Chapter 36

Wild Space - 10 Years Ago

Qymaen was a new man.

Over the past two years, the name Grievous had spread throughout Kalee. His tactics in battle had become more brutal, and he had grown more and more distant from his allies. His warmth and compassion had all but faded, only to be replaced by an eerily somber disposition towards everyone around him.

The death of his father had driven him into a deep depression. A constant state of mourning and self-loathing that was only temporarily broken by the thrill of battle. And even that didn't usually last very long.

He had also grown increasingly more apathetic towards ethics in combat. On occasion, he'd even resorted to torturing his enemies for information, despite the number of times his father had condemned such methods.

Qymaen had transformed himself into a cold, merciless killer. And his conquest was only just beginning.

...

Today, he and Ronderu had traveled off-world to stop a supply ship from leaving with escaped Huk prisoners. Both of them were pursuing the supply ship in their heavy starfighters, which they had named Heart and Soul. Once the ship's outer defenses were destroyed, Qymaen and Ronderu fired upon the entrance to one of its hangars, eventually making an opening for themselves.

As they entered the ship, dozens of Huk guards began to swarm the hangar and fire upon their starfighters. But their starfighters' triple laser cannons kept the guards at bay while they made their landings. As soon as their ships touched the ground, Qymaen and Ronderu leapt out of their cockpits with their weapons ready. They then quickly eliminated the remaining Huk and made their way into an adjoining hallway.

They had both studied the inner schematics of these ships, and they wasted no time searching for the prisoners. Each Huk that stood in their way was cut down without hesitation. As much as Ronderu didn't want to admit it, killing without question had practically become second nature to her. She'd become so accustomed to all of the blood and gore that she found herself wondering if the Huk War had taken any of her humanity. And with how brutal Qymaen had become, she was scared to even think about the kind of effect it had had on him.

After searching for a while, they eventually reached a large storage area in the back of the ship. They could hear murmuring coming from behind one of the blast doors. Ronderu used one of her Lig swords to cut into the door's control panel and rip off its cover. She then began rewiring its interior while Qymaen prepared to attack. After repositioning a few wires, the control panel sparked, and the door flew open.

Qymaen and Ronderu bared their weapons as they ran into the room. Upon entering the room, they found themselves face to face with an adult male Skrilling, who was seated on the floor in a meditative position. He addressed Qymaen with his eyes closed.

"General Grievous, I presume?"

"Who are you? Where are the prisoners?"

"Gone. They left in escape pods while you were busy with the guards."

"Where did they go?!"

"I will not tell you."

"Oh you will…"

Qymaen began to approach the Skrilling until Ronderu grabbed his shoulder.

"Qymean, wait! He's…"

After taking another look, he noticed something hidden beneath the Skrilling's cloak.

A lightsaber.

He then realized who the Skrilling was.

Since the Battle of Huk, he had been using the HoloNet to gather information on various Jedi. This Skrilling was a Jedi Knight named Strif Kellidij, who'd been working closely with the Huk for the past few years. Qymaen had spent so long waiting for an opportunity to kill a Jedi. And now, there was one sitting right in front of him.

Ronderu held her Lig swords at her sides.

"We'll take him together."

Qymaen nodded.

"Fine by me."

The Jedi sighed as he got to his feet.

"I was hoping you'd relinquish and leave me be."

He pulled his lightsaber from his belt.

"But I can tell you wish to kill me."

A blue blade sprang from its hilt.

"And so I will defend myself."

Qymaen and Ronderu both leapt at the Jedi with their weapons in-hand. However, the Jedi was too quick for them, predicting their attacks and avoiding them with ease. After finding an opening, he used his lightsaber to cut through their Lig swords, destroying them instantly. He then held out his hands and used the Force to push his attackers back into a wall. After hitting the wall and falling to the floor, Qymaen and Ronderu were given one final warning from the Jedi.

"This is your last chance, Kaleesh. Leave now…or perish."

In a rage, Qymaen pulled out his family Lig sword and charged at the Jedi. However, the Jedi simply continued to dodge as Qymaen swung his weapon wildly. He then took the sword from Qymaen's hand and tossed it to the side. As they fought one another hand-to-hand, Ronderu took out her blaster and fired at the Jedi from a distance. But the Jedi quickly pushed Qymaen away and used the Force to pluck the blaster from Ronderu's hand. With the blaster on the floor, the Jedi reached out his hands once again, lifting his attackers into the air and slamming them both onto the floor.

The impact with the floor's steel plating left Qymaen's entire body sore. He struggled to get up while the Jedi approached him.

"You and your people were no match for us. You were fools to oppose us on Huk."

Qymaen's fists tightened.

"My army…my soldiers…are stronger than you know…"

The Jedi shook his head.

"Army or not…"

He raised his lightsaber above Qymaen's head.

"…you must realize…"

He prepared to strike.

"…you are doomed."

Suddenly, Ronderu leapt onto the Jedi's back and began clawing at his face. As the two of them struggled, Qymaen looked around the room for a weapon. He noticed Ronderu's blaster lying only a few feet away from him. As he crawled toward the weapon, the Jedi managed to get ahold of Ronderu and throw her off of him. He quickly turned around to face Qymaen, only to find him picking up the blaster from the floor. The Jedi charged at Qymaen with his lightsaber bared. But before he could get any closer, Qymaen pulled the trigger on the blaster.

In a split second, a blaster bolt fired from the weapon and struck the Jedi in the stomach. The Jedi immediately fell to his knees and gave a pained moan as he held the burning wound in his gut.

Qymaen then fired the blaster again.

And again.

And again.

Shot after shot was poured into the Jedi's body until the blaster finally ran out of ammo. As the Jedi writhed on the floor in pain, Qymaen got back on his feet and picked up two discarded Lig swords. He then charged at the Jedi and plunged both swords into his neck. Ronderu could only watch as Qymaen cut deeper and deeper into the Jedi's flesh. Less than a minute later, she heard one final sickening cut before the Jedi's body fell to the floor, and Qymaen stood with his severed head in his hand.

As he held the Jedi's head, Qymaen knelt down next to his headless body and picked up his lightsaber. He reactivated it and gazed upon its blue blade.

Such a powerful, magnificent weapon. Wielded by such an unworthy being.

How could the Jedi keep such power to themselves? How could they have squandered it for so many millennia? Who did they think they were? What made them so special?

Nothing.

Nothing did.

They were no less fallible than anyone else. They just refused to admit it.

The Jedi didn't deserve these weapons.

They never had.

And so Qymaen would take them for himself, and use them to strike down the very beings who had created them.

In the hands of the Jedi, the lightsabers had been wasted.

But in the hands of General Grievous, they would be the tools that would reshape the galaxy.