Star Wars: The Starkiller II

“Of course, this might be stretching the definition of 'crime' somewhat,” Rand began again, annoyed that Doon had interrupted. “The Jedi might have been aggrieved that Siva pulled off something none of them would ever dare do, but they were hardly going to pursue him for it- mind you, he was wanted on several hundred other counts by that time. However, the Sith owned a not inconsiderable portion of the Galaxy at this point, and they sure as hell thought it was a crime. In fact, some legends have it was at the hands of the Sith that Siva met his final end, when they eventually caught up with him. True or not, he had still pulled off this ultimate feat; to steal from the epitome of evil and danger itself, and they never recovered what was stolen.

“Of course, no-one ever really knew what it was he stole...”

"... but in case you have not guessed," said Doon, "the centerpiece of his haul was the missing tablet. Not missing until he took it of course; it never even reached Avalar. The Avalarian Sith might have made more of an effort to get it back- if they hadn't all been killed by their fellows not long after the Monastery was completed, of course...”

Wait a minute... Galder thought, a tad confused. He had not heard the tale of Avalar for a long time, but perhaps his facts were mistaken. He is coming from Kuylen...perhaps I’ve got my facts wrong...

Takuan’s glare darkened, his brow further furrowed, but said nothing. Rand did likewise, adopting the glare but remaining silent. Galder supposed they were thinking similar things, historians that they were.

"Meanwhile, that tablet became the ultimate proof of Siva's almost God-like reputation, and it became the coronation centerpiece in the organization he set up after he retired from his active life of crime...the Golden Serpent. Precious few people know that about the coronation- a reminder to the leadership that nothing and no one is too big or dangerous for the Golden Serpent to take on."

“So the Citadel is the Serpent’s headquarters,” Takuan sighed, releasing the glare somewhat and looking at the floor.

“Yes indeed! Whether Siva built it himself, or it came later, no one is quite sure. But the entire of the Golden Serpent operation eventually owes allegiance to the Ghost Citadel.”

“And that is a lot of allegiance,” Tanic commented. “There is There is no criminal activity in the Galaxy that they do not have a hand in. The organization as a whole is somewhat vague, but incredibly powerful, and notoriously vicious, determined and resourceful.”

“In fact, they are the most powerful criminal organization this side of the Galaxy, and second in power in the whole Galaxy only to the Hutts,” Rand added. “In many ways, you could even rate them more dangerous than the Hutts, because the Hutts are powerful in that they control entire planets in the area around Hutt Space. The Golden Serpent isn't really into openly controlling planets like that, but their insidious influence is to be felt everywhere. One way or another, you can flee the Hutts. The Golden Serpent, though, will find you anywhere in the Republic. And where the Hutts represent the vile culture of an alien civilization, the Serpent is a distinctly human phenomenon; you can decide for yourselves whether that makes them better or worse.

“The Serpent remains untouched by the Jedi- anyone who could tell them anything useful that gets caught is invariably killed before they can give evidence. Some small successes have been had but major progress has been impossible- the Jedi suspect, correctly, that the Serpent is exercising political control- in the form of bought and compromised Senators- to derail any chance of a successful investigation.

“Still,” Tanic interrupted. “Whilst they are present everywhere, Coruscant included, they don't like to operate anything big too close to the Jedi, so it is out on the frontier where their power is supreme.”

“They are not people to mess with,” Rand continued, “unless you are deadly serious- cunning and deceitful, many have been caught up in their plots. Perhaps Siva was a little too much like the Sith for his own good; it may explain how he was able to pull one over on them though, as he operated the same way they did. Even a thousand years later, the organization reflects his character.”

Rand stopped, seeing if Doon would interject, but Melkus Doon merely looked on, the same grin still very broad.

“There are three people- two men and one woman,” Tanic began, “on my ‘list’ that aren’t dead yet. I actively avoid them; their subsection was originally four strong, but only when I killed the first did I discover that all four were Serpentines. Oh, such an arse...they don’t let grudges go! I was hoping we could repay the debt sometime...or finish the job...” Tanic looked to Rand, who nodded.

“I killed an not unimportant Serpent sector enforcer in my Jedi career,” Rand said, telling his own tale. “The fall out from that- in attempted revenge killings- took years to sort. The Mecrossans have always had a...shall I say...vibrant relationship with the Serpent...which is to say, they loathed each other! Easy to see why, though; the Mecrossans were sponsored by the Sith, whilst the Serpent grew out of having defied the Sith. Brutal shadow war between the two organizations that went on for a long time. But...it has been over for centuries now, long before my time. Cannot quite remember why...”

Doon looked curiously at Rand for a moment, before making his own comment.

“Yes, serious stuff. Very serious.”

“So we infiltrate the Citadel and nab the Tablet,” Takuan summarized. “Sounds dangerous.”

“Not to say completely insane,” Rianna groaned.

"Yes it is,“ Doon agreed. “Dangerous and insane, and Kuylen didn't want to do it alone, and now he can't do it at all. It's your job.

"Still, there are some compensations I can offer. I might not be going in with you, but I can help get you in. I have a few favors I can call, and a few resources for you- including a small smuggling ship that the Serpent thinks is their own. In fact, play your cards right and I think we can pass you off as Serpent members."

“Compared to the Osokans,” Rah commented. “This could be much more fun.”

“I have my doubts,” Takuan muttered.

"The plan will be all yours," Doon explained. "I'll get you in, you guys take it from there, I'll see you at the rendezvous. All the preparation you need, I will do my best to sort for you. Other than that, this ball game is all yours.

"Your main opponents will be the Lantarnan family, of course. Siva's descendants still rule the Citadel and the Serpent; Vigo Lantarnan has an iron grip on all around him, and four sons and a daughter, none of whom are to be underestimated."

“Serpent members, us?” Galder asked, stroking his chin. “Sounds intriguing. I don’t deem it completely insane; we’ve done worse than storming some damned fool’s collection in a citadel of an organization named for a snake!”

“And frankly, nearly anything could be an improvement over fighting droves of Osokans,“ Rianna said, looking around at the others. “At least this time, we'll be on the offensive instead of constantly on the run."

“Do not underestimate the Serpent,” Rand warned. “They stalked me for years. Years. They will pursue us more than the Bureau ever can.”

“Well, you obviously survived their attempts on your life,” Galder snarled. Who does he think he is, telling me I can’t fight my way out of this...

“I had the backing of the Jedi Order,” Rand reminded him coolly. “And the Republic.”

“Where is the Citadel?” Takuan asked.

"The Ghost Citadel on the first moon of the gas giant Fernau,” answered Doon. “Unfortunately that leads to some complications...which I had better run through with you, actually."

Takuan waited patiently, giving Doon the ever-present glare of distrust.

He’ll rival Saar at this rate... Galder thought bitterly.

"Well, the point is...the 'Ghost' Citadel...that's not actually just a fancy name..."

“Those clouds must make it hard to find, I trust, being on the gas giant after all...”

"Heh! It's not actually on the gas giant," corrected Doon. "It's on one of the moons, like those old Sith temples on Yavin. Unfortunately, the biosphere provided by that gas giant is...unhelpful.

"Basically, the moons of Fernau are barely habitable. In fact, to most sentient life forms, they are totally inhabitable. The atmosphere is highly poisonous and kills anyone pretty quickly.

"But there is some native life to the first moon- plant life, mainly. They have evolved with an immunity to the poison, and luckily this can be made use of. The extract of the root of the Yaran plant from the moon can be taken to give you immunity to the poison yourself. So you will all have to be supplied with that, else your life expectancy will be pretty short.

"Trouble is...the Yaran plant is a hallucinogenic...a pretty powerful one. You can build up a tolerance over time, though they say the effect never fully goes away. But for at least a month after you start taking it, you get affected by all sorts of weird crap. People see things that aren't there...the ghosts, of the Ghost Citadel.

"Of course, I am pretty sure, and I know Kuylen was pretty sure as well, that you guys won't have a problem with that." He tapped the side of his head to make his point. "What with your gnarly magic senses, you will be able to tell what is real and what is not, yeah?"

“Need I remind you that it’s not magic?” Takuan reprimanded, as he had done on Cynelline. “It is the Force, not spectacular parlor tricks.”

“Though, such a mention of it would make that bastard Windu scream,” Tanic commented. “Have they exported this drug? And just how dedicated are the Serpentines?”

"Not widely, but I have a supply for you. As for the Serpent members themselves...they are very dedicated, yes. If it comes to a fight, they'll all die before letting you take the tablet out of there...”

“We will have to wipe them out,” Rand decided. “But not in a miniature war; miniature wars get attention, as Kuylen’s veterans know full well. Assassins are quite useful for such a fight; the Mecrossa Order, even. I could contact my...ties...there, and perhaps stir them to fight the Serpent once more...”

“You hang around with Mecrossans?” Doon asked, looking extremely uncomfortable. “Aren’t the most sociable of people...”

“I’m a fully fledged member, having been trained in their dark ways...” Rand notified him, adopting a dignified look and taking a beacon from his coat, much like the one that Galder and Takuan and Rah each carried, but sleek and black...and slightly battered. It had buttons for sending out communications as well. Two way. Rand had shown him it before, but never actually used it.

Galder had been investigating the inside of the barrel of his submachine gun, remembering to set the safety to on before checking again.

The Main Sith Armada? Hmm...I guess that would be right... he pondered, before thinking about mowing down an endless field of snakes with gunfire and lightsabers ignited.

= Chapter 26 =

"It's been fun, hanging with you crazy kids," said Doon, as they parted from Epireus. He paused at this point to look at Rand. "Well, you know what I mean. Just remember...there is a tendency in the Serpent for people to only be as good as the last thing they did for the organization. Which means you guys can become flavor of the month almost immediately, if you do it right. Of course, sooner or later your bubble will burst- you can't keep it up forever. But who cares? By the time anyone susses it, you'll be halfway back here with Siva's tablet!"

He tapped his head again. "You have fun with those wild powers of yours. Though...don't freak them out too much. No fireballs, or anything! I am pretty sure that won't go down well.

"There's a lot to get done. Kuylen's counting on you. And...I'm counting on you, in that I'm the one he'll blame if you guys mess up. So get it right for my sake if no one else's.

"Next stop- power. As Kuylen always wanted, we're going to start this Galaxy ablaze. Start small and work big- our time starts now."

There was something about Doon that was helpful- like he always knew what to do. Galder could almost see him in Hell, slipping out his chains and talking his way into the Heavens above. He was definitely impressive, and Galder owed him his life for that skirmish by the river.

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The small Serpent smuggling craft dropped out of hyperspace within the gravity well of the gas giant, then proceeded to orbit around it to the moons. While the craft was only accommodated for four people, the seven of them crowded in. There were several legit cargo bays, and several illegal ones that were shielded against scanning. The craft was lightly armed, with only a pair of laser cannons facing front, and relied more on the powerful sublight engines and strong hyperdrive.

The surface of the first Fernau moon was much as Doon had said. The moon was in eternal darkness, a pale green light filtering through the clouds. The rocky ground was dark and gray, completely unlivable, other than the structure that stretched out of the rock to meet them.

“The Citadel,” Rand alerted them, sitting just behind Galder and Tanic in the cockpit. Galder, flying as the ship’s navigator, nodded in acknowledgement.

“Creepy looking place,” Tanic commented, his hands on the controls. The communication system bleeped.

"This is Fernau base to unidentified contact. Identify yourself and your purpose."

“Tanic...” Rand said, notifying him that he was to deal with it.

Tanic nodded, then opened the line. “We have a gift to Mistress Jena from our Master. We have been commanded to only give it to her in person. May we land?"

“Who is your Master?”

“Lord Geful, Master of the Empire of Pity!” Tanic declared, as if disgusted that the traffic manager did not know. “Fear us, mortal, and allow us to land!”

“Very well,” the traffic manager replied curtly. “You may land at the lower landing platform...”

“We should go by aliases, Rand,” Galder told him as Tanic closed the line. “You and Tanic are both wanted dead by the Serpent, aren’t you?”

“Just come up with something creative,” Rand dismissed him.

As they approached the Citadel, they were met with strong winds, which tossed the green fog about the surface at high speeds. Through the tinted mists of the Fernau moon, Galder spotted signs of habitation dotting the surface. Then he looked up to the Citadel.

“You’d think that ‘the Ghost Citadel of the Golden Serpent’ would be something grand, but this place is pretty ugly looking,” he commented about the hideous structure as he helped Tanic ease the ship towards the lower platform.

“Ugly is just about right,” Rianna agreed.

The Citadel was half built into a vast rock formation, jutting out in an ugly fashion atop the rocks and bulging out in places beneath it. Upon one of the bulging structures was their designated landing bay, shrouded in the green gloom that was constant amongst the lower hangars of the Citadel.

“Most unimpressive,” Gallador commented, rolling his eyes. “Master Rand, what should we do with our lightsabers?”

“Hide them well,” Rand ordered, not taking his eyes off of the fortress. “Doon supplied each of us with pistols, so strap them to your belts in whatever way you see fit.”

“I don’t need one,” Tanic and Galder commented at the same time. The others each took one, Rand taking two and tucking them into his belt.

“Excellent pistols, I must say,” Rand commented, holding one of the silvery blasters up to an overhead light. “Doon told me that he designed them himself. They have color-coordinated cartridges to designate different types of ammunition...blaster shots, ion bolts, underwater lasers...”

“Just like my old Naadal assault rifle,” Galder said, shaking his head. “That was a fine weapon.”

Tanic and Galder finished the landing procedures. Rand motioned for them to follow his lead, and they stepped out, single file, into the near black darkness of the hangars. Some twenty, openly armed goons had come down to greet them, their leader viewing Rand and the others with pure contempt. Rand returned the same look, but with a malicious smile, before bowing slightly, in Jedi fashion.

This air is disgusting... Galder thought to himself as he breathed his first breath of the moon’s air. It left a foul taste in his mouth and made him slightly light-headed, but the Yaran root countered the deadly gasses in the air, allowing Galder to breath in deeply without keeling over. Not that he felt like breathing in deeply. It’s just so gross...oi...I need a breath refresher or something...maybe even a rebreather...

“Newbies...” commented the head goon. “And what business could you possibly have here?’

Before replying, Rand motioned for Tanic and Galder to be at his sides, for whatever his reasons.

“The Empire of Pity wishes to salute the Golden Serpent," Rand replied, rising from his bow. "We have brought a gift for Master Jena herself, and it is to be presented to her in person.

"It will bring reminders of the greatness of the Serpent back to the Galaxy...and just how dangerous it is..."

"That is Mistress Jena to you, scum, and your oh-so-grand outfit means nothing to me. Give me your gift, and I shall take it to her."

"My apologies," Rand replied, not meaning it in the least. "And I must apologize again, for I may not present it to the likes of you. It is to go straight to Mistress Jena herself, from my hand to her own."

The man chuckled slightly, before bringing his gun up and putting out his hand. "Give me the gift," he snorted, "and I might not tell her that you came here to kill her. We'll see who she would believe, of course..."

Rand chuckled back, louder and sarcastically. “Fool, you think I am here to assassinate her?" Rand asked. "Insanity. I do not wish to have the Serpent slithering after me and poison me with its fangs..."

"I don't care what you are here for. But you are the fool, because if I tell her, she'll believe it. So give me the gift, and we are all square..."

“I’m afraid not, my friend. You will allow me to deliver my gift to Jena...”

The man looked slightly dazed for a moment. “I’ll allow you to deliver it to Jena...”

“Oi!” one of his men shouted. “What about...”

“Shut it!” the head goon ordered, raising his rifle as if to butt the man in the face, though he was completely unsure of himself.

Galder grinned smugly. So easy to manipulate these fools...

“Thank you...” Rand said smoothly, flashing a grin to show off his razor-sharp teeth. “Lead the way...”

