Chronicle I "Ralian"

Written by Scott D. McGraw

Here is the first in my many part series that is, of course, set in the Star Wars Universe. The events described within all take place around twenty or so years after Return of the Jedi, and before the Yhuzaan Vong invasion, as detailed in Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore.

I really had a lot of fun writing this and hope all of you enjoy it.




The young man carefully made his way through the old ruins, stepping over fallen debris and rocks that had been there for more than two centuries. After several minutes of picking his way through, he paused, wiped the sweat from his face and closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force...

"Ah, yes, he is here! And alive!", he said aloud in excitement. His eyes drifted to where he'd sensed the life force he'd sought and saw a large pile of rubble. Hardly swayed, he reached out with one arm and began to concentrate. At first nothing seemed to happen, but gradually the rocks and other debris began to shift and move as if by themselves.

The young man then reached deeper into the Force, tightening his fist and clenching his teeth. Bit by bit, the pile began to diminish as rock and mortar flew and crashed several yards away. When he at last opened his eyes, he was greeted by a small stairwell that descended below the ruins.

Without the slightest hesitation, he quickly descended down the crude stone steps with a lamp in hand, and soon found himself in a small chamber no bigger than ten feet across and equally as wide. The room was thick with stagnant air and dust making it seem more like a tomb.

In fact, tomb-like was exactly the right description, as he silently regarded the dusty stasis tube lying upon a three foot pedestal in the center. Again, without hesitation, he moved forward with purpose and began to examine the unfamiliar controls on the ancient device.

"Hmmm, this looks straight forward enough.", he mused, noting a recessed hole in what
appeared to be some sort of panel. From under the folds of his tunic he produced an old looking key-like object and gently inserted it.

Naturally, it fit perfectly, as he knew it would. The young man then stepped back and
waited.

After several seconds of eerie silence he began to hear a faint hum begin to emanate from within the old machine. He watched intently as the droning sound grew in intensity and some multi-colored lights began to flicker on the panel.

Then suddenly, the tube popped open and fell away in two pieces, revealing a dark
cloaked figure lying peacefully upon the smooth pedestal, looking quite dead.

The young man's breath caught in his throat as he regarded the frightening and
disappointing sight. "Dead? How can this be?"

Again, he reached out in the Force and was shaken to discover that this man lying before him was in fact quite alive and rapidly regaining awareness.

Suddenly a bit more fearful, he stepped back a few paces, now wondering about the
wisdom of his actions, when the figure began to stir to life. Slowly the undead-like man's eyes popped open revealing two dull yellow orbs that danced around the chamber for several seconds before finally finding the other.

The younger man swallowed hard and steadied himself, feeling a wave of unnatural fear come over him.

"Lord Ralian, I presume?", he whispered in dry tones.

The older man, if he was a man, looked as though a small breeze could carry him away, but his eyes revealed a strength and intensity that intimidated the younger man to the core. Slowly, he sat himself up using muscles not moved for centuries and stared hard at his liberator.

"I am Darth Ralian, Lord of the Sith. Who are you, boy?", he asked in quiet tones from beneath the decayed cowl of his cloak.

"I am... my name is Torin Xal, former Jedi student.", he replied nervously, unable to regain his normally high level of confidence. Something about this man seemed to be sapping his very will, it seemed. He radiated intensely with the Darkside...

"Jedi?", the older man hissed, his yellow eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Former Jedi.", he quickly emphasized.

Ralian looked down and began to stretch his scrawny skeletal limbs while flexing his
fingers. He then suddenly rose to his feet quite steadily, despite all the years of unnatural slumber.

"I see.", he said at length, smiling coldly. "Tell me, Torin Xal, why have you released me? Have my brothers finally seen the errors of their ways?"

Torin held the other's gaze and even managed to speak fairly boldly. "I'm afraid not, my lord. Those who've done this to you are long gone."

