No Greater Plan

It had been three hours since the meeting with Yale and Bathaden had begun. Yale had set the coordinates in to the main computer and Teal was now a Lieutenant. He'd walked away from Yale's office with a promotion and a pay rise, but it was his friend that he was more concerned with as he caught up with him another hour later in his quarters.

"Are you going to tell me what's up or not?"

"She has some one else already..."

"Well I'm afraid tha..." Teal, realizing what Nathaniel had just said, bit his lip and sat down beside him. "Where did she meet him, Nathaniel?"

"What?"

"I said where did she meet him. She's at home most of the time and she never goes anywhere to meet anyone. I mean, the only reason she met you and Tyson was because I invited you for dinner that time, remember?"

"So what was up with the way they were kissing then?" Nathaniel snarked. "He sure as hell was enjoying himself and she wasn't protesting."

"All I can think of is that maybe it's one of the Senate members," Teal offered, trying to shed some light on the mystery of his sister's new 'love'"

Nathaniel shook his head. I've never seen him before, unless he's new there."

Teal blew his hair out of his face. "I suppose that could be it, because that's the only place she does go."

"Bastard!"

"She's not happy with me either and it's just going to make you even more annoyed and angry the more she knocks you back. So, why don't you just agree to Yale's request and make something of yourself . This is your chance, Nathaniel, the 'big break' you've always talked about."

Nathaniel grunted and Teal's mind raced trying to think of something to bring his friend back out of the sullen mood he had thrown himself into.

"If you accept Yale's request, Nathaniel, she'd be bound to you by Callen3 law and then she's yours. "

Nathaniel slowly turned to face his friend. "This is your sister we're discussing and you're encouraging me to 'bond' with her?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

Nathaniel sighed. "I have always loved her, Teal, that's why this decision is so hard for me and this morning, at the homestead, I thought... when I saw the look in her eyes, that there was still something there. But the kiss that she shared with this other; it was passionate and intense, although she did seem somewhat shocked by it."

"I'd say it was their first from the way she reacted, she can't have been seeing him for that long, Nathaniel, it was probably his way of telling you to steer clear, but don't let it get to you. Just think about Yale's offer seriously, show him that you can be relied upon for other things."

"Besides showing up on time for dinner you mean?" Nathaniel grinned.

Teal laughed. "Yes exactly that. Now, keep that smile on your face, get yourself together and go apologize to Zee; but mean it when you do... she can tell the difference you know."

Nathaniel grinned. "I suppose I should try and patch things up properly, ask what she wants instead of being my usual selfish self."

"Good idea. Anyway, I have to go and check in with Yale in an hour so to organize the scouting party that's going to go out to make sure that my findings are as accurate as my father's, so why don't you head off then?"

"Thanks, Teal." Nathaniel smiled as his friend stood and stretched. "I think I will."

Teal saluted as he walked to the door and Nathaniel laughed. "Why are you saluting me for, Lieutenant? I'm still, a 3rd level Ensign."

The door opened and Teal paused in the doorway. "Because I can see you up there with me at the next receiving ceremony complete with a Lieutenant's insignia." He left and the door shut behind him, leaving Nathaniel with a large grin upon his face.

~*~


Zeeana listened intently as the Lieutenant talked about his past as she'd requested. She had earnestly listened to every last word, her eyes were wide with excitement as he told her of his many years of solitary confinement alone while he trained and the many close calls he'd had with death. He talked of his first meeting with Mara and how she had nursed him back to health after his first near death experience and how their coming to know each other had begun from that point on.

"How could you stand all that loneliness?" Zeeana asked curiously.

"I had to, in order to keep the wrong people out of my life. I knew I was too young to make the right choices if I had some one telling me what to do, especially those of the darker kind of influence." He noticed the young woman shudder. "Mara was once a slave to the Imperial sect so she understood exactly what I did and didn't need, and even though I never really saw her that much she kept me safe enough." Darien smiled at her. "How do you stand yours?"