The man almost turned immediately at the sound of Rand’s voice, and began to lead them to the very long and unsafe staircase that led upwards and onwards, out of the hangar. Rand motioned for the others to follow him and moved to ascend the stairs, but Galder got in front of him, flashing a sly grin, and ascended before him. Discounted, Rand took an easy pace up the stairs, intending not to stumble down them.

“It’s like they’ve never heard of lifts or something!” Galder declared, after having gone up the stairs some distance.

“Apparently not,” Rah answered, taking two steps at a time with little hops up the stairs.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the head goon removed the lock from a large trap door and opened it upwards. The group emerged into what appeared to the main lower hall. The place was a cacophony of noise, with people literally everywhere. The decor was of dull gray stone, but life flowed through the crowds around them. People were yelling and shouting, a few fights breaking out every so often, the odd blaster shot going off, smoke of various odors- foul and pleasant- drifting by, and species of every type surrounding them.

“Lively place,” Galder said, vaguely looking about.

“One big mess of emotions,” Rand commented, as the head goon began to guide them through the crowd. “It’s making my head hurt...”

Upon second glance, Galder began to pick out things of great interest to himself. The fights he had seen were more organized than the random brawls he had assumed. They were fight rings, with crowds of people betting on who would win the face-smashing, bone-crushing fights. Shooting contests were also scattered throughout the mess of people, in various forms. A high percentage of the population of the main hall were smoking something, from standard cigarettes and cigarettos to death sticks to completely alien substances, for the most part mixed with their Yaran root supplies, giving the various colors of smoke a green tinge as it was blown into the atmosphere.

“I’m hating it already...” Rianna snarled from near the back of the group, snuffling as a passerby blew a puff of blue-green smoke into her face.

Hundreds of places around them were blasting out various forms of music, Galder catching a few lyrics from a Proton Overload song as they walked near one of the places. When moving away from a music-playing spot, however, the music all blended together to create one mass of brain-melting noise. Rah was clutching his ears and whimpering slightly as they moved along to another set of stairs leading upwards once more.

Hazardous to my health...to my well-being... Galder groaned inwardly. Well, at least they aren’t being shot at with a plasma launcher...

“Will we be able to jump around down there later?” Galder asked, as they moved up again. “Not literally, of course...”

“Of course...” Rand said, almost saying ‘Galder’ with the head goon directly in front of him.

The upper levels of the Citadel were markedly less noisy, allowing Rah to stop clutching at his sensitive ears. Members of the goon squad escort dropped out as they went further up, and Galder spotted several concealed cameras and scanners marking their movements as they went up the stairs, as well as guards that were both obvious and discreet in doorways and corners.

“There is no logic to this structure,” Rand snarled as the stairs made another random twist upwards. “Entirely barbaric.”

“Suits me just fine,” Galder snarled back.

“I’m not surprised...” Takuan cut in from the back.

They passed through a security-coded stone wall after ascending for a good deal of time, and the decor changed instantly. The look was far more luxurious, the rooms occupied by heavily armed guards in thick, gold-inlaid blast armor bearing the symbol of a coiled serpent on the breast. One of the guards barred the way onwards, holding aloft his large blaster rifle.

“These novices have tribute for Mistress Jena,” the head goon who had lead them up informed the heavy-set guard.

“I am not aware of any such thing.”

“The Mistress is expecting them. You may pay the penalty if her gift is delayed.”

“You had better hope she likes it, or your penalty will be far worse.” Nonetheless, the guard stepped aside.

The corridor twisted and coiled back on itself a few more times, the walls inlaid with gold, before they approached a jet black door. The head goon knocked four times, and it slid open.

“Enter...” he said, gesturing into the door.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Rand said in return, grinning wide.

Galder leaned in Rianna’s direction. “Well, this should be interesting...”

“Interesting could be one way of putting it...” Rianna returned, looking sideways at him.

“What are the other ways?”

“Idiotic? Suicidal? Take your pick.”

“How about exciting?”

“...that too, I guess...”

“Glad you agree!”

They stepped into the large, dimly lit, and lavishly decorated room, which was about the size of a standard housing unit. Gently tinkling, soothing music played all around, while a small group of people sat about the room pouring over computer screens. Works of art and various technological devices were hung from the ceiling and lined up on walls. At the far end of the room was a breath-taking, green-hued view of the plains of the Fernau moon, with the massive gas planet Fernau itself taking up a portion of the sky.

Seated behind a desk in the middle of it all, shuffling through various papers and data pads, was a woman with long, dark, straight hair, and a slender, tan, shapely body. Her clothing was dark and quite suggestive.

Hot damn! thought Galder, on the verge of giving a whistle. He gave her a mischievous grin and raised an eyebrow.

Standing behind her at rigid attention were two very large, brawny men, sporting nothing but black thongs.

Oh...kay... though Galder, on the verge of killing something.

The woman looked up from behind her desk, raising an eyebrow at the group that had just entered her room.

“I expected Jonas to come to me first with a trinket of yours,” she spoke, with a silky voice, slightly accented. “Why has this not happened?”

= Chapter 27 =

Rand took a step forwards, raising his arms outward as a gesture of peace.

“Greetings, Madame,” Rand began, bowing low and flashing his sharp smile. “That would be my Master’s doing.

“I beg your pardon, but I have not introduced our group! We are from the Empire of Pity...” He bowed again, and motioned for all the others to bow with him. They obeyed, grudgingly, but moving in an almost fluid motion as nearly one. “Our Master from the Empire of Pity requested that it specifically be handed to you. He thought that you would like it, and I know that your father will like it as well. It will bring glory and honor back to the Serpent name, or at least make it more glorious and more honorable. Would you care to see the gift, Mistress?”

Bastard...I hate you, Rand...that gift is my trophy! Galder thought, snarling inwardly.

"First," she said, meeting Rand‘s stare solidly, "I want to know who your Master is, why you have chosen to present this 'gift' to me in particular, and why you presume to be able to make statement on what will or will not bring glory to the Serpent and my father's name..."

"We were sent by Lord Geful, he...admires your beauty, Mistress, as everyone should," Rand said.

“You recall the days of old when the founder of the Serpent, your ancestor, pulled one over on the Sith? Well, we pulled one over on a Dark Jedi who had once pestered the Serpent, but escaped the crushing coils. We found him and killed him, in the name of the Serpent. Do you wish to see your present now?"

Galder could not help noting that Rah was fidgeting, looking around cautiously, and trying to pop his ears. Rah gave him a confused look to return Galder’s curious frown.

"This Lord Geful, who I have never met, considers my beauty a reason to present this gift to me instead of my father? And a Dark Jedi? That is an exotic enemy indeed. Who was this thorn in our side that you speak of?"

"I am unsure of his name myself, for it was not I who killed him. But your beauty is a renowned thing throughout the Serpent, is it not? If it isn't, it should be. Us at the Empire know of it. I consider it more than enough of a reason to do so..."

"You cannot even give me his name? If he was killed, should I not be talking to the person who killed him?"

"He has fallen quite ill, I am afraid," Rand told her. "Overdosed on too many different spices, I'm afraid...it's gone wrong with him...you know..."

Rand’s floundering...great... Galder thought, with disgust.

"Then this strikes me as more as an apology than a gift. In my experience, people who turn up unbidden with gifts are either seeking forgiveness or favors. Which is it?"

Say favors...say favors... Galder urged Rand, as if their leader could hear Galder’s thoughts.

"I will have to say favors..." Rand said, flashing another toothy grin. For a moment, he feigned going into deep thought. “I...hmm...you know, that Dark Jedi’s name has returned to me. The name was Persis. Sound familiar?”

Woohoo, favors... Galder silently cheered.

"Then name the favor, and why I should give it to those who did not kill him. Your gift had better match the build-up. And no...but I can easily check the name."

"Then you shall indeed find that he is dead. He was a Tartaran. We helped bag the monster, of course...and we are not quite sure what we want other than bringing new found glory to the Serpent. Shall I present to you...the gift?"

No! We want money! I killed that stupid bastard! Galder silently snarled, imagining what Rand’s severed head would look like as his trophy.

"And...why would a Tartaran be anywhere near your area of operations?"

"Because we had done deals with him in the past."

"You do deals with people who smuggle for the Hutts? That's interesting information to know..."

Galder had forgotten about that. Not that he had ever been interested. His only interest in Tartarus had been the assassination of Persis.

Jena rose from her seat, the muscle-bound pair of men standing back a bit to allow her room to maneuver around her desk. "Still...who am I to argue with politics? Why don't we cut to the chase here. What is the gift?"

“An elegant and noble weapon that is quite deadly when in the right hands. It belonged to this man...shall we present it now?”

“Please do.”

With a nod, Rand turned to Galder with an outreached hand, expecting him to part with his trophy.

Galder said nothing, but glared at Rand coldly while reaching into his jacket and retrieving the battered gray cylinder. He placed it in Rand’s pale hand, nearly letting out a snarl.

“Master will be most displeased that you have divulged too much information of our dealings...” Galder snarled at him.

"Master will not be displeased after this..." Rand retorted, frowning in his direction to make the act seem genuine. He then turned back to Mistress Jena and raised the cylinder into the air, grasping it lightly.

"The weapon of a Jedi, my Mistress! The deadliest hand-held weapon in the known Galaxy! More elegant than a clumsy blaster and able to cut through anything you desire, from slaves to metal doors to your morning toast."

Jena approached him and he placed Persis’ lightsaber in her hand.

"Hmm...interesting..." She turned it on, her hand jumping slightly as it vibrated, and giving it a couple of experimental swings. The blue blade hummed back and forth, evoking a grimace from Galder as his trophy was swung about in her hands.

"Not unique...but not a common sight in this day and age...” she commented, lowering it. "... so...one way or another, you are making a lot of effort. You have got guts to come here, for sure, on a flimsy pretext, and the resources to make an interesting show...clearly, you want something. So why don't you tell me what you really came here to get done, and I shall see if that is worth my time contemplating, or whether I should have you all fed to the Dire Rats? Something you thought I could do for you, hmm?"

"Merely to strengthen the bonds between the Empire of Pity and the Serpent," Rand said firmly. "While we ourselves are very powerful, we are not nearly as powerful as the Serpent. Should anyone approach the Empire with harmful intent, could the Serpent perhaps...slaughter...or...assassinate, the leaders of any such faction?"

"So, you are asking me to kill someone, or some people, I have never met in return for this little laser sword here? Obviously your knowledge of the Serpent is not that great, else you would have tried one of my brothers, or even my father. They are the more immediately violent kind."

She paused.

"You are Serpent members, aren't you?" she asked, looking over the group. Galder resumed his mischievous grinning, but she did not bother returning even a glare.

“Of course we are!” Rand replied, in an offended tone. “The Empire has just not heard from the Serpent often.”

"I cannot help thinking that that is most fortunate for you. Now, I tire of this. Either name what it is you want me to either do or overlook, or stop wasting my time."

"Well, one of our hit men accidentally eliminated a member of the Mecrossa Order. Overlook it, if you please..."

Oh boy... Galder thought.

She stopped pacing and stared directly at Rand.

"Then I have three questions," she said. "First, what was your man doing mixed up with a Mecrossan? Secondly, why have we not heard from the Mecrossans about it? Or can we expect a dead sector enforcer being delivered to our door in the near future? Thirdly...in such a matter, why are you petitioning me, and not my father? And once you have satisfied me on those counts...give me the details, and I will see what I can do to spare your lives, that being the kind of price the Mecrossans would demand. It would be a shame to waste so much effort to ingratiate, on your part..."

Rand stared back, unwavering. Galder at least admired that quality about Rand. If he was a horrible leader, he was a phenomenal liar, a solid speaker, and quite the intellectual. However, Galder hated intellectuals, unless they were terrific fighters and powerful leaders. Like Kuylen. Rand was a decent fighter, but lacked the leading ability.

"I will answer your questions three. First, I do not know myself. All I know is that a Mecrossan was killed. Secondly, you have not heard from the Mecrossans because my Master sent them a message. The message was sent, telling them that he would send men to go to the Serpent to convince them of adding an extra amount of credits to their peace-keeping fee and that the Empire would never mettle in their affairs again. They gave my Master a week to convince you of such a thing. It has been two days. Thirdly, I am just following my Master's orders, which were 'Go to Mistress Jena.' Was it wrong of me to come to you? Should I instead go to your father?"

"Well, you won't escape my father's wrath by ignorance of the details, and by having come to me. He'll kill you anyway, and then your Master.”

Takuan spoke up, taking a step forwards. "We knew to come to you because we consider that you are the future of this organization. You keep the most out of the great Shiva's traits as a leader...it is only logical to see how, based on that, we would come to see you, in your father's and brothers' stead."

Galder expected Rand to pass Takuan a glare, but he did not.

"Well, hurray for subtle politics," she scoffed. "Landing me with this mess to sort out is not going to greatly endear me to you, though the gift is appreciated. But if you cannot give me the details right now to sort this out very quickly, then your Master was foolish to send you, because our recompense to the Mecrossans will be your heads, which we will send out within the hour."

Yeah...not good... Galder thought, with a gulp. The scene was growing steadily worse...

"My pardon, Mistress," Tanic butted in, stepping forwards and in front of Rand. "There has been a brief power struggle in the Empire of Pity recently. An usurper had this Persis with him at the time our Master killed him. Unfortunately, the killing occurred during a meeting with a Mecrossan agent. The so-called challenger, Ander, had arranged a meeting with the Mecrossans in an attempt to gain their support. However, this information was only available after the hit, so for all our Master knew, the Mecrossans were simply a potential sponsor.

“Our Master's hit man was not as precise as one normally hopes in these circumstances. As my colleague remarked, the Mecrossan agent was killed in the destruction of our Master's nemesis. We were given this mission in an attempt to gain favor, again as you have been told, so that you understand the circumstances in which this Mecrossan was killed.

“As to why we have come to you and not your father, there was a reason for that too. Our Master, in his wisdom, decided that he would not like to disturb your father with this news, as he no doubt has more important things to do with his time. We also understood that you, out of your father's children, are possibly the cleverest, and that you would see our mistake, and accept our gift as compensation for it," Tanic paused a moment, directing a glare at Rand and Takuan.

Oh snap! Galder thought with an inward chuckle. Rand is going to be pissed! Go Tanic!

Indeed, Rand glared at Tanic with full intensity, clenching his jaw hard.

"I'm afraid my colleagues somehow managed to keep the facts from the conversation, for which they will be punished by our Master, a matter best dealt with within our rules."

Jena thought it over for a few moments, then switched off the lightsaber. "Very well. I will see what can be done. Of course, you will all have to stay here until the situation is sorted. I'll find out everything I can about this 'Persis' and the rest of it."

"My thanks, Mistress," Tanic said, taking a half bow. "And should we be staying in the cavern during this time?"

“Yes, the halls are the proper place for proles like you.”

“So, what will be doing down there?” Galder asked her, breaking his silence.

"You may amuse yourselves whilst here in any way you find...entertaining. I am sure you will soon find out how things work." She left the desk area and began to walk amongst them. Galder began to sleek back his hair and stand up straight, making himself look appealing to the feminine eye.

"I must say, if nothing else, it is pleasant to have such...fine specimens arriving...so many that we get here are such feeble life forms..." she continued, as she drifted by Galder, flashing him slightly with her rather revealing top.

“Well, hello, Mistress...” he said, but she drifted past him. Dammit...

She stopped by Rianna. "And clearly no feebleness in the women of this outfit of your either..." She paused to stand up close to Rianna and run a finger through her hair. "Most refreshing..."

Rianna narrowed her eyes as the others snickered. “Excuse me.”

“Sit back and enjoy, fellas?” Galder said to the others.

“Shut it...” Rianna ordered him.

There was a knock at the door. Jena returned to her desk, where a light was flashing green. She pressed a button and the door opened.

"What the hell do you want, Mika?" she asked.

The man who entered was relatively diminutive, with a swarthy complexion.

Mika Lantarnan... Galder thought, sure that the others were thinking the same.

