Star Wars

Kill Mason Kell

Chapters

Mason Kell

The Legend of the Black Hand

Troubled Mind

Massacre

Love at First Sight

Change of Heart

Secret Revealed

Escape

On The Run

Friend or Foe

Confessions of a Sith

The Republic Strikes Back

The Wrath of Lord Kavos

A New Life

Friendship

Heartache

Dark Rage

Enlightenment

The Jedi and the Sith

Champions of Justice

Fall of an Empire

Jedi Master Mason Kell

Epilogue

The Brotherhood of Darkness

Persona

Mason Kell (AKA The Black Hand human-Sith Knight/Turned Jedi)

Siella Novel (Human Republic Citizen/Mason Kell's love interest)

Gallad Fess (Jedi Master-Human)

Lord Kovas (Human High Sith Lord/Reigning Emperor of the Sith Empire)

Admiral Dawenn Ti'sin (Falleen Male Supreme Commander of the Republic Fleet)

Argok the Hutt (Crime Lord/Sith Enforcer for the Trayus Academy)

Desson Cy (Human Sith Apprentice)

Shardell (Female Falleen/Last surviving sith)

Sarad (Only child of High Lord Kovas and Lady Desella

I was going for kill bill type star wars story bloody and vengeful anyway enjoy the read and as always I would like some reviewsChapter 1. Mason Kell

His name was Mason Kell and he was born in the sith empire. Early on his parents recognized his force talent and tried to hide him from the sith, but when the current sith regime was trying to fill it's ranks with as many Dark Siders as possible such a thing was impossible. Mason was seven years old when they came for him, his parents were murdered before his eyes to inflame his hate, anger, and rage. He was taken to the Mariluka sith Academy the one built by Darth Caos and Darth Shenron.

Mason immediately became a favorite of the sith masters, they drilled the sith code and sith philosophy into his skull. They nurtured his passions and his hatred against the Jedi. His skills and prowess with a blade became legendary among the students of the academy. His power over the dark side grew by leaps and bounds. During an intense training session away from the academy, Mason killed his master and the five other apprentices he was studying with. He was punished severely and placed in solitary confinement for the next six months.

When Mason was released he was taken to the sith thrown world of Vash where Lord Kovas and the other masters took up his training. Some began to whisper that he was the legendary Sithari of prophecy, but he personally put no stock in prophecies. Under the tutelage of the sith lords Mason became known as the black hand.

Now nineteen years old from the planet Sathros, he was ready for battle and the war. His hair was black, his eyes was green but at the moment they were yellow. The color of someone deeply rooted in the dark side of the force. He was six feet tall and had a slender build like a runner. Mason was clean shaven and he wore a heavy black leather robe with black blaster armor covering his chest. His knee high boots were fresh off the shelves of the quartermaster. Mason had his curved handled lightsaber since he built it at the age of eleven. He was also armed with two curved vibro-swords crossing his back.

His face was set like stone as he looked around the drop ship at the sith commandoes with him. Some of them hardened veterans, while the others were fresh from the training camps on Yavin Two.

The sith empire was winning the war and now they were taking their first republic world. The world of Onderon was under siege and both the Onderon defense fleet and the republic fleet division had been defeated. Now the invasion forces would set down on the planet surface and take the city of Isis. Mason could feel the Jedi down on the surface, someone was using the legendary force technique known as battle meditation to influence the battle, but that didn't matter Lord Kovas was leading the battle and his skill with battle meditation was just as good as any Jedi if not greater.

"Remember your training…" Mason ignored the words of the sith Master in command of this assault force. He wished he was fighting along side Master Xar'lem a Devarian. The sith master was one of the sith masters who took up his training when he went to Vash. They worked well together. "The force is with us… This planet is ours!"

As they shouted the drop ship was buffeted by turbulence all ships experienced when entering the atmosphere of a planet. Mason was about to unbuckle his restraints when his force senses told him not too. He could feel the approach of the ground to air missile, the ship was under cloak, but somehow the missile was able to track and lock on to the ship. Mason gasped as he realized that the missile was being guided by the force via a Jedi.

He ignored the sith master ordering him to get ready and when the master grabbed him in the force he broke the hold and threw him across the floor of the drop ship. A few of the apprentices took the hint and quickly got back in their restraints. As some of the soldiers followed suit the ship was hit broadside. The explosion tore a hole in the side of the ship and sent several dozen troops tumbling through the atmosphere. While others died in the explosion, Mason and two other apprentices had the sense to throw up a force barrier for protection.