Ralian's face showed no sign of what he was thinking as he stared blankly back at the
other. "How long?", he finally asked, suddenly intense.

"According to the Holocron, you've been in suspended animation for over twelve hundred years.", he let his words hang in the air as he regarded the other. Ralian's face, however, remained a placid mask, totally unreadable by the younger man.

"I see.", he repeated, the cold smile played across his torn lips once more. He then looked away for a moment then found the other's eyes once more. "What is this Holocron you speak of?"

Torin cleared his throat, finding a bit of his confidence again and began to explain. "The Holocron is an archive of sorts that has documented many Jedi and Sith histories within it. When I was a student within the Jedi Order, I was permitted to study many of records it contained, as was all the other Jedi trainees. It was there that I had first discovered the bit of history concerning you and your fate."

"Do you have this with you? I should like to behold such a device.", the Sith Lord
inquired.

"Regretfully my lord, that is not possible. The Holocron is with Jedi Master Luke
Skywalker at his academy on Yavin 4, far from here.", he replied respectfully.

"Jedi Master?" Ralian closed his eyes and inhaled slowly. "I do not recognize the
Skywalker name or the place you speak of. No matter. But it would seem that I have quite a bit of catching up to do." Ralian then changed the direction of his inquiries and got back to his original question. "Again I ask you, why have you come for me? Why have you freed me?"

The young man had prepared for this line of questioning and was eager to explain.
"Suffice it to say, my lord, I was not satisfied with the philosophies of the Jedi Order. To be honest, I find their philosophies pathetically weak and outdated. As I was exposed to more and more of the Sith histories, on the other hand, I began to sense a strong and powerful pull toward them, but was at a loss as to what I should do. That was until I uncovered the events surrounding you."

"I then realized that if there were any possibility of a true Sith Lord still alive, I would have to seek him out and learn first hand the true ways of the order. It's only reasonable that the Jedi would portray Sith teachings as wrong because they go against their own. Who were they to supress alternative approaches to the Force? They act as though they are the only true masters of it."

The young man paused and looked deep into Ralian's eyes. "These were my thoughts." He leaned forward with intensity. "I find their ideals and goals lofty and unrealistic."

Ralian nodded slowly, taking measure of the younger man. "Go on."

"Of course Skywalker and the New Republic reject-"

The Sith lord suddenly held up a hand to interrupt. "New Republic?"

Torin nodded. "Forgive me, my lord. Much has happened since you've been...away. Much in fact just within the last forty years."

Ralian's eyes narrowed once again as he considered some things. "What of the Sith? Do
they not thrive even in this age?"

The other became uncomfortable and looked away. "I'm afraid they've not been heard
from in years as far as anyone can tell."

"But the Jedi are plenty? This is most disturbing.", the decrepit looking man seethed
beneath the folds of his hood.

Torin quickly jumped in. "Ah, but even today the Jedi order is all but extinct and has been in the process of rebuilding itself ever since the fall of the Empire. Thus the timing for the Sith to rebuild is vital as well."

Ralian's face look on an interested look. "Tell me what you know, boy."

Torin nodded eagerly and began to roughly detail the events since Ralian's time. "The Sith had pretty much fallen into obscurity not long after you were entombed here with only a handful of documented appearances over the years." Ralian leaned forward and listened intently as the young man spoke. "It wasn't until about half of a century ago when a politician named Palpatine rose to power within the Old Republic, the republic you knew, and had positioned himself expertly within its highest level of authority. As it had turned out, this Palpatine was in reality a Sith Lord called Sidious who used politics as a platform to ascend to power very quickly."

Ralian's eyes moved off of the other and seemed to be digesting the words as the other man continued without pause. "He was brilliant in every sense of the word and moved swiftly, manipulating those around him and orchestrating events that favored his rise, virtually unopposed. Soon after, he declared himself emperor and began to forge a new order. To do this, he enlisted the help of an incredibly powerful dark apprentice named Vader, who'd been extremely talented in the Force, perhaps even more so than Palpatine himself. Together they ruled the galaxy with an iron fist for a handful of years, turning the once democratic republic into an awesome and powerful empire."

