Chapter 2 – The Force

Unknown Planet, the Outer Rim…972 ARR...

Despite there being many different types of planets in the galaxy why did pirates so often base themselves on deserted rock piles? Haron asked himself with annoyance as he infiltrated the base.

There was some logic in it he supposed as he stabbed one of the engineers working in the hanger bay, moving his body behind the nearby crates. Planets or moons like this were often sparsely populated if at all so detection was unlikely but it was very irritating to spent so much of his time searching these miserable dust and sand piles.

As he crept inside their ships and began sabotaging their sublight engines so the pirates wouldn't be able to use them he wondered if he was wasting his time going around hunting pirates. But it paid well he thought with a sigh before activating the beacon that would alert the waiting security forces to his location. They would be here within fifteen minutes so he made himself useful while he waited he went out and planted a series of sonic mines in front of the doors to the hanger, so helpfully provided by his current employer.

Ten minutes later the alarm started going off, Harry paused for a second before retreating to behind the nearby crates with a smile on his face. Damn he thought with mirth, they were early for once. He remembered on his last job that he had been kept waiting for over an hour for the security forces to arrive.

Pirates began running into the hanger from the doors he had booby trapped, desperate to escape but were stunned and deafened by the sonic mines. Stumbling around with their senses scrambled by the intense sonic blasts which Haron took advantage of shooting them all with stun blasts for his two customised blaster pistols. He normally would have just killed them given the disdain he had for pirates and slavers which was often the same thing he had found but his employers had made it a condition of his contract that he would help bring them in alive.

It was an annoyance but one he could tolerate as a former auror.

Landing ships appeared at the entrance and soldiers began offloading at the hanger bay and poured in with their own blasters firing stun blasts, the large red circle he had painted on the back of his jacket letting them know he was their ally. So when he could he got to his feet and joined them in their charge into the base.

While they contented themselves in arresting the underlings Harry had his sights set on a bigger fish, a large and vicious rodian who led them.

The green skinned alien angered him intensely not least because he had a habit of torturing his prisoners to death but also because he was wearing a Mandalorian chest armour and a pair of their vambraces that he had stolen from a Mandalorian freighter.

He never even saw Haron coming as with incredible precision Haron delivered a Gundark Slap the pirate's face, knocking him out in one hit. The smack of his head as it hit the floor was satisfying to Haron who immediately took the stolen gauntlets off him and released the clasps on the chest armour. It was surprisingly light but just about the right size for him, Haron smiled feeling better to have a piece of home with him as his father had refused to let him return yet. The Vambraces were made of beskar as was the chest piece and had all the standard attachments; grappling line, dart launcher, repulsors and a flamethrower. It was a bit old but nothing he couldn't upgrade.

Haron frowned as put on the armour and vambraces, his father when he had done it had returned after only six months although he had come by a good sized fortune that he had stolen from a Hutt named Ka'pa in a heist he had planned himself or so he claimed. All the other members of his crew were dead leading some to believe he had killed them to increase his cut.

This led him to believe that his father was starting to become worried that Haron would overthrow him or weaken his position, after all he had Deera as a spare so Haron was replaceable if needs be.

But he contented himself with the prize of this job and the sight of the local defence captain who was looking around at the groaning rodian with disgust.

"I hope you didn't damage him too badly." The man said in a snooty voice as he looked down his nose at all of them before handing Harry a case. "Here is your fee, 200,000 credits."

"A pleasure doing business with you." Haron said as he took the case and left the local law men to clean up the pirates.

-x-

A few days later Haron was sitting in his ship reading a letter from Deera. It brought a smile to his face that he could at least communicate with her this way.

In summary it was very boring at home right now, the grumbles about their father were louder now and his uncles were worried that a fight might be coming some time in the future but so far no one was willing to make a move against them. That eased his mind a little but only increased his resolve to get back in case he was needed.

The life of a pirate hunter was not glamorous or easy but he made a fair amount of money from it and had quite a number of contacts around the galaxy. Mid Rim planets were reaching out to him now as well to seek his services and occasional bounty hunting since he could find almost anyone had gotten him a small fortune, enough to buy a better hyperdrive for the Razor Crest along with military grade shields, better laser cannons and a pair of concussion missile launchers. He had also bought a small number of shares in certain companies around the galaxy to give him a continuous income, it wasn't a lot but it was something.

Haron was broken from his musings when he saw a Pyke entourage approaching his ship through the cockpit window. That immediately put him on edge, the Pyke Syndicate was connected to all the major crime families of Coruscant and had one of if not the greatest smuggling operation in the entire galaxy. They were incredibly well connected and powerful, so why were they here now? He wondered his suspicions rising and clicked the ignition switches to power the ship up without starting the engines, just in case he needed to make a quick getaway before with his armour and blasters ready went to see what it was they wanted.

