The Jedi trio raced through hyperspace, determined and curious. They wanted so desperately to avenge their masters, and wondered where they would catch up to the Master. Aang opened the comm system and said to his team, "Guys, once we drop out of hyperspace, we're going to need to be ready. He could be waiting for us."

. . .

"Guys?" But all he heard was buzzing. He sighed, then gripped both steering handles. "Hyperspace-jammed comms."

        He stared into the stars, pondering his decision. He knew he wanted to avenge his masters, and he was ready to die to do so. He thought so. 'Am I ready to lose everything else? Or... Are they ready to lose me?' He said to himself.

        ' "You've managed to stay young for decades... But you're afraid of what's to come." ' He recalled The Master's words, and contemplated it much. 'Am I afraid of it?' That question lingered on his mind. 'Have I already seen the last of them?'

        He had enough time to think about it by the time he exited hyperspace. He saw a mysterious gray planet ahead, and the Master's escape pod in the distance. He looked to his left and saw Exar drop out of hyperspace; he looked to his right and saw Jo emerge. He tried comming them again, "We all ready?"

"I am." Exar replied.

"I'm not un-ready, but-" Jo replied.

"Then let's go." Aang interrupted as he and Exar moved on.

"Oh okay. Fine." Jo mumbled as he followed along.

        They followed the Master's pod, but lost him in the clouds. By the time they reached the surface of the planet, they couldn't see The Master's pod. But they knew he went in the same direction; they could sense him.

They exited their pods, and tried seeing through the fog.

"Aang! We need-"

        Aang shushed Exar as he tried making his way around. He tried sensing the dark side to track the Master, but sensed something else. He became more curious, and decided to follow to find out if what he was sensing could help them. "I sense something. Follow me."

"Aang!" Exar shouted as Aang ran off. He and Jo quickly followed in hot pursuit.

"We won't be able to find you in this fog." Jo said, but Aang ignored and continued.

Aang suddenly stopped and closed his eyes. Exar and Jo caught up to him.

"Aang, we need to-" Jo tried again, but Aang opened his eyes and sped off in another direction.

"Gosh. Aang! Slow down! This rocky terrain is getting to me." Exar called out again as he and Jo continued following.

They all came to a sudden halt when the force started ringing in their heads like a huge bell. The fog strangely, quickly cleared, and a cave stood before them. Then Aang could sense the Master.

"He's in there." Aang said, taking a step inside.

"Yeah-no I don't think so." Exar said, grabbing his arm and swinging him back outside. "Dude, you can't just wander into a random cave reeking with the dark side on a strange planet."

        "We can't let him wander around the galaxy, wreaking havoc wherever he goes. He quickly captured a fleet by himself; that alone makes me not want to let him go to find out what else he can do."

"Yeah but, consider what we're doing. Out of aggresion and a thirst for vengeance, we- you chased the most powerful man in the galaxy to cave and- we don't even know what's in there."

"Nothing worse than what we've handled before." Aang finished, stepping into the cave. "Are you with me?" He asked.

Exar thought about it, and hesitantly concurred; he didn't answer, just stepped up beside him.

"Jo?" Aang called.

"I think you're not fully grasping how dangerous this might actually be." Jo said.

"After all we've been through, don't tell me you're afraid now."

Jo needed no reply; he grumbled a little and followed them.

"Good. Let's go." Aang said as they ventured into the cave.

'I don't need to do this to prove I'm not scared, because I'm not stupid.' Jo thought to himself. 'But I'm not letting them do this by themselves.'

"Senators! Ambassadors! I've gathered this meeting, to tell you that this meeting has been cancelled." Bennar said. A quietness calmed the crowd, but one laugh was heard.

Bennar seeming to act humorous was a thought passing through many of the minds of the Senate; they knew this meant good news.

        "I'm kidding." He clarified. He breathed in, then started again. "The Empire's reign of terror may have been put to an end. They had unoriginally constructed another Death Star, but through perseverance and teamwork we have brought it down."

"At what cost?" One asked.

"Oh, not much. A couple soldiers, but no vast majority. I'd say we came out fairly victorious."

"And what of the sith?" Bennar was asked.

        "They are of no concern anymore." Bennar responded with sincerity. "If they somehow made it, I have a plan to arrange them a meeting with the spirit of the dark side." That earned him laughs. "Consider us in control again." Bennar continued.

Everyone from the mission arrived at Coruscant. Some weren't doing so well, coping with the loss of Geoff. Sabine and Ezra comforted each other; Bando checked on them.

"How well did you get to know him?" Bando asked Ezra.

        "I doubt I did as much as you." Ezra replied. "He was always fun to be around; though he wasn't around as often as you were, we did connect. I didn't think he'd be gone so soon." Ezra sobbed a little.

