Chapter 3

Power and fury... Kee-Xi sensed it rippling through the Force at every blow of Vader's lightsaber. The dark-clad Sith had none of the elegance or refinement that Dooku had possessed, that Kee-Xi himself sometimes showed in his dueling. It was raw overwhelming power, the Dark Side unleashed.

Vader was deceptively quick for his size, riposting Tyva's strikes while focusing upon Kee-Xi. An expert at Makashi and Niman, Kee-Xi nevertheless knew enough Soresu to endure the pounding, focusing upon his foe and keeping his lightsaber's movements short and swift, blocking every furious blow.

Tyva slipped between them, unleashing the Djem So form that her passion preferred, aggressive and strong. But that meant pitting her power against the Sith's and Kee-Xi already knew that Vader was stronger in the Force than Tyva and perhaps even himself. He returned to Vader's attention with a few offensive Makashi attacks and began to again endure the onslaught of the powerful Sith.

Tyva might have come to his aid, but her attention was drawn by the troops who now came out of the Lightrunner. Switching to the anti-blaster Shien copy of her dueling form, she deflected the bolts back at her attackers expertly. She was aided moments later by Silas and Zeala, obeying their instructions to avoid Vader and slip into the ship from the other end of the landing bay. Their blue and purple lightsabers twisted and sliced through the clones, leaving them no opposition.

Silas noticed Gumi and knelt beside him, intent on taking the Mirialan into the ship. "No," Gumi said weakly, resisting and almost dead.

"We can heal you," Silas insisted. "Come on." Try as he might, he couldn't pick Gumi up. Not without Gumi's help, and he was in no position to give it.

"I am gone, Silas," Gumi insisted. His breath was growing short. "Get into the ship and flee. You are... the last hope... of the Jedi..." There was a death rattle next and the stout man became still.

Tears coming to his eyes, Silas obeyed the slain man's request and followed Zeala into the Lightrunner.

With the Clonetroopers defeated Tyva returned her focus to Vader. The Sith Lord had battered Kee-Xi back toward the edge of the landing platform. If either fell a fatal drop to the ground below awaited, and if that was going to happen Tyva was going to see it was Vader who fell.

"I sense you have great power in the Force," Kee-Xi remarked. "And even for a Sith your heart has grown cold with darkness and rage." He stopped a blow and reached out with the Force to throw Vader back and give him some room. Vader resisted this, however, and their lightsabers became locked as their free hands stretched up, unseen power conflicting between them. "Who were you before the Dark Side so fully claimed you?"

Kee-Xi didn't get a chance at an answer, as Vader's power overcame his experience. Kee-Xi was thrown back and was still recovering when Vader's attempt to attack him was offset by Tyva, who charged in and unleashed a flurry of strikes against Vader. Determination hardened her features and exertion showed in the sweat on her still-lovely face. He felt her desperation to protect him and the others from Vader, her willingness to take Vader over the edge with her if it came to it. He knew she was ready to die for him.

And that was something he could not allow.

She seemed to be driving Vader back for a moment from the pure fury of her attack, but that was deceptive. Without warning the body of one of the fallen Clonetroopers smacked into her, throwing her off-balance. Vader reached through the Force and grabbed another of his fallen soldiers to toss at the Jedi Knight, throwing her closer to the edge.

Another clone body smacked into Vader a moment later and Kee-Xi was back on the attack afterward, using offensive maneuvers for several moments before returning to the defensive. This time he was more careful, not underestimating the strength of the Sith's fury, and yielded ground as he desired, pulling back toward the Lightrunner. He fed Vader's rage with feints and evasions, forcing the Sith to continue advancing on him, frustrating every attack. His intention was to then move away from it and give Tyva a clear path to the ship so that she might escape with their apprentices.

About that moment he knew Tyva had sensed his intentions to sacrifice himself to save her and the others. She knew now that Kee-Xi considered victory impossible; the Sith they were facing was too powerful for the both of them. That all he could do was keep Vader's attention long enough to buy them time to escape.

She charged, lightsaber flashing in the air, and slammed herself into Vader. Vader hadn't been ready for such a bold, vigorous attack and was knocked over. Tyva motioned with her hand and at one of the docking bay lights, pulling with the Force until it began falling toward Vader. He reached up and took it with the Force as well. Tyva fought him for control of the object.

"Go, Kee-Xi," Tyva said as the light fell toward Vader and began to stop. "You must go!"

"You cannot fight him!"

"Neither can you, but one of us can still escape!", she shouted, desperate exertion on her face. "You are the Master, I am just a Knight! If the Order is to be reborn, it needs you!"

"I will not..."

A grunt of rage sounded in the air. Vader's arm stretched out and the light fixture flew toward them. Tyva reached out toward him with the hand still holding her lightsaber. It flew from her hand and struck Kee-Xi the same moment that the wave of her Force power struck, throwing him and the lightsaber up the ramp into the Lightrunner.

Under Vader's control the light fixture struck her. It threw her backward and landed on top of her waist. The power and mass of the fixture crushed her hips and pelvis. The agony was intense and drew a scream from Tyva. She was down.