The Pykes were a strange lot Haron thought, although he was used to different species they were shorter than most with small faces but enormous elongated skulls. Their skin was often green or grey, he also knew that they were cunning though you didn't get where they were without being so.

They gave him a calculating smile when he appeared and a slight bow.

"Greetings Haron Ordo. My name is Lom Pyke and it has come to the attention of our great syndicate that you have a talent for finding people." The leader said.

So that's it is it? Harry thought to himself, they had an enemy they wanted him to find.

"I have skill in that area yes, but what would the powerful Pyke Syndicate want with me? I am sure you could find anyone you wanted on your own?" Haron said knowing if they were hiring an outside contractor then it would be for a very good reason.

"Indeed, it is not just your skill as a tracker that we need but also your skills as a Mandalorian warrior. Our syndicate has been attacked now on several occasions by a rival organisation led by Ter-Idi, a Cerean crime boss. A man that was once a Jedi." Lom Pyke explained.

A Jedi, Haron thought with surprise that was different. They did occasionally go rogue he knew that but they were conditioned from birth so he was shocked to learn that one of them would become a crime boss. This also made the Pyke Syndicate coming to him make sense, after all few people could hope to take a Jedi in combat and Mandalorians were among that small circle.

"I see." Haron said with a grim look. "I take it you want me to eliminate him for you. A lightsaber wielding fallen Jedi?" Haron added as it was not an easy thing to take down a Jedi even a fallen one.

"I see you understand what we are asking and we appreciate it is a hard task to achieve and offer a considerable credit bounty for accomplishing this task and this weapon to aid you." Lom Pyke said, stepping to the side so one of his attendants could step forward carrying a 6ft long spear. The weapon itself was not enough to excite Haron into taking the job, the fact that it was made of beskar was.

He took it from the attendant and tapped it against one of his new gauntlet, it made the strange clang and was coloured a dark silver. It was simple but exceptionally well made. How the Pykes had gotten hold of something like this mystified him but with a network as large as theirs it would perhaps be a simple thing Haron reasoned.

"I take it we have a deal?" Lom Pyke said his sharp teeth showing as he saw Haron admiring the spear. Haron was reluctant to take a job from the Pykes as he didn't really trust them but making an enemy of them was too say the least foolish. The credits too would be useful in growing his own power base which would allow him to go home.

Not to mention the opportunity to confront a Jedi and learn perhaps more on how to use the force was worth the risk.

"We have a deal Lom Pyke." Haron said with a nod, it looks like he was going to Coruscant.

A Few Days Later...Coruscant…

The Shining Centre of the Galaxy according to some, the capital of the Galactic Republic.

A planet that was literally one huge city with levels descending to depths unknown.

Haron was amazed at the sight of it, you could probably spend an entire lifetime exploring Coruscant and never see even half of it, then again he realised there was probably more crime here in a single day than in most star systems. Still the sight of all the lights and activity was an awesome thing to see.

Which brought him back to his mission, find Ter-Idi and eliminate him. According to the Pykes he operated out of Levels 3311, below the planet surface. He sighed knowing this was going to be a difficult hunt but if he completed it then he was one step closer to his ultimate goal of getting home.

Landing his ship at one of the commercial spaceport and exchanging a sum of credits for it to be stored there for a couple of weeks Haron rented a speeder bike and with a certain sense of nervous anticipation descended down the large hole people called the Underworld Portal towards his destination.

Seeing all the levels pass him was a strange experience and soon sunlight was impossible to see any more, Haron realised that people would probably go their entire lives here and never see the sun once. It was a sad thing but there was nothing he could do about it. When he finally arrived at Level 3311 he piloted his speeder in and saw the extent of the task ahead of him.

The streets were dark and full of rough looking characters that could honestly be found anywhere in Hutt Space, he knew full well the moment he left his speeder here it was going to be either stolen or destroyed in a matter of moments so he resigned himself to losing his security deposit before looking for the local cantina figuring it was a good place to start. Chances are some of Idi's men probably hung out there and if he asked around they were sure to show up and try and intimidate him.

So he parked up near the cantina once he found it and set the security system for all it was worth and went inside. The atmosphere was smoky and unwelcoming as all the eyes turned to him the moment he entered with distrust and suspicion. He ignored them and went up to the bar where a human with rotting teeth and greasy hair stood.

