ShadowStrike

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

Author's Note: Ok bear in mind that this is my first attempt at writing ANYTHING. So I'm sorry if the story seems blah and bland. I'm learning as I go...

Also, I felt it best to place this in the Non-JKA section since I will not be including anything from JKA in this story. It will have some elements from the movies and the books, but other than that, it's completely my own work.

In the glorious days of the Empire, the iron hammer fist of the Emperor would squash almost any resistance that came his way. You have heard the stories about the destruction of Alderaan and Camaas. Camaas was rendered lifeless by the treachery of the Bothans serving the Emperor, and Alderaan was completely annihilated by the first Death Star. Brute force was the only way the Empire was kept stable...or so that's what everyone believed.

What they failed to realize was how brilliant the Emperor really was. Brute force was only a coverup for the more subtle machinations of the Emperor's rule...machinations of which I was a part. You see, the Emperor was not resigned to wholesale slaughter of all Force users who could challenge him. Lord Vader, for example, was subtlely turned to the Emperor's will. Mara Jade, the same Mara Jade who is respected and loved throughout the New Republic, was once one of the Emperor's deadliest Force-sensitive assassins. They were not, however, the only Force users to serve under the Emperor's command.

There was an elite force made up of 5 Force sensitive Stormtroopers. "ShadowStrike" we were called. We had no name, no designations. Our entire military records were scrapped. All our commendations...our reprimands...meant nothing. For we were the strongest Force sensitive Stormtroopers among the WHOLE brigade. Perhaps, not so coincidentaly, we five were stationed on the Super Star Destroyer Executor...Lord Vader's personal command ship...and he took notice. He summoned the five of us to his command chamber. We knew that Vader summoned no one to his command chamber unless he expected a report from them...or he intended to kill them.

Kneeling before Lord Vader, we knew that for no reason whatsoever, our deaths were at hand. However, instead of being struck down in the convulsions of choking agony that seemed to be Lord Vader's favorite way of disposing of people, he spoke plainly to us in that mechanical voice of his.

"You five have been brought here for a purpose," Lord Vader said.

Saying nothing more, he turned in his seat and a visage of the Emperor appeared on the Holo-Screen. We knelt even further to the ground. In a voice that seemed to speak into and through our skulls, the Emperor spoke to us.

"Lord Vader has informed me that you five are.....gifted. I have sent orders to your superiors informing them that you will be released from your current duty. You will board a transport for Coruscant. Once you arrive, you will report directly to me and no one else. You will then be instructed further. Do you understand?"

In unison, we spoke: "Yes, your Majesty."

The holo-screen faded out. Lord Vader turned to us and dismissed us. On our way out, our superior, Commander Haret, stopped us. He did not look too happy.

"Your transport is already here....and to think I only received my orders 15 minutes ago...Get down there immediately! We all know how the Emperor hates to be kept waiting!"

Rushing down to the Starboard Hanger Bay 1, we found the Lambda shuttle waiting for us. Surprisingly, there were Redguards flanking the boarding ramp. Redguards?! Redguards only accompany the Emperor. They are his personal bodyguards. If they were here...

We walked to the Redguards and boarded the shuttle. The Redguards then boarded and we were off. Strange...Redguards here, but not the Emperor. Though I could not see my comrades' faces, I could already feel the tension in the room...the same tension and nervousness that was now shooting straight down my spine...

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

This is history. This has already happened. What has happened cannot be changed.

The ways of the Sith are as varied as the ways of the Jedi. Brute force, manipulation, treachery, subtlety...all these are the ways of the Dark Side. The Emperor was not a master of just one of these...he was THE master of all. He was brilliant. He was our leader. He was our Master.

We arrived on Coruscant. The shuttle landed on the Emperor's personal landing pad. The boarding ramp lowered and the Redguards, whom I had surmised were there to make sure we arrived at our destination, exited first, followed by us. The Redguards flanked us as we made our way to the Emperor's palace.

