina smother a chuckle. He supposed it was fairly humorous, someone like him running from two small females. Not that size matters in any regard except for reach. But his focus was elsewhere. If what he suspected was true… He keyed his com.

 

“Will, you busy?” He asked when he got a quiet acknowledgement.

 

“Am I ever not?” Came the sour reply and Idjit had to smile. Will Kalenath was a lot of things. Politically correct was not one of them.

 

“Have you had a chance to check the Dragons' quarters for nanites? Jina found some near there.” And indrawn breath was the reply he had been expecting. “How… How do we do this…?” Idjit hated being so timid, but when faced by real life Dragons, anyone would be who wasn’t insane. And Idjit wasn’t really insane, he just played it so well that sometimes he wondered himself if he was.

 

“Very carefully. Meet me in sector twelve.” With that, the com clicked off and Idjit nodded and started towards the designated sector.

[kalenath]

One did not lightly traipse into the lair of a flight of Dragons. If one was not invited, well… Idjit had heard something sometime, he couldn’t remember where. ‘Thou shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of dragons for thou art crunchy and go well with ketchup.’ While these were not the mighty predators that called the Dune Sea of Tattooine home, they were highly dangerous and only a fool underestimated them. So it was with a small sigh of relief that he sensed Will approaching.

 

“I half expected you to go in without me.” The soldier said as he came close.

 

“Do I look that crazy? Don’t answer that!” Idjit said quickly as he sensed amusement from the soldier. He shook his head, sobering. “I can detect at least three pockets of the nanites inside even though the jamming and stealth. How about you?”

 

"Hmmm." Will seemed to coalesce in the Force for a moment and then he sighed as well. “I can detect two of them. But I know better than to doubt your senses.” He shook himself audibly and continued. “Look, I know you know when to keep your mouth shut. Seers kind of have to. But you are likely to hear things in there that will test your reserve. They will push you. Do not push back. If you do, you will not leave those rooms alive and I seriously don’t want to explain to Istara why I let you get killed.”

 

“Wuss.” Idjit snickered at the sense he got from Will. Then he got serious. “Can you do it alone?”

 

“No.” Will blew out a bubbling breath. “Those machines don’t like me. It’s as if they recognize me and deny my access. Don’t say it!” He cautioned.

 

“Say what?” Idjit said with as artful a look of innocence as he could muster. “That you are mean to machines and they take it the wrong way?”

 

“I ought to be used to your sense of humor by now. Crazy seer.” Will sighed as he started for the hatch that marked the edge of Dragon Territory. He hit the chime and spoke in an even tone. “Dragon Four with a guest. We need to do a sweep for the nanites.”

 

“You brought a black robe, Four?” The voice of Captain Scarran, Dragon Leader, was painfully neutral.

 

“He is Bladeborn, Dragon Lead. You heard their oath.” Will shook his head at the scoffing sound that came from the com.

 

“Of all the people in the galaxy, I would have expected you to be the last to trust a black robe, Will.” Captain Scarran’s voice was just a little less neutral now.

 

“Who said I trust him?” Will countered with just a touch of heat. “I may like him and Istara, but that doesn’t mean I trust them.” Idjit turned his head to Will and the man’s sense in the Force was unapologetic. “It’s the truth. For now, we cut you all slack. When, not if, when, you step out of line, that slack will hang all of you.”

 

“Istara’s oath was to Boss.” Idjit replied coldly. “Our oaths are to her. If she decides to break her oath, well, then we will follow her. Until and unless she does, you are stuck with us.” A laugh came from the com.

 

“If I didn’t know better, I would have said that was from one of us. It was just crazy enough to be a fledgling Dragon.” Captain Scarran’s voice was soft now. “We will not trust you, any of you. But like Will says, that doesn’t mean we can’t like you. Crazy man…”

 

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Captain.” Will said with a sour chuckle. “Permission to enter?”

 

“Granted. Ten is just inside the hatch. Do not leave her side.” There was no doubting the menace in Captain Scarran’s voice now. “We have marked the two spots we have found that had nanites. Ten can detect them, probably because she was dosed with them.”

 

“Yuck.” Idjit’s said quietly as he waited at the hatch. It hissed open and Will spoke softly.

 

“Hiya Ten. How you doing?” The concern in his tone would have been easy to hear, let alone sense. Idjit recalled that Dragon Ten had been the girl who had been programmed, had shot Istara and killed two of Will’s adopted kids on Istara’s previous visit. And then, after her father had died, Will had adopted her. Odd, but totally in character.

 

"Hi Four." A girl’s tired voice answered Will. “The nightmares are not as bad now. L’trask’s latest concoction seems to be working. When I am out and about, Sharra, Juli and the rest have not left me alone, and the rest of the Dragons insist on me flying with them. Not that I am any good.”

 

“Look, Ten…” Will’s voice was concerned now. “…It’s not something you are going to pick up instantly. Even Dragons have to learn how to fly, girl. I had to learn how to fly.” A pause where Idjit sensed disbelief from the girl and Will scoffed. “Come on. No human is born with wings. A lot of what I do is instinctive. But I had to hone those skills just like anyone else. Come on, let’s get these nanites taken care of and get out of here.”

 

“Don’t tell me you are scared of us, Four…” Dragon Ten’s voice was shocked.

 

“Ten, I spent ten years mourning my friends.” Will’s voice was soft and pained now. “And now, they are back, with a vengeance. But they are not the people I remember. I know my memories are likely faulty, I remembered the best parts and forgot the bad pieces but… It hurts, you know?”

 

“I am sorry, Four.” Dragon Ten said quietly.

 

“Not your fault, Ten. If it’s anyone’s it’s mine.” Will laughed sourly. “Story of my life. Come on, let’s get these stupid micro machines taken care of.” Idjit shook his head as he followed the soldier and the Dragon into the Dragon’s lair. Then he stopped short as soon as he passed the threshold and it's sensor baffles.

 

“Oh boy…” Idjit said quietly as he scanned the area with the Force. He could detect the nanites clearly now. It was easy. There were a lot of sources.

 

“What?” Will asked from just ahead.

 

“How many packets of nanites do you detect Will?” Idjit asked quietly, his empty eye sockets moving around as he noted the feelings..

 

“I…” Will’s sense in the Force became shocked. “Oh dear…”

 

“Yeah.” Idjit was not familiar with this feeling. Terror was for other people facing him, not for him to be facing. “There are a lot more than two or three packets of them in here.”

 

“What do you mean?” Dragon Ten asked hurriedly. "There are nanites here?" She asked, her sense one step removed from terror. If what Idjit had heard about her was true, he didn't blame her one bit.

 

“I count… Twelve… No, fifteen pockets of nanites around the vicinity.” Will’s voice was almost as scared as Idjit felt. "Ten, get Leader!" Dragon Ten scampered off. "Why the hell didn’t we detect them before?"

 

“Probably because we know what we are doing.” This from a new masculine voice nearby. Idjit scanned with the Force and found a Dug. What the hell was a Dug doing in the Dragon’s den? Wait, his sense in the Force was like Brianna's. He was a Dragon. What the...?

 

“Kix…” Will began softly. “Do you have any idea what you are playing with?” By the end of his statement, his tone was heated.

 

“Something that will win the war for the Republic.” The Dug replied with equal heat.

 

“Kix…” Will was shaking his head and holding onto his temper by his fingernails. “You have no idea. No idea at all. None of you do. Let me show you what those things do.”

 

“Will…” Idjit warned in a worried voice.

 

”I know what I am doing.” If anything, Will’s snide comment made Idjit even more worried.

 

“Will… Sharra will kick my tail if anything happens to you.” This from Dragon Ten. Idjit had never thought to be in agreement with a Republic fighter pilot.

 

The voice of Dragon lead came from near her. “Dragon Seven… Stand down.” Idjit didn’t need to see to know that the dug had a blaster pointed at Will now as Will reached for the closest pocket of nanites. "Four... No..."

 

“Will…” Idjit bit out through clenched teeth.

 

“They want to see what these things will do? I am going to show them.” With that, the world fell away.

[kalenath]

When Idjit could sense again, he froze in place. “Aw Will… You didn’t…” His voice was sour. He knew where he was. Or did he? Things were different from the last time he had been on the gray featureless plain.

 

“What the FU-…” Came an exclamation from nearby as a human male with a silver mask. He was shaking his head as he walked towards Idjit. “How the hell… What the hell…?” The voice was familiar. “What did you do, Sith?”

 

“Captain Scarran, I am as confused as you are. I wasn’t aware Will could do things like this.” Idjit shrugged and then froze. He could see the captain! He put his hands up to his face and shuddered a bit as he felt eyelids over moving fluid for the first time in decades. “I am so going to thrash that man…”

 

“Where are we?” Captain Scarran asked in a nasty tone, his hand on his blaster. He didn't move.

 

“Don’t bother captain. The blaster won’t help. We are exactly nowhere. And everywhere.” Idjit shook his head as he looked around. “Stupid, stupid… Will, you nut…”

 

“Make sense, Sith.” Captain Scarran was joined by two others in Republic uniform; a male human and a female human, and both had weapons out and pointed at Idjit. Both felt upset in the Force, and Idjit couldn't blame them at all.

 

“I don’t know exactly where we are. Or when.” Idjit shook his head as he looked around. “As far as I know only Will’s daughter can… Aw frak…” Idjit froze. “Freeze and don’t move!” He cried as a huge form appeared in the distance.

 

“What the hell…” Captain Scarran started, only to have Idjit slam into him, holding a hand close ovcer over his mouth to muffle sound.

 

“Shhh! Sound doesn’t attract them until they get a lot closer, but if they scent us, no cloak in the universe will hide us. Nobody move. Those things can eat all of us and I don’t want to explain to Istara why I let my soul get eaten today. I know where we are now. We are in deep, deep trouble.” Idjit cast the Force around the trio of soldiers and himself, praying silently that the cloak he knew how to make from the Force would hold. The huge mass in the distance approached slowly, and then resolved into numerous smaller masses, all with tentacles and sharp looking teeth. Captain Scarran stared at the approaching mass of monstrosities and froze in place. A quick hand gesture had his two people freezing in place as well.

 

Idjit did not release the captain until after the predators had left the area and then he shook his head as he retreated a step. “I apologize for the discourtesy Captain, but I have no wish to be eaten today.”

 

“What… were…those…things…?” The female Dragon asked in a dazed tone.

 

“Well?” Captain Scarran asked Idjit as he looked around.

 

“We are on what I believe is a dreamscape.” Idjit said quietly, scanning the area with the Force, he didn’t trust the eyes that he suddenly had. “It allows for unsecure communication across the galaxy in real time. Unfortunately, like any mind, it has defenses. You just saw some of them.”

