The EU to me is just as good as what came from George Lucas's mind. And so I have tried to mash the two together in a short story. I hope you like!

Life takes on a new meaning whenever you find yourself in an unfamiliar place, alone and without the convenience of backup. Zannah huffed, frustrated by the desert heat. Her years of parading around as a wealthy trader made her soft. She wiped the sweat from her brow with one gloved hand. Her black outfit was now caked with dust from walking two miles to town from the crash site.

She felt like an explorer, traversing unknown regions of space. She could very well be outside the boundaries of the Republic. Her malfunctioning navigation system was how she first noticed something was wrong with her ship.

Now she needed a new hyperdrive. Luckily civilization was close by, and a relatively large settlement at that. She kept her head down mostly, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Her lightsaber was tucked at her waist inside her loose tunic. Due to Bane's teachings she never had the opportunity to openly carry as the Sith might have in the past.

She pulled up a few feet away from where a young boy with sandy hair was stacking fuel cells outside a decrepit repair shop. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. There was something unique about this human, but the force wasn't offering any answers. Yet.

She approached him, intending to get to the bottom of the mystery. He turned around just as she got within arm's distance. With his full attention on her, the answer became obvious. The boy was force sensitive. Particularly so.

"What can I do for ya, mam?" he asked with the ease of an adult salesman.

She spent another moment studying his signature, before nodding to herself. The need to depose Bane was becoming urgent, and the matter of an apprentice weighed heavy on her mind. Any lead deserved to be investigated. "I'm looking for a hyperdrive. Anything freighter level shall do."

His eyes lit up, and he replied, "Then you're in the right place! May I ask what model ship you exactly have." He began to lead her into the shop.

"XS, Second generation," she replied.

The boy titled his head. "Hmm, I never heard of that one."

"Ani! Who are you talking you? Get over here and shine these dials. I told you earlier," a rough voice interjected.

The boy rolled his eyes. "You told me to dispose of everything that was permanently shot first. Anyways, I got a customer with me."

That caught the other person's attention, because a strange alien came fluttering around the corner, the trinkets completely gone from his mind. "Well, an offworlder. What do you want?" he demanded.

Zannah, caught off guard by his directness, cleared her throat. "A hyperdrive. I've got the requirements right here." And she pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to him.

The alien looked it up and down, mumbling to himself. "Not an ordinary combination, but I think I have something that will fit the bill. It won't come cheap though."

"Price will not be an issue." Inwardly Zannah cringed at how she had to play the greedy and ostentatious enterpriser. But roles and deceit were integral to Bane's new order.

"Ani," the alien barked. "You know the one. Go back and get it."

The boy did a play salute and went to do as he was asked.

"Now as for the matter of payment. Republic-"

"How does 20 ounces sound?"

"Of spice?" He began to shake his head.

"Yes. Pharmaceutical."

He jerked. "First time I've been offered that. But I think I know someone with an addiction, er I mean condition, who would gladly take it off my hands."

"A deal then," Zannah agreed. At the sight of Ani hauling the part from the back room, she withdrew the refined ryll from her satchel and tossed the package over. "Do you know where I can find a speeder?"

"You can't go now," Ani objected. "There's about to be a storm and you don't want to be caught out at night. The Sand people could get you."

Zannah couldn't tell them that whoever these sand people were, they were no threat to her.

"Come back with me and my mom. You can eat and stay the night."

Perfect. But on the outside Zannah knew she had to seem reluctant. "I don't know," she trailed off.

"Oh, come on! It's not often that we get a pilot like you around."

"Like me how?" Zannah frowned.

He laughed. "The sopisticated type. If it wasn't for your accent, I'd say you're a core worlder."

Then my acting is spot on, she thought. Nevertheless, as a native of Somov Rit, a rural planet if there ever was one, she found herself feeling a little annoyed.

"I suppose I can accompany you. If you promise to be nicer to me."

Zannah was also annoyed by how easily she fell into this casual and sweet routine. The sooner she could find an apprentice whose life she could make miserable the better.

"So you're a spice dealer?" the boy's mom, who he introduced as Shmi Skywalker inquired suspiciously.

Zannah had introduced herself as Rain Benet, and now they were situated around a dinner table, with some kind of roasted animal on the menu. "No, let me assure you. I don't go around getting kids addicted. I'm more of a specialty middle-man. Most of the people who I do business with use the spice for medicinal purposes."

Shmi nodded, pretending to buy the answer. "Well, I haven't seen Anakin take to anyone quite as fast as he has to you. But I suppose it makes sense. He's obsessed with space pilots."

"One day I'm going to go to all the planets!" he declared.

"Is that so," Zannah whistled. "That's a lot of places to see in one lifetime."

"Well," Anakin explained. "It'll be easy when I build the fastest ship."

"You certainly are a special boy," Zannah remarked, and she didn't miss the way his mother's eyes narrowed. "I sense that you're destined for greatness."

He shrugged. "They're pipe dreams anyway. The first thing I'm going to do is free my Mom. That's all that matters right now."

Zannah found herself pleased with the answer. "Freedom is indeed a very valuable thing. In fact you might say I have dedicated my life to the very concept."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "How so?"

Zannah leaned back in her chair. One of the advantages to having such a dogmatic master as Bane is how well she was prepared for these questions.

"You've heard of the Jedi yes? I don't tell many people this, but I am like one of them. With a few differences."

Anakin frowned. "How can I believe you?"

Zannah reached down and withdrew her lightsaber, delicately placing it on the table. It was intricately designed, as regal as it was thin to match her frame.

"Wow!" Anakin exclaimed. "Can I touch it?"

