The Republic found itself divided.
Within the halls of the Galactic Senate, debate over corporate reform had become the center of the Republic's attention. Every speech, every vote, and every alliance was watched closely by systems across the galaxy.
Though Senator Bail Organa's proposal had yet to become law, his words had begun to shift the conversation.
Among those who stepped forward in support was Senator Mina Bonteri of Onderon. Having witnessed Bail's unwavering resolve, she chose to stand beside him, lending both her voice and the support of senators who still believed meaningful reform remained possible.
Yet for every ally gained...
Another remained hesitant.
The battle for the Republic's future had only just begun.
While senators argued within the gleaming halls of Coruscant...
The Jedi found themselves spread thinner than ever before.
Across the Mid Rim and Outer Rim alike, more and more Knights departed the Temple, investigating whispers of the Sith while continuing to answer the countless cries for help that never ceased across the Republic.
Few noticed what was happening in the spaces between.
Pirates grew bolder.
Smuggling routes expanded farther into Republic territory.
Slave traders became increasingly difficult to track.
And within the lawless reaches beyond the Senate's gaze...
Powers began to take advantage.
___________________________________________
Night had settled over Mos Espa.
The twin suns had long since disappeared beyond the horizon, yet the city remained alive.
Music drifted from crowded cantinas.
Mechanics worked beneath hanging floodlights, repairing podracers for the next day's races.
Street vendors packed away their stalls while others quietly prepared for another long day beneath Tatooine's relentless suns.
Mos Espa never truly slept.
It simply changed.
The three Jedi walked side by side through the busy streets, their robes pulled over their heads to shield themselves from the lingering desert heat.
Kit let out another exhausted sigh.
"I've decided."
"I'm never complaining about Coruscant weather again."
Aayla smiled without looking up from the streets ahead.
"You've been complaining since we landed."
"Because it's hot."
"It was hot yesterday."
"It'll be hot tomorrow."
Khan chuckled quietly.
"I think the heat isn't the problem."
Kit looked toward him.
"Oh?"
"I think Tatooine simply doesn't like you."
Aayla laughed.
"I have to agree."
Kit placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
"I travel halfway across the galaxy to help people..."
"...and this is the thanks I receive."
The three shared a quiet laugh before reaching the edge of one of Mos Espa's marketplaces.
Here...
The crowds had begun to thin.
Khan slowed his pace.
Merchants loaded cargo onto old speeders.
Workers disappeared into narrow alleyways carrying covered crates.
The city felt different after dark.
Not dangerous.
Just...
Different.
"I'll stay out a little longer," Khan said.
Kit looked at him knowingly.
"You always do your best thinking alone."
Khan smiled faintly.
"I'll meet you both back at the ship."
Aayla nodded.
"Don't stay out too late."
"I'll try."
The three parted ways.
Khan continued through the winding streets at an unhurried pace.
He wasn't searching for anything in particular.
Experience had taught him that forcing an investigation rarely led anywhere.
Sometimes...
It was enough to simply walk.
And allow the Force to reveal what others overlooked.
A sudden bump against his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts.
"Oh!"
A young boy stumbled past him.
"Sorry!"
Before Khan could respond...
The child disappeared into the crowd.
Khan blinked.
Then looked down.
His pouch of credits...
Was gone.
For a brief moment...
He closed his eyes.
The Force flowed quietly around him.
Excitement.
Relief.
Hurried footsteps growing farther away.
A small smile formed on his face.
Instead of chasing...
He simply walked.
The Force quietly led the way.
Several streets later, the trail came to an old shelter tucked between two abandoned buildings.
Its walls were cracked by years of desert wind.
A torn cloth hung where a proper door should have been.
Inside...
The young boy hurried in with a wide grin.
"We actually did it!"
Three children immediately gathered around him.
The first was a little girl with dusty pink hair tied into two uneven ponytails. Her tired eyes lit up the moment she saw the pouch.
"You really got something?"
"I told you I would."
Standing beside her was a young alien boy with pale green skin and large amber eyes. Unlike the others, he said nothing, though the cautious look on his face never left the pouch.
Near the back of the room stood the oldest of the four.
Thin almost to the bone, the lower half of his face remained hidden beneath a faded cloth wrapped around his neck.
Only his sharp eyes could be seen.
Marco proudly held up the pouch.