If one could describe the palace, one would have to be very dark indeed. A sane man could not completely describe this place without losing his mind. Of course, I really doubt an insane man could describe it any better. It seemed as if every stone, every piece of plastisteel, every fiber in every tapestry seemed to radiate an overpowering evil. It was as if this whole palace contained hidden malice that threatened to consume the strongest of all beings. I could feel it...in my heart and in my mind. I could feel unseen eyes piercing through my skull; filtering through my thoughts like flour through a sonic sifter. Invisible fingers were clutching my heart; prodding it for any hint of duplicity. I began to realize though that the eyes piercing through my skull were nothing but a product of the dark energies this palace seemed to radiate. The fingers clutching my heart were the fingers of fear. Glancing at my comrades, I could tell by the way they walked that they were feeling the same dread I was. This palace was a monument built by evil to celebrate evil.

We boarded the turbolift for the throne room. Once aboard, one of the Redguards turned to us. Not known for conversation, we were taken by surprise when he spoke to us.

"You being here is an honor in itself. The Emperor does not allow many people to visit him in his palace. You would do well to remember respect. You would also do well to accept the offer the Emperor will give to you. Refusal can have.....painful....consequences."

Turning back to the turbolift door, the Redguard said quietly, and quite coldly, "We are here..."

The turbolift doors slid open. Ahead of us were a long set of stairs leading up to the Emperor's throne...which seemed to be turned towards the plastisteel window overlooking Coruscant. We climbed the stairs, still flanked by the two Redguards. When we reached the summit, a dry, cracked, voice that radiated pure malice spoke three words: "Guards, leave us!" The Redguards turned around, walked back down the steps, and left the room.

Our attention was fixiated solely onto the throne. The throne then began to spin to face us...in the presence of the pure Darkness which sat on that throne, we knealt...

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

History is written by the victors. In the eyes of the New Republic, the Empire was demonized. To them we were nothing more than the cancer of the galaxy. Wrong. The Old Republic stagnated. They remained that way...unchallenged...unchecked. They were the true cancer...growing within the galaxy only to eventually kill the galaxy. The Emperor breathed new life into the Republic. We were finally a force to be reckoned with. The New Republic was clueless to just how effective the Empire really was.

That voice. It haunted my every sleeping night and my every waking day. It was a voice of power and fury. It was a voice of calm certainty. It was a voice that demanded respect.

"Rise Troopers," the voice said.

Coming to our feet at full attention, we received our first look at the man and legend known as Emperor Palpatine. The man looked old. He looked like a corpse sitting in that throne. Yet, even as he looked like nothing more than a frail old man, he raidiated a power about him that, in my mind, could destroy anyone or anything. 20 gets the sabaac pot says that I was right. Had I been a sabaac player, I would have probably become very rich. The man held the lives of every single person in his Empire in the grip of his gnarled, wrinkled fingers. His eyes were a sickly shade of yellow. His cloak was dark...almost as a testament to how dark the man really was.

"You have been summoned here for a reason. My apprentice, Darth Vader, has noticed something special about you five. You can feel the Force, though you may not consciously realize it yet. While this may have surprised him, it hardly surprised me. As a matter of fact, I expected it."

Stunned by the revalation, or perhaps it was the ironicly amused, yet Hoth-cold voice of the Emperor that stunned us, we could not say a word. Finally, I spoke.

"Begging your pardon, your Majesty. You say we can feel the Force, yet you are not surprised?"

The Emperor grinned a sickly grin at me.

"Oh quite the contrary, I have been expecting it. I knew in time that the potential of you five would eventually be revealed."

The Emperor stood from his throne and walked towards us.

"From this day henceforth, you five are no longer Stormtroopers. You will become my apprentices for a time. I will show you certain abilities in the Force which will allow you to carry out my will across the galaxy. I have made certain that all records pertaining to your military service have been scrapped. You will have no name, no designation. You will only be known by a number." He pointed at me, "You are number 1." He pointed to each successive person and counted out the numbers from 2 on to 5.

