A/N: Longest one yet, longer than the last one...comments appreciated! :)

Within a couple of hours, the word of the evacuation had spread throughout the Enclave, not a single Jedi was unaware. The Enclave was buzzing with Jedi, droids, and staff, flitting in and out of hallways and quarters. Most were packing what belongings they had, and going where they were told to gather for the evacuation. Any transports, freighters, ships of any kind gathered at the front of the Enclave, readied for escape and take off. By the time the skies began to darken, every resident Jedi of the Enclave stood outside, carrying packs, their hearts heavy. Amidst all this, two young Padawans stood a reasonable distance from the gathering, standing beneath a native bilba tree.

"Well, it's been but a couple days, and we're leaving again...You ever wonder if we're bad luck?" Said Alice, cracking a smile.

Ben smiled for what seemed like the first time in days. "Maybe." His posture was straight, his blue eyes staring out at the plains thoughtfully. Just as Alice was about to reply, a distinctly female voice called out. "Ben? Alice?" It was Kari Cerulian, and Ben and Alice both knew why she was here. They glanced at each other for a moment, then Ben said, "We're right here, Kari..." Kari's lean figure appeared in front of them, her brown hair tied up in a ponytail. "Well, you two ready? We need to be quick, as you know," She said. Ben and Alice both nodded. "Yes, we know," Alice said, "where to first?" She trailed her fingers over the hilt of her lightsaber, a nervous habit. Ben looked calm, Kari was much the same. "First, we must open ourselves up to the Force, let it flow through us, so we may find the source of this...darkness." Kari said, sounding almost nonchalant. Ben closed his eyes, letting the Force envelope him, giving himself over to it. The many folds of life on Dantooine appear in his mind, animals, plants, all living things. But a taint is among those peaceful folds, something dark and sinister. At that moment, he feels something pulling him, calling him. "Come young Jedi, come to me..." Says a deep voice. Ben feels a sudden urge; to go to the voice, to find out why. He begins to slowly walk away from Kari and Alice, to the east, away from the Enclave. Kari and Alice, also immersed in the Force, sense Ben moving, and open their eyes, glancing at the other. "Ben! What are you doing?" Alice called out to him. Ben continued to walk in that ghostly way, as if he hadn't heard her. Without a second thought, Alice ran after him, and Kari followed her. Once the pair had caught up with him, Alice stood in front of him, her icy blue eyes filled with concern. She stood even with him, at her full height of 1.8 meters, tall for a girl her age, but Ben was the same height. His lifeless blue eyes stared into hers, and Alice almost shuddered. "Ben...what is it? What's up with you?" Her voice sounded almost pleading. Ben's dead eyes blinked once, and he said in a deep voice that definitely wasn't his, "Move out my way, girl, or you'll regret it." Alice took a step back, looking hurt. "Ben..." she said. Kari looked at Alice sternly. "That is certainly not Ben, something is controlling him." 'Ben' whipped around to face Kari, sneering. "You think, little Jedi? This boy was much too easy to take over, he wants more, and he has his weaknesses, which I shall exploit." Ben, or whatever was controlling him, pushed Alice aside and began walking again. Alice was caught off-guard, and fell to the ground hard. She didn't even bother getting up, and stared at Kari, tears in her eyes. "Why did this happen... Why...I could have stopped it." she said, wiping the tears away. Kari kneeled next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I doubt anyone could have stopped this, but we must not give up! We have to find whatever has him, and stop it." She paused, and then looked at Alice intently. "I have something to ask you...Do you feel anything more than friendship for him? Ben?"