"An ale." Haron ordered and put a few credits down on the bar, the human sneered but poured a disgusting looking concoction from one of the bottles behind him and Harry out of the corner of his eye saw him add something to it which made him certain not to drink it. So he asked. "Where can I find Ter-Idi?"

The whole bar went silent the moment he said it, clearly the name inspired great fear and the bar man dropped the bottle he was holding.

"I won't ask again." Haron said with a hard glint in his eye as his frustration grew wishing now that he had never come on this ridiculous mission. Then he got a big clue he was on the right track as he saw a group of thugs in the corner get up and come his way.

Preferring to have more space to move in event of a fight he got up and left the cantina and as he predicted the thugs followed him. He allowed them close before suddenly turning and kicking the first goon in the chest with as much force as he channel into it. The man went flying back slamming into one of his friends but while they were shocked at this Haron wasted no time delivering hard but non-lethal blows, he after all needed them to be alive to interrogate.

They were rather pathetic fighters, clearly drunk and had little actual skill so he quickly left them moaning and disabled on the ground.

Feeling annoyed he hadn't gotten a good fight Haron went over to one of them and pressed his foot down on the leg of one of the men which looked to be broken. The man screamed in pain as Haron did so but he simply asked with a deadly calm.

"Now I hope you know something that can help me find Ter-idi? A bounty has been placed on his head...a large one and I intend to collect so if you want to walk any time soon tell me." Haron said, choosing his words carefully so the thug would understand that he was no law man and would therefore not care about whatever came between him and his prize.

"HE'LL KILL ME!" The thug yelled out in pain but Haron took out his blaster and shot him in the shoulder, causing him to scream out in even greater pain.

"You might live if I let you run, but only if I let you live. So tell me." Haron said in a cold voice and looked the thug right in the eye while moving his blaster so it was aiming straight the thug's head. The thug seemed to realise that Haron didn't care whether or not he lived and his only chance was to tell him what he knew.

"He contacts us!" He said. "Through his lieutenants, they're the only ones that speak to him straight. He has an enemy though, one who knows more about him than me. I can tell you where she is." The man said eagerly, desperate to save his life and to avoid further injury.

Haron could tell he was unfortunately telling the truth and that meant he had the option of continuing to wander around this godforsaken level till he discovered someone with decent information or go to this rival and seek out their help. Given that this rival was likely as bad as the prey he was pursuing he really didn't want to follow that route but decided to ask anyway.

"So who is this rival?"

The thug looked eager to answer and spilled the beans quickly.

"Her name is Lexia Ginorra, she leads this crazy bunch of vigilantes that have been harassing his operations. Oh and she wields a lightsaber." He said adding the last part desperate to save his own skin.

That did surprise him Haron thought with astonishment, what were the odds that he would find yet another rogue Jedi? If she weren't rogue then she would be working with Coruscant Security Forces not a bunch of vigilantes. While he was reluctant to work with a Jedi in any case given their history with his people it would be easier to deal with one by working with another. Making his decision he asked the thug one last question.

"Where is she?"

-x-

The thug had directed him to a housing district nearby, which was just as well because he discovered his speeder bike was missing by the time he got back to it. So he had been forced to walk the rest of the way.

It was rundown and looked like it might have been on fire at one point but he knew he was in the right place when a group of heavily armed people of several different races appeared from hiding places all around. They were clearly normal civilians who had taken up arms as some of them were visibly shaking as they held them. Haron spoke his intentions in hopes of calming the situation.

"I am here to seek help against Ter-Idi, I was told that Lexia Ginorra and her people were enemies of his."

"Indeed we are." A female voice echoed out from the atrium of the building. They all looked to see an extremely pale human woman appear, she was stern looking with an expression that was as unyielding as stone. Her eyes Haron noticed with concern were yellow, not a natural form of the colour but one he had read happened to force wielder when they fell to the dark side, something he had only read about in the history records.

She continued to speak which brought his attention back to the present.

"And we need no help."

The men took this as a sign to kill him but Haron drew on the force and moved faster than the normal people could blink and threw one of her own men straight at her. She blinked in surprise but caught him with telekinesis.

This man she realised now could use the force and had the body and stance of a man who knew how to fight. He could be useful to her, deciding to see if he had any real worth beyond basic tricks.

"Very well, let's see what you can do. But first your name."

Haron knew better than to say because he didn't want anything that could trace back to him but knew she would be able to tell a lie, so he came up with a way around it.

"Harry Potter." Haron told her which was his name before his death and rebirth as Haron Ordo. He hoped quietly it would work and was relieved to see her acceptance.