 

“How did we get here?” Captain Scarran was sounding more than a little perturbed now.

 

“Will brought us here. Your Dug pilot apparently has been hoarding nanites that he has found. Will wanted to…” Idjit froze in place. “Aw nuts… If Will brought us here… I bet he brought your whole group. And if they don’t have someone to ward them…”

 

“They do.” A disembodied voice came from nowhere and a small green figure stepped out of nothingness to appear in front of Idjit.

 

“Vandar!” Idjit had his hands up and his sword in hand, for all the good it would do him. He knew how powerful Vandar Tokare was, but suddenly, he didn’t care. Here was the being almost fully responsible for much of the pain in his kin’s lives. Vandar did not move, probably wise with three blasters and a sword pointed at him, even virtual ones.

 

“I am not your enemy today, Idjit of the Bladeborn. I didn’t know what they were doing on the Stormhawk. They don’t tell me everything. This is the only place where I have even the semblance of freedom.” Vandar Tokare’s face was serene. “You need to leave.”

 

“Where is Will?” Captain Scarran’s voice could have cut steel.

 

“He is…’educating’ your Dug pilot on what the nanites do.” Vandar replied quietly. Idjit grimaced and Vandar nodded. “You can find him, Idjit of the Bladeborn. All you need to do is ‘look’” there was an odd emphasis on the word ‘look’.

 

“Yeah.” Idjit scoffed. “All I need to do to be forever damned is to listen to anything you say, short stuff.” The Dragons stared at him, but Vandar actually laughed.

 

“Do you have any idea how long it has been since anyone insulted me to my face?” Vandar asked, still laughing. “I like you, Idjit of the Bladeborn. Pity we are on opposite sides.”

 

“After what you did to Morey, I will see you and your whole organization burn.” Idjit’s words now could have chipped stone.

 

“I tried to let him go.” Vandar said quietly and sadly. “Once I knew what they were doing, I tried to get him clear. I failed. You have no reason to believe me. But you have to get the rest of the Dragons out of here before worse things show up.”

 

“Like you?” Idjit snarled, his sword still following the small form as Vandar stepped around the small group.

 

“Worse.” Vandar said quietly. “Go. Now.” Then he was gone.

 

Idjit looked at Captain Sacrran and the other two Dragons before sighing. “We need to find Will.”

 

“He said you could find him.” The female Dragon said quietly, trying to look everywhere.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t believe a word he says.” Idjit snarled as he scanned the area with the Force. "I can't."

 

“You shouldn’t.” Another voice answered his word sand all four of the beings in the cluster froze as a transparent blue form appeared in front of them. The young female Twi’lek wore Jedi robes and a sour expression. “But just this once, he didn’t lie. Hello Idjit.”

 

“Who is going to show up next? The Emperor? The Supreme Chancellor?” Idjit shook his head slowly before sighing. “Hello Ulaha.”

[kalenath]

Of all the various people that Idjit might have liked to meet in a dreamscape at ANY other time, the formerly living Jedi Padawan Ulaha might have been high on the list. Might. Here and now, not so much. The seer shook his head and sighed again.

 

“Let me guess. It’s all up to me, right?” Idjit’s sour tone had all three of the Republic soldiers staring at him. “Don’t ask.” He snarled and gestured at the Force ghost. “Well?”

 

“Bad day?” Ulaha sounded honestly concerned.

 

“You do remember what happened the last time I had eyes in this place, right?” Considering that he had fought Ravishaw, drained himself dry of the Force, travelled in time, and then been rescued by older versions of Ulaha, Nia, Istara and someone who had seemed very, very familiar and sent back in time again... He wasn’t going to forget that any time soon despite various people trying to make him forget.

 

“Well…” Ulaha had that same sick grin on her face as when she had found him after all that mess. “You won’t drain yourself so thoroughly and scatter your essence to the four winds this time, will you?” Idjit glared at her and she shrugged. “Had to ask…” Her tone was just the right shade of insouciant. He couldn’t help it, he grinned.

 

“You… Sheesh… You are bad, Ulaha…” He shook his head chuckling. “But we do have a major problem.”

 

“Make that eleven of them.” Ulaha corrected with a small grimace.

 

“Oh joy… He pulled the whole squadron?” Idjit wasn’t sure what part of that he disliked more. The idea of a small horde of non Force using people stuck in this place or the way Will had done it.

 

“Would someone please explain to me what the flarg is going on here?” Captain Scarran had the tone of someone who was trying very hard to be patient and not entirely succeeding.

 

“We will try, Captain.” The Force ghost spoke softly to him, she was clearly audible in this odd place. “Idjit was correct. Technically, you are nowhere. Your bodies are where they were, wherever that was. Hopefully none of you were flying. Somehow, Will pulled all of your minds along with his into this place. I knew he could come here, but bringing other people? And non Force users…? That is new.” Idjit nodded when she stopped speaking and took up the explanation.

 

“We call ‘The Plain’, Captain Scarran. Because that is what it is. It’s the representation of a mind. Whose? We don’t know. We think the being is sleeping. We hope so anyway. As bad as it can get around here, if the mind was conscious…” He nodded as the Force ghosts seemed to shimmer, or shiver, a bit. “It is completely open. Anyone who can get here can hear anything that happens here. So it is completely unsecure as well.”

 

“What kind of range…?” Captain Scarran asked softly.

 

“Dunno.” Idjit shrugged. “I’ve talked with kin from the other side of the galaxy with no lag at all. You see how powerful that can be. But like I said, anyone can listen in. So it’s not all that useful most of the time.”

 

“Okay, I guess I can see that…” The veteran soldier shook his head in disbelief. “So… Where is Will?”

 

“I am not sure we want to know.” Idjit grimaced but then nodded as Ulaha glared at him. “Fine, fine… I’ll look for him.” He shook himself and focused. As soon as he did he stiffened. “Ulaha!”

 

“I will stay with them!” The Force spirit said urgently. “Go!”

 

Idjit needed no urging. He pulled his power into himself and did something that he couldn’t do anywhere else. Since this plain was not, technically, real, he could do things that no one in reality possibly could. Like teleport. One moment, he was standing beside Captain Scarran, Ulaha and two of Captain Scarran’s people. The next, he was standing near…

 

“Will!” Idjit cried sharply. The soldier sat beside a wide pool that seethed and writhed, tendrils reaching up from it to grasp at the Dug that hung by a rope that ran up to a pulley that hung off of... nothing. The end of the rope the soldier held. It took a moment for Idjit’s stunned eyes to realize that the pool was filled with nanites. “Will… No…”

 

“Hello, Idjit.” The soldier’s voice could have been discussing the weather. “Fancy meeting you here.” The rope moved a little in his grasp and the Dug screamed as he fell a couple of inches towards the seething pool. “Still think they are cool, Dragon Seven?” Will looked at the rope in his hands and sighed. “Maybe you want to make an even closer acquaintance?”

 

“Will… Easy…” Idjit had seen a lot of things in his life. Heck, he had done a lot of things in his life. But this… He didn’t move. “You pulled the whole squadron here, Will. Not just him.”

 

“I did?” Will sounded a tad embarrassed. “Oops.”

 

“Will, we have to get them out of here.” Idjit persisted, just a little. Will in this mood was probably one of the most dangerous beings Idjit had ever encountered. This from someone who had met the Sith Emperor face to holographic face.

 

“Then do it. Kix and I have a bit more to discuss, don’t we, Kix?” Will’s voice was savage now.

 

“Will." Idjit pleaded. "Ten is here. Somewhere. Tell me you won’t leave her to the predators here.” Idjit froze as the man turned to look at him.

 

“You fight dirty Bladeborn.” Will complained sourly. But he sat up and concentrated. The pool of writhing nanites vanished as did the rope. The Dug disappeared and then reappeared, struggling in Will’s iron grip. “Calm down, Kix. Or I will dunk you in them.”

 

“How did you do that, Will?” Idjit asked carefully. Nothing ever changed on the plain. Nothing was ever supposed to change on the plain.

 

“Dunno.” Will said quietly. “Don’t particularly care. Okay, let’s get the Dragons back to their lair and I bet Captain Scarran wants to have a bit of a talk with Kix here.” He shook the Dug and this time, the Dug didn’t move. Idjit shook his head. Every time he thought he had Will figured out, the man did something odd.

 

“Okay… Come one. Let’s get these soldiers out of here before any of them get chomped on.” Idjit shook his head slowly. He kind of liked being able to see. But he knew it was an illusion. He waited until Will vanished with the Dug in tow before sighing. “Too close. WAY too close…”

 

“You are telling me.” Came a sour voice from nearby.

 

“You…” Idjit’s blade was in hand and his mind swept into trained patterns as another black cloaked form appeared nearby. This being was human in form, but wore a long cowl over his head.

 

“You of all people know that nothing is ever as it seems, Idjit of the Bladeborn.” The male human did not have a weapon in hand.

 

“Begone.” Idjit growled. “Now.”

 

“You don’t command me.” The man shook his head. “You never did.”

 

“When are you going to start laughing, Morey?” Idjit asked sourly, casting out with his senses and he was gratified when the thoughts of the Republic soldiers vanished in ways that meant they had gotten away.

 

“I don’t know.” The man formerly known to the Bladeborn as Ravishaw dropped his hood and his eyes were alight with intelligence. And his voice was thoughtful. “It’s odd. I don’t feel like laughing right now. I can feel the madness scratching away at my soul… But it doesn’t touch me right now. I am sorry Idjit. I have to say that. I am so, so sorry. Do what you have to.” He sighed. “But then again… You always do. I hope you and Istara find happiness, Idjit. If anyone has earned some, you both have…” A green form appeared beside the black robed one and the man known to Idjit as Morey sighed. “I have to go. You are right, you know. Love is stronger.”

 

With that, the two forms, the human in black and the small green form, both vanished. Idjit stood for along moment, senses casting out in all directions. When he spoke it was soft, but carried easily.

 

“Nice try.” Then he was gone.

[kalenath]

"What the hell did you do, Sith?" A harsh female voice demanded as Idjit came back to himself.

 

"Me?" Idjit asked softly. "I didn't do anything. Will yanked us all onto the plain. And I need to dispose of the nanites that your compatriot was hoarding." He rose slowly, stretching carefully. "Will should be back soon. I can handle these... With your permission, Captain?"

 

"Do it." Captain Scarran said sourly from nearby. "Get that crap out of our lair."

 

"Gladly." Idjit said as he drew on the Force. He reached out with his mind to the closest nanites and, with a pulse, fried them.

 

"No!" Came the voice of the Dug. "Lead! Stop him!"

