Seth still didn't know how he felt as he and Nova followed Seri down the quiet, brightly lit corridors of the medical facility. In a way, he felt like something inside of him had been broken, and he was not sure of the enormity of the break or the consequences. He was angry, he was afraid, he was sad, he was anxious. He simply wanted to feel peace, but...how long had it been since he'd really, truly felt any kind of peace? Months? Years? Seth no longer knew. All he knew was that he had been staggering on through life for a long time now.

He supposed he would keep doing the same now.

Seri brought them to the entrance of the facility, and the doors slid open to admit them to the outside world. Seth stepped out and hesitated as he looked around. Dantooine was...it was amazing. It was beautiful. He felt something similar to that strange sense of wonder he'd experienced when first seeing the silver towers of Taris. This was different though, softer, more serene. Less awe, and more ambient wonder.

The front exterior of the medical facility was a half-octagon of concrete extending from the front of the building. Off to the left were more structures and concrete walkways with trees providing shade and flowerbeds here and there. He could even see a creek running through one part of it, leading off into a lake a little further down a gentle slope ahead of them. Off to the right were fields. Miles and miles of rolling fields. He saw a few more lakes there, glittering in the afternoon sunlight beneath blue skies dotted occasionally with puffy white clouds.

A woman in pale beige robes was standing on the platform, looking a little nervous. She was very strikingly beautiful, an olive-skinned woman with a good build, black hair pulled into a loose ponytail, and gray eyes.

"Sergeant Kast," she said as her eyes fell on him.

Seth felt a wave of fear and discomfort settle over him as she strode rapidly towards him. He saw the lightsaber on her hip.

"That's me," he replied.

"My name is Maya Corix. I'm a Jedi with the Enclave here. If you have time, I would very much appreciate it if you would take the time to speak with one of the Masters here. We have a request for you," she said.

"A request? What kind of request?" he replied uncertainly.

"Master Vrook would like to explain himself," she said.

"I suppose I can, but...I really need to report in with my superiors. Although I suppose my immediate superiors are all dead. But I am with the Republic Army..."

"That can certainly be arranged," Maya replied, "but first I would greatly appreciate it if you would speak with Master Vrook. We need your help." She glanced hesitantly at Nova and Seri. "We may need all of your help."

"Very well. I must tend to my duties in the clinic. Please Seth, come find me once you know the true nature of this...help," Seri said.

"I will," he replied. Nova was right. Something was wrong with Seri. Something was wrong with all of them, but she seemed to be holding a lot in. He was going to have to try and talk with her, see how she was holding up.

"I'm going for a walk in the gardens," Nova said.

"I'll see you when I can," Seth replied.

She nodded and headed off. Seth turned towards Maya. "All right, Miss Corix, uh...take me to Master Vrook," he said.

"Thank you. And, you can call me Maya, if you want," she replied, turning and leading him off.

"All right, Maya," he said, following.

They made their way quickly among the walkways, in between the gardens, the trees, the flowers, all of this presided over by the beautiful sky. He tried to take solace from the scenery, the clean air, the warm sunshine, the cool breeze. But inside he felt a turmoil raging, a silent war being waged within him. It just made him angrier, but he kept a lid on it. He studied Maya as they walked on. She was certainly attractive, but weren't most female Jedi? They tended to be in top physical condition. But she freaked him out.

She was a Jedi. There was a hidden power there that was beyond swords, beyond blasters, beyond even grenades and bombs. They weren't invincible, but their potential for destruction was...well, just look at what was happening right now. Revan was supposed to have been the savior of the Republic. She had led the armies and fleets to a powerful victory over the Mandalorians. And then she and Malak and their Jedi followers had betrayed them all. Become Sith. This very well could be the actual end of the Republic.

Because of Jedi.

You couldn't have Fallen Jedi without Jedi.

But there were other reasons Jedi freaked him out. Well, one other reason. But he wouldn't go there, he refused to seek that memory out. It was in the past, far behind him, and he absolutely refused to let it come back again.

