"Call of the Wind"

[Mei]

((Just a little side-story arc I have going with some alts of mine. Not sure if anything RPstyle will come into play, but either way this is a start of a little bit of background for Mei'li and other supporting family characters. Slight mentions of @Oathbreaker and @Nicohlas. This is within "current" timeline, not a backstory, actively happening. Enjoy!))


"Call of the Wind"

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Bluedark Estate
Yavin 4
Night

Her name was carried as a whisper on the wind... "Sihnon..." he said, and he felt thin, as thin as the gentle breeze caressing her skin. She was not a Force user, but he was, and he had a way of imposing his presence on her... yet she felt him fading away.

Sihnon Ogasawara came to a stop outside the temple that was her grandchildren's room. Inside she could hear the carefree voices of Wei'misini and Sartori'li.

"Please mommy," the little girl, Sartori, was begging. "We love stories."

"But tell it in the old words," Wei added, trying his best to sound less 'begging' than his twin sister.

Mei'li laughed inside, and Sihnon stood off to the side of the doorway to peer in, remaining out of sight.

"I've already told you three stories tonight," Mei said, then looked to her son. "And you, young man still have all your toys out."

"He'll put them away," Sartori said. "Please mommy, tell us the one about the bird."

"That's more of a song, my sweet," Mei said, sitting down on the edge of the young girl's bed and pulling the blankets up to her chin.

"But we love your singing," the little girl whispered, and glanced at her brother has he started to hide all his toys under his bed. "And Wei is putting his droids away," she added with a smile.

Mei looked over at her son, who stood with pride and nodded. "All put away," he said.

"Well I can't fight you both, now can I?"

Wei shook his head. "Nope, I'm unstoppable."

"So am I, just like daddy," Sartori added, tugging on her mother's sleeve to get her attention. "The one about the bird," she reminded her.

"All right, all right..." She smiled and looked back at her son as he was crawling into bed... at last. "Xiao yan zi, chuan hua yi..." she sang slowly and softly, as if teaching them both the story in the ancient words of her people. Sartori joined in and Wei just listened. "Nian nian chun tian lai zhe li, wo wen yan zi ni wei sha lai..." She smiled and nodded at the little girl in encouragement as the two sang together.

Sihnon had to walk away, catching herself with tears in her eyes. For years she had lived here, watching her grandchildren grow, watching her daughter become a wife and mother. She loved her family, but it was time to leave. Her own husband was calling to her...

She walked across the way, to the other temple that had become her home. How was she to break this to Mei? Her daughter needed her, especially with Kaatulf away helping with the war effort. She knew how hard things have been for both of them. They needed her, but she had done what she swore she wouldn't do... abandon her own husband.

It had been since the morning of the Sacking of Coruscant that Sihnon had spoken to Hoban'ji. He had made a call at breakfast to let her know the plans of the day. Senate meetings he and Mei were going to sit in on, then a luncheon, a meeting with the Jedi. His secret plan, the one he hid from Mei, was that he was going to take her to the Opera in the evening. Mei loved art and music and had been dying to go to the production showing that week. But they never made it; their day ended at the Jedi Temple with death and destruction. And Hoban as a prisoner.

That day was ages ago, and though she knew her husband was alive, she never made contact with him. And he never did with her. Their son, Ke'rii, had told her he was ashamed of what he had become. He was a coward in Ke's eyes, and still remained that way. Perhaps he was, but what mattered now was that he was calling to her, and he felt desperate.

"Sihnon..." the wind whispered her name and she felt a chill.

She closed her eyes, and could almost feel his arms around her. "I hear you..." she whispered, not knowing if he really was able.

"Mom?"

Mei was standing behind her, and she turned to smile.

"I thought you had retired a while ago," Mei continued, her smile hesitant when she saw the look on her mother's face. "Are you all right?"

Sihnon looked over her daughter's face and smiled, though the smile was sad. "I... I needed to talk with you," she glanced over Mei's shoulder at the children's room. "Are they fast asleep?"

Mei smiled, "For now."

Sihnon came over and wrapped her arm around her daughter. "Come inside," she said, leading her to the other temple. The wind blew again, gentle around them.

When they entered Sihnon's quarters, Mei noticed immediately a  suitcase half filled.

"Mom...?"

Sihnon sighed and nodded. "I have to leave, Mei." She turned to her daughter and saw she was struggling to find words. "Your father needs me."

At the mention of him, Mei looked at her, even more bewildered. "What do you mean?"

Sihnon turned away and walked over to her bed, carefully folding her clothing.

"He's called me," she looked over at Mei, and continued before the other could speak. "He's... he seems..." she shook her head. "And I've been gone for too long from him. I never should have--" she stops her self momentarily. "I never should have abandoned him. He needed me more than ever, and I was the true coward."

"Mom--"

"No," Sihnon waved her off. "It is true. I gave up on him because I didn't know what to do. Even after you and Kaatulf brought me here. That was a blessing, a second chance, and I... I didn't."

Mei came up to her. "You can't start blaming yourself. He knew where to find us, and--"

Sihnon looked at her sternly. "Cheng qian bi hou," she spoke the old words. "I say this to you because I don't want you to make my mistakes." She takes Mei's hands. "Learn from me, you and Kaatulf. I spoke the same words on my wedding day, that you and Kaatulf said to each other: zhi zi zhi shou, yu zi xie lao..."

"For life or for death, holding your hand, and aging with you..." Mei repeated.

Sihnon nodded. "It's a promise," she released Mei's hands and went back to packing. "A promise that I failed to keep to your father."

Mei watched her for a moment. "How long will you be gone?"

Her mother didn't answer right away. "I'm not sure. But you should know he feels... weak."

"Feels?"

Mei's brow raised in question. Her mother never showed signs of Force ability.

"Your father has a way with the Force," the older woman explained, then smiled. "But you don't need it to feel love, daughter."

Mei smiled, then asked, "Where are you going?"

"Back home."

The answer was vague and Mei waited. When no further explanation was granted: "Which... home?"

"Naboo."

A thousand thoughts ran through Mei's mind and she blinked. "You... you mean to say that dad is..."

Sihnon nodded.

"But... he's..." Mei's mind struggled with this. "They'd kill him. That's what Xia wanted, and... How do you know for sure?"

Sihnon packed the last of her clothes. "Because he told me," she said, turning to her daughter and taking her hands again. "Sweetheart, you'll be all right here. You have Wei and Sartori to take care of. I don't want you to worry about me or your father."

"You said he felt weak," Mei reminded her, concerned.

"And that's all I know, darling," she looked into her daughter's eyes and brought her into an embrace. "No one lives forever, and he's lived a long life."

Mei fought back tears. "I should've..." she started to shake her head.

"Don't start that, Mei'li," Sihnon said, pulling away slightly to look into her daughter's eyes. "Don't start your regrets and what-ifs. Your father also made choices of his own. Stay focused. You have Wei and Sar to take care of, and your own husband needs to know that you and they are safe and sound. If I can feel your father, and I don't hold an inkling of the Force, then you better believe that Kaatulf will know if you are not all right. A distracted warrior is a dead warrior."

Her words seemed to wipe away Mei's tears and she nodded.

"You need to keep your head on straight," Sihnon said, releasing her daughter. "And don't you have some promotion you are looking at? Didn't Minister Heermann offer you something close by?"

Mei nodded. "Not in effect yet, but essentially, yes. I naturally would have liked to discuss it with Kaatulf, but... war... and..." she shrugs.

Sihnon watched her daughter for a moment, looking her over. She appeared so small, so little as she stood in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her. Closed off and uncertain.

"Be proud, daughter," she said, lifting Mei's chin with the tips of her fingers. "Be certain of yourself. You know what he would say, and you know what is right for you. Has he ever wanted you to hold yourself back? No."

"But my last assignment was such a failure--"

"Is that what Minister Heermann told you?"

"No," Mei admitted quietly. "He said it was a success."

"Then it was."

"I was nearly killed," Mei pointed out. "And I still don't know who was behind that."

"But you lived," Sihnon stated firmly. "Stop doubting yourself. I admire what you've done. Your children and husband do too. And the Minister obviously sees something in you too, Mei'li. Whatever happened to you when you were on assignment; forget about it. Don't let it consume you."

Sihnon turned back to her suitcase and lifted it off the bed.

