By Tien
Numbing relief slowly eased the burning sensation. Mwynin opened her eyes but they still blurred and burned. Squeezing them shut again she heard the click swish of the door closing.
As the burning died away it was replaced by a numb tingling. She opened her eyes: the whole room seemed to be slurred together. Her stomach twisted.
Now what?
Her mind seemed to move in slow motion. What's… going on…?
Mwynin tried to focus her eyes, but instead darkness edged her vision and before she really knew what was happening she passed out.
********************more to come*****************************
Now the moment Nathan's been waiting for.........Will have to wait unless you click continue
Sec'rannce Tann looked at the words, partially but not fully comphrending their meaning. Part of it,. she felt, refered to her. To date, she was the only Sith Lord she knew of that carried a yellow lightsaber, and the only shade out of the past to return in fully physical form. The rest, however, was puzzling. As she sat by the stone, pondering the meaning of this strange inscritption, she heard voices. And footsteps. She detected the jedi she had seen on the shuttle earlier coming up the passageway. Not wanting to fight in this room, she looked around for a hiding place. Or an exit. At first, she saw neither. Then, she noticed that one of the four statues of Palpatine in the room seemed different. tapping it, she discovered it was empty. She saw a knot in the stone and pushed it. The back of the statue sswung open noiselessly and she jumped in. Using the force, she touched the knot and the statue returned to normal. Not a moment to soon. Luke Skywalker strode into the room, with Mara Jade and Eoghan following him.
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"Do you feel it, Mara?" Luke asked as they entered the strange room. He could almost feel the force leading him to this very room.
"What?" Mara replied. "The darkness of Palpatine, or the feeling of the force leading us here?"
"I only feel darkness." Eoghan said, "What feeling, Master Skywalker?"
"The feeling of the force leading us here. To this planet. To this room." Luke spoke. "I think there's something here that we need to find. Something important."
"Maybe like that rock over there?" Eoghan asked. "It has a weird feeling about it. I think there's something written on it."
"Your right, Eoghan!" Luke exclaimed. "I see writing. It's written in the Sith language."
"It's a strange inscription. From the top down it says, 'The Words of Palpatine, Emperor of the Galaxy: When shades of warriors past arise. nine and one is seven. The blazing eyes of victory. Nine and one is seven. The yellow blade, the cunning plan. Nine and one is seven. The lightning burst, the artist's brush. Nine and one is seven. Then will come the fall of the rebellion. Nine an done is seven.'" Mara read the writing on the stone.
"That's weird, it sounds like a bunch of nonsense." Eoghan said abruptly, breaking the spell of the words instantly. "The force surely didn't lead us here for this?"
"Shush, young one!" Mara snapped, his words breaking her concentration. "Let's think about this, line by line. When shades of warriors past arise. That means somoene will come back from the dead, I guess."
"Woa, back from the dead!" Eoghan said. "That's impossible. Isn't it?"
"Well, a jedi could concievably leave his body before death, and, if the physical injuries are not quite fatal and are repaired, return to it. But it seems so implausible, and no one has ever done it before, its almost impossible." Luke answered.
"But it seems to indicate that, yes, it will happen." Mara interjected. "The question is, who?"
"I have no idea, before there has never been someone like this, I'm not sure about now." Luke spoke slowly, thinking through his memories for some clue to this puzzle.
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Hidden in the statue, Sev'rannce Tann heard every word. Unlike the others, she knew exactly who the one to rise from the dead was. Her. She was the 'shades of warriors past' to arise.
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"Well, lets go on to the next line," Mara said after they stood thinking for nearly half an hour. "Nine and One is Seven."
"Now I know Palpatine was crazy. Everyone knows that nine and one is ten" Eoghan answered. "I mean, even if he was talking about nine then one it would be ninety-one. Makes no sense at all."
"Well, it has to mean something," Mara snappd. She was getting impatient with Eoghan continually dismissing everything as nonesense or impossible. Then again, if someone had told me two years ago that the empire would dig up a Sith Lord and come after us and that one measly little vong-thing and a fewe droids would kick us out of the jedi temple, I'd have said they were crazya nd this was impossible as well. Still, this prophecy ahs some important meaning, but what?
"Maybe," Luke thought out loud, "Nine and One is Seven is more symbolic, something means nine, something else means one, and something else is seven."
"So the nine thing and the one thing combine to make the seven thing" Eoghan cried out excitedly.
"Right" Mara sounded doubtful, "So now all we have to do is find out what nine and one are and see how to make the seven."
"Well, it's better than we had before." Eoghan said crossly. This was beginning to wear on all of their nerves.
"Why don't we ignore the 'Nine and One is Seven' part and just concentrate on the description of the warrior who arises." Luke suggested.
"Okay." For once Mara and Eoghan agreed.
"The blazing eyes of victory." Luke read from the stone.
"Apparently this person will have blazing eyes." Eoghan said thoughfully.
"And they will have alot of victor---" Mara trailed off as a thought struck her. "Luke, what if the person is Chiss? They have blazing eyes. Do you know where Sev'rannce Tann came from?"
"I know she attacked Kyp, Jarlath, and Ari on Krant, and late fought you and Jaina." Luke replied, confused at the question.
"How did Kyp say she came to them?" Mara persisted.
"Well," Luke answered, "I think he said at night, right after Ari dissappeared."
"And how did Ari say she found Tann?" Mara continued.
The truth hit Luke like a thunderbolt
"She said," he began slowly, "that a dark thing scared her into pushing a button and then a weird blue lady cam e unfrozen and knocked her over."
"Exactly!" Mara exclaimed. "Sev'rannce Tann is the shades of warriors past. The other descriptions are all about her. She is Sith, that's the lightning, she has a yellow lightsaber, she is very cunning in her plans, and who knows, maybe she's an artist."
"So Palpatine was predicting her rise and the fall of the rebellion, which became the New Republic which became the Federation." Luke concluded.
"There's only one thing thats bothering me," Eoghan said, "It says warriors past, not warrior past. That means plural, more tha one."
"My goodness, he's on to something!!" Luke cried. "Think, Mara, any other possible risen Chiss wa-----" He stopped as another thought hit him. A thought so terrible it didn't even bear thinking about. Mara knew immediately what he meant. "If they joiun forces--" Luke began.
"It will be the end of the Federation. " Mara finished his sentence.
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They hadn't meant to, Tann thought, but with their position, the unspoken rest of that mental exchange had gone right by her. And she had understood every word. Furthermore, Nine and One is Seven now made perfect sense to her. Never mind SLintronius, as soon as she could, she had some diplomatic negotiations to begin. And a brilliant tactician to win to her side.
**********More to Follow*****************
R4 dragged Rorn to the ship's tiny quarters and gave him what medical assistancee was needed, his mechno limbs working furiously . As he worked his internal sensors went off, someone was behind him . His dome head spun, and one of his tentacle arms shifted to its weapon mode, a blaster now aimed at Ari .
Ari froze , her hands shooting skyward . "wha's go'n on . Wha hapnd to hm . E looks huht ." R4 aimed the blaster between her eyes and said ," Back up, and sit on the restrainer chair ." Ari glanced at the chair and back at the surly droid and demanded ," Why ? Thut there char dun look tu cumfi ." R4 raised the weapon, its power pack already stuttering with a low charge . " Because if you don't, I shall be forced to shoot you ." Ari gulped and plopped into the chair ," K, k, I dun ut ." R4 inserted his computer over-ride tool into a socket and worked for an instant . Suddenly, steel and rubber binders shot out of the chair's arms, back and legs, quite effectively imobilizing a bewildered Ari . " Thet huhts, tak it oof ." She yelled, as R4 went back to Rorn .
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Dagmar sat back and laughed . This universe was rich indeed, and all of its wealth was becoming his . As his ship rocketed through hyper space, Dagmar sudden'y felt a familiar Force presence , that of that fool girl Ari, the one who had rejected the Dark Side for , what was it ? Happiness, laughter ? Rubbish, Damgar thought, he was plenty happy, and as for laughter ? He laughed every time he sent another sentient being to its doom . Quickly, Dagmar pulled back on the lever controling his engines and the ship dropped out of hyper-space beside a small craft bearing Republic colors . Immediately, he maneuvered it along side and docked with it .
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Ari screamed in fear , Dagmar was here . R4 didn't look up from his medical work even as Dagmar's crimson blade launched into his dome head . ' Ya keeled 'im !" Ari cried indigantly, even as she could feel the Force manifesting itself inside her, it had been almost an entire day since she had hurt Rorn, and she was going back into super-jedi mode . Straining in the Force, her bonds snapped, as Dagmar realized what was going on . " Impossible, I screwed up you head so bad that you shouldn't even be able to think ." he shouted, bringing his saber to bear on the angry Ari . Ari flushed and her lightsaber flew to her hand ." I wondered how that happened ." she said calmly, yet with an edge to her voice and lunged forward, slapping her lightsaber against Dagmar's . Dagmar sent out a blast of lightning and gasped as Ari easily countered it with her lightsaber . A green blade sprang into existence as a lightsaber hilt jetted from the cockpit area and into Ari's left hand . The two lightsabers whirled around Dagmar, forcing him back into the air-lock and into his own ship . As Ari slammed the hatch closed, Dagmar took the oppurtunity to Force-throw a packing case at her head from behind . He did'nt hear it strike her head or her slump unconsious, he only heard himself leaping into his pilot's seat and launching into hyperspace . Ari was unconsious but even as she lay there, Rorn awoke from his healing trance and walked into the lounge area, still wincing from his wounds . He gasped as he saw Dagmar's ship flash into hyperspace, and Ari laying there , R4 near her, his domehead, completely sliced off . Gathering the Force around Ari, Rorn levitated her into the quarters and lay her on the bed, administering a bacta patch to her head . Walking out, Rorn saw the battered droid shell, and turned back, snatching Ari's lightsaber . As an afterthought, he locked the room's hatch .
Ul Duo Urshann braced himself as Death's Claw dropped out of hyperspace. In the opposite of the twin cockpits, his son, Ul fortul ran through a serioes of planetary sensor scans. "Father, I am reading several small ships and three armed cruisers. One of the smaller ships is a fighter, a TIE defender I believe." Ul Duo glanced through the gap of space beween their cockpits and gave Ul fortul the go-ahead signal. Ul fortul locked on to the TIE fighter and shot off a small missile. As the missile entered Byss's atmosphere, the outer shell cracked off, leaving a tiny sleek homing device that thudded into the fighter, expanding on impact to magnetically seal itself to the fighter's hull. Ul fortul gave a thumbs up sign and laughed nastily as Ul Duo mimed a slit throat while pointing at the planet surface.
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Tann walked up to her ship, not even hesitating before crushing the tracking device, set so discreetly on the enging exhaust manifold. She remote controlled the hatch to open, while using the Force to throw the branches and camoflague off of her ship. Tann leaped into the seat and instantly began to prep the engines, she could feel some sort of menace here. She would not leave the planet yet, but would dispose of this upstart. The TIE's engines began to whine, protesting the cold start, but responded sluggishly to her commands. Tann eased the tiny fighter out of the trees and shot toward the edges of the atmosphere. As the sky faded from its bright color to the dead black of space, Tann felt a small ship come around the side of Byss's moon. Her lips curled back slightly,as her fingers played with the fire controls. Squeezing the triggers simultaeniusly, green blasts of energy darted out and wreaked havoc on the on-coming ships shields. The strange craft began to evade with fluid movements, darting in, out, and around Tann's laser blasts. A single energy missile launched from the fighter and collided with Tann's armor, not breaching the quantum armor of course, but leaving a visible smear of carbon scoring. Tann switched over to concussion missiles and fired off a round.
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Ul Duo cursed in his native tongue as he saw the projectile streaking toward him .Pulling Death's Claw into evasive maneuvers, he shouted at Ul fortul to concentrate the sheilds at the missiles most likely point of impact. As the small ship turned, Ul Duo felt it shudder with the impact of the concussion missile. Ul fortul's clawed hands flew over his controls trying to bring shields back online, but it was too late. Sev'Rannce Tann's TIE defender was strafing them with ion cannon fire. In a very short moment, all electrical systems were offline.
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Tann smiled in satisfaction as the strange shaped fighter fell toward Byss's surface. Suddenly she leaned forward, probing the ship intently. Both of the beings aboard the ship were using the Force to steady the vessel and keep it from breaking apart in the planet's atmoshphere. Tann directed her ship after the wounded vessel, not firing or ramming, just watching as the fighter plummeted to the ground. her own ship settled gently to the soil as a huge reptiloid alien with a cybernetic leg, clambered out of the crashed fighter and seconds later a smaller version of himself. Both glared at Tann's fighter and the larger raised a clawed hand and lifted a huge boulder using the Force. Tann watched calmly as the boulder was thrown toward her and a mere split-second before it crushed her, she stopped it dead. An instant later it was hurled straight back at the lizards, crushing their fighter as theyleapt aside, activating crimson blades.
Tann shook her head it seemed they were giving lightsabers to whoever wanted one these days. such disorder. Her own lightsaber dropped from her belt into her hand and the sun-yellow blade activated with a hiss.
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Ul Duo stared in astonishment as the Chiss Imperial drew a yellow lightsaber. Darth Slintronius had not said anything about her being a Sith or Jedi. Yes, definetly Sith, he decided as Tann fired a blast of lightning at his son, who evaded it with a sideways roll. Ul Fortul came out of the roll and threw a glop grenade at the Chiss. It was designed to explode on impact and encase the victim in a sphere of un-breakeable goo. But Sev'rannce caught the grenade with the Force and tossed it to the side. Ul Duo roared in anger and charged at the female Sith Whoever heard of such a thing? he thought and swung mightily at her head.
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Tann sidestepped the heavy swing and ducked beneath the smaller lizard's follow up blow. Her lightsaber lashed out and removed the tip of its tail, quite neatly. It roared in pain jumped back, bringing its weapon back ro en guarde position.
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Ul Duo stepped back as Ul Fortul's pain reverberated through the force. That Imperial will pay! he thought as hate filled his mind. Bringing his weapon around he launched a fierce three-slash attack on Sev'rannce Tann, driving her back. He realized too late that it was a trap, her saber deflecting his aside and lightning rushing from her left hand. All he could do was raise a hasty force-shield and numb the pain as the attack burned him. Ul Fortul bellowed as Ul Duo fell, catching his fathers blade in the force and attacking with two lightsabers. Tann's one easily outmatched his two, and despite his best efforts he was driven back.