Alice wiped a couple more tears away. "You're right, we can't give up, forgive me." She sighed after that question. "Maybe...I don't know, he's my friend, and I care about him...But I'm 14, I can't be worrying about that now." Kari nodded. "That's all I needed to hear, we can talk about this more later. Now, let's find out what in the Force is going on with him." Alice stood up, putting on a more serious look. "Let's go." She suddenly took off at a run in the direction Ben had been going. Kari darted after her, and looked at the sky, noting it was now completely dark. "Alice, be careful! You never know what could-" A grunt of pain was heard ahead. "Alice! Are you alright?" Kari skidded to a stop, looking around. Then without warning, she felt herself shoot backward, as if being hit by a wall of energy. "Force Wave," she muttered, trying to stand up, but finding herself unable to move. "Kriff...Alice! Alice?" A weak voice came from a few feet away. "Right here...Kari..." Rustling was heard, then the sound of footsteps. In front of Kari and Alice stood two figures, one of average height, another a bit taller. They appeared to have hoods drawn over their heads, one with glowing red eyes; the other's unable to be seen. A deep voice came from one of them. "Hello, pathetic Jedi..." Alice crawled up beside Kari, and said to the man, "Who are you? What have you done to Ben?" A rumble of a laugh was heard. "Oh, don't worry, little girl, your friend is fine. In fact, he is right here..." He indicated the figure next to himself, and the hood fell, revealing Ben's face, everything Alice knew...Except the lifeless blue eyes. Alice stared straight at him, her eyes taking on the pleading look again. "Ben you have to fight this, please...For me." Ben's dead eyes seemed to flicker with something...Hope? Resilience? "Alice, I...I..." The figure next to Ben rumbled in his low voice before he could finish, "Stop it, you fool! I control you now." Then Ben's eyes flickered again, and he stumbled back. "No. You don't control me!" He yelled, in the voice that was truly his own. Seemingly out of nowhere, a bright flash of white light flew from the other figure's hand. Ben fell to the ground, cringing in pain, unable to get up. Force Lightning, one of the deadliest dark powers. The man cackled in his deep, rumbling voice. Barely thinking, Alice leapt to her feet, and ran straight at the man, tackling him hard to the ground. The lightning ceased, and Alice delivered a strong punch towards where she thought the man's face was, only to be stopped by a pale hand, and then a hard knee to her stomach. She grunted, and felt herself flying backward. She landed hard on the ground, as Ben was struggling to stand up. His robes torn, even with some nasty burns from the Lightning, his conviction remained as he drew his lightsaber. The blue blade sprang to life, with Kari's own shaft of green light igniting at the same time. "Give up now, Sith," She said, "or face the consequences." That rumble of a laugh was heard. "Never will I surrender to any Jedi, and it is you who will face the consequences." A red shaft of light emerged from what was certainly a lightsaber. In a blur, he shot toward Alice, who was just now attempting to stand. Ben was in front of her just as quick, blocking the red blade, which had been just inches from her neck. He pushed with all his weight, moving the man back. Kari leapt from his blindside, slashing her green blade towards his left arm. He blocked her strike, but not Ben's slash from his now unprotected right side. The blue shaft of light cut through his right arm, severing it at the elbow. He screamed in pain, dropping the lightsaber in what used to be his right hand and falling to his knees. "Agghhh!! Losing part of my arm to a pathetic Padawan, agghhh..." He moaned, Kari's green lightsaber blade now at his neck. "Will you surrender now? Now that you've been humbled by a mere young one?" She smiled at Ben in the darkness. Ben tried to smile back, but his face was blank, thoughtful. He had to be considering what he had just done. The now half-armless Sith looked up at Kari. "I suppose you have left me no choice...I was never much of a Sith anyway..." He sounded genuine, his voice seemingly filled with regret. With his complete arm, he drew his hood down, revealing aged, wrinkled features. "There is something familiar about you," He said, looking at Kari, "something that reminds me of someone." Kari furrowed her brow curiously, her lightsaber blade still at the man?s neck out of caution. "I wonder why..."

The man's face appeared to flash with the realization of something dawning on him. "It couldn't be..." He stammered, "it couldn't be...but it is." Kari nodded, probably at a loss for words. "You're...You're Kari Cerulian, aren't you?" He said, with hope in his voice. "Yes, yes I am," Kari replied, "why do you ask?" The man's wrinkled features formed a smile. "I am your uncle, Kari, your uncle Kam." Kari's lightsaber blade suddenly deactivated, and she took a step back. "How can I trust you? You tried to kill us!"

"Sense with the Force, you will see," He said. Kari opened herself up to the Force, focusing on the man who claimed to be her uncle. She found anger, hate, the emotions of a Sith, but somewhere deep down...Love, genuine affection. For her. He had been telling the truth, after all. "You were right, it is nice to meet you...Uncle." Kari said, a smile coming to her face. "It is nice to meet you, too, my niece." He began to stand, and Kari moved to his side, supporting him. "Thank you," He said. Kari then looked at them all. "We must get to the transports, now!" She yelled, catching the attention of Ben and Alice, who were sitting down next to each other. Ben helped Alice up, but ended up leaning against her, still weak from the Lightning. The three Jedi, and Kari's Sith-turned-uncle began making their way back across the plains to the transports. Once they reached the Enclave, one transport remained, a Yt-class freighter. A bearded young man stood at the top of the ramp. "About time," he said, glancing at the four. Kari smirked. "We had some...things to take care of." She began walking up the ramp, still supporting her newly discovered uncle. "Coming?" She called to Ben and Alice, who were still standing at the bottom of the ramp. "We'll be up in a second," Said Alice. Kari nodded. "Don't be too long..." she said, and walked into the ship. Alice turned her head to look at Ben, now fully seeing the extent of the Force Lightning. The skin of his face was singed, at some parts blackened; his robes were torn, to be frank, he looked terrible. But despite all of this, he was smiling. "You saved my life with that tackle," He said, smiling. "And you saved my head," Alice continued, "so who owes who more?" She smiled. Ben chuckled. "I dunno...does it matter?" Alice's smile widened, she leaned over a bit, and kissed him. "It does to me..." she whispered, and led him up the ramp. Ben now was grinning as they entered the ship. "Ah, I see..." He laughed as the ramp closed behind them, the ship soon taking off into space, to where, they did not know...