"You're leaving now?" Mei's eyes widened.

"I cannot wait any longer, I've been away from his side far too long." She kissed Mei on the cheek and went to the door, turning. "Tell my grandchildren I've gone to pick them up candies and sweets."

Mei smiled, and laughed softly. "I will. But you know they'll ask me when you'll be back."

Sihnon paused at the door. "Tell them... as soon as I can. I will be in contact with you, don't worry." With a smile, Sihnon disappeared out the door.

As she walked across the bridge, her guilt started to weigh heavily on her shoulders. It was easy to give Mei advice, but harder to take herself when she was the one that did not stay by Hoban's side...

.........

Across the galaxy, tucked away in a small cottage up in the Gallo Mountains of Naboo, Hoban'ji Ogasawara lay restless, yet teetering between consciousness and unconsciousness. He was a large man, towering over six feet, and usually stocky in build. However, his strength had all but vanished, and he was sickly thin. His eyes seemed to have sunken in. His skin pale and clammy.

Gung'chul Areum, a large, heavy set man, came through the door. The winter winds blowing in harshly behind him. Quickly, and quietly, he closed the door and looked over to the elderly woman who was watching over his brother-in-law.

"How is he?" Gung'chul asked.
 
"The same," the woman answered, not getting up from her seat where she sat grinding herbs for a remedy.

Gung'chul approached his brother-in-law and knelt down beside him, looking upon him with deep sadness. "What's happened to you, brother?" He whispered, not expecting a response. He carefully took hold of Hoban's hand.

Hoban winced, and stirred, sensing the other. "Watch over them..." he spoke, his words laboured.

Gung'chul nodded. "I will. You know I will," he promised.

Struggling, Hoban opened his eyes. The sight was unsettling to the other as they had lost their natural green hue and instead showed of pale grey Death.

"They don't..." Hoban struggled.

"Shh..." Gung'chul tried to urge him to rest.

The other just shook his head. "They don't ...forget... traitors..."

Gung'chul stared at him, as his eyes closed and he fell back into unconsciousness. The words haunted him, he knew them. He had heard them before...

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Mei]

PART 2: "Call of the Wind: Bloodline"


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Small cottage
Gallo Mountains, Naboo
Day


Hoban'ji Ogasawara looked up at his brother-in-law, Gung'chul--a man he had not seen since before the Sacking of Coruscant, a man that was supposed to be his enemy. But blood had always been thicker than patriotic loyalty.

"Shh..." Gung'chul tried to urge him to rest.

Hoban shook his head, the movement painful, but he had to tell the other what he knew. "They don't... forget... traitors..." he managed, each word laboured and suffered. He felt his eyes fall, the lids heavy, too heavy, and then he was back in the darkness.

Back in the void.

Back in the cave, where it was dry. The ground dusty with sand. But there was no temperature. No concept of hot or cold. He was just there. They were just there.

His head rose, looking up at his captor. She was Mei... but not Mei... only resembled her in appearance, not by heart or soul.

"Sheng mi zhu cheng shu fan," Hoban said the ancient words of his tribe. Here, in the void, his words were stronger. He was stronger, resembling the man he once was. The Senator, the Sith Warrior, but without the internal scars of torture. He was himself, whole and complete. Heart and soul.

"You're right, Hoban'ji," said his daughter... his other daughter, Xia'li, who had long ago severed her ties for the sake of the Jedi Order. "What's done cannot be undone, and you will die."

"Then why hold me here?" He asked. He was not restrained, not by any physical binding, but she was holding him here. "Why do this to me? How are you doing this to me?" He looked up. "You're dead."

Xia'li paced in front of him, her hands behind her back, her brown robes dusting the ground at her feet.

"I am here because of the light. Because of the Jedi. There is no death, there is only the Force," Xia said, stopping right in front of him. She looked down upon him, her face cold and expressionless. "Your coward of a daughter killed me, but in doing so, I only grew stronger."

"She was your sister!"

Xia simply shook her head.

"You tried to kill her! To kill the ones she loves!" He glared at her. "She is of your blood too!"

"No. She is lost. Forever. Just like you." She started to pace again. "You are both a sickness in this galaxy. A galaxy I swore to protect."

"You were a terrorist," Hoban said, gritting his teeth, but helpless to do anything but listen.

Xia continues, not acknowledging his accusation. "I am of the light, and she is a plague in the darkness.--"

"--You tortured your own brother!--"

"--You will be my first," she looks at him, "Then her, then her offspring, and so on--"

"You touch them and I will kill you myself," he promised.

The Jedi stared at him, no emotion. "Do you really think you have any power in here?"

Hoban didn't answer, he already knew.

Xia knelt down in front of him. Her eyes were his, but he could not find himself in her.

"You were the last man of your tribe, Hoban'ji. How could you just sit there and let the Enemy, that pureblooded Sith dog, poison our bloodline?"

"That man," Hoban raised his voice. "Saved our family more than you ever did!"

Xia'li stared at him, not even phased by his outburst.

"You are blinded by your need for acceptance," Xia said. "You abandoned your family, Hoban. A family that needed you more than ever."

He had to look away from her.

The Jedi tilted her head slightly as she stared at him, feeling his guilt. Feeding off it. "Do you know what that did to Mei? Do you know what abandoning her did? You left her stranded. Tell me, Hoban'ji, do you know what happened to her on Korriban? Do you know what happened to her because she went looking for you?"

He didn't look up. "You're a monster."

"She suffered violence and rape because of you," Xia continued. "A real warrior would have fought the Enemy to his death, but not you. You kneeled to the Enemy and for that--"

"Wo de ai..." whispered a voice from afar. It was Sihnon.

Hoban looked up, as if searching for her. For a moment he no longer heard Xia'li.

"I am here," Sihnon's voice whispered to him, distant.

Xia'li frowned. "No," she said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Hoban'ji opened his eyes. Once again this was a challenge. He was frail, vision blurred. But he saw her, and she appeared as a dark figure hovering over him.

"My love..." Sihnon whispered, and he felt her warm lips upon his forehead. "Wo xiangnian ni, wo de ai."

"Sish," Gung'chul said, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder and spoke softly to her. "The slightest tough seems to hurt him."

Sihnon gently removed her hands from her husband. She looked down at his arm and saw a bruise starting to form where she had laid her hands upon him. Her eyes welled with tears as she looked him over. He did not even resemble the man she once knew. She stared a moment as his right arm, at the stump that used to have a hand.

"Rest, wo de ai," she whispered softly to Hoban. "I will not leave you. Wo ai ni."

Gung'chul helped her to her feet and lead her across the room. He turned her away from Hoban's sickly sight and hugged her tightly.

"How did this," she choked through tears. "And how did you--?"

"I um..." Gung'chul began, but paused, uncertain how to explain all that he knew. "There's been a militia group I've been following ever since um... Mei showed up in the Republic a few months back."

Sihnon froze, her heart almost too terrified to beat.

"You know she... uh," he continued. "Didn't come back completely okay, right?"

"What are you saying?" she asked, strangely calm.

"I think this group is uh... lead by Xia'li."

Sihnon remained quiet.

"You see, the Jedi, they uh, can..."

"I know," Sihnon said. "They can become one with the Force upon their death."

Gung'chul nodded. "Right. And so I believe that she is continuing her work to um... to take out what she sees as a plague."

Sihnon pushed away from her brother and stared at her husband.

"Are you saying this is going to happen to Mei'li? To my grandchildren? Her husband?"

Gung'chul placed a hand on his belt and looked down, shaking his head. "I don't know, but Hoban said something that reminded me of something."

She turned to him. "What?"

"He said: 'they don't forget traitors'. He told me this, like it was something I should know, and it sparked... uh... it sparked a memory."

Sihnon turned to face him directly and sternly. "Jian ta de gui, Gung!," she quickly lowered her voice, glancing back at Hoban for a moment. "Spit it out," she whispered harshly.

"Mei was attacked when she was on Alderaan, and the man that was to kill her said the same thing to her. 'We don't forget traitors'." He shrugged. "I don't know if I'm reaching, but..." he points in Hoban's direction. "But a dying man said it to me, and for all he knew those could have been his last words."

Sihnon let out a sigh and walked to the window, parting the curtains just enough to look out at the snowcapped mountains.

"What have the Elders to say about all this?"