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Ul Duo struggled to his feet through the pain. At least his force-shield had prevented him from being permanantly damaged, though the burns really hurt. Ul Fortul was being steadily driven back by the furious Chiss's attacks. "Throw me a weapon, son!!" He called as Ul Fortul nearly lost his head to a vicious backswipe. Ul Fortul threw the lightsaber to Ul Duo, who caught it in the force just before Sev'rannce Tann grabbed it. He charged to his son's rescue as Tann knocked Ul Fortul to the ground. Sev'rannce spun to face the new threat, kicking Ul Fortul to the side as she did. The lizard skidded several yards and groaned, only arising when he saw his father engaged hand-to-hand with the red-eyed demon. Crying out, he charged again. Instead of turning, Tann maneuvered Ul Duo into a spin, forcing Ul Fortul to stop his mad rush or run his father through. With both lizards in front of her once again, Sev'rannce Tann returned to the defensive and parried every thrust as the lizards threw all their abilities against her. They combined their power and a huge boulder was torn from the rocky soil and hurled at Tann, only to explode in molten fragments as she blasted it with lightning. The lizards hissed in pain as the lava splattered on their skin and they each moved to opposite sides, trying to flank Sev'Rannce and kill her. Tann recognized the maneuver for what it was and just as the two Sith reached her sides, she leapt straight up, letting the lizard's crimson blades burn and sear the skin of the other.
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Ul Duo fell to his knees, gasping in pain. Forcing his eyes upward, he saw Ul fortul laying in a heap, several metres away. His son was still alive but on the breaking point. His pain began to fuel his anger, fuleing the Dark Side inside him. Power began to course through his veins again, and he struggled to his feet. His lightsaber flew to his hand and he thumbed the activation controlsand the red blade sprang back to existence.
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Tann was walking away, not feeling the need to finish off the two assasins, for to kill helpless opponents was not honorable. Then she felt the Force again coursing around the larger of the two Itarni ( Yes, the species is Itarni ). He had survived that blind attack. His power was great, she mused. Turning, Tann saw the tall lizard standing, wavering in the wind but standing. He had lightsaber burns on his left side, and his mechanical leg was a little worse for wear, but he was ready to fight. Tann sighed and re-activated her weapon. The tall Itarni began to stumble toward her, dragging his metal leg just a little, and wincing as his left arm brushed against his wounds. Tann glanced at the smaller lizard, who was also trying to get up, but not doing very well. Tann sighed and brought her lightsaber up, blocking the first weak blow from the larger lizard, and counter-attacking with a Force shove. As they fought, the smaller Itarni was slowly dragging himself toward the battle, un-noticed by both. Tann tossed the big lizard back, and knocked his lightsaber from his claw. She stood over him, her lightsaber at his throat, almost close enough to burn the skin. " Who sent you ? " she asked, her voice sounding a bit annoyed.
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Ul Duo squirmed a little, trying to get the blade a little further from his throat, but the yellow laser followed his movements, so he stopped, besides, he would not grovel before anyone. " Never, will I betray my employer." Tann didn't look too unhappy as she gestured at Ul fortul, who was still crawling toward them. "Shall I have to ..... " and leaving her sentence un-finished, she let the Force appear around her hand in a ball of lightning. Ul Duo's face paled and he said ."You win, I shall reveal all ." Tann nodded and let the energy playing at her fingertips, flicker out. " Tilshinotar Slintronius hired I and my son, to hunt you down and kill you and then execute your second im command, Grand Admiral Pellaeon ." Tann nodded slowly, and lifted the tip of her lightsaber slightly.
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Ul fortul drew the Dark Side into him, blocking the pain and gaining strength . Rising up to his knees and then to his feet, he began to slowly walk forward and then he began to run. His lightsaber came as it was bidden to his hand and the blade activated, its red light casting patterns on his scaled hide. The Chiss began to turn, obviously hearing the sound of his lightsaber.
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Sev'Rannce Tann whipped her head around, seeing the smaller Itarni running right at her, his lightsaber held high and ready to strike. She glanced down at the larger, still unable to move, with her lightsaber at his throat. His lightsaber lay several metres away, the blade extinguished. Reaching out with the Force, Tann lifted the Sith weapon, the blade still de-activated and sent it flying toward the Itarni's son. When only a few feet from his chest, still unseen in the night darkness, Tann twisted her wrist and the crimson blade activated, right into the chest of the lizard.
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Pain, never have I felt such pain. A flash of red, appearing in the night, right before it cuts into my body. As I look down, I see my father's lightsaber, impaling me. Ul fortul slowly fell to his knees, his blood seeping out from the wounds caused by the lightsabers bladed hilt, the main wound cauterized by the laser. As he fell, his eyes slowly glazing over, Ul fortul heard his father's voice scream in their own language ," NNNNNOoooooooooo.
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Ul Duo's tail lashed around, swiping at Tann's legs and throwing her to the ground. His son's lightsaber flew into his hands and he caught it in a death grip. Empowered by his rage, and by his hatred of this Chiss who had just killed his only son, the lightsaber seemed to move of its own will, slashing and hacking at Tann, each blow nearly knocking her weapon from her hands .
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Tann marveled at this new show of strength in the old Itarni. Just a moment before he had been drained, his strength gone, and he had been in her power. Now he was fighting like a crazed rancor on drugs. She ducked beneath a slash that would have taken her head off swept him aside with a wave of her hand, her telekenetic powers unmatched by those of the Itarni. Casting lightning at him, she kept him at a distance, then, stopping the lightning attack, she held her hand out, grasping his blade in the force. She pulled and despite Ul Duo's best efforts the weapons came loose, flying through the air to land in the grasp of Sev'rannce Tann. She held both blades, point forward, and approached Ul Duo.
"You have fought your fight, serpent, and have come up wanting in the balance of power. Surrender and you will be given a merciful death by the force. Don't make me cut you to ribbons before you die." She grew ever closer as she spoke those words.
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Ul Duo wasn't listening. Reaching through the force, pain and all, he pulled a boulder and cast it towards the accursed Chiss Warrior. As Sev'rannce, hurling his weapon into a pool of water and blasting the rock with lightning, Ul Duo turned and dis-appeared into the night. Sev'rannce Tann could have followed him, but he wasn't important right now, of no use to her . Striding purposefully off into the night, she went to see about the other force-users on this planet. Slintronius and the jedi are next.
As Sev'rannce Tann walked away from the place where she had defeated the Itarni, she thought to herself about the whole loyalty between the two. If that smaller one had just lain there, he'd probably still be alive now she mused. They worked together fairly well, just not well enough, then again, there are few in existence that work well enough to defeat me. As soon as that thought popped into her head, the memory of Krant sprang unbidden to her mind.
I had just finished one of the swiftest and most devastatingly effective campaigns of the clone wars. From Geonosis to Tatooine to Eredenn to the Wookies. And to Sarapin. Sarapin had been the crown jewel of the energy worlds, producing eighty percent of the energy on Coruscant. With the decimators, that conquest had been easy. Not even the jedi master Jor Drakas could stop me. The fool had fallen, cut down by my blade in open battle. If only he had surrendered, he would have saved msot of his army, and himself. Why don't these people just give in to order. It would save them so much grief. And so much death. Her wandering memories returned to the battle. The accursed jedi Echuu Shen-Jon had landed on Krant with his armies and attacked. He'd been pursuing me from Geonosis ever since I had killed his padawan in battle. His troops ahd advanced, too early, before the Decimators were ready. the droid armies had resisted him, but there was no stopping him and the fury of his padawan. They stormed through the jungles, and I awaited them. As they entered the clearing, I struck. The lightning and flung vines kept Echuu at bay while his padawan charged. I easily outfought her, and captured her. I could feel his hate as my ship lifted off for the fortress. His army pursued, and the more troops had come from off-world. Nearly a quarter of the Republic's available clones were at that battle. The cruisers had torn huge gashes and holes in the side of my fortress. All the while, I directed the defense, the young jedi at my side. Then he had burst in, weapon drawn. U attacked and he swept my sallies aside, so hot did his fury burn. The anger was evident on his face, and anyone could tell that he was using the dark side. I had fought with all my skill, supremely confident that this jedi would fall like they always had. I let that confidence get the better of me, getting sloppy in our fight. Then he struck. I remember the white-hot pain as his lightsaber burnt through my chest, could feel the glee in his mind as I fell to the ground, the wound cauterized by the heat of his blade, could feel myself slipping into a black oblivion. then, the seperation. Gathering all the power I could muster, I sprang, spirit from body, doomed to remain forever a wandering wisp in the winds of Krant. The battle had raged around me. The Republic, finally content that my force was so battered that it could do them no more harm, withdrawing their forces. Those first days were the worst, tossed about on the winds, lost, with no footing, no purpose, aimlessly wandering the planet, still smoldering with hate an dsimmering with rage about my defeat, cursing myself for the overconfidence and sloppiness that had gotten me killed in the first place. Then I felt a change, a very subtle one, but still, a change. The few remaining droids had found my body, and taken it to the medical ward. Bacta had healed the wound. I leapt across the spirit-world in Krant, racing for life. I was too slow. The same efficiency that had had the droids heal a dead body led them to then freeze it in carbonite. Foiled. Left with my last hope snatched away. Until Ari had arrived. she smiled at the ease with which she had 'convinced' the foolish young girl to release her. As she walked through the caverns of Byss, a feeling caught her attention. the force sense or a jedi. A weak one. A padawan. Reading his mind like an open book, she sensed that he was named Eoghan. And he was all alone. Stealthily, she broughht her presence down to the smallest she could, and snuck up on him.
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Eoghan had been having a rough night. Sleep hadn;t come easily, tossing and truning in his bed as he seemed to feel a powerful darkness outside. Almost a darknes at war with itself. Luke and Mara had dismissed it as Palpatine, but Eoghan wasn't so sure. He didn;t think it felt evil enough to be the remnant of whatever presence Palpatine had left here. It didn't feel like the stain at Endor where Palpatine had died. This wasn't a surge of bitterness, but of......Hate....Anger.......Loss..........Pain...........and...................Triumph. It seemed to subside and he finally got some sleep.But even his sleep was uneasy. He was haunted by dreams.
A shadow moving in the breeze. An old strength, a power newly awakened. A great power, unmatched in intensity. An indomitable might that seemed like none could tame. His dream began to take form. He was walking in a cave, much like the ones back on Yavin 4, when suddenly the room went dark.how an already pitch-black room could go dark he had no idea, but dreams rarely make complete sense. The darkness seemed to get deeper and thicker until the whole room was full of a thick blackness that threatened to overwhelm him. As he began to shrink back, choking in the blackness, a white light suddenly appeared, burning hot as the suns of Tatooine. A memory poped into his mind, his mother, father, 9 sisters and 8 brothers all asleep in the same room, laying on the floor burning with heat from after the hot day. Trying not to touch any one as he walk to the kitchen accidentally pouring the water onto his foot and the floor. His father's sunburnt angrey face yelling at him. He had only been a small 2 year old. His memories faded and the dream came back. The darkness immediately converged on the light, bringing that immense force against it. The light began fading, burning dimmer and dimmer, as more dark power fell upon it. It blinked several times, and fell almost to nothingness. A tiny sliver of silver, pale, alone, surrounded by darkness. He reached out to touch the kight............... and fell, PLOP, out of bed. He bonked his head on the floor and cried out, awaking Luke and Mara in the next room. Wearing his normal jedi robes, Luke rushed into the room. Mara followed, still pulling the hood over her face as she darted in. Their lightsabers were drawn.
"What is it, Eoghan?" Luke asked.
"Nothing, master, just a dream. Then I fell out of bed. No problems." H e assured them.
"Okay, you go back to sleep. Luke and I have work to do, stay here and on't move. we'll be back in the morning. Don't go anywhere." Mara warned Eoghan as she and Luke turned and walked out, going opposite directions down the corridors of the massive Byss complex.
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As she crept in on the room, Sev'rannce Tann could still feel where Luke and Mara had been. I'd best lure this one out into the caverns. She thought. Skiming his mind, she caught the end of his memory of the dream. Gathering the force, she created a small silver light in his room, just a speck, like he remembered.
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When he saw the light from his dream appear in his room, Eoghan's eyes nearly popped out of his head, It looked identical to what he remembered. The light seemed to beckon to him, a mysterious feeling siezed him that he should touch it. Reaching out, he walked towards the light. When he was almost in reach, it moved, matching his pace as he followed it, eyes fixated on it, as one in a trance. His hand out streched, gaze was unflinchingly,on the light as he followed it farther and farther away from his room, where Mara had told him to stay. As it led him further and further. Deeper and deeper, into the caverns, part of him began wanting to turn back. It was rather obstinate. You really should go back. You don't know what's down here, and Mara said to stay put..
Oh, Mara's just being mean, like with the porophecy. She just doesn't want me to see anything. While she and Luke go off and have all the fun, "Stay here Eoghan and don't move, and while your at it, you can make me some tea and coffe and a whole gourmet dinner even if you don't know how to cook. I'll go off and have all the adventures YOUNG padawan.
He followed the light into another cavern.
That's not true the voice insisted. Mara only has your best interest in mind. Who knows what's out there, and you were being a little snippy and ignorant back in that prophecy-room
He followed the light into another cavern.
Go away, your bothering me, who are you anyways
He followed the light into another cavern.
I'm not going away, and you had better march yourself right back up to that room and stay there
He followed the light into another cavern.
Are you trying to play conscience or something? I know what I'm doing, I'm not an initiate
He followed the light into another cavern.
And what are you doing, exactly? the meddling voice was getting kind of annoying.
He followed the light into another cavern.
I'm going to touch that light. I saw it in my dream and I want to touch it. Now just GO AWAY!!!
He followed the light into another cavern.
The voice didn't respond.
Suddenly, the light vanished. He stopped in surprise, and then, turned to walk back out of the room. At that instant, he felt a sensation of darkness that he had never felt before. Suddenly, light appeared, a harsh yellow glow. He heard the snap of a lightsaber ignite. In the erie glow it gave off, he could make out a shadowy outline holding it.
"Hello, Eoghan. Welcome to Byss, planet of the Sith."
The voice was unmistakeable. After the Antilles execution, everyone kew the voice of Sev'rannce Tann.
Eoghan yelled in terror as his stomach flipped he ran as he never had before, tripping over a stalagmite as the Sith warrior ran after him. Springing to his feet, he snatched his lightsaber from where it hung and the the green blowed burst into existence. He stabbed uselessly at the black figure, crying out into the force for help, as well as out loud.
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Three levels up, Luke felt Tann's sudden emergence and the force-cry from Eoghan. running for the nearest turbolift, he instead decided to chop through, slicing holes in the ceilings of two floors.
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Sev'rannce Tann batted Eoghan's stab aside with her blade, slashing the young jedi across the chest with the backswing of her blade, leaving him a bad burn but not cutting anything else. "You know you can't win, surrender now, padawan.
Suddenly, light streamed into the room as Luke cut through the ceiling. He came down in only one place. Unlike the other floors Luke had gone through, this one's ceiling was four hundred feet high. The illuminating beam of light shone down upon Sev'rannce Tann as she swung her weapon. Eoghan blocked only to have her bounce the stroke off his blade and sweep in, slicing clean through his weapon's handle. With out a lightsaber, and in a hostile environment, Eoghan backed up slowly, still facing Tann, who lifted her blade to finish him, when luke jumped through the hole, using the force to guide himself to a safe landing. He landed between Tann and Eoghan, lightsaber drawn, and took the blow meant for Eoghan's neck on his blade.
"Run, Eoghan, I'll deal with her!!!!" He shouted as Tann spun her weapon and launched an attack. Luke caught the blow and backed up as he did. He called again, "RUN!!!!!!!"