"Stupid fucking name, I just hope you shoot better than your name suggests."

-x-

A couple of hours later Haron found himself standing with Lexia and her people as they raided one of Ter-Idi's drug labs, the place was full of poor looking slaves and thugs who forced them to work till they dropped. Seeing slaves at the literal heart of the Republic made Haron glare with anger at their hypocrisy which he decided to take out on the thugs.

They blasted the door open with a grenade and they rushed in while those inside were stunned by the blast, Haron's blasters were already in hand and started shooting the thugs who were easily identified by being the ones with weapons in their hands. Most went down very quickly but as he moved forward he saw with his anger that the vigilantes were shooting at anything that moved, workers or thugs and Lexia was little better striking at people randomly with her lightsaber, the blue bladed weapon might have been fascinating to him if she hadn't been using it to kill everything around her with a pulse.

The only time she stopped was when they found the lieutenant in charge of the place who she forced to his knees with her powers. He watched carefully seeing how she did it and again was astonished when she seemed to pull secrets out of his head with the force. It was like Legilimency on steroids he thought and he could despite his own lack of training in such things 'feel' how she was doing this, perhaps he thought with practice he might be able to do it himself.

So he stuck around despite his honest disgust at her and her men, standing at their side as they raided drug labs, safe-houses and front businesses. Interrogating lieutenants in each one to lead them to another piece of Ter-Idi's empire. Over the course of two weeks they had struck dozens of places causing him Haron suspected a considerable headache.

However for Ter-Idi, the worse was yet to come, the latest place they had hit had revealed a real chink in his armour. The man had a small dock where his group of smugglers could bring in credits and supplies while taking out his drugs and other illegal exports, it was his main source of revenue.

And they were going to destroy it.

From a speeder with a laser cannon mounted on it, stolen and illegally modified of course Haron shot at the parked ships by targeting the fuel lines. Cheap fuel, he thought with derision as it ignited and then quickly exploded, you get what you pay for.

All over the docks Lexia led her vigilantes in attacking the dock workers, smugglers and henchmen that were around the place. Haron took shots at many of them himself but only at the henchmen, keeping to his own code, hurting only criminals.

He and his pilot parked near the burning ships in time to see Lexia extracting information from Ter-Idi's chief enforcer, smiling as the man screamed in agony with her pulling the information forcefully out of his head, her already corrupted eyes taking on a sinister glow. He was disturbed at that but more so by the look of almost orgasmic joy on her face, making a point ensure he got as far away from all this the first chance he got.

The man finally finished screaming before falling the floor, she ended his life with a stroke of her lightsaber. Sighing with the pleasure of it before she told her people.

"I know where the bastard hides, tomorrow we go after him. Its time to end Ter-Idi and his criminal empire once and for all."

The vigilantes all cheered, all except for Haron who was honestly wondering if she was just going to become another crime lord after they were all done. She and her people already stole money from both criminals and law abiding people alike, some had even said they should set up their own drug labs to pay for their operation. How long before the Pykes were hiring him again to deal with Lexia? Would she become an even bigger danger than the one they were trying to end? It was a troubling question that he didn't have the answer too.

-x-

They returned to the run down apartment block they were using as a base and relaxed before tomorrow. Haron however decided to check his equipment while the others drank, sang badly and did all the things idiots did for fun rather than actual preparation. He cleaned and prepared his blasters while the sounds of a drunken party went on outside his room, shaking his head at their self-destructive tendencies. Going into battle with a hangover or sleep deprivation or worse still being drunk was a sure fire way to get yourself and your friends killed, his family never drank except on special occasions and only in moderation so they were always awake and alert.

"A bit antiqued isn't it? A spear?" A voice said from the doorway. He looked up to see Lexia standing there with her eyes focused on the beskar spear the Pykes had given him. He raised an eyebrow surprised she had even bothered to notice with how much killing she did.

"It was payment for a job." He said sticking to the truth as much as possible to avoid her catching him in a lie. "I keep it just in case."

"Like the rest of this?" She asked, her hand waving towards the table were his blaster rifle and pistols both lay along with a combat knife, his vambraces, scanner, medical kit and slicer pack. She looked at it with derision in her eyes, clearly seeing it was over the top. He said with a raised eyebrow.

"We don't all have magic powers or a lightsaber, we have to make do with whatever we can. Besides fail to prepare, then be prepared to fail as my family always says." He told her with annoyance. He might have force powers of his own but they were limited and he needed all the help he could get, even then he would take any advantage as even one piece of equipment might mean the difference between life and death. So he decided to ask something that had been bugging him. "So how does a Jedi end up leading a group of vigilantes in the Coruscant under-levels?"