This made Gung'chul shift hesitantly. "Sish, you know they..." he sighed when she turned to face him. "Their sight is limited."

"You haven't even consulted them?"

"No. In case you've forgotten H isn't exactly number one on their 'adore list'."

"Then I'll go to them."

She started for the door, but Gung'chul grabbed her by the arm.

"Sihnon," he shook his head. "You defected to the Empire too."

"But they are blood."

"His," he pointed out and shook his head slightly. "Not yours."

Sihnon frowned. "You think I care? You think I'm afraid of them? So what if they turn me in as a traitor. You think the Republic doesn't have enough on its hands with Zakuul breathing down their necks? We're old news."

"For now," he pointed out with caution.

Sihnon looked from her brother to her husband. "He's worth any risk," she said, opening the door and heading out into the snow.

It would be more than a days hike to the Elders, but Sihnon didn't care. They had a way of knowing the future, of knowing things no one else could know. They were not Jedi. They were not Sith. But they were Seers, and she knew they could help...

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Mei]

PART 3: "Call of the Wind: Genetics"


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The Shengli
Nar Shaddaa spaceport, docking bay 35
Night

Ke'rii Ogasawara was sprawled out on his bed, face down in the his pillows. He was completely dressed still, even down to his dirty boots which were hanging over the end of the bed. His holocommunicator was beeping on the nightstand next to his bed. He groaned, stars only knew how long the damn thing had been beeping at him. He turned his face and scowled at it.

"Who the hell..." he started to move. "...in the middle of the frickin' night..." he mumbled, fumbling for his holocomm. He dropped it to the floor. "Jian ta de gui, this better not be about frickin' girly dresses again," he leaned over his bedside, reaching for the comm, which irritatingly kept beeping at him. "What?!" he finally answered, pissed, and thinking it was his sister Mei.

"Son..." came the stern and familiar voice of Gung'chul Areum.

Ke perked up, hearing his uncle's voice. He quickly sat up straight, ran a hand through his disheveled hair and shook his head to clear the alcohol from it.

"Sir," he said, as if 'at attention'. "I uh... I thought you were someone else."

"I've been trying for hours to call you, Ke'rii."

There was a calmness in his voice that was unsettling.

"Oh hell, am I in trouble? I swear," Ke started to confess. "It wasn't my fault. It's the ship, you see, she's a little banged up, and just not as fast as she used to be. I was gonna pay all of it, I swear."

Gung'chul sighed on the other head. "Whatever that's about, I'm sure I'll find out later, but that's not why I'm calling. Have you spoken to your sister?"

"Um, yeah. Talked to her earlier about dresses." He rolled his eyes.

"She didn't mention anything about your father?"

Ke'rii paused, and lost his posture. "No. She was in a good mood, why would she bring up that jack ass?"

"Because that 'jack ass' is dying."

Gung'chul's words came at him like a hard punch to the stomach and he felt the blood drain from his face.

"Say what now?" he covered his emotions with the satirical question, but his jaw tightened.

"You heard me, son."

"What happened?" Ke asked, leaning over to turn on the bedside lamp.

There was a long pause on the other end before his uncle responded. "I have a job for you, Ke."

"That didn't answer my question."

"It's related," Gung'chul explained. "There's a group I want you to look into. They are based in the Republic."

Ke'rii laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding me. Look, listen... I'm so not doing that again, okay? I mean, you got all that cleared up from before--and I appreciate it, but there's no frickin' way I'm going back into that shi-"

"--Will you shut up and listen," Gung'chul interrupted. "I'm not asking you to do this for the military, or for the Republic, or for any other god damned government you don't want to follow. I'm asking you to do this for your family."

Ke didn't say anything and listened.

"Now I don't think there is any way to save your father, but your sister and her family might be possible targets and there's still a chance we can stop these people." Gung'chul paused, expecting some response, but by the silence on the other end he knew he finally got his nephew's attention. "I've been with your father a few weeks now, and I've had the time to study him. We found poison in his blood. And I'm not talking some generic, black market type poison, okay? I'm talking about genetic targeting."

"Who is this group and why are they targeting him?" Ke started to pace, unable to remain sitting for this. "And if its genetic, how do you know I'm not a target?"

"Because you don't have the Force in you."

Ke remained silent, wishing he was certain of that. "Sure. Okay. Go on."

"I believe these people are the same people Xia'li had organized back before Zakuul invaded."

Ke started to rub his forehead. This just kept getting better and better.

"Oh for the love of all that is liu koushui de biaozi he houzi de ben erzi," Ke cursed. He couldn't believe it.

"Watch your language, kid."

"You're kidding me, right? You want me to go back to the people that tortured me and what? Shoot up the place?" Ke shook his head. This wasn't actual a conversation he was having. It couldn't be.

"I'm not asking you to shoot up the place, I'm asking you to gather data, capture one of her scientists--"

"--She's dead! Xia is dead. D-E-A-D. Dead." Ke pointed out the obvious. "There's no coming back from that."

"Ke, please don't ask me to explain the Jedi and their tricks to you, okay?" Gung'chul was growing tired of him, but he needed him, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was right now. "Death and the Force, doesn't matter to Jedi. Why is this becoming the issue? Your family needs you. Your sister, her kids. Why do you make me go in circles?"

Ke stopped pacing and sighed. "Okay, okay. Where'm I going?"

"Last I tracked them was Ord Mantell."

Ke gritted his teeth and sighed heavily. "Perfect, I love that place."

"Don't be a smart ass." Gung'chul continued. "Now there's a chance their operations have moved. They may even be a mobile militia group by now. And I want you to be careful, Ke. Xia's helping them through the Force, don't start denying that stuff now, okay?"

Ke was nodding his head, making his way across the bridge to the cockpit. "Look, you don't need to tell me about these guys. I've seen them work first hand," He fell into his chair, and for a moment he glanced at his left hand that still held a scar from the torture these people put him through years ago. "What about Mei?"

"I think she's fine for now, but let's not stall."

"I don't stall."

"You always stall."

Ke sighed because it was true. "So am I going UC or something?"

"Rather not waste the time with an undercover story. Go in, get a scientist--the right scientist--" he stressed, "and get out. I'll send you the file I have on them."

Ke quickly entered a sequence and lifted The Shengli from the docking bay. "Be quick about it," he said. "I'm leaving Nar Shaddaa now, and I'm already configuring for hyperspace."

"You'll have it in two shakes," Gung'chul said. "Be careful, Ke'rii."

Ke glanced as the little holofigure of his uncle and nodded. "I won't let you down, sir," he said, and killed the transmission. Soon after he received his uncle's file and disappeared into hyperspace.

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Mei]

PART 4: “Call of the Wind: Visions”

=================

Gallo Mountains, Naboo
Swamplands
Morning

The winter air was cold, but nothing as unbearable as the freeze at the peak of the mountains. Sihnon had traveled tirelessly through the night, only to be cloaked by a dense fog once morning arrived. Her hands chilled to the bone, the damp air not making this journey any easier, but she was determined not to let the elements get the better of her.

She adjusted her cloak, pulling it tighter around her shoulders and covered her head. With a determined breath, she grabbed onto the paddles and pulled the small boat along through the swamplands. The cave would be difficult to find in these conditions, but she had a good memory and was certain she was on the right path.

Several decades had passed since Sihnon had been here, and each time Hoban'ji was present with her. In total, she had seen the Elders three times in her life: for a blessing in marriage, and for the Yuzhi Ming of each of their children.

Slowly she pulled through the water, the boat barely making a ripple. The world seemed to stop, as if time itself had been frozen. Even the breeze seemed to hold its breath and the trees stilled. But the fog thicken around her. She had to be close, she could almost feel them...

“The winds will still,” said Hoban, his voice coming from right next to her.

Sihnon looked, not startled at all by his presence. He was sitting next to her, younger in appearance with shorter, darker hair. He was more muscular in his youth, but thinner, as her memory recalled.

"The water won't even break, but the trees might watch you," he continued, looking at her as if he knew something more than she.

The air was warm and smelled thick of millaflowers with a slight hint of rominaria. The aroma was very soothing and calm... almost too calming, but it put her at ease after such a long journey.

Sihnon squinted as she looked up at the trees, the afternoon spring sun was struggling to reach her through the thick weave of branches above them.