With tears streaming down his face, Eoghan ran as fast as his legs would carry him (which was quite a considerable speed), calling desperately for Mara in the force. He turned his head to see Luke holding his ground against the Chiss demon, paying blow for blow as the two struggled. As he ran, he suddenly fell, hit in the knees by a flying rock the back of his knee started bleeding. More rockes pelted him as he lay on the ground. With one hand, Tann held off Luke as she pelted Eoghan with stones with the other. Soon, only his head peeked out from the pile of rocks that covered him. His bones were bruised and more than he'd prefer were broken. He tried to shift the rocks, but that did no good. Suddenly, Tann fired a quick bolt of lightning and then pivoted, sweeping her saber in a strokle that would taken off Luke's head if he had not blocked it and stepped away.
The lightning bolt struck the rockpile, fusing them together into a single solid rock with Eoghan stuck inside. As the jedi master and the Sith warrior fought, the voice once again berated Eoghan.
If you hadn't gone and followed that light none of us would be in this mess
Yes, I suppose so. If only I had listened to Mara. But no, I had to go be a dope and follow the light.
Well, at least you knew Jacen's technique for heat suppression, other wise you'd be covered in third degree burns
Yeah, instead of second degree burns like I am now? I feel so much better
He stopped arguing with himself to watch the fight. Master Skwalker was doing better, not allowing so many strokes to pierce his middle guard. Suddenly, he launched a series of fierce slashing attacks that drove Sev'rannce Tann back across the cavern. Nothing she did coudld stop Luke as in his desperation for survival he came on in an all out assault. Tann's robe was singed several times as Luke's attacks routinely fell through to her inner guard. She stepped back again and again as Luke moved in perfect sync with the force, allowing himself to be carried away in it.
Suddenly, Tann made an upwards motion with her hand and a particularly nasty sharp rock jumped off the ground an d smashed into the back of Luke's head. She pushed his weapon aside an began to attack fiercely. Eoghan realized that, rather than being driven back by Luke's strokes, she had been luring him into an ambush.
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Luke's head beat like a drum, his vision gone watery as the pain from where the rock had hit him lanced throughout his body. It couldn't have been a big rock, no bigger than one kilogram, but Tann's power had made it like a blaster slug, so hard had it hit him. It was only the force keeping him conscious as he struggled through the dizzy spell. He was being driven back by each stroke. Feeling behind him, he noted with dismay that the wall was there. Tann's blows were knocking him back with their pure force. If he got cornered against a wall, she would simply hit him hard enough to drive his own weapon into him. He couldn't let that happen. Suddenly, a solution presented itself. Reaching out in the force, he sent several handfulls of sand flying at Tann's face.
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In order not to get hit in the eyes by the sand, Tann turned the battle so that her back was facing the oncoming sand. Turned sideways, Luke had more room to back up. As she drove Luke back again, the sand struck her back. Despite the heavy Sith robes and the specially-made body armor under them, the sand struck her hard, biting into her like the stroke of a cat-o-nine tails. She drew in a sharp breath from the pain, dampening it immediately with the force. She and Luke both stood back, lightsabers ready, as the pain from their wounds passed. With battle cries, they both charged again, blades locking as they now strove with the force. Unable to hold up, Luke allowed himself to be flung across the room by Tann, softening his landing and standing upright. It was a bad mistake. Extending her hand, Sev'rannce Tann grabbed hold of the lightsaber, wrenching it from his grasp. It flew across the room and into her hand. Luke took a step back and tripped. Holding both blades in one hand,
"Master Skywalker, you are defeated. Your pathetic jedi arts are no where near my power. Now you have two choices. Join the Empire, or die. Embrace the power of the Dark Side, or Embrace your own destruction."
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Mara neared the chamber, sprinting through the caverns, hoping Luke could hold out long enough, pushing herself to be there in time.
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"I will neer join you. Vadar and the Emperor tried to turn me and failed. As will you. You will follow them into the abyss of death. You will never triumph." Luke spoke shakingly as he lay, helpless to stop the twitching from his nervous system overrun with electricity.
"Very well." Tann said. "You will embrace death. Luke Skywalker, prepare to die." The final word escaped her mouth as she finished walking briskly across the room. Lifting both blades, she struck.
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As Tann struck, Mara reached the entrance to the cavern. It seemed like things moved in slow motion as the blades descended. Mara hurled her weapon across the cavern. It activated at her command as she ran after it. Tann's blades descended on Luke as Mara's blade covered him, blocking the double stroke. Mara grabbed her weapon and leapt at Tann. Even though she had half as many weapons as her foe, Mara was no longer thinking about odds. The red light of total war shone in her eyes as she struck blow after blow upon the Sith Lord who had nearly, and might actually have, killed her husband. Striking again and again, she drove Tann back.
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Eoghan could see that this was no ambush. The fury of Mara's attack would have driven anyone back. He watched through his tears as Mara sliced Luke's lightsaber habdle and reduced Tann's arsenal to one blade. The two of them continued fighting as Tann regained her balance and began resisting firmly. Still, Mara drove both of them back. The exited the room down a side corridor and Eoghan could only hear the clash of blades and see the erie reflectionjs from downb the tunnel. He would have smacked his head against the wall, if he could move, he felt like an idiot, and knew every one would tell him so after this whole affair. IF he lived that long
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Tann took another step back, waiting for Mara's fury to spend itself. So far it showed no signs of abetting, a rushing tide of anger and even hate so strong, it reminded her of that fateful battle against Echuu Sen-Jon back on Krant.
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Back in the cavern, Mara cut Eoghan free from the rock tomb he was trapped in, castigating him severely the entire time. Instead of arguing, Eoghan took it all, knowing that he deserved even more than he got. Eoghan lifted the limp, unconscious body of Luke Skywalker, Mara walking close by. In case of more trouble. They and made their way to the surface and their ship. Eoghan was half glad Luke was unconsious, he wouldn't be able to look him in the face again.
Sev'rannce Tann darted down the corridor, running towards the presence of Slintronius. With Skywalker badly hurt, Jade Skywalker hopefully buried in the rubble, and the Itarni incapacitated, Slintronius was next to recieve a visit. With mild interest she felt Ric Gronard approaching through space. It's shaping up like old home week. Good thing I brought my annoying-Vong-mutant-cure with me. Now all we need is............ the thought trailed off as she walked through the passages of Byss, prepared to kill another of the galaxies worst villains.
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Hours later, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Ul Duo limped back into the small clearing and collapsed to his knees, in front of his son's dead body. Hissing in grief for his species had no other way to show sadness, he gathered Ul fortul into his arms and and carried him toward a large boulder, that had been up-rooted during the battle. Laying him reverently beside it, Ul Duo began to gather wood and branches for his son's funeral pyre. Finally gathering enough for a decent blaze, Ul Duo gently set his son down on the wood covered boulder. He stepped back and gathered the Force around him and ignited a log in flames. The blaze soon caught the other wood and his son's body was reduced to ashes while Ul Duo sat in a trance.
Pain, the weak Jedi believe it is their body alerting them to the fact that they need to heal, they suppress it, extinguish it. Never realizing its true power. Sith for generations have know of the power of pain as used as a weapon, both in themselves and inserting it into the mind of an opponent.
Ul Duo concentrated on his wounds, the fiery pain making him clench his teeth in agony, but still he used it. Stroking and fanning the pain as a small fire, he began to heal, not because of the absence of pain, but because of the intensity of it, keeping infection away.
Pain increased awareness, heightened the senses, filled the coffers of rage, nothing was as powerful as pain, said the mind of Ul Duo Urshann, as he rose, twelve hours later, entirely healed and renewed by the force. His son's cremation flames had long since burned down, leaving cold dead ashes. Mixing the ashed with water from the pool that his lightsaber still rested in, Ul Duo created a paint, a paint of death. It was tradition with his people to paint themselves with the ashes of a loved one and wear them until the loved one's killer was dead. Ul Duo did this now, covering his body with strange designs and symbols. On his arm Ul Duo took a knife and cut the name "Sev'Rannce Tann," while muttering a well known curse of his people. When he killed Tann, the name would dis-appear, wiped clean by the Force. Walking over to the pool of water, Ul Duo raised his hand and his son's lightsaber erupted from the urface of the water and flew into his hand. His own came to his hand from the ground where Ul fortul had died, still stained with his son's blood. "This blade shall take your life, Tann, as it did my son's at you hand." he vowed, holding the weapon high, before plunging the scarlet blade deep into the planet's soil.
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Half a planet away, Slintronius felt Ul Duo's presence with a sinking heart. The Itarni blamed him partly for his son's death, for Slintronius had sent them on this mission without telling them of the quarry's being Sith. He stood and stepped toward the mirror on the wall, noting ruefully the shortness of his steps, old man's steps, as he walked up to the large mirror. His face on one side was blackened by his ill-fated encounter with Ric, the scar black and sunken with red lines running through at various intervals. His hand grasped the medallion hanging at his chest and summoned the energy to activate it. The medallion was the source of his Force abilities. From birth, Slintronius had been slightly Force sensitive, not enough to become a Jedi or Sith, but enough to do minor feats or parlor tricks, such as lift a tiny stone, or slightly influence a weak mind, but the true source of his power was this medallion. Created by a Sith lord of millenia past, the disk of metal had the ability to store and release Force energy. Slintronius had found it on one of his pirating expeditions, part of the collection of a extremely wealthy business man, who delighted in collecting memorabilia of past society's weapons and artifacts. Slintronius' slight Force senstivity had allowed him to activate the medallion, resulting in its stored Force power, draining into the pirate, and giving him power. He could use the Force in ways that he could not before, his new sensitivity allowing him to call upon greater amounts of the Force. He wore the medallion now, just as an ornament and because if it was destroyed, he would lose his powers.
All of his Sith belongings were stolen or bought. He had done nothing but kill and steal his way to his former power. It was hard to believe, he mused, that only weeks before, Tilshinotar Slintronius was the most powerful man in the universe . Now he was back to being a pirate. His fortress on the hidden moon was destroyed by Ric Gronard, That insolent whelp, he thought. It hadn't really been his anyways though, Slintronius had hired mercenary forces to wipe out the troops of the rich alien who built it, and then had killed the alien himself. Bane'Ous ? That fool alien had bestowed upon himself the rank of Sith lord, because he had a few minor abilities and had killed Jedi. Slitronius knew that the alien species of Ban'Ous could not touch the force, in fact, they couldn't even move around without their battle suits. Darth Rakar, Slintronius had found on Korriban, while trying to mulitply his power. The Sith lord had been put in stasis by his own kind, who feared him and his uncanny powers. His few Sith apprenitces, including STcomm, the arrogant stormtrooper commander, Slintronius had used the medallion to infuse them with Force sensitivity, and gave them lightsabers from the same collection he got the medallion from. Suddenly, the sound of metal creaking and tearing, forced him from his reverie. The blast doors guarding his santcum, flew over his head and struck the far wall. He felt her presence before he turned, and quaked in fear, knowing what it meant for him. "Greetings, Sev'rannce Tann. I trust you had a good journey?" Slintronius said quietly, trying to keep the manic fear out of his voice. Tann narrowed her eyes and said, "Whether I did or not, you shall die here today." Slintronius felt the hilt of his lightsaber beneath his tunic, but instead of drawing it, asked," Do you have a reason for killing me?" As he turned to face her, Tann looked surprised for an instant before snapping back her reply. "For to leave you alive represents chaos, for I have no way to be sure that you will not try to build another fleet and attack me. Also, you sent assasins after me, oh and by the way, the smaller is dead, and the father has probably succumbed to his wounds by now. But most of all, because you are a brute beast, a wreckage of a man. Your crimes against even the dark side outweigh anything you may have done. Your destruction of Lyth Aria, causing her to become what she is, ruining the beauty of her sight, are worthy of death." Slintronius felt his face bleach, "You killed Ul Duo's son and left him alive?" He shouted at Tann, forgetting his fear of her in the shock of this new revalation. " Itarni will never forget the death of a loved one and will hunt its killer until death. Ul Duo will not rest unitl your blood and mine stains his claws. "
"That is quite right, but in your case, I would not stoop to dirtying myself with the blood of such a mongerel." a new voice hissed. Both Tann and Slintronius turned slowly to see Ul Duo Urshann standing in the battered doorway. In one clawed hand was a lightsaber, in the other, the corpse of one of Slintronius' guards. His body was streaked and whorled with a dark paint and the smell of death emanated from him. Tann activated her lightsaber, facing Ul Duo and ignoring Slintronius, totally. Slintronius felt for his lightsaber and leaping at Tann swung it at her back while activating it. He felt an invisible force throw him back, back toward the open window. He twisted around in the air to see the ground rushing up at him, about two stories down but coming up fast. Slintronius hit hard, a rather large rock breaking his fall. Surprisingly, he was not dead, nor were bones broken, he was just bruised, But something was very wrong, Slintronius felt, or did not feel. The Force seemed to have almost totally left him, he could just barely feel it. He looked slowly down and saw the shattered remains of the Sith medallion that had given him his power. With its destruction, his abilities faded. "NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOoooooooooooo!" Slintronius screamed out, even as he saw a familiar face appear in the clearing.
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Ric Gronard had arrived in the Byss system, a mere thirty minutes ago, and now he was glad he had followed the Force's bidding to come here, for it had delivered his greatest enemy right into his hands. Tilshinotar Slintronius sat on a rock, forty metres away, shivering in fear. Ric wondered briefly why Slintronius's Force presence was so diminished, but dismissed the thought in his hunger for Slintronius's death. He gathered the Force into a small tenderil and reached out, closig Slintronius's wind pipe, constricting airways.
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Up in the huge room, Ul Duo lunged at Tann, his son's lightsaber in one hand, his own in the other. The crimson blades hacked at Tann's defenses, at seferal points, cutting through her long Sith Robe, until she dropped it, preferring to fight without the long cloak. The jewelled body armor sparkled in the light, nearly blinding Ul Duo. He shrank back from the shimmering figure, amazed at the beauty of it. Countless Corusca Jems mixed covered the flightsuit of thick woven arachnid silk, but what caused the most sparkling was what covered it. A full Quantum Press had been applied. The armor was nearly impregnable, the nost powerful materials the galaxy had to offer. The cortosis ore under the gems was not even seen, so brightly did Tann's raiment glimmer. Ul Duo bellowed and swept forwards, hacking wildly. Her yellow blade blocked his strikes, never having a chance to retaliate in his fury. In dismay, Ul Duo realized, that the energy pack in his son's lightsaber was nearly drained from its over-nighter in the pool of water, and clipped it to his belt, using only his own blade now. Tann began to press her advantage now, leaping on top of a large pile of crates and blasting at him with lightning. He stepped back, just in time as a a hard rock whipped by where his head had been seconds before.
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Ric dropped the Force choke, as Slintronius began to succumb to the lack of air, and the former Sith dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. As the old man began to recover, Ric slipped his multi-weapon out and let it go into its long and slender form, like a whip, which was exactly what Ric wanted it to be. The multi-weapon lashed out, guided by a twitch of Ric's fingers, and curled around Slintronius's torso, bringing the blood to the surface and quite neatly knocking the breath out of him again.
