A/N: I couldn't resist making more stars wars au. Sucks about GMW being cancelled. Sorry for any errors and please enjoy.

Convincing Zay to go on a possibly dangerous space mission wasn't as hard as Riley expected. More outrage, hesitance, and him refusing once, yes, but he immediately answered that he was on his way to pick her up as soon as he got some things cleared. Riley should have known she could have relied on him.

Riley only took what she really needed, money, inconspicuous clothing, and Lucas's goodbye gift. She activated his lightsaber, the short lemonade colored blade shot out, and she stared at it. Lucas's master had made him have two, if his master was here he would be exasperated to see how Lucas abandoned it.

"Don't worry," Riley turned it off, "I'll get you back to your rightful owner." She put the lightsaber in her bag, underneath all her stuff, it was dangerous to be walking around with a lightsaber.

She looked around her room and felt a pang of uncertainty. Could she really leave all of this? Yes, her friend needed her and she couldn't leave him be. She should have realized how self destructive he had become after escaping from the Jedi temple. She hadn't wanted to push him and now he was gone. Her family would understand and they could kill her once she came back with Lucas.

She sat down on the floor and began to meditate. She needed to clear her head and inner turmoil. She needed to focus, she had the creeping feeling that Lucas was in trouble ever since he left her home. She needed to find him.

Zay arrived around the afternoon. She sensed him when he was stopped at light speed near Naboo. She shouldered her bag pack and jumped out the balcony. Time to get going. Her parents wouldn't be home until late so unless her little brother came into her room and saw her letter she would have enough time to leave the planet with Zay to start mission find Lucas.

They reached the port at the same time, Riley ran to him and their hug was to comfort each other.

"Hey," Riley muttered.

"Hey," his voice muffled because of her hair. He let go, they haven't seen each other in months, he stood taller and stronger, there was a lot of growing up to do these days.

"You look different," Riley remarked. "Have you been working out? New hair cut?"

"It's the beard," he chuckled and saw her bag. "You ready to head out?"

"Born ready. Lets go."

He led her to his cargo ship where they could talk without being overheard by any clones. Riley sat down on a wooden box that contained bananas.

"When did he leave? He might not be to far if he stole a normal ship," Zay leaned against the metal wall.

"Oh like a week ago," Riley shrugged and Zay's eyes bugged out.

"A week! And you called me last night!"

"He was close. Two days ago he really went away to the outer rim. I can still sense him but its clouded and his mental health is on a steeper decline. I don't think he's going to willingly come home."

Zay breathed in deeply and tried not to let out an outburst. They were both worried about Lucas. "This is the problem with you Jedi. You guys never take action and wait until its too late."

"I am no Jedi, and now that they've joined the force, I'm sure they learned that lesson," Riley crossed her arms, trying to fight back the chill whenever she thought of the dead.

The night of the slaughter she had been sleeping in her room and she had awoken because it was like someone had used a blowhorn on her. Then there was ominous silence and that disturbed her more. She couldn't go back to sleep and was awake hours later when Lucas had come to her house looking for refuge. Riley wasn't sure who was shaking worse.

"You said he left a note?" Zay asked and Riley took it out from her pocket. He unfolded it and silently read. "This doesn't sound good."

"No, no it doesn't," Riley replied grimly. It was hard to be optimistic when the sticky note made it clear he wasn't in the best of mind.

"We're going to find him," Riley smiled, she could sense how determined Zay was to find there friend, more than her. Zay told her stories of him helping out the Jedi master and Padawan when they crossed paths with pirates and other bad guys. Zay and Lucas had saved each other many times and this was no different. "Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"More or less. I've been meditating and he's somewhere in the outer rim."

"There's a lot of stuff in the outer rim. Can't you be more specific?" Zay sat down next to Riley. "We can't just fly around there until your people radar starts beeping. Fuel isn't cheap ya know. Maybe I should knock you out and you'll get a Jedi vision!"

Riley had to laugh because if only she could force that stuff to happen. "I wish it worked like that but the force is more complicated, and its not a radar. I cant just force the force to tell me exactly where he is at and what he's doing."

"The force isn't an entity. I'm sure you can bend the atoms to your will. Focus harder."

"Give me a break, the universe is really large and I don't have the proper training. Don't insult the force, it is intelligent and I'm sure the dark side can hold a grudge to those who insult it." Not to mention she didn't have any sort of training, it was all instinct and self taught. One day at the Jedi temple didn't give her the knowledge she needed.

"Sure, sure. Maybe we should take out a space map and let your hand hover it un-"

"Don't be ridiculous, I cant ouiji board it."

"Not with that attitude," Zay snorted.

"Listen, I know he's not at a good place. Whenever I try to pinpoint him I get goosebumps and its like a mist is hiding him. He's somewhere surrounded by the dark side."

"Sounds ominous. We could use the note as a clue. He said he was leaving to get stronger. He wants the power to defend and avenge his loved ones." Attachment was forbidden to the Jedi and Lucas cared too deeply. He supposed seeing your friends and master get betrayed by the senate is something that would leave deep trauma.

"I see ruins, and sharp mountains and lack of green. The land is drenched in blood and death."

Zay snapped his fingers and his grin didn't help Riley's queasy stomach. "I have a good guess where he may be at."

