Chapter X

The two opponents, master and apprentice, fought doggedly. While Baas had the greater skill, Kun's double-edged weapon gave him an advantage. Baas executed a daring lunge, which Kun caught on his blade. The Jedi then blocked a blow from the opposite end of the younger man's weapon, and pushed his student back with a wave of Force energy. Kun deflected the sidelong blow Baas aimed at him, and somersaulted away from immediate conflict. The two regarded each other for a moment, then Baas performed a low cut, which Kun parried. The alien Jedi swung his golden beam of energy in a semicircle; the two scintillating beams of light still locked in combat. Then Baas stepped back, extended his weapon and leaped.

His path was a mutated half-roll and twist, yet somehow Kun managed to block Baas. Spinning the other end of his lightsaber around, Kun forced Baas to duck the edge of his strike. The lightsaber beam continued on, heading inexorably for the tip of Baas' weapon. But instead of destroying the older Jedi's lightsaber, Kun's blade switched off after striking it. "You see that I came prepared to deal with you, my young apprentice," Baas said as Kun eyed him from a safe distance.

Touching a control that he doubted Kun had noticed, Baas caused a second gold-white beam of energy to spring from his weapon's far end. "This battle is not over until I say it is," Baas stated, and rushed Kun. Somehow the other managed to block the blow, and the duel began anew.

Exar Kun shook his head in confusion. This was unlike the Jedi Master he had trained under. He wished he did not have to do this, but Baas had forced the matter. Kun struck upwards, hoping to sever his former master's weapon, but his blade again refused to part the other's lightsaber. He must have lined it with cortosis ore, Kun mused, That will make this more difficult for me to win without harming him. He did care for the other Jedi, but he could not spare the time this sort of conflict took. Even now, Malcodezj could be escaping. Twirling his weapon's other blade around to block any counterstrike, Kun spun three hundred sixty degrees and reached out with the Force.

A rock flew towards Baas, forcing him to dodge as Kun raised his lightsaber and threw it like a javelin. Baas angled his weapon to block the attack. At that instant, Kun spun with Jedi speed low towards Baas, grabbing his weapon from the air as he did so. He skidded beneath Baas' still raised blade and brought his own about with an incoherent cry. A moment later, the aged Jedi was no more, and his weapon clattering to the ground. Kun breathed heavily, overcome with a wave of sorrow. But somehow, he knew that he was not the source of it. Rising, refusing to become like those he hated, he went to the steps of the temple. "It was your destiny," a familiar voice admonished him, "You could not escape it."

"Perhaps," Kun said, regarding the Emperor Malcodezj. "Remember," Malcodezj admonished him, "He and those liked him deprived you of all you could have been." Kun's eyes smoldered, and he bit out, "And I am here to ensure you never again cause others to destroy all they might yet be." Malcodezj regarded him and said, "You intend to destroy me. I foresaw this day would come. You will fail, my apprentice. The Sith will prove victorious." Kun began to climb the steps, and he smiled grimly. "That may or may not be," Kun said, "I have come here to face my destiny, even if I am not sure what it will be."

The pain and loss that accompanied the death of a great Jedi washed over Ulic as he looked out over the jungle of Yavin 4. The proximity, intensity and familiarity of the occurrence could only mean one thing. He quickly turned to see Nomi enter the cockpit. A tear rolled down her cheek, in itself evidence of her intense grief. "Let it out," he said, holding her as she wept more openly.

"If Baas could not defeat him," she said at last, "We cannot either." "He will pay for this," Ulic swore, starting up the engines of his ship. "We're leaving?" she asked. "Not quite yet," he told her, "It will still take some time to plot a course and leave here. I just want to be ready at a moments notice, in case Kun comes for us next." Watching the jungle with his eyes and mind, Ulic set to work preparing a way to leave this world.

Blue-white lightning wrapped around the blades of Kun's lightsaber as Malcodezj avoided his attacks. Again and again, Kun blocked the intense waves of energy, striving to gain the advantage. Objected scattered around the room just inside the entrance of the temple rose at the so-called Emperor's command, but were shredded by Kun who sent the pieces flying back at Malcodezj. The other backed towards a corner of the room, looking defiant. "The Dark Side cannot be defeated!" the Sith roared, "The Sith will prevail!" The lightning increased in intensity, but Kun ignored it. "You are wrong," Kun said, "The Force will prevail." Kun feinted, then spun in the opposite direction and connected with the Sith.

An explosion of blue Dark Side fire engulfed Kun, throwing him across the room and back to the entrance. As Kun recovered from the blast, he let a deep sigh out. He had done it. He had fulfilled his destiny, if only at great cost. A footstep sounded behind him, and Kun turned to face the newcomer. The other raised bandaged hands, signaling surrender. "I am not your enemy," a familiar voice said, "I came here to do the same thing you have evidently already done." Kun followed the other's gesture to the blackened spot where Malcodezj had died.

But there was only one other person who knew the Sith was here, Kun thought. "Are you who I think you are?" Kun asked. The other drew back his hood, revealing a face swathed in bandages and wearing goggles. Tufts of Wookiee hair were quite visible around the strips of cloth. "I was once the Sith Lord Rmnklamara," the alien replied, "Now I shall be known as Darth Jlan."

The two spacecraft rose in orbit of Yavin 4, and for a moment Ulic feared they were going to be fired upon. But Kun and his companion didn't even notice them as they left as swiftly as they had come. He glanced at Nomi, who was smiling at him. "So, do you think the Jedi Council will approve of what we're going to do?" she asked. "I think it would take half the Jedi Order to stop me," Ulic said, "But first I have a few people I want to invite that I want you to meet." She nodded, and then they too left the jungle planet far behind.

"The present conflict seems to have come to an end," Darth Qiran said as Sidious joined him. "What now, Master?" his associate asked. "Now we wait," Qiran said, his glistening red eyes narrowing, "With this shift in power, we must continue to go cautiously. Our time of victory is not yet." Darth Sidious nodded, and joined his master in gazing at the capitol of the galaxy.

A wedding between Jedi was not unheard of, neither was it common. Karlos Shrike had been immensely pleased to be invited when Ulic and Nomi had contacted him. As they walked off, Shrike commented, "I'm glad they are happy." Felth glanced at him. "Are you getting soft in your old age, Karlos?" Shrike smiled and said, "Maybe, and maybe I'm more the wiser."

"Now that ended this conflict has, need replacements for members of the Council do we," Yoda said. The recent loss of Thon, Ood and Baas was evident as Plett stepped forward. "I recommend Master Roche Cavrilhu," the Ho'Din Jedi said. Then Ashka Boda stepped forward, and said, "I recommend Master Arca Jeth." Yoda nodded, and the other Jedi murmured assent. "Another chosen shall be at another time," Yoda stated, and soon the assembled Jedi dispersed.

Two figures stood together on the surface of the planet Msst. One was Darth Jlan, the other Exar Kun. "One day, more will follow the Sith who led the battle that has just ended," Kun said to his companion. "We must then prepare for that day," Jlan replied, "So that we can defeat them." Exar Kun nodded, and turned his gaze towards the rising stars. In the course of time, they would all fulfill their destinies...

To Be Concluded...