"A Jedi Academy. You wouldn't know it from the looks of the planet," Kain Crissean said as he looked out the window at the lush jungle moon of Yavin IV.
     "That's the point, Kain. We don't want the Imperials to think it's important! If they did, they'd chase all the Jedi off." His sister Lucinda was currently biting the end of a lock of her hair.
     Kain looked over at her. "What's the matter? Didn't get enough food? Or do you have a secret stash of munchies hidden in your hair?" His impudent grin spoke volumes.
     Lucinda glared at him, then lifted her chin and turned away. "But it causes split ends, sister dear! Don't you want those long brown locks to be nice and smooth?"
     "That's enough, Kain. Quit teasing your big sister," Karen Crissean walked into the passenger compartment.
     At a quick glance, Kain's mother looked much like her daughter. Both had long brown hair, although Karen's was done up in a ponytail that went down the back of her head while Lucinda's hung free about her shoulders. Their facial features were also similar, and they could easily be mistaken for each other over communication channels. But the similarities ended there. Karen was still a full head taller than her seventeen year-old daughter and wore a pilot's fatigues while Lucinda wore a long white dress. Kain frequently thought she was looking for a wedding invitation when she wore it. He scowled. "Only by two years," he muttered.
     "I'm sorry Kain, I didn't catch that," Karen looked pointedly at her son.
     "I said her hair looks nice around the ears."
     Lucinda grinned and Karen frowned. They obviously didn't buy it, but they did let it go.      

     Karen turned back to the wall panel she was trying to open.
     "Need help, mom?" Lucinda asked.
     "Be careful, Luci. You might turn into Ibby if you say that too much." Kain laughed.
     Lucinda made a face at her brother. "I'm laughing, Kain. Can you see how hard I'm laughing? It's sooooo funny."
     "Why thank you, sis. I'll have to make more jokes on it from now on." Kain displayed his trademark grin again.
     "You're too kind, Kain," a new voice said from the door.
     Kain leapt to his feet and spun to face the newcomer. "Uhh… Ibby! Hey! We were just talking about you!"
     "So I heard," Ibran Crissean said as he stepped into the room and Kain winced. Ibran walked over to his mother. "Need a hand?"
     Karen stopped tugging at the plating. "That would be nice, Ibran. Thank you."
     "No problem." Ibran knelt by the wall as his mother stepped away. For a moment Kain's vision blurred the two of them into a single person, but he shook his head. It couldn't be like that anyway; Karen was in dark gray clothing while his older brother wore straight black. If his hair was brown instead of black, he could almost be mistaken for their mother. Except that his brother had his hair about his shoulders in a manner like Lucinda's. Not to mention the age difference, his brother was twenty-one and his mother twice that.
     The freighter Black Rail was en route to Yavin VI to deliver a shipment of supplies and three new candidates to the Jedi Academy. Under both New Republic and Imperial law, the freighter was highly illegal. That was a joke, of course. The New Republic was nowhere near close to the major galactic power it could have been, so it wasn't exactly picky about what kind of ships delivered necessary supplies. The Imperials couldn't find Rebels even when they were sitting in front of a Star Destroyer's battle bridge, much less an insignificant freighter.
     But Kain wasn't focused on the reason he was here. He was more focused on the recent events of his home life on Ord Mantell. His father would have to retire from his business and turn it over to one of the family members someday. Immediately prior to leaving, his parents had announced that the business would fall to his older ('only by six years' Kain scowled to himself) and thus more responsible brother.
     There was a real problem for him. He was way better with the black market equipment his father sold and had always wanted to run the business. It griped to learn that he had been passed by. And of course, Ibran would probably take it. Kain would have, in his place.
     A funny ringing sound distracted Kain from his thoughts momentarily. Actually it wasn't a sound so much as a feeling. Kain grinned, realizing that his brother must be trying one of his Force-assisted tricks. He wondered whether it would work.
     Ibran tugged and the panel popped open with a slight hiss. "There," Ibran said, moving aside. His mother reoccupied the spot next to the wall. "What're you looking for?" he asked.
     "I'm looking for the surprises your father got for you."
     Ibran grinned. "That's just like you two… hiding our presents right under our noses."
     Kain frowned. "So that's where they were! I should've guessed!"
     "Shut up, you two." Lucinda was standing eagerly next to her mother. "Let's see what we got!"
     Ibran stepped back from the group. "Someone else can go first."
     Lucinda thought for a moment. "You first, Kain."
     Kain cast a surprise glance at Lucinda. "What's in it for you?"