But his mind betrayed him in sleep, and he found himself in that place again...

Seth focused. They came to another building and entered through a side door. As they made their way down a broad, low corridor, Seth heard metal meeting metal. Someone was sword-fighting. Training, more than likely. He supposed they wouldn't want to give recruits lightsabers until they had proved themselves capable of using them. Or maybe they were teaching some of the locals how to defend themselves.

Did Jedi do that? Or did they prefer to do all the defending themselves?

They came into an open area dominated by a tree and a small garden. In fact, there was no roof overhead, it was open to the sky. Seth wondered if rain negatively affected the area, since this was in the middle of a building, and then realized that he badly missed the rain. But his eyes were drawn to a pair of fighting figures, two women, testing each other, training indeed. He actually recognized one of them and hesitated.

Who was she? Had he actually seen her before? She was a slim brunette maybe a few years younger than he was, kind of with a prudish face. Where had he seen her before? Maya noted that he'd stopped and moved back, to rejoin him.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"I just...I recognize that woman, the brunette over there, training. I just can't place her..."

"That's Bastila Shan," she replied.

Seth's eyes widened. "She was on the Spire!" he whispered. Now he knew! Yes, she had been one of the Jedi he'd briefly seen aboard the Endar Spire. And now that he thought about it...had he seen that other woman, as well? She was certainly striking enough, maybe five and a half feet tall, also with a slight but very athletic build, midnight black hair, snow pale skin, and brilliantly blue eyes. Something about her...

She terrified him, but he had no idea why.

"That's Neeri Sonus," Maya replied. "I believe she was also on the Spire. I believe she is being trained to become a Jedi."

"What?" Seth asked, incredulous. "I thought...isn't it some kind of hard rule that you have to be a kid to be trained?"

"In almost all cases, yes. But she is a rare exception. She and Bastila, and a few others, managed to escape Taris. I understand their story is quite extraordinary."

"Others?" Seth asked. Had someone else made it off that ship? Off of Taris? Someone that he could actually recognize? Not that he'd gotten to know that many people aboard the Spire, but somehow it felt important to know, like maybe it somehow helped justify, even in the slightest, all that had transpired, to know that others had made it.

"Yes, although I'm not sure..."

"Did anyone else from the Endar Spire make it?" he asked, turning towards Maya.

"I think so. One other person...what did I overhear Vrook saying? I think...Carth?"

"Carth Onasi is alive!?" Seth cried, then realized he'd nearly shouted that and glanced around. Both of them women had ceased training and were now looking at him. That strong sense of blind terror came back very strongly as he locked eyes with the woman named Neeri Sonus. He swallowed and looked back at Maya.

"Yes, that was his name. Um...I could try to track him down for you after you speak with Master Vrook and call your superiors. He is on the grounds still, I believe."

"I would appreciate that. Um...please, let's go see Vrook," Seth replied, suddenly eager to get out of here. Both of the women were talking now, and Neeri was still staring at him. What was it about her? Why did she freak him out so much?

Maya led him out of the open-air chamber, down another few hushed corridors, and finally he found himself in what seemed to be a small office. One whole side was a large window. There was just a desk and two chairs.

"Please, wait right here, I'll get Master Vrook," Maya said. Seth nodded and walked to the windows as she left. The view was an excellent one, looking out onto a little peaceful garden where a small flock of tiny birds hopped and pecked at the grass and butterflies fluttered among the flowers, which were bright blue in color and quite beautiful. All of this sat in the shadow from a copse of trees surrounding a small pond.

Behind him, the door opened again. Seth turned. Maya had returned with Vrook. Seth found himself looking at an older human man. He was balding, what was left of his hair gray and thin. He wore different colored Jedi robes and had eyes of pale blue. There was a hardness there, obvious in his stern face and grim countenance.