"He's dealt with much loss beforehand; this is hard on him." Sabine spoke.

        "I'm well aware." Bando told her in a slightly belligerent tone. Sabine furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity, but was somewhat offended by Bando's tone. She shrugged it off, guessing he was more angry then sad at Geoff's passing.

"Are you okay?" Ezra asked Geoff, also noticing his tone.

"I am just fine. But as regretful as you are."

Ezra nodded, fully understanding him. He knew anger was a coping mechanism many used, and had to let Bando lash out. 'Not in here though.' He told himself.

        "Everyone! We're home." The pilot of each vehicle announced to their passengers; they landed safely on the landing platforms. Many were there to greet the heroes of the Republic. Bennar, Rye, Erickson, Dex, and many others.

         Everyone piled out to reunite. Rye and Erickson watched for their team as everyone was moving around; but felt their hearts drop as they didn't see them, only Ephraim at the end. He walked up slowly to the masters.

"Ephraim..." Rye started out, slowly and intimidatingly. "Where are they?"

"The Master... they went after him." Ephraim replied with obvious worry.

Rye assessed his statement, then asked, "Why did you let them?"

"We were uh, told to let them. They went after him because they thought you two died with Kashyyyk."

"Who told you to let them?" Rye asked boldly, stepping forward to Ephraim, making Ephraim step back.

"Him! Him." Ephraim panicked, pointing to Bando Roscoe.

Rye spotted him and remembered from the message to Bennar. "We didn't send him." He said, turning back to Ephraim. "How'd he get to the weapon?"

"That's a little hard to explain. You might ask him."

Bennar united gladly with Calista. "We did it!" He cried gladly into her neck.

"Ben! Bennar! There's still more."

He stopped then faced her. "What do you mean?"

"The sith. The one who attacked you on Kamino. I know who it is. There was more than just the Death Star."

"Wh...what? Who?"

"I can't tell you here." She whispered. "There's more. There's much more going on than we realize."

"That seems to be a recurring theme." Bennar whispered back.

"We need to talk." Calista told him flatly.

"Bando Roscoe, is it?" Rye asked, putting his hand out.

"Indeed, Master Follnor." Bando replied, shaking his hand.

'Not even gonna ask how you know my name.' "I was told you encouraged my team to chase a sith master? Have you perceived that you have hung their lives on the line?"

        "First off: I merely encouraged the others not to stop them from going after him. Second off: their lives may be on the line, but it's he who's running from them. It's a trap, no doubt; a master of evil would not run without reason."

"You're admitting they're running into death."

        "You should've let me finish. They are running into a trap; they know not what lies ahead for them, but neither does he. Your students have chased the Master into uncharted territory, and have ventured somewhere no normal Jedi has gone before."

"Go on."

        "There are not many who have visited; some who go in don't come out, and those who have exited, have named it the Cave of Secrets. Fairly obvious title; a fairly obvious explanation for those who remained."

"What of those who didn't?"

        "They learned that of which they wish they hadn't. You see, the cave is a maze and a mystery; it's just like knowledge. You're going the way you feel is right, but it is always misleading; you can never count on your own knowledge to get you through. Plain knowledge is useless, so it must be expanded upon; as must all things, or nothing will change."

"You seem wise."

        "And I'm perceptive. I noticed when you reveived the news about your team and came to me, your first thought was that they will die. It doesn't seem like you have much faith in them, master Jedi; good masters always have faith in his apprentice. Apprentices in your case."

"Excuse me?"

"Apprentices in your case."

"No. Did you just insult my leadership?"

        "No. The fear is understandable, but it has become repetitive. You didn't know where your learners were headed, so it would be natural to assume a fatal outcome. You see? Repetitive. Peoples' attitudes have become predictable. When things are predictable, they'll repeat. Things need to change in order for us to progress. And believe me, we will."

"We're gonna do some progressing; you're gonna help me and my brother find our team."

"I may or I may not. I have important business I might need to attend to; if I 'bail,' it's because of that."

'Almost fits the description the Governor gave him.' Ephraim thought.

The trio journeyed deep into the cave; no one said a word to each other until they found themselves walking in the dark, and a strong twinge of the dark side.

"He's close by." Aang said quietly.

"That's not what I'm sensing." Exar added.

"Your whispers are so loud." Jo tried whispering more quietly.

"Quiet Jo." Aang said. "We need some light." He said.

Jo frowned at Aang's remark.

        Aang grabbed one of his lightsabers to activate it. "Hold on, Aang. This cave reeks with the force; I'm not sure activating a kyber-powered weapon would be the best choice. Plus, it makes noise; we need to be quiet.

"What do we do then?" Aang asked.