"Sometimes my friend, Na' mara comes to see me, but she has a family of her own so the visits are rare and I guess, well, the rest of the time it's because I have to, too. There's the homestead to look after, the crops to tend, my Senate duties and that damn combine harvester that needs kicking into next week."

Darien chuckled. "I'll have a look at it later for you if you like?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you!" She sat quietly for a few moments wondering how to ask the next question, but decided straight out would be the best way to go. "Is it true though, about Mara?"

"Yes, it is, Senator," a voice agreed from behind them. "I was once a slave of Imperialism. It took all my courage in the end to do what I did and accept my feelings for Admiral Skywalker."

"Sorry, Mara..." Darien apologized, feeling a little guilty. "I was just telling her a little about my past."

Mara smiled. "It's fine, I have nothing to hide."

"I admire you so much, for your courage alone." Zeeana interjected the honesty in her voice sending a warm feeling to the older woman's heart.

"And I admire you, young lady. You have the ability to become one of higher standing in your community and a great Senator and I got that from a reliable source." She gave the young woman a wink. "However, we now have to gather your things, Senator, and head back to the Falcon. Darien..." She nodded to the table and he immediately picked up the young woman's paperwork from it. "We have new information just come in and it is you that they are after, Zeeana. It seems they too have been making inquiries about you, just as we have them. When we return to the ship you will have to fill in the remaining paper work and then you two will be heading back to the homestead. Carry on as you do every day. Darien will be there with you and he knows how to contact us if he needs back up; we will be in contact with each other every day until the threat of abduction is over and the Imperials have gone. If they know that your are being protected by the New Republic then they might just leave you alone."

Zeeana gave her a nervous look. "Then it's true, they are after me." It was then an awful realization dawned on her and she clasped her hand to her mouth. "Then, the disappearances of other members of this Senate is..." her voice faltered, "...is all my fault!"

~*~

Teal whistled as he headed towards the bridge. He had to admit he was a little excited about the scouting party. The door whizzed open and he walked in, glancing about at the preparations that had stared a few minutes earlier. His eyes scanned the busy room as if searching until he was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned and there was no one there. A grin spread over his face and he quickly turned the other way and then back again, coming face to face with a red haired young woman.

"You're still that little bit quicker than I, Teal," she said, a smirk on her face as the young man eyed her over.

"Well, look at you! I don't see you for a few years and suddenly you're all grown up." He was surprised to see a taller, graceful and well-developed young woman standing before him; a little different from the girl he used to know. "Rukia, isn't it?" he asked, just to be sure.

The young woman seemed pleased he'd remembered her name and smiled "Ahh, so now you remember my name. You barely had the time of day for me back then."

Teal raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I certainly did have time for you, but when ever I sent you a message to meet up somewhere I never got a reply,"

Rukia gave him a puzzled look. "You sent me messages?"

"You never got them?"

She shook her head in confirmation that she hadn't.

"Nathaniel!" They both chorused in unison.

"That lazy son of a Mulaka!" Teal sighed.

Rukia laughed. "Well at least that solved that little mystery. I just thought you weren't interested in a 'little girl' like me."

Teal cocked his head. "Well, you were only eighteen back then. But honestly, Rukia, I really wanted to get to know you better; but thanks to that blockhead friend of mine..."

"Now, now, Teal. We can't blame him totally. I mean, he was madly in love with that girl he was always on about."

Teal let out a nervous laugh, no one else knew who that girl was. "Nathaniel hasn't changed any since then, he's still a blockhead. But he's my best friend and I wouldn't have him any other way!"

Rukia smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "You're so sweet, Amaris," she teased.

"And you are as cheeky as ever, young lady. So tell me, how is you're training going?" he asked out of curiosity.

The young woman grinned at him. "Well, according to Bathaden, and I quote..." she said with a smirk, "'If you're training wasn't up to scratch you would not have even been considered for this mission, not to mention you are the only one who seems to be on par with that young hooligan back on Callen3'."