She froze at the question and hesitated, not seeming sure if she should answer the question. Lexia suddenly looked much younger and more innocent then when she had been slaughtering people at the docks and her eyes unless he was much mistaken seemed to change, becoming more grey for awhile and more surprising to him she did answer his question.

"I was on a mission when I was captured by a crime syndicate. I...I was...they did things." She said seemingly lost in painful memories. "I...gave in to my fears...I killed them all and I didn't want to face the Jedi Council after what I'd done. So I ran down here and decided to fight the criminals my way." She said proudly, coming out of whatever traumatic memory she was reliving.

Haron nodded with understanding, realising that Lexia was far more damaged then he had imagined and needed help to overcome her experiences.

Before anything else could be said though an explosion made both of them jump to their feet. Haron quickly grabbed his gear while Lexia charged out with saber already drawn and lit, within a couple of minutes Haron was out with blasters in hand.

His earlier thoughts on being drunk and incapable were oddly prophetic as he saw all the vigilantes who were so blasted they could not fight back as thugs that Haron suspected were from Ter-Idi burst in and started killing them. He wasted no time and started moving down the corridor and shooting the thugs, going from room to room and shooting the thugs who were butchering the vigilantes.

He saw one, a Weequay standing over a pair of twi'leks that he knew had once been slaves and was actually raping the female green one. Seeing red Haron shot him in the groin and then several times in the back before telling the terrified woman.

"Get in the refresher and lock the door."

The poor woman was so terrified that she didn't even hesitate to follow his instructions leaving Haron free to continue clearing the building.

A pair of ugly looking human thugs came charging up the corridor with crude looking blasters drawn and without missing a beat Haron shot both of them dead. He gritted his teeth, realising that someone had probably followed them back from the attacks on the docks earlier or they had been here so long that Ter-Idi had managed to find them. He was furious at the situation, both Lexia and Ter-Idi were ruining too many lives and it had to stop he thought with anger.

The attack or raid lasted only a few minutes before the majority of the thugs ran off, but as Haron checked each room he saw that the damage was done. At least half of Lexia's vigilantes were dead or injured and worse for those that remained Lexia did not even seem to care.

"Get ready! We are going to attack tonight!"

Haron was about to object given the state of the vigilantes, they were either drunk, hungover, traumatised or maybe all three. They were in no way ready for a fight and likely it would result even if they were successful in most of them dying but one of the vigilantes that was at least coherent beat him to it.

"Boss we can't!"

However without missing a beat grabbed him by the throat using the force, they all watched in horror the man dangled with his feet just a couple of inches off the ground, gasping as he clawed at his throat futilely. Haron turned to Lexia and was disturbed to see the sickly yellow colour her eyes was back again at full force, he really wondered just how far gone she was and was about to stun her to save the man who had dared to speak back when with a sickening crack, Lexia snapped his neck.

Haron had no desire to end up the same way and saw instantly the others were cowed from the display, any sympathy he might have for her was gone.

He might have been paid by the Pykes to get rid of Ter-Idi, but he thought with anger he would deal with Lexia for free and decided to bide his time. For now she was useful, the moment she was not...he would deal with her.

An hour later, they arrived at Ter-Idi's stronghold. It was not so much of a mansion, instead it looked to be an old industrial building he had taken over. Thugs were on guard everywhere and Haron gritted his teeth knowing he had to even the odds somehow before Lexia just charged straight in. He looked around and saw a nearby tower that would act as a perfect vantage point and ran to climb the many steps to the top so he could be in position as quickly as he could, he was fit enough but knew this would be quicker with a jetpack and swore to himself that he would get one before he left this planet.

When he finally arrived at the top of the tower a couple of minutes later he knelt down quickly and readied his A280 blaster rifle, his slug-thrower would have been better for this but he hadn't brought it so he would have to make do. Glad of the long range sight he took aim at some of the guards on the perimeter and without waiting pulled the trigger.

Guards saw one of their own fall from a blaster shot before another struck down the one next to him less than a second later. They looked around but could not see where the shots were coming from, worse they saw the vigilantes led by Lexia charging straight at them.

Haron from his position did his best to pick off as many of the guards as he could, he breathed slowly as he moved his aim from one guard to the next glad of all the practice at this he'd received in his training. It was almost strange how unreal it seemed, sniping them like this but Haron remained focused and continued to pick them off as the vigilantes led by Lexia ran in with no thought of self-preservation.

Fools Haron thought with anger, to be so reckless.