 

"Kix..." Will's angry voice was tempered with worry as he came into sense range, -the Dragons lair was HEAVILY protected from sight, Force and scanning- carrying the limp form of Dragon Ten. "You cannot control those things. It's like carrying a live thermal with you everywhere you go. Sooner or later, it is gonna go boom."

 

"What the hell did they do to you, Four?" Kix snapped. Idjit pulsed another set of nanites, his mind flying now as he found each and every pocket. "These could have won the war!"

 

"By consuming everything? What good does it do if we are the last eaten, Kix?" Will asked tiredly. "Six...?" His voice was worried as he came closer. "Ten hasn't woken..." Idjit hit the last pocket and slumped a bit, drained. It took a lot out of him to do this.

 

"Let me see." The female voice said harshly. "She is out. This looks like..." She snarled. "What the hell did you do to her, Sith?"

 

"Me?" Idjit asked tiredly. "How many times must I say it? I didn't do anything to her." He was too tired to be polite.

 

"Someone..." The woman snapped. "...Hit her with Force lightning! You are the only SIth here so...' Idjit felt danger as Will shouted.

 

"Six, no!" Will snapped. "It was likely me!" But Idjit could feel the woman's blaster coming up, and other. HE shook his head and his true nature reared.

 

"Enough." Idjit's voice was cold and every single blaster that had been rising suddenly jumped out of the owner's hands, flew to the ceiling, dropped their power packs and compacted together into a mass of metal. "I did not attack you, or her, Dragon Six. If I had, you would know."

 

"Idjit..." Will's voice was cautious. Idjit shook himself and relaxed even though more danger was pressing on his senses. Taking the guns away likely only made the Dragons more dangerous. But he couldn't back down. Not now.

 

"Will..." Idjit said tiredly. "They don't trust me. I understand." He said with a small smile. "I don't trust them either. But you all need to understand something, Dragons..." He could feel animosity pressing in on him from many directions now. "I am not a Sith. I am Bladeborn. I served the Empire, yes. But my oath and my loyalty were to Trugoy, my Grandmaster. Now... My oath is to Istara, my Grandmaster. She decided to ally herself with Will. So I am honor bound to follow. You think I am a Sith..." He paused. "Hmmm..."

 

"Idjit." WIll said slowly. "Stand down..."

 

"Will, I can't." Idjit said sadly. "They are going to keep pushing until someone pushes back. Classic bully mentality." A hiss of anger came from the female, but Idjit just shrugged. "Deny it if you wish, but that is what it is. I did not attack Dragon Ten."

 

"No..." A groggy voice brought everything to a crashing halt. "I... Think... Suroia... I think I did it... I think I messed up something... I...The merge... felt wrong..."

 

"Ten..." The woman's voice was worried, but still angry. "Stay down. Let me take a look at you."

 

"I can help her." Idjit said slowly. A deafening silence descended. "I have been to the plain hundreds of times, I know all kind sof things that can go wrong... She feels..." He paused as the woman, Six, snarled at him.

 

"You leave the fledgling alone!" She snapped.

 

Fledgling? Idjit thought, shocked. Then he sighed. "I want to help. She is in pain, I can feel her pain, please let me help."

 

"What kind of a Sith says 'Please' before attacking someone's mind? " Six demanded.

 

"Oh to hell with this!" Idjit snapped. He held out his hand and smiled gently as his power seeped through the supine girl gently. "Its shock only, Dragon Ten. It is a hell of a shock the first time, even when you do not..." Someone grabbed his arm and without thought he threw that being into the wall, not even bothering to use the Force. "Do not touch me." Idjit said coldly.

 

"Idjit?" Will's voice was worried, but not scared. Odd.

 

"I don't let people touch me, other than the docs." Idjit said slowly. "You know that Will. Only in a ring."

 

"A ring?" Captain Scarran's voice was thoughtful. "Boxing or wrestling?"

 

"Wrestling." Idjit said soberly. "I can box, but I do not enjoy it. I enjoy..." He paused. "Oh no... No... No nonono..."

 

"We have insulted you." Captain Scarran said with a grin that Idjit could see even without eyes and through the grey metal mask. "And you have insulted us. What better way to settle this?"

 

"You know... Good point... " Idjit asked softly, unsure. " Neutral ref?"

 

"Of course." The Captain said quietly. "You don't trust us, and we don't trust you. Maybe... Maybe we can find a middle ground."

 

"Idjit..." Will said with a groan. "Do you have any idea..."

 

"Wrestling then." Idjit said soberly. "I accept."

[kalenath]

It was a very quiet room that Idjit walked into, following Will. He had been unsurprised to find that the Dragons had a full training area. After all, being a fighter pilot was not just sitting in a seat and pointing a finger or hand, oh no… Fighter pilots, by the nature of their job, had to be extremely physically fit. They pushed their bodies just as hard, or harder, than anyone else Idjit had ever met. Of course most of them didn’t have the Force either. So they compensated… Idjit took a look around the quiet room and whistled slowly. The room could have been pulled lock, stock and barrel, from any major holo-vid entertainment center that did wrestling holo-vids. ((The skeleton ring was your basic 10'x10' design. The 4 posts equal distances apart. The ring flooring all inter-connected with the semi-flexable steel frame under the plywood boards suspended roughly 3' off the ground. A large spring device connected to the frame under the ring in the exact center. And canvas covering the plywood. The "rope" nothing but tightly strung steel-cables wrapped with very minimal padding and then with wide length electrical tape.))

 

“Nice…” The Bladeborn shook his head slowly. “I assume that wrestling is a usual hobby for fighter pilots.” His guide scoffed.

 

“Nah.” Will Kalenath’s sense in the Force was odd, but that was nothing new. What was new was that he wasn’t angry at the moment. He was more… anticipatory? “They use the ring for challenge matches. Usually boxing, with referees and such, but sometimes just for a good old fashioned pounding. They tightened up the ropes.”

 

“That so?” Idjit’s words could have been taken so many ways. “I won’t kill him.”

 

“I know that.” Will agreed quietly. “They don’t.” He nodded towards a group of silent forms that surrounded one side of the ring. “We found an impartial referee. He’s a missile tech, should be here in a few minutes.”

 

“I think…” Idjit pause and then smiled. “Yes, I think I will ask if you have any neurolizers.” An indrawn breath came from Will, and he wasn’t surprised. After all, what kind of Force user asked to be stripped of it, even for a little while?

 

“Are you out of your mind, Idjit?” A voice came from the ringside as Istara came around the corner. It looked as if she had been inspecting the mat. “We are guests here. Beating people into bloody pulp, with or without the Force, is not on the list of ‘responsibilities of a guest’.” He knew her very well however and answered the question she didn't ask.

 

“Yes, Istara. I need to do this. And without the Force.” An indrawn breath from Istara would have been missed by anyone else and Idjit continued softer. “They need to see us for who and what we are. All they know is the propaganda.”

 

“This is dumb, Idjit. I want to do something… anything…” Istara complained softly as she gave him a hand into the ring. “Or at the very least I should be your ringside person.”

 

“Istara…” Now Idjit’s voice was stern. “You know better. You must remain impartial. You are the Grandmaster. You have to remain above this. This is my fight, Grandmaster. Kindly butt out.” His grin was as wicked as the humor in his tone. Then he looked across the ring and whistled again in low awe. “Wow… Did Blondie have a twin brother?”

 

The man who stood on the other side of the ring was huge, easily seven feet tall. The muscles that he showed were not the largest any Bladeborn had seen, more for endurance than sheer power, but the power was obviously there. His silver mask, as with all the Dragons, was impassive. His sense in the Force was anticipatory as well as tightly controlled. This guy was no mindless fanatic like some of the Dragons. This guy saw Idjit’s form and was wary. As he should be. Idjit shook his head slightly and reached up to undo his cloak. A huge form came to the ring side as Istara stepped back, her sense in the Force disapproving.

 

Blondie of the Bladeborn was huge. He had spent every waking moment, almost from the day the Bladeborn had found him nearly dead as an infant, working to be strong. He had spent most of that time a mute due to damage his vocal cords had suffered. The same indiscriminant Republic bombardment that had taken his voice had left him with horrific scars across much of his face. The Bladeborn took Idjit’s cloak, folded it neatly and laid it beside the bottle of water and towel that sat by the post of the corner he had selected. Then he took the Masterblade’s outer tunic and sandals when Idjit pulled them off. Blondie folded the tunic and placed the sandals on it just so.

 

“Are you ready, Masterblade?” The younger Bladeborn’s voice was mechanical. It had taken a great deal of time to convince the stubborn young warrior to accept a mechanical voicebox.

 

“Almost. Will?” Idjit asked as he leaned against the turnbuckle. He did not shudder as Will’s hands came up with one of the nasty Force nullifying devices.

 

“Hey! What is…?” Came from the other side. Idjit turned his blind eyes to see his opponent staring at him. “I don’t want any advantage!” Idjit had expected the guy to have a deep voice, but sheesh... The guy’s voice could have been a black pit on Kessel.

 

“You have none.” Will replied quietly as he held the nullifier out to Idjit. “This makes it as even as they can make it.”

 

"No, Will." Idjit shook his head. “Have the ref do it.” Will looked at him and shrugged. He waved and one of the Dragons came over, obviously uncomfortable. The man, he felt in the Force like Captain Scarran, didn’t speak. Will passed the object to the captain, probably to let the man see it hadn't been tampered with.

 

"I am Idjit of the Bladeborn." Idjit said formally to his opponent. "You can call me Idjit."

 

"That will work. The ref is coming. I am Dragon Two." The huge man said soberly. "But you can call me by my wrestling name. It was Fick."

 

"Fick?" Idjit felt awe. "Fick Moley? Three time galaxy champion? The guy who pinned Z'coral and Wollioroo on the same night? Dang...I studied some of what you did. I heard you enlisted, but nothing after that. Dang."

 

"Huh? Why are you impressed?" Fick said slowly. "Entertainers are not warriors."

 

"Come on, man..." Idjit said with a frown. "Some people may scream and yell about wrestling not being a sport, but I know better. You have to be tough to do it at all. And you, Mr. Moley... Anyone who can be tossed by a Wookiee from the top of a steel cage, through a table covered with electrified barbed wire, onto a steel deck, and then get up and win the match is no one to trifle with." More than one of the people watching hissed in disbelief.

 

"That was..." Fick said uneasily. "...a long time ago."

 

"That was a hell of a match." Idjit said with a grin. "I lost money on that match, I will have you know."

 

"Huh?" Fick asked slowly. "Why?"

 

"I bet on you being pinned in the second round." Idjit shrugged. "I was young and dumb."