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Ul Duo constructed a large Force shield that strengthened as it drained the energy from Tann's lightning. Tann saw this and stopped, heaving a crate at him with the Force. Ul Duo sent a crushing wave of Force directly at the incoming crate, shattering it and then leaped up to Tann's level, where they began to duke it out, seeing who's Force powers were stronger. Tann fired lightning, which Ul Duo countered with a Force shield and thrown crates. She threw a crate, he would break it and send the shrapnel straight at her. The shrapnel clattered harmlessly off of the gleaming body armor. Finally, Tann leaped to the Crate he stood on, and they began to fight again with lightsabers. The blades moved quickly, but Ul Duo was at a decided disadvantage. The gleaming light from Tann's armor had a worse effect on his vision than he had first noticed. Now, he could barely see. The room moved around, the intense light was all he could see. Not even the brightest day on Itarn could compare to this brilliant gleaming.
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With a final shove, Sev'rannce Tann knocked Ul Duo from his perch on the crate. She poured more pwoer into the gleaming armor. Ul Duo was forced to look away, she shone now as brightly as the surface of a star. Ul Duo backed up, then whipped a crate at her. Not even worrying enough to block it, the wooden crate shattered on impact with her armor. Sweeping her weapon around, she drained some of the brightness to put force pwoer behind her blow. Ul Duo turned his head in time to block the swing as he squinted to see the yellow blade against the wite light. He lashed out at the center of the light, trying to end it, wishing he had not sliced the Sith robe from his foe. The yellow blade came flying from to smah into his and knock it away. Tann stabbed as his blade went down and Ul Duo had to step back to avoid being skewered. He brought his weapon back to en guarde and blocked two more strokes. Suddenly, a pebble smacked into his back, drawing blood. Roaring in pain, he stepped forward and struck. Tann dodged aside and with a sweep nearly decapitated him. it was wswift reflexes trhat saved his head. He stabbed in under her stroke and she brought her blade down on top of his, once again knocking it down. She stabbed and he stepped back, only to have her sweep up with her left hand. SCHLACK!!!!! A floor tile struck his back and he stumbled forwards. Tann blocked his wild swing and brought her weapon in an another stroke. She bounced it off his blade and swinging around, brought it up under his left arm . Ul Duo screamed in pain as the hot blade sliced up through his shoulder and severed it totally .. He had never been cut open with a lightsaber. His severed arm fell to the floor. This must be the pain my son felt when he was slain he thought. The thought gave him a fresh burst of anger. He rushed at the light and swung, cutting it in half, only to realize that it was an illusion. The real Tann landed from a flip, behind him, blade held ready to strike. He rushed at her, and promptly fell through the floor where she had removed the tile. rather than chase him, Tann felt the presence of Ric Gronard and the defeated Slintronius. That mutant will not live to see another day. he is the very chaos and perversion of Slintronius, and he will die!. She grabbed a spare Sith cloak from the room and ran out.
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Ric whipped,Slintronius again and again, the fool screaming in pain every time his lash landed. He raised his weapon to administer a killing blow when his attention was distracted. His head snapped around to See Sev'rannce Tann charging across the yard, weapon held high. her hood had fallen from her head and her long black hair streamed out behind her. Her eyes blazed red against her blue face as she rushed into battle. Kicking Slintronius aside, Ric never noticed his medallion, the identical match of Slintronius', fall from his pocket. Slintronius grabbed it but concealed his joy as he watched his two mortal enemies lock blades.
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Putting his multiweapon aside in favor of his more reliable lightsaber, Ric turned to meet Tann's charge. I have already won this fight, seeing as how she can't cut through my bones the disigured monster thought to himself as he brought his ewapon up and blocked Tann's first swing. He stepped several steps back from the forcem, surprised at her strength. He returned blow for blow as both warriors probed each others defenses. After several rounds of give-and-take, Ric tired of playing games and close in to Tann. holding her blade off with his, he punched her, fully expecting his claws to impale her and the force of his blow, smash her ribs. Instead, he broke three fingers in his hand on the impact with her armor. He cried out in surprise and pain. She must have one tough armor on if I can't smash it with incredible strength.
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Tann laughed in the mutants face as he broke his fingers trying to punch her. The fool. His mind is an open book. I needn't even break his bgones to kill him she thought as the two strove, blow for blow, across the palace lawn. The red of ric's blade and the yellow of Tann's made fiery orange sparks as they clashed again and again. Several time seach nicked the others garments, never even touching the armor or hide of their foe. The blades twirled faster than they eye could see as Vong Mutant and Chiss Sith fought across the lawn of Palpatine's old palace complex. Ric took three steps back and tried sweeping the turf up where Tann was standing, intending to knock her over. She crushed his force sweep as it moved. Counterattacking, her lightning was caught on his blade. As both warriors circled, waiting for an opening, a simple yet effective plan came to Tann's mind. present a slight weak ness to her left, she allowed Ric's mad dahs to drive her back. As it did, she dropped the syringe. Then, with a five step slash move, she drove him back until the syrige was right behind him. Locking blades, she allowed hers to move slightly. As Ric focused mnore attention on the lightsabers, Tann made a suden gesture with her left hand and the Syringe flew up, stabbing him in the middle of his neck, the razor-sharp needle piercing his hide in its only vulnerable spot. She pressed the end with the force and felt every last drop of the solution enter his body. Ric straightened as the liquid flowed into his bloodstream. He stepped back. "What is it?" he asked beginning to feel the liqiud fire spread throughout his veins ,
"It's a deadly virus, known as Alpha Red, which attacks anything made by the Yuiuzhan Vong." Tann said, raising her voice to be heard over Gronard's sudden scream of pain ." Seeing as they created you, it will slowly kill you. Your force powers will drop off bit by bit until you have nothing left, your invincible bones will soften within days of your infection, and you will lose everything the Yuuzhan Vong gave you. Finally, you will die. Enjoy." As she strode off, she gave him such a force-push that he fell to the ground, twitching in agony . When he got up, his muscles twitching in some sort of allergic reaction to the poison ,he noticed that Slintronius was gone, escaped during the battle to fight another day.
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With Gronard dealt with, Sev'rannce Tann entered the Byss catacombs to hunt Ul Duo and Darth Slintronius. They shall both feel my blade. Then my time on Byss will be complete
After Tann left the place of battle, to go after Ric, Ul Duo dragged himself from the pit under the floor, where she had ripped the tile up and maneuvered him in. His shoulder was giving him almost unbearable pain, but he was using it to strengthen himself and push himself toward the compound's med-bay. Reaching it, Ul Duo entered Itarni bio-statistics into the computer and the schematics for a cybernetic arm, the activated the med-droids and let them proceed with the operations.
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Ric lay aboard his ship, feeling weaker than he had in all of his life. That Alpha Red virus was actually doing what the Chiss had said it would do. He could not feel the spot on his neck where the needle had entered his body, and his vision was blurring. His broken fingers had nearly healed when she stuck him with the needle, but were weak now, his near-undestructible bones, feeling brittle and frail. Ric clenched a fist, the pain causing his hand to go numb, but he still had the strength to lift his multi-weapon, and that was all he needed.
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Tann glanced around the huge clearing in the woods, she had followed Slintronius's Force trail here, but there was nothing here. The trail had vanished. She turned her head slowly, looking for any sort of clue as to Slintronius's whereabouts, and then felt several large, sinous creatures heading her way. Tann whirled and saw four huge serpentine creatures. One eye glared at her from each monster's forehead, and the snakes slowly slithered around to flank her on all sides. Her lightsaber dropped into her hand and the blade snapped out, the glow not fazing the creatures in the least. One reared back and spit a yellow glob of liquid straight at her. Tann tuck and rolled to the side and watched the spittle strike the tree behind her, burning right throught the outer layers of wood. It was acid, and more of it was coming her way. Tann began to grab the globs of spittle out of the air with the Force, and hurl them back at her attackers, and then she heard a manicly high pitched voice coming from all sides. " Do you like my pets, Sev'rannce Tann? I brought them here especially for you. HAHAHAHA " Tann spun trying to locate the source of the voice and then dodged as one of the snakes slithered in, on the attack. Tann dodged its strike and let fly with a blast of lightning. The snake slithered aside and the lightning smashed into the ground, its heat catching some dry leaves on fire. From the leaves the fire spread to the other trees. As the flames spread around the glade, the snakes were surrounded. Sev'rannce Tann dropped the cloakinto the fire and kept in fromt of the flame, the light from her armor disguising her. The snakes were frightened and confused by her dissappearance and by the fire. They spit randomly at the flames, never coming close to her. The fire continued to burn around the grove as the serpents backed off in fear. Swirling out of the flames came the lightsaber of Sev'rannce Tann. She used the force to move it, killing every single one of them by severing their body in multiple places and chopping the heads to bits. Her armor still glowing, she emerged unscathed from the fire as the apocalyptic blaze consumed the trees in a burning fury. Turning back to face the flames she had just emerged from, Tann whipped up a gale of Force wind, blowing the fire in a circular pattern, containing it and killing the blaze . As the last spark faded, Tann deactivated her lightsaber and hung it from her belt . Todays battle was done, she thought, watching the moon rise .
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Ul Duo rose from his drugged state of mind, pain still knifing through his shoulder, but stopping as it reached the place where his arm had been . His bleary eyes slid to the side to see his new cybernetic arm, resting on the pallet beside him . Ul Duo sat up slowly, using the pain in his arm and head to calm his knerves . His new arm felt heavy and cold and ........ strong . Ul Duo felt the hand with his flesh and blood appendage and smiled
. It was pefect . The two lightsabers that he had given the droids were integrate totally into the new hand . Concentrating slightly, Ul Duo shifted the hand into weapon mode, the two lightsaber folding up and activating in parallel laser blades . The hand began to rotate , creating a whirlwind of light as the two blades spun like a laser drill bit . Ul Dup grinned, dispaying rows of gleaming teeth . With this new appendage, he would defeat Tann and then hunt down Slintronius and execute him . His normal lightsaber rested on a table across the room . Beckoning with his re-transformed into a hand, arm, Ul Duo levitated the weapon acoss the open gap and onto his belt .
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Slintronius couldn't believe his good fortune . Mere moments after his medallion of power was destroyed, an exact duplicate had fallen from the belt pouch of Gronard . Concentrating fiercly, he activated its hidden abilities, the Dark Force power flowing into him . Slintronius was at the peak of his power, all of his powers regained . He ran into the bushes, searching for the small star-yacht that he had hidden here, in case he needed a quick escape . Ah, there it is, he thought, glimpsing the silver paint of the fashionable ship .
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Tann sped up her pace, Slintronius had just done something that released a tremendous amount of Force energy . And he was on the verge of escaping . Leaping over a pile of fallen brush, Tann saw a small silver yacht beginning to take off . Imediately, she reacted, reaching out in the Force and tearing the engines from the ship in a hail of sparks and tiny explosions .
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Stang, that Chiss was getting annoying, Slintronius thought, watching her demolish his decoy ship . His own ship began to lift out of the trees, too late, though . Tann's attention swiveled to the real ship , and lightning flickered out, working better than an ion cannon in destroying the ships electrical systems . Slintronius grabbed a lightsaber from the compartment behind his seat and prepared for battle .
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Ul Duo leapt through the brush, feeling his two enemies not far ahead . One was waiting for the other, feelings of hate from both . His lightsabers activated, his cybernetic arm shifting till the lightsabers were exposed and turned on .
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Tann laughed . That fool Slintronius was actually going to try and fight her . Her, most powerful Sith in the galaxy . His puny efforts should be commended though, she thougt . Only the day before, he was practically begging for his life .
Her lightsaber's yellow blade activated in anticipation of Slintronius's feeble attacks .
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Slintronius smiled inwardly, Tann thought he was still weak . Even she ought to be able to sense his new power . His lightsaber lashed out and was blocked by Tann's blade . Ah, so she wasn't quite as gullible as he thought . Her brightly glowing armor was a formidable weapon, he admitted, but nothing compared to the power of the dark side . Taking a portion of concentration from the battle, he created a visor of Force energy that filtered out the harmful rays .
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Tann frowned when she saw how easily Slintronius countered her armor's deadly light . Whatever had happened while she was chasing him, it had obviously made him more powerful . Her lightsaber flew up and blocked one of Slintronious's reckless attacks, the fool was putting to much at stake by trusting in his new powers . Ducking beneath another blow, Tann cut into his leg with her lightsaber, the smell of burned flesh filling the air . Spinning around and countering a clumsy blow, Tann ripped his lightsaber from his grasp and turned it on him .
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Slintronius gasped as a hidden force snatched his lightsaber from his hands and weilded it against him . Quickly, he called upon the Force to save him, launching himself up and over Tann's head, flipping in the air to land on his feet well past her . Branches, stones and the soil itself answered to his call as he used the Force to an extent that he had never reached before . A huge whirlwind , armed with the afore-mentioned debris, threw Tann away, far away .
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Sev'rannce felt herself thrown high into the air at a speed normally reserved for starships and speeders . As the sky around cleared of debris, she saw the ground far below her . Quickly gathering the Force around her, Tann wove a web of tendrils that caught her, slowing and guiding her fall, back to planet surface . Huge flying creatures were coming at her, long teeth glistening with saliva, eyes savage and hungry for the kill . Tann looked around for her lightsaber's yellow glow, but it had been left on the ground, thrown from her hand by the powerful Force winds . She fell faster as more of her concentration left her descent and went into her armor, focusing the glow and light into a beam . Whirling as she fell, Tann targeted the foremost creature as it dove for her, and fired her light ray at its body . From wingtip to wingtip, the avian was cut through by her laser . The remaining predators wheeled and flew away, clearly dis-heartened by their leaders death . Turning again to face the ground , Tann did not lose her calm as she watched it rush up at her . Instead, she re-created her web of energy and slowed her fall . Too late, she struck the ground, not seriously hurt, but knocked unconsious by the impact .
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Ul Duo leaped over the last heap of brush and was confronted with the sight of Sev'rannce Tann, unconscious laying in a heap over a rotted log . Sidling quietly up to her, he nudged her roughly . When recieving no response, he entered her mind with the Force and made sure that she would not wake up for a long time . Then he tossed her over a shoulder and carried her back, toward the site of Ul fortul's death . Her death would be a ritualistic execution, carried out the Itarni way . As he walked he retrieved her lightsaber, this would go by her dead, broken body, he decided .
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Slintronius watched as the tall Itarni carried Tann into the rocky hills . Obviously going to kill her in some hideous fashion , he thought . He'd love to see her demise, but for now he had to find some way to escape .
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Tann woke slowly, her head pounding from her prolonged " nap " and from her long fall earlier . AS her eyes began to function and focus properly, the first thing she saw was, Ul Duo crouching over a small fire . And in the middle of the fire, lay her lightsaber, its metal shell glowing red hot . That made it virtually useless to her, as the Itarni had removed her gloves and discarded them somewhere . " Ah, I see you are awake now . " Tann's attention flew back to the Itarni ." If you are wondering why you cannot touch the Force, it is because of this ." He said, holding up a small silver vial ." It is ambrox . Made from the blood of ysalamiri and several potent plants . It has the ability to take the Forrce from an individual for several hours ."