"We can finally buy food."
For just a moment...
The four children looked like ordinary friends.
Then a calm voice came from the doorway.
"I believe that belongs to me."
The room froze.
Marco slowly turned.
"...You."
Khan stood quietly beneath the doorway.
No anger.
No disappointment.
Only calm.
Marco instinctively stepped in front of his friends.
"...You're gonna turn us in?"
"No."
"...Take it back?"
"If I wanted to..."
Khan smiled softly.
"...I would've stopped you before you reached this place."
Confusion crossed Marco's face.
Slowly...
Khan crouched until they stood at eye level.
"What is your name?"
"...Marco."
"And your friends?"
Marco hesitated before pointing toward each of them.
"Lina."
The little girl waved nervously.
"Teko."
The alien gave a small nod.
"And..."
Marco glanced toward the quiet boy.
"Jace."
Jace simply folded his arms.
Khan's eyes drifted around the shelter.
A few worn blankets.
Broken tools.
A leaking water container.
Very little food.
No adults.
Only children.
Without saying another word...
He held out his hand.
Marco quietly placed the pouch into it.
"I'm..."
"I'm sorry."
"We were just hungry."
Khan looked down at the pouch.
Then opened it.
Instead of putting it away...
He removed only a handful of credits before offering the pouch back.
Marco blinked.
"W-What?"
"Buy food."
None of the children moved.
They simply stared.
"But listen carefully."
Khan's voice remained gentle.
"Stealing may help you today."
"It won't help you tomorrow."
Marco lowered his head.
"So..."
"What are we supposed to do?"
"Learn."
Marco frowned.
"...Learn what?"
"A skill."
"Repair machines."
"Pilot ships."
"Trade."
"Build."
"Anything."
"The day people need what you know..."
"...you'll never have to steal again."
Silence settled over the small shelter.
The children looked at one another.
No one knew what to say.
Khan slowly stood.
"I won't trouble you any longer."
He turned toward the doorway.
Just before stepping outside...
He paused.
"I am looking for something."
His eyes shifted toward Marco.
"Have you noticed anything unusual around the city lately?"
Marco stiffened.
Only for an instant.
But Khan noticed.
"...No."
Khan simply nodded.
"Very well."
Without asking another question...
He walked away.
"Wait!"
Khan stopped.
Turning around, he saw Marco running toward him.
The young boy bent over, trying to catch his breath.
"I..."
"I remembered something."
Khan waited patiently.
Marco glanced around to make sure no one else was listening.
"A new group showed up a few weeks ago."
"They wear the same symbol."
"A black eye..."
"...with a yellow pupil."
Khan's expression remained calm.
"They don't stay inside the city."
"They leave at night."
"I don't know where they go."
"But..."
Marco swallowed.
"Children have been disappearing."
"No one talks about it."
"They're scared."
Khan nodded once.
"Thank you."
Marco rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"...I figured..."
"...if you really are trying to help..."
"...you should know."
Khan activated the communicator clipped to his belt.
"Kit."
The reply came almost instantly.
"I knew your little walk would find something."
Khan smiled.
"We have a lead."
The rest of the night passed quickly.
The three Jedi quietly followed the information Marco had shared.
Watching warehouses.
Following suspicious transports.
Observing movements throughout the city.
By dawn...
Their search had narrowed considerably.
There was only one place left to check.
The old shelter.
The moment Khan arrived...
He stopped.
The cloth covering the doorway swayed gently in the morning breeze.
Inside...
Silence.
Blankets lay scattered across the floor.
A small wooden table had been overturned.
Signs of a struggle.
But no children.
Aayla knelt beside a set of footprints leading outside.
"They were taken."
Kit slowly looked around the room.
"...Recently."
Khan's eyes settled on something resting near the doorway.
His pouch.
The one Marco had returned.
He picked it up.
The credits remained inside.
Marco would never have left them behind.
Khan quietly closed his hand around the pouch.
For a long moment...
No one spoke.
Then Khan turned toward the rising suns.
"They helped us."
"They became witnesses."
Kit's expression grew serious.
"What now?"
Khan looked toward the endless desert beyond Mos Espa.
"They can't be far."
"We're bringing them home."
Far beyond the city...
A transport disappeared into the endless sands of Tatooine.
Its destination...
Unknown.