"Let them watch me," she said with a grin and looked at her husband. "They know us, and I quite want all of them to approve of our son... our little Ke'rii." She rested her hand on her large belly. Ke'rii was expected to arrive in less than a standard month. "But what I don't get is why the Elders wouldn't let us come earlier? Surely they know how uncomfortable this is on me."

Hoban smiled at her. For a moment his image seemed to shimmer in the light. “Because,” he started to explain, “They will have a better reading on him now.”

“How do they do it?” she asked, about to rest her head on his shoulder, but became fixed on a small poison dart that was in his neck. The skin around the poison seemed grey and sickly. She blinked slowly, that wasn't supposed to be there. This wasn't in her memory...

The wind caressed her softly and whispered her name...

She rested her head on his shoulder... the dart fogotten.

He shrugged. “Not sure, I'm not an Elder.”

“But you have the Force.”

“But not the sight. Not their sight,” he countered.

Sihnon smiled and looked around again. Perhaps it was because this was her second visit to the Elders, but light was different here. It didn't seem to reflect as light should, as if it came from different sources.

She sighed and felt weightless, she took another deep breath, inhaling the strong scent of the millaflower.

"That's millaflower, isn't it?" She asked and he nodded. "Can't it soothe a rancor?"

Hoban smiled. "So they say."

Sihnon looked at him again, watching as he rowed along, looking ahead, looking for the cave.

“You never told me what your Yuzhi Ming means."

“I haven't?" He gave her a lopsided grin.

"No you never did tell me, and you know I'm not fluent in the ancient words."

Hoban chuckled and shook his head.

"What?" Sihnon nudged him. "It doesn't mean you'll be an evil fool later in life does it?" She laughed.

"You mean you never heard of Junjie?” He was trying not to laugh, which mean he was about to lie. "It does mean that. It means I'm an un-marriable, miserable, bastard."

"It does not." She stated and shook her head.

He was quiet for a moment and she just watched him, waiting.

Hoban sniffed, a nervous habit he had when he knew an explanation was warranted and he didn't want to give one. He glanced at her and she just smiled. He couldn't refuse her smile, he never could.

"All right..." he sighed. "It means 'handsome', or 'outstanding'. Loosely translated."

This made Sihnon smile. “I thought they gave readings on your destiny, not your charming good looks.”

Hoban gave her a look. “It can be, but not always. They often leave it to interpretation because they don't want to meddle. Take Miyuki's for example: Sying'yin, which translates to 'silver star'."

Sihnon lost her smile, saddened. Something so beautiful could turn so...

"And she," Hoban glanced upwards, "died very young." He looked back at Sihnon. "But she became a star for all to see."

The wind blew gently around them, carrying a murmur of voices and once again the winter breeze. Slowly, the memory dissolved and the warmth of spring fell behind Sihnon. The fog cleared as she emerged back to the present with clarity.

The cave was ahead of her, and the whispers continued. Their voices in the hundreds, and not a single word could be understood. They whispered everything and nothing at all, but then, she heard it speak her name at once.

"Sihnon," a voice said with such clarity she thought it right next to her.

Carefully she got out of the boat, the water nearly shocking her it was so cold. She brought the boat to shore and stared a moment at the cave. Outsiders weren't welcomed, that was the first rule she had ever been taught about the Elders. And though she married into the Ogasawara clan, she was not one of them by blood.

Determined, she trudged forward, lowering her hood as she entered the darkened cave. She paused a moment to allow her eyes to adjust, but the darkness was so thick, she had to feel her way through the cave.

Then she saw it. The light. It was white, and so bright it was nearly blinding.

"Hello?" she spoke cautiously.

"You seek answers," the Elders spoke collaboratively. "Come forward Sihnon Areum of clan Ogasawara."

As Sihnon stepped forward, the light from the Elders seemed to dim enough for her to make out their figures. There were three of them, all female, and all identical. They sat in meditation, the light glowing from within them. They had long, flowing, white hair and pale in skin. Their eyes were covered by silvery white cloth that matched their robes. They had names, she remembered Hoban telling her: Guoqu (seated on the far left),  Dangxia (seated in the middle), and Weilai (seated on the far right).

She bowed her head as she stood in front of them, not looking up unless told to do so.

"You have come about Junjie," Dangxia spoke, addressing Hoban'ji by the name they see him by.

"Yes. He is very ill."

Dangxia looked at Guoqu and nodded. The other rose from her seat and went over to Sihnon. Her movement was like air and she seemed to float as if she were a ghost. Guoqu reached out and placed her hand under Sihnon's chin, lifting her face to look at her through covered eyes. Her touch was surprisingly warm.

Sihnon gasped, as she felt her mind be taken by the other.

Time stopped.

Life stopped and Sihnon felt nothing at all.

She heard rain. Thunder, she wanted to look outside, but Guoqu forced her to look another way and she saw Hoban at a desk. Slowly, the room started to take shape and she realized she was standing in his office on Dromund Kaas.

"Look..." Guoqu said and pointed at Hoban. Her movement was choppy, as if frames were missing in a reel. "Beyond him..."

Sihnon's eyes quickly focused on a figure standing behind her husband. It was black, hardly a lifelike figure and more of a dark mist that took similar form to a human woman.

"See her..." Guoqu whispered, her words chilling as Xia'li appeared behind Hoban'ji.

Sihnon couldn't even blink, she couldn't move nor speak. Guoqu looked at her, reading her thoughts.

"She is dead," Guoqu answered. "But not her presence..." The Elder turned her gaze beyond the glass window and out into the rain, to the mountains and to a sniper. She forced Sihnon to see him too just as a poisonous dart was shot, striking Hoban.

Sihnon gasped in the vision as Guoqu brought her attention back to Hoban. He had turned into a black figure, but not a mist as Xia'li had been. His eyes glowed red and he did not move.

"It is inside of him..." Guoqu said. "The black death..."

The Elder released her hold on Sihnon, letting the outsider fall to the ground.

Sihnon coughed, her entire body ached. Her head pounded and felt as if she was going to vomit. "How do I save him?" She looked up at Guoqu as she was sitting back in her seat, meditating.

"You can't," Weilai spoke up from the far right.

Sihnon looked at her, waiting further explanation.

"But the future is not lost," Weilai continued, raising a hand.

Sihnon winced as she felt pressure on her head again as Weilai took control of her mind. The visions came in quick flashes: Mei'li on Yavin, the black mist standing behind her as she sat at her desk. Ke'rii kissing a woman not yet known to her. Her grandchildren laying facedown on the floor of their home, they are dead. Fires on Tatooine. Keiko'li fighting on a battlefield, a sword in her hand. A ship exploding. Kaatulf being encased in carbonite. Ke'rii bound, his face bloodied. More visions of possibilities, and then finally Hoban'ji looking right at Sihnon... "It's not about me," he says, just as she is released from the visions.

"It can be changed...' Weilai said, again lowering her head and reentering her meditative state.

"How?" Sihnon was almost to the point of begging as she fought through the pain.

Weilai did not answer, but Dangxia stood.

"Take what you know," Dangxia replied. "You are done here."

The Elder sat back down, and the light in the cave faded to complete darkness. Sihnon looked around, still bewildered and confused.

And once again the world seemed to breath again.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Mei]

PART 5 - "Call of the Wind: The Lazy Luck"

=================================

The Lazy Luck Cantina
Ord Mantell City, Ord Mantell
Day

The Lazy Luck Cantina was more run down than Ke'rii remembered, but then again it had been over five years. He stopped, just to be sure this was still the right place, and checked his location on his map. Satisfied his map was correct, he cross referenced the cantina to make sure it hadn't moved. He sighed and shook his head when it all checked out. This was it, this was still the place... though he'd have to guess it had been a long time since it had any regular customers.

He noticed the locking mechanism on the door had been broken. Instinctively he drew his weapon and carefully pushed through the door. Inside, it was dark, dusty, tables were up turned, and chairs were disheveled. The place was a wreck, nothing like how he remembered it to be.

"Hello?" he said, entering the abandoned cantina. He shut the door behind him and proceeded into the darkened room. He tapped lightly at one of his cybernetics and scanned for life forms, which relayed back to him a small amount of life detected. "Lara?" he questioned, continuing forward.

He came to a sudden stop as he felt the barrel of a rifle press into his back. Instinctively his hands went up, but he didn't drop his blaster (he had a policy about that).