"You will follow my orders and my orders alone. If anyone tries to deviate you from your appointed duty, report them to me and I will make sure they are dealt with appropriately."

He turned away from us to walk back to his throne....but then he stopped. Turning back around, he said, "And as my first order to you, you shall remove those helmets."

We did as he asked. We removed our Stormtrooper helmets. For the first time, I actually saw my comrades' faces. Then, like an icy dagger in my heart, like a sudden awareness piercing at my sanity, I really saw the faces of my comrades. They were all the same. From the short sandy blonde hair, to the dark brown eyes, and even right down to the scar that went across the forehead....they were all the same. They looked at eachother and at myself with the same open-mouthed horror that was no doubt on my face. Clones. We were clones...

The Emperor turned around and headed back to his throne...cackling gleefully...

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

Strength in numbers. That is the general philosiphy. Overwhelm your opposition so they have no choice but to accept defeat. This is not the only strategy however. Silent sabotage, subtle manipulation, quick and quiet assassinations...these, too, have their uses...

"So you see? I was not at all surprised at the fact that you five could feel the Force. I have cloned you five from one of the Jedi Younglings...who were slaughtered all those years ago by my loyal apprentice, Darth Vader. To have not one, but five of my ancient enemy to serve my will."

Seeing the obvious question, I decided to ask...

"Excuse me, your Majesty, but if you cloned Jedi, why make them...us...Stormtroopers? Why not train us?"

A sly smile crept across that cracked face of his.

"Because, my young friend, as held tradition by the Sith, there is only the Master and his Apprentice. Besides, what would I do if eventually you five decided that you were stronger than me and wanted to overthrow me? However, the ancient traditions of the Sith do not forbid training other Force-sensitive users for other means...like assassination, sabotage, and spying. This is why you have been recruited."

Looking dead into my eyes, the Emperor said, "Number One, you will lead this company. You shall be known as ShadowStrike. From the shadows, you strike quickly, and back into the shadows you shall return. Do not think, however, that you command these troops yourself. You take your orders from me, and you relay those orders to the troops. Then you five will carry out your mission, and report back to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand and I speak for the company when I say we will obey."

"Good. Now report to the palace armory. There you will recieve your new uniforms as well as your new...weapons."

For so long I have been used to using a blaster rifle that any new weapon would be welcome. However, I could not overlook the sudden chill running down my spine at the tone of bemusement in his voice as he said the word "weapons."

Flanked once again by the Redguards, we took the turbolift down to the armory. The guard looked at us with a cold glare that was mixed with anger and fear. What he had to be frightful of, I had no idea. He inserted his card key and we followed him into the armory.

"Your new equipment have been prepared for you. I must say, the Emperor demands much, but your new armor is ready. Don't be fooled by the look of it." He walked over to a bare wall and pressed his hand against the clear plate. A section of the wall gave away and we beheld the armor which would become a part of us. On the surface, it looked like any ordinary Stormtrooper armor with the exception that it was dark grey...almost black. The eyepieces glowed with a red hue and the breathing filter was colored a darkish blue-green.

We started to put the armor on. The first thing I noticed was that the armor fit about us almost skin tight, yet it was extremely flexible. We put on our helmets and the guard gave us instruction.

"Your helmet's eyepiece apparatus has been outfitted with infrared, UV, X-Ray, as well as normal light spectrum vision. These modes can be switched by a small activation button on the side of your helmet. Your armor resists most type of blaster fire as well as environmental hazards such as fire and radiation. As you may have noticed, it is very flexible allowing you some advantage in close-quarters fighting should the need arise. Your breathing apparatus has been outfitted with an advance prototype filter allowing you to resist airbourne toxins, biohazards, and chemical fumes. In addition, it will allow you to breathe underwater for a short time."