"Business," he explained. "Who the hell are these people?"

"Visitors from the Rim out in the southwest quadrant," she said.

"What, out on a day trip, are they? We're a tourist attraction now? And what is that?"

"As you know full well, it's a lightsaber. Apparently they have killed some guy who was giving us trouble."

“A Jedi?"

“No no... he was a Dark Sider, or something."

“Hardly better!" He looked them over, then looked to Tanic and Rand. "Details! Quick!"

“I'm handling this, Mika."

"I'm the one who has to shore up Republican relations, Jena. How the hell was this going on and we weren't informed?"

She shrugged. "It's a big Galaxy."

“Yeah," he said, "and the Bureau is a large organization, and if this person was killed in Republican space, it means they were looking for him, and they'll find a trail leading to us."

The Bureau is that well known? Well, shit... Galder thought.

"He was called Persis. We can sort the details."

"Persis...I'm sure I've heard that name before."

"Not going to hear it again, are you?"

"Anyway, what do these yahoos want? To show off?"

“There is a diplomatic incident they want me to sort with some criminal elements."

Mika looked them over again with a certain amount of contempt. "We're not here to nursemaid the cells. If they've messed up, they can sort it or perish. If it reflects on all of us, just blame them! That is the way of things."

"Criminal relations are my area, Mika. And they have made an effort with the gift..."

He snorted. "Maybe I'll mention to Dad that shiny objects get in the way of your judgment."

"Did you actually have anything to say, Mika, or were you just going to huff and puff?"

"Koran's dead. Dad is going to want to know why."

"Local trouble. He was warned."

"His operation was worth billions."

"I'll sort it out."

"How? There's not going to be enough left of you to cover a rat after Dad finishes with you."

"We'll see what he has to say."

"Damn right we will."

"Especially after I find out how much he likes shiny objects..." she said, waving the lightsaber hilt in Mika's face.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm going to tear your throat out one day, Jena..."

"Get in line. Like all men, you'll fail. You're just too predictable. That will be all, Mika."

He turned to leave. He stopped as he drew level with them. “You lot. Get out of here. You cause any trouble- I'll kill you. Don't expect the magpie here to bail you out. And rest assured, I am getting to the bottom of this Persis business..." With that, he left.

“He's right," said Jena, "you should get back down below now. I'll pass your respects onto my father."

As they turned to leave, Galder thought over their Persis reference.

She is going to check out who he was, and he was in fact in the news two years ago as he was part of the small war that we started on Malastare, the follow up to which is that he was openly killed by Kuylen's men on Tartarus, one of whom was reputed outlaw Galder Starkiller, and then...

He patted his cybernetic arm, in which he had stored his red lightsaber.

= Chapter 28 =

"I think we should first find out where they keep this thing," Galder said as soon as they had all settled at a bar table. "Maybe I could be a little shit as usually and say that I don't believe that Shiva actually stole the damned thing while at one of the bars in here. Maybe someone will go, 'You bastard, it's right over there!' or something...or, I'll get shot."

Rand was in a sour mood after Tanic had to cover up his blundering. "We need to find it. Spread out. Ask around, lie, do what you must. I want it hunted down. Now."

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Galder, Rah, and Rianna meandered along through the crowds towards the nearest fight ring. As they walked, Galder stuffed a bit of the Yaran root into his Magravian cigarette, then lit it, taking a drag and puffing out the smoke with a satisfied feeling. The root, thankfully, did not change the soothing effect of the cigarette.

“This note...” Rah was muttering, “...just won’t leave my head.”

“What are you on about?”

“It’s nothing...just my senses...they’ve decided to take some sort of musical form...”

“I’m not surprised. What’s wrong with you, then?”

“Very bad note. Worse than that one note in that song by the Assassin Droids...”

“Shut it, Rah,” Galder snarled, taking another drag. Rah was acting too weird for his tastes.

“Men...” Rianna sighed, shaking her head.

As they approached the fight ring, a contender was knocked unconscious by his opponent, having been bashed across the temple with a solid punch. He lay perfectly still as his opponent spat blood and saliva on him and placed a foot on his back, declaring his victory.

“Well, who wants to go first?” Galder asked, looking to Rah and Rianna.

Rah nodded. “Eh...guess I’ll go first. Chance to show off what you taught me, eh?”

“Good point,” Galder said, grinning with the cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth.

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Rah stepped into the ring as the Gran compere, who was squiggling his middle eye about to check on the bookies, shoved him out.

"So, the so-called Empire of 'Pity' dares defy our eyes with these feeble specimens?" yelled the compere to the crowd, which roared back insults at Rah and Galder. "Well, let's wipe the smug grin off their faces! Come, Treman and Sreman!"

Two burly Trandoshans, brother, apparently, though Galder suspected they were carved rather than born, stepped forth to squish Rah. Treman stepped back to allow Sreman to handle the striped, furry humanoid, who began to hum a discordant, annoying note. Surrounding them was a fight ring composed of screaming people.

“Bring it on,” Rah taunted. “It’s been awhile since I cleaned the floor with a reptile like you...”

Sreman snarled back, before spitting out a thick wad of Trandoshan phlegm.

Rah adopted an agile stance before suddenly launching a vicious kick at Sreman’s chest. However, Sreman sidestepped with a quick dodge, then attempted to punch Rah across the jaw. Rah leaned back and the blow sailed past him, giving him another opportunity to kick, landing the heel of his foot in Sreman’s solar plexus. Sreman gave ground, but attempted to attack nonetheless. Rah spun to the side as Sreman’s punch went nowhere, and hooked his foot around to kick Sreman in the back of the head solidly. Following the kick, Rah delivered a vicious backhand to the back of Sreman’s neck. The reptilian tried feebly to strike back, but Rah knocked away the punch and kicked out the back of Sreman’s knee. The Trandoshan hobbled away, admitting defeat, to various boos from the crowd.

“I’m done,” Rah commented, sitting down besides Galder and Rianna at the edge of the ring, clutching his head. “I have a headache...”

“I’m willing to fight someone, if they are willing to fight me...” Rianna said, rising from her sitting position on the edge of the ring and stepping in.

“Treman?” the compere asked, looking to the Trandoshan. Treman snarled in reply, signifying no.

A dark-skinned alien in a black gi stepped forth, practicing a few high kicks and punches before adopting a martial arts stance.

“I accept your challenge,” he said, swinging his leg back around before setting it on the ground.

Rianna, silent and cold, tossed her blood red cloak to Galder, and suddenly lashed out at the alien with a chop to the neck. However, Galder cringed as the alien went to the side and grabbed her wrist, flinging her to the ground. He leaped into the air a decent ways and came down with his foot cracking one of Rianna’s ribs. Despite her pain, she pushed off of the ground and caught the alien in the jaw with a light kick.

“Ai!” the alien shouted as he tried to chop at Rianna’s broken rib, but she evaded and lightly slammed her fist into his ribs. It did nothing, and he tried to elbow her in the face. She took hold of his elbow as it went past, and she delivered a chop to his thick neck. There was another exchange of blows, Rianna blocked then striking him again, this time at the sternum. He struck back, but this time Rianna was the one to take hold of his wrist and send him to the ground.

“Hmm...now doesn’t this look familiar...” she commented, just before launching herself into the air while the alien tried to rise, planting her foot against his jaw and sending him sliding on the ground. He rose and lashed out in vengeance, missing the first blow, Rianna catching him in the sternum again with another chop, and then getting hit herself across the thigh.

Rah began to hum a tune from the sidelines, then began to sing aloud.

She's a pretty face
With a nasty turn
Try her for size
You'll soon learn

She's quicker than quick
Faster than fast
With lightening sharp moves
It's not long you last

Against her you'll lose
This is for sure
She'll punch you and kick you
Till you cant take anymore

And then when you've fallen
As surely you must
She'll laugh in your face
As she grinds you to dust...

“That’ll be enough, Rah!” Rianna shouted to him from the fight ring, before attempting to smash the alien across the face with a kick. She missed and the alien tried to grab her foot, but she bucked him off. She gave a cut-off shout as he delivered a chop to her throat. Then, there was a quick exchange of blows between the two, and then spun about as Rianna attempted to toss him again, with no results.

Suddenly, Rianna clenched her fist and smashed the alien solidly in the chest, knocking him backwards.

“Nice!” Galder shouted from the sidelines. “Come on, finish him!”

The alien used his backward stubble as momentum for a back flip, then moving into a forward flip with a foot extended towards Rianna. She dodged and his foot hit her fist, forcing him from the air. She attempted to follow up, but he grappled with her for a moment, keeping her hands captive as they exchanged a few kicks before she broke free.

“Come on, you stupid *****!” Galder shouted. “Win already!”

Rianna did exactly that. As the alien leaped into the air, Rianna snatched his foot and pulled him down the ground hard. Then, she pulled back her fist and let it fly into his chest as he lay on the ground. There was a resounding thud as her fist pounded into his sternum.

“You win, noble warrior,” the alien said from the ground, slightly out of breath.

“Good fight,” she replied, with a slight bow. He returned it, and they left the ring. The crowd around them was cheering loudly.

“What?” Galder said, dumbfounded. “No! You’re supposed to smash his face in! You’re supposed to strike him down and then spit in his face!”

“Maybe I don’t do that, Mr. ‘Let’s see how far we can push things before we get caught,’” Rianna replied, matter-of-factly.

Galder furrowed his brow. “Let me show you how it’s done...”

With that, he stepped into the ring. “Come on, I need a challenger!” He cracked his neck and knuckles. “I’m waiting!”

“Treman?” the compere shouted to the Trandoshan.

Treman snorted in reply, and stepped up. He flexed his arm, stretching the reptilian scales, and cracked his neck and knuckles in a similar fashion. He curled his lip up at Galder, then hissed an insult in the Trandoshan tongue.

Galder, provoked by the cursing, stepped forwards cautiously, putting up his fists and moving into Treman’s space. To kick things off, Galder jabbed vigorously with his cybernetic arm, connecting with Treman’s jaw. The metal knuckles bit into the Trandoshan’s scales, drawing a tiny bit of blood. As Treman stumbled back, Galder performed a nasty kick aimed at his thigh. There was a crack as his boot hit hard, and Treman howled in pain. The crowd winced.

Treman tried to strike back, but Galder merely dodged.

“Feeble,” Galder spat, pulling aside Treman’s fist and attempting a head butt. The Trandoshan moved his head to the side and Galder’s head butt missed, further evoking his wrath. Galder attempted to thrust his metal fist into Treman’s gut, but Treman sidestepped and pulled aside Galder’s hand, just as Galder had done, and attempted a head butt. However, Galder pushed him back. Annoyed, the Trandoshan tried to punch Galder across the jaw, only to have his right arm bashed aside with Galder’s left, and then kicked to the ground by Galder’s right foot.

“Had enough?” Galder asked, grinning maliciously.

Treman got to his feet and snarled, spitting out some blood. As soon as he rose, Galder’s metal fist collided with a nerve bundle in Treman’s chest. The Trandoshan began to stumble back in retreat, but Galder let fly another fist. Treman went down, his jaw broken, and the crowd went wild.

"Thank you, thank you! You have just seen the might of...the Empire of Pity!" Galder shouted, almost forgetting not to announce 'Galder Starkiller' to the entire crowd.

"Looks like we have a trio of winners!" said the compere. "People out your way must be quite talented!"

“Of course!” Galder replied. “Now, who else can I smash into the ground?”

"Well, you got your credentials, kid," said the Gran. "We'll see if we can find a proper opponent for you..."

“What do you mean by proper?”

“Oh, those chumps aren't where the money is made!" chuckled the Gran. "People will want to bet on you in a serious fight, now they know you have the stones for it!"

“Heh...oh...really..." Galder said. "Well, I don't want to draw to much attention to myself...who would I be fighting?"

"Patience there, big guy," said the compere. "There's a dozen people out there trying to work out how much you're worth before you get matched up."

“Well, okay...”

About half an hour later, after bets were placed on him, the Gran compere presented the new opponent. He was decently fit, wearing tight black clothing, his skin scarred from past fights. He twirled around a pair of heavy black metal bars rapidly, then leveled them at Galder.

“You ready?” he asked.

“I’m ready when you are...” Galder replied, cracking his neck and knuckles again.

“Then start it...”

Galder edged in, feinting a few blows to test the new opponent, then started things off with a vicious punch to the man’s solar plexus. However, the metal fist was bashed aside with a resounding clang as the man parried his punch with the iron bars. He lifted up Galder’s arm with one bar and jabbed at Galder’s gut with the other, though Galder managed to twist aside. He grappled with the man for a moment, trying to pry the iron bars from him.

“I’ll keep these,” the man snorted, prying his bars from Galder’s hands and bashing across another of Galder’s blows with his forearm.

Hold still, dammit... Galder cursed in his mind, parrying another iron bar attack with his left forearm, another clang resounding. He punched, his fist hitting the tip of a bar, another clang. Suddenly, the man spun around with great speed, one bar striking Galder’s metal arm as it was parried, the other bar smashing across Galder’s forehead. A cheer went up from one side of the crowd.

Oh, that’s it... Galder, infuriated, pulled back his right arm, tapping into the power of the Force to increase his strength, and let fly his punch. The fist was a blur as it connected with the man’s chest. There was a sickening crack as his sternum was shattered, and he sailed backwards several feet through the air, before landing amongst the crowd, unmoving and moaning in pain.

For a moment, Galder felt incredibly proud of his mighty blow. Then he remembered where he was, and noticed the dead silence. The silence broken by the fury and confusion of the crowd.

“What the hell did he hit him with?”

“He must have had a concealed weapon in his hand!”

“Nonsense, only a Jedi can pull off a stunt like that!”

“Sith spit,” cursed Galder, as Tanic and Rand approached, trying to smooth things over.

“The book is closed!” yelled the compere, as a miniature riot erupted around him. “Force majeure! All betting decisions are covered in the signing agreement..."

“I didn't sign anything!" people yelled back angrily, casting glares at Galder.

"Verbal contract! Verbal contract!"

“What will they do to him?” Rand asked the compere.

“What else can they do but stay away from his right hook?” the Gran replied. “How the hell did he do that?”

“Galder, you idiot...” Rianna muttered in his ear, then shouted, “Yeah, I’d like to know too!”

"I am going to assume he's been taking his steroids again," Rand lied, with a sigh for effect. "Those damned massive pills, I told him not to take those! Very powerful effect they have, but they kick in randomly...stupid things..."

"Steroids?” several people shouted. “That's a fix! Gimme my money back!"

There was a heavy thumping of a large stick nearby, and the miniature riot began to disperse as a broad-shouldered man with a developing beard stepped into the ring, flanked by four impressively large bodyguards in Serpentine armor.

“Bora...” the compere said nervously, cowering away.

"If the declaration is that the books are closed..." said Bora, in a loud and imposing voice, "then that is the end of the matter."

The riot came to an end, and the crowd was dead silent.

Galder gulped. Good job, Starkiller, you’ve gotten yourself into another mess...

Bora Lantarnan lifted up his stick. “And who are you?” he asked Galder, hefting it carefully.

“Unad Bejeem, of the Empire of Pity,” Galder spoke confidently, not cowering before Bora and staring up into his bearded face.

"For some reason your fame does not seem to have preceded you..." he said, leaning forwards. "This worries me. Have you come here simply to upset our happy home?"

"I did not mean to upset anyone, just to have a little...fun..." Galder replied.

"So...how did you win that fight?"

Galder glared at Rand, then looked up to Bora. "Steroids."

"Cheating, are you? And in such an obvious way...a disappointment. And are these...steroids...still in effect? Perhaps we should restrain you for a time..."

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary..."

"In that case..." came a female voice from behind Galder, "... 5000 credits on the newcomer." Jena, thong-sporting bodyguards in tow, had spoken.

"M...M...Mistress..." managed the Gran. "This fight is done!"

"Then a new fight," she said. "Against the Champ..."

