"Are you sure this is the best course of action?" Bastila asked as they entered the small droid shop. The shop was clearly meant mostly for repairing droids as there were tools and parts scattered about with several workshops set up.

"No... not completely," Venar admitted, looking about at the disorganized shop. "I just... something is telling me we should give this a try. After all, if a peaceful approach doesn't work, we have Canderous." The Mandalorian simply grinned in response.

After a few moments an old Ithorian man came walking out from the rear office. His long flat head arched upwards with two beady eyes extended in a hammerhead formation on each side of his face. He spoke through two separate mouths on either side of his neck that gave off an odd hollow quality to his voice.

"Welcome to my shop," the Ithorian said in his native language, "I am Yuka Laka, how can I help you, Master Jedi?"

"Greetings," Venar said, "We heard you have a droid for sale that speaks a sand people dialect?"

"Oh yes," Yuka Laka said, "Well at least that's what the droid claims. He's quite a stubborn one. Something in his programming. Bit of an odd model, never quite seen a droid like him before."

"May we see him? If he can do what he says he can, we're interested in purchasing him."

"Certainly," the Ithorian said and brought them over to the far corner of the shop. In the corner, stood an orange droid of a make and model none of them recognized. It appeared its armor was made of a surprisingly strong alloy, as evidenced by some blaster scoring in some areas.

"Droid, " Venar said, "What is your designation?"

"Answer: I am HK-47," the droid responded in a warbled mechanical voice. "Query: are you meatbags here to purchase me from the insufferable Yuka Laka?"

"Meatbags?" Venar asked, an amused smile creeping over his lips.

"Clarification: meatbags equals squishy organics."

"I see," Venar said with a chuckle. "What are your functions?"

"Recitation: I am programmed for a variety of tasks, Master. They include but are not limited to the facilitation of communications and the termination of hostilities."

"Um what?" Carth said.

"Annoyed Clarification: yes, facilitation of communications. I am fluent in over three million forms of communication and am quite capable in translation so that dim-witted meatbags like yourself may understand despite their overwhelming... meatbaggery."

"Charming," Carth responded.

"I like this droid," Venar said chuckling, "I really like this droid."

"Reciprocation: I must admit I myself am most pleased by the prospect of you as my Master. I am most eager to engage in some unadulterated violence."

"Say what now?" This time it was Venar's turn to be confused.

"Correction: Err ah of course Master only if you shall require such services. I only meant that you seem like the sort of person who might require a droid with proficient combat capabilities."

"Right... you are able to speak sand people aren't you?"

"Boastful Proclamation: Of course, Master! After all I am of top quality construction and programming. I can perform whatever you require, just get me out of this dump... please."

"How much for the droid?" Venar asked.

"Nine thousand credits," Yuka Laka responded. Carth let out a low whistle.

"Nine thousand credits? That's a steep price," Venar said turning to the Ithorian.

"He is a very rare and valuable droid," Yuka Laka said, "As far as I can tell he's one of a kind."

"Interjection: If I might point out," HK-47 spoke up, "Ithorian physique is especially... doughy. Should you be able to remove my restraining bolt, new Master, it would not be difficult to bludgeon him into a glorious bloody pulp allowing me to accompany you free-of-charge."

Yuka Laka gasped with both mouths and his eyes went wide in shock as he suddenly looked over at the tall orange droid. Venar and his crew were wearing similar expressions.

"That won't be necessary..." Venar said cautiously, "you sound more like an assassin droid than a protocol droid."

"Condescending Correction: Oh 'assassination' is such a crude term, Master. The service I provide has been likened more to 'wanton slaughter'."

"This is my kind of droid," Canderous said with a guttural chuckle.

"Just take it! Take the droid!" Yuka Laka said flustered, "I don't want this thing in my shop anymore!"

"Joyful Exclamation: It warms my circuits to finally leave this place, Masters."