Mason survived the crash along with eight others; two apprentices and six commandoes. Mason's eardrum had burst and he had dislocated a finger. He would have been in worse condition if he had not put up the force barrier. The transport carried two brigades, fifteen apprentices, and one master. Mason crawled out of the wreckage and stretched, feeding off the pain of his injuries.

"I sense a strike force not to far from her… maybe a mile and a half…" These words came from a Falleen apprentice named Shardell.

He looked at her, ignoring the pheromones emanating from her body. "I sense it as well, but they are under attack… we will have to hurry if we wish to save them…"

"What do we do now…" A soldier asked joining the two sith. Mason and Shardell looked at each other trying to decide whether or not to kill him. They decided not too with a glance after all the Sith admired strength and it took a lot of steel to question the sith even if they were just apprentices. "We are sith… We adapt and survive…" Mason said. "Listen up there is an entire brigade about a mile and a half from us, but they are under attack… we are going to help…"

Mason pointed at the soldier who questioned them, "You assume command of those men. Salvage what you can from the transport we move out in ten minutes…"

He saluted, "Yes sir…" It took less than ten minutes to salvage grenades, thermo detonators, mouse droids, med packs, and three hover sleds. When they were ready Mason, Shardell, the sith apprentice Qwar a Rodian male, and the six remaining commandoes headed northeast.

The sith force of three hundred troops were trapped against the side of a mountain. The only thing keeping them in the fight was their shield generators and they were taking a pounding from the air and land. The sith force was outnumbered three to one as they were hit from the air by beast riders on their draxyl. On the ground hover tanks, battle droids, and republic commandoes pounded the sith.

Mason and his small band knelt on a ridge overlooking the battle as it unfolded.

"I sense Jedi…" Mason said.

"So do I…" Shardell replied.

["They are in the air as well…"] Qwar said. ["…I sense at least one in the air on those Draxyl… A master…"]

"Right…" He turned to Shardell. "Shardell shield us from the Jedi… If we can sense them then they can sense us…" Shardell had the unique ability to scramble the senses of other force users. "Right Tymen have four of your men take up sniper positions, but stay mobile… Then have Victor take his plasma launcher and take down those tanks… Qwar you and Shardell stay on the ground and flank them from behind… Go for the Jedi first… I will take down the air riders…"

"Don't attack until we signal you…" Shardell said.

["Yes and tell the snipers to take out the officers from highest rank and work their way down…"] Qwar said.

The group broke up leaving Mason alone he used his force cloak to hide in plain sight. The technique involved bending the light around the body to become invisible. Once he was hidden Mason stretched out with his mind and took control of one of the draxyl in the air. The creature ignored its rider and swooped down to the cliff. As it passed by Mason jumped on its back and killed the rider with his left vibro-sword. As the creature rose into the air Mason became visible and that is when the Jedi along with seven other riders charged him. He sheathed his sword and extended his hands unleashing a storm of force lightening on the draxyls. The creatures and their riders screamed in pain as they were cooked alive by the torrent of power. The Jedi was able to protect himself but his draxyl died and plummeted out of the sky. The Jedi used the air around him as he leapt out of the saddle and flew towards Mason. Mason ignited his lightsaber and as they passed each other Mason decapitated the Jedi. He grinned at his first kill against a Jedi. The right of passage for any sith is taking the life of their eternal enemies the Jedi. He couldn't celebrate long he still had the beast riders to tend with. He switched off his lightsaber and unsheathed both his swords. The first draxyl that fell lost its left wing to Mason. The second and third were stabbed in the hearts when Mason threw both blades into their chests. He used force lightening on the rest then he began dropping thermal detonators on the republic forces.

Qwar was dead, killed by a Jedi Master wielding two lightsabers and Shardell was doing her best against the Jedi. She was holding her own when it came to lightsaber combat, but the Jedi's force abilities were far beyond her own. The only reason she wasn't dead is because of the Jedi's self delusions of the force to be used for knowledge and defense. If she had the power Shardell thought to herself she would have ended this fight long ago. She tried to force push him, but her attack just faded against his barrier. The master Jedi wrenched her lightsaber from her hand and kicked her in the throat. Shardell fell backwards gagging and coughing, she looked up as the Jedi stood over her pointing his sabers into her face. He raised the right to strike, but Mason swooped down on his Draxyl. The Jedi ducked and as he did Shardell summoned her saber to her hand and cut the masters hands off. She leapt off her back and jumped into the air decapitating the Jedi Master. She saluted Mason who remained in the air giving air cover for the sith.