     "Nothing. I'm just trying to be nice. Unless you don't want to go first…"
     "I never said I wouldn't." Kain quickly took the large colorfully wrapped box from his mother's outstretched hand. His eager fingers began to tear into the wrapping. "I was just wondering why you were being so nice."
     "I just felt like it," Lucinda said with a toss of her hair. She also accepted her gift from her mother.
     "And here's yours, Ibran. Go ahead… take it." His mother proffered the small package that was Ibran's.
     For a moment Ibran looked as if he would refuse the gift, but instead he nodded and accepted it gracefully. "Thanks, mom."
     "Oh, look!" Lucinda had received a ring inlaid with a large purple gem. The ring's center stone had an adjustable clasp so it could be worn as a ring, a bracelet, or a hairpiece. "It's beautiful!"
     "A Duridium moon stone." Kain whistled. "Last I heard one of that size was worth about 50,000 credits if you knew where to sell it. I'd have sworn Imperial Shipping Systems had cornered the market on those."
     Karen nodded. "They have. Still, that was the easiest of the three to get. We knew you'd like it, Lucinda."
     "Oh, I do!" Lucinda admired the ring on her finger.
     Karen turned back to Kain. "There's a great store of those coming in from somewhere and a contact who owed us a favor managed to pocket a few of these. Our expenses for the month got paid thanks to him."
     "How'd he get away with it?" Kain asked incredulously. "Those things are pretty valuable."
     Karen laughed. "This particular shipment was for a jewelry company that insists on weighing their products instead of counting each jewel. There's a way to remove part of the cargo and trick the scale into thinking it's still there."
     "It's perfect! I have to go send him a thank-you letter!" Lucinda rushed out of the sleeping quarters.
     "Lucinda, wait!" Karen called. "I have to go let her know a few things. I'll be back in a few." She left the room hot on Lucinda's trail.
     Kain shook his head at his big sister, and his eyes fell on Ibran. His older brother was staring at his gift like he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The scene of Ibran receiving his gift replayed itself in his mind and he remembered his brother's reaction.
     With his mother gone, Kain's cocky nature reasserted itself. His brother was the only person he knew who would possibly refuse a free gift. At least that wasn't a change from how his brother had been before he lost his arm. Kain winced momentarily at the thought of Ibran's missing left arm. His eyes traveled the length of the mechanical arm replacement Ibran now used. His eyes reached the shoulder and suddenly he realized Ibran was watching him. He quickly went back to opening his gift.
     Ibran walked over to the bed where his brother was and sat beside him. "It's okay, Kain. Things happen."
     Kain nodded, but there was odd something in his brother's voice. Something that seemed to indicate that his brother didn't really believe what he was saying.
     "You're wrong, I do. But that fact doesn't make it any better."
     Kain scowled. "Don't you ever get tired of that?"
     "That what?"
     Kain made a mystical gesture. "Mind reading."
     "I don't have to read your mind Kain. Your face says quite enough."
     His eyes rolled. "So, why are you bringing it up?"
     "If there's a problem, it's got to be corrected."
     A sigh escaped Kain's mouth. "And which problem would that be?" he asked, preparing himself for another boring lecture.
     "There's two." Ibran held up a hand- his left hand, Kain realized, figuring that this was probably a subtle rebuke- and displayed two fingers. "First, there's the subject of my arm and second, the problem you have with people not as intelligent than you."
     Kain started. This last was true, but he didn't think his brother had noticed. "Uhh… well…"
     Ibran was continuing. "You tolerate us because we're family, but you don't like it. You may be smarter than a lot of people, Kain, but you haven't got much in the way of experience. Take it from me."
     Kain scowled. "Oh, come off your high equimount, Ibby. Ever since you lost your arm you've been too self-absorbed to experience much of anything. You haven't said word one since we got near this system. I mean, you're just so out of it all the time."
     Ibran smiled. "Oh, am I? One thing I learned real young: the more people you can fool into believing you're weak or distracted, the safer you are and the more time alone you have to think."
     "Not as if you've followed that lesson to the letter."
     "I said I learned it, Kain. I didn't say I liked using it. The first time you told a lie, how'd you feel?"
     Kain frowned. "You've got something there," he agreed. "I suppose it would be a form of lying." He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "But really, there's a ton of people I could show up any day of the week! They're waaaaaay dense."
     "How many people who knew you back home liked you, Kain?"
     There was another telling point. Kain hadn't had many friends; he outstripped most of his classmates and the people who did put up with him were really childhood companions.