"Okay, share with the rest of the class," Riley didn't want to be kept in suspense.

"You aren't good to like it. He could be at the cradle place of the Sith. He could be in Moraband. That place is a hotspot for dark Jedi, assassins, slave owners, bounty hunters and all other villains. If he was desperate the dark side could seduce him over there."

Riley felt her heart plummet. Yeah, she sensed Lucas was around that area but she hadn't wanted to believe it. He wanted revenge and who better to learn from than them, but still, going to the Sith home territory was beyond stupid and she was going to smack him when she see's him again.

"Well if I didn't have a bad feeling before now its doubled.

"Maybe you should stay," Zay said. "I don't want that planet to overwhelm you."

Riley had to smile. "You think I'm allergic to evil?"

"It's not pretty and you've lived in Naboo your whole life. It's littered with assholes. You could get hurt."

"So could you," Riley countered. " We're doing this together. I can help locate him and you have the access to get us there."

"Okay, but Topanga must never know," Zay shuddered. "Get strapped in," he shoved her to the seats.

Riley hated space travel even the short rides. The chance that something could go wrong and they could be aimlessly floating in space made her feel more than terrified. That's why she didn't fly so much and rarely accompanied her mom or uncle Shawn in their travels to Coruscant or anywhere else in the galaxy. Another good thing that her mother had hid her from the Jedi, they travel constantly to other worlds to fight and space battles sounded like a nightmare.

"Take it easy on the flying please," Riley was able to hold back the whimper in her throat.

"Of course, smooth sailing for the princess," Zay didn't want a repeat of last time. It took weeks to find all the left over vomit in the corners.

Riley focused on the wall, closing her eyes made her more queasy. The ship began tilting up and Riley tried some breathing exercises. Why hasn't teleporting been invented yet? If there was something the emperor should invest on it should be teleporting. He wouldn't have to drain planets of their resources that way, and hey if there were any personal costs to using that magic it cant be worse than what's already been done to his face. Riley tried to see the good in everybody but there was no denying he was hideous everywhere.

Riley made the mistake of looking out the window and seeing darkness with scattered spots of light. Oh no, she took a shuddering breath of air. Space was not her ally.

"Get ready!" Zay switched the controls for hyper speed.

"I regret," Riley mewled weakly. "And my bad feeling has multiplied by ten." Zay was well mannered enough not to laugh at her misery.

They went into hyper speed and he really didn't understand what was so bad about this. Space was beautiful and with no frontiers. The universe was constantly expanding and the more Zay found out about its weirdness the more he loved it.

Fortunately for Riley they didn't have to wait to long to get to Moraband. They were in the planets gravity pull in no time, that was too long for Riley. She took a brave peak through the window and the planet didn't look so bad from space, red as Mars.

"Prepare for landing," Zay said too late as the cargo ship shook and Riley inhaled sharply, almost biting her tongue. She didn't whimper as they descended and her stomach boiled. It was only rough when they were going through the ozone layer, the rest of the ride was smooth.

Riley let out a sob as they finally touched ground. Her stomach wouldn't have handled more than that and she really wished that this would only be a two way trip through space. "Oh thank goodness."

"Don't be so dramatic," Zay was almost insulted in Riley's lack of faith in his skills.

"I like living," Riley rolled her stiff shoulders.

"Than try not to get into trouble. This place has heavy surveillance and everyone is always waiting to betray for the smallest insult. There are droids outside," Zay put his identity card on and gave Riley her fake one. "I made you a fake one. It would bring to much attention if-"

"My real identity is found out. People will wonder why I'm here," Riley nodded, she was the daughter of somebody important and there were many people who would use her as leverage. She took her lightsaber from bag, she didn't want it to get stolen or get them killed. Zay got her a belt and she put it underneath her clothes. The hilt was thankfully small and made of resilient wood, it didn't look like a weapon from a first glance.

Zay pressed the button on the wall and door opened. They both got a face full of sand, and hot slicing wind. They quickly wrapped bandanas around their faces and glasses.

"Lovely sand and no sign of green life," Riley didn't like to be sarcastic but this was the appropriate place for it.

Zay took the lead and Riley followed, two troopers went in his shuttle and the droid scanned their cards.

Moraband was the complete opposite of Riley's home planet. The sun was overbearing, she believed the soles of her boots were melting, the red hurt her eyes, and there wasn't anything green that she could see. Water was the source of all life and there wasn't any in this planet, maybe there was once upon a time, no traces of that left. Riley hasn't been there for more than a few minutes but as soon as they entered its stratosphere she was immediately disturbed. Everything felt wrong and she knew the planets history, so much war was raged here. There was a pull from the opposite side of the force, the bad side, the forbidden stuff everyone tells you to stay away from. It wasn't tempting Riley but she felt it's far away whispers. Riley didn't want to follow and she almost told Zay to turn back, the cold metal of Lucas's lightsaber anchored her, it gave her strength to follow through. Her gut told her there was something worth the anxiety the planet was giving her.

"All right, go ahead and welcome to Moraband. Don't cause any trouble or you'll be in trouble," the droid said, pointing a finger at them and Riley was very grateful for the mask because there was no way she could keep a straight face.

"Roger that," Zay responded in an even voice and Riley imagined the smile on his face.