"Please let that be a rifle and not that you are happy to see me," he said.

"Drop the blaster," the voice behind him was thickly disguised by a filter.

"Look now," Ke started, slowly turning his head to get a glimpse of the person behind him. "I didn't come here for trouble--"

"--I said drop it!"

The barrel was jabbed hard into his back, and Ke didn't hide the discomfort.

"Hey now..." he said, hiding a wince. He was calm, but tense as he dropped his blaster. "I'm just lookin' for someone, okay?"

"This way," the person demanded, again shoving the rifle into his back in an effort to lead him across the room.

Playing along, Ke started to walk. "You seem like a nice enough person, so how 'bout you tell me what you want from me," he glanced back, noting that the other was much shorter than him and significantly more slender.

"Face forward, jack ass."

Ke sighed, shook his head, and smirked as he quickly reached down and snatched the rifle from the other. He aimed it right at face level.

"Now you should know better than to put a rifle right at someone's back," he smirked. "Makes it nice and easy to grab--"

The other grabbed the barrel end and jabbed it harshly into Ke's chest, making him gasp. Then proceeded to kick him in the knees, making him fall to the ground, then took control of the rifle again.

Ke was in just as much pain as he was shocked by the turn of events. His hand covered his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

"Buir tahla'ada!" he looked up.

His attacker removed the helmet from her face and looked down at him. For a moment, Ke was taken back with surprise.

Ke smiled, happy... recognizing her. "Hey--"

She whacked him across the face with the butt of the rifle, making him fall backwards.

"Jerk," she sneered as he passed out.


Ke'rii came to with a splitting headache. He groaned as he opened his eyes, hearing soft muffled voices talking across the room. He looked over in their direction, seeing a single light lit and two figures standing around a table. He rolled over, and immediately fell off a table, hitting the ground with a loud, hard thud.

"He's awake," he heard a man say.

Ke rolled over, back on his back, and looked up at the two of them.

"Ke'rii Ogasawara," said the woman with distaste as she hovered over him. She stared down the long barrel with her dark brown eyes.

"Hey Lara," he managed to smile, still sounding pleasantly surprised to see her. "Who knew you could hit so hard."

Alara Slate glared at him as he tried to sit up. She pinned him back down with her foot, pressing him to the ground. He let out a soft laugh, amused by the situation, but this just made her more angry with him.

"After all this time, you finally come around. I should just shoot you," she said.

"I would have been back sooner," Ke explained. "But it wasn't my fault--"

She took better aim, her jaw tight. Despite her anger, Ke still thought her beautiful. Her dark brown skin was flawless, though he noticed a couple battle scars running along her arm, and she had more lean muscle than he last saw her. She was fit for sure, and undoubtedly because the Zakuul invasion... though he wasn't aware of their full destruction to the galaxy, including what had happened on Ord Mantell.

"I swear, if you say 'it's not my fault' one more time, I'm just going to end you, you, you ad be a yialeti'r!"

Ke frowned. "Don't talk about my mother that way."

Alara up turned the rifle, ready to whack him again. Instinctively, Ke raised his arms to shield the attack, but the other man stopped it.

"Lara," he shook his head. "It's tempting, but I'm pretty sure he came here for a reason."

With a huff, Alara lowered the weapon and glared at Ke before walking away. "I don't want any part of it," she called back.

Ke looked at the other man. "Thanks Milo."

Milo offered Ke a hand up, then hugged him. "Good to see you, man."

Ke laughed. "Sure doesn't feel that way."

"What brings you back here? Didn't you run into trouble the last time you were here?"

"Yeah, but that's nothing new," Ke said with the slightest hint that something else was bothering him.

Milo narrowed his eyes. "So why are you here?"

Ke glanced over at Alara who was leaning on the bar across the room, watching them. He looked back at Milo.

"I'm looking for a group," Ke explained. "A bunch of radicals. Maybe you heard about that attack at the spaceport on Coruscant a few years back? Before Zakuul?" Milo nodded. "That's them."

"I heard they dissolved after their leader was killed."

Ke sighed. "Well they may have just been laying low because I've got good intel that says they're back."

Milo tilted his head. "How so?"

"Rather not get into the details. The less you know the better, but I hear they've got a base of sorts set up somewhere around here."

Milo looked over at Alara, then back at Ke. "What makes you think we would know anything?"

Alara made her way back over to them. "What ever you've been told we're not involved in any terrorist activity."

"Not saying you are," he looked at her, meeting her eyes. He quickly shook away the old feelings that wanted to come back. "But you two know the ins and outs of this world, and I don't."

"There's nothing like that here," Alara said, with a short laugh. "Well, not more than the usual."

"They'd be different," Ke explained. "I'm not talking about stockpiling weapons or anything like that... I'm talking about biological warfare. They'd want to build a laboratory or something." He looked between the two of them. "You seen anything like that?"

Milo looked at Alara, as if remembering something.

"The clinic," Milo said.

Alara looked at Ke again. "Few months back there was a big heist. Lots of medical supplies and equipment was taken."

Ke nodded, he knew this already. "Yeah, but any ideas where they are?"

Milo watched Alara, who stood a little taller. "I can show you."

"No you won't," Ke countered.

"Excuse me?" she put her hand on her hip and looked at him as if he were crazy.

"I'm going alone."

"The hell you are. You'll get yourself killed!"

"No I won't!"

"Yes you will!"

Milo shook his head as they continued to banter back and forth. Every time. Every single time these two were in a room they were at each other just like this.

"You'll get shot!" Alara claimed.

"I haven't been shot yet," Ke defended.

Alara moved in closer to him, getting up in his face. "I could've shot you--should've shot you," she corrected herself. "Even with these stupid little implants of yours," she flicked at his cybernetics, causing his eye to twitch, "you couldn't detect me."

"I haven't been shot in years."

"Yeah right! You're sloppy and reckless! And you got Milo shot!"

Ke looked at her as if she were the crazy one now. "That was fifteen years ago!"

"Will you two shut up?!" Milo finally had to get between them. He looked at Alara. "He's stubborn, just tell him what he needs to know so we can all move on in our lives."

"Thanks man," Ke said.

Milo gave him a look. "Shut up," he said and walked away.



Ke waited until night fall before starting in on the laboratory. A little reconnaissance never hurt anyone, and especially considering what he was facing. For hours he waited and watched. For the most part he was calm, but his heart raced when he was the man that had tortured him years ago. They may have tried to alter his memory (and hell, they may have been successful to an extend), but there was no clouding the memory of this man. His left hand shook as he readied himself to infiltrate the facility.

Relax, he told himself. Just be calm. This is no different than any other mission.

Ke'rii waited until the man was inside before ascending down on the laboratory. He wore no plated armor, no helmet, opting for quieter maneuverability and stealth-like steps. He would have to be quick, and all he needed was one scientist... the rest were expendable...

He hesitated a moment... sensing something behind him. Glancing quickly, he saw no one, and proceeded onward to the facility... Unknown to him, hidden in the darkness, a sinister mist formed and Xia'li appeared to those who could see her... those not being Ke'rii...

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Mei]

PART 6 - "Call of the Wind: Hunted"

==========================

Bluedark Estate
Yavin 4
Early Morning

The sun was still rising, its rays trying to penetrate through the grey clouds still lingering from the overnight rains. Mei'li sat quietly, sipping her morning coffee at the table on the bridge just outside the library that divided the main temple of the residential wing to the back near the children's rooms. Breakfast was already set on the table, and Wei and Sartori had their plates full. There was plenty of toasted bread (which Wei was spreading plenty of starblossom jam over his slices), shuura juice, eggs, cheeses, nuna sausages, and of course there was fruit like chopped sweetmelon, reythan berries, jaquira, chee-chee berries, and lipana berries covered in honey.

Wei'misini took his toast, dripping with jam, and started flying it around, as if it were an Imperial warship. Mei watched as he 'dive bombed' the fruit and sausage on his plate and chuckled when he made explosion sounds with his mouth.

Sartori couldn't stop popping lipana berries into her mouth. Her face was covered with honey, but she didn't care. It was rare that their mother made such a big breakfast, and she had a suspicion it was because they had a guest staying with them.

"When is auntie Tehari going to wake up?" Sartori asked, swinging her feet as she sat.

Mei'li set her coffee cup down on the table and picked up her datapad to catch up the news she had been missing.