He looked back on many of his own actions while younger with similar disdain, such as going down to the Chamber of Secrets alone or charging off to save Sirius without thinking first. He could only hope that he had learnt from those mistakes but then again he thought with annoyance he had taken this job.

However after crossing off his twelfth kill Haron noticed the thugs on the outside and the vigilantes had moved inside so he got up and slung his rifle onto his back before running back down the stairs to rejoin the fighting.

-x-

What he saw inside only made his anger at the situation greater.

Bodies of vigilantes and thugs lay everywhere, some shot or cut through with a lightsaber but others had been stabbed, clubbed or strangled to death. It was a complete slaughter on both sides.

As he moved through the corridors of the facility he saw more and more bodies piled up, he had been long taught to bury his emotions in battle but this was unbelievable...it should never have come to this with even just a little strategy. The sounds ahead and the fact most of the bodies were burned with a lightsaber alerted him to his prey being dead ahead. So he crept forward with his twin blasters drawn and was especially glad of the spear on his back when he saw what was happening.

Lexia had her lightsaber in hand and was fighting against a Cerean with thin white hair who was wielding a red bladed lightsaber, it was an interesting experience Haron thought clinically as he looked on seeing Jedi fight. The clash of their sabers and furious pace they set, he could see how they had managed to defeat his people in the past. Lexia and Ter-Idi strained against each other with as their sabers locked blades. He sneered at her with his eyes the exact same shade of orange and yellow as Lexia's.

"Does it bother you Jedi?!" He mocked her. "To be so close and yet hover only a breath away from destruction? This weapon belonged to Darth Baras, a true Sith Lord that killed many of your pathetic kind. Only fitting that I use it to end another."

Lexia gritted her teeth and snarled back at him.

"The only one close to destruction is you." She then kicked him in the shin and while he stumbled back she tried to cut off his head at the neck but he wheeled away to fast however it did manage to cut off his braided beard.

Ter-Idi was surprised and furious at the near miss and that she would dare cut his beard off, he snarled like an angry beast before screaming at her and he renewed his attack on Lexia who was forced back by the furious series of heavy cleaves and parries Ter-Idi unleashed upon her.

Haron then realised that the rogue Jedi was so focused on Lexia and killing her that he had failed to notice he was even there and realising this was his chance Haron quickly raised his blasters at the Cerean's back and fired.

Ter-Idi didn't even feel the warning in the force until the blaster bolts hit him right in the back, he stilled and his expression slackened in shock. Haron fired again and again putting no less than ten shots in his back.

Ter-Idi slid to the ground with the sith lightsaber he was so proud of falling from his grasp, Lexia stared at dead body with surprise and then at Haron who holstered his blasters and looked her in the eye.

The silence was strange and tense, neither spoke and just stared at each other. However after only a few seconds Haron felt the fury rise inside her again and with a scream of anger at being denied her kill Lexia charged straight at him with her lightsaber, slashing at him with the anger and skill of a wild animal.

Haron thanked the experimenting he had done with Deera when they were younger as the speed he had gained saved his life, stepping backwards and out of instinct raised his vambraces to block the blade. He felt the impact but thankfully the beskar held and allowed him to stop the crazed ex-Jedi from taking his head off. She was so enraged that she didn't stop to think about this or change her tactics, instead hitting him again and again causing Haron to move and weave to keep up with her blade.

Seeing the body of Ter-Idi not far away Haron started leading her back towards while doing his best to ward off her attacks, he carefully made note of where he was and where she was until finally he stepped around the dead crime boss while Lexia tripped and stumbled. It was only a small pause but it was enough for Haron to grab his spear and use it to block her next strike.

They remained locked like that for a moment before she attacked him with a fast series of jabs which he forced away from himself and then jumped to avoid a low slash aimed at his unprotected feet, Haron pulled his magic into his muscles and felt them strengthening and his reflexes getting faster as he swung his spear around to block her constant and fast barrage of attacks.

Haron felt his instincts sharpening as he blocked an overhead strike and used his greater strength to force her lightsaber's blade away from her body before using the spear's sharp point to jab straight at her right leg. The metal easily pierced her skin and she cried out in pain and swung around with her saber but he pulled the spear free and easily blocked it.

Haron was now fed up with this entire business and resolved to end the fight as soon as possible, she was now down on one knee as her right leg could not support her weight but swung her saber wildly in an attempt to hurt him. But Haron stayed just outside her reach till he used the spear to force the blue blade away before spinning the spear around so the blunt end smacked straight into the side of Lexia's head, knocking her out.