The battle lasted another hour and it was over. The fight ended with Mason using force lightening on the remaining republic soldiers.

"That was a good fight…" Shardell said as Mason walked pass her.

"Who is in charge here?" Mason barked.

"I am…" A human man yelled with the rank of colonel. "Colonel Wekins of the One nineteen…"

"What was your mission…" Mason asked as the rest of his group joined the gathered sith.

"We were to take the west gate, but then we were ambushed…"

"Our unit was shot down we were to go after the city generator…"

"I recommend that we go back to forward command or we contact them for further instructions…"

Mason shook his head, "I would rather carry on with our missions…"

"Begging your pardon my lord, but the sith are getting pounded on all fronts on this planet… Now I say…"

"I say we carry on… Knowing Lord Kovas the way I do he will want to keep fighting…"

"But…"

The words stopped in his mouth as Mason force choked him, when he went to his knees Mason released him. "I am ordering you colonel to carry on with the mission…" Despite his rank sith force users could issue commands to military personnel no matter what their rank. They were even obliged to obey sithlings.

He kept his eyes to the ground, "Can I at least contact command…"

"No we need to maintain com silence… Now move out!"

Forward Command Position:

Ten miles from the main entrance to the city of Isis:

Hundreds of sith lords and high ranking military commanders stood at attention as the personal drop ship of the Emperor and High Sith Lord Kovas Naison landed in a large clearing. As he descended the ramp he was flanked by his apprentice Cell, his wife and second in command Desella Naison. Many of the sith referred to her as the dark lady. Both of them were the pinnacles of power and strength for the sith. Kovas was of the order of Darth Shenron and Desella was of the order of Darth Kraven who was once a Jedi named Ynarr Ki Lazz. The two orders had been at war but Kovas and Desella fell in love and she killed her master, father, and lord of the sith academy on Yavin Four. Kovas overthrew his former master in an epic duel.

"Welcome to Onderon high lord…" This greeting came from Sith Master Kaban.

"Your welcome may be short one Master Kaban… especially if we can't capture this planet within the next three hours…"

"Our scout drones report a second Republic fleet gathering near Orus Prime…" Lady Desella said. "…This may have been a trap but we can still pull a victory…"

"My lord if we pull Harpy fleet from Geonosis we can hold the system no matter what the republic sends against us…"

"I am not going to start cannibalizing my territory fleets Master Choar… We need to hold the systems we have taken…"

They all gathered around the holo-map, "The fleet won't be able to hold the system if we can't take the planet…"

"Yes we need to be in control of the planet within the next three hours…" Kovas looked at his underlings, "…We are sith and there will be no retreat! Now give me the position of all ground units and have them report in…"

As the com officer carried out Kovas' orders Master Xar'lem stepped forward. "There is no response from the one nineteen or Master Murk's assault force…" The com officer said.

"The shuttle was shot down…" Byngall, Kovas' apprentice said. When he said this Desella smiled, because she hated Mason Kell.

"Young Mason is not dead… He is alive and so is Shardell…"

"If they live then why don't they respond…" Desella asked in anger.

"Young Mason will not fail us… he will finish the mission…"

Kovas looked at Xar'lem, "You place a lot of faith in the young apprentice…"

"We trained him my lord… He will find a way or die in the attempt…"

"Reinforce all forward positions… We will wait and see what young Mason does…" Kovas entered his battle meditation after observing the battle field.

Mason's forces were in position and ready to attack the west gate, but before giving the order he overlooked the holo-map. All forward positions were receiving reinforcements except for his because they were under com silence. Sensing the Jedi Mason ordered his troops to remain hidden until he gave the signal. Mason broke out into a run as he used his force cloak. When he neared the wall he ran up the side of the one hundred foot wall and leapt. As he was coming down he became visible igniting his saber he cut a soldier in half, then he force pushed thirteen republic commandoes off the wall five lightsabers sprang to life, three in front and two behind.