Taking a deep breath and turning towards the weapons locker, the guard said, "Now...it's time for your weapons."

We followed him to the weapons locker. I found it strange that he walked straight past the blaster rifles, assault rifles, and even the Nightstinger Sniper Rifles. Instead he walked towards a clear plastisteel case. He unlocked the case and proceeded to take out five small, cylindrical weapons. They appeared to be hand-held and had an activation button. Wait...cylindrical, activation button...he must be joking...

"Gentlemen...your lightsabers....part of the collection of lightsabers the Emperor keeps."

He handed them to us. I held it in my hand...though I dared not activate it. It felt light, but more than that. It felt familiar...like it was a part of me...like it always HAD been a part of me...

Cutting through my musings, the static of the comlink in my helmet cleared. The voice of Darkness spoke into my mind again.

"Number One, you and ShadowStrike will report to me at once. It is time..."

"Time for what, your Majesty," I asked.

I could almost see the Emperor grinning with anticipation as he said, "Time to begin your training..."

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

When is there a time for brute force and when is there a time for subtlety? Only a true master in the art of war and politics could know the right time to strike...of course, only a true master in the art of war, politics, and the Force could TRUELY SEE the right time to strike...

Pain...I lie crumpled on the ground. Failed my test yet again and the Emperor struck me down with some blue lightning that eminated from his fingertips.

"You are failing me, Number One! If you do not think you can handle it, then I will end your pitiful life now! I will not tolerate weakness!"

You know, it pissed me off enough that I'm failing my Emperor and my Master, but now he was goading me. That really set me off.

Jumping back onto my feet, I summoned whatever strength I had left, coupled it with my anger and rage, and sent out a telekinetic wave so powerful that it knocked the Emperor back into his throne as I went flying down the multitude of steps. As I rose to my feet, I could hear the Emperor cackling. I looked up and he was standing once more.

"Very good. You channeled your aggression and it made you strong. It was a crude thing you did, as you see it had a backlash effect on you. In time though you will be able to control it."

"You mean to tell me that you purposely intended to anger me?"

"Of course, my young friend. You cannot learn the subtlties of the Dark Side of the Force without knowing hate, anger, and fear. For these emotions are only the beginning of the Dark Side. The subtlties that I spoke of only come with mastering control over these base emotions."

I don't know which was worse, the fact that he purposely intended to anger me, or the fact that he was now patronizing me...and to think that I had once thought Commander Haret was the most condescending person I had ever met...it all seemed insane.

"It is not insanity, Number One." Blast it! He read my thoughts again!

"That is all for now. Return to your quarters. We will resume again tomorrow."

I knealt before him at his casual dismissal and turned and left...but as I did, his voice spoke to my mind once again.

"It will not be easy for you to return to your quarters however....if you fail, you will die..."

I froze for a moment...what could he possibly mean by that? I pondered for a moment as I entered the turbolift and proceeded to make my way to our living area. I exited the turbolift into a long, expansive hallway that led to our bunkroom. I couldn't wait to immerse myself into a bacta tank and get rid of this pain. I looked around for a little bit though and noticed pictures adorning the hallway. There were some of monsters that I have never seen before. There were also some pictures of human faces that I could only surmise to be the most powerful Dark Jedi of ages past.

Then on the edge of my awareness, I got the distinct, palpable feeling that I was no longer alone. Turning around swiftly...as a credit to my combat training as a Stormtrooper....I caught a glimpse of a human male, roughly my height, wearing a hooded robe. His face was covered by a black veil. The only detail I could make out were his ice-cold blue eyes staring coldly at me.

That was all I had time to notice as he launched his attack on me. He moved with demonic speed as he sped towards me and knocked me down flat on my back. Flipping back up onto my feet, I turned to face him. He bore a lightsaber...and he already ignited it. Reaching down to my belt, I grabbed my lightsaber. I had never used one before and I didn't think I would be able to defeat someone who had much more experience in lightsaber fighting. I didn't have much of a choice though. I ignited my lightsaber and our duel began....