After several minutes of assuring Yuka Laka that they never were considering killing him, Venar finally was able to pay a small fraction of the original asking price. Though, he got the sense the Ithorian droid dealer no longer cared about making a profit.

Outside, accompanied by their new protocol-assassin droid, who despite Venar's continued refusal, continued to ask for a blaster; the team began to go over the plan which was twofold. Not only did they need to find the hidden star map, they also needed to rescue Mission's brother from the sand people. Venar thought that it was very likely the sand people knew the desert better than anyone, and that being the case probably knew where to find their star map. That made a peaceful approach all the more important.

"I'm going with you," Mission said.

"I thought you might say that," Venar said. "As long as you know that the desert is nothing like Taris. There's a strong chance that things could go very wrong out there."

"I don't care I'm still going."

"Fair enough," he replied, "HK, you're with us."

"Wonderful, Master," HK responded before turning to Carth, "Query: Do you per chance have a spare blaster I can borrow?" Carth simply stepped away, a look of concern displayed on his face.

"Everyone else," Bastila spoke up, "look after the ship and see if you can't dig up anything else on anyone who might know the dunes and where to find our artifact."

Carth lead Canderous and Zaalbar back to the ship to fill in Juhani and T3. Venar and Bastila lead their team over towards the gate to a speeder rental service. They rented two speeders with Venar and Bastila each piloting one. Venar had the privilege of having HK-47 riding on the back of his.

"Persuasive Statement: You know, Master, it doesn't have to be a blaster. Really, any blunt force instrument will do."

"Here," Venar said suddenly turning around and handing the droid a blaster rifle.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bastila asked.

"We are going to be going into sand people territory," Venar said, removing the droid's restraining bolt. "It would be helpful to have an assassin droid handy just in case."

"Correction: I prefer the term 'slaughter-bot', Master."

"Who was your original owner?"

"Informative Statement: It seems that even without my restraining bolt, much of my memory core is unauthorized even to me, Master. It seems the blocked access is leftover from whomever programmed me, though more than that I do not know. Rest assured though, Master, my functions remain unhindered by this lapse in memory. Shall I kill something for you?"

"Not right now, HK," Venar said starting up the speeder. "But be ready for anything out there."

"Boastful Declaration: I always am, Master."

_____________________________________________________

Evening settled over the barren landscape. Like the people of Anchorhead, the shifting sands settled for the night as the wind died down. Echoes of predators and sand people echoed from far out in the dunes.

Juhani sat in the lounge area of the Ebon Hawk alone, meditating and communing with the Force. The rest of the crew had arrived a couple hours ago, and after they had all eaten and went to get some shut-eye, she found herself unable to get any rest herself. She took a deep breath, and focused on reaching out into the Force, sensing her surroundings. She could hear the restful breathing of the Mandalorian in his bunk, Zaalbar's snoring (though she wasn't sure if she needed the Force to hear that), and T3's motor gently humming as he went about the ship.

Time seemed to slow down as she enveloped her consciousness in the Force, allowing it to take over and heighten her mental abilities. She opened her eyes before he even entered the room.

"Something weighs on your mind, Carth?" she asked without turning to face him.

"Right... almost forgot Jedi can do that..." Carth said as he walked over and sat across from her at the table. "Hope I'm not disturbing you. Can't seem to sleep."

"Not at all," she said with a kind smile, "I must admit I myself am finding that sleep eludes me tonight."

"I'm not surprised," Carth said, "You've been through a lot recently and even with Jedi training I imagine it can't be easy."

"You speak the truth. I find there is still much for me to learn. More than that, I find that without the presence of the Jedi Masters and the temple... I feel... lost."

"That's understandable," Carth said, pouring himself a glass of water. "I felt much the same way not too long ago on Dantooine. I'm a soldier, I'm used to being out on the battlefront, not couped up on a ship waiting around for weeks for someone to tell us where to go. At first, I wondered if this crew... being here was right for me... if I could do any good here."

"I feel much the same way."

