FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"We're clear." Theleema come out from the lift, free of her restrictive Imperial uniform.

Elynn didn't expect one of her rescuers to be a beautiful ashen warrior of a species unknown to her. She began to worry when she sensed the dark side of the Force in her.

"Who are you?" Elynn said.

"Theleema Nosche. And you?"

"Jink." Elynn wasn't about to reveal her real name to her. "Why did you rescue me?"

"We need your help for a job. Apparently, there's a shortage of Force-adept slicers familiar with Coruscant in the universe."

"Who sent you?"

"Ah, the red lightsaber." Theleema understood. "You know, for someone who was just rescued from certain doom, you sound somewhat judgmental."

"I just want to know who I'm dealing with."

"For the sake of full disclosure: I'm a Dark Side Adept, not a Sith. I'm an enforcer with Crimson Dawn and a Witch of Dathomir. If any of these makes you uncomfortable, feel free to go back to the Inquisitors."

"So, who's the Jedi with you?"

"A bounty hunter," said Syrran in his impassive manner from the threshold of his cabin, wearing his regular clothes. "Dolus Sever."

Outlaw getup and gunslinger swagger aside, Elynn didn't remember ever seeing the Pantoran Jedi before. In particular, one who had glowing, red eyes. He seemed to be the same age as the woman; late twenties. Yet, she didn't feel the dark side in him anymore.

"We learned about you from Teklord." Syrran was careful about what he revealed in the presence of Theleema. "The man who hired you to slice the Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research was my Master."

"You're a Jedi?" His association with a dark side adept confused Elynn.

"Was. Now I'm just a disowned fugitive like the rest of the survivors."

"What happened to your eyes?"

"It's a birth condition."

"What's this job she spoke about?"

"We're planning to infiltrate the Imperial Palace during the promotion ceremony of Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. We need someone with your skills and contacts to pull it off. Were you a Padawan?"

Elynn hesitated. "I was an Initiate."

"Then you better be the daughter of Ziton Moj and the best slicer in the galaxy, after what we went through to rescue you," said Theleema, making refence to the head of the Black Sun crime syndicate.

Elynn got defensive, "I passed my Padawan Trials, but the Jedi were spread thin toward the end of the war. Master Yoda was too busy to take us to Ilum, and my Master, Kit Fisto, had being deployed to Cato Neimodia."

"You were Master Fisto's Padawan?" Syrran was impressed to hear the name of a highly-regarded member of the Jedi High Council and a respected duelist. Fisto had lost his previous Padawan to General Grievous during the war.

"I was going to be." Elynn experienced a mixture of sadness and bitterness. "He offered to be my Master and I accepted. Then he told me he had something important to do and left the temple. Shortly after, the temple was attacked by Anakin Skywalker and the 501st Legion. I was supposed to build my lightsaber and begin my training when he returned."

"Which means you never did," Theleema said.

"If the Sage says she can do it, that's all I need to know," Syrran said.