 

"Ah... Two...?" A scared young male voice sounded from nearby. Idjit turned to sense a very young human who sense in the Force was terrified. "You asked, but... If I don't get those converters to Bay Six, the Senior Master Chief will have my tail..."

 

"Eighty Seven, I will handle the chief.." Will said gently. "We need a ref. You have done it, right?"

 

"Yeah..." The boy said, gulping. "But... Not like this..."

 

"Just call the falls." Idjit said gently. "And Captain Scarran has something for you to put on me."

 

"Uh..." The boy swallowed heavily. "I don't know... You... Your blind... Is this safe?" He asked.

 

"No." Idjit said with a shrug. "But it has to be done. So... do it."

[kalenath]

((This is written from Idjit's Point of View. This was written for me by a back yard wrester and fellow writer since I know NOTHING of wrestling. And no, do NOT complain to ME if you think nothing in here can be done. He SAYS it can, and I am NOT going to argue with someone who can pick me up with one hand.))

 

 

As the force nullifying device is placed on my head, everything goes dark. This would bother some people. But I'm used to this. I'm used to using my other senses to get by when my sight is robbed from me. My poor opponent. You have no idea what's about to happen.

 

I hear the footsteps of the referee move around the ring and I hear him giving the instructions. No eye-gouging...easy enough here. No biting. I bet my opponent doesn't taste that good anyway. No low-blows. Damn! That'll suck. Oh well. What he doesn't see won't hurt me.

 

I nod when he asks if I agree to the rules and then hear the bell ring. Then I feel Fick running towards me. As someone once said, "He's big. He's ugly. But he's dumb." I drop down and trap his ankle between my two feet, tripping him. I hear his head slam hard against the top turnbuckle and then roll out of the way, keeping a hold of the top rope to feel my way along.

 

I hear Fick getting to his feet, growling a little. All I can do is smile. He starts to stalk me around the ring. I can feel his lighter steps through the plywood that's covered with canvas. I let him catch me. We lock up, your basic collar and elbow grapple, one hand on the back of the neck and one over the extend arm of the other person and struggle for a bit. Well, he struggles, really. Soon I duck down and grip his arm, taking him over in a basic arm-drag, causing him to roll along the canvas.

 

Fick gets to his feet quickly. I can tell he wants to run but he knows that trick too well. Instead, I feel him start to move around the ring again. I fake not being able to feel this, "looking" around for him until he grabs me around the waist and tries to throw me over his head in a release German Suplex. Sorry, Fick. Not gonna work. Before he can lift me I drop down and trip him again, causing him to fall face first on the canvas and then move over him, grabbing him in a tight headlock.

 

This referee comes over and asks Fick if he wants to give up? From a headlock? Damn this guy IS a rookie at being a referee. I didn't think ANYONE gave up from a headlock. Well, if Blondie put someone in one they might...either from the pressure or the stench from his armpits. Fick says no and starts to get to his feet. Turning to the side he elbows me in the stomach, causing me to break the hold. I feel his body shift as he rears back and then punches me on the top of the head. Damn! He hits harder than I thought. I stagger back as he runs. I feel the ground move and judge I have just enough time to move. But I don't. I jump up, turn my body to the side and extend my legs, kicking him with both feet in the face, causing both of us to hit the ground hard.

Fick works his way to his feet first and grabs me by the head, pulling me up to my feet. He kicks me in the stomach and doubles me over. Then he grabs me in a front face lock, wrapping his arm around my neck as I'm doubled over, pinning my shoulder to his stomach. He takes my left arm and puts it around his neck and then grabs my pants and forces me up into a suplex, standing there with me straight up and down, then he falls back, both of us crashing onto the canvas. I lay there, not hurt at all, thinking about how long I should let this go for. Might as well give everyone a show.

 

Fick gets up and starts to pull me up. I fake him out by getting behind him and rolling him up in an attempted pin, cradling his legs over his shoulders. The referee gets down and slaps the canvas two times before Fick can kick out. Rolling away I get to my feet and wait for Fick to come closer to me.

 

I think I made Fick mad by almost beating him with that School Boy pin. I can hear his heart getting faster. He runs at me. I feel the ropes behind me and then make a quick decision to duck down, pulling the top rope down with me which sends Fick sailing over the top and down to the ground.

 

The referee backs me away from the ropes and tells Fick to get back in the ring. Eventually he gets back in. After he gets in he runs straight at me, going for a kick to my stomach. I'm trapped in the corner so I move as fast as I can to the side. Fick missed and gets his left leg trapped over the second rope and his ankle hooked under the bottom rope.

 

I very slightly shake my head, knowing that Fick just made one hell of a rookie mistake. I run to the ropes just across from Fick and run back to him at high speed, jumping off one leg and smashing my elbow into the side of his head, almost crushing his ear. Landing I push off his back and run to the ropes behind him. Springing off them at top speed I bring my knee up and smash it into his spine. Running to the first set of ropes I spring of them again and then jump just slightly and kick both his trapped ankle and trapped knee. Getting up I run to the ropes behind Fick one more time and then, with all my speed, run back after springing off the rope and, diving head first, use my elbow and take out his right knee just as Fick gets his left leg untangled.

 

Falling down on his back, Fick curses loudly before trying to get to his feet. I bounce off the ropes and try to get to more momentum before trying another drop kick. But Fick steps into my charge and grabs me around the throat. He picks me up in a crotch slam, basically throwing one of my arms over his shoulder then leaning down and placing an arm through my legs and grabs the waist of my pants and hoists me up, only to turn me upside down and try to slam me on my back. But I'm ready for this. Just when I'm upside down I grab his injured left leg. When he goes to slam me I slip down his body and trip him, making him land face first on the canvas.

I finally make it to my feet with his ankle still in my grasp. I wrap my left arm around the inside of his ankle and grab my right wrist. My right hand grabs at his foot, around the outside of his toes and then I twist, pushing his foot and ankle to the extreme inside, making it almost straight. Fick screams in pain as I drag him back to the center of the ring. Dropping down onto my back and keeping the ankle twisted I wrap my right leg over the back of Fick's left knee and then tuck my left ankle behind my right knee.

 

Fick struggles, but he can't move. Applying more pressure I twist the ankle more until Fick's hand comes up and starts to tap the mat, signaling that he submits.

[kalenath]

“He cheated!” Came an irate female voice from one side of the ring.

 

“Six… Shut up…” The deep voice of Fick Moley came from where he was pinned. “He won. Period. Good match, Bladeborn.” The voice of the silver masked wrestler was rueful but admiring. “Teach me to underestimate my opponent.”

 

“You are as good as your rep claims.” Idjit nodded slowly. “Why did you stop wrestling?”

 

“Ah… Long story. Basically… Family.” The large man pinned under Idjit didn’t move, not that he really could.

 

“I know all about that.” Idjit agreed sourly as he let the man go and spun to his feet. “Good match.” He held out a hand that Fick took to rise.

 

"I thought I was good." Fick laughed. “You had me from the moment the bell rang, even without the Force. Dang man… You are good.” Idjit shrugged but Fick didn’t stop talking as he rose. “No… You are. I never expected a Force user of any kind to know wrestling. And not just street fighting… You knew exactly how to play the crowd. You worked the ring as an entertainer?”

 

“Well…” Idjit grimaced. “Our old master was fond of… let’s call them ‘odd’ punishments. I uh… well… I had to work at a wrestling school once as a janitor and go’fer. But I wrestled quite a bit as well. It started as a joke, a gimmick. But I trounced that guy, and his friends and then their friends. Never actually did any holos mind you, was supposed to be incognito after all. They called me ‘The Blind Bandit’ at the school.” Fick froze.

 

“Dang man… You were ‘The Blind Bandit’? He just up and… uh… disappeared one day…” Fick laughed. “Punishment ended huh?”

 

“That one.” Idjit said sourly, and then paused as the huge hand that held his shook firmly.

 

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Bandit Sir.” Fick’s voice was sincere. “I knew a bunch of guys and gals who came through that school. They said you were the best dang wrestler anyone had ever seen. Figures. But you didn’t use the Force did you?”

 

“Nope.” Idjit shook his head. “Trugoy had cut me off from it temporarily. I um… Ticked him off fairly thoroughly. And just call me Idjit.”

 

“Good match, Masterblade Idjit.” Fick said quietly as a cheer started up from outside the ring. “If you don’t mind, I would like to try a few falls with you again sometime.”

 

“Wouldn’t mind at all, if I have time. ” Idjit sighed sadly. “Time, time, ask me for anything but time, Mr. Moley.”

 

“If I can call you Idjit, you have to call me Fick. Anyone who can pin me that easy I have to stay on the good side of.” Fick let go of Idjit’s hand and spoke softly. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like Sith.”

 

“Neither do I.” Idjit agreed quietly. “Lying cheating backstabbing scum. But I am not Sith.”

 

“No, you are weird.” Came a new voice from nearby and suddenly the Force flooded back into Idjit as Istara slipped the Force nullifier off his head. Then she smiled at him. “Hail the conquering hero.” With that, she kissed him.

 

Idjit felt amusement from Fick as the huge man stepped away from the embracing pair. Then the Force hit Idjit like a battering ram.

 

Idjit whispered into Istara’s ear. “Istara… help… get me out of here…”

 

Istara stiffened, just a little and then held him out at arm’s length. “You crazy man. You have duties to attend. Are we done here, Captain Scarran?”

 

“We are done, Grandmaster. Well wrestled, Masterblade. And Eighty Seven… Let’s go have a talk with the Senior Master Chief.” Captain Scarran’s voice was cool, but held understanding. “We will tell her it’s all Will’s fault.”

 

“Hey!” The soldier protested from the corner where he lurked. “Ah well, wouldn’t be the first time.” With that, the gathering broke up into muttering groups.

 

Idjit let Istara lead him from the ring. Truth be told, he likely couldn’t have guided himself, he was shuddering so badly. Someone, probably Blondie, put a towel around his shoulders and he knew without looking that someone else was picking up his stuff. A straw found his lips and he drank slowly. The hands at his shoulders guided him from the room and through corridors. Finally, they led him into an area he knew, the quarters that the Bladeborn had been given aboard the ship. He nodded and spoke.

 

“Will, can we have privacy for ten minutes?” An indrawn breath from beside him and Istara hugged him. “You… You need to know…”

 

“Oh crap…” Will breathed. Then he spoke louder. “Boss, we need a privacy lock for a few minutes. Make it ten. I am recording, just in case. But…”

 

“Ten minutes it is, Two.” The voice from the intercom sounded just as the camera overhead stopped whirring.