"Hooligan?"

Rukia bit her lip as another joined them and was about to make an attempt to alert the young Lieutenant, but the newcomer placed a finger to his lips and so Teal carried on oblivious to the goings on behind him.

"That bastard called me a hooligan?" Who the hell does he think he is?"

Rukia lowered her eyes; she was dying to laugh as the figure behind mimicked him.

"What's so funny?" he asked bewildered, as the young woman snickered a little. "Don't tell me you agree with that pompous old Ginrat.?"

"A Pompous old Ginrat am I?" an amused voice asked from behind.

Teal suddenly froze and with the horrified look now on his face, that was the end of Rukia. She burst into laughter as the shocked young Imperial soldier turned slowly around to face the newcomer. "Sir!" he whispered wanting to disappear all of a sudden.

"You know, Lieutenant, you're right. I can be a bit of a pompous old Ginrat, but you are definitely a hooligan!"

"Yes, sir!!" Teal replied saluting and swallowing. "A hooligan, sir!"

Bathaden joined Rukia in laughter and then gave Teal a hearty slap on the back. "I've been called worse my boy and I'm not offended in the least, and besides I find you rather amusing." He gave the young red head a glance, "Don't you think so, Ensign?"

"Absolutely, sir!" she agreed.

Teal sighed. "I'm sorry, sir. I was just..."

Bathaden raised a hand. "Showing off for the young lady. I know how you young men work, Lieutenant I was one myself once you know."

Lieutenant Amaris blushed and Rukia winked at him.

Bathaden gave a small smile and he motioned for them to walk with him. "Admiral Yale is going to be a little late, but he has asked me to discuss with the two of you, one of the reasons that Rukia is here, other than the fact she has been selected to be your first in command on this trip." He led them to a smaller room and entered a code into the panel next to the door and the door rose upward.

The two young officers glanced at each other and then shrugged. Neither one of them had any idea as to what was actually going on and as they walked in, Bathaden waved his hand over the inner panel of the room and the door slid shut again.

"Please, sit," the older man requested and they complied. "I am assuming by the perplexed looks on your faces that you both have no idea as to why you are here, other than the fact that we're organizing this scouting party. Correct?"

"Yes, sir," they acknowledged together.

"I see. Then I shall approach this subject with care. You both know of the breeding program, am I correct?"

Teal nodded. "I know that I am fully aware of what it is and what it entails. But I can't speak for Ensign Thalaris."

Bathaden glanced over to her. "Ensign?"

The young woman nodded. "Yes, sir. I too have been informed of this program, but I am not as overly sure of the details as the Lieutenant is."

Bathaden nodded politely and thought deeply for a moment, "The breeding program is a program that the Emperor foresaw as a reality. Yes, he had his clones to fight a war and they were strong and powerful; but not powerful enough. It was some time later that he realized if he could create a more powerful legion; an army of Jedi strong in the force, bred from the most powerful Jedi sires in the galaxy, that the Empire could once more regain complete power over it."

Rukia bit her lip deep in thought before addressing the Commander on the subject, "But, sir, isn't that a little impractical? I mean by the time you found every Jedi who was willing to produce offspring for the Empire, and by the time the child reached trainable age... It just seems a little ambitious. And besides, I always thought that Vader's offspring would have been the strongest, so excuse my rudeness when I say that there's no way in hell they'd co-operate!"

The commander nodded. "Exactly, but the Emperor foresaw this and laid foundations for a plan that would ensure that his legacy would remain. He took under his wing a young man who's blood cells were high in Midichlorians. His wife was a pretty young woman, strong at heart, good natured and the perfect subject for the experiment. A few years later his wife gave birth to a healthy boy. His blood was also high in the Midichlorians, however after further testing the woman's blood it was she who was found to be the stronger of the two yet she had no interest in harnessing her dormant powers." He stopped momentarily, watching Teal fidget nervously. "If this is making you uncomfortable, boy, you can wait outside until I call you."