Galder turned to Jena. "I am going to guess that your brother is the Champ?"

"It so happens that people of a noble disposition do not demean to simple ring brawling."

"The Champ, Mistress?" said the compere. "He may take...a little effort to produce."

"Then do so. At all speed." There was more widespread silence, broken by a chuckle from Bora.

"Very well," he chuckled. "I shall match your bet, Jena. My money is on the Champ..."

Galder raised an eyebrow at the two siblings. "Who is 'the Champ?'" he asked, marking the quotation marks with his fingers.

"Don't worry," said Jena. "You will have ample opportunity to find out soon enough. And at least we can be sure it will be a fair fight now, yes?"

"Of course, Mistress," Galder said with a slight bow. "As long as 'the Champ' isn't on something, or is something..."

That provoked a laugh from Bora.

"My dear Unad..." said Jena. "We are all something..."

“Not what I meant...” Galder said with a scowl. “Bora, will it be...”

“Don't presume to talk to one of the Lantarnan, idiot," the compere cut him off. "The deal remains the same as before."

“Watch yourself, Gran,” Galder snarled.

Suddenly, Bora’s bodyguard all drew forth high-powered rifles and leveled them at Galder.

"You will speak more civilly to my servants, newcomer," said Bora, leaning in once more. "Else you will be fighting the champ with one leg."

"I thought you said a 'fair' fight, Master Bora..." Galder hissed back.

I’m going to kill him once we head for the tablet...

"Fair is what I say it is. Do you understand, or are you going to profess further insolence?"

Galder remained silent, but kept a hold of his anger, planning to use it to his advantage during the fight to come.

= Chapter 29 =

Just before the Champ was brought out to mash Galder into a pulp, Rah and Rand approached him.

“I’m going to keep Mika distracted,” Rah told them. “He’s watching the fight from a distance. I suspect Jena knows about your abilities...” He paused and clutched his ears for a moment, then resumed. “...but she might not know about the rest of us.”

“I am going to try and even the odds, Galder,” Rand said. “If I can choke him, all the more easier for you.”

“And I’ll keep Mika from watchin’ ya, then!” Rah added.

“Thank you,” Galder said, shaking his head. “Hopefully I won’t need the help...”

“I suspect you will,” Rand said. “’Unad Bejeem’ is not invincible.”

At this point, the Champ was dragged forth to the fight ring, which suddenly expanded to allow room for the fight. The Champ was being pulled along by four large flunkies who had strong holds on the massive chains secured to it. It was approximately the same size as Chion, but rather green and scaly, even spiky upon closer inspection.

"Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhh!” was the form of its vocabulary.

The entire fight ring congregated to the Arena, which was little more than a larger circle of seats and hollering people. Bora and Jena took their seats on one side of the ring, Rand, Tanic, and Rianna on the other. Mika and Rah were at a respective distance by a bar.

Galder and the Champ were in the center ring, preparing to fight.

"Hmmm...little hoo-man go squish now!" yelled the Champ, stamping his feet rather loudly. "Rarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhh!"

Wow, I didn't think you could get stupider than Chion, Galder pondered, or Bora, for that matter...

"Bring it, ugly!" Galder shouted, spitting on the ground at the monster's feet and stretching again. "I'm not afraid of you!"

The Champ was then set loose, three of the handlers managing to undo the clasps on the massive chains. However, the fourth handler was too slow and the Champ too excited; the chain was ripped from the handler’s grip, and swung about by the monster, taking down three spectators near Rand with sickening thuds.

With a shout of fury, Galder charged at the Champ as it charged at him, slipping off to the side and pulling back his fist. He struck its stomach, and the crowd laughed at him. It felt as if he had just punched a brick wall, and the spiky scales scratched up his knuckles.

Ow...okay, find a weakness... Galder thought, lifting his leg and striking the Champ‘s leg. The crowd laughed again as the metal-shod boot did nothing. This was a mistake...

The Champ then swung his own solid fist at Galder. Galder ducked and rolled as the chain flew with the fist, smashing down another spectator. Suddenly, the Champ bucked his elbow and caught Galder on the side of the face.

Feck!

Galder was thrown backwards, slightly concussed by the time he had come to a halt on the edge of the arena. Struggling to stand, Galder ignored the pain and swelling of the blow.

“Finish him!” the audience shouted to the Champ, who had turned to take applause.

Galder tried to push himself up again, but his elbows gave out.

“Pathetic...” came a voice from somewhere. It sounded familiar, but Galder did not try to place it, instead feeling enraged as the Champ was adored by the crowd.

“What do you think you’re doing there, sniveling like a baby? Get up!”

He began to heave himself up slowly, a bit unsure of his footing.

“Up!”

Galder was suddenly forcibly pushed to his feet, then turned to face the Champ as it turned to finish him. With a snarl, Galder tried to attack the Champ. His metallic fist did nothing against the scaly thorns on the creature’s arm, and that same arm swung for him. Galder ducked under it and tried to kick the Champ in the ribs. It did nothing. Neither did the second kick.

“Stop prancing around and hit him!” commanded the familiar voice.

If only I could use the Force... Galder thought miserably as the Champ lifted his fist again. But I’m being watched too closely...wouldn’t be good...

Wham! The Champ’s fist collided with his midriff this time, despite his attempt to dodge, and he was flung backwards. This time, he slid further, doubled over.

“Losing your focus, aren’t you? Gone soft and flabby...”

“You’re really starting to piss me off!” Galder shouted to the Champ as he got to his feet. With another furious cry, Galder launched himself at the Champ, planting his foot in the Champ’s midriff with all his might. This time, the kick was not ineffectual, and connected quite solidly with a crack as the scales split a bit. The crowd cheered at the sudden retaliation, giving Bora a brief reason to frown.

The Champ, angered by the slight pain in his side, attacked again with his large fists. However, concentrating, Galder put himself underneath the blow and took hold of the monster’s wrists. Using the Champ’s momentum against him, he dropped down and pivoted the Champ over his shoulders, slamming him to the ground behind him, then turning to kick the monster across the jaw. He rose with an uppercut, but Galder stayed clear and kicked him hard in the chest again. The crowd went wild at this sudden turn of events.

"What is it you want? A medal for every time you hit him? As if you deserve praise for every single little thing you do right? You've got to win this fight!"

For a moment, Galder pondered that the voice sound sarcastic, very much like himself. However, the voice was not his own.

But he did not ponder this long. The bone in his upper left arm was nearly snapped as the Champ swung at him with a vengeance, sending him spinning to the ground for the third time.

That’s it! I’ll strangle him! Galder roared in his mind, leaping up and charging at the Champ again. He delivered a punch to the creature’s throat, and was amazed when the Champ began to gag a bit, and moved slightly slower. He sensed something out of place, and looked to Rand. The former Jedi Master nodded with a sly grin, his fist clenched slightly. Gallador, beside him, was hiding Rand’s hand with an illusion, Galder assumed, though the illusion did not affect himself.

Thank the Force... Galder thought with a certain malicious glee before turning back to the fight.

"Need someone else to do your work for you now, eh? You've gone soft on me. That will have to change."

No, I just want to live! Galder thought bitterly, as he slipped out of the way of the next punch.

"Can you even fight any more? Is there any talent left in you? Hit him!"

With a sudden surge of anger, prompted by the hopelessness of the fight and the prodding by the unknown speaker, everything seemed slow around Galder. Effortlessly, he reached out and grabbed the chain wrapped around the Champ’s right arm.

"At last. For too long you held back your true potential."

The curt contempt in the voice ruled out the voice of the long-dead Master Crikten.

Following this, Galder tried to move to the left and then behind the Champ, aiming to entangle his legs. However, the Champ jerked around, causing a test of strength, in which he proved victorious, yanking Galder around and narrowly missing his punch, slamming the fist into the ground. Galder backpedaled and attempted to trip him up again, but the Champ merely turned to face him.

Galder intercepted the fist, aiming to throw him again. As he began the maneuver, it seemed as if Galder would not succeed. Another surge of anger kicked in, and Galder, with a yell of fury, put the Champ down. The chain was wrapped around him awkwardly.

"Don't live in mediocrity all your life, Galder."

With a malicious grin, Galder leapt upon the chest of the Champ before he could rise, and wrapped the chain around his neck, adding a strangulating effect. The crowd roared with approval as Galder kept hold of the chain, swinging with it to avoid the Champ’s hampered movement and punches. Galder managed to land a punch right on the Champ’s nose, then avoided his desperately flailing fists. He struck again, this time in the stomach, with another crack of the scales.

“Destroy him!”

The Champ’s fist sailed past again, and as a reflex, Galder head butted the Champ in the stomach, cracking more scales and cutting himself on the rough spikes. The Champ swung again, but Galder leaped up and smashed his forehead into the Champ’s. His following punch missed.

All Galder could hear was a deep laughter, echoing and resounding around him in the chamber. He felt strong, he felt invincible! The Force was flowing through him, making him powerful and unbeatable! Even when the Champ slammed his fist into Galder’s chest and threw him clear off of him, this feeling did not leave him. All he could hear was his own breathing and the laughter.

“Rise.”

As if possessed, Galder rose to his feet, obeying the command. He charged for the Champ and connected punch with another splitting of scales, his own maniacal laughter joining the deep laughter of the voice. The Champ was screaming in return, from rage and pain, his focus gone and his punches wild. Galder head butted him in the stomach again, with a sickening crack as the scales split entirely and purple blood gushed onto Galder, mingling with his own red blood, oozing from cuts on his head from the spikes and his raw right knuckle.

Galder leapt into the air and spun twice for a combination kick, becoming a blur as the Force aided his actions. Both kicks hit the Champ hard in the chest, splitting more scales.

Bora stood from his seat. “What the hell?!”

The Champ swung as Galder landed, flinging Galder backwards, but Galder landed on his feet, and sprinted a full speed, still cackling insanely for the Champ. Then, Galder lost conscious control of the fight. It was as if he was watching himself, though through his own eyes, pummel the Champ viciously, and being pummeled in return. Purple and red blood splashed on one another, screams still booming from the Champ’s lung and laughter emanating from Galder’s throat. The audience began to rise from their seats, stunned at the violence. Rand stood, relaxing his Force grip, and in Galder’s anger he sensed Rand’s astonished confusion quite well.

Suddenly, the fight ended. As Galder kicked the Champ in the chest one last time, the Champ struck him with the chain at the same time. The Champ fell back on his back while Galder spun to the ground. It was over.

Both lay perfectly still for awhile, the silence of the crowd surrounding them. The laughter that Galder had heard had ceased, though he still laughed near-silently through gurgles of blood. His head and arms were slashed and cut in several places from hitting the Champ’s thorny scales, his body was bruised and battered, his ribs were cracked, his cheekbone and nose broken, bleeding, and swollen up to close his eye.

The Champ was equally bloody, but began to stir. He had a regenerative constitution, it seemed.

"My fight, I think," said Bora, stepping into the Arena.

“Looked like a draw to me," said Jena, following him. "I don't see anyone claiming victory."

"I don't see the Champ defeated."

"Very well then. Forget the money. The Champ keeps his title. I'll keep the challenger," said Jena.

Bora paused. "Trick of yours, is he? Well disguised droid perhaps?"

"If he was a trick of mine I doubt you would have noticed."

"You would do well to show me more respect, Jena...one say I..."

But Bora's planned monologue is interrupted by a loud cry from one end of the Great Hall.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" At first it sounded like a cry of pain, but as it ended, it was more like an exaltation. More than anything else, it serves as an announcement.

"What is this I find in herrrrrre? All soong and laa-ughter silenced?" came a loud, booming voice, tending to exaggerate his vowels. "Who has daaaaared to bring quiet to this place? I will hunt him dowwn, I will tearrrrrrrr him apart! You people are my family, my very flesh and blood. There will be no dissent and discord herrrrrre!"

Vigo Lantarnan had arrived. Wearing a brown cloak, with the hood down, his big bushy face was swarthy like the rest o his family. He was a pretty damn big man, taller than Galder and even Bora, though Chion and the Champ could dwarf him; Bora took after him. He carried an iron staff in one hand, and seemed to have his volume stuck on 'deafening.’ Accompanying him were six high-class assassin droids- not Techno Union mass jobs; it was incredibly similar to the IG model. They walked around silently, little green lights emanating from them sometimes as they scanned people suspiciously.

Vigo started making his way through the crowd; no one dared speak in his presence.

"Out my way, come on! Moooove, let me through, do you wish me to crawl underfoot? Is that the respect you have for the father of you allll?" To punctuate the point, he uses his staff to knock people out of the way as he goes past. The droids follow behind him, kicking at the odd downed person. If they had mouths they would be grinning.

“Now," he said, looking at the scene, "what has happened here? Whoo has done this to our champion and this...newcomer? Bora! Bora, my son, my first and greatest!" Vigo stepped forward and hugged Bora tightly. "You shall tell me. What has transpired?"

"Father..." said Bora. "There has been...a contest. The newcomer was the Champ's opponent."

"Whaaaaaat? What is thiis? It took me years of searching to find the Champion, on the moons of Vargas V! You expect me to believe that a mere human has defeated him in a mere contest of muscle and flesh and booooo-ne?"

"Father...I have reason to suspect this fight was somehow fixed...by Jena, who..."

"Jena! My beautiful daughter! Ha ha, always up to tricks and plaaaaaans! What say you of thiiiiis?"

"No trick, Daddy!" said Jena. "The challenger is the warrior of a group of newcomers. Clearly the favor of the Ghosts is with him, but also clearly he is a man of extraordinary talent."

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, talented, eh? On stimulants perhaps? Never a good idea to mix your narcotics whilst still seeing dead friends crawling out the walls, hmm? But still, I find it hard to believe..." Vigo prodded Galder with his staff, evoking an “Ow...” from him as he jabbed his ribs. "Heh! Talented he may be, but he's not saying much now, eh?" He turned on the Champ, and tapped the top of the Champ's head several times with his staff, causing a loud metallic noise. "And you! You I shall have words with! I am very disappointed!"

One of his droids emitted an indecipherable buzz, extending a long sharp vibroblade from its arm and gesturing towards the Champ.

"No, no, leave him alive...he will redeem himself, I am sure. Newcomers! Hmm! Who are these newcomers, show yourselves!"

“It is us!” Takuan declared, pushing his way through the crowd with the others in tow. Rand was shaking his head in disgust, Gallador doing likewise, and the others were all still slightly dumbfounded by the fight.

“We are the newcomers...” Tanic added, taking to the front with Takuan. Rand stayed in the rear, glaring at the two.

Galder took note that Takuan had a nasty cut on his cheek, as if it had been flayed open to the bone, as it probably was.

"Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." he said, looking to Takuan. "You don't look too special to meee! Soo, why is it you have come heeeeere?"

"We come intending to prove our support,” Takuan replied, “towards the great source of the Serpent organization...which you lead with a mighty fist."

"Oh really? Ha-hah! Prove how, exactly?"

"We have removed a trouble maker for the Serpent. We have already presented his weapon to your lovely daughter.”

"To remove the enemies of the Serpent is a duty for all members! You need not come here to tell me that...his weapon, Jena?"

"A lightsaber, Daddy. As they tell it, they killed a criminal of unusual talents."

"Criminal? No Jedi then? Hmmm...and so, what, you have come to be rewarded, hmmm? Perhaps you sought gain favor with Jena...heheh...maaaaaaaaaaaaany men have!"

"We would not dare have such expectations!” Takuan declared.

Yes we would! Galder thought, amidst the waves of pain.

“We simply wanted to present it personally, and have it as proof for our support for the Serpent cause, especially against the ever-growing greed of it's cells."

"Ahh, I see..." said Vigo. "You come to spread sedition and lies about the state of the Serpent? Seek to make power yourself do you? Come to make war of words upon our very foundations! Aaa, this man with a lightsaber...a rare weapon...not used by many in the Galaxy any more...but it is in some places, I know... places where I have friends...perhaps it is one of my men you killed, eh? You have come to destroy us all!"