But her determination and will could not be dissuaded. She reached out with her hand and her mind to grip the ramp control and pull it up. The ship's ramp entrance lifted and closed before Kee-Xi could leave it.

Her mind reached out to her apprentice. Zeala was already sitting in the cockpit. Good. Just as Tyva had instructed her to do. It is time, Zeala. I am lost and it is time for you to go.

Zeala had slipped into the pilot's seat first while Silas did a final quick check of the hyperdrive and everything else. As she sat there she felt Tyva's agony and her insistence. She felt her teacher's affection for her. Her desire to see Zeala grow into a skilled Jedi Knight. And she felt Tyva's knowledge of impending death. That nothing could be done to save her.

As Zeala's hand went to the ship controls to turn the engines on, tears began to stream down her eyes. Why was the word in her mind.

And at that she only sensed something peculiar from Tyva; calm and serenity. She was content, even perhaps a bit relieved. Go, sweet Zeala were the words that went through Zeala's mind, as if sent to her from Tyva, as she pulled the Lightrunner out of the atmosphere.

Suddenly air was stuck in Tyva's throat. A crushing force covered her neck and the Dark Side thundered around her. She sensed Vader's anger and looked up to see him looming over her. His hatred was suffocating, his rage terrifying...

As Tyva felt life painfully seep from her, her mind wandered back through her life. Her time as a youngling, as a Padawan, the death of her former Master Omis Kudu and the completion of her Padawan training under Kee-Xi just after he'd completed the Trials... Their time together in the Mid-Rim worlds...

The memories got more personal. Memories of long cold nights on barely hospitable worlds, only the warmth of each other to fight the chill. The forbidden intimacy they had fallen into, an intimacy that neither had ever renounced no matter what it had cost them.

She thought of the crying newborn that had been handed to her... and then there was nothing. The bones in her neck shattered in the grip of Vader's rage and she died almost instantly.

Vader's lightsaber turned off but his rage was not as easily extinguished, now directed at the quickly-disappearing dot in the sky.

By the time Silas and Kee-Xi got to the cockpit, Zeala was sobbing. "Zeala, please," Kee-Xi said, his face having grown pale. He knew that she had also sensed the sudden violence of Tyva's death. His stomach was still turning painfully at the thought of that loss, so personal among the many of his Jedi comrades to have died in these past bloody months.

Zeala stood and Silas took her into his arms, letting her cry onto his shoulder. He held her tightly as she did, wanting her to feel his support.

But this moment ended when Kee-Xi said, "A Star Destroyer is coming around the planet. Silas, begin calculations for our jump to lightspeed."

Zeala moved away, still crying, allowing Silas to reach for the navcomp. He began crunching data. "Where are we going, Master?"

"Anywhere, Silas, just get us out of here," Kee-Xi remarked. A moment later the ship shook. "They're firing light batteries at us and launching fighters. If our deflectors go down they can lock us into a tractor beam."

Silas nodded and looked back to the navcomputer. His mind raced as he tried to decide the best place to hide but he simply could not think of one. They all seemed too dangerous too consider.

At that moment of indecision, a voice came to Silas' head, one from memory or elsewhere (at least if it was elsewhere it would not surprise him). An old voice speaking to him as a youngling, reminding him "Indecision and doubt, dangerous they are to a Jedi. Trust your feelings you must. Through them the Force speaks to you."

Master Yoda's voice was the inspiration Silas needed at that moment. He let his feelings come to the forefront, he let them guide his fingers over the device as a course was punched in, a course... to nowhere he knew. A course dictated only by the Force itself through his hands. When the light showed it was completed, he said, "Course ready!"

Kee-Xi grabbed the hyperdrive control and pushed it forward. The stars elongated in the cockpit window and the jump to lightspeed was complete.

For a moment, the Jedi Master did not move. "Silas, please go make sure Diya is all right," he finally remarked.

Silas walked out with Zeala on his arm. Kee-Xi looked off into the vastness of hyperspace and, for the first time in a long time, allowed tears to flow from his eyes freely.

Silas led Zeala to a couch she could lay back upon. Losing Tyva had been a drain on her heart, he sensed, and what she needed now was rest. He sat beside her, holding her hand while she fell asleep.

For a time he just stood there, watching. A noise distracted him from this and he looked to see the floor of the hall pop up. The hand that emerged was clearly Diya's. With effort she pushed it enough to get through, after which she sat on the edge and looked toward him. "I felt the ship move, so I..." She saw the look on Silas' face and asked, "Where is everyone?"

"Master Kee-Xi is in the cockpit," Silas replied, "and this is Zeala."

"Where's Gumi?"

Silas bowed his head. "I'm afraid he was killed, Diya."

Diya's face fell. She slumped against the wall of the walkway and buried her face in her hands, beginning to weep.

From the other direction, Kee-Xi emerged from the hall leading to the cockpit. "Silas, what course did you enter?"

"I'm not sure, Master" Silas answered. "I let the Force guide me."