"One of the first orders from the new Emperor was the hunting down and destruction of the Jedi Order, having convinced the Senate that it was they who were the true enemies of the Republic. Lord Vader was given the lead role in carrying out this new decree, and was responsible for the deaths of many, many Jedi."

Ralian crossed his arms and inhaled deeply. "This Palpatine sounds impressive."

Torin nodded in agreement. "He was that. But, in the end, he underestimated his enemy, the son of his dark apprentice. Somehow, he'd found a weakness in him and had managed to turn his father away from his true path." Torin paused, his throat tightening. "In a moment of confusion he turned upon the Emperor and murdered him, thus ending his hold on the galaxy. That man was-"

"Luke Skywalker." Ralian finished for him with confidence.

Again Torin nodded, pleased at his new master's intuitiveness and perception.

"And so...you now seek to become MY apprentice and hope that together we can
somehow turn events back in favor of the Sith. Is that not so?" Ralian chuckled in
amusement.

"Yes, Lord Ralian.", the man clenched his fists with excitement and anticipation. "Let me be your eyes and ears in this new life for you. Let me help you rebuild that which was lost as your vision dictates. I only wish to be a part of it. The once great Empire has been reduced to nothing but a remnant of what it once was. They have even made peace with the New Republic in order to avoid extinction. It's all so very pathetic."

The dark lord of the Sith placed two deceptively frail hands on the young man's shoulders. "You are ambitious. You are angry and rightfully so, my young friend. As am I. I too was betrayed by my own because they lacked the vision and foresight I had possessed, and resisted what could have been a glorious new era of enlightenment for our order. But they were afraid of it, the fools. Perhaps it was good destiny that things have turned out as they have, and it was all meant to be for the purpose of today."

Ralian released him and turned away considering something. "I care not for the empire
you spoke of. If they were so weak as to not survive without their emperor, then they
deserve their fate. I will leave them to whatever future they can forge for themselves."

Torin kept absolutely silent, and could sense his new dark master's thoughts forming as he paced the chamber. "Yes, I think a new order of Sith is a worthy goal. The old order was impotent in the face evolution, but they are gone, and I remain. How Ironic for them. We must plan, my new friend." Ralian smiled coldly. "I suggest we pick up where this Vader left off and eliminate the Jedi Order one at a time. With them gone, we can then set our sights on other goals. For now, we must deal with them."

"My master is wise, as I had hoped." Torin returned the wicked smile. "Compared to your level of power, these would-be Jedi of today are nothing. I have lived with them, trained with them, learned to see things as they do. They are nothing. Perhaps you can start with Skywalker himself. You know the saying, 'cut the head off and the body dies'."

Ralian regarded his new pupil with some respect, but shook his head. "No, young one. I know nothing of this Skywalker. If he was strong enough to turn one such as Vader
against one such as Palpatine, then I have no wish to underestimate him. We will go after his padawan learners instead and destroy them one by one. In this, I will be able to assess Skywalker's power and you will grow in yours."

"Again, my master is wise. So be it. Let it be done as you say, my lord." Torin bent on one knee and humbled himself, which brought an amused smile to Ralian's blood drained lips.

"And you are on the road to true wisdom, my apprentice. Now rise and let us leave this place. There is nothing here for us. Our destiny awaits elsewhere."

Together, the two left the Sith ruins without looking back once.

* * *

Indeed the two did just as they had set out to do. One by one the Jedi were tracked
throughout the Mid Rim and Outer Rim worlds and cornered. They were given
opportunity to join the new order, but all had refused and were cut down ruthlessly by the pair. They were careful to avoid the Inner Rim and Core worlds where there would certainly be more danger and exposure. For months the dark master and his dark
apprentice struck hard and fast, sending a ripple throughout the Force and the galaxy that neither escaped Luke Skywalker's nor New Republic Intelligence's notice.