 

“Can you tell us, Idjit?” Istara’s voice was concerned now, and for good reason. Seer’s visions could be a very sharp two edged sword. Knowledge of possible futures was rarely a boon, and often a curse.

 

Idjit took another slow sip of his water before speaking again. “We need to talk to the Sitolon, as soon as possible. It is starting.” All of the quiet movement in the room stopped at his words. “Yeah, I don’t know exactly what is happening. I do know that the Sith are going to find this ship and attack it. I couldn’t tell where, or in what strength. The Dragons are going to buy time for the ship to escape. I am sorry Will.” Idjit said as the soldier made a soft pained sound. “The vision is not perfect. I don’t know how many of them… I… I am sorry…”

 

“It’s what soldiers do, Idjit. Put their lives on the line, for others…” Will’s voice was sad now. “Can you tell if Brianna…” He paused and now his voice was fierce. “No… No I don’t want to know…Either she will make it, or she won’t. Dang it, I never realized how much of a burden this knowledge would be…” A gentle hand laid on Idjit’s shoulder for a moment as Will shared the seer’s pain.

 

“I didn’t see specifics. Just a Sith fleet fighting a bunch of small fighters.” Idjit wanted more than anything to tell Will that his newest adopted daughter would be okay, but he couldn’t. The vision hadn’t been clear enough. “I couldn’t even tell how many. But I felt Fick cry out… and die…” Idjit shook his head and cursed once again, the fact the he was totally incapable of crying. His brother had made sure of that so long ago. “Damn it, he deserves better!”

 

“Deserves got nothing to do with it.” Will’s voice was cold and remote now. “I am going to go tell Boss you saw an ambush. We will be as ready as we can be.” The hand on Idjit’s shoulder gave a squeeze and then Will was gone.

 

“You need rest Idjit.” Istara’s voice was relentless as she massaged his shoulders. “Come on. Sit down, rest. We have a lot ahead of us if it actually is starting. We will need all the downtime we can get.”

 

“Yeah.” Idjit sat as directed and started a breathing exercise. “I think… Yes… It has finally started. The endgame. So many moves, so many counters. Istara…” He froze as a finger covered his lips.

 

“Don’t say it, Idjit.” The Grandmaster of the Bladeborn sighed as she sat down beside her mate. “You know better. I will do what I must. Just as you will.” Their breathing meshed as the two Force users started preparing. For what? They didn’t know, except that it would likely be bad.

[kalenath]

It was really weird. Of all the places that Idjit might have expected to go into battle, this was definitely not one of them. He shook his head slightly and his host spoke softly.

 

“Problem?” Stormhawk Boss asked in a tone that was cool and sounded disinterested. Only someone with who was very gifted with the Force would know how tense the woman who wore that armor actually was.

 

“An oddity.” The seer replied quietly. “After all. If anyone had told you, even six months ago, that you would have a Bladeborn Seer standing here… what would you have done? Besides laughed at the guy for being a stupid nut?” A strangled laugh came from the commander of the ship and Idjit smiled. Then he tensed. “We are coming up on exit from hyperspace…” The tension on the bridge ramped up as the engineer on watch reported the same thing.

 

Idjit hadn’t been sure about this. Not at all. There was still a great deal of animosity on this ship for servants of the Empire, understandable, but it was there. Admittedly, the Bladeborn did NOT serve the Empire, but they HAD. When Stormhawk Boss had first proposed this, Idjit had been sure it had been a joke. Have a Bladeborn, a seer no less, on the bridge of the ship during what was likely to be a battle? Sure Idjit was blind, but sight really did not matter. He was going to hear things that the Stormhawk had guarded zealously for over a decade. He could feel the disbelief of the bridge crew, and even if he was not wearing his customary robes, he was definitely not a part of the crew. He would just be in the way. But Boss had insisted. Then Istara had insisted. Boss he could argue with. Istara… Well… he could argue with her, but it never worked. He shook his head as, once again, he checked the fittings of his armored uniform. It felt downright odd to be in something other than robes, but the uniform would act as an emergency vac suit in case of depressurization, and both Istara and Will had insisted. Now he knew why. When he had scanned the bridge with the Force on arrival, he had sensed something that had stricken him. People had died, right here, close to where he was standing. People died, all the time He knew that. But the way they had died… Just snuffed out. This was a warship. Intellectually, he had understood that. Warships existed for one purpose and one purpose only. To fight. But… To die the way that he could still feel in the Force… He shook himself minutely and focused himself.

 

“Reversion… In 3…2…1… Now…” Came the recitation from one of the bridge crew and Idjit felt the ship shudder as it changed from traveling at superluminal velocity to standard speeds.

 

“All stop! Quick quiet!” Boss called to the crew and they all worked feverishly, but with no fear and little indecision. Idjit could literally feel the professionalism that came from all around him. No wonder the Sith fleet had never been able to take this ship. He wondered idly if anyone could.

 

A calm voice startled him out of his scan of the area. “Multiple ships in passive scanner range. Configuration… Imperial fleet. One battleship, one carrier, nine escorts. Four fighter squadrons deployed. No response from Imperial ships. Stealth is nominal. We are running silent.”

 

“Good…” Idjit nodded slowly and then froze. A mind had impinged his. “Crap…” He breathed as he hid his thoughts as he had been taught.

 

“What?” Boss asked from nearby.

 

“Force user. A powerful one.” Idjit shook his head slowly. “They weren’t… No… They were not looking this way. If they had been, they would have detected me for sure.” He cocked his head as if listening. “No…” He paused and then smiled a little. “More than one. Feels like… That is odd…” He shook his head in bemusement.

 

“What is?” Boss asked then he spoke to his bridge crew. “Get me solutions on the carrier and battlewagon. If this goes hot, I want the main to hit the battlewagon and a full salvo of torpedoes on the carrier.” Idjit winced as acknowledgements came. He had no idea how many torpedo tubes the Stormhawk had, but it was lot. The main gun? That thing was just plain nasty. Plasma cannon were bad enough. One the size of the monstrosity hooked into this ship? Yuck.

 

“It’s like there is more than one… More than one…mind…” Idjit broke off and blanched. “Warn Istara off! Warn her off now!” He called as the Force hit him like hammer. Her heard raised voices but ignored them.

 

“What?” Boss steadied the man as the seer reeled.

 

“It’s Vandar! Those are not Sith ships!” Idjit snarled as the Force swirled around him. “It’s a trap! For us and Istara!”

 

“Sir! The imperial ships…” The voice of the sensor tech was incredulous.

 

“I see it lieutenant.” Stormhawk Boss’ voice was cold. “The same kind of trick the enemy used to get those boarding ships close to us at Centurion.” Idjit turned his bandaged eyes to Boss and Stormahwk Boss’ voice was cold. “Sith illusion, covered a bunch of assault boats with the illusion of a dreadnought. There were so many dreadnoughts no one wondered that one was maneuvering oddly. It didn’t work so well for them in the end, but it did serve its purpose. Just like this. They know we are here.” Idjit nodded at the implied question. “Well… I am not going to give up without a fight.”

 

“How many?” Idjit heard his own voice speak clinically.

 

“Standard Republic battleship group.” The sensor tech answered Idjit, her voice breaking a little. “Battleship, two cruisers, ten escorts. Fighters… Oh my god…” The woman’s voice seemed to falter. “Sir…” Now her voice was just plain scared.

 

“I see them.” Stormhawk Boss’ voice was cold. “We wondered if they would try to replicate the Dragons. I guess they had to.” His voice did not shake as he spoke to Idjit. “Two fighter squadrons. Eight assault transports.

 

“Sir… Com from the enemy flagship.” Came from the Duro at communication.

 

“Now I wonder who that might be.” Boss asked sarcastically. Then he sighed. “Might as well put him on.” A pause and his voice hardened. “Hello Vandar, fancy meeting you here.”

 

“Hello Commander Shinn.” The voice of the renegade Jedi Master was calm and serene. “I ask that you do not do anything rash. We have your ship targeted despite your incredible stealth. We would much rather take the ship intact and we have no wish to kill you.”

 

“I am sure you would like to take the ship intact...” Boss could have been discussing the price of ice on Hoth for all the emotion he showed now. “..and what good are dead slaves?” The tension seemed to explode on the bridge and it was all Idjit could do not to cry out from the rage that surrounded him now. Even a Sith Lord would have been jolted by the sheer malice that was enveloping him now. Vandar sighed.

 

“Stormhawk Boss. We have new armor plating designed to deflect plasma fire. Your fighters are still in their berths. You cannot win.” Was the Jedi master actually begging? “Please…You don’t have the whole picture.”

 

“No, we don’t.” Boss agreed quietly. “But what we do have is more than enough for any and all of us to tell you to ‘flarg off’. Maybe we can’t win. But no one can tell us not to fight. Especially against you and your scum.”

 

“Boss, don’t make me do this. Don’t make me kill you.” Vandar’s voice was sad now. But there was no way in the universe he could have possibly expected Boss to laugh.

 

“Perhaps you are referring to your nanites? The ones your agent seeded throughout the ship?” An indrawn breath came over the com and Boss laughed again. “The ones designed to depressurize it on command? Sorry Vandar. That trick got old.”

 

“You are bluffing.” Vandar’s voice was still calm and collected.

 

“Am I?” Boss sighed. “Then I guess this is a bluff too. Dragons! Fly!”

 

“No!” Came a shout from the com from Vandar, but Idjit was reeling as loud music tore from the intercom. He could feel the rage, the pain, the anger and hate that erupted from the ship in nine small ships and one larger one as the Dragons took flight. "What have you done?” Vandar shouted, his control undone finally. Fire started to spark from the enemy ships. Two of the tiny fighters were hit and disintegrated before they could maneuver from their initial launch.

 

“Maybe we can’t win. But we are going to hurt you scum.” Boss snarled and then spoke sharply. “Cut coms, full stealth evade starboard and launch decoys. Arm all weapons. They will need support. And… prepare to repel boarders.”

 

“I think we have that handled Boss.” Idjit’s voice probably would have frozen a rancor in its tracks.

 

“I hope so. This is going to get bad.”