"He is just a sith apprentice… I can handle him alone…" A female Twi'lek arrogantly said.

"No wait…" The ranking Jedi cried but it was too late. Mason grabbed her in the force and crushed every bone in her body.

"Like all Jedi your arrogance blinds you…" Mason said.

"We must fight together…" The lead Jedi barked. They all charged Mason at the same time, but Mason unleashed a force wave that threw three of the four Jedi down. One of the Jedi was thrown over the side of the wall, but he stabbed his lightsaber into the wall and held on. The other two hit the floor of the wall precipice. The lead Jedi was strong enough to withstand the wave, he attacked with an overhead strike. Mason blocked, parried, and twirled his blade from side to side, switching from one form to the next. He kicked the Jedi in the chest, but he went into a role and came up on his knees. Mason managed to wrench his opponent's lightsaber from his hand, he was about to finish the Jedi off, but the third Jedi a human male tried to attack him from behind with a drop kick. Mason sensed his attack, fell to his back sticking his leg up, and caught the man in between his legs. He jumped off his back onto his legs just as the lead Jedi had summoned his lightsaber to his hand.

He force pushed Mason into the female Gun gun, who was behind him. Mason rolled onto his back and came up on his knees, stabbing his saber back up over his head. He spun around up onto his feet grabbing the Gun gun by her collar and throwing her off the wall. The forth Jedi attacked, but Mason bent forward at the waist and cut the Jedi in half at his waist. He spun around for the third time to face the two remaining Jedi, his fighting stance had his left pointed out and his sword hand holding the energy blade backwards and away from his body.

"Your skill is impressive sith… If only you would apply that power to the light of the force…"

"The dark side is greater than you know fool… Join us or face oblivion…" Mason arrogantly replied.

"There is no death… there is only the force…" He replied reciting the last lines of the Jedi Code.

The lead Jedi stood strait and tall holding his blade close to his body, the other Jedi mimicked his leader's move. Mason sneered at the both of them and cut them down. When his blade struck all that was left of both Jedi was their clothes. Mason switched off his lightsaber, extended both his hands to the sides of the wall electrifying the precipice and killing all the soldiers manning the wall guns.

"Colonel it is time to attack…" Mason said into his wrist com. He leapt off the wall and used the force to rip the gates off their track. The sith commandoes stood in awe of the display of power.

"My lord… I have been monitoring transmissions… Lord Kovas has sent out reinforcements to all forward positions, but ours…"

"Probably because they don't know where we are…" Shardell said.

"What is your point colonel?"

"My point is that if we let command know where we are they will send us some support…"

It happened so fast all Commander Tymen saw was the colonel's head fall to the ground and Mason hooking his saber to his belt. "I hate whiners… Tymen you are in command now…"

He saluted, "Yes sir…"

"Set fire to these buildings and streets I want to force the republic troops into a bottle neck when they retaliate…"

"Yes sir…"

As Tymen carried out Mason's orders he turned his attention to Shardell, "Don't you have a shield generator to tale down…"

"Yes…" she signaled her assault force, but stopped to look back at Mason, "You will make a fine sith lord…"

He nodded to her as she left the west entrance for the power generator. Mason's plan was to make a bloody stand at the west gate so that the Jedi would have to refocus their defenses. If he could get them to redirect enough of their troops that will give the other fronts the momentum they need to push forward. Setting fire to certain buildings would allow him to do just that and the smoke would hinder any air support from the beast riders.

In the first counterattack on Mason's position the republic lost over half the force sent against the sith. Mason lost fifteen men to the blaster battle, he had taken the front lines against the republic onderon commandoes and killed two hundred and thirteen men using his vibro-swords. He sat on a turned over hover tank cleaning his swords as the sith soldiers came up and saluted him.

"What is the story Commander…" He asked sheathing his blades.

"Three wounded and fifteen dead… Med droids are tending to the wounded… COM is picking a tank unit heading this way along with some thirty Onderonian walkers…"

"I want you to have the field techs gather all the shield generators we have and hook them up together… everything commander from the personal shield generators to the hover sled shields… layer the shields on top of one another…"

"I obey my lord, but if I may ask why don't we advance…"

"I have my reasons commander… One of them being is that we are facing Jedi in this battle and the best offence is a good defence… I want the republic to come to us…" Ten minutes later Mason's forces were fighting again and it was his over lapping shield that kept them in the battle against the hover tanks and walkers. Within forty minutes they had scrapped over fifty hover tanks and twenty walkers.