Both entities worked together to seek out this evil menace, but somehow the dark pair had always managed to stay one step ahead, and knew when to strike and when not. For more than two months they struck down Jedi after Jedi, and grew in power.

* * *

"Master, I've never felt like this before. I can feel the power literally pulsating within me." Torin stated one day just after taking the head of a young female Jedi apprentice. "Is there no limit to the power we can obtain?"

Ralian stepped over the broken body of the girl's would-be master and caught Torin's eyes. "Only the limits we place on ourselves, my apprentice."

"Is it not as I said, my lord? Are these Jedi not pathetic?", he laughed as though
intoxicated.

Ralian had long since gotten over the euphoria of killing in combat, but nevertheless
enjoyed it immensely.

"Yes, yes. It is as you have said. If they will not join us, then they will die. Now that we have struck a significant blow to the ranks of our enemies, I think it is time to actually expand our order by seeking other sources."

Torin tilted his head trying to figure out what his master was talking about. "Other
sources?"

"Yes, Torin. The galaxy is filled with those eager to have what we have, and live as we do. Their minds are open to me, and their talents for the Force known to me, no matter how latent. Can you not feel them as well?"

Torin's eyes looked above Ralian to the sky and then closed them. A moment later a smile and spark of understanding came over him. "Yes, my lord, I can."

The other nodded his approval. "Good. We must now seek them out. They have been
undefiled by the Jedi teachings and more apt to see the reality of the Force as it truly is."

"A sound plan, my master. Where do your senses tell us to go?"

"On a planet not far from here there is a man of no small talent. His mind is open and his heart beats with passion. We must seek him and tell him of our plans." Ralian pointed into the star filled night sky and said "There."

"Somewhere in the Corellia star system." Torin scrutinized the stars and nodded. "Let
us not wait. Let us go to him now, Master."

Ralian nodded and the two soon boarded Torin's small space craft, made the proper
calculations, and then jumped into hyperspace, leaving the planet and two dead Jedi
behind.

* * *

Somewhere on the Corellian planet of Drall, a tall man dressed in black light body armor with a lightsaber strapped about his waist suddenly stopped the march of a man in cuffs he was escorting to the local authorities and stared off into the sky. He felt a presence, a dark presence approaching, and though he was not a Jedi, his Force skills were strong enough and focused enough to recognize the threat that approached, thinking it was about time.

Reluctantly he uncuffed the other man, a frumpy, unkempt man who had not seen bath water in days, or perhaps months. "Your lucky day, Trez Marcone. I can't play with you anymore. Got some real business to take care of."

The other man looked at him with a lopsided grin. "This some kind of joke, bounty
hunter?"

The taller man with a shaven head and small goatee started to walk away, his gaze
upward. "Get lost, before I change my mind and simply strike you down."

"Hey you don't have to tell me twice. I don't know about you Corellius, but I owe you
one."

"Yeah, you do. Now scram."

Zentar Corellius, the Force trained bounty hunter from Corellia continued to stare upward, and waited patiently.


"Hmmm." Torin inhaled slowly as he meditated. "I can feel his presence more clearly now as well my master. And it is one I recognize."

"Oh, is that so?" Ralian said absently as he stared out of one of the ship's view ports, watching the stars streak by as they traveled through hyperspace toward Drall. "Tell me his name then."

"Zentar Corellius." Torin answered promptly.

The Sith Lord glanced his way. "Well done. Your skills at perception improve markedly
with each passing day. Tell me of him."

Torin wiped the back of his hand across his chin. "Well, I don't know a whole lot about him, other than he's now a bounty hunter by trade. He used to train to be a Jedi a long time ago around the same time I did. I've run across him a few times over the years. We never had much to say about anything to each other though. He's the loner type. Typical Corellian trash."