"Then give it time," Carth said, taking a sip. "You'll get to know the crew better and I think you'll see that what we're doing here is important. It might not be what we're used to or outside our comfort zone, but you can still play an important part. Even though we're not in the lead, we can support those who are. I'll admit though, it took me a little bit to realize that."

"How come?"

"Let's just say... I have trouble trusting the decisions of the Jedi Order."

"I see," Juhani said thoughtfully. "Well I myself also find it hard to accept sometimes. I wonder if it was wise for them to send me on this journey without the supervision of a Master. I worry I might hinder the mission more than help it."

"I don't think so," he replied reassuringly. "I think you have already proven yourself by your decision to face the Council. Not many would have done that. Besides, I think as far as Jedi matters are concerned you possess a viewpoint that I'm not sure the other two Jedi on our team get."

"How so?"

"You know what it's like to fall. You've tasted the Dark Side and come back from it," he explained. "That puts you in a better position to guide those who haven't. You know what warning signs to look out for. I would say you probably know better how to guard against the Dark Side than most of, dare-I-say, the entire Jedi Council."

"Thank you," she said appreciatively. "You are kind to say those words, Carth."

"I'm just telling you the truth, because the truth is, Venar and Bastila are going to need your help."

"Bastila is a highly accomplished Jedi Knight," she said surprised by his statement. "She defeated Darth Revan, and the Council views her as the key to ending the war. She's a hero to Jedi, I doubt there is anything I can teach her."

"You're wrong," Carth said shaking his head, "She might be gifted, but she's headstrong, she can be prideful, and her time with Venar might cloud her judgement. I'm no expert but I would be so bold as to venture that her relationship with Venar isn't your typical example of Master and Padawan."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Maybe you haven't observed them enough," he explained, "but to the rest of the crew, the sexual tension between them is obvious. Given how much time they are going to be spending with each other, I think its safe to say those feelings will only grow more over time."

"I see," Juhani said, thinking over what he said. "Then I will do what I can. Let's hope their journey to the sand people enclave goes smoothly."

"I doubt things will end peacefully," Carth said. "Sand people are known to attack and ask questions later."

"Then may the Force be with-" She paused suddenly, a concerned expression forming on her face.

"What is it?"

"We're being spied on!" She leapt from her seat, igniting her blue lightsaber and ran through the halls of the ship and ran down the loading ramp. She spotted the dark figure of a man running towards the spaceport exit.

The man looked over his shoulder and fired several blaster shots at her, the red beams momentarily lighting up his face. She glimped the ear-length hat he wore and the goggled over his face. She didn't recognize him but it was apparent he was a bounty hunter or mercenary of some sort.

She deflected the incoming blaster fire away from her, sending them instead to dissipate into the walls of the spaceport. She let the Force flow through her as she dashed forward in a blur, closing the gap fast. He extended his arm upwards, firing a grappling cable from his wrist. He shot upwards into the air just as she swung her lightsaber through the air he had occupied just a moment before.

She thrust her head upwards to see the bounty hunter hoisting himself up onto the roof of the spaceport. She drew heavily on the Force as she leapt upwards, landing atop the roof. Up ahead, she saw the figure leaping off the edge of the spaceport roof and landing on the roof of a nearby building.

Juhani took up the chase, leaping from building to building slowly closing the gap between her and the bounty hunter. Her blue lightsaber cast a brilliant contrast to the nighttime air around her. She switched it off and focused on increasing her speed, augmenting her pursuit with the Force.

She caught up to him quickly, and was right on his heels right before he took the jump to the next building over. With a burst of speed, she soared through the air, tackling him as they arched downward to the roof of the next building.

They landed hard with a thud and he rolled from her grasp. She heard the scraping of his armored suit on the hard sandstone. As she got up, he was back to his feet but this time he was not running. She activated her lightsaber. He glared back her through his tinted goggles. She had a much better look at him now, the brown jacket with blue and white patches, the heavily armored suit he wore underneath, the clean shaven face she could see from under his hat.