"Does it now?" she asked groggily, still unsure about her surroundings and puzzled about how the Itarni had managed to get her. The accursed overconfidence. I must be rid of it, or it will kill me again. Still, though I may be tied here, the Itarni has no idea what is in store for him. Concentrating, not on the force, she called to mind the old self-defense she had learned at the Chiss Military Academy. Ul Duo gestured to her bonds and said , " Bonded steel cuffs . You cannot break them with out the Force . And they will release you in thirty minutes . I will be waiting on top of that ridge and I have this ." He said, holding out a small data chip . I removed all sorts of valueable information from your mind before I injected the serum . The secrets of Quantum armor and all that . Ah yes, I know its true weakness ." He said, as Tann glared at him . " Oh and when you come, it would be wise to bring a weapon, for when I see you, I will kill you .
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Ul Duo now had a good blaxe going. He would have liked to have used the force to look into his mortal enemies mind and feel her dying moments, but a side-effect of his drug had been making her mind inaccessible through the force. Ah well, she will die. Ul Fortul will be avenged. That is enough
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Exactly thirty minutes later, as the Itarni had said, the cuffs sprang open . Tann rose to her feet . She simply had to get that data chip from him before he released the information to an enemy . Running into the woods, Tann remembered all of her combat training and stopping, picked up a small heavy branch that would suffice quite nicely .
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Ul Duo hissed in laughter, watching her grab the branch, the fool thought she could beat three lightsabers with a stick ?Actually, he really had no clue what was going on .
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Tann walked slowly into the clearing, Ul Duo stood on the far side and when he saw her, activated his weapons and charged, hissing madly . Tann calmly yanked on a small vine in her hand and huge log was launched from the brush, moving with such speed that the old Itarni could not dodge it and was thrown backward . Tann leapt forward and punched him in the gut and brought a knee up into his stomach , her hands played over his belt for an instant and then were gone . He hadn't noticed it, but the vial was gone. Sev'rannce Tann held it in her left hand, her right hand carrying his lightsaber. As his twin blades twirled, he roared and leapt to the attack. Tann stood back, on the defensive, and deflected his attack. She stepped forward, her blade raising his two up above his head. She brought her left hand around and smashed the vial into his mouth. The vial's stopper broke, the liquid firmly in his mouth. The shards of the vial cut his lips and tongue and the liquid seeped directly into his bloodstream. For the first time ever, Ul Duo Ushann felt the force desert him. Spinning his blades in fury, he stabbed at Tann, who sidestepped his attacka nd brought her weapon around at his neck. He blocked it and she stepped in, kicking him in the knee. There qwas an audible POP and Ul Duo staggered back in pain, his PCL broken. He fell to the ground in agony, swiping his twin blades at Tann's legs. She jumped over it and swung her blade down, the laser bouncing off of the gleaming armor. Ul Duo laughed nastily through his pain," Cortosis weave, your weapon cannot dent it ." he then managed to get himself up on one arm, his knee was now unable to move. Kicking him in the head, aiming for his neck, Tann knocked the Itarni to the side, next to a small pond . As she brought her lightsaber up to kill him, his cybernetic arm flashed up and the twin blades caught hers and spun tearing the weapon from her graspand dropping it into the pond . Tann snarled in anger and flung herself at the cybernetic armforcing the blades down into the water where they shorted out , sparking and flaming .Without a weapon, she kicked his throat. There was another snap and his dropped to the side, neck broken. The life left the wounded Itarni and he gave a final rattling breathe before falling, lying still, dead on the Byss plain. Sev'rannce Tann contemptuously rolled the body over with her foot. The fool lizard. With him dead, and Slintronius long gone, her time on Byss was done. During the fight, the fire had died. Her lightsaber hadn't cooled sufficiently to allow her to lift it, so she kicked it into the pond and in a few moments retrieved it . She retrieved her gloves and left. Soon, the planet Byss was just a hanging speck in the sky as the TIE leapt through hyperspace, bound for Bastion. It carried a different warrior than the one it had born to Byss. Her arrogance was gone, but the victories over the jedi and Itarni had boosted her own confidence. Now Sev'rannce Tann knew that, when she was at her best, no single foe could defeat her. That and the secret to Palpatine's dark prophecy made her perhaps the deadliest person iun the galaxy.
Dark space . Stars glittering in the distance, and near, a huge glowing asteroid sat in space .
A massive flash of light burst the sky as a battered freighter dropped out of hyper space .Rorn looked behind his seat, where Ari still lay on the med-couch . " Typing in a few commands on his datapad, Rorn waited for the med-couch to respond . Ari began to wake as the couch's stimulant injected into her bloodstream . " Hi, doing better, are we ?" Rorn asked, keeping his intact left hand on his lightsaber . Ah shou'' thin' sow wa' no' bu' a merr sh'ack
“Ari said, she could feel the force it was almost time to be normal Rorn nodded warily, having no idea what Ari was talking about, but hoping it was a good thing ." Ok, is this going to be dangerous ?" "What?" Ari said, her voice sounding normal, but still rather high" Wow , I can understand you now !" Rorn said, amazed . " And why wouldn't you be able to understand me ? " Ari asked, looking puzzled and annoyed enough to deck Rorn . It's not like I'm some alien from a different plant." She said with a slight hint of sarcasm Rorn colored slightly under his tattoos and said , " Right, is that some sort of prejudice ? " "No, most jedi don't hold prejudices, young padawan" Ari answered Rorn was getting mad now ." YOUNG ! I'm not YOUNG ! I'm nineteen years old . ""Hold your temper young one, I meant no offense, by the way, I don't think I managed to catch your name" she said, with just a hint of smug ness. Rorn managed to calm himself, using the Force to quiet his anger and answered ." I'm Rorn Korbchek, soon to be Jedi Knight and Lieutenant of the iridonian Honor Guards ." "Impressive, I'm Alatariel of Dorthonion, Jedi master. And by the way, I'm 29 according to Dorthonions." She answered, smiling to herself. " And how old, according to normal people ?" Rorn challenged, the start of a smile on his face . He hadn't had a good argument in a long time. "I'm 18, but very much mature. Lots of people say that i'm mature beyond my age. Not to brag, or anything like that." This Rorn fellow was strange, although he looked very familiar, she didn't know were she'd seen him. " Rorn looked even more smug than Ari had in minutes past and said ," well, I am nineteen and your elder and say to knock it of with the oh so awesome Jedi Master Act . " Unless, you can explain why your eyes go red and you go around chopping off hands ." "Act! Young Padawan I'm very much your master in the force. You couldn't beat me in a fight even if you wanted to. Your naught but a padawan" She answered, slightly hurt by the smugness in his voice she shook her head. Padawans ”And what do you mean I go around with my eyes red chopping off hands, I've NEVER done such a thing!" Ari was a bit outraged at this last remark. Rorn raised his right hand or the remainder of it and said, "Oh yeah, its been known to happen. And it just so happens that my grandfather, Agen Kolar came to me in a vision and taught me to use the Force. I have all of his skills, but just not the experience to trust myself using them."
"Indeed, it's very good to dream of things, but lying is not a good quality," Ari said, crossing her arms. "He taught me all that he knew, in the space of three days and now I have the abilities of a Jedi Knight, but still only the ranking of a Padawan. I have not yet earned the rank of Master. If I am lying, then scan me in the Force and see who tells the truth." Rorn challenged. "Very well, but no tricks young one" Ari said, giving him a warning glance, she did a thorough force scan a didn't find him to be lying "is this some kind of joke?" she asked " Nope, I'm telling the truth . He taught it to me as I created my first lightsaber ." Rorn boasted . "very well, then, I apologise, I'm sorry I didn't beleive you. Although you have to admit, it's pretty far fetched." Ari answered calming herself. " Apology accepted ." Rorn answered," Now about that red eyed deal ." "That never happened and there is no way you can convince me it did!" Ari said, she could be very stubborn, and she was a bit ornairy, they'd been arguging for nearly half an hour now.
"You sure about that ? Sounds like your memories are weirded out . Whats up with that , anyway ? " Rorn asked, truely curious ."Nothing, I'm just as normal as you are!" She was begining to get defensive. " Uh, keep your hands off of your lightsaber ." Rorn said, raising his own ." I'm not taking any chances .
"Now why would I do that? I'm not a sith or anything." she replied, wondering if he was the one with the weirded out memory.
" Dunno, but I'm out a hand after the last time you touched your lightsaber, so please, keep it down ." Rorn said loudly, keeping his own hand on his borrowed lightsaber . Ari suddenly remembered everything, she could feel the dark side all around her. Her eyes started to get an odd redish tint, she tossed her head and stood up. She forgot everything but the jedi padawan. She couldn't remeber why she hasn't killed him yet. Rorn watched the red glaze come over Ari 's eyes . Uh oh , what did I say this time . He thought "Why aren't you dead?" She asked her voice not nearly as high as it had been. Rorn gaped, his mind not yet sure what had happened, and then . " Oh shavvit, what did I do to set you off this time ." he mumbled . This was easily picked up by the now evil looking Ari, who didn't look to happy . Rorn grabbed Saraan's lightsaber from the back of his belt where he had left it and activated its blue blade . Ari's own sky blue blade flew out and struck at Rorn, who ducked, not wanting to test his one-handed stance against her two-handed aggresive attacks . Ari had no idea what the padawan was talking about he'd fought much better the other day, what was his problem, well, he shouldn't be to hard to finish off, she took another swing and brought it down around and up nearly taking his hand competly off. Rorn glanced out the window as they fought, the crystal had never seemed more beautiful . Quickly, he tore his attention away from it and back to the fight, swinging up to block a savage chop from the strange acting Ari .
****************************************************************** Ari noticed somthing shining out the window, wonde rwhat that is she didn't think about it long, still concentraiting on killing the padawan, he was doing a better job than she'd thought he would.
***************************************************************** Rorn leaped back, throwing a door, between himself and the enraged... Jedi? Sith ? Reaching for the airlock controls, he cycled the door open even as he heard Ari's lightsaber cutting through the door .
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Idiot, did he really think a stupid door would stop her? Huh he odviously wasn't very smart.
***************************************************************** Rorn backed up, watching the glowing tip of Ari's lightsaber complete a full circle and then the cut out metal fell back , pulled from the out side by the crazed , Jedi/Sith/weirded out person . Rorn leaped to the side, past her mad charge and tripped her , almost making her fall on her weapon, but obviosly she was too smart for that, as she caught herself on her hands and did a hand-spring back to her feet .Rorn gulped at this display of athletic powers and tried to console him self, thinking, " well at least the fall won't hurt her ." and kicked her hard in the small of her back, throwing her out the open door and down ten feet
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The first thing Ari saw as she gasped for breath was crystal everywhere . She was in a huge crystal cavern . Crysil, Ah luv crysils! A part of her mind shouted happily . NO, Sith to not love crystals , another part of her mind argued . Ah'm noot uh Zitt, Ah'm Areh . Her mind argued back and the dark side left her mind, purged by the power of the Light Side in this Crystal asteroid .
****************************************************************Rorn chanced a glance out of the open door and saw Ari cavorting around the room happily, singing " Crysils, crysils, Ah luv crysils ." Rorn slid down the wall and leaned back, letting his breath out in one long noisy " Whew . Well, that went as well as can be expected ." he thought .
*****************************************************************Ari giggled and looked up at the ship. She smiled at Rorn with one of her impish grins and said "Coom o' dow' i's verah bi' crysil!!!!!! she grabbed the light saber next to her pressed the red button and the blue blade ignited she tried to cut into the crystal, she loved it already.
*****************************************************************Rorn cringed, watching her use a lightsaber on the crystal . Seeing her with a weapon was still scary .A sizable chunk of crystal fell from the wall into her waiting hands and she began to toss it uip and down in much the same manner as she had Saraan's crystal .Suddenly she had a thought, and dropping her own chunk to the floor, she cut another smaller crystal from the wall and put it carefully into a belt pouch . she shut the light saber off and looked at Rorn, one eyebrow raised, she wondered why he wasn't coming down. She shook her head and began singing "Ah Luv a'' shi''eh crysilss" completely off tune in her high voice.
****************************************************************Rorn cringed again, the high pitches wreaking havoc on his sensitive ears, but then decided, " What the heck ." and dropped down next to Ari and yelled out," I like crystals too ." she stopped suddenly turned around smiled took out her light saber and cut another chunk of crystal. She threw it at Rorn. Rorn grabbed it out of the air, inches before it struck his nose and smiled . Pulling his own saber he cut out a small formation resembling a nerf and tossed it to her ." Here's your cousin, Ari ." Ari stared at it ." Re'leh ?" and then looking at Rorn caught on to the joke . And laughed so hard she fell over backwards. "Areh is no' tha' shi''eh!" she laughed again. Rorn laughed also at Ari’s antics, even if he didn’t comletly understand what she’d said. Maybe, in a strange demented sort of way, she wasn’t that bad.
Rorn walked out of the tiny med-station on the back-system planet and thanked the proprietor . He had stopped here for a new cybernetic hand, since Ari had trashed his old one . He motioned to Ari who was oohing and ah'ing at a jewelry stand and then had to drag her back to the ship as she couldn't be persuaded to leave the shiny baubles . Walking onto the ship, Rorn dropped Ari into a chair and begant o prepare the ship for liftoff . " Ari, can you try to behave ? We have to get Eoghan and Byss is where I am sensing him ." He begged, while his hands were holding Ari's out of a small catch of sweets, bought while he was on the planet ." Of course I can, young Padawan . A Jedi Master always behaves approriately ." Rorn blinked, still not used to these changes in personality , but glad that the evil version was gone ." Uh ok, Ari, just um, let me take off and get into hyperspace and um, then we can talk ." Ari nodded, toying with one of the cutaway chunks of crystal .
Moments later, in hyperspace, Rorn turned to Ari and said," Alright, torture me with your life story ." Ari stared at him and then noticed the slight smile in his eyes and began to answer .
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Ric activated his commlink, waiting for the buzz that would ensure him of a secure connection . A blueish holo image of Darth Rakar shimmered into view and the ancient Sith lord greeted him ." Selaschk, my leader, what is it you wish ." Ric fought his way out of a cloud of pain and answered him ." I have been poisoned . Bring a Star Destroyer to the south side of the planet and pick me up on the highest cliff . I shall activate a beacon so a shuttle can find me . " Rakar nodded," As you wish, my lord ." RIc shut down the commlink and gazed up at the setting sun . Soon it would be night . His time .
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Rorn tried not yawn as he glanced at the wall-chrono for what seemed like the ten millionth time since Ari had gone through yet another personality change and was happily prattling away in her strange accent about pushing a button and the house floating away . Sounded weird to him . " Ok Ari, I think its time to go to bed . You can use the bunk, I have to watch the bridge ." he said, trying not to sound too desperate . Ari stopped talking and stared at him . " Bu wi, Ah'm noot tar'd . " Rorn sighed and listened to her start another story that her didn't understand a word of .