     Kain grimaced. "Yeah, not many. I get your point."
     "You see, each of us is going to the Academy for a reason, Kain. Yours I'd bet you just remembered."
     "I'm going for an attitude adjustment," Kain admitted. "And yours is easy to guess. Your arm. But why's Lucinda along?"
     Ibran cocked his head thoughtfully. "Several reasons. First, there's a wealth of experiences she can get at the Academy she can't get anywhere else, both in and out of our company. Second, she's hardly been separated from both of us at once for any big length of time. Who knows how she'd react?"
     This made sense. "And what's the third?"
     Ibran smiled. "Can you honestly see someone like her running dad's business, or mom's shipments?"
     Kain broke out laughing. "Not a chance in the galaxy."
     "Exactly. None of us really know what she's good at. She's here to find out."
     "I see."
     The two of them sat in silence for a moment. "You know, Kain… someone's going to have to take over dad's business one day."
     Kain nodded and remembered his earlier thoughts on the subject. "Yeah. I guess you'll have to learn the trade from dad, huh?"
     "I already know the trade; but that's not the point. I don't need it and it's not something I want to do."
     Kain looked up at his older brother. "But- but-"
     "I've always known I wasn't cut out for it. I'm too nice."
     "Can't argue there. So what are you going to do?"
     "Well, if someone else in the family should happen to want it, I'd be glad to hire them to run it."
     "You can't be serious."
     "Seems to me I have every right to be serious."
     "But- but-" Kain's hands suddenly became fascinating. He examined them while considering what this would mean for the two of them. He'd get to do what he wanted and chances were Ibran wouldn't really want to keep it anyway. Ibran was in essence giving him the business. "Why?"
     "You're the one who's always saying that I'm dumb enough to refuse free gifts."
     Kain couldn't see his brother's face, but the smile was evident in his voice. "Ibby… I- I don't know what to say…"
     "'Thank you' works. Of course, it goes without saying that whoever I hire would owe me big time and would have to be very responsible and mature and treat those of lesser intelligence kindly and so on."
     Kain was not slow by any means. "Yeah, I got you. Although with the bargain you're driving, I'm not sure you'd qualify as being of lesser intelligence."
     "It's the experience factor, Kain. I know what you want and what you need and I'm happy to see both come about."
     Kain didn't quite understand that one, but he let it pass. "Thanks."
     "No problem. So... what'd you get?"
     "I don't know yet." Kain finished the unwrapping process and removed a datapad-like device. The device was decorated with a small microphone, several jacks for input and output, and various buttons. "Holy-! One of the PRAs we picked up!"
     "Uhh... Don't suppose you'd care to translate?"
     Kain set the device in his lap and put his fingers in the typing position. It felt good. "PRA: portable rigger array. It's got a universal code translator so it can talk to device in any species of language or programming code it knows and it'll figure out those it doesn't. This baby can hook up to computer systems, droids, speakers, vehicles, or anything and run it!"
     His older brother blinked. "That must have cost a bundle. It looks new."
     Kain grinned. "Actually, we got it via the five finger discount."
     "I won't ask."
     "And I won't tell."
     Ibran was grinning now. "Well, I guess that settles that."
     Kain looked at his brother's present. "I wonder what you got. That box is kind of small."
     "Yeah, it is."
     Kain looked curiously at his brother. "Aren't you going to unwrap it?"
     Ibran regarded it thoughtfully. "No… here, you take it. I don't really want it."
     Kain shook his head. "This is one gift I can't accept, Ibby. Mom and Dad got this for you; it's my guess it'll mean something to you and you alone."
     Ibran nodded. "Yeah… I figured. But I'm almost afraid of what it might be."
     Kain laughed. "Why? It's a gift."
     "Yeah, but… nevermind." Ibran took hold of one corner of the wrapping and tugged. The paper ripped open, revealing a small, felt-covered black box.
     "Looks like they got some jewelry for ya, Ib."
     Ibran didn't reply; instead he fiddled with the catch and opened the box. "Oh, my..."
     "What?" Kain was now looking over his brother's shoulder. Inside the box was a brilliantly wrought silver necklace. The necklace was joined together by a small clasp and was adorned with a figure of a hand holding a lightsaber. The blade was not silver; instead, it was some kind of green gem. Ibran put the necklace on, the clasp pieces fitting together with a click.
     Kain admired it. "It's you, Ib. Looks like they got some beryl for the lightsaber blade."
     "Beryl?"
     "Emerald."