He made a motion with his hand towards the droids. The IG assassin droids all raised their weapons, all of which were nasty looking vibroblades, dart-launchers, pulse cannons, heavy repeaters, and so forth. There was a cascade of green lights from each of their heads as they scanned and targeted the entire group. The nozzle of a blaster was pressed to Galder’s bloody and bruised forehead.

"The man we killed is responsible for sabotage actions against the benefit of the Serpent,“ said Takuan, unfailing, “and bringing him down was no easy task. You can check with your friends about him....how could we destroy you all, anyway? How more can we prove our loyalty in times when many others fall into disobedience and greed?"

"I have already checked with my friends about him! You think me a fool? I know your story for the facade that it is! There was no 'saber wielding warrior' opposing the Serpent. I know who it is you killed! Now kneel, and prepare for death..."

"Who did we kill, then?” Takuan asked, pretending to be sincerely confused.

"Oh, perhaps you want me to strike you down rather than kneel of your own free will, hmmm?" said Vigo, raising his iron staff above his head.

Takuan quickly kneeled, the others following. Galder could sense their anger at having to do so.

"Ahh yes...and so do the enemies of the Serpent meet their fate hahahah....hahahah...hah! Hahahahahahaha! Haaaaaa haaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaa!"

Vigo descended into hysterics, and taking his cue, the entirety of the Great Hall started to laugh with him. He thudded his staff down merely an inch from Takuan’s head, denting the stone ground.

"Haaaah! You killed this man and brought his saber here just to prove your good faith and loyalty! Haaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaahaaaaa! That's the funniest thing I have heard in years! Oh myyyyy! Haaaaaaaaahaaaaaaa! Ohhh, great Gods have merrrrrrrcy on me...did you ever hear something ridiculous, Bora?"

"Never, father! Shall I have them killed?"

"What? Noooo! Hah!" He turned back to Takuan and Tanic. "No, let them play their silly little games. Everyone who comes here does so with some agenda. Your plots and spoils and stratagems will simply be absorbed into everyone else's...a game of yours, Jena?"

"Not this time, Daddy! But they do amuse." She had a peculiar glint in her eye as she spoke, but it faded out quickly.

"Ahh well...I have long since learned to be amused by watching all these things play off against each other...one conspiracy inevitably kills the next...perhaps it will work to my advantage, hmm? Haahaahaahaa! Of course, needless to say...cross the Serpent, and you will find why I am feared throughout the Galaxy...as any traitorous cell will soon discover. Aha! Too much, tooooooo much! Now!" he said, turning around, "what is to be done with all this?" he said, prodding at Galder and the Champ.

“I would like to take care of the newcomer, Daddy," said Jena, stepping towards Galder.

Get away from me you...wait...that’d be nice! Galder thought in his painful simplicity.

"Hah! If they aren't yours now, I see they soon will be...of course, of course, by all means, take him away...people might trip over him..."

“I...claim...victory...” Galder muttered as two of Jena’s heavies picked him up.

“Sure you do.“ Jena leaned in close to whisper to him. “Well, let’s see if we can’t fix you up, hmm?” she whispered sweetly to him, though he could sense that she had mischievous purposes in mind.

"Ok then, folks, it is now your duty to entertain me!" came a cry from the far side of the hall. A young, rather thin guy just came in, sharply dressed with a drastically 'modern' haircut. His crew is a motley association of alien types- Rodians, Dugs, Grans, Trandoshans...all of who, are brightly colored, or with spiky hairstyles, and dangling jewelry. "Now, who is going to...uh-oh..." he finished, when he saw the crowd already assembled.

"Yago! What is this, you do not even give greetings to your own father?"

Oh good, another Lantarnan... Galder thought as Jena and her flunkies halted to watch the scene.

"Err, hi Pops..." said Yago. "Sorry... so much stuff to do, y'know?"

"Come here, my son. We have not talked in too long." Yago trudged over, rather slowly and reluctantly. He and Bora exchanged glances on the way over, Bora urging, Yago rejecting.

Vigo put his arm around his youngest.

"Ahh, my son, yes...let everyone see the strength of the bond of the Lantarnans! It is time for you to go up in the Galaxy."

"Err... really, Pops?"

"That's right!" said Vigo, walking Yago around the room. He paused as he came by Rianna.

"... my, my...such a...beautiful lady, has arrived here...hmmm..."

Galder could have laughed if he was not in such pain. Rianna was resisting smashing in Vigo’s face, he could tell.

"But yes! My son, my dear youngest son, how hard I have strived to keep our businesses afloat, to keep the money in that keeps my true family and my extended family alive, to feed us all and our children and to allow us to live our own lives...and how has the Galaxy fought to stop me in this just cause? The Republican companies, and the Federation taxes, they are vampire!" he cried, raising his hand aloft in the air, fingers spaced like a claw. "They would suck the flesh and blood and marrow from us all until only dry bones were left...ahh it is a hard Galaxy...how am I to provide for my sons?"

"We're very grateful, Pops," said Yago.

"But yes," said Vigo, wagging his finger, "too long have I ignored you, Yago! And now I have something for you, for your father has been busy with ideas, yes, new ideas! I see...a spice running merchandise along the Corellian trade spine, under the noses of the pilots who run for the Hutts, yes...I think...we can use that route to smuggle in a few goods of our own, yes?"

"Sounds like a good idea, Pops..."

"Ah, but yes, also...I think we keep the spice trade there as well, hmm? We make money from the cover, and what is under the cover, and people get their goods, and everyone is happy, just as it should be! Just as I provide...and I see you in charge of that operation, Yago!"

"Thanks Pops!" said Yago.

"Yago's got something to tell you, Dad," said Bora. Behind Vigo, Yago was making frantic “No, not now!” signs.

"Oh really? What is it, Yago?"

"Nothing, Pops, really..."

"Better tell him now than wait any longer, Yago," said Bora.

"But there's nothing to tell!"

"Really?" said Vigo. "Then why are you sweating like an Arkalian pig? Come on...tell your father..."

Yago stayed silent.

"Yago was running that..." Bora began.

“No! Okay," sighed Yago. "I'll tell him. It's just a little thing! Pops...about the blockade runners taking the narcotics through to Spartus IV...there was...a problem."

"Problem, hmm?"

"Yeah... err... heh! Funny thing, actually...I kinda gave the wrong indent codes to some of the ships...so they got stopped by the blockade...and...heh...kinda boarded...and...well...seized."

Vigo claps his hand to his face, and slowly draws it down, inch by inch.

"How mah-ny?" he growled, angrily.

"Um...all of them?"

"All of them?" said Vigo, chuckling slightly. "And he calls this a 'little thing'..."

"Dad," interrupted Bora, "Yago didn't mean..."

But Bora was himself interrupted by an almighty backhand slap from Vigo that sent him staggering backwards.

“He can speak for himself!" Vigo hollered.

"I'm sorry, Pops! It was just a mistake!"

"A mistake?! Is that all you have to say for yourself? You have destroyed an entire operation and you come to your own father, who has loved and cared for you, and told him it was just a mistake? Why don't you put a knife through my heart whilst you are there, to kill me more quickly!"

"It was just one flotilla! We have more!"

"Oh, we have more, that’s ok then! This is what you do with my legacy, you burn and, and crush it and defile it piece by piece, saying there is 'plenty more' over and over and over until it is all gone and all that I have strived for is in ruins...why...I should kill you for this!"

Vigo's metal staff lashed out and caught Yago under the chin with a crack, knocking him back to the ground, painfully. Vigo then raised his staff above his head, twisting the shaft of it. Each end of the staff flashed as it became covered in a scintillating green energy.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed deafeningly, and was about to bring it down when Bora grabbed his arm from behind.

"Dad! He didn't mean what he done! And he's your son!"

For a few moments, the only noise was Vigo's heavy breathing. Then he turned to Bora.

"Yes, yes...my son...you, Bora, my first and greatest son...maybe I talk to you about the spice running route, hmm? And he..." said Vigo, gesturing towards Yago with his staff but not looking at him, "he is no longer my son...now...I tire of this place...come with me, Bora..."

The scene was finished as Vigo and Bora Lantarnan left, father and son, pursued by their entourages. Yago pushed himself up from the ground, rubbing his bruised jaw.

Poor fellow...his troubles will end when we finish this... Galder thought. We’ll kill them all...

With that, he passed from consciousness as Jena’s bodyguards dragged him roughly up the stairs, his head hitting several steps before blackness.

= Chapter 30 =

Galder awoke, face down on a stone floor.

“Oh man...” he muttered as he turned himself over, cringing from the pain of his broken ribs. His eye was no longer swollen shut, but his face was still in much pain. Looking around, he saw no one in the gloom, but noticed that he was next to a great stone wall.

He reached to a groove on the wall with his left hand to pull himself, groaning slightly from the agony. But he cried out for a difference reason currently; his left hand was flesh and blood! It had not been so for two years. The metallic fist had vanished.

The wall towered above him, very high up, with some sort of step halfway up, though broken in many places. Slits had been put in the wall by these steps. Turning around, Galder saw a pair of ruined staircases leading up to dilapidated balconies.

“Time for the truth, Galder,” came the familiar voice.

“Who’s there?” Galder asked, trying to lean against the large wall for support. He quickly jerked away, however; the wall was freezing cold, and Galder suddenly realized just how cold the air was as well.

“Come. You know the way.”

“Where am I?” Galder took a step towards one of the ruined staircases.

“Wrong way.”

Galder looked to the step halfway up, and noted that there was no way up to there, if there had ever been one. In looking up the wall, he noted that there were several burns and slashes.

Lightsaber burns? He ran a finger through one. They sure are...looks like quite a fight happened...in the Citadel? When would that have happened?

“Where am I?” Galder shouted out his question again. “I demand answers...”

He opened his senses, which were fuzzy. There was no one around that he could sense, but suddenly the way onwards was revealed.

The secret door between the two staircases... he pondered, frowning. He moved towards it.

“Correct.”

Galder stepped to the wall and tried to find a switch or handle, then realized where he was.

“It can’t be...“ he muttered, still frowning.

He lifted his hand and squeezed, and the Force-activated switch opened the door. It swung open, completely silent. He stepped through, into a frigid corridor. Walking for some time, he found himself at the end of the corridor, which was blocked by a large, black, reflective hemisphere.

“It is...Avalar?” Galder realized, astonished that he had not seen it earlier.

He took a step toward the hemisphere with a sigh. Without warning, a hand snaked out of the mirror and gripped Galder by the throat with a paralyzing, chilling touch.

Following the hand appeared a black-cowled figure, two lightsabers hanging in plain sight from his belt. Galder recognized them.

“I never left you,” snarled the figure.

“You...”

The hood fell back, and Galder’s own face was revealed. He began to squeeze Galder’s throat.

Behind him came the familiar, curt voice.

"This place sits at the very root of all that was potent about that which was. They say those who have been touched by the hand of the Sith are never quite the same again."

Galder grabbed at his replica’s arm, trying to pry the squeezing hand from his throat to turn around. He did not want to start a fight; no doubt, his replica would not have the same injuries that he had. “I would have to agree...” he managed to say.

"Your very inner self was tested at this place. This testing goes on. The touch of the Sith is in your mind, Galder. And it was also said...that it was infectious..."

“Infectious? In what way?”

"It lies in your mind, Galder, that touch. The people you are with, are people like yourself; they feel the presence of other minds, and you have been with them for some time...”

“I was unaware of that...”

"Your mind has been closed for too long. Now it is open again."

The other Galder proceeded to toss Galder to the ground, causing him to twist about as he fell.

"Now it is open, you are being tested again."

“Oh, well, I don‘t think I...” Galder began, then pulled his face up from the cold stone ground. At his eye level, directly in front of him, was a pair of brightly polished black leather boots.

“You!”

Above the boots were tight-fit cavalry pants, then a tunic, then an elegant pelisse draped over the tunic. A braided, neat beard had grown from the person’s chin, and he had the look of an iron-minded military man. A simple, black hilt of a lightsaber hung from his belt.

“Kuylen!”

"I am your judge, Galder," said Kuylen.

"As am I," said the double, behind Galder. It reached for his lightsabers and ignited both, green and red.

"Watch your back, Galder," said Kuylen.

The double twirled the lightsabers for a moment, then thrust them downwards into Galder’s body. There was a blinding flash and intense pain filling Galder...

And he awoke, floating flaccidly in a bacta chamber. He was in a decent amount of pain, as electricity was coursing through the liquid.

Outside the chamber, Jena was watching him with interest. She nodded to a flunkey, who then deactivated the shock treatment.

“Wakey, wakey, handsome...” she said to Galder.

“Where am I now?” Galder asked, confused. He was in much more pain than he had been on his dream of Avalar.

"Upstairs, sleepy," she replied. "I'm busy making sure you don't expire. You should, of course, be grateful."

“Thanks, I guess. How long have I been out?”

"Not long. Good time for you to answer some questions, I think."

“I thought as much...” Galder sighed. “Start asking...”

Jena held out a hand, and a thong-wearing flunkey placed a rather sharp, wicked knife in her hand. It had a fresh coat of blood on it, and Galder had a very bad feeling about it.

“What have you come here for?”

“I came with the others from the Empire of Pity, to strengthen our bonds with the Serpent.”

She nodded to her flunkey again. He activated the shock treatment, the electricity coursing through the bacta to turn it distinctly acidic for a moment, aggravating his cuts.

"Somehow I doubt that," she says. "The Empire of Pity does not use people with such... unique talents."

“What do you...mean...by...that?” Galder struggled to say.

"I mean your performance in the arena was not possible for a normal human and I rather suspect how it was done.” She nodded to the flunkey, who raised the power level greatly for a moment, filling Galder with wave upon wave of intense heat and pain, before switching it off.

“What have you come here for?”

"I was a hired hand, alright?" Galder told her. "The Empire of Pity knew you guys would probably be violent, so they threw me into the deal. I don't give a damn what the Empire of Pity wants, I just wanted the credits..."

"So...you are an outsider to the rest of the group?"

"Yes, I have only affiliated with them for about as long as the Empire has been paying me..."

"I see...so it is just you with these talents, hmm? You understand if you are lying to me, I shall flay the flesh from your body."

"I understand that completely, Mistress," Galder replied. He then though of something. "What talents do you think I have?"

"Only a Jedi can blur his arms to strike as you did in that fight."

"You have a keen eye, Mistress. Quite a fight wasn't it?"

“Yes, it was...” She brandished the knife in front of herself, the blade glistening red. “I went to some considerable effort to get this...”

Galder suddenly remembered that Takuan had the gash on his face before Galder had been brought upstairs.

“What, the knife, or me?” he said, toying with her a bit.

"You may have the Force, but you are not very observant.“ She beckoned, and another flunky wandered over, this time bearing a small device which he placed on a table near her. She turned it towards her and turned it on. "I wonder what will happen...when I perform a blood sample analysis on this..."

“Depends on who’s blood it is, right?” Galder said, a bit unnerved now. She’ll discover Takuan’s abilities...damned midi-chlorians...

"If you were hired, it wasn't for your brains." She walked over and tapped the outside of the cylinder that Galder was floating in with the knife. "This blood is from your friend whose face I sliced open downstairs."

Galder went a little pale. “Now why do a silly thing like that? You have me, and you saw what I can do...”

“You can’t do a thing with your body broken.” She placed the knife on the sampler. “Thirty seconds for a result. Anything you want to tell me?”

“So maybe he’s one of the outsiders too, big deal...”

"Bring the whip," she ordered one of her men, as the seconds ticked by. "Quite a big deal really, as I just said that if you were lying I would flay you alive..."

"And I normally do not like to give away secrets that I'd rather keep. Flog me to death if you will, but that would completely negate the use I'd be after I heal..."

"You know what? I am willing to risk that...because I think you would rather live." She glanced at the device. "Ten seconds."