Palace of Isis War Room:

The King of Onderon was in the war room with his military commanders, Republic commanders, and the five Jedi Masters watching the ground holo-maps of the battle as it unfolded. The king zoomed in on the west gate.

"The west gate has been breached master Jedi and the tank units you sent to retake the gate have been decimated…"

"Confirmed sir…" The COM officer said. "…No survivors."

The Master Jedi was a female Barabel, she looked at the senior Jedi on their mission. A human by the name of Gallad Fess, was deep in his battle meditation influencing the battle.

She sighed, "Right then…" She looked at Master Dou'xam a male Ikotchi, "…Master Dou'xam would lead a team of Jedi Knightz and commandoez to retake the west gate…"

"By the force those sith will die or we will…"

"Lets hope they die Master Jedi…" The King said.

The gathered leaders watched the holo-map as within thirty minutes Master Dou'xam and his team engaged the sith forces, at first the batlle was in favor of Dou'xam and his men, but things changed when a sith apprentice joined the fight. The Jedi was spread throughout the fight at the front of the battle so they weren't able to help each other. Dou'xam was the first to fall to the sith's lightsaber, ten minutes later a second Jedi fell to his force lightening. The last two Jedi fought together but eventually the sith apprentice stabbed one and decapitated another. Master Dou'xam's forces were still fighting, but they were slowly being pushed back towards the city.

"This sith is strong… he haz killed Master Dou'xam…"

"I am rerouting more troops to the west gate…" General Othman said.

"Look the sith are pulling back to the gate…"

They watched as the reinforcements arrived and with what remained of Dou'xam's forces they attacked the sith. Many sith fell, but in the end it was the sith that held their position at the gate.

"If this keeps up they will storm the city and we need the reserves to hold the palace." The King declared.

"Thiz one will take down this grunt…" That is when the city generator was blown up.

"THE GENERATOR HAS BEEN BREACHED!" Someone yelled over the com then there was static as the emergency generators came on.

The sith empire was burning and falling apart the high sith lord was battling two force users. With lightening speed the warrior dressed in black decapitated the high sith lord. The first man removed his hood and underneath was Gallad Fess. He looked at himself and smiled as the first man removed his hood. It was a young man with a saddened look on his face. He removed his sith robes to put on the robes of a Jedi Master. Then both Mason Kell and Gallad Fess looked at Gallad and pointed. When Gallad turned to look, he saw the west gate of Isis palace.

Sardell the Barabel Master was about to leave when the gentle hand of Master Gallad touched her on the soldier. He was still using his battle meditation as he walked around the room. "Do not go I will take care of this sith… His power is like nothing I ever sensed before…"

"Thiz one should accompany you…"

"No Master Sardell… You should stay here and help protect the king… I will return shortly…" As Gallan left the war room, he went over the visions he had just seen in his mind. The force was telling him to go to the west gate.

"My lord I sense that young Kell is in danger…" Xar'lem said walking up to him.

"Go if you must…" Twenty minutes after he left Kovas received a vision of Xar'lem dying and he decided to go as well.

Because of Mason's efforts the tide of the battle was slowly changing despite the fact that Gallad was still using his battle meditation. They had routed the Republic/Onderon forces for the fifth time when Shardell returned.

"Mission accomplished, but my entire squad was killed and I lost my lightsaber…"

Mason reached under his robe and removed one of the Jedi's lightsabers. "Here use this until you can build a new one…"

She gasped when she saw all the lightsabers hanging from his belt, "You have been busy…"

"Yes and now I need you to take these men and head for the east gate…" There were flames raging all around them.

"What about you?"

"I will be fine…"

Mason started pacing back and forth allowing his rage, blood lust, anger, and hatred to build. He was about to face a Jedi Master and not just any master. The legendary Gallad Fess who single handedly destroyed the academy on Dathomir. As Fess rounded the corner Mason extended both his hands and threw force lightening at the Jedi Master but he blocked it with his hands.

"Come to join your comrades in death Jedi..." Mason arrogantly said.