[kalenath]

There had been a few times in his life, okay more than a few, when Idjit had truly wished he could see. The space battle that was unfolding was likely awesome in its scope and grandeur. Bolts of green and red energy flying this way and that, small pinpoints of light suddenly blossoming into… he bit his lip and focused himself. He had to stay on track. The ship needed all the help it could get. But…

 

Idjit paused. What the hell? He had thought he had… Oh dear… He had a moment to panic as his mind was pulled from his body and thrown through space. He came to himself standing beside the sitting form of Will Kalenath, and he could see! He could see the battle unfolding around the ship that anyone sane in space feared. The Dragon had been the ship that Will had rebuilt essentially from the ground up. It had started as an old Dynamic class freighter, everyone knew that. But what Will had done to it… It sure as heck wasn’t a freighter anymore. It had been this ship that Will had taken to Korriban to drop a nuclear warhead on a Sith shipyard, killing thousands of men, women and children to avenge the supposed death of his wife. Two Bladeborn had died in that holocaust, but Idjit did not blame Will. If anything he pitied Will. The man was a hollow shell, nothing but the love of his family was left for him. Well, nothing except being one of the scariest men in the galaxy. Idjit didn’t move, he wasn’t sure he was really standing beside Will, but he did know he did not want to distract the man, not as fast as the guy was moving the freighter.

 

“Watch it, Dragon Two. Four from above!” Will snapped as he turned his incredibly powerful and nimble freighter onto a new heading. “Ten, watch those bombers at point six. Firing!” Twin balls of plasma arced from one side of the ship and hit a Republic destroyer full on. Will snarled as the balls had no discernable effect. “Vandar wasn’t lying! They have upgraded. Plasma isn’t working. I guess we do this the hard way.”

 

A tide of light flew from the ship and Idjit winced as ion bolts, laser bolts and other forms of coherent energy spat at the destroyer. Destroyers were essential for a number of reasons in modern navies. They could go places and do things that larger ships could not. Their speed and maneuverability were unmatched for capital class starships, and their firepower added a great deal of punch to any fleet. But, as in all things, there were no free lunches. Great speed, maneuverability and firepower came at the cost of protection. The bolts that Will had fired flew true and slammed squarely into the destroyer. It’s shields flared for a moment, then failed in a wash of blue sparks. Four blue streaks flew from the ship and Will turned the Dragon away, not even bothering to watch as the proton torpedoes hit his victim squarely, with nothing between them and the vitals of the ship but thin armor plating. That plating might have been able to stand off a few laser hits, but not four proton torpedoes. Idjit didn’t flinch as he felt the ship shudder and die. The death screams of the crew rang in the Force, but Idjit kept his focus on the battle. He stiffened as things started whizzing by the ship. Blue bolts.

 

“Ion cannon!” Will snarled. “They are trying to disable me. Me??” The incredulous sound of the pilot’s voice suddenly faded as Will did what he did. His voice became a monotone. “You are going to have to do better than that, imposter.”

 

“Captain Will Kalenath, this is Dragon Four. You are ordered to stand down by order of the Republic navy.” A female voice sounded from the com. “I don’t have to miss. Surrender.”

 

“You are funny. You should take up comedy, lady.” Will’s voice could have been from a droid. “Ten, Six, keep the others off of us. This idiotic witch seems to think she is me.”

 

“Uh… oh…” Idjit murmured softly. If there was one thing that fighter pilots absolutely detested, it was copycats.

 

“Well, ‘Dragon Four’…” Will’s voice was heavily sarcastic now. “Let’s see what you got!” With that, he spun the ship into a complicated sequence, that had Idjit actually been standing beside Will, would have thrown the seer into at least three different bulkheads. The inertial compensators whined in a futile attempt to keep up with his insane maneuvering. “Considering that I am Dragon Four, you are just an imposter.” Something flashed by the front of the ship and Idjit had milliseconds to see the shape of a Republic fighter before Will fired and it exploded. “And not even a good copy!” Will said implacably as he spun the ship around again. Then Will looked up and spoke quickly. “Two…Evade!”

 

Will winced as an explosion flared in the distance. Idjit could not have missed the spark of pain and fear that suddenly ended within spitting distance in cosmic terms as Fick Moley, Dragon Two, was hit by at least three different laser cannon blasts and his ship blew into a million scattered particles. Will made a sound somewhere between a groan, a sigh and a snarl. Then the pilot threw the ship into another tortuous maneuver and fired without seeming to have aimed. But something exploded. Idjit wondered sometimes if Will could miss…

 

“Lead!” Will called quietly over the com.

 

“I saw, Four.” Captain Scarran’s voice was just as implacable as Will’s, for much the same reason. The Dragons could do the same thing Will could, merge their minds to their fighter ships. It made them incredibly fast and maneuverable, but, it came with a cost. The being’s sanity. “These guys are no rookies. We have taken out half of them, but they are learning our tricks.”

 

“Where do you want me?” Will asked quietly as he spun his ship again, evading multiple blasts of blue energy. “They are trying to disable me. Does that make any sense to you?” Idjit shook his head slowly. It made no sense to him. The Dragon was as fast as any fighter, almost as maneuverable and carried a ton of firepower.

 

“Why would they…?” Captain Scarran snarled. “Four! Break!”

 

Will didn’t question, simply threw the ship into another torturous evasion pattern. Multiple large bursts of blue energy tore through where the ship had been and Idjit nodded to himself. That had been from at least three capital class starships. The Dragon was drawing more and more fire as Will evaded harder away from the main battle, trying to get some distance. The ship shuddered from glancing hits and Will groaned softly as the feedback from the hits poured directly into his brain.

 

“They want you alive. They want… us… alive…” Idjit’s voice was soft now. “Will… This whole thing may have been aimed at you specifically.”

 

“I know.” Will didn’t turn but his voice indicated he had known, somehow, that Idjit was there. “No… I won’t be the only target, you know that. Warn Istara and the others.”

 

“Will…” Idjit breathed softly as another death rang through the Force and Will groaned again, in sympathy to another dead friend.

 

“I am not leaving my mates. Not again. Never again.” No scream could have been more final that Will’s cold words. Idjit shook his head, but didn’t press. Will wouldn’t be dissuaded, not from this. He hadn’t been able to fly with them at the battle of Coruscant, and they had all died there. Now they had come back, somehow, and he was not about to leave them again. “Lead, I have a line on the battleship. I doubt I can kill it, but I can hurt it.”

 

“Roger that, Four. Eleven and Twelve are going to swing that way, try and draw some enemy off. Good luck.” Captain Scarran’s voice was strained now. “Four… I…”

 

Idjit blanched as Will seemed to freeze in place and then the man screamed. “Marc! No!” Another explosion flared in the distance, showing the demise of Dragon Lead. Will shook his head and calmed. No, he didn;t calm. He merged even deeper with his ship. Becoming even more than human, and less.

 

“Dragons, this is Four, assuming command. Sound off.” A chorus of calls came in. Dragon Three, Dragon Six, Dragon Ten, Dragon Eleven, Dragon Twelve. Six left counting Will left out of the twelve they had started the fight with. Will could have been carved from ice now. “We can’t win this remaining defensive. Pattern six followed by sequence seventy four. Target, enemy flagship. I have ten torpedoes left. I am setting them to fire simultaneously. I am going to get their attention, do what you do best.”

 

“Incoming fighters!” Came a call from the lower turret as Brianna Makarian Kalenath, aka Dragon Ten, opened fire.

 

“To late for them now.” Will said as he keyed his music on. The lyrics screamed across the spacewaves. ‘We built this city of rock and roll’ started blaring as the ship rolled and accelerated into the teeth of her startled enemies. After all, what kind of outnumbered people attacked? Dragons, that kind!

[kalenath]

Idjit came back to himself amidst controlled chaos. The ship’s bridge hummed with purposeful movement and work being done. He apparently had either not been gone long enough for anyone to notice, or no one had paid it any mind, thinking it was a ‘seer’ thing. If of course he had been gone at all.

 

“That battlewagon is in trouble.” The commander of the ship said quietly as he scrutinized his plot. “Two is about to really ruin its day. Status on launch tubes?”

 

“Ready, boss.” Another crew member, one Idjit remembered was called Nine, spoke up from nearby. The female Cathar sat at a console, her focus on it. “All tubes ready. All we need is some clear sky. Launching the Dragons into the fire storm the way we did got two of them killed.” Disapproval soured her voice, but it remained professional.

 

“We had no choice, Nine.”Boss said quietly. “Torpedo control. Status on the BFG?” He spoke to another member of the bridge crew.

 

“One BFG coming right up, Boss.” The tone from the Duro at the torpedo console was… odd. Triumphant and…anticipatory?

 

“BFG? Do I want to know?” Idjit asked quietly.

 

“Big Fracking Gun.” Boss said with a smirk in his voice. “Just the thing when we have pesky flies buzzing around. The Dragons took out most of the imposters. But we can’t target the others, they are moving too fast even for our point defense. So well… We worked a bit with the Dragons, figuring that sooner or later someone would work out how they did what they did and copy it. Flight control… Let me know when the Dragons are clear of the blast radius. Torpedo lock on both cruisers, and all the surviving destroyers. They will expect us to go for the battlewagon, to cover Will’s attack. Silly that…” The ship rocked and Boss snarled. “Report!”

 

“Dragons are moving to attack the enemy capital ships. We have five fighters and two bombers strafing us. They are targeting sensors and weapon clusters.” Nine reported evenly. “And… clear!”

 

“Fire!” Boss called to the weapon station.

 

Idjit could not have missed the rush that came as the ship shuddered as weapons fired even if he hadn’t had the Force. He wasn't sure what the 'BFG' was, but it was big to move the ship like that. This was a warship, and its people knew how to fight. While he could not see how many torpedoes fired, he knew from Imperial reports that this ship mounted far more torpedo launchers than any ship of its size should have been capable of. If reports were to be believed, it had fired over two hundred of them at once at the battle of Centurion Space Station during the mess with Zelkin Infinium. He didn’t think they would do that again, but there was no way he could have missed the lives being snuffed out close at hand.

 

“Report!” Boss snapped as the ship rocked again.

 

“Point defense just got the last fighter,” The weapons Duro reported. “All the others got caught in the BFG blast. Torpedo salvo running hot, straight and normal.” Now the Duro chuckled. “Their point defense is off. They apparently thought we were firing at the battleship. Silly Special Branch scum. Impact in 5…4…3…2...yes!” The officer crowed. ”Direct hits on both cruisers…Heavy damage to both… No… One just exploded, the other is on fire. Four destroyers took multiple hits, they are out of the fight.”

 

“I think the odds just shifted.” Boss said with a quiet shiver of pride that Idjit felt through the Force. But then the seer felt something else.

 

“Boss…” The seer shook his head. “Something is wrong…” He scanned with the Force trying to figure out what was bothering him. “This is too easy.”

 

“What Idjit?” Boss asked quietly as he came closer. “You sense something?”

 

“Yeah, but I am not sure what.” Idjit admitted a bit sheepishly. “I don’t know a lot about naval combat. My focus has always been hand to hand. But I am feeling like we are missing something… Something important.”

 

“Can you put it in hand to hand terms? I can probably translate into naval terminology.” Boss said, ignoring the mutters that started around the bridge. A decade of distrust was not undone in a day, or even a month or two.