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Ric watched the ship come down into Byss' atmosphere, its hull glowing with the friction . A universal painkiller had granted him some temporary relief and now Ric could feel two presences onboard the incoming ship . Not Rakar and Hyrinin, but Jedi . That accursed Korbchek and another, a juvenile-behaving ... Jedi Master . Ric's fingers clenched around a log that he was leaning on, not even noticing as his fingers squeezed through the heavy bark and splintered the wood below . Korbchek would die this day, and his companion also .
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Rorn set the ship down gently on the crumbling rock landing pad .'Ok Ari, we're here . Time to........" "Ca'eh, ca'eh, Ah wan' mo" ca'eh !!! " Ari came literally bouncing out of the ship's lounge, her face and hands smeared with sticky goop ." Rorn groaned as he stared past her and saw the empty package of sweets ." Ari, did you eat all of that candy ? " Ari stopped and stared at him ." Ca'eh, ca'eh, u goot mo' ca'eh ?" and jumped at him ." No, no, no more candy .Ari, I don't have anymore . Ari, put that down, no no, put it down , aaaahhhhh, help ." Rorn screamed, running as fast he could and leaping out of the ship as Ari ran after him with an activated lightsaber ." Ca'eh, Ah luv ca'eh ! " she sang at the top of her lungs, while beggining to bounce off the walls again ." Fi', fi', fi' ." ( Translation : Fun, fun, fun )she yelled waving her lightsaber at a very expensive game board that Don had just installed .
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Rorn listened to the crashes and bangs from outside the ship, wincing everytime something sounded expensive . Suddenly, he felt a cold chill run over him . Whirling, Rorn drew his pair of borrowed lightsabers, Dart's and Saraan's . As he saw the source of the cold, his eyes opened wide and he gasped out, " Ric ! "
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Ric grinned hideously as he pulled a long silver cylinder from his belt ." Recognize this ? " he laughed, the mirth never reaching his burning red eyes . He enjoyed the shocked look on the Zabrak's face as he saw his own lightsaber in the grip of a Sith lord . " my apprentice took it from you, remember ? " he prompted, " The same apprentice that kicked you into last week ."
****************************************************************** Rorn remembered the Cathar who had humiliated him so, and lunged at Ric, his lightsabers both poised and ready . Ric sprang into action, the blue blades of Rorn's lightsaber under his control . Rorn fought as well as he could, but its was hard, as the techs who had installed his new robotic hand, had not calibrated it right .
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Ari bounced off yet another wall and was heading for the next, when she stood up straight, and stared around ." What happened here ? Where is everybody ?" she said, thinking it looked like a tornado had gone loose in here ." AND WHY AM I COVERED IN CANDY GOOP ! burp ,she yelled . Then walking over to the doorway, Ari heard the distant sound of lightsabers clashing and two different voices shouting . " What the heck is going on around here . Me covered with sticky gunk and them not even able to sit down and talk without bringing the lightsabers into it ." She muttered, strolling toward a viewport and glancing out . Immediately, Ari whirled and ran toward the airlock, her lightsaber flying to her hand from the floor where she had dropped it . That Padawan was in trouble, fighting a dark force user .
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Rorn was having a bit of trouble, twice in the last two minutes, his new hand had released his lightsaber, without any reason at all . Now he force-threw some dirt up in Ric's eyes, causing the mutant to stagger back, rubbing at his eyes furiously . Rorn pressed his momentary advantage, ripping his double bladed lightsaber from Ric's grasp with the Force, and re-attaching his borrowed sabers to his belt . Ric cleared his eyes of the offensive material and glared at Rorn while he pulled his multi-weapon from his sleeve . They both froze as they heard a high pitched yell from the direction of the ship . Slowly turning, they saw, Alatriel of Dorthonion, charging at them, lightsaber held high .
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Ric felt the power of the Force from this approaching person . A strange feel to it, but there was no questioning the power she commanded . Ric knew he had no chance against both of them and turned and ran . His feet pounding against the soil triggered the wracking pain from the poison that Tann had injected him with . Still he ran on, it was almost time to be picked up by his apprentices .
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Rorn watched Ric dash into the bushes and turned to face Ari . " Nice work there, I think you scared him off ." Ari stared after Ric ." Who was he ?" she asked, flicking her lightsaber off ." Ric Gronard, last time I saw him he was just an apprentice, but now he has the power of a Sith lord ." Ari nodded, and looked back at Rorn, who all of a sudden , got a really bad feeling ." Ca'eh, you got mo ca'eh ? " She asked, her Jedi personality banished for the moment in the throes of a extreme sugar high . " Rorn began to run as Ric had, just in a different direction, his yells of" NNNOOoooooooo! " echoing off the trees . Ari chased him , her lightsaber held high and her high-pitched voice shouting," Ca'eh, ca'eh, Ah luv ca'eh ! "
Lord Slintronius walked into the clearing where he had felt the battle. Itwas a very strange fight. He had felt fear, anger, hate, and a gritty determination, but no force. There were no burn marks from lightning or anything. Entering the clearing, he saw a rock. It was scratched as if something hard had strained against it. By the rock was a set of bonded steel cuffs, obviously having come off on a timer. Tracing footsteps further, up a hill, he saw the body Ul Duo Ushann. On closer examination it appeared that he had been killed by an unarmed opponent. a cybernetic arm, with two lightsabers on the end, had been forced into a pool of water, shorting out the lightsabers. His knee was twisted back at a funny angle, and his head hung crazily at his side. Obviously torn knee ligaments and a broken neck. Someone sure gave it to him he had come hoping to find the body of Sev'rannce Tann, he had felt one death. Instead a sinking feeling told him that Tann was still alive and well. He marveled at the powers of the Chiss warrior. She defeated a full-grown male Itarni, armed with at least two lightsabers, with no weapon of her own AND without the force. offhand he couldn't think of any martial arts discipline that allowed that. obviously she knows more than I do about unarmed combat. Stooping over the Itarni, a gleam caught his eye. He reached down and picked up a data-chip, smeared with dirt and slightly cracked. He picked it up, and in a fit of rage at his hated enemies survival, crushed it in his hand until the fine powder ran out of his clenched fist. Turning, he fired lightning and destroyed the area before leaving for his ship.
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Once on board, and headed for an undisclosed location, Slintronius sat and thought about his recent experiences. I came out the better, Gronard and the Itarni are both eliminated as serious threats to me, and my full powers are finally back. However, my deadliest foe is still at large, and I have no idea where she went or what her plans are. He partly blamed himself for her release. Demon of Krant, I've heard her called. It was Krant where I shot down those jedi ships the meddling jedi had probably released her. Why couldn't they have stayed wiped out? The proximity alert went off and soon the yacht was headed for his secret landing bay at his new base.
90 % credit goes to Tien for this character, because she is the one working on her . 10% credit goes to me, because I drew the picture that got Tien to start writing about Deena Onee . I hope nobody minds if Dagmar is injured a little bit . Its just a little bit and he won't die from it .
Dagmar rested his elbows on the dirty bar and surveyed the occupants of the small pub on Nar Shadaa. He couldn't decide whether to kill his quarry here, or wait till he was outside .Every sentient in this bar had at least one weapon, maybe more . The obese man sitting in the far booth with the Twi-lek female on his arm and the Wookiee bodyguard was the one with the weapons cache . All Dagmar had to do was kill his companions and remove the location of the weapons from the man's mind, then it would be a quick but painful death for the fat man . Dagmar had almost decided to kill him here, when someone walking into the pub caught his attention . The Force was strong with this one, wild and un-tamed, but very strong . As he studied the humanoid in the long gray robes, Dagmar decided, yeah he wanted that power on his side .
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Deena stood just inside the doorway, not trying for a dramatic entrance, but to find all means of exit, in case of a fight . Various aliens drank, played sabacc and talked all through the dark room , the only notable person was a wacko in a strange uniform .She walked over near the rear door and sat down in a rickety chair, next to a small round table . One look from her cold eyes and the other people at the table hurridly left, muttering excuses to their friends . A snap of her fingers brought a server droid scurrying to her side . "May I inquire as to your order, sentient ?" it sqeaked, its vocal motivators obviously out of repair . Deena slowly looked up at it, her eyes noting the rust and dirt that covered it ." Water, pure ." She said menacingly . The droid looked flustered and brought up a holo of various ales, wines and intoxicants ." Would you like anything in that ?" It still sounds sqeaky, she thought and then answered," Yes, I would like . . . ice ." The droid made an affirmative bleep and rolled off toward the kitchen . Deena took the risk of glancing from the corner of her eye at her target . Two companions , one female Twi-lek, one large male Wookiee armed with bow-caster and large sword . She mentally asessed the danger the represented and pleased with the results , started to stand just as a tall human sat down next to her . " Oh please stay . I don't want to drive you off ." the man said ." I'm Genrod and your name is ? " Deena stared at him, making him hastily avert his eyes ." None of your business ." she said slowly, her voice dripping with malice . Genrod drunkenly moved a hand visibly near her knee," So want to have a drink with me , baby ?" Deena shoved his hand away as it brushed her leg ." Touch me again and you'll lose your hand ." she said quietly ." Genrod stared at her for a minute and tryed again, going for her leg once more . Deena instantly reacted, standing and flashing her hand over her shoulder and grasping the hilt of her broadsword beneath her long gray robes . With a long metallic swipe, she drew the sword and swung down . Genrod stared stupidly at his hand laying on the ground , then the pain kicked in . Screaming in pain, he stood and staggered out of the pub . Deena glanced around . The entire bar was watching her . The blood slid off the blade of her sword, removed by the Force, and she sat back down . The droid came rolling over with a tall glass of water ." Your refreshment, sentient . Enjoy ." Deena sniffed it, searching for traces of drugs and sipped it .
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Dagmar cursed as his target stood and moved out of the bar . That person in the robes had scared him off with her sword trick, now he wasn't so sure he wanted that power around him . Standing quickly and gulping down his nerf milk ( hey, he has a weak stomach ), Dagmar followed him out . His fingers clenched around his lightsaber beneath his tunic as he stepped out and turned after his quarry .
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Deena watched the wacko in the uniform leave as soon as the merchant stepped out . Definetly following him, she thought . Calmly, Deena finished her water and stood, then strolled out the door .
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Dagmar stood still as the trio walked into a alley, unknowing of his presence . Seconds later, he slid up and standing in the entrance to the alley, whistled sharply . The merchant and his Twi-lek floozie turned slowly, the Wookiee body-guard whirling quickly, his bow-caster coming up and ready to shoot . Dagmar smiled and activated his lightsaber, the crimson glow lighting up the dark alley . The merchant cursed," Jedi, Herlbaar, kill him ." he shouted, grabbing the Twi-lek by the arm and dragging her after him . Herlbaar roared an affirmative and shot off a bow-caster quarrel . Dagmar wheeled and stepped into the path of the energy bolt and swung his lightsaber . The quarrel flew straight back at the surprised Wookiee, who threw up his bow-caster in an attempt to block it . The weapon exploded in its hands and roaring in pain, the Wookiee drew its sword and charged at Dagmar who met his assault with a quick thrust to the heart . The Twi-lek tore loose from the merchant and pulled a tiny blaster from a hidden holster . Before she could get off a shot, Dagmar fried her where she stood with a blast of lightning . " I believe you know what I want, fatso ." Dagmar snarled at the shivering merchant ." Where are the weapons ." and lifted the fat man up in the air by his throat ." I want answers ! " he shouted in the merchants face ." And so do I ." a cold voice said from behind ."
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Deena walked into the alley and saw the uniformed wacko holding up her quarry with a grip on his throat ." But, I'm not likely to get answer, not at least, until you leave ." and pulled her broadsword from her shoulder-sheath . The wacko stared at her and began to laugh maniacally .
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Dagmar couldn't control his mirth ." You think you can fight me with that ?" he gasped out between guffaws . He released his grip on the merchants throat ans let him fall to the ground . " I am Dagmar, dark lord of the Sith . I have killed many and I shall you to that number ."
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Deena found this hilariously funny, even though she didn't show it outwardly . " You may be Dagmar, but you are also crazy, inept, a retard among Gammoreans, and a prideful idiot . Really, who designed your outfit ? I've seen better on a Tusken Raider , Oh and that hair , the buzz really does not fit with the long in the back ." She finished her scathing reply and waited for an answer .
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Dagmar's face went totally red and his hands clenched around his lightsaber . Yelling madly he ran at the gray-robed woman .
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Deena sidestepped his charge and dropped her long robes, leaving herself in a simple gray tunic with black leggings . She flicked the catch on her broadsword's hilt and the blade fell away, activating a crimson blade, much like the wacko's . Deena swung her transformed broadsword up and blocked a slash and answered with a cut to Dagmar's shoulder .While the phsycho was screaming and calling her names, describing the ways he was gonna kill her, Deena stayed silent, preferring to save her breath for the fight . Her lightsaber flashed out and severed his belt, dropping pouches and various articles to the ground . Dagmar shouted in anger and swung back, narrowly missing her head . Deena used the oppurtunity to swing up and scrape her blade across his ribs . Dagmar fell, his body convulsing, not dead, but not in very good shape either . Deena blew some hair out of her face and turned to the merchant, who had fainted in fear . Reaching out in the Force as well as she could, she removed the location of the weapons from his mind . Picking up the blade of her broadsword, Deena locked it into place and slid it into its sheath . Grabbing her long robe, she walked back toward the docking bay where Darkfire was berthed .
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Deena flew her vessel through the canyons of buildings on Nar Shadaa, searching for a certain address . When she found it, Deena aimed her weapons and let loose with a long salvo of laser fire, destroying the rooms where the contraband weapons were kept . Now to go to that Republic officer and collect my fee, she thought .
By Jarlath and Tien
Meanwhile on the other side of the Galaxy....
Kyp felt a sudden change in the prisoner's sense. Reaching out with the Force he realized that the impenetrable mental shield that had been there moments before had disappeared.
The Sith, what was her name? Mwy-- something or other? (Kyp didn’t remember what Jarlath said her name was) must have finally caved. Well, with the wall down her name doesn't really matter.
As he entered her mind for the first time, it was allot different than he had expected. Instead of clear and easy to read, memories and thoughts were all jumbled about in a heavy, dark, fog.
He looked through the memories, trying to sort something out of them. A body lay dead slung against the wall. It was the room of a ship. A standard cargo transport. There was blood everywhere and the body was caked in dry blood. One arm was missing. It lay on the floor several meters away. The shoulder stump looked like it had been forcibly ripped out. The memory faded. Kyp looked further into the fog: A red lightsaber is activated. Cutting through a wall and into a room. People approaching. Spinning, blade out. Blast, the fog has that memory covered as well. He continues moving further into the strange Sith's mind. An older, wiser, respected figure comes near. Her master? This weapon is called a lightsaber. It is deadly, perhaps the most deadly hand to hand combat weapon known. But it is unforgiving. One mistake will cost you your life. Be careful how you use it.