"Let her sleep, baby girl," she replied. "She's had a rough time."

Wei made a 'dying' sound as he 'killed' his nuna sausage link. Mei gave him a look and he smiled before picking it back up and taking a bite.

With a soft chuckle and a shake of her head she returned to her datapad. She had been alerted to a few articles she hadn't bothered to read until now. The first alert was written by the minister himself, Nicohlas Heermann. She had to smile when she read the heading: Chiss Integration Treatise.

"He makes it so obvious," she said quietly; and neither one of her children acknowledged her, but she smiled anyway, nodding as she read.

"Do you really think that because the Empire recognizes your sick relationship with that Pureblood that you are free of all sin?" a dark whisper fell on her ear.

Mei glanced up from her datapad upon hearing the whisper. Wei and Sar didn't seem to hear it and she turned her head slightly to the side and saw no one. But she knew the voice. She knew it was her sister, Xia'li.

Drawing in a breath, she went back to reading.

"You're thinking more and more people will accept your half-breed monstrosities..." Xia whispered again. "They are poison... like you..."

Wei'misini looked in his mother's direction... his gaze fixed over her shoulder.

Sartori'li sang quietly, swaying in her seat as she munched on her toast.

Mei sighed cleared her throat and went on to the next alert. A headline from the Kass City Daily caught her attention: Military Intelligence Head Dead of Natural Causes; Sith Intelligence Minister to take up Post.

She raised a brow at this one and opened it to read.

"You'll all be dead soon enough," Xia taunted again, whispering in Mei's ear.

Mei's jaw tightened, but she didn't let on that she heard her.

"Mom?" Wei spoke up quiet, yet deliberate.

Mei looked at him and smile. "Yes, my darling?"

"I have a secret to tell you," he whispered, beckoning her over to him.

Mei set down her datapad and leaned in towards her son.

Suddenly a dart grazed over her, striking the post behind her! She looked back her eyes wide. Deep in her head she heard her sister's sinister laugh.

"Try to run..." Xia whispered.

And Mei grabbed Wei's hand, then pulled Sartori from her seat. A plate clattered to the ground.

"Mom!" cried Sartori, pointing as she watched her breakfast tumble.

Mei rushed them inside, through the library and into the hallway leading down to the main temple. She pressed them against the wall and gestured to them to be silent upon hearing the assailant land on the bridge just outside. His heavy boots hitting the stone with a loud thud.

"My breakfast," Sartori was still more concerned about that to realize what was going on. Wei covered her mouth and shushed her.

The footsteps were coming towards them. Mei was about to signal for them to make a run for it downstairs when she heard other voices down below.

"Find them!" shouted one of the men down from the main temple.

Slowly, Mei pulled out a dagger she had tucked away in the folds of her dress. It belonged to her husband, the Oathbreaker. The keen blade was dark obsidian and had a flawless edge. She was thankful he left it here before heading out on assignment.

Sartori squeezed her eyes shut when she saw the knife.

Mei could make out three different voices from below, but was more concerned with the initial attacker. She sensed him closing in on them. Closing her eyes, she calmed her breathing, her heart, and her children. She tightened her grip on the dagger, just as she opened her eyes and turned the corner to meet her attacker.

His throat was slit swiftly, silently... fatally. Mei could sense that he didn't even register the assault before he died. She caught his fall, his blood seeping onto her, dripping onto the stone flooring. She laid him gently onto the ground, face down and stepped back into the stairwell.

"I'll check upstairs!" called one of the men. From the direction of his voice, he was at the base of the stairs. "Callen? You there? Report."

Mei wiped the blood from the dagger on her dress and put a finger to her lips to keep her children silent. She signaled for them to stay where they were as she slowly made her descent down the stairs.

Wei held onto his sister tightly and watched his mother disappear around the corner.




Laboratory
Ord Mantell
Night

Ke'rii slid through the unlocked door to the facility. He was tailing one of the men... the man... his torturer from nearly six years ago. If he was trusted enough to be a torturing for his dead sister, then he must know a thing or two about this place.

The man turned slightly, and Ke pressed up against the wall, hidden just out of view by a shelf supplies. He looked in the other direction...

They always look for eyes, he reminded himself. He waited a moment, before looking back just as the man turned the corner. Quickly he followed. He kept light on his feet, his footsteps so quiet he was almost cat-like.

As was typical of his bad luck, he turned the corner, coming face to face with his torturer. The man was thrown off and Ke took advantage and punched the other in the face. Unfortunately this was not enough.

The man growled at him, angry, and stood taller. He was significantly bigger than Ke'rii.

"You..." he recognized and took a swing at Ke.

Not wanting him to talk, Ke'rii jabbed him hard in the throat. The other struggled to breathe and stumbled backwards. Ke quickly grabbed him, checking down the corridor quickly to make sure they were alone before kneeing him hard in the gut. He pressed him up against the wall and the man glared at him, and just as he was about to stay something, Ke flicked his wrists, activating a rig he had done to his bracers.

The man gasped for air, hearing only the thhhwit of the blade before it pierced through his neck. His body convulsed. Ke held the knife in place, starring the man in the eyes.
 
"This is mercy," he whispered to his torturer. "Which is more than you deserve."

He waited for the last breath, and when the body fell limp, he glanced back down the hall and saw he was alone. He pulled the knife from the man's neck and lowered the body to the ground. He searched the corpse and found an access key.

He had counted how many people came and went and determined that there were still eight to ten men inside. Six of them would be security and armed, and possibly two to four were scientists.

He had one down.

He proceeded onward towards the main laboratory.

Two security guards rounded the corner, each of them carrying coffee. They took no notice of him. Quietly he snuck up behind them.

Two.

Now three.

His kills as quiet as his entrance and just as unnoticed.

And yes his blaster remained on his hip. He shouldn't need it, not for this.

A woman in a lab coat crossed the hall ahead of him, her attention on her research notes.

Ke retrieved a syringe, snuck up behind her and stuck it into her neck. She fell limp almost instantly and he moved her out of view and lowered her to the ground. He looked down at her, saw the fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "But you'll live."

He stood up again, and continued deeper into the facility, coming across guards four and five... both dead and didn't even know he was there.

Scientist number two: syringed.

The lab assistant: syringed... the poor kid looked more terrified than the torturer.

Finally, guard number six, killed from a distance... the knife hurdling through the air and striking him in the back of his head.

He turned, and saw where he lined up each of the scientists. It was a matter of figuring out which one had the information he wanted. He looked at the lab assistant... the kid and shook his head. Surely this boy would be easy to break, he probably wouldn't even have to intimidate any further to get what he needed.

He walked over, wiping the blood from the blade on his pants and stowed it away.

When suddenly, the three scientists began to convulse, their bodies trembling from agony. Ke'rii stopped, confused. They were only supposed to be immobilized, not killed. He rushed to the kid and tried to still him, tried to figure out what had happened. He looked on in horror as blood started to ooze from every orifice on his face.

"No!" he called out, but there was no around to help. He looked at the others and the same was happening to them.

In the corner, the unseen entity of Xia'li stood, watching. A smirk on her face.

"All for nothing, dear brother..." she whispered, her voice faintly audible to him.

TO BE CONTINUED...

( @Nicohlas ; @Elym ; @Oathbreaker )

[Mei]

PART 7 - “Call of the Wind: Blood Drops”

===================

Laboratory
Ord Mantell
Night

Ke'rii rested the young lifeless lab assistant back on the ground and took a few deep breaths as he tried to figure out what the hell went wrong. They were all dead, and he had killed them, but he didn't mean to--at least not the scientists... They were meant to keep alive. What the--

He looked up towards the laboratory doors when heard the exterior doors burst open. He had a bad feeling when he heard the heavy foot steps of what could only be about fifteen or more Republic troopers.

He paused and collected himself for a moment. The 'how' and 'who turned him in' didn't matter right now. His eyes shot over to the computer across the room and with little regard for his own safety he proceeded towards it.

All that mattered was a cure...

"All clear!" one of the troopers yelled from down the hallway.

They were searching for him.

Quickly, Ke pulled out a wire and hooked one end into his cybernetics and the other into the computer. His father still needed saving... this wasn't all for nothing. He took a deep breath, calming his racing heart as he clicked through the on screen prompts and started the download.