He looked down at the prone body of the Jedi and wondered if he should end her right here and now, considering her actions over the last couple of weeks and who knows what else she had got up before that...his old Auror instincts demanded she face justice. But at the same time his own sense of honour would not let him kill a helpless opponent.

Maybe he thought with some irony there was a better way to deal with her.

-x-

The Jedi Temple Steps, a couple of hours later…

Standing guard over the gate to the Jedi Temple was often said to be the most boring job in the entire Republic. After all no one would dare try and enter the vaunted Jedi Temple without permission.

Many Jedi thought that too, a sign of being too sure of themselves as Grandmaster Yoda would say. However Jurokk was different, he had passed the trials and been guarding the gate to the Temple ever since. Many would call this a waste but not to him, he was a stern and focused man who cared for duty more than any sense of adventure and glory. So he stood watch every day and did his best to ensure no-one who was not permitted to enter the Jedi Temple.

He often spent much of his time meditating to ensure his senses covered as much as possible and would sit for hours like a stone to maintain his guard while nothing happened, however today would be different.

He opened his eyes and saw a speeder bike flying straight towards the Temple at considerable speed and sensing something strange in the force around it Jurokk got to his feet and rushed forward with his saber in hand to see just what it was.

It was strange when instead of stopping the rider just threw a restrained body at his feet before flying away while going even faster. Jurokk missed any details that could have helped identify the speeder or its rider so turned his attention to the human that had been thrown at him.

She was very pale skinned and had wild brown hair, her clothes were just normal garments that many wore everyday around the galaxy except for a bloody and bandaged wound to her right leg. But when he looked deeper with the force he felt the cold aura of the dark side practically radiating off of her in strong waves. He stepped back and was comforted by the weight of his saber in his hand before reaching for his comm link and calling for his superior.

"Master Cin Drallig. Someone has just dumped a force sensitive human woman on the steps of the Temple, she is bound and filled with the dark side." He told the Head of Temple Security and Battlemaster of the Jedi Order. There was a pause before Master Drallig answered.

"I am on my way."

Jurokk closed the link and stood watch, being even more vigilant than normal as he kept watch over the unconscious woman and the surrounding area in case the speeder bike rider came back. Minutes passed but soon enough the stern and refined looking figure of Cin Drallig appeared with an escort of Temple Guard. He looked down at the woman and raised an eyebrow, scanning her features carefully with his eyes. He then reached forward and took one of her bound hands before placing it on a palm print reader, it scanned her palm and finger prints, when it found a match in their database it brought up her file and he turned back to her with concern.

"Her name is Lexia Ginorra, a Padawan that went missing on a mission a few years ago. I think we had best summon the council, she has a tale to tell I sense." Cin Drallig said not sure how she had gotten in this state but they would get to the bottom of it soon enough. He meanwhile was confused as to who had dropped her at their steps and why.

-x-

The Razor Crest left Coruscant not long after, flying as fast as it could without attracting the attention of the authorities until it finally made the jump to hyperspace. At the controls Haron sighed with relief wanting to get as far away from this as possible, he felt dirty from all of this and hoped to never get involved with something like this again.

Still he thought with resignation, it had given him many boons.

The delivery of Ter-Idi's body to the Pyke agent on Coruscant had made the Syndicate very happy and when he had given them the man's database of information he had both collected and sold they had paid him a considerable bonus. Most of it was useless to him but to them it was a gold mine of useful data, one that would aid their various operations. The credits they had given him in exchange would be very useful to invest in companies that he knew in his gut or the force would be important in the future.

However the database was not the only thing Ter-Idi had been collecting Haron thought as he got up from his seat and picked up the object he had put in the co-pilot's seat. It was a Mandalorian helmet, a modern one in silver and blue colours. He had no idea just where it had come from as a lot of clans and houses did not force a standard colour scheme on their warriors most of the time but it was a helmet made of beskar and with some repairs to its Heads Up Display or HUD not to mention a new paint job it would be as good as new. Not to mention he had managed to buy a Z-6 Jetpack from a dealer on Coruscant before he left.

He was now on his way to a full suit of armour although he was still missing many pieces, wondering if maybe he should look around old battlefields where his people had once fought and see what he could find. Not to mention he would continue to look for underworld figures who used Mando gear in the hopes of finding useable pieces.

However there was something else Ter-Idi had given him...the sight of two lightsabers in the box nearby made him smile with accomplishment but more was the fact that the Cerean had been collecting Sith and Jedi texts on the black market. A few Sith scrolls that would take a little time to translate but also a few books of Jedi origin.

Combat Techniques of a Jedi Battlemaster by Kao Cen Darach.

Book of Practical Lightsaber Technique by Vo'ren Faolo.