The memories are getting hard to read. Lightsabers swinging, moving across the room, back and forth driving him back, a spin, reversing, backing up. Locking blades, sweeping up. His lightsaber flies across the room. I win! I win! I win! The battle with Dart? It seems too easy, but this memory is incomplete, too. Suddenly, Kyp felt the fog clearing and barrier raising. She's waking up. Kyp pulled his presence back so that he would not be caught. As he left he felt Jarlath in the room. Blast. It was nearly time for him to check, but I wish he'd be irresponsible for once. I did too good a job training him. Oh well.
Back in the prison room, Jarlath had just revived Mwynin with a common stimulant. He stepped back as her eyes opened.
"What happened?” He asked.
*******
With a wave of dizziness Mwynin opened her eyes. Standing in front of her was the Jedi that had come to question her before the torture had begun.
“What happened?”
“What, do you, think?” Her hoarse voice tore at her dry throat.
A slightly pitying look entered his eyes, “I’m not sure, that’s why I asked.”
“I…” A sudden nauseating twist of her stomach interrupted her and she bit down hard on her tongue to keep from throwing up acid (having nothing else in her stomach). “Please, water…”
Jarlath stepped back as Mwynin nearly vomited. Saaran must have given her some sort of poison. He knew that he probably shouldn't give her any. She was being interrogated, he should try to trade information for water. But he had always had a soft spot for 'useless' life forms, as Kyp called them. Reaching out in the force he called a bottle of water to himself. "Here. Take a drink. Then see if you can tell me what happened? Do you know what type of toxin it was?"
Mwynin took a small sip and then a much larger one. Slowly, she shook her head. “I don’t know… It, stopped burning, but I… I think I blacked out… I still feel dizzy, and numb.” Why am I telling him this? Why should he care? … But he did give me the water… Jedi are so confusing!!
Jarlath considered the prisoner a moment. "Do you know what you were given?” I hope she has some idea “By the way you look it seems like some sort of poison." Where did Saaran get that? I thought I locked them all up.
Mwynin considered for a moment, "At first I thought is was some sort antithetic, but, I don't think that’s it." her voice was still somewhat scratchy but not as bad as it had been, and the girl seemed to be getting better control over herself.
"But you don't know what it was? No idea at all? I don't want to give you the wrong anti-dote." Jarlath's voice betrayed some concern as his mind whirled through the possibilities.
Mwynin cocked her head slightly at the Jedi. "You don't?" The glassy figure solidified "Why do you care? The other Yad, er, Jedi don't."
Jarlath didn't say anything for a minute as he let Mwynin's words sink in. You don't? Why do you care? The other Jedi don't. Especially the last phrase: The other Jedi don't . After a moment he answered her. "I don't want you dying. Really I don't want anyone dying. Especially not from whatever poison Saaran gave you."
An unreadable look flickered in her eyes for a moment. Again Mwynin shook her head "No, I don't know." A wry smile accompanied her shrug " However I would tell you, if I knew."
"If you don't know what it was," Jarlath asked her, understandable "do you think remember any of the symptoms before you blacked out?"
"Numbness, tingling, my eyes didn't focus." She answered after a momentary pause.
"Anything else? Anything at all? Most poisons do that. Any peculiar things at all?" Jarlath wondered at Saaran's cleverness in choosing such a hard poison to diagnose. She could have made it easier.
"Nope, not that I can remember." The slightly ironic flippancy coming back into her voice.
"Well............." Jarlath considered the problem. "I could do a force-probe of your body to see if there is any foreign agent. I can do it without going into your mind. Otherwise the best I can do is give you an all-purpose anti-dote and hope for the best.” Or I could make Saaran tell me what she gave her… The idle thought flitted across his mind.
“Or you could ask your friend,” Mwynin suggested. “Unless, of course, you think she’d lie to you” she added sardonically, instantly regretting her sharp comment at the pained look on his face. What are you doing stupid? She mentally chided herself he’s helping!
Jarlath tried hard to cover how her sharp comment stung, though the rational part of him could easily see why she would say that. This hasn't exactly been a luxury vacation. He was about to ask which of the mainline poison controls she would prefer and in what flavor, but suddenly a thought crossed his mind. "What class of physiology are you?" he asked abruptly. "The answer will tell me what I can give you that won't kill you."
“What class? I’m not sure I follow you. Maybe…” Mwynin began
However before Mwynin could finish or Jarlath could explain Kyp entered the room “Jarlath, I need to talk to you, alone.”
Eoghan sat outside Luke's ship . Mara was treating Luke's wounds wiith bacta and the Force and so far Luke seemed to be responding . The dark demon that had fought the two Jedi Masters had left the planet some hours ago, leaving behind another dark power that had left , only minutes before in a large scout vessel . Eoghan leaped to his feet, his green lightsaber activating as he heard shouting in the distance and drawing nearer . He nervously gazed into the dark and saw a blue glow approaching . Listening closely , the Jedi apprentice heard, " NO Ari no, stop that . Put it down, agh, HELP ! " and " Gim'eh ca'eh !" in a familiar high pitched voice . Eoghan gaped as the Zabrak padawan Rorn ran into the circle of light coming from the fire , chased by a lightsaber weilding Ari .
Rorn saw the flustered apprentice , " Eoghan don't just stand there, help me stop her ! " he shouted before leaping up and grabbing the upper branches of a tree, and pulling himself up . Eoghan turned to face Ari who was gazing at him in interest . "uh, hi Ari, whatsup ?" he asked . " Ca'eh, Ah luv, ca'eh ." she sang, very off-key . Eoghan gulped, So that was whats wrong . " You gave her candy ? " He shouted at Rorn . Ari heard that one single word candy, and snapped to attention, jumping at Eoghan across the fire,shouting " Ca'eh " . Eoghan screamed and very soon after that, joined Rorn in the tree . " So, Eoghan, hows Byss ? I haven't seen too much of it cause I've been running away from Ari ." Rorn asked . Eoghan shrugged," Not that great . I've seen a temple, caves and woods . I got sealed in a heap of molten rock and recieved second degree burns , got whipped by Sev'rannce Tann, nothing much . " Rorn nodded," Cool ."
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Mara looked up from her treatment of Luke's wounds and listened . She could hear the hum of a lightsaber outside and a high-pitched voice singing about . . . ca'eh ? Standing, Mara stretched and walked out of the ship to see, two Jedi initiates sitting in a tree, while a sugar-crazed Jedi Master was trying to stack rocks and pieces of wood into a tower to reach them . Mara watched amazed as Ari started to climb her make-shift ladder and it promptly collapsed . Not daunted, Ari began to build it again with larger rocks . Mara sighed and stepped out where she could be seen ." Ari, stop this at once ." she commanded, bringing the power of the Force into her voice . Ari looked up and saw Mara," Ca'eh ?" she asked . Mara shook her head," No, no more candy ." she said . Ari held up two fingers close together ." Jes eh li'lle bet ?" she pleaded . Mara shook her head again and waved for Rorn and Eoghan to come down . Rorn shook his head no, and Eoghan's voice piped up," Is it safe yet ?" Mara gestured to Ari who was now tossing twigs into the fire and laughing at the sparks that flew up . " See for yourself ." she answered , sounding very annoyed . Rorn slowly slid down the trunk of the tree , while Eoghan tried to climb down, but fell , landing on top of Ari's small tower . " Now Rorn, why are you here ?" Mara asked . Rorn pounted at Ari and said ." I was sent to get Eoghan and bring him back and she wanted to come ." Mara nodded and turned to Eoghan ." You will go back with Rorn and Ari . Tell Corran that Luke and I will be coming back in several days . And remember, your name is still on my list, so nothing better go wrong or your name is mud " Eoghan nodded and looked out at the dark of the night around them ." Do we have to leave right now ? " he asked ." Mara's face went red and she pointed at the direction of Rorn's ship in a " just go " way . Rorn called to Ari and gesturing to Eoghan, they started the long walk back to Don's freighter . " If you have any candy on you, dump it now ." Rorn whispered to Eoghan," Its no tfun being stuck in hyperspace with a sugar high Jedi Master ."
Sev'rannce Tann waited impatiently as her defender shot through hyperspace. Move, fighter, this is important!!!!!!. The prophecy remained in her mind the entire time as her fighter moved towards Bastion. As she moved past Nal Hutta, she felt a sudden spike of anger and hate. not that hate coming from that system surprises me, but this seems something different. Like a powerful force user with no training. There had been some links between Nar Shaddaa and the jedi Don Halert, but nothing worth investigating. Certainly not now, with all I have to do. The defender carried its deadly cargo past the hutt system and on towards Bastion, the Imperial capitol.
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It had only been a few hours since Pellaeon had recieved Tann's message anouncing her imminent return from Byss. about time she got here. There's alot we need to get done. He had jsut revieved news from Kirkosh that the renegade courier had been killed in a firefight with Imperial Navy Troops. The precious codes were safe and on their way to Bastion. Along with one of the Empire's most valuable commanders. A young man, for an admiral, Kirkosh had risen through the ranks from Lieutenant to Admiral in just under ten years. He was proving to be more valuable than Pellaeon had first thought. The ETA's for Tann and Kirkosh were about the same: 2100 hours.
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At 2100 hours Sev'rannce Tann's defender shot out of hyperspace, perfectly on time. The Star Destroyer Order of Destiny, one of the newest ships in the Imperial fleet, came up near her, almost perfectly in step. With Tann's defender flying ahead, almost like it was fly interference, the Imperial commanders headed for Coruscant. The Supreme Commander herself flew escort for Admiral Kirkosh's shuttle. Pellaeon stood at the base terminal, waiting for them. "Come with me to the Imperial Palace. To the secret council chamber. I have news of great importance for you." They walked alongside him as he spoke.
"I too have important intelligence from Byss." Tann put in.
"Mission accomplished: the courier is dead and I have the acess codes right here." Kirkosh reported to his superiors. They walked swiftly through the palace and up to the high secret chamber. As soon as they arrived, Pellaeon began.
"While you two were away pursuing the interests of the Empire abroad, I have been looking through the Imperial archives and have made a rather interesting discovery. I have found an old deployment order, sending Grand Admiral Thrawn to the unknown regions, to expand Imperial power and influence. nths before the Endor showdown, and th unavailable. Knowing Thrawn, he did succeed, and the reports were never filed. I believe that there is a strong presence loyal to the empire in the unknown regions, who knows how many more troops and resources that can be tapped to aid our war effort."
When he finished speaking, Sev'rannce Tann gave her news. "While I was on Byss, I found a stone with a strange inscription on it. Written in the old Sith hand, it was a prophecy by the emperor Palpatine himself. It predicted the rise of two dead warriors, and by their power the Rebellion will be destroyed. It also speaks of an alliance between great powers, forming a complete force. A force able to restore peace and order to the galaxy. The two warriors I take to be myself, and..........Grand Admiral Thrawn." A shocked silence came over the room.
"How?" Pellaeon asked the question on everyone's lips.
"A clone. Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker met with an Aristocra of the Fifth Ruling Family of the Chiss Ascendancy. His full name I do not know but his core name is Fombri. They believe him to be a clone of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Not with any of the memories of Thrawn, but with the same tactical brilliance. The prophecy also preddicted, 'Nine and One is Seven.' I take this to mean Nine will join one to form seven. In some cultures, seven means completion. if Nine mean sthe nine families of the Chiss Ascendancy, and One means the Galactic Empire, with all of its unknown regions territories, than we only need to convince them to join us to ensure our victory."
"But how?" Kirkosh asked. "the Chiss disdain of pre-emptive strikes is well documented."
"Supppose," Pellaeon began, "a leaky transmission went from here to Csilla. By way of, say, Bothawui?"
"A most excellent idea, sir." Tann said. "Those Bothans will jump at the chance to catch us together, transgressing Chiss territory and neatly falling into our trap."
"Good." Kirkosh said. "We need only to enact this plan."
"I will send the transmission. General Tann and I shall go to the meeting with the Chiss. You, Admiral kirkosh, shall go to find these Imperial resources. i think Niraun was the original place of deployment. When our alliance is formed, we shall have the means to truly restorte peace and order to the galaxy."
The three warriors saluted and left, Tann to get prepare for the journey, Pellaeon to send the message, and Kirkosh to prepare his expedition.
I can't find where to put this !!!! So I'm putting it here for now. Timeline wise it belongs long before the invasion with the Leeches on the Wookies planet. Not long after the vision for Thyferra.
FA~yes i know i'm under nathan's I'm just to lazy to switch ;)
Cowering fear is not always a useful trait in my servants. It can be helpful but also annoying. Tann noted as Lyth backed against the warehouse’s aluminum wall her senses flooding with the terror of a trapped thing. No, Tann decided. She much preferred awe to cowering. It was more useful.
Come here. She ordered gently. I just want you to look at something.
Lyth paused blatant uncertainty in her sense, but slowly, reluctantly obeyed. Tann reached out and took her hand. Lyth jerked but did not dare pull away.
Leading Lyth over to the newly arrived crates of stolen equipment, Tann opened one marked “Fragile”.
“Take a look.”
Hesitantly, Lyth stepped forward curiosity glinting on the edge of her fear. Inside, rested a silver-plated ball. Bits of wire randomly stuck out testifying to the unfinishedness of the project. Lyth immediately reached down and began handling the ball. She recognized pieces of the technology. Her mind began instantly classifying the parts into sensors, batteries, coolants, wires, and computer chips. Almost tsking she shook her head. Much too big and entirely too haphazard. She could modify ....
“Think you can do something with....” Tann suddenly felt the utter distraction in Lyth’s sense—as if the door to Lyth’s mind had just swung half closed or as if her mind itself simply no longer lived inside the room the door was connected with. Carefully, she tested matters. No, her boundaries still held. Lyth yet remained in her possession. Tann could call her again if she wished.
“Lyth, can you improve it?” Entirely bent on the object in her hands, Lyth continued removing two wires and a circuit board. The strange black eyes did not even flicker.
“LYTH ARIA!!” This time the call contained a force slap.
Lyth blinked. “What, Mistress?”
“Can you improve it?”
Lyth blinked again. Then returned to her work. After a moment, she replied not looking up, “Of course, but I need F-190 Fusioncutter , clean microchips ready for programming, a computer terminal, a decent hydrospanner with a universal bit,......”
The monotonous tone of the list clearly indicated Lyth’s preoccupation.Tann smiled. She’d seen the workings of Lyth’s mind. She might manage a useful piece of technology even with her shattered genius.
“Of course, you may have what you require. Just do not fail me.”
Lyth did not even seem to register the threat.
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Six days after her speech with Lyth, Tann in the midst of performing her morning marshal arts regime heard the communicator on her desk ping. Quelling her annoyance at the interruption, she powered down her lightsaber and strode to the desk.
“What is it?”
“Pardon the intrusion, Mistress. We’ve received a message marked urgent from Mechis III.” Responded the respectful voice of her captain.
“Send it up.”
The message scrolled across her veiwscreen.
From: SithDroid3-d, Mechis III
To: Supreme Commander Sev'rannce Tann of the Imperial Armed Forces, Bastion
The prisoner refuses to eat. Please advise.