 

“I feel as if my opponent just set me up for a sucker punch.” Idjit paused and then blanched. “Wait…What happened to those assault transports?”

 

“The assault… Aw crap!” Boss’s indrawn breath indicated that he as well had missed that. “Nothing on the plot. Guns!”

 

“Sensors are at 50%. Most of the blind spots are aft.” The weapons officer reported. “Boss, we have nothing. If they attached in one of our blind spots the BFG wouldn’t have hit them…”

 

“Great!” Boss snarled and the intercom chimed. “All hands, all hands, prepare to repel boarders.” His sense in the Force was baffled as he seemed to scrutinize Idjit who was chuckling. “Something funny?”

 

“Yeah, actually something is. If what you say it true, and the back end of the ship is blinded, they must have landed there. Near the Bladeborn quarters.” An indrawn breath went around the bridge and then they all got it and an evil laugh went around the bridge. “I think that surprise party is about to get a very nasty surprise.”

 

“I can live with that.” Boss was chuckling evilly.

 

“When you get a minute, Boss… I need to talk to you.” Idjit felt the armored form’s scrutiny and waved to show it wasn't very important. “When you get a minute. It’s not imperative. Yet. Let’s get this done first.” HE had to get this done before Istara arrived with the Dia's GIft. He had to.

 

“Let’s finish this fight.” Boss agreed, but Idjit could feel the being’s curiosity. “Weapons free, target the battlewagon and support the Dragons. Launch fighters. Silvers to harry the destroyers, Guardians to check our hull for ‘guests’ and sweep for any that may be approaching.” The bridge rang with acknowledgments, this battle was far from over. But Idjit now knew what he had to do. Doing it would be… interesting, but he never got easy jobs.

[kalenath]

This time when Idjit transitioned, and he must have been getting the hang of whatever the frak he was doing by now because it was not as jarring, he found himself watching a class being taught on field medicine and hygiene. He smiled as he saw the students, including Sara and Sarai Kalenath, listening intently as Chari spoke softly but clearly. All the kids wore shipsuits and had… What the…? They were all wearing armor and filter masks with visors! Then he paused. What was that sound? A breaching charge!

 

His hand was on the hilt of his blade when the breaching charge blew part of the wall in and a fully armored tactical squad of forms in Republic armor came charging through the hole on the heels of a flashbang grenade, only to pause when the class utterly ignored the flash, the stunning explosion AND them. He couldn’t really blame the soldiers for being somewhat shocked. Almost anyone would react when a flashbang munition went off close at hand. But Bladeborn students were taught from a very early age to ignore all distractions and they were all in armor. It wasn’t easy, he was slightly stunned himself and he couldn’t even see the flash. But if it was a choice between ignoring the flashbang or being punished by the teacher for inattentiveness? The students chose the path of least pain and ignored the flashbang and the troops who were pointing guns at them.

 

“What the…?” The one who seemed to be in charge gathered herself and spoke sharply. “On the floor! Now!” The class ignored her and she seemed to get flustered. “I said…!” She paused as the teacher turned to look at her. Chari wore a gray suit that left very little of the Lethan Twi’lek’s form to the imagination.

 

“You… Are rude.” Chari’s voice conveyed disgust. “Can’t you see we are studying here?”

 

“Head tails, I am giving you to the count of three and then I am going to shoot you.” The team leader was obviously upset.

 

“No, you won’t.” Chari said dismissively as she turned back to her class. She shook her head as she looked at her chrono.

 

“One…” The commander spoke and all of her people took aim at the Twi’lek. Chari shrugged and ignored the team.

 

“Class… Homework for this session is due by 1900 hours.” If Chari was disconcerted by the multiple guns pointed at her it was unapparent. “I expect the reports to be in the proper format.” Idjit felt a rush of apprehension from the students, but then Chari continued. “I am telling you the format. Style seventy six, with bibliographies and index. Don’t expect this every time.” The woman cautioned as the children nodded. “You will need to figure out the format for most of my reports. It will teach you how to anticipate your opponents.”

 

“Two…” The commander had a tight grip on her gun. She had to know that she was facing a Force user. She probably knew she was facing a Bladeborn. Her voice was taut when she spoke again. “On the floor! Now! All of you! We will shoot you!” The kids looked at her, and then ignored her.

 

“And….” Chari nodded as her chrono beeped. “Time. Class dismissed. You have one hour until the next class.”

 

“Thre-“ Whatever the commander was going to say was cut off, literally, as Chari’s sword cut through the air and suddenly the whole area was alive with blades and Force energy. The troops barely had time to scream as a wave of highly dangerous young Bladeborn tore over and through them. None of them had time to get off a shot. They had all been focused on Chari and had never noticed that the children had been moving slowly until they were close enough to strike. After all, school children were not dangerous, right? It was over in moments.

 

“Never underestimate your opponent…” Idjit shook his head and then paused as one of the student Bladeborn collapsed into a kneeling position. The young human male shook his head, his long brown hair flying free.

 

“Lorne?” Chari was at the boy’s side instantly. “What…? Oh no…” Now her voice held horror. “No… Lorne… We can…”

 

“Ma’am… Stay back…” The young student Bladeborn shook his head slowly but his voice was strong and clear when he spoke. “I… I can’t…It’s too strong…” Chari threw up her hands as the other students would have crowded closer. “Masterblade… I…” Chari looked up and met Idjit’s empty eyesockets with a despairing look.

 

“Lorne, listen to me.” Idjit’s voice cut through the growing hubbub. “Mind your feelings, Bladeborn. Be true to the Code.”

 

“I…” The human named Lorne shook his head. “Masterblade… I can’t control it. It is scrabbling through me. I feel it calling me. Calling me to use it again. To…”

 

“Again, Lorne?” Chari asked quietly.

 

“I killed one of them with the Force.” Lorne said in the deafening silence that ensued. “I snapped his neck with the Force. It… It felt good… to do it. To end him. I killed with the Force, the Dark Side. It felt…good. To kill those weak fools who would dare challenge me! No!” He shook his head and then a scream launched from his lips, a horrifying sound full of pain, fear and anger.

 

“Lorne! Focus!” Idjit thundered, but did not move. He knew what had to be done and it wrenched at his heart.

 

“I…I am not strong enough to control it. I see that now.” The boy shook his head. “I can’t continue. I see my way.” He bowed his head slowly. “I am a danger to the clan, a time bomb. I must… be true… to the Code…” He was shuddering now and everything seemed to stop as he drew a small but obviously sharp knife from his belt. “I have no second.”

 

“I will stand as second.” A soft voice came from nearby and Sara Kalenath stepped forward. “I know what to do. I know about anger.” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

 

“You don’t have to do this, Sara.” Chari said as she rose to stand by the boy, halfway between the two youngsters. “It is my responsibility. This is my class.”

 

“Was.” Lorne corrected. “We are on break.” The young man looked Sara in the eye and nodded. “You honor me, sister Sara.”

 

“Die well, brother.” Sara said quietly as her sword left its sheathe and rose to a ready position, blade perpendicular, hilt by her right ear.

 

“Remember me.” Lorne asked in a small voice as he undid his belly armor and laid it aside.

 

“We will.” Idjit promised as he drew his own blade and held it in a formal salute. All of the other Bladeborn in the chamber followed suit. They all knew the path of the Dark Side, and it’s end. “We will remember your choice, and your honor, brother.”

 

“By the Code…” Lorne spoke softly but firmly and then continued in ancient Tythonese. <Loyalty. Duty. Honor. Respect. Vigilance. Prowess. Humility. Courtesy. Valor. Service. Sacrifice. We are Bladeborn.> With his final word he drove his knife deep into his stomach and turned it, pulling to his right as hard as he could. A grunt escaped his control and he lowered his head slightly in signal. Sara’s perfectly focused strike cut through his neck, but in the ancient tradition, left a small flap of skin attached so the head would fall, but not roll. Many voices spoke as one when Sara opened her mouth.

 

<We are Bladeborn.> Sara flicked her sword to clean it and sheathed it in an economical motion. Then she bowed slowly to the corpse at her feet before turning away. Chari stood for a moment and then stepped to Sara’s side. Sara looked at Chari for a moment and then, at a small gesture from the Masterblade, spoke. “Why…?” She asked softly.

 

“I don’t have an answer for you, Sara.” Chari said quietly. “But it is somewhat comforting… If we fall too far to come back, we always do have a way out that will not harm our kin. You did well, to honor him.”

 

“Thank you, Masterblade. Now, we have homework to do. We should travel in pairs until the ship is secure?” Sara’s voice was only partly a question.

 

“It’sss zecure. All the other boarding partiesss have been located and dealt with. I was coming to check on your clazz, Chari...” All eyes turned to see Mama Lizard enter the bay. Her face was sad as she took in the scene. “Oh Lorne… Oh Sssara…” The Barabel walked up to where Sara stood and in a swift move, embraced the girl. “I won’t gainzay his choice, but we are all lesssened now. Come, ztudentsss, we have a great number of bodies and body partsss to remove and not a little bit of repair to do az well.” She shook her head as she led the group from the bay.

 

Idjit nodded slowly. He had time. She would be busy for a while. But he had to be gone before she figured out what he had in mind or all hell was going to break loose. Of course, it might anyway when Istara arrived… He had to get to the fighter bay. Quick.

[kalenath]

There had been many times in his life when Idjit of the Bladeborn had been accused of being insane. But there had never been a moment when he had actually felt like what he was doing was crazy. Until now. He knew it had to be done, that if he didn’t do what had to be done, that untold horrors would result. But it hurt, it hurt so much. The fact that he had flat out lied to Istara, had sent her away on a wild nerf chase to keep her from being here at this particular time… That hurt him more than anything he had ever thought possible. As he moved through the silent halls of the Sitolon homeship, he knew that he had made the right choice, but it did not stop the pain. This would hurt Istara like nothing else she had ever encountered, no matter if he survived or not, he knew she could never trust him again. But he had to do this, before Istara returned. That was why he had asked Boss for a fighter. That was why he had darted away from the space battle before it was even finished. Not that it was in doubt, the battleship had fled as soon as Will had turned on it. The seer had to…

 

Idjit paused as he came across the first signs. A blackened wall, clearly visible in the Force as a focal point of intense violence, marked with the scorch marks of heavy weapons fire that still smelled of smoke. His breath exploded from his body as he found the source, a young woman in the uniform armor of the Republic Special Forces. She had gone down fighting, but in the end, she had gone down. He sighed soundlessly and closed her staring eyes. He couldn’t actually see them, but that did not change things. He shook his head slowly as he scanned the area with the Force, seeing the devastation, the bodies that wore familiar uniforms and armor. Imperial Marines, five of them had been caught out of cover by the female trooper’s ambush. They sprawled, ungainly in death. But their compatriots had taken their revenge. Idjit shook his head and continued on.