Gallad smiled; "I don't think the force means for either of us to die this day…"

"Oh you are wrong Master Jedi… One of us will die today…"

Mason ignited his lightsaber and charged Gallad who blocked low then high to the right. He spun around and parried with a high thrust, but Mason caught the attack with his blade pushing his opponents blade in a circle. After the third circuit Mason ducked and tried to gut Gallan, but he jumped into the air and flipped over Mason's head. They both tucked their sabers underneath their arms at the same time in an attempt to stab each other in the back, but their blades just glanced off each other. Mason and Gallan spun around at the same time swinging high at each other with one hand. Their blades locked and they threw out their free hands at each other using the force to push against one another. Mason gritted his teeth as with all his might he pushed in the force against the older Jedi.

"You are strong little sith… Imagine how much stronger you would be if you let go of your anger and hatred…"

With one hand Mason force pushed Gallad who was thrown eleven feet through a glass window into a burning building. He grabbed the building in the force and tore it down. Gallad was still alive because he phased his body and the falling debris passed through him.

"If you are going to fight Jedi… Then do so… Don't try and confuse me with your twisted words… True power of the force lies in the dark side…"

Gallad threw his hands out to the sides and sent the debris in all directions. "You carry a pain thrust onto you by the sith… You don't have to walk that path…"

Mason let out a cry and leapt from where he was standing to Gallad. Their swords met in mid air and that is when things started to change for Mason, he could no longer summon the force, his ability to hold onto his power suddenly dropped. Gallad smiled as Mason tried to throw lightening.

"What have you done to me…" Gallad wrenched his saber from his hand and swept Mason's legs from under him. When Mason looked up Gallad was pointing the blue energy blade of his lightsaber into his face. "Go ahead and finish it…"

"Bold words, but as I said the force does not mean for either of us to die today…"

They stared at each other for a few minutes then Gallad felt the approach of a sith lord. "Master Xar'lem we meet again…"

"Yes, we do…" The Devarian sith turned his attention to Mason, "Are you alright young Mason…"

"I am fine Master…"

"I had no intention of killing him… I was merely showing him the error of his ways… You are another story… I vowed you would pay for the death of Master Pavwu and pay you shall…"

"If only that fool could see you now and the kind of Jedi you have become… Strike me down with your hatred for that is the only thing that will stop me…"

Mason tried to help but he still could not access his dark side power; it felt as if he had been drugged with a neural toxin. He couldn't focus no matter what he tried.

He watched as his mentor faced the famous Jedi wielding a double edge lightsaber, which he turned into two weapons after nine moves. Gallad blocked right, stepped inside as Xar'lem attacked with his left. Gallad grabbed his left arm and head butted the Devarian. Not very smart Mason thought to himself, but Gallad had used the force in conjunction with his move. As Xar'lem stumbled backwards Gallad did a spin kick hitting Xar'lem in the face, but he spun to the ground and threw his left sword at Gallad. He rolled forward as the weapon spun towards him and stuck his saber up cutting the weapon in half. Now Xar'lem had only one and after fifteen moves he disarmed Gallad, but Gallad force punched Xar'lem in the gut then in the face. The blow took Xar'lem off his feet and onto his back, as he slid across the ground Xar'lem threw force lightening at Gallad who blocked it with his hands. With just a look Gallad ignited his lightsaber and sent it flying through the air.

"Master look out!" Mason yelled, but it was too late. The spinning saber severed both Xar'lem's hands in between the elbow and wrist. When the weapon returned to his hand, Gallad leapt at Xar'lem stabbing him in the chest.

"For you Master Pavu…" Gallad whispered to himself.

It was like his parents all over again only this time a Jedi killed his mentor and friend if such a word existed in the sith. Mason's emotions began to over boil, his rage erupted into an inferno that could not be contained by Gallad's force technique. He unleashed it in a shout that shattered Gallad's hold over him. The eruption of power threw Gallad nineteen feet from where he was standing; it also tore down buildings and ripped up the ground.

"By the force…" Gallad said as he recovered from the eruption of power. Large portions of the west wall were missing and an entire acre of ground was torn apart where trees use to stand. It had taken all his might to protect himself from the blast and Gallad Fess was too weak to keep fighting with the force. He would have to use his lightsaber, but he felt and saw the approach of High Lord Kovas. He wasn't alone so Gallad retreated.

When Lord Kovas arrived he and the others with him admired the destruction surrounding Mason as he knelt beside Master Xar'lem. He walked up to Mason and placed a hand on his shoulder; Kovas cringed at the power emanating from the boy.