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

Ok I am far from being done with this story...however, I just wanted to throw a little promo art in here as well as people I would like to thank for helping me make this story possible...Thanks go to Neph for the great screenies









More on the story to come soon...keep your eyes peeled.

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

I could never imagine what a real lightsaber duel would be like. It seemed to me that ours was just a parody. Blow after blow, deflection after deflection. It seemed odd to me that I had lasted as long as I did considering I was fighting a much tougher opponent. However, the lightsaber I carried seemed almost familiar to me. My hands and feet moved in motions and styles that I never learned personally, but still seemed so ingrained in me.

We clashed again, we locked. Through my helmet, I saw nothing but cold fury and the promise of death in those ice blue eyes. Then out of nowhere, there came a scream that sounded like a high-pitched Twi'lek war cry. Number Three came flying out of nowhere with his lightsaber already ignited. My enemy took one hand off his saber and let out a push which sent Number Three flying. However, this was just the distraction I needed. I stepped one foot back and threw a well placed knee right into my opponent's groin.

He staggered and lost focus, but I knew he was far from defeated. He swung for my head and I easily ducked it, yet his second swing came lower and I had to roll back to prevent him from decapitating me.

It was then that I was hit with a realization that while his saber swings might be powerful, they were indeed slow. Behind my opponent, the unconscious body of Number Three laid still, but his lightsaber was lying right next to him. I commanded the lightsaber to come to me. As it landed in my left hand, I ignited it. Charging at my opponent, I went into a flurry of swings, deflections, parries, and ripostes. He was overwhelmed. A few moments later, he lay in pieces.

"This must have been what the Emperor meant," I said to myself.

I walked over to Three and carried him back to the living area. He came to shortly and was surprisingly able to stand of his own free will. I handed him his lightsaber and we talked as we were heading back to our quarters.

"This is insanity. You know it as well as I do," he said.

"Yes this is insane. Yet all of us swore an oath to obey his orders and enforce the law of the Empire," I replied.

He snorted and said, "Sometimes I wonder if all we're doing is feeding his power-hungry schemes. Enforcing the laws? We're more like play toys to him. He'll discard us without a second whim if we serve no purpose to him. Look at Lord Vader! You don't think Vader got that type of attitude on his own do you? Blast it man! Vader is the Emperor's APPRENTICE!"

"I know, I know, but these conversations are best left when we are away from prying ears. You and I might share this opinion, but I can guarantee the other three do not."

"You're right. We will discuss this some other time then, but I don't want to be around when the Emperor decides we are no longer useful."

"Nor do I, my friend. Nor do I..."

The next morning, we awoke. After we donned our uniforms, that voice came crackling through the helmet again.

"Gentlemen, you are to come to my throne room. I am going to be sending you on your first assignment."

We made our way to the throne room where the Emperor instructed us as to the details of our mission.

"Considering you five have shown a great improvement as well as the capability to adapt to sudden changes, I believe you are ready to be given your first assignment. This is a simple mission. If you fail this mission, then I will kill you personally as well as painfully...but I do not think it will come to that. You are to go to the planet Theros. My intelligence officer has recently informed me of a Rebel base there. You are to go in, reconnisance the area, assassinate the leader, and leave. No one is to see you go in, no one is to see you come out. Do you understand?"

At the same time, we replied, "We understand and obey, Your Excellency."

"Good. Your shuttle is waiting. Be gone!"

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

We walked out to the landing platform and boarded the Blackspeed...a Shadow-class stealth transport/fighter. We lifted off and jumped into hyperspace...en route for Theros. Seeing as how it would take about two hours to get to our destination, I decided to go rest for a little while. My bones were still aching from the Emperor's lightning cascade the other day. I ran into Three on my way down there.