Shmi shook her head, not liking where this was going. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"It's not," Zannah agreed. "At least not until you've had training. What I propose is this," and she turned to Shmi. "I cannot in good conscience leave this boy a slave. He has potential. I'm sure you would agree?"

Shmi paused and then nodded. While she didn't trust this Jedi or whatever she was, it was hard to say no to someone who was offering to free your son.

"What about Mom?" Anakin demanded, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Let this be your first lesson from me. People can't do everything for you. She is your mom, thus your responsibility. The question is do you have what it takes?"

Anakin looked down and fiddled with his sleeve.

"Do not mistake me. It's not that I don't want to help you. But I would be stealing the satisfaction from you. The satisfaction of breaking our chains."

Zannah stood up. "In the morning I shall buy your freedom from that Toydarian, is that right? And in a week, after I have completed my repairs, I shall come back to see your progress."

Anakin looked up, determination in his eyes. "I'll do it!"

Zannah nodded, pleased with his attitude. In the end, though she had been delayed on her hunt for this other Jedi killer, this was a most fortuitous detour.

Getting the speeder was a breeze. Installing the hyperdrive on the other hand was a pain in the neck. She had never been too mechanically talented. A couple times she was oh so tempted to go and drag Anakin back to fix the thing for her. But she didn't want to distract him from his goal.

When she finally cranked the ship up, it was extremely satisfying. Especially after doing a straight week of physical labor in the hundred degree sun. She was beginning to feel like her old self. The orphan on Ruusan surviving in the wilderness.

She decided it was time to go see how Anakin was doing. The only thing that worried her were those chips. She didn't want to go back and find that he had failed doing something stupid. But if he had, it just meant that he wasn't worthy of being her apprentice. Bane had put her through a similar challenge after all.

As she got closer, her pace began to quicken. Jedi! And she doesn't know how she neglected to sense their presence sooner. She bypassed the shop. Neither Shmi or Anakin were there. Instead she felt them leaving the boundaries of the town, no doubt headed to their ship where her apprentice would be taken back to be corrupted by the council.

Her own presence was concealed by her sorcery and so it was easy after of few minutes of force enhanced sprinting to cut off their path. She stopped a half mile from their ship and waited for them to amble within sight.

There, the first sign of them in the distance. Shmi, Anakin, a young girl, and no doubt the thieving Jedi.

Qui-Gon pulled up, and put out his hand, indicating for the others to do the same. Something was wrong about this woman. What was she doing out here?

"Why are you in our way?" he called out over the dunes, his right hand inexplicably itching for his weapon.

"The boy is mine!" she replied, and in that moment she submerged herself in the dark side.

Immediately, Qui-Gon recognized her for what she was, as well as Obi-Wan who waited back at the ship. The padawan quickly scrambled out of the pilot seat and headed in the direction of the ominous feeling.

"I'm afraid I can't let you take him" Qui-Gon informed her.

Her only response was the activation of her red lightsaber. Anakin instinctively took a step back.

Zannah realized she was risking a lot for the sake of one force sensitive child. But she could feel it. This boy meant everything. She would claim him, even at the risk of the Sith being discovered.

"So the Sith have returned after a thousand years." Another Jedi positioned himself behind her, no doubt the Master's apprentice.

Zannah was confused by the thousand years comment, but she quickly dismissed it. Instead she focused on her goal. "Anakin," she implored. "Come with me. The Jedi shackle themselves in chains of obedience: obedience to the Jedi Council; obedience to their Masters; obedience to the Republic. Those who follow the light side even believe they must submit themselves to the Force. They are merely instruments of its will, slaves to a greater good," she quoted directly from her Master. She had heard the speech often enough. "I offer you freedom. The freedom to be who you are. You do what you feel is right, not what a code tells you is right. Whenever you see an injustice, you can correct it. This is what I offer you. Not platitudes."

Anakin didn't know what platitudes were, but he did know which side sounded better. At the same time he was very grateful for Qui-Gon, He helped him free his mother. But then Zannah had freed him personally. Qui-Gon seemed like a kind and wise person. But Zannah seemed more passionate and real.

In the end it was neither Zannah nor Qui-Gon who made up his mind. It was the angel. The most beautiful girl he had ever met. Wherever she would go, he would go. "I can't," he replied, feeling terrible about letting Rain down. "One day I will repay you for freeing me."

Zannah merely shook her head. "It does not matter. But I'm afraid I can't let the Jedi leave now that they know about me."

Qui-Gon tensed. But it turns out they didn't have to worry. Because another Sith directly arrived in a speeder and attacked the woman. "Now!" he yelled. "Run to the ship!"

Zannah's mind was racing. Another Sith? Had he survived the thought bomb? Or was he even on Ruusan at the time? Nevertheless, he was a threat to the Rule of Two, and she resolved to end him now.

She had to admit his offense was impressive, but her Soresu was nigh impenetrable by conventional means. Unfortunately, he didn't seem like the species that would tire. And so she would have to defeat him by less than conventional means. She executed her worst mind attack, and he was immediately affected, falling to his knees. "Weak," she muttered, as she prepared to deal the finishing blow. But a tremor in the force warned her in time to get out of way of blaster fire from above. The Jedi were shooting at her from their ship!

They quickly flew out of range, however, and so she turned back around to find the other Sith fleeing on his speeder.

She stamped her foot on the ground. It had been a long time since she felt this humiliated, and worse, what was Bane going to think when she told him the bad news.

He'd probably decide she wasn't worthy to be his apprentice. No, she couldn't tell him. She'd have to fix it. It wouldn't be the first time she orchestrated the "death" of her order after all.

It was a lucky thing in the place of Anakin's slave chip she had placed a long-distance transmitter.

I'm considering expanding the story to include Senya, Arcann, and Vaylin. This way Sidious has a reason to actually be nervous.