"Sergeant Seth Kast," he said, and he had a bit of a grim voice, a bit gravelly. It was the kind of voice that was used to lecturing, and being listened to. "My name is Vrook Lamar, I am a Jedi Master here at the Enclave," he said as he approached Seth, who had to fight not to take a step back. If Maya made him nervous, then Vrook successfully intimidated him. His presence seemed to fill the room. Seth had never seen a Jedi Master before.

"Please to meet you," he managed.

"Mmm-hmm," Vrook said, studying him closely. He turned suddenly and moved over to his desk, where he sat behind it. Maya assumed a position beside him, standing, hands clasped behind her back. "Please, sit."

Seth sat opposite Vrook.

"Sergeant Kast, I have managed to gather some details from your friends and the others you brought here about the unlikely series of events that led you from the Endar Spire, through the Taris Undercity, and to us here on Dantooine. The reason I ask you here today is that the Jedi Order finds itself in need of some assistance, as we are preparing to undertake a dangerous assignment. But before I get into details on that, I wish to hear your tale."

"My tale?" Seth replied. Seriously, what could they possibly want with him? They were Jedi for Force's sake.

"Yes. Please, relay the events of Taris to Maya and myself. I wish to hear every detail," Vrook replied.

Seth stared at this man, at Maya behind him, considering the situation. There was nothing saying he had to do this. He had no loyalty to the Jedi, and was under no compulsion to grant Vrook his request. Even if both of them were certainly capable of making him talk, or at least getting farther than that bastard back on Taris would, he felt confident they wouldn't, because why would they both? Plus, they were Jedi, and supposed to be on the side of the good guys. And yet...something inside of him compelled Seth to tell them.

Maybe he wanted to get it all straight in his head, as he hadn't had a real chance to go over the sequence of unlikely events yet.

Or maybe he just needed to justify it to someone, all the death and destruction.

And so he told them. He spent nearly an hour relaying everything.

At times, Seth considered editing his story. He didn't mind leaving out parts like his showers with Seri, how he'd cried or pissed himself during the torture/interrogation, but he was reluctant to admit all the murder he'd committed, even if it had seemed justifiable at the time, and still did seem so, or how he had completely lost his mind in that apartment building and slaughtered an entire gang. But again, something made him tell the truth.

Maybe he was just feeling confessional.

In the end, he told Vrook and Maya damn near everything.

There was silence for nearly an entire minute when he stopped speaking, ending with his desperate rescue onboard the ship and his subsequent passing out. Finally, Vrook nodded, slowly. "Quite the tale," he said.

"You believe me?" he asked.

"Yes. I do. You are quite the capable soldier, Sergeant Kast. Although you clearly have difficulties controlling your anger. You must take heed...anger leads to the Dark Side."

"Maybe for the Jedi," Seth replied before he could think better of it.

Vrook's already grumpy features hardened. "No, Sergeant. If you hadn't noticed, your former comrades in arms are slaughtering millions out there. Dark Jedi alone have not been waging this war on the galaxy."

There was no anger in his words, just a flat statement of facts.

"I suppose you have a point," Seth made himself say, because he didn't feel like arguing with a Jedi Master. And, well, he did have a point.

"Despite my misgivings about your issues, I believe you can help us. Maya? Do you still want his assistance?" Vrook asked.

"Yes, I believe he and his allies will be perfect for this assignment," Maya replied.

"Very well then. I will brief you on the situation, then Maya will take over. Are you familiar with a Great Hunt, Sergeant?" Vrook asked.

"No," Seth replied.

Vrook frowned and nodded. "I figured. Most people aren't. In simple terms, every generation or so the forces of the Dark Side will rise in one form or another. When this happens, the power of the Dark Side grows and spreads across the galaxy. A result of this, one of many, is that a certain kind of beast comes out of hiding in numerous places across the galaxy. These beasts are called terentateks. They feed on the blood of Force sensitives and generally cause mayhem and murder for any civilized areas around them. There's more to it, but these are the basics you need to know. Obviously with the return and rise of the Sith, terentateks are coming out again. We need to take this opportunity to eliminate any and all we can find.