Another "All clear!" came from the hallway, this time closer.

“Come on, come on…” he urged the computer impatiently. He felt his cybernetic begin to heat up, hotter than normal, but this was a much larger download than he had ever retrieved. He winced, but the small discomfort didn't weigh nearly as much as finding a cure for his father… and if he was too late for him, then he could at least protect the rest of his family if this poison ever got into the wrong hands.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as the heat became more and more unbearable. He wiped away beads of sweat that were rolling down his forehead.

"Jian ta de gui," he cursed under his breath, wanting nothing more than to disconnect and fall over in pain. But he was temporarily distracted when he heard a blaster shot coming from the hall.

He couldn't be bothered with it. It wasn't like the shot was at him, but who the hell could...

"Gah," he grunted, gripping the desktop with his hands. He felt something warm leak from his right eye... then saw the blood drops fall onto the desk. He took several deep breaths and looked at the monitor with his one good eye. He wasn't even halfway through the download...

Another shot came from the hallway, and for a moment he hoped they would found him and end this suffering.

Behind him, undetectable, stood Xia'li. Her dark presence watching him with anger. She slowly, lifelessly, tilted her head and her expression darkened when she realized what he was doing. She looked to her brother and simply tapped him on the side of the head to make him fall to the ground... unconscious.

At that moment, Alara Slate came through the door, seeing Ke in the moment he lost all control and collapsed. Milo was behind her, his blaster drawn as he shot down the last of the Republic troopers trailing them.

"Ke!" she shouted and rushed over to him, her blaster falling to the ground beside her. "You idiot."

“What’d he do?” Milo called to her over his shoulder briefly, then checked again down the hall. Seeing that it was clear, he entered the room.

“The damn fool over exerted himself... or something,” she checked him over, disconnecting the wires from his cybernetics. She wiped the blood from his face with her hand. “He practically fried himself.” She shook her head at him. “Always thinking of others, and never about yourself,” She said softly to him.

Milo looked over the desk at them.

“He alive?”

“Guy’s like a frickin' nexu,” Alara said, standing up and inserting her own datacard into the computer. “He's got nine lives.” she clicked through the prompts and started the same download Ke had attempted.

Milo watched her, frustrated. “We should get outta here, Lara. What are you doing?” he urged her.

Alara kept focus on the download. “This was important to him.”

“Why do we care? He's nothing but trouble for us. We need to go! Now!”

Alara tapped impatiently on the side of the desk. “Come on, come on.” She hit the computer, frustrated.

“Lara!”

“Just… give me… one sec… ha!” She pulled out the datacard the moment the download finished. “Help me with him!”

She knelt down and pulled at Ke’s arm as she looked up at Milo. She frowned when he was shaking his head.

“Leave him!” he yelled, just as a second wave of Republic troopers could be heard somewhere in the building.

"What?!" she couldn't believe he just said that.

"You heard me!" Milo yelled and let out a frustrated growl as he grabbed her by the arm, attempting to do pull her away from Ke. “He wouldn't do the same for you!”

Alara punched him across the face! And she hit hard, making him stumble backwards. “Then you never knew him!” she yelled, pissed, and went back to Ke.

Milo shook his head. “Then you're on your own!” he shouted as he ran out into the hallway.

She let him go with a shake of her head. Yeah, Ke was reckless but he would never leave anyone behind. He never had. With all her strength she knelt down and pulled Ke up by his arm, doing her best to support his limp body as she dragged him across the room.

At the door, she glanced back at her blaster she had left behind and sighed. Her dark eyes drifted to Ke's blaster... the same damn blaster he's always had... the trusty, every faithful... Bian.

"You're such a dork," she said, even though he couldn't hear her, and pushed through the door, firing at the troopers that were down the hall...




Bluedark Estate
Yavin 4
Morning

Mei'li was starting to feel light headed as she struggled with her attacker. He had her head locked in a choke hold, but her eyes were on the dagger across the room. She saw it twitch, but without her full concentration on it, she could not summon it to her. She would have to make herself vulnerable, but what choice did she have....

Her muscles relaxed and she even fell limp in her attackers arms for a moment, as the dagger hurdled its way to her through the air. She felt a needle jab into her neck just as she gripped the weapon. Instantly she jabbed the blade into him, at an upward angle, piercing through his rib cage and into his lung.

Instinctively, the man let her go and stumbled back.

Mei removed the needle from her neck, tossing the full syringe to the ground and moved in again to her attacker, not giving him a chance to recuperate. She jabbed him several times in the gut and stared into his eyes as she held the blade in him.

"Who sent you?" she asked through gritted teeth.

But her attacker couldn't manage to speak, wanting only to fall backwards to his death. Mei held him up with the blade, her eyes narrowed on him as she read into him.

"Of course..." she responded, angry, to his thoughts, then removed the blade from his body and watched him fall over. He held his gut as he bled out on the ground. She turned her back to him (he'd be dead soon anyway) and felt blood dripping from her forehead. She felt along her hairline, discovering a deep gash--she didn't care.

Suddenly, a large body fell from the library above. Mei jumped, startled, and looked up immediately to see her son peering down over the ledge. He was catching his breath and looked absolutely terrified.

"Wei?!"

She quickly ran towards the staircase that lead to the second level.

"Mom!" Wei cried.

He felt miles away, but he was just around the corner.

Mei found them, and her heart stopped. The dagger fell out of her hand and she rushed over to her daughter who was lying on the floor... her body convulsing.

"Sar!" Mei cried and cradled her little girl in her arms. Carefully, she removed the dart that had pierced through the young girl's skin, noticing a pale discoloration of the skin around the entry point. The infection considerably noticeable against Sartori's red hue.

"I tried..." Wei tried to explain, but couldn't finish and started crying.

Mei brought him to her, pulling him into an embrace.

"Mommy?" Sartori whimpered, her convulsions slowly starting to cease.

"Its okay, baby girl," Mei soothed. "You'll be all right..."

"The galaxy has a way of correcting all that is wrong," whispered Xia'li into Mei's ear.

Mei looked up slowly, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the room.

"You will all be purged..." Xia whispered again, her words seeming to come from all directions.

But then Mei spotted her presence in the form of a dark mist. She held her children closer to her, uncertain of what was to come...

Slowly the dark mist started to materialize and take form.... Mei braced herself, about to reach out with the Force and draw the dagger to her

But then she saw him... her father. He stood behind Xia'li...
 
And then they were gone... with a blink of an eye, they disappeared...

Mei looked back down at Sartori. A sense of helplessness fell over her and kissed her daughter's forehead. How as she going to save her?

Somewhere downstairs she heard her holocomm beeping. She didn't have to answer to know...

Her father had passed away.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Mei]

PART 8 - "Call of the Wind: What Lies In Wait"

=======================

One moment there was excruciating pain... then nothing... release, and the image of his wife holding his hand. Hoban'ji took with him Sihnon's everlasting love as he transitioned from one plane to the next.

The pain faded... his scars vanished and once again he felt peace. He felt everyone around him... at first the presence of the three Elders--they chanted quietly and he felt his sins break away from his soul. The light was blinding, yet calming and he felt Miyuki'li, his sister, guiding him. Her presence youthful... he had been just a boy when she died.

"Come with me, brother..." she whispered to him.

But Hoban withdrew his hand from hers. Something was pulling him back, keeping him from moving on. He looked back and saw Ke'rii standing alone in the light.

"He's not supposed to be here..." Hoban said aloud.

He went to his son, his stride purposeful... each step seemed to bring more and more knowledge of things the living could not know and he felt himself grow angry and frustrated. He reached out to his son, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Go!" Hoban yelled forcefully.

A bursts of light and then...




Ke'rii woke, gasping for air. His body sitting up uncontrollably and he let out a cry. He could not see, not at first. All he could feel was agony and fear... it was overwhelming and he struggled to breath and fell back down in his bed.

Somewhere nearby he heard footsteps, but he couldn't see. He touched his face, feeling gauze over his right eye.

I'm blind, was his first coherent thought.

He shivered as chills penetrated his body. He felt nauseous and he ached... he ached in his head, his chest, and even his soul.

Finally he opened his eye, his good eye, but was unable to make out anything. He forced himself to sit up and immediate felt the vomit start to rise and burn in his throat.

"Don't..." whispered Alara.