"An honor guard for Lord Xar'lem…"

"I shall carry him…" Mason said.

"Master Gallad!" Sardell exclaimed in excitement, "I am glad you are still live… When we felt that surge of power…"

"I live to fight another day… And I think it is time we make use of that old saying He who runs and all…"

"You aren't saying that we should retreat…" King Thadimar asked.

Gallad took a seat, "Yes that is exactly what I am saying…"

"But…"

One of his generals cut him off; "Your majesty… I don't like it either, but the sith are inside the city and making their way to the palace…"

"What about the reserve fleet…"

"By the time they get here the sith will have taken the planet… the fleet is useless unless we can hold the planet…" Gallad said.

"And then the beast riders have suffered heavy losses…" Another Jedi said speaking up.

King Thadimar hung his head low as he said; " Evacuate as many people as possible and make sure my family gets to safety… I will stay…"

"But your majesty…" The general objected.

"I am still king of Onderon and those are my orders…"

His commanders saluted and then they left the war room. Gallad stepped forward, "The sith will execute you if you stay here…"

"Perhaps…" He replied reaching into his robe, "…Give this to my son he is king of Onderon now."

Gallad gave King Thadimar a big hug then he joined the rest of the Jedi in their retreat from Onderon.

The Royal Palace of Isis – Now under sith occupation:

The entire planet was under control of the sith and the sith lords and masters were gathered together in the thrown room to celebrate. The crowd parted as High Lord Kovas entered the thrown room with his wife and apprentice.

"HAIL HIGH LORD KOVAS!" Shouted all the sith at once.

He raised one hand, "Today Onderon is ours, soon the galaxy will rest in our clutches…"

"Long live the sith!" Someone shouted.

"Today's victory is due to the bravery and ingenuity of three very promising sith apprentices… Let Apprentices Mason Kell, Shardell Vin, and Dessan Cy come forward…" The crowd parted as the three sith came forward with Shardell standing in the middle. Lord Kovas accepted a robe from his apprentice and waved Cy forward. "Dessan Cy here… took command of the two oh five and lead them into the jungle against the beast riders in their own territory… Because of his efforts the beast riders could not rally support for Isis…" As the sith clapped Cy removed his apprentices robe and accepted a dark knights robe from Kovas. "From this day forward you shall no longer be known as Dessan Cy sith apprentice… You shall be known as Dessan Cy sith knight…" Cy took a step back as Shardell came forward.

"Young Shardell here took joint command of the one nineteen with Mason Kell and together they took the west gate… It was Shardell who lead a group of fifty commandoes into the city… Her entire squad was lost but she killed four Jedi and over two hundred Republic commandoes to take down the city generator… From this day forward you shall be known as Lady Shardell of the sith…" again the gathered sith clapped as Shardell put on her new robe and stepped back. "Last but definitely not least… Mason Kell…" The gathered sith began chanting his name and as they did Desella whispered into Kavos' ear. He looked at her and sighed as the sith kept chanting.

When the chanting died down King Thadimar was brought forth at Kovas' request. "Sith spit…"

"King Thadimar… I will allow you to live… If you bow to me and swear allegiance to the sith. I will even allow you to keep your thrown…"

"That is a nice offer, but I am king of Onderon descendent of Freedon Nadd I bow to no one…"

"Ah the great and powerful Freedon Nadd… A noble sith lord… I am sure he would want you to live…"

"As long as my son lives there will be a king of Onderon…"

"Haven't you heard…" Desella said, "The sith are winning the war…"

Thadimar smiled; "Things change…"

"Last chance… Bow to me…" Thadimar held his head high and defiantly stared Kovas down. "I admire your strength… Mason kill him…"

Without hesitation Mason walked towards the front igniting his lightsaber and with one swing he decapitated Thadimar. After the body was taken away the gathered sith celebrated their victory.

Mason stood on the balcony overlooking the city remembering every word spoken to him by his mentor and friend Master Xar'lem.

"This is not the time for mourning nor is it the time to be alone…" Kovas said walking onto the balcony.