"We need to talk," he said quietly.

Before I could ask, Two, Four, and Five cornered us in the hallway.

"The Emperor told us that you two might not be completely dedicated to his cause," Number Two said. "He asked us to keep an eye on you two and to report anything we might hear. Well we managed to tap into your helmet radio frequencies yesterday and overheard your little conversation." He ignited his lightsaber and the other two followed suit. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we came back minus two people. We've already dropped the ship out of hyperspace and we plan to leave your corpses floating in the vast vacuum of space!"

Laughing to myself, I said, "Little do you realize that you three are also his little pawns. You do know that he will throw your lives away if he has no use for you anymore..."

Number Five seethed. "That seals it! I'm killing you two here and now!"

Gathering up my energy, I let out another telekinetic blast that sent all five of us flying. As I flew backwards, I saw the other four pile on top of eachother...and Number Two's lightsaber went right through Number Three.

"Blast it!" I said to myself. I just lost my only ally. I ran for the bridge. The other three were still unconscious. Perhaps I could land this thing on a planet and hide out for a little while. I locked the door to the bridge behind me. I checked the status board. The fools had dropped us out of hyperspace close to a planet. I quickly scanned the planet and found that it had a breatheable atmosphere, yet it had no technology. It was a primitive planet in the middle of a system that I could not pronounce. It was my only chance though. I inputed the command to descend.

There came a banging at the door. Blast it! The other three awoke. A lightsaber blade came through the door and the door came open. I let out another telekinetic blast...this time aimed at Four and Five. Two was immune somehow though.

"You are weak. You will die."

He charged for me. I sidestepped him and he went flying right into the control console...destroying it. Alarms blared as the descent speed increased.

"This is bad...really bad," I thought. Two's head was buried in the console...blood coming through the cracks in his helmet. I looked out from the bridge and found Four and Five dead as well. The force of my telekinetic blast has shattered their spines when they hit the wall...even through their armor. Turning back to the viewport, I watched with a calm certainty that I, too, would die. The ship had just hit the atmosphere. I couldn't see anything through the haze covering the sky. Then we hit land and I went flying. My last thought, before the blackness overcame me, was, "So much for hope..."

Unfortunately, the crash didn't kill me; though there are times I wish it had. I awoke groggily and in pain. Carefully, I rose to my feet and looked out the viewport. The ship didn't hit land. It landed right in the middle of a bog...and it was sinking.

I didn't have time for thought or pain. I ran towards an emergency hatch. I could see the swamp water already starting to fill up the ship. I grabbed the crank, turned it hard, and pushed it up. I clampered out of the hatch just in time to see the ship sink to the bottom of the bog. I jumped to the nearby shore and sighed.

"Well there goes any chances of me leaving this place," I thought bitterly.

I looked down and was grateful to see that I still had my lightsaber. If anything, it would be useful for keeping the predators away from me.

A scratching sound coming from close by caught my attention. Turning towards the sound, I grabbed my lightsaber and ignited it. "Speak of the devil," I muttered.

An amused chuckle followed by a soft cough came from that direction.

"Here, the Empire comes now, Stormtrooper? Found me, you finally have..."

I gritted my teeth and started walking towards the voice with my lightsaber at ready. Further I walked into the fog...

[JediBlade - Hapi{TA}]

Further and further I walked. I don't know how far I had gone. I had found nothing though. There was no sign of anyone. After awhile, I dismissed it as a figment of my imagination.

I set down to rest for the night...at least, I think it was night. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the walk combined with the insanity of the fight on the ship, but sleep came to me quickly. It was not a peaceful sleep however. My dreams were almost as insane as my entire day had been.

A plainsland...grass and rolling hills as far as the eye can see. I walk up to a lone farmhouse. I open the door and walk inside. The furnishings are sparse. Pictures line the walls. I look at the pictures. I see children...I see a woman...and I see....myself? Or rather the image of myself since I am just a clone of a long forgotten youngling. Still, why would I see myself?