     Ibran nodded and pulled something else out of the box. It was a small datacard. "What's that for?" Kain asked.
     "I don't know. Can you help me find out?"
     "Oh, sure." Kain took the card and put it in a small drive on his rigger array. The device scanned the card and a menu appeared on the screen. "There's four files the card has access to. One's a holoimage file, one's a textdoc, and the other two are... program code."
     "They obviously intended us to see the holoimage first. Run that one."
     "Us?" Kain asked as he operated the device.
     "Seems a little too coincidental that this card can be operated by your array."
     "True. There… got it." Kain hit the enter button.
     A small holocam on the device began playing the message. An image about a foot tall of a black-haired man who was obviously balding with a thick black beard appeared. His arms were powerfully built and he had an earring in one ear. He spoke in a deep voice that was somehow gruff and soft at the same time. "Ibran, Kain, I know you two are watching this. Whatever troubles you've got going on between you right now, you'd better put them aside because I have something to say.
     "Ibran, you're my oldest son and as such are entitled to the family business according to Ord Mantell law. Kain, you're my youngest and aren't so entitled. I suspect you've already made arrangements on this score, Ibran, because you've always had good sense, but I'm bringing it up anyway.
     "Kain, I know you wanted the business. But you don't work well unless you have a reason to and you're not a people person. Ibran could have run it without any problems, except that it's not what he wants to do. I put two and two together, offered Ibran the business, and I'm hoping that you, Kain, are now his first employee. He knows how to manage people and what's more, he can get them to do things willingly... something you'd have trouble with. It doesn't matter how much you try; you'll always have the same IQ. Ibran may have lost his arm but he's gained a lot of insight, something that grows by itself."
     The holoimage of Juvo Crissean grinned. "But I'm rambling. Kain, while you're there I want you to learn everything you can. That way you'll be ready for whatever comes ahead. Ibran, I'm going to charge you with the safety of your siblings because you'd do it anyway. On the other hand, most criminals are suspicious of Jedi. To help you out, I've included a letter of reference that will put you in good standing with any of the established smuggling rings, pirate gangs, and so on. It will help you get along with them a little better.
     "The two programs on here unlock two safe-deposit boxes; one on Coruscant and another on Corellia. The one on Coruscant contains 100,000 credits, the other contains the location of a warehouse full of standard black market equip. They're in Ibran's name, so when he thinks that both of you are ready, he can open them and you can sort things out from there.
     "Kain, just remember that even though Ibran is the one actually getting these, it's because we know he'll do right by both of you. You're still young, and we want you to mature before anything is committed to your future.
     "Ibran, keep in mind that both your mother and I are very proud of you. You've made a name for yourself back home and I know that name will become worth even more out in the galaxy. Just keep in mind all the lessons you've learned and don't let the little things- or the big things- get in your way."
     The gruff face appeared to soften just a bit and it looked from side to side, as though the hologram were actually seeing both of them sitting next to each other. "And I want both of you to remember that your mother and I will miss you very much. We'll do whatever we can to help you, but you're in a much larger world now, so keep your wits about you. Good luck to both of you." There the hologram shut off and the two brothers sat side by side, staring at the place where the image had been.
     Ibran recovered first. "I guess I have a "Thank-you" letter to write, too."
     "Yeah, me too." Kain frowned. "Dad knows us too well."
     His brother laughed. "What do you expect? He's our dad."
     Kain grinned. "This is true."
     "So…"
     "So."
     "We'll be docking soon. We'd better get ready."
     Kain nodded and gathered his things from the sleeping quarters. Ibran did the same, slipping the datacard into one of his backpacks. "Hey Kain... can you make a few copies of this after we get settled in down there?"
     "Sure thing Ibby. Sure thing."

######

     The Black Rail landed on the surface of Yavin IV and Ibran, Kain, and Lucinda had all gathered their things. Ibran had been even more distant since they'd entered the planet's atmosphere and Kain was getting worried. They hadn't spoken since watching the holoimage. While Karen observed the unloading of her cargo, Ibran, Kain, and Lucinda went to explore the main temple of the Academy.
     "It's beautiful!" Lucinda gasped with delight upon looking outside.
     Ibran blinked, coming back from wherever he'd been. "In more ways than one."
     "Yeah," Kain said, eyeing a lady down the hall who appeared to be working at a computer desk. "Many more ways."
     Ibran smiled briefly, and then his eyes went distant again. Kain noted the distance in his brother's eyes. He'd definitely have to find out what was wrong. He glanced momentarily at Lucinda, noting that she was wrapped up in the scenery. 'No help from her,' Kain thought.