Droids! Tann had told them not to disturb Lyth, not to let her starve herself to death. Hot anger at Lyth’s disobedience flashed through her as she closed her eyes and bitingly summoned Lyth’s mind.
It was not there. Startled, Tann once again checked her mental grips. No... the mind remained, a very preoccupied mind—too occupied in fact to respond. Tann’s annoyance froze into hard wrath. She hadn’t tried it from this far but she was going to now. Seizing Lyth’s sense she forcibly emersed herself inside Lyth’s essense.
The vertigo of Lyth’s scrambled senses once again nauseated Tann. The pure chaos of entirely scattered thoughts, flashes of memories, flowing with raw untamed force power could drive anyone mad. Hurriedly, she saw and caught onto the one piece of logic that seemed to keep the girl sane. Unlike usual, however, it rapidly lead her to a core of thoughts entirely logical. For a moment Tann’s mind was swamped with ideas and images of circuits, wires, power sources, and computer programming. But fortified with her wrath, no possibility of losing one ounce of herself existed.
“Lyth Aria!” she hissed menacingly.
“What?” The tone {if thoughts have tones}was defiant and irritated.
“You need a reminder.”
Tann coolly found the Lyth’s paincenters and twisted, hard. As Tann watched through the Lyth's eyes, the grey floor instantly came towards her. Tann felt Lyth’s body writhing; her breath grate harshly through her lungs. Her sense no longer felt occupied. Good.
Tann softly whispered, “You are my servant, Lyth. Do not forget that.”
“ Yes, Mistress.”
“You tried to defy me by not eating.”
Confusion wafted through Lyth, “No, Mistress.”Fury leaped inside Tann at the lie, but she quelled it. Lyth did not always make sense.
“Explain.”
“I...I...I’ve been doing as you told me—working on well...this.” She pointed to the workbench on which lay three small pencil-like objects.
“ I ate....I think before I talked to you. It has not been very long since I spoke to you last. Should I have eaten?”Tann’s rage melted into annoyance and then into almost wry humor. If only the rest of her servants were so passionate, “ Lyth, it has been almost a week since I spoke to you.”
“Oh.” Lyth’s tone was doubtful, but the atmosphere of Lyth’s mind shift ed becoming almost child-like in her excitement.
“Can I show you? Can I show you, Mistress, what I made?”
Tann mentally raised an eyebrow, “ You’re already finished?”
Lyth laughed, “Of course, it was easy. I was done three days ago. I just wanted to make more, and that can be time consuming.”
“What did you make?”
Confusion again in her sense. “I think...” Lyth’s thought became hesitant. “I think it might be a weapon.” She sounded embarrassed, “That’s the other thing I was doing these last three days. Trying to figure out what it was.”
Patiently, Tann asked again, “What is it?”
“It’s a ....a... leech. Yes...........” Lyth’s mind started to slide away back into that core of logic.
“Lyth...” Tann growled.
Hurriedly, Lyth replied, “They have a small sensor on the front near the tip and a microchip computer to guide them. They are like missiles so the launcher provides momentum for it to steer in vacuum. They home on any transponder marked foe and then suck the energy from the shields. Just like leeches, they suck energy until they are full and then explode on normal shields while backing away from Vidrion shields.... At least um I am fairly sure that is what it does.”
There was a pause.
Lyth shifted from foot to foot, plainly nervous and rapidly becoming terrified.
Tann smiled to herself.
“I am content...for now. We shall see. Go now and deliver what you have made to the SithDroid. Then eat and sleep.”
Disappointment radiated through Lyth as if Tann had taken away her favorite toy or reprimanded her.
“Then of course you may return to your work.”
Instanteous relief and joy, “Thank you Mistress. Thank you!”
“I do not want your thanks. I demand your attention and obedience as well your production, Lyth Aria. Do not ignore my call again or it shall go hard for you.”
Lev'rin Tarl'ya walked quickly down the stairs, hurrying to his secret shuttle. He was a captain in the Bothan Star Corps, but this mission was not on official duty. His crew would be assembled soon, and then they would board the Lood Subterfuge, straight on a mission that would make his career. It better he thought, After that Kessel disaster this is the only way to get out of the doghouse. It was the same doghouse every captain who had blind-jumped out of that mad house was in. But I'll be out of it first he thought with glee as he re-read the transmission he had intercepted.
To Aristocra Formbi of the Fifth Ruling family of the Chiss Ascendancy
Greetings, Aristocra. I have an urgent matter to talk to you about. I cannot trust more to these messages. Meet me at these coordinates. 1200, 23409,54912.
Gilad Pellaeon, Grand Admiral and Ruler of the Galactic Empire
Sev'rannce Tann, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces
I get those two and I'll be an admiral. He entered his ship, walking along the passagways, looking approvingly at al the men(well Bothans) in their battle positions. "That's right warriors, we have a job to do." He said aloud as he entered the bridge turbolift and headed upstairs. Walking onto the bridge, he sat down in his Admiral's chair and gave orders to his men. '"Prepare the ship for launch. Go to these coordinates" he said as he handed a datacard with the coordinates on it to his nac officer. As the nav officer input the coordinates, the captain radiod his ship. "Be ready for action. We have a tough tussle coming up. Starfighter pilots to your ships." He pulled the lever and the stars became starlines as the ship launched into hyperspace.
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On Csilla, Aristocra Formbri and his entourage launched into space on board the Grand Envoy. Already aboard, was High Emissary Terok. A meeting with the Empire's highest ranking officers required a high-ranking Chiss oficer, the council had decided. Aristocra just wouldn't cut muster. Thus Terok, the nost important Chiss diplomat, was to accmopany the mission. Formbri was included in the party mainly because the transmission had mentioned him by name. As they boarded the diplomatic vessel, it was evident the the High Emissary was alread on board. Moving to their appointed rooms, Formbri's entourage didn't even feel the gentle buckle as the Grand Envoy entered hyperspace.
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The Chimaera was already in flight when the other ships launched. The Destroyer had a longer way to travel from Bastion. Tann and Pellaeon sat at a small round table in one of the five meeting rooms ajoining the bridge. As they discussed various strategies for winning the Chiss over, in case the Bothans didn't snap at the bait, a single messenger droid entered the room. "Your excellency," it addressed Pellaeon by the formal title that the ruler of the Empire was required to be called(no matter how much he preferred a simple sir), "At the last nav-check we recieved a transmission from Admiral Kirkosh reporting that he was ready to luanch his expedition."
"Excellent. At the next nav-stop send him my orders to proceed." Pellaeon handed the droid a datadisc
"As you command, your excellency" The droid did an awkward mechanical bow and then exited the room.
"As we were saying, what if the Bothans don't show up?" Pellaeon asked. "I think we'll have to convince Formbri that this is important. That they are in imminent danger."
"No that won't work. the same thing that makes the Bothan idea work also makes it so the entire plan hinges on the Bothans. The Chiss will not break the rules of warfare but will whole-heartedly fight against anyone who does. Pre-emptive strikes like the one the Bothans will appear to have made are the cardinal sin of warfare."
"Then lets hope this works."
"It will. The Bothan ambitiona dn greed has never let us down before" Sev'rannce closed the meeting. With one hour left until realspace, both commanders retired o their quarters to prepare for the meeting.
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The Chimaera and the Grand Envoy dropped out of hyperspace at the same time. A quick glance at the transponders showed each captain that this was the ship he was meeting. Without a word, Terok, Formbri, and the twelve Chiss Diplomatic Guard soldiers boarded a shuttle and were escorted to the Chimaera by the half-squadron of Clawcraft that had come as an honor guard. The shuttle docked in the Chimaera's magnificent diplomatic hanger, reserved for special diplomatic meetings, and for the ships of superiors. Pellaeon's modified shuttle and Tann's Defender were both parked off to the side. A line of ten Imperial guardsmen, their red robes missing the black mourning stripe that they had carried for years, a symbol of the Empire passing beyond Palpatine under the wise rule of its Grand Admirals, faced a line of ten SithDroids, the choice bodyguards of Sev'rannce Tann, its supreme commander. Beyond them a double line of stormtroopers became a double line of Navy troops which became a double line of battle droids. The soldiers of the Empire on full display. As the shuttle opened, six Chiss soldiers entered, dressed in black, carrying thier charrics at full shoulder. Behind them came the High Emissary and his entourage, as well as the Aristocra and his entourage. Six more soldiers brought up the rear. Across the hangar, Tann and Pellaeon walked side by side. The black Sith Robes of Sev'rannce Tann flowed down from her shoulders, moving with her as she walked. Pellaeon wore the standard white of a Grand Admiral, with a gold trim that was reserved for special occasions. The ships officers followed them. The two parties drew near. The front six Chiss parted and the Grand Emmisasry stepped forward. he and Pellaeon shook hands as equals. So did Tann and Formbri. A Chiss herlad stepped forward. "High Emmisary Niste'ro'kelon of the Fifth Ruling Family."
The Imperial captain stepped forward and introduced his own leader. "His Excellency Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon of the Galactic Empire."
The Chiss herald announced his second leader, in the proper fashion. "Aristocra Formbri of the Fifth Ruling Family."
In like manner the Imperial Captain introduced his own second leader. "Supreme Commander Sev'rannce Tann, commander of the Imperial Armed Forces."
The heralds backed off behind the leaders as Terok broke the silence, his voice the proper gravity for meeting with an Imperial Grand Admiral. "You may call me Terok. You may call him," motioning to Formbri, "Formbri."
"Thank you, High Emissary. You may call me Pellaeon." and motioning to Tann, "you may call her Sev'rannce."
"Thank you, Grand Admiral." Terok answered him.
"This way, we have a quite important matter to discuss." Tann added in, motioning down the line of soldiers. They walked, Pellaeon and Terok in front, Tann and Formbri behind. The twelve honor guards took up their positions with after the Imperial Guard, in front of the SithDroids, as the Imperials had arranged. The line of Imperial soldiers extended all the way to the turbolift. Each rank marching smartly away as the dignitaries passed it. When the their turn to leave came, the Chiss had returned to the shuttle.
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The turbolift took the diplomatic party up to the bridge of the Chimaera. All the rows of officers and technicians were in perfect position as the four walked along. Pellaeon led the way into a small conference chamber off to the side of the bridge. The others followed him inside and sat down. Pellaeon and Terok sat at the ends of the table, with Tann and Formbri art the sides. Pellaeon addressed the Chiss Emissary. "High Emissary Terok of the Chiss Ascendancy. I have come personally on behalf of the Galactic Empire to warn of a growing force on your borders. Though they call themselves the beacons of hope, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances is, at its core, a greedy, space-grabbing government that will stop at nothing until the whole Galaxy sits under its thumb. They are a weak regime, promising freedoms that they cannot deliver. Ever since their first uprising, they have brought chaos and disorder to a once-peaceful galaxy. I have come to formally request an alliance, between the Galactic Empire and the Chiss Ascendancy."
"What type of alliance?" After long years as a diplomat Terok was able to keep an pbjective view and not be swayed by his emotions.
"A full alliance. The Chiss and Empire working completely together." Pellaeon answered.
"Would we go to war alongside each other?" Terok asked
"Yes. We would protect each other from the Federation." Pellaeon responded.
"Well--------" Terok began when sudden;y klaxons started baying red alert. Lights flashed and a voice came over the comm. "Grand Admiral Pellaeon to the bridge. Repeat. Grand Admiral Pellaeon to the bridge."
Pellaeon immediately excused himself. Tann stood and spoke. "If your excellencies would like, I can arrange for temporary quarters and a guard for you until this is over."
"No." Terok said firmly. "I return to the Grand Envoy. We must conduct our own defense.
"Surely the captain--"
"I am the captain." Terok cut her off in mid-sentence. Aristocra Formbri will stay with you. I must go to my men."
He would take no arguemnts from Tann or from Formbri, but instead left the room. Radioing ahead he left the two seconds. Tann led Formbri to the bridge, where she took her seat at the side of Pellaeon. Formbri sat down in a chair at her side. Intently he watched the Imperial crew throughout the battle, mentally keeping track of everything.
Terok entered his shuttle and the clawcraft took off with the shuttle. The four ships headed for the Grand Envoy as a wave of X-wing, Y-wing, B-wing, and A-wing fighters came flying from the Bothan Assault Frigate.
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On board the frigate, captain Tarl'ya was in a fine mood. His fighters were already engaging the TIEs, and soon his frigsate would exact revenge for Kessel upon the Imperial flagship. "Squadron four, interecept that shuttle going to the Chiss ship. Y-wings, pummle that Chiss vessel into bits. Everyone else get the Imps!" he shouted out his orders. The fighters went about their business, A-wings and B-wings keeping teh TIEs so busy that they could not get even know that 12 X-wings were nearing 3 clawcraft and a shuttle.
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Terok saw that his shuttle wouldn't make it to the Grand Envoy before the X-wings cut it off. Activating deflectors, the shuttle and clawcraft prepared to make a fight of it. The X-wings came in sets of four, three groups of them. The clawcraft and shuttle faced the first group, both sides coming in a head-to-head pass. The shuttle fired two concussion missiles and the lead fighter burst into flames. The x-wings all unleashed proton torpedoes and two clawcraft were gone. The other clawcraft fired several heavy, vlose-range shots at the enemy and burned one into little bits of shrapnel. A torpedoe narrowly missed it. The shuttle tuirned its lasers on another X-wing which burst. The shutle and clawcraft played wingmates and took down two more X-wings before the clawcraft dissappeared under a barrage of lasers. "Chiss shuttle to Xwings. We protest this assault upon Chiss sovereighnty." Three proton torpedoes were the answer. They punched through the shields and lasers did the rst. High Emissary Terok of the Chiss Ascendancy was dead.
Formbri saw the shuttle wink out first. Immediately Tann felt the spike of grief and alarmf rom him and looked at the status board. Her worst nightmare had come true. The Chiss Emissary was dead. Jumping up from her seat, she took off for her fighter. "I need to be in that starbattle" she called as a guard moved to stop her. Her hood slipped down and her long black hairtrailed out behiond her as she ran. She jumped into her Defender and went out to join the fierce fight.
No one in the cantina really noticed it, but he did. he rarely missed anything. She had taken it. Stolen it right out from under his nose. Well, it couldn't last forever, she was a worthy opponent he thought wistfully. Until now, he had never lost a bounty. Well, almost never. I lost the hacker, whatwasisname? Reese, maybe? That had been a tough fight. But he had never lost to the likes of Dagmar even thinking the name raised the hairs on the back of his neck. If only he were slightly more powerful, that Sith bully would be dead. They obviously weren't working together, but still....... the loss of a bounty chafed. But it was all part of the trade, not like Deena had done anything other than her job. Standing up, he left the cantina and walked out onto the street. He could almost sense that a fight had taken place here. the force.....no, I've never had a skill for sensing things.. He walked down the street and on to the north spaceport. Walking into his docking bay, he entered his ship, the Tah Avenger and launched off into space. He had no idea where he was going next, but there was always adventures to be had in the outer rim. Who knows, I may even run into him again...... Orvar Malkin thought as he pressed the lever on his ship, catapulting off into hyperspace, bound for the planet Tatooine