Crap, she means business... Galder thought, grimacing. “Fine, we’re a group of Dark Jedi working for the Empire of Pity.”

“Interesting...and why have you come here?”

"We wanted the money, and the Empire of Pity did not want to waste men that you would probably kill.”

"That's not answering my question; why were people like you sent? What is your purpose here?"

"I told you, we wanted money so we helped the Empire of Pity out by being their emissaries!"

She nodded again, and Galder was overtaken by pain as the power was turned back on.

"Why waste my time with such cretinous lies? Only an infantile fool would expect me to believe they would pay for people of such unique talents as you simply to act as emissaries when they could have sent their own people!"

Galder was ready to give in, the pain stabbing through him viciously, as if it was tearing him apart, piece by piece. He was ready to talk about their true mission.

“Your...” he managed to get out of his mouth, before he suddenly felt a gripping sensation at his throat. He choked a little, until the thought of revealing their mission was gone from his mind and he was barely conscious.

“He seems ready to talk.” The power was turned off. “You were saying?”

“Your...positions here at the Serpent are higher paying than the Empire of Pity. We came here seeking...”

“Oh, somehow I don’t think it’s that innocent...” The power was turned back on.

Amidst the pain, he thought as fast as he could. He formed an idea.

“We...are...here...to...kill...your...idiot...brothers!”

"Hmm. Do you mean all my brothers are idiots and must die, or that you are here to kill the ones that are idiots?"

“Bora...was...our target...what does...that...tell...you?”

“It means it is neither because you are leaving Yago alive...”

Galder grinned at the comment, and she turned down the power slightly. “We know that the Serpent will fail if idiots like Bora or Yago lead...but if you were to...”

The power suddenly shot up incredibly high, causing him to silently scream.

"Liar," responded Jena, increasing the power further. "No one sent you to help me lead; killing the others will make that impossible, and anyone who would have sent you would know that. One more lie and I will kill you as not worth the bother. Last chance. Who have you been sent to deal with?"

Huh? Well, guess she can’t lead...or something... Galder thought, as he started to black out.

“No one sent us to help you lead, just making conversation!” he shouted back angrily, using the last of his energy. “We’re just here to kill Bora!”

“Why Bora? On whose behalf?”

“The Empire of Pity hired us! We don’t know why!” He nearly passed out.

The power shut off, as suddenly as it had been turned up. He gave a sigh of relief.

“Very well. So be it.” Jena stepped away from the switch, then gave it another glance. Plastering a winning smile to her face, she turned the power on low. “I’ll be back in, oh, an hour or so? I thought I would leave you with time to think about things...” With that, she left.

After a few minutes of the electrified bacta eating away at his injuries, his pain was interrupted. A figure tapped on the glass as Galder sagged thankfully. It was Kuylen.

“Kuylen?”

“That was pretty poor.” He placed his pelisse neatly over a chair, pulled it over to the table, and sat, propping his legs up on the table, shunting aside the blood sampler with a polished boot. “I had to stop you telling her why you were here. Shouting out to the Lantarnans the real reason you are here will get you killed immediately. Or maybe not literally immediately, but it will seal your doom. Now, normally I'd say...so be it. Man says stupid things, man dies. But I've got a job to do and I can't do it if you are dead."

“Where the hell have you been?” Galder asked, ignoring his speech.

"Oh Galder," sighed Kuylen, "I'm not here to give you all the answers. Some things you will have to work out for yourself."

“As ever!” Galder shook his head. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me how you even got in here...”

"Not gotten any smarter I see. I've already told you that. I'm your judge, remember?"

“I wouldn’t need a judge if Zeiton was a successful venture...Master.”

"I didn't see you doing anything about it, nor do you know what was in that Tomb. But we aren't here to talk about me either; this is about you."

"What about me?" Galder asked. "Currently I'm brutally injured and held captive by a Lantarnan, what's there to know?"

"What, you think moaning about that will help?" said Kuylen. "This is about you in a more general sense. You're being tested. Right now you are a failure; you are not deserving of anything."

“Then I assure you, Kuylen, that I will be worthy of much by the time are through with this place. I will shatter these halls.”

"Don't just say it, prove it. After all, those are big words for someone with most his bones broken stuck in a torture tube. Life's a constant test, Galder. If I were really here now, I wouldn't lift a finger to help you. If you fail life's test, you fail my criteria of being worthy. I'll be keeping an eye out for that.”

‘If I were really here now?’ Galder pondered. What the hell is he on about? He’s sitting right here!

"But I'm really here, as I say, more generally. Let's face it, Galder, your life has been a total waste since we parted ways. A petty thug, skulking around the Galaxy, trying to visit his old 'friends,’ whatever that term means to us, fighting in that odd pointless war, and generally failing to do absolutely anything of note or consequence."

"I am no leader, and you know it, Kuylen," Galder replied. "I don't like all this skulkin' around..."

"Then why in hell do you put up with it? We are not like other people, Galder, we have the Force, and destiny calls to all of us. You have blinded yourself to the power of your destiny all your life, and only sheer dumb luck has allowed you to blunder into the possibility right now. If you weren't in a drug-induced haze you wouldn't be aware of a thing.

“It's the Force that's testing you, Galder. Just as you were on Avalar. It's testing your friends too but with you it is the strongest because you were there."

“I am aware of that,” Galder snorted, as if he already knew. “I will prove myself worthy, I swear to you!”

"How, exactly? What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Do you have any clue at all? I at least gave you purpose. What purpose do you have now? Has Rand given you any?"

"I have no clue...but I know that I must get that tablet or you shall kill me anyway..."

"You think you will even get that far? You think this test is some abstract marking of your progress? You have talked to the others about what they have seen in their dreams and visions. Have you not reached any conclusions?"

Galder pondered for a moment. Rianna and Rah had shared tidbits of their dreams, and there always seemed to be a reference to the Serpent being wrapped abut them, coiled and waiting to strike. "Are we to destroy the Serpent?"

"Hah! You don't have one thousandth of the power needed to destroy the Serpent. It is not within the capacity of any of you. It is bigger than you all, and it will crush you. There is a theme in what all of you have seen...the Force is warning you..."

"Well...it has been warning us that the Serpent will get us if we do not pull through..."

"More fundamental than that, Galder. It is warning you that the Serpent is going to get you...full stop."

"As in...there is no hope?"

"You walked into the Coils of the Serpent willingly. Few ever come out from that. Only the Force can save you now. You are not destined to die here; that has been set up by circumstance and your inability to handle the difficulty of this situation. But if it is not your destiny, and the Force is with you, you can avoid it."

Coils of the Serpent? Galder wondered. What does that mean?

"Then I will avoid it," Galder replied. "It is my destiny to become great..."

"You haven't got a clue about your destiny. You're running blind. And you have no idea how to avoid it. Without the favor of the Force, you never will."

“So I must listen to the will of the Force, right?”

"The will of the Force only comes to those who are worthy of it. Jury's out on you, Galder. You and your group. One of you has directly seen how limited your chances are, how much death now features in your future. Perhaps you may just see the way forwards. But I doubt it."

He rose from the seat. "You have a lot of things to think about, Galder.“ He turned the power back on, but not as high as Jena had left it. "I'll be back when you've done that..."

“No! Get back here and turn it off!” Galder shouted, tensing up as the pain returned.

"My, my," said Jena, strolling past the cylinder after a few minutes. "Doesn't take long for you to start screaming, does it?" She reached over and paused with a confused look at the controls to the power. She looked to him before turning it off. Then, she drifted over to where Kuylen had moved the chair to, also causing her to pause. She sat.

"I hope you have had time to think. So, what am I to do with you?"

"Well, not really up to me, is it?" Galder replied, sagging with relief again. "Otherwise I'd be out of this tube and strolling along lazily on the moons of Wertabon VI."

"You can be flippant," said Jena, "or you can live; your choice. Convince me to not kill you."

"Our skills would be worth your while, Mistress," Galder tried to convince. "It is not every day that you have a group of Dark Jedi at your mercy..."

"Speak for the whole group, do you?"

"I am one of the more vital members.”

"Knowing what I do of your kind," says Jena, "I find it more likely that they will sacrifice you to save themselves. I am not convinced yet. What can you do for me, to keep what I know to myself?"

"We are a very different group. The way we work ensures that everyone makes it out alive. Our skills would be useful to you, Mistress, do not let them go to waste..."

"Get to the point.”

"We could do missions in the name of Serpent at your bidding, Mistress," Galder said. "Think of it...average goons would be more likely to fail than we select few..."

"So if I were to bring your leader here now and order to him to do any mission I so choose, he would accept, would he?"

"Would he have any other choice but to accept?" Galder grinned. "As long as you do not go shouting about that we're Dark Jedi, of course..."

"Well then," said Jena. "I might just do that. Once you are feeling a little better, of course."

“You might want to turn the power off, then...”

"So much for the vaunted unbreakable spirit of the Dark Side," said Jena, turning off the power. "But then that was never a match for the Serpent."

“I suppose...” Galder shrugged. Heh, yeah right...

= Chapter 31 =

It was a few days before Galder was released. In this time, Rand had managed to bargain for Galder’s life, Rianna had maintained a fighting reputation, Gallador and Tanic and Takuan had been chiseling away at Yago to see how useful he could be, and Rah had begun his musical career at the Serpent.

"I hope you're happy, Galder," Rand hissed, as they were led down the stairs. "You have put us in a bad position. We are under close watch, and we have to perform a task for Jena that, if we screw up, we will all die."

"Oh, I'm very happy, Rand," Galder replied, rubbing his hands together. "Don't worry, we'll be fine..."

"You'd better hope that we'll be fine," Rand snarled, "or I'll kill you before Jena can."

"You know that won't happen, Rand," Galder snarled back, cracking his knuckles idly. They stung still, and he remembered that they had been just about cut open to the bone by punching the Champ's spiked skin. He went over his injuries that had not healed completely; the cuts on his head and arms and hands had disappeared, leaving nasty scars, and the bruises had healed neatly. His ribs were still sore, but no longer broken. He walked unstably, supporting himself on Rand’s shoulder.

Galder was ordered to be confined to the lower halls unless he gained any notable titles, so they descended to that level with an escort. The escort took their leave of them on the upper halls, and they moved to the lower halls on their own.

“I saw Kuylen,” Galder told Rand, as they went down. “He’s here...”

Rand chuckled slightly. “No, he’s not here, you haven’t seen anything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Remember what Doon said about the root?”

Galder thought for a moment, trying to recall the conversation. “Oh...right...it’s a hallucinogen.”

“Precisely. It is quite stimulating to a mind that has the gift of the Force, I’ve discovered. Our hallucinations can manipulate their surroundings; I’m supposing it is our own powers at work. Just moments before you fought the Champ, I was attacked by a Graal beast, just like...” He stopped, then continued. “Anyway, it bruised my face, see?”

Rand had a distinctive darkened patch of skin around his face.

“Also, I saw Doon, and had a long conversation with him...or rather, with myself. It was quite interesting; he stole a cigarette.”

Galder looked at him strangely, then allowed a silence.

“So...Rand...how do we propose on getting me up there?" Galder questioned, after a minute or so. "I did well in that fight, did I not? Maybe I should go back to the fight rings..."

"Don't be a fool!" Rand hissed. "Unless you feel like coming close to death again, I might have you keep our way to the hangar clear...though, we might not take our ship to leave..."

“Why not? What’s wrong with our ship?”

“Jena has attached bombs to the underbelly of the ship, which will detonate if we try to take our leave.”

"Couldn't we just defuse the bombs?" Galder asked. "And what if Jena does the same treatment to other ships? What if our ship is quarantined?"

"Well, that gives you a purpose, now, doesn't it?" Rand said sarcastically to Galder. "Go see if the bombs are able to be defused, and see if there are any other, more suitable ships near our own, should the bombs prove too hard for you to handle..."

He looked about for a moment, then decided to turn around. "I take my leave of you; better get to the hangars, Galder."

Galder watched Rand head back up the stairs to the second level. "Incompetent fool..." he mumbled, before heading down into the hangar.

As Rand had said, a sizeable amount of charges were strapped to the underside of the Serpent ship.

“That’s overkill...” Galder muttered unhappily. “I could defuse ‘em though...”

Galder wandered into the ship to find a place to rest. As soon as he entered the cockpit, intending to rest in the pilot’s chair, there was a bleep. Someone had sent them a message.

“Sounds important.”

Galder nearly jumped out of his skin. “Kuylen! What the hell? Argh, damned hallucinogen root...”

"If anyone is contacting you here they must have thought it was worth the risk. That message could have been waiting for hours or more; a shame no-one has been checking the ship."

“Not my fault,” Galder said back, still quite irked about being surprised. “Rand was supposed to coordinate those things.”

“Not my fault, not my fault," mimicked Kuylen, in a childish way, not at all like his usual self. "What a whiny little runt you have become."

Galder ignored him, and answered the message. All he got was garbled nonsense.

“It’s in Galactic Morse Code, blundering fool,” Kuylen said, pointing to the transmission type. “You’ll have to translate the garbage into more garbage, then translate that garbage into your message.”

“I know!”

“Then get to work!”

After a few minutes, Galder managed to get the first sentence.

F R O M - D O O N - H O P E - I T - I S - G O I N G - W E L L - G U Y S

“Easy,” Galder said, propping his feet up on the dash and manipulating the controls with one hand to get the next message.

E M E R G E N C Y - C H A N G E- O F - R E N D E Z V O U S

Galder took his feet down. “Uh oh...”

K U Y L E N - I S - D Y I N G - W I L L - N O T - M A K E - I T - T O -
E P I R E U S

“No...” Galder said, the sentence not registering in his mind for a moment. He looked to the apparition of Kuylen, which seemed a bit faded and pale.

“Told you it was important.”

M A K I N G - L A N D I N G - O N - P L A N E T - K U O N I - I N -
T H R E E - D A Y S - C A N - K E E P - H I M - A L I V E - F O R - A -
L I T T L E - L O N G E R - T H E R E

“No!” Galder shouted, angrily. He smashed in a control panel with his left fist, sending a shower of sparks about the cabin. He ran his hands through his hair and controlled himself, before hurriedly trying to finish the message translation.

K U Y L E N - W I S H E S - T O - S P E A K - T O - H I S - F O R M E R - A S S O C I A T E S- I F - T H E Y - B R I N G - T H E - T A B L E T -
S A Y S - H E - W I L L - R E V E A L - L O C A T I O N - O F -
A R C H I V E

“If you deserve it...” the apparition of Kuylen commented.

“You’re ruining my plans, Kuylen!”

“That’s a talent you are able to muster all by yourself...”

H E - A L S O - W I L L - T E L L - H I S - A C O L Y T E S - W H A T - H E - F O U N D...

“What?” Galder thought aloud, raising an eyebrow. He finished the translation.

... I N S I D E - T H E - S A R C O P H O G U S - O F - D E M N O S
E N D

“Wait...” Galder said, rereading it. “But there was nothing there.”

“Not when you got there, no.”

“A shame I couldn’t find out from you what it is...”

"Life's not that easy. I told you, privileges must be earned. So what now, genius?"

"We have to see what our 'great and powerful leader' has to say," Galder snarled, bitterly. "I should tell everyone that you're kicking the bucket...“ Galder stopped his train of thought for a moment, then changed subjects. "What is on this tablet...exactly...?"

"Good question. You should bend your brain to think about that."

Galder sighed and shut off the communicator. “You’re no help. Well, time to go deliver the good news, hmm?" He rose from his seat and left the ship.

As soon as he stepped off the ship, he ran into Gallador. Galder just about activated his wrist blaster, but put it down when he saw who it was.

“Oh, it’s you...”

"Nice to see you back in good shape,” Gallador greeted. “It seems your anger and determination make you very difficult to destroy, like the legendary Sith Marauders! Master Rand sent me to help you."