"Bounty hunter!" she called, "Stand down!" He regarder her for a moment without a word, studying her.

"One," he said finally.

"What? I said stand down!"

"Two."

"That's it you're coming with me," she said starting to walk towards him.

"Three," he said before whirling and tossing a flat disc shaped device onto the floor that immediately began beeping loudly.

Juhani insinctively ripped the device off the floor with the Force and cast it into the sky where it detonated harmlessly. Suddenly, she felt a powerful strike to her face, as his armored gauntlet delivered a jarring blow. She stumbled backwards, her hand going to the wound on her cat-like face.

He pushed forward going in for another strike but this time she was ready, and she brought her lightsaber up to block. His fist struck the beam of the lightsaber and bounced off as sparks flew. Her eyes widened... that shouldn't be possible...

Instantly, his other hand shot out and grabbed a hold of the lightsaber beam and wrenched the weapon from her grasp. He tossed it aside, where the hilt clattered to the ground. He shot out with two quick punches to her jaw and then a jab to her throat. She stumbled backwards and fell to one knee.

"Armor's made almost entirely of cortosis," the bounty hunter explained, "One of the rarest metals in the entire galaxy... and one of the only known metals to resist lightsaber blades." He reached down and wrapped an armored hand around her throat and lifted her effortlessly into the air. "Goodbye, Jedi." He drew his other hand back, and a hidden blade extended.

With a powerful blast, Juhani sent a shockwave out through the Force, sending the bounty hunter flying backwards off the roof, falling several stories down to street below.

She slowly got to her feet, gasping for air, she called the hilt of her lightsaber back to her hand and attached it to her belt. She peered over the edge of the building where he had fallen just seconds ago, but there was no sign of him.

______________________________________________________

Venar, Bastila, Mission and HK had found shelter for the night with a wayward sandcrawler that Czerka had assumed been taken by sand people weeks ago. In reality, the vehicle had taken some damage in a bad wind storm that knocked out communications. The crew did their best to restore the sandcrawler's functions but progress had been slow, so Czerka had assumed they were dead.

The crew currently consisted of three human men who had the sense to remain in the sandcrawler with the vehicle locked down. The rest of the crew had ventured out to scavenge for parts or to try to make it back to Anchorhead. None of them returned.

Mission sat at the communications console, trying to patch a group of frayed wires together. HK was off somewhere in the vehicle rummaging through droid parts.

"What will happen if we can't get the commas back online?" Troda, one of crew, asked.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Venar said nodding towards Mission. "She's very good." Mission tried her best to conceal the smile that was forcing its way across her lips.

"But... just in case she can't," Bastila said, "Venar will stay here to make sure you're safe while me and Mission shuttle two of you back to town."

"It's a sound plan," Foden, another of the crew, said. "It's a miracle two Jedi showed up out of nowhere."

"Oh it wasn't a coincidence that brought us here," Bastila said, "It was the Force."

"I know you Jedi have powers and everything," Troda said, "But I don't believe that the Force controls everything like you say it does."

"Think about it," she replied matter-of-factly, "We needed shelter and you needed help. The Force guided us to you."

"Yeah but-"

"Trust me," Venar interjected, "You don't wanna argue with her. She always wins..." He patted him on the shoulder and turned to see the third crew member, Banto, curled up in the corner rocking back and forth. Venar turned back to the others. "What happened to him?"

"We don't know," Foden said, "One night he went outside to repair a fuse and we heard this scream and when we ran out we found him on the ground just like he is now. We found a gaffi stick a few feet away under the crawler."

"Did he have any injuries?"

"Yeah he had a cut on his shoulder," Foden explained, "It wasn't deep. We treated it."

"Do you still have the gaffi stick?" Bastila asked an edge of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll go get it," Troda said getting up.

"What are you thinking?" Venar whispered to Bastila.

"Well, I've heard rumors in my research that some sand people tribes employ toxins in some of their tactics. One report suggested some sort of fear toxin that drives the victim mad."

"Do you think that's what this is?"