 

He passed other bodies. The Republic troopers had fought hard and smart. They had been outnumbered and outgunned, but like most of their Special Forces brethren, they simply refused to quit. They had gone down hard, but in the end, they had gone down. Many Imperial troops had fallen with them, but in the end, sheer weight of numbers had taken their toll. He sighed as he passed a body that sat in a wheelchair, a heavy repeating blaster set across the arms of the chair. But what he sought was nowhere to be found. He shook his head. It was as he feared. Then he heard it. The wail of an infant in distress. He hurried his steps. He came to a shadowed area and paused to listen.

 

“We should shut that brat up.” A harsh female voice spoke from the chamber ahead.

 

“Shut up, Corporal.” A voice Idjit remembered came to his ears. “Any sign of them?”

 

A male voice answered. “No, Commander Vorren. No sign of the Bladeborn at all. Sir…”

 

“I know, lieutenant.” Commander Musano Vorren did not sound like a happy man. Small wonder. Idjit felt the Force boiling around him as paralyzed members of the Sitolon race struggled against the nerve toxin that Vorren had deposited into their air supply. But it had been tailored to their physical makeup specifically. It was non-lethal. Well, it should be. One never truly knew with such things. “We have been over the ship and scanned the bits we can't get to. And all we found was that team of Rep troops.” The child wailed again and Vorren sighed. “Hand him here. I can handle him.”

 

“We should just shoot that brat and get out of here.” The female corporal snarled.

 

“That is why you are a corporal and will remain one. If, of course you survive for much longer.” Vorren’s voice could have peeled paint from a bulkhead from ten meters away. “That team was protecting this kid. They died to the last man protecting this child. I want to know why. It has to have something to do with this mess.” The agent sighed. “This whole plan has gone belly up. A simple ambush of Istara Sharlina Andal gone stupid because you fools could not keep your weapons down. At least the nerve toxin seems to still be working. There, there, little one. It’s okay little one…Shhh… Make yourselves useful, troops. See if you can find a bottle or something.”

 

Idjit shook his head slowly. It was as he had feared. The Empire had decided to come after Istara, seeing as how she was essentially their only link to what had been Trugoy’s Bladeborn. He scanned the room and came up with six life forms. Five of them adult humans, all armed. One human infant, now quiet in the arms of the familiar agent. One soldier was at what had to be a terminal, the other four were scattered around the room. The agent set the child down and he started crying again.

 

“Just shoot the brat.” Came from the angry corporal again.

 

“Corporal, shut up!” Vorren was obviously losing patience. Since the man had the patience of a rock, or a master sniper, this woman had probably been getting his goat for some time. “This kid is an asset, an intelligence asset… Put the weapon down!” The bark of command came and Idjit had heard enough.

 

Everything stopped as Idjit’s blade left it’s sheath with its customary steely hiss. But before anyone could move, Idjit had the razor sharp edge resting against the back of Vorren’s neck. “I would listen to him, Corporal Huilo.”

 

“Idjit…” Vorren’s voice was odd. A mix of fear, worry, anticipation and relief.

 

“Vorren. Fancy meeting you here.” The seer said quietly as he swept his bandaged gaze around the room, noting that all the troops froze in place and all felt the same in the Force, terrified.

 

“We wondered if any of you were aboard.” Vorren seemed to relax a little. But then again, the man knew Idjit. He knew that Idjit likely wouldn’t kill him unless pressed.

 

“I wasn’t. I am here to keep you from making a very bad mistake. One that would cost the Empire more than you could possibly imagine.” Idjit’s tone was cold now. “Whose idea was the toxin?”

 

“Mine.” Vorren said quietly. “We don’t want to kill them. We just wanted answers. If those stupid Rep troops hadn’t opened fire no one would have died. We would have talked to Istara and left.”

 

“Right…” Idjit’s voice held scorn now. “Please remember who you are talking to, Cipher Agent. You set a sweet trap for Istara. You knew she would come if the Sitolon asked her for help. They didn’t. They are trying to keep her away. As am I.”

 

“What?” Vorren asked softly. The baby started whimpering and Vorren moved to pick it up again, but froze as the whisper of Idjit’s blade drew a thin line of blood on the agent’s neck. “Idjit…”

 

“You touch him again and you die, Vorren. I don’t want to kill you. The corporal and all the rest of your troops I would kill gladly. But you… The Empire needs you.” Idjit’s voice was calm and collected, almost as if he were not standing in the middle of a situation about to go nuclear in more ways than one. “I will if I must, but I would rather not. Things get… complicated if you die.”

 

“Who is this child, Idjit?” Vorren asked without moving.

 

“You don’t get that information, Vorren. But I will tell you this. If you hurt him, take him, or anything other than change his diaper and put him back in his bed untouched…” The seer’s voice trembled just a little. “You have no idea the sheer carnage that will result. What his parents would do.”

 

“His…” Vorren froze. Then Idjit heard something that he thought he never would have in a million years. The agent had wet himself. “Oh my god…his son…”

 

“Don’t. Say. A. Word.” Idjit said in a tone that matched his blade. “You do anything to that kid and all hell will break loose. Not just here. You know what he would do, Vorren. You know. You saw what he would do. What he can do.”

 

“That why the Rep troops fought so hard…” Vorren’s voice was subdued, scared even.

 

“Yes. And if the Empire does anything at all to that kid…” Idjit’s voice trailed off. “Well… let’s just say that I really don’t like what I saw in that case. Okay?”

 

“Idjit… This is big.” Vorren shook himself slightly. "Really big."

 

“Far bigger than you know. If anything happens to that kid, we will die. Then the entire galaxy will die. You know what I am, Vorren. You cannot know what I have seen. What I see coming closer even now.” Idjit’s voice was soft and persuasive now. “I am doing what I must. If you are on this ship when Istara gets here, you will die. That kid will get caught in the crossfire. Or the corporal will shoot him to shut him up, or he will get caught in an explosion, or…” Idjit shook himself again. “You get the idea. We have to be gone before she gets here and you have to leave the kid. We have about five minutes.”

 

“Idjit…” Vorren sighed softly. “You know I can’t take your word for that. If you surrender to me…” He paused as Idjit laughed.

 

“Ah yes. I would do so much good for the Empire chained to the wall of an Imperial Intelligence cell while you idiots tried to pump me for information.” The scorn in Idjit’s voice could have cut metal. “Don’t take me for a fool, agent. And corporal… If that hand touches that remote you will be dead before you hit the floor.” The woman froze in place, and her sense in the Force was shocked that a blind man had seen her furtive movement.

 

“Corporal, stand down!” Vorren commanded. “Idjit, give me something… Anything. I can’t return empty handed.”

 

“You won’t.” Idjit said quietly. “I am going with you. But not as a prisoner, as a supplicant.”

 

“What?” The dumbfounded tone was another that Idjit had never expected to hear from the usually totally self assured agent.

 

“Vorren, the Seven are rising. I am one of them. My loyalty is to my order. But if I don't do this, we will fail. And if we fail, every living thing in the galaxy will die. Empire, Republic, neutral, everybody. You have seen the machines, what they do, what they are capable of. Do you truly believe the Imperial military can stand against things that can eat planets?” Idjit asked sourly. “We now have four minutes.”

 

“Idjit…” Vorren’s voice was strained now.

 

“Vorren, listen to me. We do not have time to argue.” Idjti shook his head and then did something very dangerous. He withdrew his sword from the agent’s neck, cleaned it with one swift motion and sheathed it. “When Istara gets here, anyone that gets in her way will die. We have to be gone by then.” The seer shook his head and slowly, very slowly, unbelted his sword and it levitated to a corner of the room where it lay down on the floor by itself. “You know me, Vorren. Am I lying to you?”

 

“I can never tell.” Commander Vorren said sourly. “You lie better than anyone I have ever met.”

 

“I am not lying to you, Vorren. Every possible future I have seen that has you taking that kid or doing anything to him results in death and destruction that make any of the battles of the last war pale in comparison. If we are here when Istara gets here, or if you kill me, the Bladeborn will declare war on the Empire. So far, we have run from the Empire, we have fought only as a last resort. We wouldn’t win but we would do a lot of damage. Then… the machines would come and everything would be eaten. You have seen what they do, Vorren.” The agent gulped. “We now have two minutes… Vorren… Please…”

 

“Who leads the Bladeborn, Idjit?” Vorren asked after a moment or two.

 

“Istara.” Idjit said quietly.

 

“Flarg me…” Vorren said in a tone of absolute shock. Then he laughed. “Darkstorm… That lying Jedi witch… Istara has led you all along hasn’t she? Ever since Trugoy died.” Idjit smiled slightly. “Never mind, you won’t tell me.” Vorren slumped as the child started crying again. “What do we do?”

 

“I can change a diaper in thirty seconds. There is a diaper in that pack over there.” Idjit waved towards the corner. “Then we have to get the hell out of here as fast as we can.” One of the troops threw the pack to Idjit and he caught it. He started changing the kid deftly. “I hope you all can run.”

 

“We can.” Vorren promised.

 

True to Vorren’s word, the team was gone in less than a minute, a napping child slumbering behind them. Idjit ran beside them, feeling bereft. His sword had been part of him for most of his life. But now, he had to do this. They made it to the team’s ship with forty seconds to spare. Of course, a crew had kept it idling, just in case. Idjit took a seat across from Vorren as the agent ordered the ship to take off. Then Vorren sat and sighed.

 

“You know how this is going to play out, don’t you?” The agent asked quietly.

 

“Actually no. I expected the corporal to shoot and then everyone in the room besides me would have died.” Idjit had no bravado in his voice. “How long will the toxin hold?”

 

“Another four hours, give or take. We are thirty seconds from hyper… Holy!” Vorren cursed as a huge ship appeared nearby. “What are they doing here?” He asked as the Stormhawk turned to track the small Imperial transport.

 

“You have been out of touch while you searched the ship. They won’t interfere.” Idjit said quietly. “I called in a favor.”

 

“You are serious…” Vorren breathed. “About all of it…”

 

“Yeah.” Idjit said and then he stiffened as a voice screamed in his head.

 

Istara Sharlina Andal’s voice held measureless rage, pain and fear now. For him.

 

“Idjit! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

 

And then the ship jumped and he cut his mind off from hers with dreadful finality.

[kalenath]

((This... is... not... good... Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might have to stay in the ring for two rounds with a pro wrestler.))