"Maybe not so typical, my young friend. His Force powers are the strongest I've sensed yet, Jedi or not."

"He is nothing." Torin stated arrogantly, causing Ralian to raise an eyebrow. "I can handle him easily enough, that is if he resists us."

Ralian enjoyed the boy's overconfidence and secretly delighted in the thought of Corellius taking him down a few notches. Ralian knew more about Sith ways than the upstart lad could possibly imagine. Apprentices were mere tools for their masters, nothing more. If one was killed, it only meant that they were weak and would be replaced with another. If this Corellius did choose to fight and ended up killing Torin, Ralian would shed no tears. The boy was a young idealistic fool. But so long as he served his purpose, the Sith Lord saw value in him.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Ralian commented, nonchalantly. "We shall see."

Torin's face tightened and fought to keep from raising his tone to his master, suddenly feeling angry.

Ralian smiled widely, raising both eyebrows this time. "Do my words inflame your pride boy? I feel your anger and your hatred. Far from the humble servant who first set me free those several weeks ago. The Darkside has made you more bold, it seems. Tell me young one, do you now regret granting me my freedom?"

Torin couldn't explain why, but he knew that his time with the Sith Lord had indeed
changed him in subtle ways. Often times, he now found himself questioning his role as servant and not as equal. He began to despise having to call this man master, but somehow had always managed to get his emotions in check, or so he believed.

Through Ralian's guidance, he had indeed grown in power significantly and could not deny it. Despite that, there were times that when they were together working against a common enemy, the urge to turn on Ralian and strike him down had entered his mind and found it slowly getting more and more difficult to resist.

His eyes locked with Ralian's, and felt the man looking right through him. "No, my master, not at all. You have treated me very well and helped me become stronger. I am in your debt.", he said at last, as he supressed the rage within him and forced himself to think logically.

"Yes, you are, boy. Don't ever forget that.", though the smile on Ralian's face never left, the man's yellow eyes were as cold as ice.

* * *

Zentar Corellius watched the small craft land thirty or forty yards away, but made no
move to neither approach nor run. He watched as a ramp lowered and two cloaked figures came out and approached. When the pair was no more than five yards away, he held up one hand. "You must be those two crazed Jedi I've been hearing about lately. I was wondering when we'd cross paths. There's quite the bounty on you two, you know." The tall man said casually.

"We are Sith, Corellian trash.", the younger of the two men ranted.

Corellius shrugged his indifference. "Jedi, Sith or Wookie fur. Whatever you call
yourselves makes no difference to me, only that there's a price on your heads."

The older man, rather wraith-like in appearance held up a palm and halted the other,
drawing a harsh glance from him. After a moment, he slowly approached the bounty
hunter by himself with upturned palms. "I am called Ralian.", he said in calm tones.

"Who cares? Have you come to fight me?", the tall man asked point blank.

Ralian shook his head. "No, not you. That is not our intent."

Corellius could sense that much from the older man, but felt barely restrained rage from the other. Corellius now stared hard at the younger man. "I remember you. Torin Xal, isn't it?"

The scowling man nodded once, but said nothing.

"Well if not to fight me, what then? Not an offer to join you, or anything so ridiculous as that, I hope."

Torin began to feel the rage boil over within him. He wanted to fight. Wanted to prove to himself and to Ralian that he was more than a match for this fool and didn't need his help. He now felt himself gripping the hilt of his lightsaber so hard his knuckles began to turn white.

"Come now, friend." Ralian called in high tones. "Let's be clear about this. I can sense that your heart is not all that far from ours. You once pursued the path of Jedi, did you not? However, in that training you found no satisfaction in what you were shown, did you?." Ralian's smile broadened. "I can show you how to acquire that which you truly seek. The ways of the Sith will satisfy you, I can promise you that if you open your mind to what I offer."