“Nice to see you too, I guess...” Galder replied, heading back into the starship with Gallador in tow. "Why you call that thing Master is beyond me. And I didn't come here to be beat down by a pea-brained alien beast..."

Galder turned left just inside the hatch and sat to rest on a sofa within. "We're to wait until Rand gives the signal, right?" He yawned and stretched. "I'll be here in the ship, since Jena needs to get the hell out of here first. You can join me if you want, unless you like standing in a hangar being watched by guards..."

Gallador raised an eyebrow at him. “The ship is being watched?”

“I can sense it, Gallador, can’t you? My instincts...the Force...tell me that there are several men around the ship.”

Gallador paused for a moment, closing his eyes. Galder sensed a brief surge of hatred from Gallador’s frail figure, before the Dark Jedi opened his eyes again.

“You are right, my marauding friend.”

“Of course I am! I’m Galder Starkiller!”

Gallador wandered towards the exit to the ship. “Don’t let that go to your head.” He stepped out of the ship and into the hangar, closing the hatch behind him.

“Fine, see you later...”

Galder began to patch himself up, when he heard a groan from somewhere in the ship. Rising to his feet, a bacta patch in one hand pressed on the other’s knuckles, he wandered into the medical bay. It was Rah.

“Rah?” Galder said, sitting on a chair by his bed. “What’s wrong, pal?”

Rah did not answer.

“Rah?”

Rah got up from the bedside and jumped across the room to the corner, clutching his ears and his head.

“Rah...get up.”

Rah raised his head briefly. His eyes darted about with a sort of panicked confusion, before lowered his head again, with an audible groan. Galder could sense a large amount of fear coming from him.

“Strange...” Galder muttered, before slowly leaving the room.

Rah remained in the corner.

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Galder meandered the lower halls, the ennui of the situation lulling him into a slowly, steady walk. Nearby, a group of Rodians were blasting Plexo-33 music out of a speaker, momentarily rousing Galder from his boredom.

He had just informed Rand of Kuylen’s health status, and he had been worried. The heist would have to be made soon.

"What now, genius?" asked Kuylen, stepping out of the crowd ahead. "Must be hard for you, I guess; doing nothing whilst my seconds are ticking away, dwindling to nothing so quickly. You're still being tested, you know. Don't think you are out of that one. I'm not seeing anything worthy yet."

"Like what? Right now, I'm plotting the escape routes..." Galder muttered, his shoulders sagging with the weight of the situation. "For example, we need to hold the stairs and the ship! I'm going to hold the ship and unwire the bombs."

Galder thought of just how useless he was being at the moment. Tanic and Takuan had headed up to the Lantarnan library to see what they could find out about the tablet, and Gallador was meandering about, having found out what he needed from Yago, at least for the moment. Rand and Rianna were nowhere to be found.

"Yes, but you've done that now," said Kuylen, pulling him back. "Just going to sit here now? Read a book, perhaps? Don't you think you look suspicious hanging around down here?"

“What should I do, then?“ Galder turned to the apparition of their former leader, staring into the blank eyes. “We need money to get the key copied, but where can I get that without getting myself- let alone the group- into deep shit?"

Jena had assigned Rand the task just previously to his release, and he had been informed of the full details just a few moments ago. She had requested that one of the Dark Jedi sneak up to Mika Lantarnan’s office and steal a data crystal for her. She had given them a trionnic key to help them with it. With the reasoning that if Mika’s office needed a trionnic key, so would the other doors, they had decided that they needed another key. Rand had found a crystallographer to do it for them, but they needed the money.

"Wasn't Tanic trying to win some money earlier?"

“Yes...yes he was,” Galder replied. “He told me about the gun game...a bit risky though.”

“Risk is always worthwhile, especially if you succeed.”

“Yes...I will do it, then.”

Galder made his way to the shoot-out game in another part of the hall. As soon as he approached, a Rodian began to draw him in.

“Come, fine sir! You look like you’re willing to take a shot at Gambit, the most realistic shooting game of all time!”

“How much to practice?”

“Ten credits to practice, one hundred to play! Take the ultimate challenge!"

“Right...” Galder pulled ten credits from his wallet and handed the coins to the Rodian. “What do I get for winning, by the way?”

"Ten thousand credits if you win three rounds in a row!"

“Not bad...” Galder hoisted the game’s gun from the rack and weighed it in his hands. It was a replica of a standard-issue, military-grade Republic heavy blaster, and weighed as such. “Perfect weight. The real DC-6 has poor stopping power, though...”

The game began. Opposite of Galder was a blank, computer-generated opponent, toting the same gun as Galder. The green light flashed and Galder drew. The hologram system simulated the sound and flash of a gun shot from a DC-6, and Galder felt the kick. There was a flash on the screen; his opponent fell with a blast mark to his head.

“Nice!” the Rodian cheered him.

Round two, Galder’s opponent was somewhat taller and wearing non-descript clothing. Galder drew and fired, and a blast mark appeared on his opponent’s chest, knocking him back.

“Nice again!” the Rodian continued to cheer.

Round three, and Galder’s opponent appeared exactly like him.

“What the...” Galder muttered as he drew, but the machine drew faster. The nozzle on the machine emitted a shot at Galder, striking his thigh. It was merely a stun blast, shocking his thigh with a bit of numbing pain.

“Oh! So close! Still, only a practice round, right?”

Galder glared at the machine, rubbing his thigh. “I’ll take another practice.”

“Sure thing! Fire away!”

Before this practice round, Galder checked the machine. The platform he was positioned on had bars to keep him from dodging the deadly shot of the real thing.

Round one of the practice resulted in a draw, as the shots were exchanged, both shots missing their mark.

Round two resulted in Galder gunning down his opponent with a shot to the thigh.

Round three, and Galder felt the numbing pain of another stun shot as he was out-gunned by half a second.

“Such a shame!”

Galder forked over another ten credits, glaring at the machine with an angry gaze.

The three rounds were repeated. First round, Galder shot the opponent, second round, they missed one another on an even draw, and third round, Galder was hit in the stomach with another stunner.

“Oh, and a good run too!” the Rodian applauded.

“Pretty feeble...” Kuylen muttered, as Galder stepped down from the platform to take a break.

“I’d rather not get shot, thank you very much...”

"Oh..." mocked Kuylen, adopting the whiney voice again, "'I'm scared of the nasty machine! I'm a big tough killer but I think a bunch of silicon is going to hurt me!' Was it mean to you? Did it say rude things? Why don't you go sit in the nursery with the other babies?"

He’s sounding less like Kuylen now... Galder thought. More like a bunch of kids who bullied me with every visit to Anchorhead...it’s giving me a headache...

“It copies my every shot, Kuylen. It’s rather like trying to outshoot me...and who can do that?”

"Well, use your brain. How do you out-shoot a machine that becomes you?"

Galder scowled at Kuylen, then took to the platform again, passing the Rodian ten more credits.

The first shot came, and Galder drew poorly as intended, blasting the slower opponent down easily. The second shot came, however, Galder still trying to shoot at a moderate level, and the stun bolt hit his stomach.

“Oh my, my friend! Lost your touch, perhaps?”

Galder passed another ten credits, but the moderate level of shooting managed to get him shocked again.

“Dammit!”

He passed over another ten credits, and planned to shoot just above the moderate level, then at his high level on the final shot. The first two rounds resulted in him outgunning the target, but the final round, despite his high level of shooting, resulted in a stunned kneecap.

Rand appeared while Galder stepped down to take another break.

“How are things coming?” he asked, standing with his cloak wrapped around him tightly. “Do you have the money yet?”

“I’m, uh, working on it,” Galder replied, sitting for a moment. “Could you perhaps distract the Rodian at the machine? I don’t want to get caught cheatin’ again...if you catch my drift...”

“Have you tried that yet?”

“No.”

“They I shall do my best.”

As Galder took to the platform for what he hoped was the final time in a positive way, Rand approached the Rodian with questions about the machine.

“Hello!” he said, cheerfully. “I was wondering how your game works! I was considering taking a shot or two...”

Galder passed the Rodian a hundred credits as Rand distracted him.

“Alright then, ready yourself!”

Round one. The first shot of the round was a slow draw, but Galder’s second shot hit the opponent in the shoulder lightly, winning the round.

Round two. Galder drew at his normal level of skill, blasting another hole in the computer-generated man, hitting him by a small margin. It was exactly as he wanted. A crowd began to gather to watch him.

Round three, and Galder tapped into the Force slightly to give himself a further advantage. He drew the pistol from its holster at a fast speed, popping off his final shot at the duplicate of himself. However, the duplicate did equally well, and there was a resounding blast as another draw occurred.

“Oh, not good...” Galder muttered, looking to Rand.

“You want to risk it again?” Rand asked him.

“Yes.”

“Very well.” Rand moved to a side of the platform. “Ladies and gentlemen! Give him room to breath! This young man, taking his life in his hands, does no...”

Bang!

Galder had drawn at lightning speed, almost just as the green light came on, and blew away the computer-generate replication of himself. The replication of Galder fell to the ground, shattering like glass as soon as he hit. The machine gave a rather disappointing victory beep. The crowd went nuts over the amazing display of gunmanship.

Stunned and disbelieving, the owner wandered silently over the back of the machine, removing a wad of bills from a safe. He handed the ten thousand credits to Galder, paused for about fifteen seconds, then turned to the amazed audience.

"You see, everyone? You see how easy it is to win...ten thousand credits? Come, everyone, and play Gambit, the machine of your dreams!"

"Step right up, people!" Galder advertised as he drifted away from the Rodian, smiling brightly after receiving his money. "Think you've got some fast drawing skills? Show 'em off! Flaunt them for money!"

Suckers... Galder thought cheerfully, watching as various members of the Serpent stepped up to show off their stuff. His happy thoughts left him when Rand snatched the money from his open palm.

"Well done, my pupil..." Rand said, weighing the wad of Republic credits in his hand. "No worries, I will return what I don't use..."

“I’m not your pupil, Rand,” Galder said, “and I think I’ll come with you to make sure.”

The two of them, leaving Gambit and its Rodian keeper behind, drifted about the lower halls, bartering for useful items that Rand could purchase with the money. Galder managed to get his hands on some synthrope for himself. Finally, they arrived at the crystallographer’s shop.

“Ah, you again,” the crystallographer sighed. He was a tall, lanky man wearing a cloak. “Got money this time?”

“Yes, indeed I do, sir,” Rand said, matter-of-factly, taking a good amount of the credits and setting them in front of the crystallographer.

“Splendid!” The crystallographer swept up the credits and placed them in his pocket, then accepted the trionnic key from Rand. A few moments later, the deed was done.

“Excellent...” Rand whispered to Galder as they moved away from the crystallographer’s shop. He placed one trionnic key in his coat, while the other he kept in hand. “Galder, go inspect the hangar...we need to make sure just how many holocams and men are watching the ship.”

“Right away...”

= Chapter 32 =

Galder had decided to put off inspecting the hangar for awhile; the wait to see if Rianna was successful with her tedious task for Jena was unbearable.

He found Rand and Takuan talking in the lower halls. Rand seemed concerned, and Takuan explained to Galder what they were speaking of.

“There are four decoy tablets in addition to the tablet,” Takuan said, “as I found out in the Lantarnans’ library.”

“You were in the Lantarnans’ library?” Galder asked, curious as to how he achieved that.

“The librarians found my tablet very interesting...”

“Unfortunately for you,” Rand groaned, “you’ll never see it again.”

“Probably not, but I’m sure the Lantarnan tablet will compensate.”

“Hopefully.” Rand ran a hand over his pale face and down his head tentacles. “This is disturbing news...about the decoys, I mean. I haven’t the slightest clue what to do about it. Rianna will be vaporized...”

“Vaporized?” Galder asked, curious once more.

“Yago informed us that the tablet chamber has various defenses,” Takuan explained. “Each Lantarnan heir must go through the challenges in order to step into his rightful place as ruler of the Golden Serpent. I’m sure the first few defenses are easily bypassed. However, the tablet’s main defense involves the decoys.”

“What do you mean?”

“Each of the decoys is lying on a pressure sensor, whereas the tablet is not.”

“And the sensors do what?”

“If the person selecting the tablet happens to choose a decoy, the pressure sensor is released, and boiling hot plasma fills the room, vaporizing the unfortunate maroon who chose wrong.”

“So? We can use our senses...”

“Rianna’s senses are just barely more fine-tuned than your own, Galder, which is not saying much,” Rand said. “And seeing as the tablet that Siva stole belonged to the Sith, it is likely obfuscated in the Force. Takuan and I would even have trouble sensing the correct tablet. You should have known that, you were on Avalar!”

“Right, right,” Galder dismissed him. “I never had to sense for one of the damned things.”

“Sith usually obfuscate their items anyway.”

“No matter,” Takuan sighed. “Hopefully Tanic will find something worthwhile. He’s still up there...”

“Nope, I’m here...” Tanic joined them at the table. “How’re you guys doing?”

“Just dandy, Tanic,” Rand said. “Find anything interesting?”

“You bet I did!” he set before them a few rolls of ancient paper, which Rand proceeded to unroll with care.

“Tanic,“ Rand said, looking up with astonishment, “these are the schematics to the Citadel!”

“I have found various different hidden passages that allow us to bypass the stairs,” Tanic continued. “Unfortunately, the tablet chamber is not included on the schematics.”

“Quite alright. Takuan informed me that each of the Lantarnans have schematics to the tablet chamber. Rianna is retrieving them from Mika’s office as we speak.”

“How’d she get up there?” Galder asked, leaning on his hand with his elbow on the table.

“Through the air vents,” Rand informed him. “She will use them when we make the snatch.”

“And possibly the secret passages?”

“Yes, certainly.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Galder resumed. “We should begin planning this out as thoroughly as possible,” Galder said to Rand. “To get things organized so that it all runs smoothly when we make the grab.”

“We will,“ Rand responded, clasping his hands together on the table, “but not until Rianna returns with the vault schematics.”

“Rianna is not going to find our battle plans on the vault schematics, Rand.”

"Hold your tongue, Galder," Rand said calmly, mostly ignoring whatever the young swordsman had said. "Just be concerned with the hangar. Make a thorough inspection of everything in there. For example, how many entrances into the hangar? Any cannons hanging from a ceiling? It would be a shame if you were overrun because you couldn't cover all entrances, or if you disarmed the bomb only for the ship to be destroyed by a cannon..."

“There are no cannons, just Jena’s spies and holocameras...”

"You leave the planning up to me,“ Rand cut him off. “You may be powerful with a lightsaber in your hand, but you still have much to learn..."

For a moment, Rand eyed the credits he had returned to Galder.

"You know, there is still a lot of money left, and Rianna will have a difficult time up there. Perhaps you would be kind enough to buy her something she would need?"

“What could she possibly need?”

Rand sat in thought for a moment. “Tanic, did you find anything else?”

“Yes, I found some interesting information on the decoy tablets.” Tanic seemed eager.

“Really?”

“Well, more just the legend...anyway. Siva made a decoy when he stole the tablet in the first place. Thing is, the tablets glow when midi-chlorians are applied, so he painted on a substance that did a similar thing, though it appeared much slower.”

“We won’t be able to pick them up and test them,” Takuan reminded. “The pressure sensor would go off and Rianna would be cooked like a Gamorrean sausage.”

As they discussed this, Rand sat in absolute silence. Galder noticed that a sly grin began to creep onto his face, and he raised a hand to silence them.

“I have a solution.” Rand turned to them. “The substance is only present on the decoys, yes? Rianna could carry up a form of flashlight that is designed to check for said substance. It’d reveal the true tablet right away!”

“Problem solved!” Galder said, clapping incredibly slowly. “And so Master Rand shows his true wit.”

“Galder...” Rand began, but he was interrupted as the comlink beeped. “Yes?”

“This is Rianna!”

“Oh, hello, m’lady, what do you need?”

“Don’t call me that, and I need your help!”

“What seems to be the trouble?”