"I finally get to use this thing." Exar replied, activating the night vision on his mechanical fake eye. "You guys follow me. Don't distance yourself."

Exar stepped around stalagmites; the other two followed his actions throughout a constant straight line.

        -They work together when necessary, but bitterness is written all over them. The Jedi seek vengeance; it has consumed them: one is subject to resentment; one has been overcome by his somatic desires; and the other... has been overcome by the recent happenings. He feels guilty for tearing a bond he once had with his friends, and has been lead to believe his masters have deceased. All of them believe so as well-

        Some of them stumbled along the way, stubbing their feet on rocks, but they persevered. They traveled some open areas, but came across rocks again. The cycle continued for a long while, then Jo noticed something strange.

"Is it me or does anyone else find it strange that we've been walking in a straight line for a long time?"

"What of it? That's all there is isn't it?" Aang wondered. "If we keep going, then we'll catch up to him."

        "Only-" Jo brightened the light on his robotic eye, and looked to his sides; there were more openings to many more pathways. "Who knows many more of these we've passed already? He could be gone already."

"He's not gone. I can sense him here, but I can't sense where." Aang said.

"There is something more. Something's interfering with our senses." Exar figured.

"Maybe this cave has something to do with it?" Jo suggested.

"I don't think so. How could a cave do that?" Aang pointed out.

"How can a crystal contain power?" Jo shot back, knocking on one of his wrists where his kyber crystals were concealed.

"Either way, we might have something to learn here." Exar said.

"What are we doing, exactly?"

"The worst thing we can do; the only thing we can do."

"I would naturally disagree on splitting up, but I can't think of better ideas." Exar said.

"Neither can I. But if we split up, maybe we'll be playing right into the sith's hands." Jo said. "I think we should stick together a little while longer."

"Probably should." Exar agreed as they continued onward.

'Maybe by doing this, we're still playing his game.' Aang thought. 'No! No. He's just trying to get into my head.'

"Aang, you alright?" Exar asked, noticing Aang hadn't moved.

"Uh... yeah. Just doing some thinking." He replied, catching up.

"Have you noticed anything different about Jo?" Exar asked very quietly; to his luck, Jo couldn't hear.

"Like what?" Aang wondered, equally quiet.

"For a while, he hasn't been his quirky self. He hasn't been saying as much, and he's been a little closed off."

"Would you know why?"

"I just remembered the conversation we had before we entered Jho's bar."

Aang thought about it and put the pieces together. "He probably feels lonely; left out of what we're doing."

"What can we do about it?"

"Nothing now; we gotta find this sith character."

"Wait!..." Exar proclaimed loudly.

"What?" Aang and Jo asked.

"Did you hear that?" Exar asked, beginning to shake.

Aang and Jo could sense Exar becoming afraid; they saw Exar jerking his head around. "Exar, what's going on?" Aang asked.

"There's something in he- Did you hear that?" Exar started trmbling as he fell to the ground.

"Snap out of it, Exar. The sith is getting to your head."

"No it's not a sith. I-I-I know it's not. It's a beast-"

"I don't see a difference, but-"

"No!" Exar got up on his feet and ran away.

       "Exar! No! We need to stay together!" Aang shouted; he and Jo chased after him. They saw Exar quickly turn a corner, and followed him; but they found that they lost him, for they had no eyes on him and they were standing in the middle of a cave "room" with multiple paths around it.

"Exar!" Aang shouted.

"Wait, Aang. Hold up!" Jo shouted, catching up. "This could be a very dangerous place to mindlessly wander after someone. We need to stop, and think."

"What's to think about? We're not going to let him stay here."

        "I happen to be a pretty fast thinker. I've observed that this isn't just a regular cave, but it could be something more. I mean not just a cave, but the remains of... something. My point is: we shouldn't be messing around here."

"We're not leaving without him."

"Even after what happened with Erk, your trust in him has seemed to rebuild quickly."

"N-no. It's not that. What do you think the masters would think if we came back without him?"

"Aang, you need to consider that we might not go back."

. . .

Aang turned to Jo. "The sith is in here somewhere. We can't leave Exar to be killed by him. Surprised you didn't think of that."

        "I had more to say. I know that sith is in here; he might be the reason we don't go back. If we blindly roam about, we could walk straight into a trap and die. We need to 'think,' about our next moves before finding Exar."

"I see your point. What do we do?"

That one act of submission sparked some hope inside Jo.

"Let's just meditate for a moment. We'll try to find out if we can find out where we are."

Aang faced the cave. "We can't waste time finding out where we are. We know enough; we need to fi-"

"Aang." Aang turned to Jo, who was sitting in his meditative position. "Sit."

The command took Aang by surprise. The next thing Aang knew; he was sitting down with his legs crossed, and his eyes closed.