Principles of Rajivari by Rajivari.

Aspects of the Force, The Light and the Dark by Tasiele Shan.

Crystal and Edge: Lightsaber Construction and Philosophy by Various.

Path of the Jedi by Various.

They contained a lot of information on the Jedi Arts and Haron was hoping would be useful to him in developing his powers again, while he might no longer be able to bend the world around him with a wand he could still use his powers in new and interesting ways.

He was in for a long flight back to Hutt Space so he sat down and started reading.

-x-

Space Liner, Harmonious Voyage…Same Time...

Ara Wren or Daphne Greengrass as she was known was so bored as she busted yet another attempt at smuggling aboard the space liner, it was ridiculously easy thanks to her training. Her skills gained by her time with Clan Wren had gotten her a job as a security officer and allowed her to escape an arranged marriage like she would have gotten if she'd have stayed at home. Apparently her parents had wanted her married to the head of the house they served, a man named Pre Vizsla but after having been forced into one arranged marriage in her last life she had no intention of being forced into one a second time.

No once was enough thank you she thought with bitterness.

Harry had been far better though than Pre would be she thought with a strange melancholy. While it had cost him his relationship with the Weasleys and Granger which deeply hurt him she knew he had never taken it out on her. He had respected her and never pushed her into anything she didn't want, Pre on the other hand had tried to force her into bed the one time they had met when he visited Krownest. She shivered in revulsion at the way he had tried to put his hands on her and was glad that a kick to the balls had the same affect on men here as it did back on Earth.

Rather than be forced to apologize and marry him she had fled, she didn't really miss Krownest as in her mind it had never really been home. Instead she tried to be a spacer and insist her home was wherever she was but in her heart she missed her house on Earth...the one she had shared with Harry.

That did surprise her, it had only been their home for a year but still despite the difficult atmosphere between them it had been her first adult home and she missed it.

But she shook herself and got on with her job, trying not think of things she couldn't change and instead put out her hand in yet another attempt to get some of her magic back. Simple levitation might be a first year skill but without a wand even that was a struggle for her now, however with considerable effort she saw the small ball on the table start to lift upwards through the air.

She cried out in triumph only to lose her concentration and the ball fell to the ground again but she was not the least bit annoyed as it meant that on some basic level she could still use her magic.

-x-

YT-1300 Light Freighter Sarlaco...Same Time…

Sighing at yet again having to beat up the same crew of pirates Neville none the less piloted his light freighter in pursuit. How they kept escaping prison he had no idea but having to chase them over and over again was getting very tiresome.

He had no idea of just how he had been born into this universe and born on some planet in what was the Outer Rim, he had spend years growing up again in a boring existence but all that had changed when a member of the near mythical group known as the Wardens of the Sky had found him.

The Wardens of the Sky were magic or force users but unlike the Jedi operated in secrecy, patrolling the space lanes in disguise to keep them safe defending innocent travellers from pirates or helping smugglers as they were against restricting movement. Neville had built up quite a few friends amongst the smuggling rings such as it was which helped him find pirates or the like to hunt down. The Wardens training had also allowed him to recover some of his magic or the force as they called it.

However tired he was of this though he was glad to have this job, doing something as important as protecting lives and he thought with pride it made him something of a bad-ass. The Wardens didn't use weapons like blasters instead relying on hand to hand combat and their mastery of using the force to augment their body and to move objects. He was in far better shape then he had been before too he thought with pride.

A fact Hannah appreciated he thought with some relief that he had found her.

She was currently sleeping in the ship's bunks after their latest adventure, she had been reborn on another planet and found by a magic or force wielding group known as the Matukai who had trained her in their techniques. They had only really met by chance but he was so grateful to have found his wife again and that she was too, they had been given a second chance something that brought a smile to his face even now.

-x-

Ialtra, Lucazec...Same Time...

The village was peaceful Luna thought, it would be a shame to leave. Many of the Fallanasi, the group to which she belonged thought her foolish to do so but she had to find her friends. After finding those pendants to ensure they were reborn after the end of the world that she had foreseen but been powerless to prevent. She had thought it best to not tell anyone, after all what would it really have changed...as powerful as her people had been they had been nothing against power of the sun she thought with shiver.

Still at least the people she had been reborn into were somewhat spiritual and had helped her strengthen her abilities, she could see so much further now and create incredible illusions with her powers.

But now she had too find Harry, Daphne, Neville and Hannah. They were out there in the galaxy and soon they would all be together again, the time was almost here. The thought of that brought a smile to her face, glad that he friends and some would say family would be reunited.