I walk up the stairs to the second floor. I open the door to one of the bedrooms. I stand frozen as I look in. The woman and the children from the picture lie in the bedroom...dead. Blaster scarring lines the walls. Stormtrooper bodies lie on the floor. In the grip of the woman's hand is a lightsaber. Suddenly, I hear a creaking sound coming from behind me. Someone else is here. Then I hear the all-too-familiar sound of mechanical breathing. I hear his lightsaber ignite. I ignite my lightsaber, swing around and clash with his. Locked there, staring into the face of death...staring into the face of their murderer...staring into the face of Darth Vader...

I snap awake. Blinking my eyes a few times, I look around. Before me stood a human male roughly my height. He had a long grey beard and grey hair fringing his baldness. He looked at me with a cold, hard glare.

"Remove your helmet," he said.

I don't know what compelled me to obey, but I found myself removing my helmet.

"It cannot be. You are older, but I recognize that scar on you. That scar was obtained during your lightsaber training as a youngling. You got a little too arrogant and tried to be fancy. You were lucky your lightsaber didn't decapitate you."

I looked at him...confused.

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Has it been so long as for you to forget me Jen Tal?"

"Jen Tal...so that was the name of the youngling the Emperor used..."

The old man spun back around to me. I didn't think his glare could get colder, but it did.

"What do you mean?!"

I shrugged. "I am a clone. I'm not the Jen Tal you knew. There were five of us. The other four are dead."

"Impossible...FIVE clones of Jen Tal?"

"Yet here I sit before you. Am I to assume that Jen Tal was once your apprentice?"

His eyes faded as if recalling a painful memory.

"Yes. Jen Tal was my Padawan. He was slaughtered by Darth Vader when he turned to the dark side. I had barely escaped the slaughter....and I could not save my apprentice. Tell me, who do you hold allegiance to? The Emperor?"

"No. The Emperor used me and threw me away. My loyalties are to myself."

He seemed to muse over this.

"Even though you are a clone, your manner of speaking, your attitude...they are so much like Jen Tal. I sense the presence of the Force within you as strongly as before. It has been tainted by the Emperor's touch though..."

Realizing where he was heading with this, I said, "I do not wish to become someone's apprentice yet again."

"Ah but you said so yourself, you were not really the Emperor's apprentice. You were more his puppet...a tool for him to use for his own ends. You have been inside the Imperial Palace. You know more about Palpatine than most of us do. I only ask your assisstance in helping me get to the Emperor. In turn, I will help you become the powerful Jedi you were destined to be."

"I see. You want to get to the Emperor and try to kill him. In the process you want to rectify what you feel is your past mistake by leaving your Padawan behind to his fate. Sounds like a win-win situation for you."

"Your perceptions are as keen as ever. However, it is a win-win situation for you as well. If I dispose of the Emperor, you will no longer be held by his evil touch. You will be a free person."

I mused over this for a little while. The air began to grow heavy however. I sensed a storm was coming...and a rather bad one. Though it was not just the weather...I felt a storm coming through the Force as well.

The old man looked up at the sky. "A thunderstorm is coming. Looks like it may be bad. Would you care to come back to my place? We can discuss things further there."

"Yeah I think that would be best," I said. "By the way, since I have no memory of 'my' past, just who are you anyway?"

"I call myself Prat. When I was your master, I was known as Jedi Master Cien Pul."

That name tugged at something within the deep recesses of my mind. It was something I had overheard the Emperor saying to Darth Vader while I was still a Stormtrooper.

Then it hit me like a bolt of blue lightning. Cien Pul was one of the Jedi Masters who was unaccounted for in the Purge. Him and three others...Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Dark Woman. He turned around to look at me. He gave me a sly grin. I don't know if it was his grin or the cold wind blowing from the incoming storm, but I shivered...by the Force, I shivered bad...