"We sent three of our own out on a mission to track down these beasts, but they have not reported back in some time. Although it is likely they are too far from reliable comms to give a status update. Since then, we have discovered other likely hiding places across the galaxy. Unfortunately, our resources are already stretched quite thin. Maya is the only Jedi we can spare, and obviously, one Jedi is not enough. I know it is unusual to request help in this fashion, but these are unusual times. I have felt a ripple in the Force, a small one, that leads me to believe that you and your allies could prove very beneficial to this assignment."

Seth considered it for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. "Before I can answer any of this, I need to report to my superiors," he said.

"Ah yes. I have already considered that. Come with me, I will take you to a communications node where you can connect with someone further up the chain of command," Vrook replied.

"Thank you," Seth said.

They stood and the trio left the office. They moved down a corridor and Vrook pointed him through a door, into a small comms room.

"Whatever the outcome, I leave this in your hands now, Maya. I'm afraid I have other pressing matters to attend to."

"Yes, thank you Master Vrook," Maya replied.

"May the Force be with you," he said to Seth.

"Uh...and you, Master Vrook," Seth replied awkwardly.

He stepped into the comms booth and closed the door behind him. He found a line already in the memory banks, a direct link to a Republic outpost on the planet, in fact. He opened up the line and navigated the menus, finally connecting to a comm operator, and finally a man who identified himself as Master Sergeant Briggs.

Seth snapped off a quick salute. "Master Sergeant Briggs. Sergeant Kast, identification number 49-298-0014 reporting in."

"Hello, Kast. I've been made aware of your situation. You were aboard the Spire when it was destroyed over Taris, correct?"

"Yes, Master Sergeant."

"Damn...I'm sorry, son." He sighed and ran a hand over his shaved head. He looked...tired. He was probably in his forties or fifties, stubble coming in gray, wrinkles around his eyes and the corners of his mouth.

"So am I, Master Sergeant. Ah...they want me for some kind of joint operation, the Jedi here do. I'm not sure if I was to be reassigned."

"Well, to be honest...right now, you'd probably be better off with the Jedi." He looked even more tired now, world weary. He almost looked vulnerable.

"How's the war going, Master Sergeant?" Seth asked reluctantly.

Briggs heaved a long sigh. "Poorly, Sergeant. Very poorly. If we don't pull some kind of miracle out of our ass soon, we're all going to be under the collective boots of the Sith." He shook his head. "If you want to, you're free to take the mission. If not, you can catch a flight over here to my base and I'll get you squared away."

Seth considered it for a bit. What did he want? If this had been even two weeks ago, Seth would have leaped at the opportunity to return to duty at the outpost. But...something had changed since he had come to Taris. Something inside of him was different, and he didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing. The only thing he knew for certain was that he had to take this opportunity, had to face this Great Hunt, to figure himself out.

And if he could do it with both the Republic's and Jedi's blessings, then great.

"I'm going to go on the Jedi's mission, Staff Sergeant."

"Understood. I'll make sure to update your records, make a notation. And son...whatever you're doing, good luck out there."

"Thank you, Staff Sergeant. You as well."

The man nodded and killed the feed. Seth sighed heavily and sat there for another few minutes in the quiet, cool confines of the comms booth.

This was definitely going to be different.

He stood up and left the room, finding Maya waiting for him. "I'm going," he said. "But I'll need to talk to my friends. You want all of them to come with us? Seri? Yex? Nova?"

"Yes. From what I've gathered they are all quite skilled at survival. I can fill you in on the specifics after you determine if they wish to go or not," she replied.

He nodded. "Okay. I'm going to track them down. While I do...would you mind finding Carth Onasi and having him meet me here? I really would appreciate it."

"Yes, I can do that. I'll have him go to the central chamber, with the tree, if I do manage to find him. And...thank you, Seth, for helping me. Us."

"You're welcome," he replied.

Seth turned and headed back the way he'd come.

This was going to be interesting.