“None of you idiots were watching Mika Lantarnan, and now he’s in his office!”

“And you are...where?”

“Dangling outside his window with three very delicate items. I want you to go to a window and catch the stuff!”

“Catch it? Are you mad, woman?”

“Use the Force, moron!”

She cut out.

“Hmm...” Rand mumbled, then rose. “I can sense her anger from here...should be easy.”

Galder rose up and followed him, motioning for Takuan and Tanic to wait. Rand and he pushed through the crowd as fast as they could, moving for a window in an area where few beings were. Rand leaned out the window and looked up.

“Ah yes, there she is!” He raised his comlink. “Alright, Rianna, drop them.”

Rand moved a hand out the window with an upraised palm, closing his eyes for a moment and gritting his teeth. Within a few moments, the trionnic key, a data crystal, and an ancient paper came to a quick stop just above Rand’s hand. They levitated there for a moment before Rand motioned for Galder to grab them. Galder grabbed the key and crystal just as Rand stopped lifting the items and grabbed the paper.

“I’ll just hang here until Mika leaves,” Rianna told them via comlink. “Easier to do now that I don’t have all those things. I hope the snatch goes better planned than this...”

Rand unrolled the paper. “Excellent. It explains the entire vault.”

“I wonder what’s on the crystal...” Galder said, handing both items to Rand.

“Not our business, best not to tamper,” Rand replied, shoving the three objects into his cloak. “Now, off to barter for more items. We’ll need to give Rianna your synthrope, Galder, and then the black light glow rod. Definitely a bag to carry the tablet in. Then...and then a miniature camera for Rianna to strap to her noggin so that Tanic can see everything she’s doing...”

“Tanic?”

“Tanic can do the technical stuff whilst you do all the murderous stuff; best to have him use that to guide Rianna through the disabling of the traps.”

“Heh, good idea. You need more of those.”

Rand frowned at him for a moment, then moved back to the table.

Galder sighed. “Well, let’s hope this goes well...”

= Chapter 33 =

Rianna was prepared to make the grab, and Jena had left earlier that morning, satisfied with their task. Galder had bought Rianna everything she needed for the heist, including a counterweight. Then, she headed off.

Now, all the others were placed about the hangar. Tanic and Galder were in the ship, while the others had placed themselves on the stairs.

“How’s Rah doing?” Galder asked, looking towards the closed medical bay door.

“He’s raving mad, Galder,” Tanic told him, putting on a headset with a microphone and a screen covering one eye. “He won’t be fighting with us.”

“A shame,” Galder sighed, cocking his wrist blaster.

“I have to start this, Galder.” Tanic gestured to the headset and the vault schematics. “Go secure the hangar.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard,” Galder said to Tanic before leaving the ship. “This hangar is ours.”

They had entered Stage One of the plan, but Galder had hit a snag. He had not thought of a way to disable the cameras while the three watchers Jena had placed in the hangar.

“Not going well?” the Kuylen hallucination asked him as he leaned against the wall.

“No, not really,” Galder answered, taking a drag on his Magravian cigarette, in which he had stashed this day’s supply of Yaran root. “I was never the planner.”

“Never the thinker, you mean. Still on the path to oblivion, I see.”

“No, no, I’ll figure this out. I always do. Otherwise I’d be dead already.”

"Not really been thinking about the bigger problem either...the one I mentioned to you before."

“Eh...” Galder said, scratching at a scar on his nose. “What was that again?”

"Answers are for you to find, not for me to give."

"Then why'd you say it in the first place?" Galder asked Kuylen, annoyed with how
the apparition enjoys toying with his mind, even though it was really Galder’s own mind toying with itself.

"As a reminder. I assumed you were keen to save your life."

"And I am!" Galder replied. "I don't want to die here and now, I want to die when I'm nice and rich and powerful. Hell, I don't want to die at all. Whatever secrets you‘ve dug up, I intend to use them. I will preserve my own life for as long as I can...and when I die, I shall be an immortal legend..."

At this point, Rand contacted him, and informed him of the location of the security camera. It happened to be just above Galder, so Galder snuck closer, reached up, and tampered with it for a moment, Takuan distracting the three watchers to keep them from stopping Galder’s task.

“Done,” Galder said into the comlink. “I’ve looped it, so they’ll see nothing suspicious.”

“Excellent,” Rand replied. “Proceed with the rest of Stage One...”

Galder grinned maliciously. “Time to do what I’m good at.” He crept away from the camera, keeping to the shadows and getting behind one of the watchers. He kept note of the other two, and the various mechanics in the area.

Suddenly, his comlink beeped. It was Tanic.

Not now... Galder thought, shutting off the comlink momentarily. As he prepared to make his sneak attack, he saw Tanic step from the ship, looking a tad scared.

What the hell is he doing? Galder asked himself. His mind went through a brief rush of panic as Tanic reached for his lightsaber. No!

Without warning, Tanic had ignited his lightsaber, glaring with a glint of fear in his eyes at five mechanics near the ship. He swung once, and a mechanic fell to the ground with a scream of pain. He moved for the remaining four near him, but they retreated with shouts of terror.

Time to act! Galder thought with a tinge of panic. He moved for the watcher he had targeted with deadly stealth. Just as the watcher began to reach for his blaster, Galder’s hands grasped his head firmly and gave it a sharp twist. His neck snapped, and the watcher fell limply to the ground.

The next watcher was already raising his comlink to his mouth.

“I’ll take that!” Galder shouted, extending his right hand and making a yanking motion. The comlink flew from the bewildered watcher’s hand and he reached for his blaster...but suddenly dropped the blaster and reached for his throat. From the stairwell, Rand had begun to strangle him telekinetically.

The third watcher was also reaching for his comlink, but Galder had a much easier solution for this one. Leveling his left arm at the startled man, he flicked out his wrist blaster and fired a single shot. The bolt struck the man in the forehead, killing him immediately.

The mechanics, running for Tanic and fearing for their lives, began to rush to an alarm on the wall. They never made it. Numerous crates and containers were flung towards them, bashing them aside and crushing them against the walls. Takuan lowered his hand.

“Galder, bombs!” Takuan shouted to him.

“Right!” Galder rushed with all due speed from the dead watchers, then slid himself under the ship across the smooth floor of the hangar. As soon as he was in position, he opened the bomb’s circuitry and began tinkering with it, plucking wires here and there.

“This one goes there...this one can come out...” he muttered to himself as he worked.

“Rianna’s made the grab!” Rand shouted. “She has the tablet!”

Just as he made the wonderful announcement, the alarms sounded. They resounded throughout the entire Citadel.

“What?!” Tanic shouted, having snapped out of his hallucination, whatever it was. “The alarms shouldn’t have gone off!”

“Small war, here we come!” Galder shouted as he rapidly undid and rewired the bombs. A shower of sparks poured onto him as he fiddled with the bomb’s circuit board and timer, and he was done.

“Hah!” Galder laughed with glee, as the bomb fell off the ship and clattered in broken heaps of metal and wire on the floor. “Bomb’s dead! We can‘t use it, but Jena‘s men can‘t either.”

As he emerged from underneath the ship, he noticed that Rand and Takuan had vanished up the stairs. Tanic was still shaking himself, and Gallador was reaching for his lightsaber.

“I sense movement at the stairs,” Gallador alerted them, igniting his lightsaber. The blade was colored a dark purple, and he held it out in front of him in a firm defensive stance. He stood to Galder’s right.

“Well, here we go, fellas,” Tanic said, reactivating his own lightsaber, standing with the blade diagonally leveled in front of him at Galder’s left.

“Indeed...” Galder extended his left arm and the hilt of his Sith lightsaber slid from the compartment into his palm, and he switched it on. The shimmering red blade was hungry for victims of Galder’s anger and skill, humming maliciously.

Twelve guards moved down the stairwell with rifles drawn, taking the lightsabers as a clear sign of hostility.

“Four each, then?” Tanic asked.

“Sounds decent...” Galder replied, spinning his lightsaber a few times in front of him. “But only if you two can keep up.”

With that, the three of them raced for the stairs, Galder emitting a furious battle cry, Gallador shouting in an alien tongue, and Tanic drawing his pistol with his free hand. Starguard claimed first blood as he aimed and fired, a blaster bolt knocking a guard backwards against and over the railing of the stairs.

As the three moved in, the remaining eleven guards returned fire. Galder’s blade whisked around effortlessly to deflect the green lasers, while the other two did nothing to defend against the horrible shots against them.

Time to strike... Galder thought with great anticipation. With a single leap, he landed neatly on the stairs and twisted his lightsaber about, cutting across the midsections of two guards. Another guard was blown off of the stairs by Tanic’s pistol, then another just as Galder swept his blade across another two guards. Gallador leapt up and joined him on the stairs, running a guard through as he landed. He took a swing as a guard, but merely hacked through the railing.

“Impressive!” Gallador commented, noting Galder’s kills.

More guards began to move in, bringing the new total of guards to sixteen after the slaughter of the eight. A shot burst near Tanic on the floor of the hangar, prompting him holster the pistol and bring his lightsaber to bear. He deflected a few shots before jumping onto the stairs himself. However, another bolt burst near him, causing him to step back.

As the guards moved down, Galder made sure they went no further than the stairs before him. He became a blur as he twirled his lightsaber around expertly, slashing down another two, then cleaving a third in half. He flicked his blade upwards as the three fell, slashing the throat of another before pressing home another twirling attack, cutting down two more.

Much to his annoyance, Tanic and Gallador jumped up another section of the spiraling staircase and cut down one guard each as they landed, just above him. Gallador let out an inhuman cry and Galder felt a surge of hatred flow from his black-robed form, the hatred growing as another chunk of railing was removed rather than a guard’s head.

Adopting a smug grin, Galder outdid them both, leaping up two sections to land above them. He planted his feet on the railing, then flipped forwards, cutting through the chests of two guards with ease.

Suddenly, the hangar began to heat up, and the smooth solid stone walls began to crumble away into volcanic rock. Trees shot up in various places, and the stairs became various rocks. Galder did not even notice the change, his combat sense allowing him to adapt to the situation immediately. Gallador and Tanic had vanished, disappearing from his sight and his senses, and all he could focus on were the eight Red Lance pirates standing before him.

Just as suddenly as the surroundings had changed, he heard Kuylen’s voice from above. "Galder!" he called down from high above. "Make sure none of Pelloran's men escape down to the lower levels. And look out for Hade!"

“Yes, Master...” Galder twirled his red lightsaber to his right hand and reached for the lightsaber at his belt with his left arm, which had lost its metallic qualities and had resumed to be flesh. He activated the green blade of his father’s lightsaber, and moved forwards with a great bound upwards. As he approached, a blaster bolt whisked by his head. He ignored, and proceeded with cutting down two of the pirates with sweeps of his two lightsabers, killing a third with a jab from the red blade, a fourth with a jab from the green blade, then a fifth and sixth with another vivid display of sweeping blows.

A bolt clipped his shoulder as two pirate taskmasters appeared with two more pirates flanking them, opening fire with large rifles. Galder finished off the last two pirates on the rock with him, cleaving both in two before leaping up to meet the taskmasters and the other two lackeys. Another seven pirates rushed up behind them to assist in their attempts to gun down the invincible Galder Starkiller.

“Fight, Galder, fight!” Kuylen urged from somewhere above. “For soon you will die...”

"No, Kuylen!" Galder shouted with great anger. "I will be victorious! I will destroy these fools! I will destroy the Red Lance...the Serpent!"

The pirate taskmasters panicked as he closed on them, swishing about his lightsabers with the familiar hum and whir. They took shots, one managing to clip Galder‘s shoulder again, but Galder spun clockwise and cut their weapons in two, then spun counterclockwise and cut them in two. He then approached the nine pirates behind them. Having just watched their captains die, they gave no real opposition. One, two, three, four heads rolled. One, two, three, four, five men fell back dead with severe wounds to their upper torsos.

Hade himself appeared on the mountain above him, giving Galder a chance to recognize his location as the volcano on Jaglon Beta...but no, it was not Jaglon Beta, nor was it Hade. It was actually Bora Lantarnan, placing his finger on the trigger of an enormous plasma discharger, standing atop the stairway. The lava and the volcano melted away to reveal the stairs, the green tinge disappearing from Galder’s blue lightsaber. Gallador and Tanic appeared at his side, the former raving mad with hatred, the latter wearing a mask of sheer terror. Both had various burns on their outfits from near misses.

"Pork-chop sandwiches!" Galder shouted in surprise. "Tanic, Gallador! Take him down!"

Bora fired the plasma discharger and a beam of purple energy shot forth. It struck a portion of the stairs, disintegrating them in a fiery violet blast and throwing Gallador off the stairs. The Dark Jedi tossed off his outer robes after landing on his feet, which had been set ablaze by the plasma blast. He then leaped back up various portions of the stairs.

Galder assessed the situation. Twenty-one guards were scattered about the stairs, with the guard leader leading them. A dozen of Bora’s finest bodyguards were behind them, led by a man whom Galder recognized as Captain Zahor, from certain chats he had had previous to the fight. Bora himself was at the top of the stairs, still aiming the discharger.

“Come to your deaths!” Galder shouted, enraged. He brought his blades about, cutting down another two guards. “I will destroy you all!”

As Gallador landed back on the stairs, Bora took another shot with the discharger. Another violet blast of intense heat vaporized the section of stairs immediately behind Galder and in front of Gallador and Tanic. He eliminated five of the guards in the process of scorching the three Dark Jedi, their bodies disappearing in the explosion.

“Kill them!” Bora ordered, seeing that his plasma shots were not bringing his enemies any closer to their deaths. Captain Zahor tried to shoot, but Gallador used the Force briefly to throw off his concentration with illusions of random flashing lights and booming sounds, so his shots went through steps of the stairs instead of his targets. However, Gallador and Tanic were having difficulties with defending themselves from the intense volleys of fire, Tanic taking a hit to the shoulder and Gallador to the shin.

Galder noticed that they had various other wounds from the gunfire, which he had not seen. Must have taken injuries during my hallucination...those pansies...

Bora fired his plasma discharger again, but this time they were fortunate; the shot went wide and sailed into a loading speeder near the stairs, melting it.

During the volleys, while Gallador and Tanic took various hits and near misses, Galder’s lightsabers were blurring bars of light as he gyrated them quickly, deflecting incoming fire. He gave a shout of defiance as Tanic, acting out of fear, cut across the chest of the guard leader, injuring him. Unsatisfied with Tanic’s mere injuring blow, Galder moved up and lashed out, cutting down the guard leader and a guard near him with one swing of his red blade, then stabbed two more guards with his blue. Gallador spun over and up on the rails and killed another two guards, while Tanic jabbed upwards through the steps and severed the feet of two as well.

Bora fired again, missing miserably and charring the stone floor of the hangar. However, Tanic took another hit from the crossfire; he was in bad shape, with two direct wounds and various burns from shots that had clipped him. Whatever he was fearing was merely hindering his focus.

Galder, however, felt his anger giving him strength. He brought out his blades horizontally, killing two guards, their bodies falling limply over the railings.

Tanic and Gallador made short work of the remaining five guards. In a burst of speed, fueled by his great hatred, Gallador whirled about gracefully to thrust three times, killing three guards. Tanic’s unfocused fear caused his blows to be less than graceful, but just enough to hack two guards in half.

Bora’s bodyguard, the bodyguard’s captain, and Bora himself were all that remained.

Two bodyguards sprayed a volley of bolts at Galder, but he strafed and deflected expertly, just as the plasma discharger blew away another section of the stairwell and scorched Gallador’s hate-contorted face. The gray-skinned Dark Jedi was clipped on the lower arm by Captain Zahor, his eyes shining with a bright fury. He rushed towards the captain and swung, the captain narrowly avoiding the loss of his arm. The dark purple lightsaber cut through another handrail.

Tanic fear was getting the best of him, and he moved lower down the stairs, rather than higher, where Gallador and Galder were headed.