Now it was the bounty hunter's turn to smile. "It's not that I would necessarily disagree with what you are saying, but the fact is, you and your fool here killed a lot of Jedi. Some just happened to be people I knew and were rather fond of despite our philosophical differences. I just can't ignore that, you know. And I certainly cannot ignore the five million credit bounty on both your heads. You boys have made a lot of enemies. And I hate to break this to you, but I'm one of them."

"Enough words, Master. It's clear that he's too stupid to see the truth. We don't need him anyway. Let me deal with him." Torin growled.

"Silence! Know your place, apprentice. We have a goal beyond mere killing. This man
could be a strong asset to our cause. The cause for which you sought me out, or did you forget that?" Ralian shot a fierce look Torin's way that forced the younger man's eyes away.

The bounty hunter laughed, as he shifted his weight within his light plate armor. "Is this a part of the routine or are you making this up as you go along?"

This time Ralian didn't bother to conceal his emotions either. "Don't mock me, boy. The opportunity I bring to you is unparalleled. Do not waste it."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have to pass on it, so consider it wasted. Now here's my counter offer to you. Put your weapons down and come along with me peacefully, or this will get real ugly." Corellius baited, knowing full well neither had any intention of doing anything of the sort.

"Master..." Torin began, no longer feeling able to contain his rage.

"So be it." The Sith sighed in disappointment. It was clear the two would fight, and he had no wish to be in the middle. He would step aside and then deal with whomever was left standing. "This is most disappointing, indeed."

Torin quickly brushed past his master roughly and ignited his green bladed lightsaber, bringing it down hard towards the bounty hunter's chest. Corellius reacted instantly and met the hacking blade with a deep purple one of his own, deflecting it easily away and to the right.

"Talk about being over balanced and unfocused...", Corellius taunted. "Clearly the old guy must have been dragging you around just for company. Why I'll never know. You always were a real head case if I remember right. Skywalker had even kicked you out of-"

"Shut your mouth Corellian trash or I'll shut it for you!", the dark apprentice raged, clearly losing control.

Ralian stood off to the side and considered his foolish apprentice, now understanding a bit more of his personal hatred for the Jedi. Apparently this Skywalker had shamed him by asking him to leave his Jedi training, and only had turned to the Sith teachings as an escape. Teachings that now had fully consumed him.

Never before had he seen such consummation happen so quickly. Torin had simply
obtained far too much power far too quickly to deal with it and had lost all restraint as a result. Even a Sith Lord knew the dangers of that. Still, Ralian was hardly concerned about it. If the boy fell this day, as he likely would, then all he'd have left to deal with would be the bounty hunter.

He watched the two parry and thrust their weapons, Torin wild and brutally, and Corellius with expert intuitive handling. Indeed the Force was with this 'Corellian trash' as the boy had put it. Things however only worsened for the boy as the dual continued. Back and forth they went until the inevitable strike finally came...

Torin, in a wild gesture brought his saber up high with both hands as if to swing a
powerful hammer down on a spike, instead of the near weightless blade of a lightsaber. The instant Torin had exposed his whole midsection, the purple blade of the bounty hunter's sliced though him, severing his upper body from the lower in a single swift and obviously fatal cut.

A look of confusion spread across his face as though he were trying to comprehend what had just happened. An instant later he fell backwards in two pieces, his life gone before either hit the ground.

Both remaining men then paused in silence for several seconds, with the only sound being the hum of Corellius's lightsaber filling the cool night air. Ralian shook his head slowly in disappointment then looked back up at the victorious bounty hunter standing several feet away from him. "Do not think I will fall like this one, Zentar Corellius. He was a fool, barely into his training. I on the other hand am not."

Corellius extended an upturned hand toward Ralian and motioned him forward by flexing his fingers back and forth.

The dark lord smiled evilly, but instead of pulling free his own lightsaber to duel as expected, he instead extended one of his own hands toward Corellius in kind and began to close it into a fist.

