Timeframe: Star Wars is 2 years before AOTC. The other timeframes are rather distorted and very AU to the respective stories.

Genre: Action/suspense/drama/angst. Basically runs the gamut.

Characters: SW: Anakin, Obi-Wan, others later on, especially in the next parts.

RK: Kenshin, Aoshi, Saito, Okina, Hiko, others. Trigun: Vash, Legato

Disclaimer: I only claim ownership of the following characters: Leika Shinju, Kadru Teren, Kaitra Shinju, Toril Hiume. The ryuu, while based heavily on Anne McCaffrey's "Dragonriders of Pern", are also, personality wise, my own. Everyone else belongs to either George Lucas, Nobuhiro Watsuki, or Yasuhiro Nightow. Well, at least that's all the x-overs I've put in here so far... Will add further disclaimers as they become necessary.

Shards of the Heart

Book One: When Worlds Collide

Prologue: New Level

Dusk had just begun to flutter kisses of color against the sky when they appeared over the forest at the foothills of the mountains. "Does Akashath know we're coming?" she asked her ryuu as they flew towards the towering peaks.

"Yes, I've told him," came the telepathic reply. "He says that the other has not awakened yet, and that we should arrive before he does."

"Perfect. Let's see if I can pull this off."

She had yet to successfully penetrate her Sensei's hidden fortress. It wasn't that the security was difficult for her to bypass, she had managed that years ago. No, it was that last hurdle that stumped her time and again. Though she had actually managed it once, her sensei had told her that using a stun blaster was cheating and that it didn't count.

So she had to do it using that technique that she'd had major difficulty in mastering. Until now. Now she was confident that she had it, and could use it even under duress. Her last mission had given her plenty of time and targets for practice.

Soon they arrived at the hidden cave entrance to the fortress built into the mountain itself. Lestath landed long enough for her to dismount before flying to the perch where Akashath basked in the dying sunlight.

She paused at the entrance to pull her energies within herself before bypassing the security and making her way down the winding tunnel that led to his lair.

The Elders would be furious that she was here, more so if they knew that she'd been training with him for the last several years. They didn't trust his ways, even if occasions necessitated cooperation between them. Still, she was well overage and they couldn't stop her.

Testing each turn before she took it, she made it all the way down to the living chambers before she spotted Thorn, the vicious canine protector that constituted her final obstacle. He was laying before the doors to Sensei's private chambers, oblivious to her approach. For a few more seconds, at least.

His purpose was to destroy anyone who dared enter the fortress while her sensei was either not awake or away. There was no trying to calm or reason with the animal, he would only respond to one man. The man who was not yet awake to save her should she fail.

But she would not fail. She now had a new level of confidence and power that she had been missing before.

Thorn suddenly lifted his head to sniff the air. Time was running out. She quickly reached her mind into the animal's, finding the bright center of its energy. Then, before he could fully stand, she wrenched it out of its body and into hers.

The body seemed to fall in slow motion, landing with a soft thump on the plush flooring. At the same time it felt as though an electrical current was pulsing through her, energizing her. She was exhilarated. She had done it.

She entered the vast main chamber and made herself comfortable on the oversized stuffed bench. Then, making sure that her shields remained fully in place, she dropped into a light meditative state.

She focused on the coming of night, the only time he appeared. It was his way, and she had only questioned it once. His explanation was that the night was in his nature. The Energies were calmer at night, he had said, and it was then that his focus improved. As she had grown, she discovered the same was true for her as well. There was just something about the sun that seemed to drain her.

It wasn't long before she sensed his awakening presence. Only a few moments later she saw the shadow enter.

He was tall and powerfully built with a face that made his age difficult to guess, though she knew he was nearly 25 years older than her. Black hair trailed loosely down his back. Confident strides brought him into the chamber, where she was now standing, ready to greet him.

"Gaiscioch Dorcha." She gave the formal bow before he could wave it off.

"There's no need for all that between us now," he replied gruffly. "You have proven yourself." He gestured for her to sit before doing so himself. "I see that you were successful this time. Very good."

This was the closest he came to a compliment, and she was pleased.

Settling back into the wide chair opposite her, he continued. "You brought the reports?" She nodded. "Before I go over the details, I'd like you to sum up yours."

She told him how she had been building her network of informants among those groups dissatisfied with the government, and was getting closer to some solid leads. She had found the locations of more of the hidden cells, and had found an informant that seemed to have more top-level information that has already proven useful. It was a while later that she finally ended with a list of upcoming targets, including the capital, though she had been recalled before major details had become known.

After she finished, he read the careful summary of the other report. Raising an eyebrow was the only indication of emotion when he finished.

"Are you aware of what is in here?"

"Aye, Sensei. Aoshi briefed me earlier when I met with him."

"Hmmm." He fell silent for a long moment. "I must admit, Okubo calling in Jedi takes me by surprise. He must be feeling rather desperate to keep face."

"He is," she replied. "And we haven't trusted him or his lackeys enough to reveal ourselves. According to Saito, the rest of his Intelligence hasn't uncovered half of what we have. Plus, he's become paranoid of an assassination attempt." She gave a dark chuckle. "That's about the only thing he has really figured out."

"Regardless, the Jedi could present a huge problem for us." He glanced down at the datapad again, though she was sure that he had already memorized the entire summary. "They are due to arrive tomorrow, and Shinomori has already directed you to be there. I want you to meet them, and then report back to me."

"Aye, Sensei." Looking at his peculiar expression, she felt prompted to ask, "Is there something else?"

He continued to gaze at her, almost curiously she thought. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke.

"Leika, I'm just thinking about how much you have grown. Your powers have finally reached the point for you to begin learning the final lesson."

"Sensei?" Try as she would, she couldn't keep the note of excitement from betraying her otherwise calmly questioning voice.

"Yes. It would be foolish to wait any longer." His voice was very low, as though he was talking to himself. Then, it rose to its normal level of quiet calm. "Tomorrow. When you arrive, I will begin."

"Thank you, Sensei." She kept her voice low and humble, though her excitement continued to run through her. Or was that the energy still bubbling beneath the surface? It didn't matter.

He stood, and she followed his lead. "That is all for tonight. You must make your meeting, and I have things I must do as well. Reviving Thorn is one of them." He gestured at the canine sleeping in the heap he had fallen in. "I'm afraid that he will be in a bit of bad temper when he awakes. It would be best for you to go before that." Giving her a rare grin, he added, "and now that you know you can do it, it doesn't need to be done again."

She took the warning that came with those gentle words. Giving a sharp nod of her head, she let him know that she understood.

"Good." He clasped her right forearm. "I am proud of you a stor, and the progress you have made."

"Thank you." She bowed her head at the unexpected praise, struggling with her rising tide of emotion. Then she returned the gesture, and turned to leave.

"Give your mother my regards when you next see her."

"I will." With that, she left into the pitch black night.