     They stopped at a desk located strangely in the middle of a hallway. "Hi," Ibran said, smiling again. "We're here to check in."
     The blonde woman sitting at the computer flashed Ibran a smile in return. "I see. I'll need your names."
     "That would be Ibran, Lucinda, and Kain Crissean," Ibran said, indicating each of them in turn. He turned back to the secretary and grinned. "We're here to join the Jedi Academy, you included."
     The woman smiled back. "Sure. Just one moment." She stood and stepped inside a small room.
     "Way to go Ibby." Kain grinned. "Puttin' the moves on."
     Ibran blushed. "Funny, Kain. That's a real knee-slapper… now, where's my knee?"
     "I know where your knee is, but I bet you'd like to examine her knee… or at least what it's attached to."
     "You wound me to the quick!" Ibran adopted a hurt expression, but Kain still grinned. He'd won this round.
     The sit-in secretary returned. "If you'll follow me," she said, obviously talking to Ibran instead of Kain or Lucinda. "I'll take you to your quarters. The three of you will be sharing rooms. Is that all right?"
     Ibran put on a wry face. "We're used to it."
     The secretary smiled again and started walking down the hall. Kain fell into step immediately behind Ibran with Lucinda next to him.      A glance to his right told him that his sister was still caught up in the view.
     "So where are you from?" the secretary was asking Ibran.
     "Ord Mantell."
     "Isn't that a dangerous planet?"
     "Not if you know your way around. I know a lot of ways to get from one end of the planet to the other without running into any trouble whatsoever. Of course," Ibran broke into a smile, "some of them involve the use of a repulsor-car with a hyperdrive."
     The secretary laughed and Kain began looking about him. It was an interesting place, this temple. Odd architecture, too. He'd have to put it on his list of buildings to study when he had free time.
     Upon reaching their room, the three Crissean children began unpacking. When he managed to get Ibran alone, Kain turned to his older brother. "All right," he said. "What's bugging you now?"
     Ibran seemed to wake up. "Bugging me? What are you talking about?"
     Kain crossed his arms in front of him and gave Ibran a look. "You've been out of it since we got here. Spill it."
     "Oh, that."
     "Yes, that. Now, what's bothering you?"
     Ibran smiled gently. "Nothing's bothering me. But there's something about this place, Kain. Can't you feel it?" His brother's tone was one of wonder as he looked around at something Kain couldn't see.
     "Feel what?"
     "The Force, Kain. Just wait a second and sort of stretch out with your mind."
     Kain tried this. "I'm not getting anything," he said.
     "Just sort of… well, here, let me help." Kain felt his brother's presence touching his mind and gently tugging on it.
     And then something exploded into Kain's vision that he had somehow missed seeing until now. "What's this?" he asked in awe.
     "Like I said, it's the Force. I've been feeling it since we got close to the planet. When we landed, it was even stronger."
     Kain nodded. His brother had felt it naturally from way out, and it had taken help from him to get Kain's perception into focus. 'Ibby's definitely Jedi material,' he thought and continued to unpack in silence, trying to get used to the new sensations he was feeling.
     Ibran finished unpacking first. "I'm going to look around."
     "Hey Ibby?" Kain said, looking up from his travel bag.
     His older brother turned from the door, his face questioning. "Yes?"
     "Good luck. With everything."
     Ibran smiled broadly at his younger brother. "Good luck to you, too, Kain," he said, and left.
     Several minutes later, after Kain had settled down to read for a bit, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," he called.
     "Good day," a rough- no, not rough, but weathered- man came into the room. Kain was struck by the same sense of presence he'd felt a moment ago, alone with his brother, but condensed and collected somehow. "I'm Kam Solusar. I just came from greeting your sister, and I wanted to welcome you and your brother to the Academy."
     Kain stood up. "I'm Kain Crissean," he introduced himself. He took Kam's proffered hand. "My brother you just missed."
     "I was hoping to catch him specifically," Kam admitted with a disappointed frown. "Master Skywalker wished for him to be given special attention."
     Kain considered that and considered his brother. "He might need it, he might not." Kain shook his head. "No way to know. Ibran's always been the best of us though. We came here in part because of him. If anything needs to be done-" Kain held Kam's eyes briefly.
     "I'll do what I can. Nice meeting you," the Jedi instructor inclined his head and then left.
     'I wonder,' thought Kain. 'Exactly how all this stuff is going to affect Ibran.'