"Silas, I cannot disengage the hyperdrive to get our bearings," Kee-Xi revealed, returning to the pilot's seat to let his Padawan get to the computers. "The navigational computer's safety locks have activated."

"I... I don't understand." Silas sat down and began going through the navigational computer. "Something... something is not right, Master. According to the computer, our hyperdrive speed has reached... I never thought such a speed possible. We are going at a rating equivalent of point zero zero five past lightspeed."

"Could it be a computer error?"

"It could, Master, but if it isn't and we manually override the locks and try to disengage the hyperdrive, the stress of disengaging at this speed..."

"The stress would tear us apart," Kee-Xi finished for Silas. He sat in his chair, pondering. Through the Force he sensed that there was more to this than a computer glitch... but what?" "If that speed is right, we will be in intergalactic space within the hour..."

Silas looked back to the computer. "I'm projecting our course now, Master, using long-distance star charts..." After several seconds, he said, "If the speed is accurate, Master, and we continue on this course at this speed and with our current rate of fuel consumption, we will arrive at Galaxy LG-19 in seven weeks."

Kee-Xi turned away from his apprentice. He calmed his mind and tried to let his feelings come to the forefront, to reach out to the Force, to confirm the suspicions he held. His feelings told him to continue and accept what had happened, and by that confirming that his student's feelings were correct; that the hand of the Force had guided them to this... anomaly in hyperspace. "Go and rest, Silas," he said aloud. "We have a long flight ahead of us."

Ordinarily, the escape of the Lightrunner would have been accepted as an unavoidable failure on the part of Captain Doss and the Exactor. It was not their fault that the ship had made an abnormally and perhaps fatally swift jump to lightspeed, or that the smaller ship had maneuvered the planet in front of the Exactor.

But Vader was not in an ordinary mood. He was in a towering rage. And as a result, Captain Doss had gone to his death when coming to greet Vader. His remains - including a neck completely crushed by Vader's power - were now being prepared for disposal. His replacement had avoided Vader so far, a wise decision on his part.

In his cabin, Vader was resting and letting his anger simmer when the call came through that the Emperor was calling for him. Soon Palpatine appeared on Vader's large holonet projector, clad in his dark robes. "Lord Vader, Moff Kulihof has reported Jedi survivors in his Sector. I wish for you to go deal with them."

"There are still Jedi in this sector, my Emperor. I wish to continue pursuing them."

"Do not concern yourself with them, Lord Vader. They will be dealt with soon enough."

To hear that furthered Vader's anger. He had failed and now his master was forbidding him the chance to make good on that failure. But he had no other alternative at the moment. "Yes, my Master. I will proceed immediately."

"Excellent, Lord Vader. I look forward to seeing you return to Coruscant to continue your training." At that, Palpatine's image faded out.

As Vader gave the order for the new destination there was a brief moment when he considered the mental images that had come to Tyva Nos Sirt before her death. What she had revealed about her past, and Kee-Xi Laden's, had struck a chord in that part of Vader which remembered being Anakin Skywalker. Especially the part about having a child, when the wound of Padme's death and the death of their unborn baby remained.

But in the end all it did was remind him of what he had lost, and furthered the sensations of bitterness, rage, and loss in a soul that was growing increasingly dark and enthralled to the designs of Emperor Palpatine, the Dark Lord Sideous.

Only the Emperor's guards remained when the human male entered the Imperial presence. Wearing a dark cloak over his shoulders, with a hood for his head and the suit of one of the new Imperial Inquisitors, he knelt on a knee to Palpatine. "My Emperor, my teacher, what do you wish?"

"You have done well, student, in learning the ways of the Dark Side. And I sense," there was a grin on that withered old face, "that you desire the chance to prove yourself worthy of being my apprentice, and assuming the title of Sith Lord."

"Lord Vader was once mighty indeed, Majesty, but his injuries on Mustafar have left him weak. I will gladly do anything you wish to prove myself your proper apprentice."

"I know that well." Palpatine motioned for the student to stand. "Inquisitor Deig Mantas, you have earned the chance to prove yourself worthy of challenging Lord Vader for the right to be my apprentice. I have a mission for you."

"I shall do whatever you request, Majesty."

"A ship of Jedi left Lumin Prime on an unknown course. Lord Vader has other more pressing matters to concern him, so I shall leave the task of locating these Jedi to you. If you can defeat them, do so, but I wish to know where they are and what they are doing. That is your primary purpose, Mantas. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Majesty. I shall do as you ask."

"A infiltrator is being provided to you. Do not report back to me until the Jedi Master Kee-Xi Laden and any others with him have been found. And if you were to bring me proof of his death at your hand, it will go far into ensuring your place as my next apprentice."

Deig stood, his eyes glistening with pride. "I will not fail you, my Master. The Jedi will be found and eliminated."

"Then go," Palpatine ordered. Watching his student leave, he grinned wickedly. Either Mantas would succeed and give him a second prospect now that Vader was so badly scarred, or he would die, thinning out another unworthy soul from the ranks of would-be Sith Lords.