Mason bowed, "Lord Kovas…"

He raised his hand to stop him, "At the moment I am just a man who had a mutual friend in Xar'lem…"

"You always taught me that there are no friends in the sith…"

He smiled mischievously, "I did, but read behind the words… At times even a sith lord needs friends… and at the same time one must be on guard for betrayal… Xar'lem showed his loyalty to me time and time again… And it was Xar'lem who gave me a true understanding of what lightsaber combat is about…"

"And yet it wasn't enough…" Mason said with his hands on the rail.

Kovas leaned his hip on the rail, "Yes, it always comes back to that… No matter what you know there is always someone out there who knows more… Gallad Fess is as good as they come…"

"What do you know of him…"

Kovas stood up strait and tall, "Only what I here in legend… He killed my brother who was ten years my senior and he killed the last of the great Darths… Darth Shroud…"

"He will die at my hand…"

"You will need to reach your full potential before that happens…"

Mason looked at Kovas, "No disrespect my lord, but do you fear him?"

Kovas laughed in his booming voice as he patted his saber hooked to his belt. "Not so long as I have this…"

Mason looked at the legendary weapon eying it greedily, "How did you find it?" In a slow monotone voice like he was a holo-actor Kovas told him the tail of his weapon and how he acquired it. "Are the legends true? I mean is it alive…"

Kovas nodded, "In a way yes…"

"Your successor will have a hard time taking it from you…"

"When I feel the need no longer to rule I will hand over the rule of the empire to a worthy sith…"

Mason looked away, "I have no ambition to rule…"

"Well it will come with age… Time will fix that…"

"Not if your wife has something to do with it…"

Kovas smiled, "Desella's foresight is extraordinary… she believes you are dangerous and will be the cause of the empire's fall… She wants our child to inherit the thrown…"

"Isn't that the logic course of action…"

"Logic must give way to strength… The sith respect strength and covet it… If you were stronger than my son than I would support you… That is how my Master trained me…" They talked for another hour before Desella came and got her husband and as she left the balcony Desella gave Mason a venomous look. He joined the gathering and mingled as much as he could then he took a shuttle to the sith flag ship The Conqueror.

"Welcome back master…" Mason's personal valet and protocol droid was waiting when he entered his quarters. "I heard about your success in combat master… Congratulations…" The droid noticed his expression. "What is wrong master?"

"Master Xar'lem is dead…"

"I am sorry master I rather liked him… Even though he was not human…" Mason dropped down on the sofa. The droid saw his down attitude and said; "Well master you did tell me to remind you to upgrade my logic program…"

Mason smiled and got up, "Right I may as well get it over with…"

Mason had built ZR9 using force alchemy. And while the droid could speak five million languages and had a protocol program, but ZR9 had a hidden program and that was an assassin program. ZR9 could use both heavy weapons and blade weapons. The droid could also use lightsabers and it knew demolitions. Mason had built the droid at the age of fifteen and in private used it for lightsaber practice. It took Mason forty-five minutes to upgrade ZR9 and when he was done he dropped back on the sofa.

ZR9 analyzed Mason's body, "Master I had hoped that distraction would change your mental state…"

"So did I… I am going to shower… Unless they have the rank of sith master or above I do not wish to be disturbed…"

"Yes Master… Would you like a cup of caf or some Onderonian wine when you come out of the shower…"

"Wine… and chill it…" As ZR carried out his request Mason went to the sani-steam for a shower. He got undressed and watered his body down. An hour passed before he came out of the stand up shower. After drying himself off, Mason put on a black robe. When he entered the main room of his quarters Shardell was waiting for him wearing his other robe.

"For give me master but I thought some female company would take your mind off Master Xar'lem…"

"Z, remind me later to cross your wires…"

"Don't be cross with him… Your pain is felt by every sith in the empire… Master Xar'lem was a great sith lord…" They began fondling each other under their robes.

"Lord Kovas gave me command of the one nineteen…"

She kissed him on the neck and gently bit his ear, "I know…"

"I was wondering if you would be my second in command…"

She threw the robe off him and he tore her robe off, "We do work well together…"

"Yes we do…" He shoved her on the bed. "There is something in the force I always wanted to try…"

"Go for it…" She replied seductively.

He used his mind touching every nerve on her alien body and through the force he stimulated them. Shardell began to moan in pleasure as he caressed every part of her body through the force.

"Where in the galaxy did you learn that…"

He hunched his shoulders and jumped into the bed next to her, "Like I said it is something I always wanted to do…." They kissed each other passionately, vigorously, until one in the morning Onderon time.