When did she get here? He had no concept of time, but he felt her warm arms around him. She was helping him back down and he realized he was in bed... just not sure where.

"Where'm I?"

He felt Alara dry his tears.

"You're safe..." she said. Her presence soothing.

"I have to go..." he said, his words labored.

"You need your rest."

"My dad..." he said. "...he's gone."

He tried to sit up again, but she stopped him.

"You don't know that," Alara said, still trying to figure out how he even woke up. He shouldn't be awake.... "Lie back down, Ke'rii. You need your rest."

"No," he said sternly and tried to break free from her. "I have to..."

Alara stopped him and he had no energy to fight her and fell back into his bed.

"You nearly died on me, you jerk," there was no anger in her voice this time. She cared too damn much even if she did try to hide it. She pulled the blankets over him and paused a moment, studying him. His eye was closed, and he was completely vulnerable. Fragile even... She went to run her hand through his hair, but stopped herself. "You're one crazy bastard, you know that?" she pushed away from him, about to leave when he reached out and grabbed her arm.

He was looking at her when she looked back at him.

"Lara..." he said.

"Yes?"

"Where am I? I need to get back."

Alara held her gaze on him, wanting nothing more than to hold him.

"I got us off Ord Mantell. We're out in space. Safe. On your ship. I'm surprised this thing can even get off the ground." She gave him a small smile.

"I need to get back," he repeated, his words struggled but more determined.

Back? That could be a dozen places across any given system. "Back to where?"

Ke thought for a moment. The question so simple, yet his mind couldn't even connect his own thoughts. "To uh..." he swallowed, but was dry. Chills rushed over him, and he felt sick again. He winced from the discomfort.

"Okay, that's a enough," Lara tried to comfort him. "You need rest."

"Dromund Kaas," he managed to finally get the destination out.

Alara froze and stared at him. Her heart broke.

"You really are with the Empire?" she replied in a hushed whisper. The rumors were true...

Again, Ke tried to sit up, suddenly remembering. "The data..." he tried to ignore the dizziness, and she helped him lay back down. "It's in..." he tried to touch his cybernetics but they were covered in gauze and she stopped him, holding his hand in hers.

"Shh..." she soothed. Now was not the time to tell him she had to remove his implants.

"Don't shush me," he tried to crack his usual satire but lacked the energy to keep it up. "It needs to be analyzed."

"The Republic has people--"

He shook his head and closed his eyes "--No. You don't understand..." his words faded. This was almost too much for him to explain. "They did this. Mei... Sar... He told me. I have... They need it. Just... I need home. " 

"Ke..." she started.

He rubbed his forehead. He probably wasn't making any sense, but he needed her to understand. "Please, Lara..." he looked to her again, tears in his eyes. "Kaas City... the Citadel... I can..." this was wearing him down and he closed his eyes.

Alara looked at him. His walls had crumbled and he didn't even care. She gently ran her hand through his hair. He slowly opened his eye and looked at her.

"Stay with me..." he whispered, honest.

Words were lost for a moment as she looked at him. Her heart broke again.

"I will get you there," she promised, but couldn't find it in herself to tell him she wouldn't stay. "Now rest, you jerk," she added softly and kissed him on the forehead.

Alara's words put him at ease, and he was asleep in no time.



Bluedark Estate
Yavin 4
Day

Mei'li held her holocom, unsure where to start. Her hand was still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through her. She looked into the living room where Wei and Sar were playing with their little taunlet, Misha, on the rug.

Sartori seemed to be doing better than when the poison initially struck her earlier that morning. Though the point of impact was still pale in color. Mei knew that whatever poison was laced on the dart, it was lying dormant... waiting...

Again she looked at her holocom. She started to dial Kaatulf's number, but quickly ended the call before the first ring--there was a safer way to reach him about this.

"Medical facilities..." she said to herself as she turned and went into the dining room. She sat down. Yavin had basic medical facilities, but nothing that specialized in what she needed for her daughter.

She looked up when she heard Sartori sneeze in the other room.

The only other medical facility she knew was in Kaas City, and that belonged to her father, and he was gone now.

"Government facilities..." she thought out loud and dialed the number for Minister Heermann. She waited, impatiently tapping her hand on the table. She bit her lower lip and sighed, feeling almost defeated. Certainly he was busy with meetings and press conferences.... or with Elym. She ended the transmission, not bothering to leave a message.

She looked again at her children in the next room. She'd just have to take them there herself. Certainly there were other facilities in Kaas City, or perhaps the Ziost Avenger had a doctor on board that could help.

For the love of all that was good, she had connections to Intelligence! Someone had to know something.

She jumped when her holocom buzzed. She answered right away, hoping it was the Minister. But she saw that it was her uncle Gung'chul. His heavyset holo figure appearing before her.

"Hey," she said, the creases on her forehead a dead giveaway that everything was wrong.

"What's happened?" Gung'chul said, quick to read her.

Mei's gaze drifted to the other room, at Sartori. "I know about my dad if that's why you are calling..."

"But that's not what's wrong."

"We were attacked..." she looked back at the holo. "These men and um... Sar was hit with something. Um, she seems okay now, but..."

Gung'chul nodded. "I want you to go to Dromund Kaas. I'll meet up with you there."

Mei blinked. "You're a Republic General." Was he crazy?

"Ke'rii will be there too. I'm told he... he may have something that can help."

"How do you know?"

Gung'chul sighed quietly. "That was your father's dying words to me."

Mei nodded. "How's mom?"

Gung glanced over his shoulder for a moment. "Not ready for the clan's traditions... they uh... they're going to uh..." he took a deep breath. "His ceremony is tonight."

Mei choked up. It was impossible to get to Naboo to say goodbye.

She fought back her tears and nodded, unable to speak.

"He's in a better place now, Mei-mei. And you know he'd want you to take care of Sartori'li over anything else. So don't go starting any of that regret or guilt thing, okay?"

Mei trembled as she started to cry, but nodded her head. She suddenly felt a warm hand touch her on the shoulder and she calmed instantly.

Behind her, Hoban'ji stood. His entity invisible to her, but his presence was strong and peaceful. He had come to terms with his passing.

"Take Sartori to Dromund Kaas," Gung'chul reiterated.

Again, Mei nodded. "Don't risk yourself to come there," she spoke, more at ease, more certain. "Give all my love to my mother."

Hoban'ji left Mei's side and went into the living room. Wei and Sar looked up at him as he approached. He smiled as he knelt before them. His transition had changed him... he had paled considerably, his long hair gone from grey to white, and his scars had vanished. He appeared more youthful... the dark age spots wiped away. He was dressed all in white.

"You're our grandfather," Wei said, having never met the man in person before.

Hoban nodded. "I am," he said and looked at Sartori. He could see the black death working its way through her.

Sartori smiled at him, unaware of what lied in wait deep inside her.

"I'll be around, little one," he said to her just as he vanished.



Hoban'ji appeared, back in the void Xia'li had kept him in during his final days. Only this time he wasn't angry, not any more.

Xia paced in front of him, believing she still held all the power and control in this place, and over him. Hoban watched his daughter, and smiled.

"Did you really think you could keep me caged forever?" Xia said, anger in her voice.

Hoban grinned and shook his head. "Of course not."

She stopped pacing. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because you severed your ties long ago."

She glared at him, not understanding.

"You could have been even more powerful, but you chose... a different path." he smirked.

"You don't have power here."

He shrugged, not really caring (which angered her more).

"I don't need it here," he said. "Remember how proud you were to have died and become more powerful?"

"You were never a Jedi. What could you possibly know about it?"

"Nothing really," he said, nonchalant, and smiled. "But you should know..." he started to walk casually around her. "...that when you severed your familial ties, you severed your ties to them... to the Elders and... to the Sight."

Xia frowned and narrowed her eyes. Finally she understood... she saw... he had changed... no more scars, no more corruption... They had freed him of his sins. And suddenly it dawned on her... he had become a soldier of the Elders...

Hoban bowed before her, a tradition typical of Ogasawara warriors, but the motion seemed more of a mockery to her.

"Until I see you again," he smiled and vanished out of her reach and out of her control...

THE END.


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Special thanks to those who sent well-wishes and comments on this story. Much appreciated!! My creative muse isn't always around, so your encouragement and words means worlds to me! @Nicohlas , @Oathbreaker , @Elym and to those not on BC.org. All the hugs!