Suddenly, the bounty hunter felt an invisible grip around his throat and began to gasp. Realizing what Ralian was doing, he too called upon the Force to resist the attack and tried to stumble forward and slash at the motionless man, but felt himself being forced to his knees. Surprisingly at the last moment, right before he felt himself beginning to black out, he felt the pressure relent. He then felt strong hands grab him and looked up into the dull yellow eyes of the deceptively frail looking man.

Ralian smiled wickedly. "I've not quite given up on you yet, boy. I sense a tremendous potential and untapped power within you. I'd hate to see it wasted like Torin's was. Think about that.", he slowly released him and added, "We will meet again, Zentar Corellius, I promise."

Corellius tried to see through the black spots in his vision and focus on the man while calling upon the Force to keep himself conscious, but still felt like he was going to black out at any moment. He finally let himself sink to the ground and rest. A moment later, the sound of sublight engines whirred to life and he looked up just as the ship that had brought the two faded into the horizon, now carrying only one.

* * *

Later that evening after recovering a bit, Corellius found himself looking out at the clear night sky and was lost in thought. Somewhere out there was a killer who'd promised him that he'd be back. Normally Corellius feared no such threats, but this was different. Way different. Ralian had him dead to rights and he knew it. There wasn't a thing he could've done about it if Ralian had decided to go for the kill.

That, more than anything had unnerved him greatly.

This self proclaimed Sith Lord had possessed a strength in the Force far greater than he had ever encountered before when he'd come across others claiming such power. Not since the time that he'd served as an Imperial officer and been around Vader had he felt anything this strong. Delusions of grandeur were common among those with some small talent for the Force, but again this man had been different. If this Ralian, had indeed been a true Sith, where had he come from?

And when and where and under what circumstances would he find himself facing
this man again? He could only guess, and he hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon. Not until he had a chance to really dig up some information and get some answers. There had to be something on him somewhere, aside from what was common knowledge regarding recent events. Deciding to push the thoughts aside and clear his head, he headed off for a drink.

Meanwhile, news of Torin's killing quickly had made its way to New Republic
Intelligence's, Inspector Jenri on Corellia's Centerpoint Station. She wanted to meet the man who had managed to take out one of the two men that had caused so much trouble, and so within an hour of the report she was on her way to Drall, and caught up with the bounty hunter a night later as he was enjoying another drink at one of the local drinking establishments.

"Zentar Corellius?", she stated, more than asked, as she drew near to where he was sitting.

The bounty hunter looked the older woman up and down and sensed she was not looking for a good time. She had the air of some government official about her.

"That's me. What do you want?", he asked with disinterest.

The woman smiled faintly. She knew these bounty hunter types well and their
personalities. "Please, may I sit down? I wish to discuss a business proposal with you."

"By all means, have a seat. I'm drinking reska."

Jenri took the cue in stride and called out to the barkeep for two reskas.

"Reska is a pretty tame drink, bounty hunter. It seems you appreciate keeping you senses sharp. That is good."

Corellius, whose thoughts were still back on the other night's events wasn't in the mood for small talk. "You're not really here to talk about my drinking habits are you?"

Jenri folded her arms and spoke directly. "You killed the man, Torin Xal, one of the two New Republic's most wanted. No small accomplishment." She paused and crossed her legs beneath the small round table they shared. "The other one got away though."

Corellius closed his eyes a moment then chuckled. "New Republic Intelligence? I
suspected you were some official."

If Jenri was unnerved by his picking through her thoughts she didn't show it. "I came to make you an offer."

"Go on.", he sighed without much interest.

"My name is Jenri. I'd like to offer you a position as a field agent. We can-"

"Not interested.", he cut her off instantly. "I work alone, and certainly not for any
government."

Again Jenri seemed unnerved, expecting this attitude.

"Just hear all the details of what I have to say, then decide. I did buy you a drink, after all."

"Fair enough.", he conceded. "But only until I finish it. I drink fast when bored, so keep that in mind. And you are rather attractive, so I guess I'll hear you out."