Teal shook his head. "No sir, I'll be fine. Please, continue."

"If you're sure, Teal?"

Teal nodded in confirmation.

"The Emperor knew his own power was great and he knew that this woman could provide him with the perfect offspring. A child that would be so powerful that her powers would be almost as strong of that of Lord Vader. He convinced the young man to begin training his son in the ways of the force. Things were going fine until an argument ensued as to how the impregnation of the woman would be carried out. In the end the young man was banned from the Imperial sanctuary and the woman had no choice but to accept the Emperor's advances."

"That's a bit harsh!"

"Yes most of us agree that there were other ways to go about things, but let us not go into that, let's get to the crux of the matter."

"Yes, let's," agreed Teal.

"Soon she was with child again and gave birth to a healthy daughter."

Teal paled and he sat upright. "Sir, I think I will take you up on that offer of sitting outside."

Bathaden nodded and got up from his seat, walking back over to the panel and waving his hand across it. The door had barely slid up and Teal was under it. The motion was repeated and the door returned to it's previous position, Bathaden returning to his seat.

Rukia sat stunned as Teal left the room, but her thoughts of the matter were vanquished as Bathaden redirected her attention back to himself.

"Now where was I...?"

~*~

Teal stood outside the door, his head tilted back against the wall, his eyes closed. Hearing it once was bad enough, but hearing it a second time. He opened his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Having second thoughts about your sister's destiny, Teal?" The admiral's voice was soft and understanding.

"It's not that, sir, It's her powers I'm worried about. I mean, if she is the Emperor's true heir and if she is as powerful as you say, I should warn you now that her powers are totally unrefined, she's unstable and untrained. My father refused outright to train her in the hopes that they would remain dormant like my mother's, but unfortunately, they didn't, so god knows what will happen when she finds out about all this herself."

"There was some training, Teal. The Emperor began that himself when the girl was of age, but your father hated the cruelty she was shown and so the problems began. Michael Amaris halted the Emperor's plans in their tracks. Over a span of seven life cycles he forged his own plans, attempted to erase the child's mind of her previous life with the Emperor, but was caught before he could completely do so. He escaped with the girl before her eighth birthday and left Callen3 with all of you until the search for your family was halted not long after because of rebel uprisings and we had to leave the planet to protect the Emperor. We had no idea Amaris would be so bold as to come back to Callen3 so soon after his leaving, so nothing more was done about it until after the Emperor's death, when Bathaden told me of the Emperor's former plans."

"What if she doesn't accept this, sir? She hates Imperials with a passion."

"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it, my boy." He gave Teal a reassuring smile. "Now, come on back inside, we still have things to discuss."

~*~

Rukia listened almost lost in the story as the Commander continued.

"The Man I have spoken of was Michael Loa Amaris, he was a personal body guard and friend to the Emperor and the first man to be chosen for the breeding program, the second is his son!"

"Michael Amaris?" she returned surprised. "You mean to say..." The door sliding upwards stopped her in her tracks and as Teal walked in behind the Admiral, their eyes met, the young man quickly looking away.

"If Zeeana is the true heir and she is the key to this great army, then what is it you want of us?" she asked inquisitively.

"Isn't it obvious Rukia, Teal softly whispered. "After Zee, I've the most Midichlorians within my cells. Your father was the most powerful Jedi on Ragnar which means your Midichlorian levels are either equal to, or higher than my own."

"Higher actually," Bethaden offered.

Rukia stared at him. "So the point of all is?"

"Teal, I believe you have already realized where this is heading," the Admiral replied, giving Teal permission to speak.

"The higher the Midichlorians, the more powerful the Jedi. The Midichlorians that reside in the blood from two such as we will be doubled in any offspring that we may have, then if you cloned something as powerful as that, imagine the strength behind that army."

Rukia went to speak, but no sound came out.

"Zeeana, Nathaniel; you and I. We are the next generation of experimentation, we were bred for this purpose. And this..." he gave her a solemn look before continuing.


"...is our destiny."