The other, a women in her early forties, indeed was quite pretty with a shapely body,
noticeable even beneath her somewhat loose fitting jumpsuit. She brushed aside a lock of her shoulder length brown hair and smiled mechanically. "Then I'll get right to the point. Look, so far no one has even come close to touching these two, except you. You obviously have an edge that the average bounty hunter or field agent doesn't. You are a Force user, and obviously you are pretty good at it."

"Apparently not as good as I would have liked. Ralian did get away, as you pointed out."

"Yes, that is true.", she admitted. "But still, your skills are far better than ours to deal with someone as unusual as this Ralian. Even the Jedi have not been able to handle him."

"Sounds more like Skywalker's problem."

"Look, I don't know much about Jedi philosophy. But you and I both know how life really is out here away from the core worlds, and how things really work. I may be with the New Republic's intel division, but I'm no bureaucrat. I'm a local, born and raised on Corellia, and until the New Republic even was, had served in CorSec (Corellian Security), back when you were leading strike teams against the Rebellion for Palpatine."

Corellius's eyes narrowed a bit as she referenced his activities from another lifetime, but she didn't give him a chance to say anything as she pressed on. "We need someone like you who can think like a bounty hunter, but can go nose to nose with people like these. It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened over the years, you know. I can count several instances where Force talented individuals have wreaked havoc with their powers. I've been lobbying for years to get someone like you working with us, but it just hasn't happened. I thought connecting with the NRI would make things a bit easier, but it hasn't. That is not until recently."

Corellius set down a half empty glass. "And probably won't any time soon, either. What makes you think a guy like me would want to join up with the NRI?" Although his face showed disinterest, he was actually finding this woman a refreshing break from the many other official types he usually had to deal with. She was honest and to the point. He could also sense within her a feeling of disgust for the system that he himself held. They were alike in this way, it seemed.

Jenri leaned forward. "I can think of several reasons. Money. Resources. Access to certain info on cases before it gets circulated to other bounty hunters. All this for a simple exchange of services."

Now she finally had his full attention.

"Access to bounty info before my competitors get it?"

She nodded. "Quite an edge, don't you think? Look, you'll not be a regular agent. Just one called on to deal with cases like this. I can even offer you a regularly paid salary whether we call on you or not. A steady side income."

Actually, the money didn't really matter too much to him, not like the access to
information did. In that respect, he and the Jedi were very much alike. He was a simple man, who took pleasure in his profession and skills rather than collect trinkets or own an apartment on Coruscant.

"Why is the NRI suddenly being so generous?"

"Plain and simple, they have a need to be filled.", she explained. "I, of course have been pursuing this type of thing for a long time. With the last couple of months being a real time of turmoil, my argument finally started getting more attention. The fact that you just happened to be the one to strike a solid victory for my case was pure fortune. A fortune, I'm hoping you'll be a part of from here on out."

Corellius was rubbing his chin deep in thought, considering all the possibilities that this alliance might bring.

"And when I'm not pursuing these special cases?", he questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Your time is your own, as always.", she confirmed.

"Info on regular bounties?", he questioned, again.

"You'll be among the first to know.", she stated evenly as her brown eyes bore into his.

The bounty hunter sat silently for a long while, staring at the half empty glass before him. He considered the fact that Ralian did say that he would be coming for him again at some unknown time. Certainly having the NRI's eyes and ears could only help him be prepared for that time.

If there was anything he could do to prepare.

Corellius absently rubbed at his neck, noting it still quite sore from the nearly fatal constriction only a night ago, and then looked back at Jenri who was patiently waiting for him to decide.

"All right, you've made your case. I'm in, provided that I handle these things my way. Just let me know who and why, and I'll decide the what, where and how. Are we agreed?"

The broad smile on Jenri's face told him it that it was.

* * *

Here ends the first part of the Chronicles of Corellius. If you have enjoyed this, please give me feedback.

Regards,
Scott